Thatcher had one trick up her sleeve (i.e. in her handbag): hairspray. Image is everything. Boris could have used Brylcreem and he’d still be leader of the party partying in 10 Downing Street.
He will need 100 MPs to nominate him. Not impossible but very unlikely, because the "anyone but Johnson" majority would coalesce around one candidate … somebody they only dislike, not loathe.
Truss exceeded expectations. Tories would fare better leaderless and focussing their attention on the nation rather than on internal petty party politics. 10 Downing Street is becoming a closet of failed attempts at greatness and only political corpses come out recently. I think David was the best British PM in living memory.
Good explanatory thread showing why class analysis matters, and that talking about differences in privilege at the class level is not the same as talking about individuals (something some of the replies fail to grasp).
yes, you are. I'm referring to class as the collective of people that have shared attributes that mean certain things as a group.
There's the analysis that there are three classes that are exploited by capitalism (especially by labour) for the purposes of continuing capitalism: socioeconomic, biological sex, and race/ethnicity.
In this instance, Godfrey is referring to Pākehā, more specifically the people whose ancestors came from Europe (Caucasians), and Māori. That's the class of ethnicity. He also talks about socioeconomic impacts on Māori, but as a group, demographically.
If you don't have a class analysis, then this statement doesn't make sense,
But Pākehā people generally are the beneficiaries of those actions today
and leads to people making a counter argument of "I'm Pākehā and I'm poor, so were my parents and grandparents, we don't have that benefit". And that blinds the conversation to how working class Pākehā have benefited despitebeing working class. It also tends to lead people to thinking in either/or, whereas obviously working class people don't have the benefits of middle or professional classes.
"This isn’t because Pākehā people are racist selfishly guarding their inherited advantages"…not sure I agree with that…why does he think half or more voters in this country vote National/Act?..has he ever worked on a large construction site?..I can tell you from first hand experience that give yourself a few days to get embedded on most sites around the country and you will slowly start to hear some pretty crazy racist shit start casually coming out of peoples mouths…and you can be sure many offices around the country are the same…racism is still deeply embedded in the NZ psych, of that I am sure, and you might be surprised were you still find it…I know I still get taken by surprise by it pretty regularly.
go ahead then, make your argument for why he is wrong when he says that Māori are demographically disadvantaged compared to Pākehā across a number of areas, and it's not because contemporary Pākehā are racist and selfishly guarding their inherited advantages, but rather because historical forces particularly the settler state are more powerful than individuals.
You’ve already said that there are Pākehā that are racist, but that doesn’t explain how MG is wrong (he hasn’t said that there are no racist Pākehā).
We must be talking at crossed purposes because I am saying that (many) “Pākehā are racist and selfishly guarding their inherited advantages” but I also strongly agree that “historical forces particularly the settler state are more powerful than individuals”(In most, but not all circumstances)…but holding one of those positions does not negate the other as far as I can see…both those things are existing side by side as we speak IMO.
Sure. So please make the argument that supports the assertion that most Pākehā are racist and selfishly guarding their inherited advantages.
That there are racist Pākehā doesn't mean that most Pākehā are racist and selfishly guarding their inherited advantages in the context of his thread. You may be right, I just haven’t seen the argument yet.
You'd also need to provide some evidence that half of NZ votes National because they're racist and selfishly guarding their inherited advantages. As opposed to being right wing, or believing in right wing politics (which again doesn't mean that racism isn't also an issue). Let's not forget that Doug Graham (Nat Minister for Treaty Settlements) did much to advance the modern treaty process in the 90s.
It is a holiday here in the Bay so I am going out to ride some hills and valley roads now, will answer when I get back…as long as I haven’t stupidly ridden myself into the ground which I have a bad habit of doing to myself for unknown reasons.
What Happened to Egalitarian New Zealand? [Easton, 25 June 2019] New Zealand was once a more egalitarian society than it is today. It has been overwhelmed by economic, social and technological changes. A crucial outcome is that the class structure has become less fluid and the increasing rigidities have disconnected the powerful from the rest of society.
We can all revel in the delicious fall of a Tory extremist, but it worth remembering the fall of Truss is a sombre illustration that centrists are more hostile to democracy than either the populist left or right. It probably shouldn't surprise us – our MSM is full of cynical and savvy members of the centrist pundocracy who pronounce themselves exhausted by the demands of vigorous democracy, contemptuous of voters, contemptuous of the politically engaged, and longing for a "safe pair of hands" to calm the markets, sooth the bankers and reassure the property owning haute bourgeoisie.
Truss fell for the same reason Jeremy Corbyn was done in – she was elected by her party members, thus becoming an irritant that is nowadays unacceptable to the incestuous Oxbridge ruling class in Britains increasingly corrupt and decayed managed democracy. Wet Tories joined with centrists and liberals in forming a claque applauding a soft coup in the name of "the markets".
So we on the left should be a bit muted in our cheering on of the fall of Truss. Most of the media hallelujahs are to the effect that "orthodoxy" has been restored. "The markets" have seen off "ideologues". But the situation in the UK, and in the wider failing neoliberal project everywhere, is unstable as neoliberal orthodoxy doesn't command the widespread support it used to – as evidenced by the Corbyn insurrection and the eruption of Truss.
Centrists will likely find their hopes for a restoration of orthodoxy dashed, and their insistence that the masses withdraw from political activity and find relief in the administrative rule of technocrats is becoming increasingly untenable.
I sure ain't cheering. The UK is the 5th largest economy in the world, one of the leading remaining democracies, one of the most sustainable, and still a critical global power.
Britain is being seriously destabilised when we need every strong coherent state on the planet working together, not fucking things up.
I've been thinking about this. For all the moaning here in NZ we've had more or less continuous growth since the GFC. For the UK (and Europe in general) however the GFC was an inflexion point – a crisis after which things did not return to normal.
The UK has essentially had a stagnant/declining economy for going on fifteen years. How much have the economies of Austrlai and NZ grown in the time?
The scoffing and derision is going on and will go on about government in the UK.
Somewhat of a contrast though isn't it. The extraordinary constitutional crisis, if that's what it could be called, compared to the US situation one in the recent past. (And in many ways continuing.)
