“An Afghan man waiting to know if he could get a visa to join family in New Zealand has been killed trying to flee to Pakistan, a source says.
A member of the man’s family had helped the Defence Force in Afghanistan and has already been resettled here.
So far resettlement of people who helped the Defence Force has been limited to partners and dependent children.
But other family members were also at risk from the Taliban that has now taken over Afghanistan, Community Law Centres O Aotearoa chief executive Sue Moroney said.
…The man who died was one of a group of 70 waiting for a hearing in a Wellington court about how Immigration New Zealand has stalled processing their visas. Community Law Waikato was working with the lawyers taking the action.
…An Immigration New Zealand spokesman said it had not been made aware of the incident, but understood the difficulties faced by those in Afghanistan and empathised with their situation.
The national manager of refugee and migrant services, Andrew Lockhart, said in a statement that Immigration New Zealand was unable to comment on matters while they were before the courts.”
It’s a damn shame the wheels of the system are turning ever so slowly. Must be a nightmare for these people, with the Taliban also being present in Pakistan if any of them somehow manage to slip past the Taliban border guards in Afghanistan.
Aljazeera TV is showing this Part 2 of a documentary The Forbidden Reel this week, showing film archives of Afghanistan, just before, & during, the time of the Soviet invasion & occupation.
It's a fascinating look at how westernised the people of the towns & cities were before the Taliban eventually took over & sent whole country back to a medieval-like Islamic Emirate. (25.03 min)
Here is one especially for Ad, our resident New Labour lover, so thereby as is with his beloved NZ Labour Party are enemies of Left wing politics and any real structural progressive changes in our society….and of course it goes without saying are enemies of the working classes… remember folks, just because you are better than National doesn't make you good.
[This is another personal attack and your recent comments have been in the same vein and aimed at the same commenter. Saving your aggressive attacks for OM does not give you special licence to attack others especially not others who are also Authors on this site.
You obviously cannot distinguish between robust debate and attacking others for whom you have nothing but contempt.
This is your only warning because we have been here before so many times – Incognito]
Obviously you feel strongly that the NZ Labour Party are heading the country towards a model of complete non Union workers, like Walmart. I disagree as they appear to have made strides towards better worker rights and protections. It may not happen as fast as you would like but workers are definitely better off under a Labour/Greens Government than under a Act/National Government (or the other way around which ever is the greatest)
Your video above, has no relevance to NZ and your attack on another commentator by using it is just mischievous and pointless.
This is in addition to Incognito's primary moderation.
You have been told repeatedly that comments primarily framed as a personal attacks are going to get the attention of the moderators. The odd dig here or there is going to be tolerated – especially if there's a decent argument being made – but you fail to understand the boundary. You have a clear pattern of this behaviour – making the debate aggressively personal with no provocation.
We do try to implement moderation in an incremental, proportionate fashion, warnings, advice, editing, moving to OM and then bans of increasing severity. You have used up all of these options – it's my view the next step will likely be terminal.
That would be a shame. Adrian, like Rogue Trooper whom I miss hearing from, to my mind have been some of the few working class voices that sound like the aunts and uncles I grew up with out of mining and forestry communities that frequent this site.
They understand that what was normal and not even extreme left before Rogernomics is still way to the left of where the pale blue labour party is now.
Things are not getting better for the poor and Labour is not really doing much to lift things in a serious way – the lack of implementation of the WEAG recommendations to benefit rates was a severely wasted opportunity compounded by the two tier benefit system they have introduced during COVID. The difference in approach to supporting people during lock-down this time – no increase in food limits like last time left foodbanks etc overwhelmed and distraught.
All around them people are suffering – good intentions and be kind are insufficient.
Many Labour people are happy with slow incremental steps – the trouble is as always that the right lurches right everytime they get into power. You can't beat lurches with baby steps.
NZ Labour have criminally wasted a likely once in a generation MMP majority Govt. situation due to entrenched neo liberalism long embedded in the NZ State, the “Parliamentary wing” and Caucus being able to dictate to the wider NZ Labour membership, and fifth columnist tories throughout the senior public service.
Adrian always had the opportunity to make his point without leading with a personal attack. Especially not on an author who contributes substantially to the site.
