Cowardly Museum management kissing up to a homophobic and misogynistic ideology. It could have supported science and tolerance.
"The spectre of J.K. Rowling’s belief in biological sex, her defence of gay people and her concern for women’s rights may indeed make a handful of employees at Auckland Museum feel uncomfortable and unsafe. They’ve been well-trained. The common rhetoric within trans activism is that to mention the facts of biological sex is hate speech and causes literal harm to vulnerable transgender people. It’s an inherently fragile and precarious position to decide your own safety is determined by everyone in society adopting your world view. It also reeks of authoritarianism.
Auckland Museum is not some quaint faith-based private venture. It’s a rate-payer funded public institution with a natural history department and it has cancelled an exhibition because of its links to someone who believes in biological sex. What’s next? If the Auckland Museum wants to run an exhibition on the wonders of evolution will they withdraw because fundamentalist creationist Christians declare they are “deeply uncomfortable”? Will an exhibition that focuses on astronomy not astrology be cancelled when they receive hand-wringing emails from staff members who strongly identify as Sagittarius or Gemini and lament the deterioration of their safe space."
They probably should focus on dinosaur exhibitions, Egyptphemera, and curating their exhibitions and ensure there is still a museum to interpret contentious current events in a century from now.
The question is are they able to make decisions independent of the pressures of gender identity activists.
I haven't read the Spinoff piece so don't know in this situation, but we know that there is significant coercion from gender identity activists in NZ and abroad. People lose their jobs and careers over this. Does the threat of career loss count as force?
Did you read the subbstack article? I thought Garwhoungle explained clearly what the issues are with the museum's role and the decision they made.
"The question is are they able to make decisions independent of the pressures of gender identity activists. "
The question is are they able to make decisions independent of the pressures of any activists? For example, those who hold strong views about Te Tiriti o Waitangi?
Translations leave more than enough room for plenty of mistakes .Maori only had the Maori version to sign most Maori could not read or write as they relied in verbal history repeated through constant repetition .But Northern Maori had built the first schools and understood English probably better than most of the early settlers 'sailors and soldiers. They were not happy with the treaty. Since the treaty Maori have been gaslighted and bullied dehumanizing to make it easy to keep Maori on the bottom of the heap so Maori have no power keeping Maori impoverished destroying Maori culture by the imperialist vultures who have taken everything leaving Maori with intergenerational poverty.While the imperialists have had intergenerational wealth.Transactions between Maori and European started off as good but when phase 2 of colonization takes place European settlers defrauded Maori out of vast tracks of land knowing full and well how valuable that land was.Insider trading that would be called today.Maori didn't have independent legal advise on any land transaction until the 1880's only because religious leaders stepped in because they could see Maori were being fleeced another crime.
And some might object to a revised presentation – because it doesn't fit with their understanding of the topic. There are different understandings of the Treaty – much though the radical left might decry them.
Someone can always object to something about an exhibition. Especially when they are designed to provoke interest, discussion and challenge perceptions.
I read it. It describes the " museum’s" decision to support staff who felt the exhibition would make them feel unsafe. That seems reasonable, supporting your staff that way.
“In which Auckland Museum cancels a natural history exhibition because of associations with the author of Harry Potter.”
In which Auckland Museum cancels a natural history exhibition because of concerns of staff.
if it's reasonable to base curation policy on staff needs to feel safe, does that apply to religious staff who are upset about some of the science in the museum?
How about women staff who feel unsafe with an exhibition based on the art of the misogynistic Picasso?
It would be up to "the museum" to decide in those instances, wouldn't it, as they did with this issue. Perhaps if staff felt a Picasso exhibition would make them feel unsafe, the museum would make the same decision. It's up to them, I suppose.
Gosh. So if there is a staff member who is 'uncomfortable' with a display on the Treaty – it should immediately be cancelled?
How about climate change? – there's certainly a lot of controversy about that one – and many different perspectives are likely to be held within an organization. No displays on that topic, either.
I doubt there would be a single painting in the Auckland art gallery which *isn't* open to controversy of one kind or another. Should we shut down all of those exhibitions, then.
They, I presume, know more about it than we do, given it's their bread and butter and they know the ins and outs, the behind the scenes details, better than us.
Great. I look forward to your unequivocal support when any Museum, gallery or other space decides to cancel something you care about. After all, it will be a decision that they make "knowing more about it than we do"
Personally, as a ratepayer in Auckland, I do feel that I have a mandate to criticise what I see as poor-quality decision-making, unduly influenced by a loud minority of staff.
UK Studio Tour’s success demonstrates the Money Magic of Harry Potter [7 Nov 2023]
Looming large over the future of Fantastic Beasts, and Harry Potter itself, is J.K. Rowling. The author has become a divisive figure among some fans amid accusations of transphobia because she has argued against "erasing the concept of sex" when discussing gender issues.
This particular facet of 'trans' makes for some strange bedfellows.
A little humility goes a long way, imho, regardless of where you (assert you) are on the sociopolitical spectrum, and whatever unequivocal Bs you might have in your bonnet.
Climate Change is Climate Change. There is only one perspective. It exists and its going to get worse. A person can choose to accept the overwhelming scientific evidence or they can be wilful and stupid and claim it either doesn't exist or not caused by human behaviour. They are categorically wrong so their so-called perspective is null and void.
It would be up to "the museum" to decide in those instances, wouldn't it, as they did with this issue. Perhaps if staff felt a Picasso exhibition would make them feel unsafe, the museum would make the same decision. It's up to them, I suppose.
Obviously the museum is trusted with making decisions, so yes, it is up to them. But it's not a free for all. So would you mind explaining why you think that political safety of this kind should be the deciding factor?
I don't know what all of the factors behind the museum's decision were (though I did read the long Spinoff article when it was first suggested here). It seems that commenters here are objecting to the museums decision to can the exhibition for personal political and ideological reasons, where I am arguing that it's up to the museum – my position on the rights or wrongs of Harry Potter, the beasts he finds himself amongst, JK Rowling, activists, etc. have no place in my argument.
Up to a point. As a former metropolitan museum employee you will no doubt be aware of the constant internal dialogue around public space and serving stakeholders. I'm not really a fan of museums making hard and fast decisions around who is and isn't a stakeholder in this way. The exhibition has no political bias in it, and is not spreading factual untruths, so this is basically a political move, and it's a very dangerous thing when museums start making political moves.
I think they made a decision based on various factors; staff concerns, visitor comfort etc. and can be perceived as having a political aspect, depending upon one's politics.
All exhibitions can be perceived as having political bias.
Edit: “and is not spreading factual untruths” – it features un-true, invented creatures, does it not? Just wondering…
So the 'concerns of staff' trump the actual mission of the Museum?
What a load of cobblers.
There have been many occasions when staff in a public information role (libraries, museums, etc) are working in a space where they may not personally agree with a particular display, presentation or event.
As an information professional – you suck it up, and get on with the job.
If you have ongoing concerns about a conflict between the mission of the organization and your personal ethics – you look for another job.
You don't impose your personal ethical beliefs on the organization.
Is the requirement to ensure perfect 'staff safety' greater than their requirement to deliver information? Surely not.
Especially in the situation where 'staff safety' is only compromised by being confronted by a world-view which is different to their own. [We're not talking about them abseiling down from the rooftops, here]
This is Ethics 101 in any information science qualification. Any information professional who is unable to separate their personal identity/ethics from those of the organization they work for – is in the wrong job.
Auckland Museum will now have to figure out a way to cover any resulting holes in their budget. I do not think the Auckland Council (the funding body) will be very sympathetic to requests for additional funding – when the Museum has turned down an opportunity for what would be a highly lucrative touring exhibition. Especially in a cost-cutting environment
"The decision was ultimately based on the views of a small group of staff members who declared they were “deeply uncomfortable” with the exhibition because of the associations with Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling. "
A small group of staff being 'deeply uncomfortable' is hardly a reason to cancel the event.
The museum thought otherwise. Being on the spot and in full receipt of the details as I suppose they were, I guess we should credit them with the responsibility to decide fairly.