Albeit much of it happened behind closed doors, there was a full frontal attack to usurp power in the US. Clearly lawmakers at many levels were involved or supported it, support it.
How many threads and how fine were they which saw the unthinkable not happen?
For all of her inaptness and the dire straits which saw Truss bite the bullet, the last guy in America, how did he go in the when the writing was on the wall?
Oct 19 (Reuters) – Russian-installed authorities in the occupied Ukrainian region of Kherson said on Wednesday that they plan to evacuate around 50,000-60,000 people over the next six days amid escalating pressure from a Ukrainian counteroffensive.
Russian-installed governor Vladimir Saldo said authorities were moving civilians to the left (east) bank of the Dnipro River in order to "keep people safe" and allow the military to "act resolutely".
Turns out there are still one or two Extreme Right elements still operating within the Ukraine military…..which is strange because according to various commentators on this forum the Far Right problem widely acknowledged and reported on before this conflict by the BBC, Aljazeera, Vice, New Statesman, Time and many others as being deeply embedded within the Ukraine politics and their military has apparently been all taken care of…though we are still waiting for neutral links from these Standard members to prove those bold assertions…
Any way I will take it from them that no one should have any concerns nor even mention the possibility of the downstream blowback from the thousands of fully armed, battle hardened Far Right fighters who will be left standing at the end of this pointless war….you know how like arming Islamic extremists in Afghanistan during the 1980s ended in peace and tranquillity for the rest of the world…I mean seriously, what could go wrong I wonder?
You guillable fool. Just by reading your post I know those three links are widely discredited as faked Russian propaganda.
The first are Russians.
The second and third are obvious deep fake image manipulation.
I am at loss why people seem so keen to be useful idiots for Russian disinformation. Remember the purpose of Russian propaganda is create doubt, sow uncertainty and demoralise through defelection, whatabboutism and false equivalence.
Yep it's all fake…you just keep on telling yourself that….oh that's right you don't need too..all those MSM news sites (linked to above) that only a short while ago told you that there was a serious Right Wing problem in the Ukraine, are now telling you there isn't…isn't that strange and bizarre? ….holy shit what a chump you are.
Show us all just one serious neutral link that proves Zelenskyy has dealt with the proven (by your Liberal MSM sources I might add) Far Right problem in Ukraine or more specifically the military….if you or others cannot supply us with that one neutral link…then you all have no argument….just empty rhetoric.
Is there such a thing as useful idiots of Ukrainian propaganda? Considering all mainstream coverage we get is pro-Ukrainian, and any independent journalism going against this narrative is sidelined. Shouldnt that make it obvious where the propaganda is coming from?
Re; "Show us all just one serious neutral link that proves Zelenskyy has dealt with the proven Far Right problem in Ukraine or more specifically the military"
…no I didn't think so….This is the third thread that I have asked for any link to verify that claim..you and the rest have failed to deliver because there is no link or links, and never was…just more pro war Western propaganda that you want to believe..so you do…without question.
It is pretty damn obvious that you (and many others) have been so conditioned over time, by the relentless propaganda around Russia (and China too for that matter) spewed out over the past half decade that now you either cannot or will not, and actually often seem to just outright refuse to even try and analyze any facet of the Ukraine war with any sort of critical judgment whatsoever….kind of crazy to watch people in so deep they don't know which way is up or down anymore.
Yeah that's true, but not too many of them get to form their very own offical battalions with their very own Waffen SS inspired unit banners and insignia to wear and to fight under…
"Russian-installed governor Vladimir Saldo said authorities were moving civilians to the left (east) bank of the Dnipro River in order to "keep people safe" and allow the military to "act resolutely".
This statement made my blood run cold. The right bank of the Dnipr river is characterised by high bluffs that over look the left bak, which is flat. It seems to me the the Russian are moving people to the left bak of the river with the clear threat that if the Ukrainains keep attacking and seize Nova Kakhova they'll blow up the massive Kakhovka dam and release a torrent from the Reservoir and drown thousdands of civilians deliberately placed there.
your comment makes no sense whateva sanc especially since Ukraine has been shelling and otherwise attacking that dam for weeks !! Why are they doing that ?? trying to beat the russkies to it ???
Hears some up to date info you might like to look at
It makes sense because Russia has form of destroying dams in pursuit of military advantage – they struck the Oskil reservoir dam to isolate one of the Ukrainian bridgeheads across the Seversky Dinets River. Ukrainian helicopters ferried supplies to the isolated troops however, so the invaders were not able to overrun them.
An obvious use of the same tactic on the Dnipro River is to cover their retreat as they abandon Kherson. The last thing a retreating army needs is an enemy hot on their heels, picking off the stragglers.
Superpower policy is often dominated by spite. Russian destruction of this dam would cause lasting damage to Ukraine, and, having been trounced, Putin is feeling very spiteful. Unlike tactical nukes, dam busting has no specific international consequences.
Cant really see it stuart and i think " trounced " is a ridiculous word to use under the circumstances after all if Ukraine broke through russian lines in the north it was only because that was where the line was thinnest and ukraine by most accounts paid a very heavy price for gains made .Since then the lines have hardly moved save for the regions where russia is making gains .
Time will tell i guess and anyway its foolish to make grand statements about outcomes within the ebb an flow of war dont you think ?
Seems evident to me that Russia plays the long game but really what the fuck do i know? or for that matter any of us ? we are not there and are at the mercy of those who ply us with information .Trust nothing and apply the pinch of salt !!
And where, pray tell us, do you imagine that is? It is clearly nowhere in Ukraine.
Seems evident to me that Russia plays the long game
A four-day operation that goes over two hundred days could certainly be considered long – but there is little evidence of strategy.
"I have heard of military operations that were clumsy but swift, but I have never seen one that was skillful and lasted a long time." ~ Sun Tzu
"Those who use the military skillfully do not raise troops twice."
Hmm… I generally avoid pure propaganda sites like that Weston – you know, the kind that make unsupported allegations that Ukraine is planning to destroy the Dnipro dam. It is Ukraine's dam, and once the invasion is merely an horrific memory, they intend to use it to produce electricity once more.
The allegation is merely intended to provide a bit of deniability – credulous people like yourself repeating the lie after Russia destroys the dam, to suppress the outrage at targeting civilian infrastructure, and using an, albeit unconventional, weapon of mass destruction.