His choices, his consequences. You don't get to blame 'systemic censorship' or some such.
I hear your pain. Not all things are able to be corrected at once, and big money has huge power.
Adrian attacks the person too often in his anger. This is not helpful for the moderators.
You are correct about the lurches by the right and the left infiltrators of the 80s. This Government is trying to correct the levers and the settings, and have every intention of introducing the WEAG.
However, the pandemic has meant Health and Education needed fast support in these unusual times. We do need to keep a level of faith and trust in their good intentions. We are only half way through their second term.
We try to be tolerant of differing levels of commitment to the cause, as age experience gives a different more nuanced view of 'progress'.
Nonsense. Kids are not at school cause they are stacking shelves in the supermarket to bring some money into the family, kids can't do homework cause they have no electricity so can't read/study in the evening, kids can't study cause they can't concentrate due to living in overcrowded conditions and motels – while those who own the motels make millions off them or don't feel safe in that motel environment.
What age tells me is that those horrific stories of poverty, slum housing, children working, dependence on charity not welfare, church groups making money off the poor and so on that my grand-parents and great grand parents experienced are back – have been for some time and is getting worse.
There is no collective warm heart in charity and the government has no intention of making benefits back to the same rate as NZS as they used to be – and in my view compensating those who have suffered with the punitive rates that have existed for a long time. They freely admit that officials gave them advice not to lift benefits by another fifty dollars cause people might not go to work- and yeah they followed that advice.
At times I think they are just naive – but most times they are just not competent in addressing poverty in a timely manner. In the meantime children and adults suffer.
An alternative view to the nuclear submarine issue. I especially liked this bit.
“If we want to enjoy a peaceful future, Aotearoa should do the exact opposite of what Hooton and Malpass suggest. We should forge closer relations with others that share our anti-nuclear values – and there is no shortage of such countries.
We should increase our diplomatic capacity to build relationships and to contribute to conflict prevention and peace. We should focus our international energy on solutions to climate and the urgent transitions we need on energy, food and transport. Instead of focusing our diplomatic and security efforts on the Five Eyes, we should strengthen our relationships in, for example, Asean countries, in Latin America and, of course, in our neighbouring nuclear-free Pacific Islands.”
“If we want to enjoy a peaceful future, Aotearoa should do the exact opposite of what Hooton and Malpass suggest. We should forge closer relations with others that share our anti-nuclear values – and there is no shortage of such countries.
The ground has shifted from the 80's and this pretty delusion would leave NZ foolishly vulnerable. A Xi Xinping led-PRC has now become first a competitor and now an opponent of the US. It's a hairs-breadth away from becoming an enemy. Now we get to pick a side – there will be no idealistic 'sitting it out as a neutral, non-nuclear, non-aligned' pixie dust land.
NZ survives as a trading nation and our biggest customers will all be on one side or another – and certainly the US will not tolerate NZ trading with the PRC in the event of open hostilities. This ain't a pretty reality but more than a few kiwis need to grow up on this.
Nuclear weapons are never going away. We can ban them all we want, but any reasonably advanced nation can build a bunch before lunchtime if they feel the urgent need to. The weapons themselves – fearful as they are – are not the primary issue. The core problem is a world in which totalitarian regimes retain the capacity to project their rising power onto first their neighbours and then whole regions.
Arguing for banning nuclear weapons as solution to aggression – is like banning door locks as the answer to home invasion.
We should focus our international energy on solutions to climate and the urgent transitions we need on energy, food and transport.
All fine things. It’s called human development and we’ve been doing this really well for the decades since WW2. But you can be secure and rich, but not dead and rich.
It's [China's] a hairs-breadth away from becoming an enemy [of the US].
If that's true, then NZ should do everything possible to prevent it from happening. We may not have significant influence, but we need to send clear diplomatic signals that this is not what NZ wants – it shouldn't be what anyone wants, imho.
Now we get to pick a side – there will be no idealistic 'sitting it out as a neutral, non-nuclear, non-aligned' pixie dust land.