I am not so generous, Robert. I tend to agree with the author of the linked article:
"The spectre of J.K. Rowling’s belief in biological sex, her defence of gay people and her concern for women’s rights may indeed make a handful of employees at Auckland Museum feel uncomfortable and unsafe. They’ve been well-trained. The common rhetoric within trans activism is that to mention the facts of biological sex is hate speech and causes literal harm to vulnerable transgender people. It’s an inherently fragile and precarious position to decide your own safety is determined by everyone in society adopting your world view. It also reeks of authoritarianism."
Are you saying that the museum's duty is first to avoid discomfort of a very small minority of staff members before addressing the benefit of the public ?
Is that what museums are for in this new age where biological sex can be "changed" at will
"Are you saying that the museum's duty is first to avoid discomfort of a very small minority of staff members before addressing the benefit of the public ?"
No. I'm saying that the details of why the museum chose to do what they chose to do is known best to them; speculation is fun, but faulted.
"Is that what museums are for in this new age where biological sex can be "changed" at will"
I don't understand that sentence at all, sorry.
I've planted gobo and toona so far. Casana and Japanese aralia next!
The many fraught emails that went to and from between museum officials laid out their fears of public backlash
As to the second paragraph you say you don't understand
maybe I can rephrase
We live in a post modern age where words can stand in place of physical realities.
For instance "someone born male can be a woman just by declaring it"
My long experience with the natural world does not reflect this
My long experience with humans divorced from the natural world and increasingly engaged with an unreal cyber world. is not hugely surprised but somewhat dismayed by that kind of thinking
Fear of public back-lash is a reasonable consideration for the museum to entertain. It would be unreasonable to expect them not to take it into account.
As to the second…
Your example, "someone born…" doesn't interest me much and isn't part of my thinking about why a museum might reject an exhibition.
Your comment, "My long experience…" could apply to people holding the opposite view to yours, I imagine.
I happen to strongly agree with you regarding the value of connection with, and especially close observation of, the "natural world", but I'm not sure about the perils of "engaging with an unreal cyber world.", as we are doing here. I like pushing the envelope through reading/watching material from the cyber world, safe-ish in the knowledge and confidence that I have gleaned from my time spent watching seeds sprout, fish feed, clouds roil and birds warble. The question of "what is natural" must surely be the topic a discussion somewhere and would no doubt be convoluted and heated 🙂
We live in a post modern age where words can stand in place of physical realities.
For instance "someone born male can be a woman just by declaring it"
Who said that, and is the belief reality-based, i.e. the "someone born male can be a woman" bit, and/or the "just by declaring it" bit?
Imho, "someone born male" can be feminine, but not female, and there’s an application process (forms/fees) to change one's 'sex-marker' and/or ‘gender’.
I acknowledge the flood of problems in the 6 months since a new self-ID process replaced the Family Court process. Maybe our new govt will address 'the issue' in due course – could be right up their alley.
It's interesting that the new hydra headed confabulation is doing nothing about self ID. I guess that is because National and ACT supported it and NZ First did not make doing anything about that an important coalition condition.
Nothing so far about “sex based identity facilities in public buildings” from the coalition either.
Ideally, people should be free (and supported) to be themselves, as long as they're not not harming others, and shouldn't feel sad about who they (feel they) are. But feeling sad is part of the human condition.
A pair of Hop-a-long boots and a pistol that shoots
Is the wish of Barney and Ben
Dolls that will talk and will go for a walk
Is the hope of Janice and Jen
And Mom and Dad can hardly wait for school to start again
How could staff at a museum possibility feel unsafe due to an exhibition?
Being exposed to art, literature, or any other type of display at a museum or art gallery can in no way cause harm to employees.
However I do understand that some individuals may become upset when exposed to ideas that do not conform to their world view. In this instance, it is not a safety issue. To suggest it is makes a mockery of "health and safety" in the workplace. Just ask any builder, construction worker or engineer who actually works in a hazardous environment.
One would expect that employees who work in a museum, art gallery, library, or any place that may have displays, or exhibitions which can be challenging etc, would be resilient enough the cope without "feeling unsafe". It's part of the job.
"How could staff at a museum possibility feel unsafe due to an exhibition?"
I guess you'd have to ask them, or the managers they approached with their concerns.
"Being exposed to art, literature, or any other type of display at a museum or art gallery can in no way cause harm to employees."
So, anything goes, so long as it's art, no matter who works there? I can think of plenty of themes that would traumatise some people, especially those who carry trauma from experience – no thought to be given to their wellbeing, do ya reckon?
We tough-as blog-commenters should just tell those softies to harden-up!
It is inconceivable that someone who’s career is working in museums or art galleries would be, or would feel unsafe from an exhibition.
They might feel uncomfortable with an exhibition, but that’s why they do the job.
Unless of course they have some ideological reason to shut something down. This would go against any museum or art gallery’s core reason for existing. Therefore again, the type of person who would feel unsafe with an exhibit in a museum or art gallery, would not pursue a career in a museum or art gallery
"the type of person who would feel unsafe with an exhibit in a museum or art gallery, would not pursue a career in a museum or art gallery"
Art galleries attract sensitive people, you must be able to see that. Often, those people have liberal, across the spectrum world-views, with regards politics, gender, how they dress, what they watch and listen to. Naturally, they can be "tender" when it comes to some issues.
I think some folk here are irritated because some people of the sort I've described, succeeded in an action they took, based upon their ideology. They managed to "defeat someone" who is admired by some folk here and they find that annoying. Is that the case with you, Terry?
It seems rather odd to characterize J K Rowling, or anyone for that matter, as someone who "believes in" biological sex. Surely if no-one "believed in" biological sex the human race would come to an end.
there are people who believe that sex isn't binary and that people can literally change biological sex.
When GC people say they believe in biology, what is meant is that they adhere to the science that has demonstrated that humans reproduce by two sexes (only), and that these sexes cannot be changed.
So, yes, not believing in sex is a nonsense, but where we are.
Staff feelings – Why are staff at TVNZ able to cope with Harry Potter films being shown? Or those of news media with reports mentioning JKR by name?
Or is it staff or building safety – protests and graffiti? If so, the protestors veto.
The censorship issue
The exhibit harms no one, but the precedent of suppressing creative work does.
The idea that a group of people is harmed, if someone is not blacklisted/boycotted because of their opinions is frankly a McCarthyist reprise.
On the merits, the censorship of someones works based on disapproval of their political position on a matter unrelated to the work is wrong. And the case for censorship of someones works because of disapproval of the political content ranges from somewhat credible to negligible.
My personal feeling is that while J K Rowling has become quite loathsome with her doubling down on being all chummy with outright fascists on social media, banning a harmless exhibition is the worst kind of superficial virtue signaling.
It's an interesting position to be in – JK Rowling's on this issue. I have no problem with women's safety advocacy.
However people like Angela Dworkin, not a tame feminist, was very wary of feminists working with the conservative political right. As some like Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshall do.
What happens, when two sides entrench themselves in positions for a long cold war, is that their own idealism is compromised in the struggle – they develop a gang mentality. And so they support others on their side and get tarnished by association.
A local example, in 1983, Douglas posed New Zealand adopting market economics and becoming a free trade based economy and got acceptance from Lange as his Finance Minister. He got support from the political right for this and became an applause junkie going further and further to the right to get his fix.To the point Lange lost confidence in him.
That JK Rowling gets support from the right is unsurprising and not her fault – she does not support the political right because of this. But she is being dragged into mutual support with others who call for the annihilation of the feminist "gender" tolerant left. When she would probably see herself as feminist and supportive of the political left. The hard-liners of the cause are prepared to use the political right as partners, but I suspect that Dworkin will be proven right about that tactic being a dangerous one (Dworkin was opposed to prostitution and pornography, just like K-J K-M by the way).
It's very much her fault if she's going to align herself with people like Matt Walsh and Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshall, liking their posts, promoting their work.
https://x.com/jk_rowling/status/1546141988139016194?s=20
This tweet provoked rather a lot of consternation on those grounds. Some might say that when one is a very public figure, one should take the time to know who one is platforming.
but I reserve my ire for them rather than shouting 'coward' at individual women.