You are some considerable way from supporting your assertion, much less offering good measure.
Apparently Russia wants to flood Kherson, an area that Russia just fought for, allowed the vote in, and just became part of Russia. The logic is mind boggling…
And they've done it before !!! he thunders, as if unblocking a canal which supplied water to two an a half million civilians was a crime !!!!
I dont know exactly when Ukrainian nationalists dammed that canal but they damned themselves in the process .As one can see from the date stamp on the reuters article russian troops unblocked the canal not two days after the invasion which shows clearly the importance given to the task .In fact it would have been another of the provocations Russia had to invade in the first place .
I cannot read the clickbait behind the paywall. In the previous financial year 2020-2021 the total net hectares of land sales approved by OIO was 16,341. Even doubling that would not go anywhere near the area of Arthur’s Pass National Park.
It [applications approved] does not necessarily indicate that a sale has taken place or will take place.
''Foreigners more than doubled their appetite for New Zealand land in the latest year, buying an area equivalent to a South Island national park.
The 111,674 hectares or 1116 square kilometres of land that overseas entities bought between September 2021 and August this year is about the same size as Arthur's Pass National Park, the rugged, 1185sq km mountainous area straddling the Southern Alps.
Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand provided details of the transactions approved by the Overseas Investment Office in the year to August.
In the previous year to August 2021, foreigners bought 46,000ha. The year before that, to August 2020, 70,148ha of land was bought. Now the numbers are up to 111,674ha.
The volume of overseas investment approvals showed a post-Covid bounceback: 122 applications were approved in the August 2020 year, remaining almost static at 124 for the August 2021 year, but rising to 152 applications approved in the latest year to August.''
The ones which were Kiwi companies selling to foreign interests, seem to be mostly around forestry. Whether that's a good or a bad thing…..
Just checked, and it is Herald premium.
The first Kiwi owned land sale was no. 3 in size:
“3. 3400ha: Kiwis sell forestry interests to Germans
Ponga Silva (49 per cent German, 18 per cent British) won consent to buy Mangatarata Forest, Mangatarata Station, Mata Forest, Onetohunga Forest and Te Rawhiti Forest – around Tauwhareparae in the Gisborne district – from Kiwi interests.
“The applicant is acquiring a freehold interest in approximately 3466ha of land comprising four adjoining forests, including several forestry rights registered over the freehold land,” said the Overseas investment Office. Approval was granted last October, with the sale price suppressed.”
I've got a lot of time for Dave Letele – and think he does a whole lot of practical good in the world.
So, like a lot of Aucklanders, I was pretty horrified to see that his foodbank had been robbed, in what was clearly a theft-for-sale, rather than a theft-because-someone-was-hungry.
So it is heart-warming to see two things come out of it:
The generosity of the community in making donations to put them in a better place than they were before the break in;
Dave's attitude towards restorative justice for the offenders:
"I've asked the police that I would like the girl to do community service with us. I think there will be more chance of her rehabilitating if she is with us, rather than going to prison," Letele said.
What will happen to the New Zealand economy if as seems likely China's economy simply stops growing or is 1-3% GDP growth, for as far as the eye can see?
i am one of those that say that the protests for trains and no oil and such need to happen on the parliaments lawn. Joe/Jane Wrokingforacrustandtopayrent/mortgage really don't have the time nor the humor to deal with these well meaning people.
so file this under shit has consequences in three acts.
This is a dude who is a Researcher in social psychology, so one would assume that he has a bit of a brain and is fairly well educated. So when he thought that gluing himself into that position how far did he think? did he think about going to the loo, eating food, causing potential blood clods? Did he think it made him heroic? Did he think other people had to accommodate his 'protest'?
In the meantime, private planes flying a few persons to places for no reasons or because people are rich and can afford too and it would be a fun little happy maker. In the meantime, people camp for the opening of a KMART filled with crap shipped from china and elsewhere to get a little dopamine hit, all for it to end up in our landfills. In the meantime there are almost no flying insects about and that is absolutely terrifying.
Also, really, paid for university education is not worth shit if this is the best it produces.
edit: this protest is not happening in NZ. It is just a little human action that is would make a worthy Brother Grimm story.
You sound like a neoliberal dogmatist judging the action of others through the lens of rational decision-making and personal responsibility. On top of that, your usual and inevitable anti-intellectual bias is on show.
Psychology theory will undoubtedly include perspectives on personal suffering and sacrifice for the greater good and/or one’s personal belief system, which is what that the activist is describing & documenting. It is not so much whining/complaining about his personal deteriorating situation and you’re simply projecting, again.
You love to ridicule this story and diminish it as some kind of bad fairy tale belonging in realm of fantasy, but it is very real and cannot be ignored and denied, no matter how hard you try to dismiss it as a fool’s errant. I’m in awe of their courage to put themselves through this and in a potentially highly embarrassing and literally sickening position.
Guarav Sharma has a chance to put his money where his mouth is. I reckon he should take the chance, take up the challenge. When he produces the evidence, the good people of Hamilton West will see that he is a man of integrity and all vote for him in the by-election.
"Trevor Mallard demands resigned MP Gaurav Sharma release full recording of conversation
Speaking to the NZ Herald, Mallard challenged Sharma to release the full recording of the conversation, which lasted about 30 minutes.
"I know [Sharma] won't [release] it because in it, he tells lies," Mallard said.
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Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Even if some students are now just texting on their laptops. Stewart Sowman-Lund writes in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
Councils from Horowhenua, Kāpiti, Wairarapa, the Hutt Valley, Porirua and Wellington City will meet this Friday to work together on a plan for a Greater Wellington region water deal. ...
Renowned musician, advocate, and proud born and raised daughter of Tauranga, Ria Hall, is announcing her candidacy for Mayor of Tauranga and Pāpāmoa Ward for the upcoming election on July 20th. ...
The new Aotearoa histories curriculum is rich with potential. There’s still work to be done, but the education minister’s criticisms about ‘balance’ miss the mark, argues primary school teacher Jessie Moss. In 2015, Ōtorohanga College students presented to parliament a petition signed by more than 10,000 people calling for a ...