Ideologically-driven hawks are pushing for a 'confrontation' between China and AUKUS, and appear keen for NZ to pick a side. Can our small, stable democracy withstand pressure from our "very, very, very good [5 eyes] friend" and its other allies? Given our divergent and successful response to the pandemic so far, maybe we can.
David 'I can smell the uranium of your breath' Lange and Helen Clark won't be everyone's cup of tea, but those left-leaning PMs spoke for me on matters of (nuclear) war – hope in the fullness of time I'll be able to say the same of Ardern.
New Zealand Prime Minister's comments cause a stir New Zealand's differences are there on the record. Maybe some of those remarks were unfortunate, a bit over the top. I tend to think they would be bypassed in the fullness of time. But the more important point is, as Clark herself has said, one of principle, and if the principle's staked out on the ground and the difference is there, well so be it, and not a lot can be done about it. And I think on both sides, this includes Australia as well as the United States, the leaderships are mature enough to recognise that difference and move on.
Fingers crossed commonsense prevails over hawkish impulses, at least for now.
Choosing calm language as tensions with the United States grow, Chinese leader Xi Jinping reiterated his nation's longtime policy of multilateralism on Tuesday, telling world leaders at the United Nations that disputes among countries “need to be handled through dialogue and cooperation."
His remarks came hours after U.S. President Joe Biden said he didn't have any intention of starting a “new Cold War" — itself a response to criticism from the U.N. chief this weekend that both Washington and Beijing need to make sure their differences and tensions don't derail their 42-year-old relationship and cause problems for the rest of the planet.
"One country’s success does not have to mean another country’s failure," Xi said in a prerecorded speech to the U.N. General Assembly's leaders' meeting in New York. "The world is big enough to accommodate common development and progress of all countries."
Yes and so unsurprising for Xi to visibly walk it back on the world stage, with the AUKUS deal sewn up last week, and the 4 Pillars meeting today. China getting the message … its "wolves" will turn into standard Labradoodles once more.
But it took the collective to push back against China to get that result.
As our own PM reminded in her US speech, we need each other.
Exactly. While everyone can agree the war is morally appalling and in an ideal world all leaders would act to prevent it as a matter of principle – for the moment at least we have to rely on more pragmatic means and make the cost of it too high.
Don't think Comrade Xi regards the BRI as a neocolonialist expansion plan. Probably will just contend Western countries continue to use their multinational corporations & private companies to effectively do the same thing?
PRC won't be repudiating their claim to Taiwan. They'll most likely take it back eventually, one way or another. May not be by military means.
They've held sway in Tibet for so long they'll see no need to pull out of there.
India may yet give them another bloody nose at the border. Depends how much military might Xi wants to invest in what I assume is relatively small amount of territory. Is it resource rich in something extremely valuable?
Numbers vary, depending on what is considered a military base, and whether operational etc. but scanning various figures and tote ups online, China has barely 3 on foreign soil–one a signal station in Myanmar, and the US has 800 plus in upwards of 80 countries including Air, Navy and Marines etc. possibly more if embassies containing significant numbers of armed personnel are counted.
US Imperialism remains the largest threat to world peace as it has been since becoming a nuclear power. Time for Aotearoa NZ to leave 5 Eyes (4 Eyes sounds better) and have pride in non aligned status with a fully independent foreign policy.
It's China that you are defending here. If you want to present the PRC as morally superior to the US then my short list above would be a starting point.
I've consistently said that the US is our least bad choice and nothing I've seen changes this calculus. Up until the leadership of Xi Xinping you might have been able to make an argument for the PRC – but not now. That ship has sailed.
You call me an 'ideological hawk' and maybe I am. I am going to stand against totalitarian regimes led by authoritarian strong-men like Hitler, Imperial Japan’s Hideki Tojo, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, the Kim family and Xi Xinping every damn time. This doesn't mean my allies are necessarily nice people or anyone I'd want to defend. I just need them to be effective.
I think we ought to change the focus of our condemnation in fact. Under Hu, the bellicose actions in Hong Kong and the threat to Taiwan weren't happening. The problem is Xi, not China. Like every other "President for life" he is automatically illegitimate. We, and our allies, have no problem with China in general, just the fool who is prepared to risk significant consequences for what seems like self-aggrandizement.