Sure she did agree with criticism he made about some women's groups. That is because many embraced the "gender" cause, as one of progressive solidarity with others.
In that tweet, JKR is telling Walsh to shut the fuck up. A very large follower account telling someone to shut the fuck up isn't platforming them. She's using her power to push back at Walsh blaming feminists for gender identity ideology and there are solid reasons to do so. She's also running interference for other feminists, again a good use of her power. And, she’s making a strong political point about the nature of violent misogyny directed at women who speak up about GC issues, something that the left used to help women with once upon a time.
Implying she didn't know who Walsh is is an example of what I've been talking about. People in this debate who are generally clueless about large aspects of what is going on because they bought into the TRA/liberal PR that there are only two sides: virtuous pro-trans people and evil anti-trans right wingers. JKR is neither of those. And of course she knew who Walsh is.
What was going on in that tweet is that Walsh was a late comer to the gender/sex wars, and because he's an ultra conservative, misogynistic, women in the kitchen, dickhead, who happens to be very good at what he does with social media, he colonised the GC movement, and now blames women for whatever he can. As part of his conservative agenda.
Walsh laying down blame, feminists responding and setting the record straight, is an ongoing feature of the war. Which you would know if you actually listened to what GCFs are saying.
Feminists have been debating about how to use material from Walsh for ages. In this case, that wasn't even what was happening, JKR was simply calling out his lies.
And your film did a good job exposing the incoherence of gender identity theory and some of the harms it's done. Many institutions I used to admire have uncritically embraced this dogma, but I reserve my ire for them rather than shouting 'coward' at individual women.
1. She expresses her opinion about his film (one I share, he did do a good job of exposing the incoherence of GI and its harms).
2. she reiterates her point that it's not women that are to blame for the rise of GI.
That's a large follower feminist account, speaking publicly to a large follower ultra conservative account, so that people can see the counter argument.
I can't speak to her motivations, but having watched her strategy for a number of years, she is smart. How I read this is that it's better here with Walsh to engage in an evenhanded way than go all angry feminist on him.
She doesn't give a shit about liberal brownie points, this is another thing the left is missing. There's a liberation that comes for women when they stop caring about losing favour. Once it goes past a certain point, those feminists are much freer to work in more effective ways.
Exhibitions are not automatically selected by museums; a board most likely, will assess and decide. They have discretion to do as they please, mostly. Internal issues can have some influence over final decisions. In this instance, they (probably) did.
TVNZ staff won't have to experience the (ephemeral) films over a long period of time; they may choose not to watch them. Museum staff are more likely to be personally exposed to a prolonged, high-profile exhibition. The situations are not equivalent.
“We’re in this process of dreaming a farm back into being in the hinterlands of the ruined provincial capital in our remote corner of the crumbling empire.”
“There are no profane places, only sacred and desecrated places. And I wonder what it will take and what it could mean to restore, to reconsecrate, this place?”
As I've noted many times the travesty of not implementing WEAG when there was a collective expert, policy, community and public support was abysmal. Helen Clark blew the opportunity to help the most vulnerable by only helping those on NZS and so did Jacinda by failing to follow through.
Still Labour are the original architects in NZ of this neo-liberal shit-storm so we should not be surprised.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Democracy…..ok…. lets see how Winston who is pro rail and the other two heads, who are pro trucking in the monster that is the current govt, avoid going off the rails…
Further investigate the re-opening of the Wairoa to Gisborne rail line
Build the Marsden spur linking Northport to the Northland rail-line
Complete a full rebuild and improvements to the Christchurch-Picton rail corridor
I see a very strained relationship developing…….
And…….Josie Pagani now cheerleader for the trucking industry……..
"Instead of spending billions on new ferries capable of carrying trains, stick with moving freight by truck, and put the money towards other priorities………. argues Josie Pagani.
Trains boats and planes. I recall an airport being an issue in 1998.
I have seen many defences for having ferries with trains on them. It is a good idea if money is no object. The ferries earn revenue of $150 million a year. It would take 20 years for revenue to cover the $3 billion cost of the upgrade. At a profit of around $15m a year, it would take 200 years.
Shift freight by trucks. The $3b saved could then be spent on other Christmas goodies, like crumbling roads and hospitals.
New roads are not fixes to existing ones crumbling because of trucks. The new roads do not last 50 years like the Kiwi Rail plan infrastructure does. New roads do not reduce carbon use.
Well dear moderator I beg to differ…it was on topic and far from irrelevant…..perhaps you should look at the words and the context in relation to quote: "The coalition government has hijacked the democratic process for its own partisan and nefarious agenda….."
On balance, I felt, as the Author, that the comment was more suited for OM and the reply comment by SPC confirmed this (this had already been submitted when I moved the whole thread). It had nothing to do with JP
Nicola Willy latest gaffe says its the size of the sausage not what you do with it was she replying to Hipkins gaffe or gushing over her sausage shaped leader
The PA and the political wing of Hamas are in talks about Hamas coming under the PLO umbrella and the return of the PA to Gaza.
This is opposed by the military wing of Hamas.
So when Hamas says no more release of hostages until the IDF action ends (withdrawal from Gaza) this has two related meanings.
The military wing of Hamas does not have all the hostages and those groups that have some are not part of the future of the planned Gaza.
The defeat of the military wing of Hamas is required before Israel would accept the PA back in Gaza.
Essentially for this to occur Israel has to defeat the military wing of Hamas in the south as well, as in the north, or for someone to take the military forces in Gaza (an escape route).
The cynic would suggest a ship takes them to Libya. So they can form a new refugee camp, or get hired into team Russia or team Turkey in their civil war.
Meanwhile in white race nation news, revivalism has arrived down under.
The defeat of One Voice in Oz and indigenous peoples rights in New Zealand (except for Tuhoe nation and maybe Waipounamu, where Nga Tahu co-govern with Queenstown and farmers).
The symbolism of the bonfire is well known at Ephesus and the USA – Indians and New World settlers burnt to the ground each others settlements. And later in the American south after the end of slavery.
The Government is seeking independent advice on KiwiRail's inter-island ferry service, after refusing to commit another $1.47 billion to replace three of its ageing ferries.
It has announced setting up an expert advisory group to provide independent assurance on how to proceed with the ferry service.
The Ministry of Transport, supported by Treasury, is also being tasked with assessing the long-term requirements for a resilient connection across Cook Strait.
In a statement, Finance Minister Nicola Willis and State-Owned Enterprises Minister Paul Goldsmith said the group's membership would be finalised in the New Year, after the plug was pulled on an earlier project to build two large new ferries and associated port infrastructure.
"The group will help to ensure that there are robust plans in place to support safe, resilient and reliable services in the coming years. The establishment of the group also recognises that the Crown has interests that may be wider than KiwiRail's commercial interests, Willis said.
"We share a determination to ensure ongoing reliable ferry services and will be engaging with them as we develop a solution that works better for all those with an interest in the inter-island ferry service.
She means the trucking industry influence within the National Party.
Goldsmith said the Government needed to ensure any replacement of the ferries was affordable, "at a time when there are many pressures on government spending".
So even if there is a wider New Zealand interest in the capacity to move rail goods over the Cook Straight, the government will say they will not deliver – unless there is some external capital source providing a partner to Kiwi Rail in the InterIslander service or the whole business.
The two new ferries would have doubled the passenger and vehicle capacity, and tripled rail capacity, while reducing the service's carbon footprint by about 40% in the short term.
So if New Zealand's overall interest is placed first – it's all in favour of Kiwi Rail's plan, improved speed of goods movement, allows for increased volume and reduces the carbon footprint.
It's going to be interesting to add up what's been spent already on the cancelled ferries, what it'll cost to bracket the existing contracts , what the review costs and what willis' plan b costs , bet it'll be close to labours plan with a crappy outcome.