For too long our so-called national bird has maintained its stranglehold on the economy of regional New Zealand. Thanks to the fast track legislation, we will have our revenge. Theories abound on what ails New Zealand’s economy. National leader Chris Luxon has posited that we’re negative, wet, whiny, and inward-looking; ...
If building one of Auckland’s possible waterfront stadiums was funded privately, it would need to hold a sold-out Ed Sherran concert every weekday for 25 years. That’s Rob Hamlin’s finding – he’s a senior marketing lecturer at the University of Otago. “It’s not going to happen; forget about it,” he ...
Comment: The debate over the future relationship between news and social media is bringing us closer to a long-overdue reckoning. Social media isn’t trying to kill journalism, because social media has never really cared about journalism. Social media is resolutely in the attention business. News propels some attention — perhaps ...
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For the past 12 years, Georgia-Rose Brown has balanced on the brink of making an Olympic Games – but always landed gracefully on the wrong side. Reaching the Olympics is a dream the gymnast has harboured since she was a six-year-old; a dream that would dwindle every four years, yet ...
Late one afternoon in March 1860 a man in a thin green velveteen jacket and a wide-awake hat arrived on foot at a sheep station named Glenmark, about 65 kilometres north of Christchurch. The man was in his mid-fifties but he looked older. Several people who met him that day ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra A new Commonwealth Prac Payment will provide students with $319.50 a week when they are on clinical and professional placements. The payment will be means tested and start from July 1 next year, which ...
Asia Pacific Report About 500 people honoured Palestinian journalists in the heart of the New Zealand city of Auckland today for their brave coverage of Israel’s War on Gaza, now in its seventh month with almost 35,000 people killed, mostly women and children. Marking the annual May 3 World Press ...
The Government Communications Security Bureau denies hosting a foreign spying capability flagged by the watchdog, differentiating it from the system recently criticised. ...
RNZ News A group of academic staff at New Zealand’s largest university have expressed concern at the administration’s move to block a protest encampment that was planned to take place on campus calling for support for the rights of Palestinians. This week, the University of Auckland warned that while it ...
Genterwocky After a hard days marching, Sir Doocey calls in at the Village Tavern For a pint of ale and a pork pie. The grim villagers stare at him. “Do not be travelling on the forest road,” warns a crusty old beak. “And why is that, antique peasant?” Grins Sir ...
Political conferences after a party returns to power are usually a chance for some healthy, even unhealthy backslapping. Yet National Party president Sylvia Wood’s address to its mainland representatives on Saturday hardly contained the unalloyed delight that one might have expected following National’s escape from the wilderness of opposition. Yes, ...
Comment: Almost half the world is voting in national elections this year and artificial intelligence is the elephant in the room. There are genuine fears AI-generated or AI-edited deepfakes will potentially manipulate election outcomes not just in the US and UK, but critically in countries such as India. For that ...
Ahead of the reality franchise’s return to New Zealand, allow us to introduce the eight brides and grooms. Chuck on a veil and tie back your man bun, because it’s time to say “I do” to a new season of Married at First Sight NZ. The reality TV “social experiment” ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Norton, Professor in the Practice of Higher Education Policy, Australian National University Every year on June 1, student debt in Australia is indexed to inflation. In 2023, high inflation pushed the indexation rate to 7.1%, the highest since 1990. This ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Changes in the May 14 budget will cut the student debt of more than three million people, wiping more than $3 billion from what people owe. The government will cap the HELP indexation rate ...
Asia Pacific Report The prosecutor’s office at the International Criminal Court (ICC) has appealed for an end to what it calls intimidation of its staff, saying such threats could constitute an offence against the “administration of justice” by the world’s permanent war crimes court. The Hague-based office of ICC Prosecutor ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk A women’s union in New Caledonia has staged a sit-in protest this week to support senior Kanak indigenous journalist Thérèse Waia, who works for public broadcaster Nouvelle-Calédonie la Première, after a smear attack by critics. The peaceful demonstration was held on ...
New Zealand Food Safety is monitoring overseas recalls of Indian packaged spice products manufactured by MDH and Everest due to concerns over a cancer-causing pesticide. ...
By Stephen Wright and Stefan Armbruster of BenarNews Fiji’s ranking in a global press freedom index has jumped into the top tier of countries with free or mostly free media after its government last year repealed a draconian law that threatened journalists with prison for doing their jobs. Fiji’s improvement ...
We might be in Invercargill but all anyone can talk about is Gore. Specifically, Salford Street. That’s where three-year-old Lachlan Jones lived, south of the centre of town, between the A&P Showgrounds and the Mataura River. Roughly 1.2 km away from the single level home he lived in with his ...
MONDAY I lined up the latest round of civil servants from city hall against the wall, and signalled for the firing squad to drop their rifles. I stepped up onto a wooden crate to look at the office workers in the eye. But that didn’t feel right, so I found ...
Keen hiker and second-year MSc student Liam Hewson wears two hats when he’s in the great outdoors. “The scientist in me appreciates nature and goes, ‘Oh, there’s that thing and there’s another thing,’ but then the tramper and the outdoorsy person in me thinks, ‘Cool bush.’” Born and bred in ...
After a long and illustrious career as a goal kicker, Dan Carter’s favourite way to unwind is… kicking goals. Why can’t he get enough of it? And what it’s like to watch him do it for an hour straight? A semicircle of people wielding cameras and phones has formed in ...
Dame Susan Devoy takes us through her life in television, including late night ER debriefs, her proudest CTI moment and the show she watches in secret. Quite aside from her four world champion squash titles, Dame Susan Devoy will likely go down in history as one of the best Celebrity ...
Hera Lindsay Bird reveals the best places in Ōtepoti to score more for your apocalypse-prep book hoard.Sometimes I get the feeling I’ve been killed in a car crash, and this second half of my life is just the brain unspooling itself, like one of those episodes of a hospital ...
ThreeNow’s new murder mystery series takes us on a dark, damp journey into the Australian wilderness.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. High Country is ThreeNow’s new Australian eight-part crime drama, set in a remote part of the Victorian highlands. It tells ...
Introducing a new way to read The Spinoff every weekend. After nearly 10 years of being an online magazine, we’re finally embracing the weekend liftout. Despite our best efforts to convince you otherwise, writers and editors at The Spinoff don’t work weekend. It is through the sheer power of technology ...