That assertion suits your narrative, but it's not what I'm doing. In as much as any country can have morals, I don't believe the PRC is morally superior to the US, and it's disappointing that your worldview constrains you to such a narrow interpretation of my comments. I invite you to read my comment @3.2.1 again and pinpoint where you believe I’m "defending" China – unless you mean "defending" China from a military assault, in which case yes, imho all countries should be defended from military aggression.
I believe democracy, the only system of governance I've participated in, is (far) preferable to communism, and I'd rather countries didn't (try to) impose their systems of governance on others. When a majority of citizens in a sovereign country clearly want a democratic say in how their country is run then pro-democracy movements, for example in Myanmar and Belarus, can be supported diplomatically. External aggression is not the answer.
Would also prefer that fully democratic governance could be continued in Hong Kong (a special administrative region) and Taiwan (whose sovereignty China disputes), and believe that other democratic countries should do what they can, short of going to war, to support established democracies there.
As for "making an argument for the PRC" – the PRC is a fact of life. What worries me is the idea that the PRC, or at least the CCP, is so evil and so great a threat to the lifestyles of ‘the golden billion’ that it must be ‘hounded’ out of extistence. Acting on such hawisk impulses cannot end well, imho.
Perhaps what this boils down to is that I believe that, for all their faults and internal challenges, both the US and the PRC have the right to exist and to govern themselves as they see fit.
unless you mean "defending" China from a military assault
That's cool. Now point me to anyone serious who has suggested invading the PRC mainland this century. (Invoking ghosts from 200 years past does not count.)
Would also prefer that fully democratic governance could be continued in Hong Kong (a special administrative region) and Taiwan (whose sovereignty China disputes), and believe that other democratic countries should do what they can, short of going to war, to support established democracies there.
That's also nice, except Xi Xinping has said he will go to war in order to absorb Taiwan into his regime. And followed up his words with substantial military preparations combined with almost daily armed incursions into the edges of Taiwan's airspace.
Provocative words and actions. In return you suggest we accept the threatened destruction of a nation very similar to NZ – in fact you could describe them as having more in common with us than virtually any other Asian nation – as a 'fact of life'.
or at least the CCP, is so evil and so great a threat to the lifestyles of ‘the golden billion’ that it must be ‘hounded’ out of extistence.
Yes. In the past 100 odd years we've had to do it at least four times and it's on the cards we're going to have to do it again. I know that's a bitter pill, even more so if it means we get sucked back into the orbit of the hated Yanks again – but there it is. Life sometimes sucks.
So much so it might give the thoughtful pause to consider what our grandparents generation did in the immediate aftermath of that last great global conflagration WW2. And what we might have to do in order to improve on their bitterly earned solution.
That's cool. Now point me to anyone serious who has suggested invading the PRC mainland this century.
If by “this century” you mean the last 22 years, then no-one – same goes for the US. If you mean the last 100 years then Japan springs to mind.
Xi Xinping has said he will go to war in order to absorb Taiwan into his regime.
If you say so. I believe war-mongering is detestable – that goes for “totalitarian monster” Xi’s war-mongering, and anyone else’s. ‘Good war-monger’ is an oxymoron, imho.
Provocative words and actions. In return you suggest we accept the threatened destruction of a nation very similar to NZ – in fact you could describe them as having more in common with us than virtually any other Asian nation – as a 'fact of life'.
Such a disappointing (but unsurprising) fabrication – we both know I've suggested no such thing. Your continuing penchant for twisting my words is noted.
Internal conflicts (Communists vs Nationalists) and WWII gave birth to modern China – god help us all if your vision of another war to end China comes to pass.
Exactly – the idea the PRC needs a massive military and the largest navy in the world by hull count in order to 'defend' itself is a complete non-sequitur. It's sole conceivable purpose is to replace the hated Americans as the regional hegemon. And that region extends from Africa in the West to AU/NZ in the south by sea – and across Central Asia to the Middle East by land.
And while invading is easy, occupying is much harder. The subjugation of the Uighur people might well be seen as a practise run toward perfecting the mass control of large populations and rendering them incapable of resisting eternal CCP control. A decade ago such a thought would have been unthinkable – now much less so. Chillingly less so.