The land of excuses. You cannot give foreign aid because there is poverty at home. Poverty at home, is no excuse not to give the hard working middle class a tax cut, end the bright-line test on investors, or allow debt cost to reduce tax on rent income. And here is a new one …
Magical Christmas thinking about avoiding choices was on full display in this week's news about the Interislander ferries
I have seen many defences for having ferries with trains on them. It is a good idea if money is no object. The ferries earn revenue of $150 million a year. It would take 20 years for revenue to cover the $3 billion cost of the upgrade. At a profit of around $15m a year, it would take 200 years.
Shift freight by trucks. The $3b saved could then be spent on other Christmas goodies, like crumbling roads and hospitals.
New roads are not fixes to existing ones crumbling because of trucks. The new roads do not last 50 years like the Kiwi Rail plan infrastructure does. New roads do not reduce carbon use.
Three strikes and you’re out. This simplistic rule is heavily promoted by ACT and made it into the coalition agreement under the header “Restoring Law and Order and Personal Responsibility” yet, ironically, ACT doesn’t abide by it. (NB the National-Act Agreement shows ACT’s pathological obsession with anything ‘regulation’)
As before, ACT’s renewed attempt at “meta-regulation” comes under heavy criticism from Jane Kelsey.
At @NewsroomNZ, I've obtained a letter from Local Govt Minister Simeon Brown, telling councils he’ll relax consultation/audit requirements so they can lock in their rates plans. Some propose rates hikes as high as 33% because of the Three Waters repeal.
So, here's something that perhaps sums up and perhaps explains why Labour lost.
A govt dept (customs) was furnished with plug in hybrids to replace older vehicles early in the year as part of emmisions reductions. So far so good right… excepting that no charging infrastructure in the building the vehicles are parked was provided so 9 months later and 40k on the odometer the charging cables are still in the packaging and they've been running on petrol the whole time.
Very depressing.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
"Martin Foo, an analyst at S&P Global Ratings, say the extension of the statutory deadline should provide welcome breathing space for councils that need to go back to the drawing board now that the incoming government has confirmed the repeal of water services legislation.
On whether the new “financially separate council-owned organisation” would be considered by lenders to be distinct from its council owners, he says the devil is in the detail.
The rating agency would need to assess whether financial separation is genuinely achieved, not just in an accounting sense but from a credit rating angle too. Foo says there’s still something of a disconnect between the letter’s idea of “local decision-making” and financial separation. “It is not easy to disentangle political control from financial control.”
It is worth noting that the recently announced rates increases were made on the basis of no provision of water, waste water and stormwater services by councils…..they were to be charged separately.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
Our trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...
This article was prepared for publication yesterday. More ministerial announcements have been posted on the government’s official website since it was written. We will report on these later today …. Buzz from the BeehiveThere we were, thinking the environment is in trouble, when along came Jones. Shane Jones. ...
New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. 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 economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – 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 ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
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 ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
Council members voted 21 to 4 in favour of Ahluwalia returning to the Laucala campus following a much-awaited meeting in Vanuatu this week. It comes as USP and its two unions — the Association of the University of the South Pacific Staff (AUSPS) and the Administration and Support Staff Union ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicola Henry, Professor & Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Social and Global Studies Centre, RMIT University Shutterstock Following an emergency meeting of the National Cabinet this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a raft of measures to tackle the problem ...
Analysis - A poll showing the opposition is more popular than the government raises questions, politicians go through their 'trial by pay rise' and a Green MP loses her cool in the debating chamber. ...
The entire stretch of Tokomaru Bay on the East Coast will be subject to a joint customary marine title for two hapū, and extending up to four miles out to sea. A High Court judge has found the two groups, who during the case settled a dispute over boundaries for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Hall, Lecturer, Media & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University A longstanding feud between TikTok and Universal Music Group seems to have finally reached an end, with both parties signing a deal that will see Universal-backed music returned to the social media ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Siobhan O’Dean, Postdoctoral Research Associate, The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney After several highly publicised alleged murders of women in Australia, the Albanese government this week pledged more than A$925 million over five years ...
Political parties have now fully disclosed the donations they received last year - with National getting more than double the cash of any other party. ...
A Pacific regionalism expert has called out New Zealand's Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters for withholding information from the public on AUKUS military pact. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard de Grijs, Professor of Astrophysics, Macquarie University Bruno Scramgnon/Pexels All systems are “go” for tonight’s launch of China’s next step in a carefully planned lunar exploration program. Placed on top of a powerful Long March 5 rocket, the Chang’e 6 ...
National returned a massive donation the day after a Newsroom story linked the donors to a property being investigated for operating unlawfully as a migrant workers’ hostel. The party’s 2023 donation filings, released on Friday, show it returned a $200,000 donation from Buen Holdings on August 23. That was the ...
Pacific Media Watch New Zealand has slumped to an unprecedented 19th place in the annual Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index survey released today on World Press Freedom Day — May 3. This was a drop of six places from 13th last year when it slipped out of its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joshua Black, Political Historian and Administrator Officer, Australian Historical Association, Australian National University Australia has had its fair share of public record-keeping controversies in recent years. Some have been mere farce, as in the case of two formerly government-owned filing cabinets (containing ...
Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), a United Nations-affiliated organization dedicated to fostering peace through civilian-led initiatives, has issued a statement in response to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. ...
A poem by Tessa Keenan, from AUP New Poets 10. Mātou These days we are a photograph; one of a farm strewn with cows that used to be bright harakeke or swamp. The kids point at it and say the sun sits behind a smudge (left by someone at Christmas); ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (Faber & Faber, $25)The masterful Irish writer ...
Marriage and civil union statistics record the number of marriages and civil unions registered in New Zealand each year, and divorce statistics record the number of divorces granted in New Zealand each year. Key facts Marriages and civil unions In ...
Marriage and civil union statistics record the number of marriages and civil unions registered in New Zealand each year, and divorce statistics record the number of divorces granted in New Zealand each year. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lennon Y.C. Chang, Associate Professor of Cyber Risk and Policy, Deakin University Taiwan stands out as a beacon of democracy, innovation and resilience in an increasingly autocratic region. But this is under growing threat. In recent years, China has used a variety ...
In this excerpt from her new memoir, Dame Susan Devoy remembers her turn as star contestant on the 2022 season of Celebrity Treasure Island. The most anxious time of every day was pre-elimination, when you knew this could be your final day on the show. I felt such contradictory emotions, ...
A week that began in triumph ended in an all-too-familiar disaster for the Green Party. Duncan Greive asks if there’s something in the mission that breaks its best and brightest. A long, strange week for the Green party began with a fantastic poll result. On one level this is hardly ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Vanuatu’s former prime minister and opposition MP Ishmael Kalsakau has stepped down — just two days after he confirmed he was the rightful opposition leader. Kalsakau, MP for Port Vila, confirmed to ABC’s Pacific Beat, and the Vanuatu Daily Post on Thursday that he ...
What’s to blame for the coalition’s choppy start? Six months in, and the mojo meter is in the doldrums. A new poll would put National out of power and sees its leader, Chris Luxon, sliding in popularity. How much is it about policy, how much coalition management and a perception ...
The striking report goes far beyond the proposed repeal of the Oranga Tamariki Act’s Treaty of Waitangi provision, and its impact should be felt far beyond the unique circumstances of the claim it addresses. Earlier this week, the Waitangi Tribunal released an interim report on the government’s proposed repeal of ...
The world has been experiencing a productivity slowdown, from which New Zealand has not been exempt. COVID-19 temporarily boosted labour productivity, but more recently, productivity has retreated. The overall trend since 2007 has been one of slow productivity ...