Tip one: let yourself be nurtured by this big old man. Tip two: don’t ask him to adopt you. So, you’ve arrived at your first session with a new therapist. He tells you to make yourself comfortable and you opt for the tweed armchair, hoping it makes you look like ...
I didn’t know books could open you back up; that there were books that stayed with you, where reading was like a chemical event. I knew nothing.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.Not too long ago, I was listening to the American ...
Everyone thinks he’s dead. Every day they expect his body to be washed up along the coast. Most likely up Karitane way, the way the tide’s running. But nobody’ll be too surprised if his body’s never found. Even in death he wouldn’t have wished for such attention. He would have ...
Former Olympic swimmer James Magnussen has already started training for the Enhanced games, though says he won’t start taking performance enhancing substances until about nine months out from the competition. The Australian world champion was the first athlete to be announced by Enhanced, but he says the organisation has had ...
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The lettuce won.
Lettuce GAIN from Conservatives
44 days!
As the daughter of a grocer, Thatcher knew better how long a lettuce would last.
Thatcher had one trick up her sleeve (i.e. in her handbag): hairspray. Image is everything. Boris could have used Brylcreem and he’d still be leader of the party partying in 10 Downing Street.
Who was funding the lettuce's makeup appears to be the real politic here.
thatcher was kept in power by general pinochet,
Bye
https://twitter.com/trussliz/status/1583089423876440064
Edit:
Oh dear…
https://twitter.com/ianbremmer/status/1583088092935729154
heh
https://twitter.com/MLMucci/status/1583089834553671681
Good to see you practicing farewells, Joe. You have a momentous one coming up next year.
I'm sure it'll trickle down.
/
Liz Truss will receive a yearly £115,000 allowance for the rest of her life despite her short stint as Prime Minister.
https://www.businessinsider.com/liz-truss-eligible-allowance-prime-minister-resignation-uk-2022-10
Arise Lord Boris and save them.
Yep they say Boris may run again!
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/liz-truss-quits-as-uk-prime-minister-reports-boris-johnson-will-run-again/XJAOB5PE6UONVAESOCTT5DZSY4/
He will need 100 MPs to nominate him. Not impossible but very unlikely, because the "anyone but Johnson" majority would coalesce around one candidate … somebody they only dislike, not loathe.
so, should judith collins play the english grandmother card,?
They could always just stick with the current caretaker PM, Larry. He's the only one at #10 who has consistently met his job expectations.
Easier said than done.
https://twitter.com/Number10cat/status/1583071310216802305
Truss exceeded expectations. Tories would fare better leaderless and focussing their attention on the nation rather than on internal petty party politics. 10 Downing Street is becoming a closet of failed attempts at greatness and only political corpses come out recently. I think David was the best British PM in living memory.
The true winner of the soft coup addresses the British people.
https://twitter.com/burt_cdburt/status/1582987013845721090
Good explanatory thread showing why class analysis matters, and that talking about differences in privilege at the class level is not the same as talking about individuals (something some of the replies fail to grasp).
https://twitter.com/morgangodfery/status/1582642182984376320
Weka. I don't see this as talking about 'class' (as in socio-economic class) at all, it's talking about ethnicity and (possibly) culture.
Am I misunderstanding your usage of 'class analysis' here?
yes, you are. I'm referring to class as the collective of people that have shared attributes that mean certain things as a group.
There's the analysis that there are three classes that are exploited by capitalism (especially by labour) for the purposes of continuing capitalism: socioeconomic, biological sex, and race/ethnicity.
In this instance, Godfrey is referring to Pākehā, more specifically the people whose ancestors came from Europe (Caucasians), and Māori. That's the class of ethnicity. He also talks about socioeconomic impacts on Māori, but as a group, demographically.
If you don't have a class analysis, then this statement doesn't make sense,
and leads to people making a counter argument of "I'm Pākehā and I'm poor, so were my parents and grandparents, we don't have that benefit". And that blinds the conversation to how working class Pākehā have benefited despite being working class. It also tends to lead people to thinking in either/or, whereas obviously working class people don't have the benefits of middle or professional classes.
This post is about the differences between class oppression and discrimination, but it also talks about the three classes whose labour is exploited.
.https://thestandard.org.nz/class-oppression-and-discrimination/
"This isn’t because Pākehā people are racist selfishly guarding their inherited advantages"…not sure I agree with that…why does he think half or more voters in this country vote National/Act?..has he ever worked on a large construction site?..I can tell you from first hand experience that give yourself a few days to get embedded on most sites around the country and you will slowly start to hear some pretty crazy racist shit start casually coming out of peoples mouths…and you can be sure many offices around the country are the same…racism is still deeply embedded in the NZ psych, of that I am sure, and you might be surprised were you still find it…I know I still get taken by surprise by it pretty regularly.
read his thread again. He's not saying that there are no racist people in NZ, nor that racism by individuals isn't still a problem.
Taking soundbites out of context is usually a bad idea.
I didn't take it out context…it's what he said at the start of a line of thread to contextualize his own argument/point.
must be a different reason for you not understanding what he is saying then.
I understand and agree with most of what he is saying, I just don't agree with that part.
go ahead then, make your argument for why he is wrong when he says that Māori are demographically disadvantaged compared to Pākehā across a number of areas, and it's not because contemporary Pākehā are racist and selfishly guarding their inherited advantages, but rather because historical forces particularly the settler state are more powerful than individuals.
You’ve already said that there are Pākehā that are racist, but that doesn’t explain how MG is wrong (he hasn’t said that there are no racist Pākehā).
We must be talking at crossed purposes because I am saying that (many) “Pākehā are racist and selfishly guarding their inherited advantages” but I also strongly agree that “historical forces particularly the settler state are more powerful than individuals”(In most, but not all circumstances)…but holding one of those positions does not negate the other as far as I can see…both those things are existing side by side as we speak IMO.
Sure. So please make the argument that supports the assertion that most Pākehā are racist and selfishly guarding their inherited advantages.
That there are racist Pākehā doesn't mean that most Pākehā are racist and selfishly guarding their inherited advantages in the context of his thread. You may be right, I just haven’t seen the argument yet.