My vision is the exact opposite of another war – preventing Xi Xinping from invading Taiwan is precisely the means to avoid one.
My vision is the exact opposite of another war – preventing Xi Xinping from invading Taiwan is precisely the means to avoid one.
Great – no more war is our shared vision. The US and regional players (notably China and countries hosting US military bases, i.e. Japan and South Korea) should make every effort, short of war, to avoid war.
Taiwan under Japanese rule (1895 – 1945)
Taiwan was Japan's first colony and can be viewed as the first step in implementing their "Southern Expansion Doctrine" of the late 19th century. Japanese intentions were to turn Taiwan into a showpiece "model colony" with much effort made to improve the island's economy, public works, industry, cultural Japanization, and to support the necessities of Japanese military aggression in the Asia-Pacific.
Japanese administrative rule of Taiwan ended after the end of hostilities with Japan in August 1945 during the World War II period, and the territory was placed under the control of the Republic of China (ROC) with the issuing of General Order No. 1. Japan formally renounced its sovereignty over Taiwan in the Treaty of San Francisco effective April 28, 1952. The experience of Japanese rule, ROC rule, and the February 28 massacre of 1947 continue to affect issues such as Taiwan Retrocession Day, national identity, ethnic identity, and the formal Taiwan independence movement.
Because the Yanks learned in WW2 and the Cold War that if you do not act early and decisively to contain and crush totalitarian monsters – you pay a terrible price later.
Note carefully – this does not mean you have to like the Americans, or they should be immune to scrutiny or criticism. Feel free to go on hating them as per usual. But the rest of us will also observe on where you choose to remain silent.
I might add that for many years after the Communists' very naughty win in China, Taiwan kept claiming to be the real China, and wanted to take the rest of China back. To make it worse, the silly USA decided that because Communism is so BAD, it had to officially recognise that poncey Taiwan Govt as the real China!
So piddly little Taiwan got recognised by the USA as the only one and real China, while the much more real Red China (which gave USA a good kick in the pants during Korea War) got no recognition at all.
One of the few good things Nixon did was to fix this idiocy up.
Who was suggesting that Taiwan has so much in common with NZ? Does Taiwan not still claim to be the true China Govt? Have they given uo that claim? At least NZ never made such a nonsensical claim.
Comedy! But we are both little and piddley in some ways.
I've said this elsewhere – in the aftermath of 1949 both the PRC and ROC made claim to each other's territory.
The difference in 2021 is that the ROC have long abandoned their claim when they became a democracy in the 70's, while the PRC has only doubled down on theirs.
I have scorn for ridiculous policies, like the USA insisting for 20 years or so that a tin-pot little island like Taiwan with the USA's favoured stooge Govt was the real Govt of the true China.
Taiwan never had any legitimate claim to China – lost by right of conquest with the approval of the vast majority of the people. Only US naval power prevented the same happening to Taiwan.
I have no contempt for NZ (your absurd idea).
I have a good deal of contempt for anti-Chinese people who admit no validity at all to China's claim to Taiwan. It is valid – but our Western policy has produced a situation where Taiwan now would be tragically affected by Chinese annexation.
Tell his military they can stand down from their preparations for imminent war
Stop expanding their already massive navy and airforce that now only serves an expansionist purpose
Stop their daily aggressive incursions into the airspace of other nations
Response: What countries has the PRC invaded. How many has the US invaded. 'Massive navy and airforce'? LOL! So Western countries can have massive navy and airforce but Chinese can't? China suffered 100 years of humiliation and foreign invasion from Japan and the West. Surely they have the right do everything to avoid a repeat?
Apologise for years of openly bombastic diplomatic rhetoric that is intended to intimidate and bully
Stop using their state controlled media to run jingoistic articles advocating to use nuclear weapons to eradicate Japan for instance
Response:
'intimidate and bully?' LOL – John McCain bomb bomb Iran, 'Weapons of mass destruction' the actual invasion of countless countries around the globe.
Pull back from their incursions into India and cease to militarise the Tibetean plateau
It was the Indians that went into China. The Tibetan plateau is part of China. They can do what they want there.