What’s more wasteful than spending $315k on syrup and machine maintenance? Trying to drum up a controversy about it.Cast your mind back to the pre-pandemic idylls of 2019. A “rat” was a disgusting rodent and not a self-administered plague test; the sixth Labour government was in power; and the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Fitz-Gibbon, Professor of Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts, Monash University, Monash University Ken stocker/Shutterstock In the wake of numerous killings of women allegedly by men’s violence in 2024, thousands of Australians have joined rallies across the country to demand action ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Henry Cutler, Professor and Director, Macquarie University Centre for the Health Economy, Macquarie University Oleg Ivanov IL/Shutterstock Waiting times for public hospital elective surgery have been in the news ahead of this year’s federal budget. That’s the type of non-emergency surgery ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Konstantine Panegyres, McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellow, Historical and Philosophical Studies, The University of Melbourne Amna Artist/Shutterstock One of the earliest descriptions of someone with cancer comes from the fourth century BC. Satyrus, tyrant of the city of Heracleia on the Black Sea, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Rose, Professor of Sustainable Future Transport, University of Sydney LanaElcova/Shutterstock Electric vehicles are often seen as the panacea to cutting emissions – and air pollution – from transport. Is this view correct? Yes – but only once uptake accelerates. Despite the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giselle Natassia Woodley, Researcher and Phd Candidate, Edith Cowan University There is widespread agreement Australia needs to do better when it comes to gender-based violence. Anger and frustration at the numbers of women being killed saw national rallies over the weekend and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Graham, Lecturer in Economics, University of Sydney Mark and Anna Photography/Shutterstock As home ownership moves further out of reach for many Australians, “rentvesting” is being touted as a lifesaver. Rentvesting is the practice of renting one property to live ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sukhmani Khorana, Associate Professor, Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture, UNSW Sydney Netflix The new season of Heartbreak High is garnering mixed reviews. Critics are writing about the racy story lines, comparing it to other coming-of-age series about teenage relationships and ...
Bob Carr intends to launch legal action against Winston Peters and Julie Anne Genter is facing a second allegation of bullying. Both sucked the air out of an announcement on education, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in ...
For those interested in playing Whamageddon you can find the rules here.
haha, cruel.
(do people still have autoplay turned on though?)
Looking for a place to party on New Year's Eve?
AI is watching you!
https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/133496062/thinking-of-throwing-a-party-in-an-airbnb-over-new-years-ai-is-watching-you
Cowardly Museum management kissing up to a homophobic and misogynistic ideology. It could have supported science and tolerance.
"The spectre of J.K. Rowling’s belief in biological sex, her defence of gay people and her concern for women’s rights may indeed make a handful of employees at Auckland Museum feel uncomfortable and unsafe. They’ve been well-trained. The common rhetoric within trans activism is that to mention the facts of biological sex is hate speech and causes literal harm to vulnerable transgender people. It’s an inherently fragile and precarious position to decide your own safety is determined by everyone in society adopting your world view. It also reeks of authoritarianism.
Auckland Museum is not some quaint faith-based private venture. It’s a rate-payer funded public institution with a natural history department and it has cancelled an exhibition because of its links to someone who believes in biological sex. What’s next? If the Auckland Museum wants to run an exhibition on the wonders of evolution will they withdraw because fundamentalist creationist Christians declare they are “deeply uncomfortable”? Will an exhibition that focuses on astronomy not astrology be cancelled when they receive hand-wringing emails from staff members who strongly identify as Sagittarius or Gemini and lament the deterioration of their safe space."
https://theministryhasfallen.substack.com/p/the-terrible-truth-about-jk-rowling?r=nbtqn&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
They got slammed hard for one lighting show supporting Israel after the Hamas attack, so they have good reason to be gunshy.
They probably should focus on dinosaur exhibitions, Egyptphemera, and curating their exhibitions and ensure there is still a museum to interpret contentious current events in a century from now.
Was the museum forced to cancel, or did they choose to cancel?
They are able to make independent decisions?
The question is are they able to make decisions independent of the pressures of gender identity activists.
I haven't read the Spinoff piece so don't know in this situation, but we know that there is significant coercion from gender identity activists in NZ and abroad. People lose their jobs and careers over this. Does the threat of career loss count as force?
Did you read the subbstack article? I thought Garwhoungle explained clearly what the issues are with the museum's role and the decision they made.
"The question is are they able to make decisions independent of the pressures of gender identity activists. "
The question is are they able to make decisions independent of the pressures of any activists? For example, those who hold strong views about Te Tiriti o Waitangi?
What would be an example of a comparable exhibition about the Treaty?
Some staff might object to a Treaty exhibition for the reasons the protesters objected to Te Papa's exhibition.
so an exhibition on the Treaty that was inaccurate and misleading?
According to the protesters.
Translations leave more than enough room for plenty of mistakes .Maori only had the Maori version to sign most Maori could not read or write as they relied in verbal history repeated through constant repetition .But Northern Maori had built the first schools and understood English probably better than most of the early settlers 'sailors and soldiers. They were not happy with the treaty. Since the treaty Maori have been gaslighted and bullied dehumanizing to make it easy to keep Maori on the bottom of the heap so Maori have no power keeping Maori impoverished destroying Maori culture by the imperialist vultures who have taken everything leaving Maori with intergenerational poverty.While the imperialists have had intergenerational wealth.Transactions between Maori and European started off as good but when phase 2 of colonization takes place European settlers defrauded Maori out of vast tracks of land knowing full and well how valuable that land was.Insider trading that would be called today.Maori didn't have independent legal advise on any land transaction until the 1880's only because religious leaders stepped in because they could see Maori were being fleeced another crime.
Seems the protesters were correct 🙂
At the time I believe Maori literacy was higher than settler literacy. Can't find the reference at the moment.
And some might object to a revised presentation – because it doesn't fit with their understanding of the topic. There are different understandings of the Treaty – much though the radical left might decry them.
Someone can always object to something about an exhibition. Especially when they are designed to provoke interest, discussion and challenge perceptions.
It was an internal matter for the museum, wasn't it?
They have responsibilities to their staff that are different to those toward the general public. I think you are conflating the two groups.
“They have responsibilities to their staff that are different to those toward the general public. I think you are conflating the two groups.”
Dear me, no. Staff can have a range of opinions about topics – just as the general public can.
To assume that all staff within an organization share your radical perspective, would be a mistake.
?
that was an excellent piece.
I read it. It describes the " museum’s" decision to support staff who felt the exhibition would make them feel unsafe. That seems reasonable, supporting your staff that way.
“In which Auckland Museum cancels a natural history exhibition because of associations with the author of Harry Potter.”
In which Auckland Museum cancels a natural history exhibition because of concerns of staff.
if it's reasonable to base curation policy on staff needs to feel safe, does that apply to religious staff who are upset about some of the science in the museum?
How about women staff who feel unsafe with an exhibition based on the art of the misogynistic Picasso?
It would be up to "the museum" to decide in those instances, wouldn't it, as they did with this issue. Perhaps if staff felt a Picasso exhibition would make them feel unsafe, the museum would make the same decision. It's up to them, I suppose.
Gosh. So if there is a staff member who is 'uncomfortable' with a display on the Treaty – it should immediately be cancelled?
How about climate change? – there's certainly a lot of controversy about that one – and many different perspectives are likely to be held within an organization. No displays on that topic, either.
I doubt there would be a single painting in the Auckland art gallery which *isn't* open to controversy of one kind or another. Should we shut down all of those exhibitions, then.
Cancel culture is going to ridiculous lengths.
Gosh, if the museum so decided.
They, I presume, know more about it than we do, given it's their bread and butter and they know the ins and outs, the behind the scenes details, better than us.
Great. I look forward to your unequivocal support when any Museum, gallery or other space decides to cancel something you care about. After all, it will be a decision that they make "knowing more about it than we do"
Personally, as a ratepayer in Auckland, I do feel that I have a mandate to criticise what I see as poor-quality decision-making, unduly influenced by a loud minority of staff.
Of course you can criticise, you are doing that here.
So am I.
Yes, indeed.
It's clear that we have very different philosophical approaches to freedom of information.
What do you mean?
"It's impossible…" – "the left's mission" – hmm…
https://www.foxnews.com/media/museum-scrubs-jk-rowling-harry-potter-display-transphobic-views-reducing-impact
Money, money, money (magic)
Must be funny…
This particular facet of 'trans' makes for some strange bedfellows.
Tbh, I'm a bit surprised that our Auckland museum followed suit with Seattle's Museum of Pop Culture – whatever next?