You'd also need to provide some evidence that half of NZ votes National because they're racist and selfishly guarding their inherited advantages. As opposed to being right wing, or believing in right wing politics (which again doesn't mean that racism isn't also an issue). Let's not forget that Doug Graham (Nat Minister for Treaty Settlements) did much to advance the modern treaty process in the 90s.
It is a holiday here in the Bay so I am going out to ride some hills and valley roads now, will answer when I get back…as long as I haven’t stupidly ridden myself into the ground which I have a bad habit of doing to myself for unknown reasons.
Wealth / ethnicity / privilege are inextricably linked – goodbye egalitarian NZ
https://thespinoff.co.nz/books/19-03-2022/danyl-mclauchlan-on-too-much-money-a-book-about-what-divides-us
We can all revel in the delicious fall of a Tory extremist, but it worth remembering the fall of Truss is a sombre illustration that centrists are more hostile to democracy than either the populist left or right. It probably shouldn't surprise us – our MSM is full of cynical and savvy members of the centrist pundocracy who pronounce themselves exhausted by the demands of vigorous democracy, contemptuous of voters, contemptuous of the politically engaged, and longing for a "safe pair of hands" to calm the markets, sooth the bankers and reassure the property owning haute bourgeoisie.
Truss fell for the same reason Jeremy Corbyn was done in – she was elected by her party members, thus becoming an irritant that is nowadays unacceptable to the incestuous Oxbridge ruling class in Britains increasingly corrupt and decayed managed democracy. Wet Tories joined with centrists and liberals in forming a claque applauding a soft coup in the name of "the markets".
So we on the left should be a bit muted in our cheering on of the fall of Truss. Most of the media hallelujahs are to the effect that "orthodoxy" has been restored. "The markets" have seen off "ideologues". But the situation in the UK, and in the wider failing neoliberal project everywhere, is unstable as neoliberal orthodoxy doesn't command the widespread support it used to – as evidenced by the Corbyn insurrection and the eruption of Truss.
Centrists will likely find their hopes for a restoration of orthodoxy dashed, and their insistence that the masses withdraw from political activity and find relief in the administrative rule of technocrats is becoming increasingly untenable.
I sure ain't cheering. The UK is the 5th largest economy in the world, one of the leading remaining democracies, one of the most sustainable, and still a critical global power.
Britain is being seriously destabilised when we need every strong coherent state on the planet working together, not fucking things up.
First, the disintegration, then the coalescing.
and preparing for both, as we go.
UK is not the 5th largest economy anymore (BREXIT-related?):
Not that it changes your argument.
I've been thinking about this. For all the moaning here in NZ we've had more or less continuous growth since the GFC. For the UK (and Europe in general) however the GFC was an inflexion point – a crisis after which things did not return to normal.
The UK has essentially had a stagnant/declining economy for going on fifteen years. How much have the economies of Austrlai and NZ grown in the time?
@Sanctuary, Exactly right +1
Corbyn lasted 5 years not 6 weeks and, but for that flash-in-the-pan Davidson woman in Scotland, would have won a general election and been PM.
The scoffing and derision is going on and will go on about government in the UK.
Somewhat of a contrast though isn't it. The extraordinary constitutional crisis, if that's what it could be called, compared to the US situation one in the recent past. (And in many ways continuing.)
Albeit much of it happened behind closed doors, there was a full frontal attack to usurp power in the US. Clearly lawmakers at many levels were involved or supported it, support it.
How many threads and how fine were they which saw the unthinkable not happen?
For all of her inaptness and the dire straits which saw Truss bite the bullet, the last guy in America, how did he go in the when the writing was on the wall?
Pricks intend using their Ukrainian hostages as human shields.
https://twitter.com/ArtisanalAPT/status/1582597545045655553
Oct 19 (Reuters) – Russian-installed authorities in the occupied Ukrainian region of Kherson said on Wednesday that they plan to evacuate around 50,000-60,000 people over the next six days amid escalating pressure from a Ukrainian counteroffensive.
Russian-installed governor Vladimir Saldo said authorities were moving civilians to the left (east) bank of the Dnipro River in order to "keep people safe" and allow the military to "act resolutely".
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-evacuate-10000-day-ukraines-kherson-region-2022-10-19/
Turns out there are still one or two Extreme Right elements still operating within the Ukraine military…..which is strange because according to various commentators on this forum the Far Right problem widely acknowledged and reported on before this conflict by the BBC, Aljazeera, Vice, New Statesman, Time and many others as being deeply embedded within the Ukraine politics and their military has apparently been all taken care of…though we are still waiting for neutral links from these Standard members to prove those bold assertions…
Ukrainian paratroopers singing “Our father is Bandera, our mother is Ukraine”
Ukrainian military chief photographed with far-right paraphernalia
Tank with German, Ukrainian and Azov insignia spotted in Ukraine
Any way I will take it from them that no one should have any concerns nor even mention the possibility of the downstream blowback from the thousands of fully armed, battle hardened Far Right fighters who will be left standing at the end of this pointless war….you know how like arming Islamic extremists in Afghanistan during the 1980s ended in peace and tranquillity for the rest of the world…I mean seriously, what could go wrong I wonder?
You guillable fool. Just by reading your post I know those three links are widely discredited as faked Russian propaganda.
The first are Russians.
The second and third are obvious deep fake image manipulation.
I am at loss why people seem so keen to be useful idiots for Russian disinformation. Remember the purpose of Russian propaganda is create doubt, sow uncertainty and demoralise through defelection, whatabboutism and false equivalence.
Yep it's all fake…you just keep on telling yourself that….oh that's right you don't need too..all those MSM news sites (linked to above) that only a short while ago told you that there was a serious Right Wing problem in the Ukraine, are now telling you there isn't…isn't that strange and bizarre? ….holy shit what a chump you are.
Show us all just one serious neutral link that proves Zelenskyy has dealt with the proven (by your Liberal MSM sources I might add) Far Right problem in Ukraine or more specifically the military….if you or others cannot supply us with that one neutral link…then you all have no argument….just empty rhetoric.
Is there such a thing as useful idiots of Ukrainian propaganda? Considering all mainstream coverage we get is pro-Ukrainian, and any independent journalism going against this narrative is sidelined. Shouldnt that make it obvious where the propaganda is coming from?