A little humility goes a long way, imho, regardless of where you (assert you) are on the sociopolitical spectrum, and whatever unequivocal Bs you might have in your bonnet.
Happy Holidays to us all; and bless us, everyone!
Climate Change is Climate Change. There is only one perspective. It exists and its going to get worse. A person can choose to accept the overwhelming scientific evidence or they can be wilful and stupid and claim it either doesn't exist or not caused by human behaviour. They are categorically wrong so their so-called perspective is null and void.
Obviously the museum is trusted with making decisions, so yes, it is up to them. But it's not a free for all. So would you mind explaining why you think that political safety of this kind should be the deciding factor?
I don't know what all of the factors behind the museum's decision were (though I did read the long Spinoff article when it was first suggested here). It seems that commenters here are objecting to the museums decision to can the exhibition for personal political and ideological reasons, where I am arguing that it's up to the museum – my position on the rights or wrongs of Harry Potter, the beasts he finds himself amongst, JK Rowling, activists, etc. have no place in my argument.
Thanks for clarifying, that really helps.
Up to a point. As a former metropolitan museum employee you will no doubt be aware of the constant internal dialogue around public space and serving stakeholders. I'm not really a fan of museums making hard and fast decisions around who is and isn't a stakeholder in this way. The exhibition has no political bias in it, and is not spreading factual untruths, so this is basically a political move, and it's a very dangerous thing when museums start making political moves.
I think they made a decision based on various factors; staff concerns, visitor comfort etc. and can be perceived as having a political aspect, depending upon one's politics.
All exhibitions can be perceived as having political bias.
Edit: “and is not spreading factual untruths” – it features un-true, invented creatures, does it not? Just wondering…
I saw this in the sidebar: time to go outside and plant something 🙂
Robert Guyton to Robert Guyton
good idea! Plenty here that still needs to go in teh ground.
So the 'concerns of staff' trump the actual mission of the Museum?
What a load of cobblers.
There have been many occasions when staff in a public information role (libraries, museums, etc) are working in a space where they may not personally agree with a particular display, presentation or event.
As an information professional – you suck it up, and get on with the job.
If you have ongoing concerns about a conflict between the mission of the organization and your personal ethics – you look for another job.
You don't impose your personal ethical beliefs on the organization.
Does the museum have a requirement to ensure staff safety? Surely they do. Interpreting that would be up to them, I expect.
Is the requirement to ensure perfect 'staff safety' greater than their requirement to deliver information? Surely not.
Especially in the situation where 'staff safety' is only compromised by being confronted by a world-view which is different to their own. [We're not talking about them abseiling down from the rooftops, here]
This is Ethics 101 in any information science qualification. Any information professional who is unable to separate their personal identity/ethics from those of the organization they work for – is in the wrong job.
Auckland Museum will now have to figure out a way to cover any resulting holes in their budget. I do not think the Auckland Council (the funding body) will be very sympathetic to requests for additional funding – when the Museum has turned down an opportunity for what would be a highly lucrative touring exhibition. Especially in a cost-cutting environment
"Is the requirement to ensure perfect 'staff safety' greater than their requirement to deliver information? Surely not."
Seeming, it is. The museum will have weighed the issues then made their decision, I expect.
From the link:
"The decision was ultimately based on the views of a small group of staff members who declared they were “deeply uncomfortable” with the exhibition because of the associations with Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling. "
A small group of staff being 'deeply uncomfortable' is hardly a reason to cancel the event.
The museum thought otherwise. Being on the spot and in full receipt of the details as I suppose they were, I guess we should credit them with the responsibility to decide fairly.
I am not so generous, Robert. I tend to agree with the author of the linked article:
"The spectre of J.K. Rowling’s belief in biological sex, her defence of gay people and her concern for women’s rights may indeed make a handful of employees at Auckland Museum feel uncomfortable and unsafe. They’ve been well-trained. The common rhetoric within trans activism is that to mention the facts of biological sex is hate speech and causes literal harm to vulnerable transgender people. It’s an inherently fragile and precarious position to decide your own safety is determined by everyone in society adopting your world view. It also reeks of authoritarianism."
Such a lot of supposition in that quoted segment, David.
"They've been well-trained"?
Sounds like an ideologue making assumptions.
You've highlighted a four word sentence and completely ignored the argument that followed.
I have (highlighted) and haven't (ignored).
The "four word sentence" is representative of the entire quote, imo.
There is a lot of it about. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/students-defamation-case-against-academic-accused-of-being-transphobic-bigot-thrown-out-by-judge/ILUUYLDYMZEEZEXTJDPVSEMWF4/
So you think the museum cancelled the show because of a high minded concern for the feelings of 2 or 3 staff members?
Really Robert .I didn't think you would be so naive
They cancelled the show out of fear of rowdy activists picketing and compromising the safety of museum goers /staff is my feeling.
And they were afraid of a facebook lynch mob
You reckon.
"So you think…" is often the prelude misrepresenting the thoughts of another.
Museums often quietly welcome protest – it raises the profile of certain exhibitions. I reckon you're speculating. As we all are 🙂
*disclaimer – I worked in a city museum for 2 years.
Question mark there you may have missed
Are you saying that the museum's duty is first to avoid discomfort of a very small minority of staff members before addressing the benefit of the public ?
Is that what museums are for in this new age where biological sex can be "changed" at will
Tell that to the plants
"Are you saying that the museum's duty is first to avoid discomfort of a very small minority of staff members before addressing the benefit of the public ?"
No. I'm saying that the details of why the museum chose to do what they chose to do is known best to them; speculation is fun, but faulted.
"Is that what museums are for in this new age where biological sex can be "changed" at will"
I don't understand that sentence at all, sorry.
I've planted gobo and toona so far. Casana and Japanese aralia next!
The many fraught emails that went to and from between museum officials laid out their fears of public backlash
As to the second paragraph you say you don't understand
maybe I can rephrase
We live in a post modern age where words can stand in place of physical realities.
For instance "someone born male can be a woman just by declaring it"
My long experience with the natural world does not reflect this
My long experience with humans divorced from the natural world and increasingly engaged with an unreal cyber world. is not hugely surprised but somewhat dismayed by that kind of thinking
Fear of public back-lash is a reasonable consideration for the museum to entertain. It would be unreasonable to expect them not to take it into account.
As to the second…
Your example, "someone born…" doesn't interest me much and isn't part of my thinking about why a museum might reject an exhibition.
Your comment, "My long experience…" could apply to people holding the opposite view to yours, I imagine.
I happen to strongly agree with you regarding the value of connection with, and especially close observation of, the "natural world", but I'm not sure about the perils of "engaging with an unreal cyber world.", as we are doing here. I like pushing the envelope through reading/watching material from the cyber world, safe-ish in the knowledge and confidence that I have gleaned from my time spent watching seeds sprout, fish feed, clouds roil and birds warble. The question of "what is natural" must surely be the topic a discussion somewhere and would no doubt be convoluted and heated 🙂
Who said that, and is the belief reality-based, i.e. the "someone born male can be a woman" bit, and/or the "just by declaring it" bit?
Imho, "someone born male" can be feminine, but not female, and there’s an application process (forms/fees) to change one's 'sex-marker' and/or ‘gender’.
https://www.govt.nz/browse/passports-citizenship-and-identity/changing-your-gender/
I acknowledge the flood of problems in the 6 months since a new self-ID process replaced the Family Court process. Maybe our new govt will address 'the issue' in due course – could be right up their alley.
It's interesting that the new hydra headed confabulation is doing nothing about self ID. I guess that is because National and ACT supported it and NZ First did not make doing anything about that an important coalition condition.
Nothing so far about “sex based identity facilities in public buildings” from the coalition either.
I agree with you that gender can be expressed within a very wide spectrum and I applaud it .
I welcome difference.
It's when it becomes an imperative to accept nonsense that men can become women by dint of will or surgery or other social interventions that I balk.
JK Rowling has attracted a huge amount of hate for standing up to those who declare its possible to change
"JK Rowling has attracted a huge amount of hate for standing up to those who declare its possible to change"
Why did she "stand up to" those who believe "it's possible to change"?