Re; "Show us all just one serious neutral link that proves Zelenskyy has dealt with the proven Far Right problem in Ukraine or more specifically the military"
…no I didn't think so….This is the third thread that I have asked for any link to verify that claim..you and the rest have failed to deliver because there is no link or links, and never was…just more pro war Western propaganda that you want to believe..so you do…without question.
It is pretty damn obvious that you (and many others) have been so conditioned over time, by the relentless propaganda around Russia (and China too for that matter) spewed out over the past half decade that now you either cannot or will not, and actually often seem to just outright refuse to even try and analyze any facet of the Ukraine war with any sort of critical judgment whatsoever….kind of crazy to watch people in so deep they don't know which way is up or down anymore.
there are extreme right elements in every military, its there natural home, as is the police.
Yeah that's true, but not too many of them get to form their very own offical battalions with their very own Waffen SS inspired unit banners and insignia to wear and to fight under…
"Russian-installed governor Vladimir Saldo said authorities were moving civilians to the left (east) bank of the Dnipro River in order to "keep people safe" and allow the military to "act resolutely".
This statement made my blood run cold. The right bank of the Dnipr river is characterised by high bluffs that over look the left bak, which is flat. It seems to me the the Russian are moving people to the left bak of the river with the clear threat that if the Ukrainains keep attacking and seize Nova Kakhova they'll blow up the massive Kakhovka dam and release a torrent from the Reservoir and drown thousdands of civilians deliberately placed there.
your comment makes no sense whateva sanc especially since Ukraine has been shelling and otherwise attacking that dam for weeks !! Why are they doing that ?? trying to beat the russkies to it ???
Hears some up to date info you might like to look at
/
/
It makes sense because Russia has form of destroying dams in pursuit of military advantage – they struck the Oskil reservoir dam to isolate one of the Ukrainian bridgeheads across the Seversky Dinets River. Ukrainian helicopters ferried supplies to the isolated troops however, so the invaders were not able to overrun them.
An obvious use of the same tactic on the Dnipro River is to cover their retreat as they abandon Kherson. The last thing a retreating army needs is an enemy hot on their heels, picking off the stragglers.
Superpower policy is often dominated by spite. Russian destruction of this dam would cause lasting damage to Ukraine, and, having been trounced, Putin is feeling very spiteful. Unlike tactical nukes, dam busting has no specific international consequences.
Cant really see it stuart and i think " trounced " is a ridiculous word to use under the circumstances after all if Ukraine broke through russian lines in the north it was only because that was where the line was thinnest and ukraine by most accounts paid a very heavy price for gains made .Since then the lines have hardly moved save for the regions where russia is making gains .
Time will tell i guess and anyway its foolish to make grand statements about outcomes within the ebb an flow of war dont you think ?
Seems evident to me that Russia plays the long game but really what the fuck do i know? or for that matter any of us ? we are not there and are at the mercy of those who ply us with information .Trust nothing and apply the pinch of salt !!
Cant really see it stuart
The attack on Oskil is referenced by both sides.
i think " trounced " is a ridiculous word
Oh – do you prefer decimated or routed?
save for the regions where russia is making gains
And where, pray tell us, do you imagine that is? It is clearly nowhere in Ukraine.
Seems evident to me that Russia plays the long game
A four-day operation that goes over two hundred days could certainly be considered long – but there is little evidence of strategy.
"I have heard of military operations that were clumsy but swift, but I have never seen one that was skillful and lasted a long time." ~ Sun Tzu
"Those who use the military skillfully do not raise troops twice."
but really what the fuck do i know?
Out of the mouths of babes.
"And where pray tell us do you imagine that is ? clearly nowhere in Ukraine "
for you stuart here is the latest military summery
and another for good measure
Hmm… I generally avoid pure propaganda sites like that Weston – you know, the kind that make unsupported allegations that Ukraine is planning to destroy the Dnipro dam. It is Ukraine's dam, and once the invasion is merely an horrific memory, they intend to use it to produce electricity once more.
The allegation is merely intended to provide a bit of deniability – credulous people like yourself repeating the lie after Russia destroys the dam, to suppress the outrage at targeting civilian infrastructure, and using an, albeit unconventional, weapon of mass destruction.
You are some considerable way from supporting your assertion, much less offering good measure.
https://twitter.com/IAPonomarenko/status/1583158282717233153
https://twitter.com/M_iraq12/status/1583161075507154944
Wanna lay out for us joe a scenario where Russia could possibly profit from blowing this dam ?
Its pretty apparent how it would benefit Ukraine as a precurser to an offensive
What do you think ?
Apparently Russia wants to flood Kherson, an area that Russia just fought for, allowed the vote in, and just became part of Russia. The logic is mind boggling…
Scorched earth and covering up the evidence.
Indications are that they're packing up and leaving with their tails between their legs and because every time Russian forces leave, evidence of war crimes is found.
And they've done it before.
https://uatv.ua/en/78-years-ago-soviets-blown-dnieper-hydroelectric-station-dam/
And they've done it before !!! he thunders, as if unblocking a canal which supplied water to two an a half million civilians was a crime !!!!
I dont know exactly when Ukrainian nationalists dammed that canal but they damned themselves in the process .As one can see from the date stamp on the reuters article russian troops unblocked the canal not two days after the invasion which shows clearly the importance given to the task .In fact it would have been another of the provocations Russia had to invade in the first place .
exactly maui
The hypocrisy of this Labour government : 36 billion of land sold to foreign buyers in last 12 months nz herald 21 oct 22
please provide a link (even if it is paywalled).
Front page and business section page A26 A27 under land hungry article. NZ Herald 21 oct 22
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/foreigners-double-appetite-for-nz-land-buy-area-same-size-as-arthurs-pass-national-park/UK7PZCA5XTE274JFPBAUPTXQEY/
I think we need better info than responding to a clickbait headline.
"The answer will surprise you … !!". It usually doesn't.
I cannot read the clickbait behind the paywall. In the previous financial year 2020-2021 the total net hectares of land sales approved by OIO was 16,341. Even doubling that would not go anywhere near the area of Arthur’s Pass National Park.
https://www.linz.govt.nz/resources/briefing/overseas-investment-office-decision-statistics-202021
How much does NZH pay those numpties to spread disinformation?