Why do you feel antagonistic towards people who don't support her "standing up to" those folk, many of whom are New Zealanders.
Huge amount of hate & support, generating heat – trans issues polarise.
https://www.transgendertrend.com/support-j-k-rowling/
https://www.glamour.com/story/a-complete-breakdown-of-the-jk-rowling-transgender-comments-controversy
Ideally, people should be free (and supported) to be themselves, as long as they're not not harming others, and shouldn't feel sad about who they (feel they) are. But feeling sad is part of the human condition.
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
Sorry – got tied up in Xmas not nots
How could staff at a museum possibility feel unsafe due to an exhibition?
Being exposed to art, literature, or any other type of display at a museum or art gallery can in no way cause harm to employees.
However I do understand that some individuals may become upset when exposed to ideas that do not conform to their world view. In this instance, it is not a safety issue. To suggest it is makes a mockery of "health and safety" in the workplace. Just ask any builder, construction worker or engineer who actually works in a hazardous environment.
One would expect that employees who work in a museum, art gallery, library, or any place that may have displays, or exhibitions which can be challenging etc, would be resilient enough the cope without "feeling unsafe". It's part of the job.
"How could staff at a museum possibility feel unsafe due to an exhibition?"
I guess you'd have to ask them, or the managers they approached with their concerns.
"Being exposed to art, literature, or any other type of display at a museum or art gallery can in no way cause harm to employees."
So, anything goes, so long as it's art, no matter who works there? I can think of plenty of themes that would traumatise some people, especially those who carry trauma from experience – no thought to be given to their wellbeing, do ya reckon?
We tough-as blog-commenters should just tell those softies to harden-up!
No Robert, they are not actually unsafe.
It is inconceivable that someone who’s career is working in museums or art galleries would be, or would feel unsafe from an exhibition.
They might feel uncomfortable with an exhibition, but that’s why they do the job.
Unless of course they have some ideological reason to shut something down. This would go against any museum or art gallery’s core reason for existing. Therefore again, the type of person who would feel unsafe with an exhibit in a museum or art gallery, would not pursue a career in a museum or art gallery
"the type of person who would feel unsafe with an exhibit in a museum or art gallery, would not pursue a career in a museum or art gallery"
Art galleries attract sensitive people, you must be able to see that. Often, those people have liberal, across the spectrum world-views, with regards politics, gender, how they dress, what they watch and listen to. Naturally, they can be "tender" when it comes to some issues.
I think some folk here are irritated because some people of the sort I've described, succeeded in an action they took, based upon their ideology. They managed to "defeat someone" who is admired by some folk here and they find that annoying. Is that the case with you, Terry?
It seems rather odd to characterize J K Rowling, or anyone for that matter, as someone who "believes in" biological sex. Surely if no-one "believed in" biological sex the human race would come to an end.
there are people who believe that sex isn't binary and that people can literally change biological sex.
When GC people say they believe in biology, what is meant is that they adhere to the science that has demonstrated that humans reproduce by two sexes (only), and that these sexes cannot be changed.
So, yes, not believing in sex is a nonsense, but where we are.
Staff feelings – Why are staff at TVNZ able to cope with Harry Potter films being shown? Or those of news media with reports mentioning JKR by name?
Or is it staff or building safety – protests and graffiti? If so, the protestors veto.
The censorship issue
The exhibit harms no one, but the precedent of suppressing creative work does.
The idea that a group of people is harmed, if someone is not blacklisted/boycotted because of their opinions is frankly a McCarthyist reprise.
On the merits, the censorship of someones works based on disapproval of their political position on a matter unrelated to the work is wrong. And the case for censorship of someones works because of disapproval of the political content ranges from somewhat credible to negligible.
My personal feeling is that while J K Rowling has become quite loathsome with her doubling down on being all chummy with outright fascists on social media, banning a harmless exhibition is the worst kind of superficial virtue signaling.
It's an interesting position to be in – JK Rowling's on this issue. I have no problem with women's safety advocacy.
However people like Angela Dworkin, not a tame feminist, was very wary of feminists working with the conservative political right. As some like Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshall do.
What happens, when two sides entrench themselves in positions for a long cold war, is that their own idealism is compromised in the struggle – they develop a gang mentality. And so they support others on their side and get tarnished by association.
A local example, in 1983, Douglas posed New Zealand adopting market economics and becoming a free trade based economy and got acceptance from Lange as his Finance Minister. He got support from the political right for this and became an applause junkie going further and further to the right to get his fix.To the point Lange lost confidence in him.
That JK Rowling gets support from the right is unsurprising and not her fault – she does not support the political right because of this. But she is being dragged into mutual support with others who call for the annihilation of the feminist "gender" tolerant left. When she would probably see herself as feminist and supportive of the political left. The hard-liners of the cause are prepared to use the political right as partners, but I suspect that Dworkin will be proven right about that tactic being a dangerous one (Dworkin was opposed to prostitution and pornography, just like K-J K-M by the way).
https://www.jkrowling.com/opinions/j-k-rowling-writes-about-her-reasons-for-speaking-out-on-sex-and-gender-issues/
It's very much her fault if she's going to align herself with people like Matt Walsh and Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshall, liking their posts, promoting their work.
I do not know about her connections to Walsh.
Matt Walsh is known for being anti LBG, and works for Ben Shapiro former editor in chief of Breitbart News.
https://twitter.com/MattWalshBlog/status/1737970157614514200
https://x.com/jk_rowling/status/1546141988139016194?s=20
This tweet provoked rather a lot of consternation on those grounds. Some might say that when one is a very public figure, one should take the time to know who one is platforming.
Well she did say his use of the word “comment” indicated some ignorance (an inaccurate euphemism) and he should back off.
Ah, but it was followed by this little outburst of mutual admiration
The criticism continued
Sure she did agree with criticism he made about some women's groups. That is because many embraced the "gender" cause, as one of progressive solidarity with others.
In that tweet, JKR is telling Walsh to shut the fuck up. A very large follower account telling someone to shut the fuck up isn't platforming them. She's using her power to push back at Walsh blaming feminists for gender identity ideology and there are solid reasons to do so. She's also running interference for other feminists, again a good use of her power. And, she’s making a strong political point about the nature of violent misogyny directed at women who speak up about GC issues, something that the left used to help women with once upon a time.
Implying she didn't know who Walsh is is an example of what I've been talking about. People in this debate who are generally clueless about large aspects of what is going on because they bought into the TRA/liberal PR that there are only two sides: virtuous pro-trans people and evil anti-trans right wingers. JKR is neither of those. And of course she knew who Walsh is.
What was going on in that tweet is that Walsh was a late comer to the gender/sex wars, and because he's an ultra conservative, misogynistic, women in the kitchen, dickhead, who happens to be very good at what he does with social media, he colonised the GC movement, and now blames women for whatever he can. As part of his conservative agenda.
Walsh laying down blame, feminists responding and setting the record straight, is an ongoing feature of the war. Which you would know if you actually listened to what GCFs are saying.
Feminists have been debating about how to use material from Walsh for ages. In this case, that wasn't even what was happening, JKR was simply calling out his lies.
Hmmmmm seems quite cosy to me https://x.com/jk_rowling/status/1546162915107037185?s=20
what she says in that tweet,
1. She expresses her opinion about his film (one I share, he did do a good job of exposing the incoherence of GI and its harms).
2. she reiterates her point that it's not women that are to blame for the rise of GI.
That's a large follower feminist account, speaking publicly to a large follower ultra conservative account, so that people can see the counter argument.
I can't speak to her motivations, but having watched her strategy for a number of years, she is smart. How I read this is that it's better here with Walsh to engage in an evenhanded way than go all angry feminist on him.
She doesn't give a shit about liberal brownie points, this is another thing the left is missing. There's a liberation that comes for women when they stop caring about losing favour. Once it goes past a certain point, those feminists are much freer to work in more effective ways.
The other group which want to ban Rowling and all her works, are the fundamentalist Christians (promotion of 'witchcraft')
Are the far left trans-positive campaigners comfortable with those bedfellows?