From behind the paywall:
''Foreigners more than doubled their appetite for New Zealand land in the latest year, buying an area equivalent to a South Island national park.
The 111,674 hectares or 1116 square kilometres of land that overseas entities bought between September 2021 and August this year is about the same size as Arthur's Pass National Park, the rugged, 1185sq km mountainous area straddling the Southern Alps.
Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand provided details of the transactions approved by the Overseas Investment Office in the year to August.
In the previous year to August 2021, foreigners bought 46,000ha. The year before that, to August 2020, 70,148ha of land was bought. Now the numbers are up to 111,674ha.
The volume of overseas investment approvals showed a post-Covid bounceback: 122 applications were approved in the August 2020 year, remaining almost static at 124 for the August 2021 year, but rising to 152 applications approved in the latest year to August.''
As I suspected, clearly a highly misleading piece from the NZH.
What is misleading about it?
Are you saying the numbers are false. If so what are the real ones.
If it is something else that makes you think it is misleading what is that "something else".
Read my comments and start using your brain.
A heck of a lot of it is foreigners selling to foreigners (i.e. the land was already in foreign ownership)
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/foreigners-double-appetite-for-nz-land-buy-area-same-size-as-arthurs-pass-national-park/UK7PZCA5XTE274JFPBAUPTXQEY/?c_id=3&objectid=12559260&ref=rss
The ones which were Kiwi companies selling to foreign interests, seem to be mostly around forestry. Whether that's a good or a bad thing…..
Just checked, and it is Herald premium.
The first Kiwi owned land sale was no. 3 in size:
“3. 3400ha: Kiwis sell forestry interests to Germans
Ponga Silva (49 per cent German, 18 per cent British) won consent to buy Mangatarata Forest, Mangatarata Station, Mata Forest, Onetohunga Forest and Te Rawhiti Forest – around Tauwhareparae in the Gisborne district – from Kiwi interests.
“The applicant is acquiring a freehold interest in approximately 3466ha of land comprising four adjoining forests, including several forestry rights registered over the freehold land,” said the Overseas investment Office. Approval was granted last October, with the sale price suppressed.”
I've got a lot of time for Dave Letele – and think he does a whole lot of practical good in the world.
So, like a lot of Aucklanders, I was pretty horrified to see that his foodbank had been robbed, in what was clearly a theft-for-sale, rather than a theft-because-someone-was-hungry.
So it is heart-warming to see two things come out of it:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kahu/buttabean-foodbank-burglary-good-samaritans-to-the-rescue-with-donations/42AVZ47JZVAZFTK7REAPF7U5PY/?c_id=1&objectid=12560187&ref=rss
Yes. In an ideal world, there would be no need for foodbanks. But we're not in an ideal world.
And, yes, I put my money where my mouth is – and made an extra donation (Buttabean is already one of the charities I donate to).
What will happen to the New Zealand economy if as seems likely China's economy simply stops growing or is 1-3% GDP growth, for as far as the eye can see?
China's Faltering Economy Causes Political Shocks (foreignpolicy.com)
Where China goes, Australia and New Zealand wealth goes.
Presumably our Treasury and NZSuper are doing their own country impact analysis. They'd better.
https://twitter.com/christopherhope/status/1583151309586239488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1583151309586239488%7Ctwgr%5E2427bb1cec38583cc93340c0c04d706db6b131b4%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Fquery%3Dhttps3A2F2Ftwitter.com2Fchristopherhope2Fstatus2F1583151309586239488widget%3DTweet
If you can believe it, some Tories are already planning to overthrow the winner of this contest regardless of who it is.
i am one of those that say that the protests for trains and no oil and such need to happen on the parliaments lawn. Joe/Jane Wrokingforacrustandtopayrent/mortgage really don't have the time nor the humor to deal with these well meaning people.
so file this under shit has consequences in three acts.
One: a tweet from someone in nz
https://twitter.com/Monique_NZ/status/1583009018112450560?cxt=HHwWgICpjZOU_fcrAAAA
Act two: , curious me checking if this is real or not – it is.
https://twitter.com/GGrimalda/status/1582818342506987521
Act three: woe betide me!
https://twitter.com/GGrimalda/status/1583267956481740801?cxt=HHwWgsDSpaz08vgrAAAA
This is a dude who is a Researcher in social psychology, so one would assume that he has a bit of a brain and is fairly well educated. So when he thought that gluing himself into that position how far did he think? did he think about going to the loo, eating food, causing potential blood clods? Did he think it made him heroic? Did he think other people had to accommodate his 'protest'?
In the meantime, private planes flying a few persons to places for no reasons or because people are rich and can afford too and it would be a fun little happy maker. In the meantime, people camp for the opening of a KMART filled with crap shipped from china and elsewhere to get a little dopamine hit, all for it to end up in our landfills. In the meantime there are almost no flying insects about and that is absolutely terrifying.
Also, really, paid for university education is not worth shit if this is the best it produces.
edit: this protest is not happening in NZ. It is just a little human action that is would make a worthy Brother Grimm story.
You sound like a neoliberal dogmatist judging the action of others through the lens of rational decision-making and personal responsibility. On top of that, your usual and inevitable anti-intellectual bias is on show.
Psychology theory will undoubtedly include perspectives on personal suffering and sacrifice for the greater good and/or one’s personal belief system, which is what that the activist is describing & documenting. It is not so much whining/complaining about his personal deteriorating situation and you’re simply projecting, again.
You love to ridicule this story and diminish it as some kind of bad fairy tale belonging in realm of fantasy, but it is very real and cannot be ignored and denied, no matter how hard you try to dismiss it as a fool’s errant. I’m in awe of their courage to put themselves through this and in a potentially highly embarrassing and literally sickening position.
Guarav Sharma has a chance to put his money where his mouth is. I reckon he should take the chance, take up the challenge. When he produces the evidence, the good people of Hamilton West will see that he is a man of integrity and all vote for him in the by-election.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/trevor-mallard-accuses-resigned-mp-gaurav-sharma-over-recording/WHACAEPJS6GOMJHJ4LHH5MAOYQ/