Proof is required for that sort of statement.
Exhibitions are not automatically selected by museums; a board most likely, will assess and decide. They have discretion to do as they please, mostly. Internal issues can have some influence over final decisions. In this instance, they (probably) did.
TVNZ staff won't have to experience the (ephemeral) films over a long period of time; they may choose not to watch them. Museum staff are more likely to be personally exposed to a prolonged, high-profile exhibition. The situations are not equivalent.
https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/13-12-2023/why-auckland-museum-pulled-the-pin-on-hosting-a-hit-harry-potter-exhibition
An encouraging read…
Buying the farm in a burning world
“We’re in this process of dreaming a farm back into being in the hinterlands of the ruined provincial capital in our remote corner of the crumbling empire.”
“There are no profane places, only sacred and desecrated places. And I wonder what it will take and what it could mean to restore, to reconsecrate, this place?”
https://dark-mountain.net/buying-the-farm-in-a-burning-world/
As I've noted many times the travesty of not implementing WEAG when there was a collective expert, policy, community and public support was abysmal. Helen Clark blew the opportunity to help the most vulnerable by only helping those on NZS and so did Jacinda by failing to follow through.
Still Labour are the original architects in NZ of this neo-liberal shit-storm so we should not be surprised.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Democracy…..ok…. lets see how Winston who is pro rail and the other two heads, who are pro trucking in the monster that is the current govt, avoid going off the rails…
NZFirst policy on rail: https://www.nzfirst.nz/2023_policies
I see a very strained relationship developing…….
And…….Josie Pagani now cheerleader for the trucking industry……..
"Instead of spending billions on new ferries capable of carrying trains, stick with moving freight by truck, and put the money towards other priorities………. argues Josie Pagani.
https://www.thepost.co.nz/a/nz-news/350135936/you-think-2023-went-rails-wait-until-you-see-2024?utm_source=stuff_website&utm_medium=stuff_referral&utm_campaign=mh_stuff&utm_id=mh_stuff
There will be a need for either a truck or train load of popcorn in 2024………Sadly there are those among us who will need life lines………….
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Trains boats and planes. I recall an airport being an issue in 1998.
New roads are not fixes to existing ones crumbling because of trucks. The new roads do not last 50 years like the Kiwi Rail plan infrastructure does. New roads do not reduce carbon use.
Well dear moderator I beg to differ…it was on topic and far from irrelevant…..perhaps you should look at the words and the context in relation to quote: "The coalition government has hijacked the democratic process for its own partisan and nefarious agenda….."
Perhaps it was mentioning Josie Pagani….
But hey, no big deal…Merry Christmas to all….
On balance, I felt, as the Author, that the comment was more suited for OM and the reply comment by SPC confirmed this (this had already been submitted when I moved the whole thread). It had nothing to do with JP
No big deal and no harm done.
Nicola Willy latest gaffe says its the size of the sausage not what you do with it was she replying to Hipkins gaffe or gushing over her sausage shaped leader
She's playing the goofy real person card. All while delivering increased inequality and deprivation.
My thoughts also, SPC – scripted "gaffe" – she can't be a BSD, but she can allude to them.
Some positive developments at last …
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/301031134/health-officials-boost-security-in-eds-over-summer-to-help-keep-hospitals-safe
PS I'd add a notice in these areas stating that some security have access to tasers/pepper spray.
World News : What is really going on now.
The PA and the political wing of Hamas are in talks about Hamas coming under the PLO umbrella and the return of the PA to Gaza.
This is opposed by the military wing of Hamas.
So when Hamas says no more release of hostages until the IDF action ends (withdrawal from Gaza) this has two related meanings.
Essentially for this to occur Israel has to defeat the military wing of Hamas in the south as well, as in the north, or for someone to take the military forces in Gaza (an escape route).
The cynic would suggest a ship takes them to Libya. So they can form a new refugee camp, or get hired into team Russia or team Turkey in their civil war.
The hostages are a sideshow. Largely irrelevant in the big picture.
Meanwhile in white race nation news, revivalism has arrived down under.
The defeat of One Voice in Oz and indigenous peoples rights in New Zealand (except for Tuhoe nation and maybe Waipounamu, where Nga Tahu co-govern with Queenstown and farmers).
The symbolism of the bonfire is well known at Ephesus and the USA – Indians and New World settlers burnt to the ground each others settlements. And later in the American south after the end of slavery.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/12/22/the-year-that-began-and-ended-with-labour-policy-bonfires/
She means the trucking industry influence within the National Party.
So even if there is a wider New Zealand interest in the capacity to move rail goods over the Cook Straight, the government will say they will not deliver – unless there is some external capital source providing a partner to Kiwi Rail in the InterIslander service or the whole business.
So if New Zealand's overall interest is placed first – it's all in favour of Kiwi Rail's plan, improved speed of goods movement, allows for increased volume and reduces the carbon footprint.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/12/22/interislander-ferry-govt-to-set-up-expert-advisory-group/
It's going to be interesting to add up what's been spent already on the cancelled ferries, what it'll cost to bracket the existing contracts , what the review costs and what willis' plan b costs , bet it'll be close to labours plan with a crappy outcome.
The land of excuses. You cannot give foreign aid because there is poverty at home. Poverty at home, is no excuse not to give the hard working middle class a tax cut, end the bright-line test on investors, or allow debt cost to reduce tax on rent income. And here is a new one …
New roads are not fixes to existing ones crumbling because of trucks. The new roads do not last 50 years like the Kiwi Rail plan infrastructure does. New roads do not reduce carbon use.
https://www.thepost.co.nz/a/nz-news/350135936/you-think-2023-went-rails-wait-until-you-see-2024?utm_source=stuff_website&utm_medium=stuff_referral&utm_campaign=mh_stuff&utm_id=mh_stuff
Three strikes and you’re out. This simplistic rule is heavily promoted by ACT and made it into the coalition agreement under the header “Restoring Law and Order and Personal Responsibility” yet, ironically, ACT doesn’t abide by it. (NB the National-Act Agreement shows ACT’s pathological obsession with anything ‘regulation’)
As before, ACT’s renewed attempt at “meta-regulation” comes under heavy criticism from Jane Kelsey.
https://theconversation.com/acts-attempt-at-regulatory-reform-in-nz-has-failed-3-times-already-whats-different-now-220140
We can use our tax cut to pay those rising rates.
/
@JonoMilne
At @NewsroomNZ, I've obtained a letter from Local Govt Minister Simeon Brown, telling councils he’ll relax consultation/audit requirements so they can lock in their rates plans. Some propose rates hikes as high as 33% because of the Three Waters repeal.
https://newsroom.co.nz/2023/12/21/three-waters-repeal-forces-councils-to-hike-rates-by-a-third/
https://twitter.com/JonoMilne/status/1737648009268351137
We’ll have to.
So, here's something that perhaps sums up and perhaps explains why Labour lost.
A govt dept (customs) was furnished with plug in hybrids to replace older vehicles early in the year as part of emmisions reductions. So far so good right… excepting that no charging infrastructure in the building the vehicles are parked was provided so 9 months later and 40k on the odometer the charging cables are still in the packaging and they've been running on petrol the whole time.
Very depressing.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
"Martin Foo, an analyst at S&P Global Ratings, say the extension of the statutory deadline should provide welcome breathing space for councils that need to go back to the drawing board now that the incoming government has confirmed the repeal of water services legislation.
On whether the new “financially separate council-owned organisation” would be considered by lenders to be distinct from its council owners, he says the devil is in the detail.
The rating agency would need to assess whether financial separation is genuinely achieved, not just in an accounting sense but from a credit rating angle too. Foo says there’s still something of a disconnect between the letter’s idea of “local decision-making” and financial separation. “It is not easy to disentangle political control from financial control.”
https://newsroom.co.nz/2023/12/21/three-waters-repeal-forces-councils-to-hike-rates-by-a-third/
It is worth noting that the recently announced rates increases were made on the basis of no provision of water, waste water and stormwater services by councils…..they were to be charged separately.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]