Dismantle the mass imprisonment of millions of Uighurs, and cease the demographic and cultural genocide of these people.
All bullshit –in any case an internal problem. No Muslim country condemns China, but only the countries that have killed the most muslims in the past 20 years.
Stop using the BRI as a fig-leaf for neo-colonial expansionism across Asia-Pacific and Africa
No country is forced into the BRI…its their sovereign choice. If you don;t do what the US says, the US rains bombs on you. The Chinese way is far superior.
Repudiate their territorial claim over Taiwan and the so called Nine Dashed Line in the South China Sea.
LOL! Taiwan also claims to be part of China, and Taiwan also claims the entire South China Sea – on behalf of guess what entity – China.
US hypocrisy is still no excuse for China, preventing local Democracy in Hong Kong, the treatment of the Muslim minority in China, and the threats against Taiwan, which whatever the past history, is now an independent self Governing State.
Suppressing the vote/undermining the Voting Rights Act, cutting funding for Family Planning/and now preparing the way step by step for a ban fertility treatments, allowing only skilled migrant labour/exploiting non voting illegals (new black slave class) for working class jobs (no sanctions on employers) let alone the millions of Americans under Patriot Act + surveillance regimes of the CT realm.
Local democracy in Hong Kong was suppressed from 1840 to 1997.
As for having to swallow the dead rat agreement for the return of its territory – there is license in contract law to revisit unequal agreements.
American encouragement of democracy in Hong Kong backfired on locals, just as arms sales to Taiwan are now doing.
There is no suppression of 'democracy' in Hong Kong.
All China is doing is simply pushing through a national security law that was agreed with the British way before 1997.
There are no issues with the treatment of the 'muslim minority'
That is bs western propaganda. That is why not one Muslim country has come out and condemned China's actions in Xinjiang. Heck, even the Taliban and China are getting close
"Now we get to pick a side – there will be no idealistic 'sitting it out as a neutral, non-nuclear, non-aligned' pixie dust land."
No need to pick a side. If there is a shooting war it will be in the South China Sea or Taiwan Straits. A long way away from NZ
The US will not go to war. Its all bluster. Americans are sick of foreign wars, and most Americans would not sacrifice their sons for Taiwan or the SCS.
On the other hand, the CPC considers Taiwan and the SCS its own territory so will fight like fuck to keep them.
On the other hand, the CPC considers Taiwan and the SCS its own territory so will fight like fuck to keep them.
There you have it in your own words. Despite all your denials above you are committed to war in the event Taiwan declares it's independence.
And who exactly is trying to 'take Taiwan off the PRC' – none other than of course the independent, democratic people and government of Taiwan themselves.
Self-serving circular nonsense – all a plausible lie intended to deceive gullible people in the west. You wouldn't try this line in Asia itself – you'd get laughed out of the room.
China has ALWAYS said it would fight like fuck to keep Taiwan. China has NEVER renounced the use of force. Publicly and loudly, in Asian and out of Asia.
And at one stage Taiwan said it would take over all of mainland China
Well there you have it. Not much ambiguity about that is there.
What you're also not mentioning is the full on blast of internal propaganda aimed at the mainland Chinese using the most openly bellicose language to inflame sentiments against the independence of Taiwan. You assume that because I cannot read Mandarin that I do not have contacts who do.
And at one stage Taiwan said it would take over all of mainland China
This is not the policy of the current govt in Taipei and it would be quite hilarious to think the mighty PRC feel at all threatened by this,
Australia getting SSN’s and the containment policy of China fails when it successfully invades Taiwan or the US & it’s regional Allies aka Japan, Sth Korea & Australia get such a beating they slowly pulled back to their respective countries like we did in WW2 when Japan achieved overmatched in the Pacific when it came a battle of survival between 42 & 43.
NZ RW Political Party’s with their Supporters & MFAT’s Trade at all costs Policy & dammed the consequences to NZ long term & or
NZ’s left burying its head in sand as the Sth Pacific Security Environment has changed forever on Thursday morning. Then acting like a drunk on the Roulette Table putting his/her last $50 on Red expecting that diplomacy will win on the Day & if not expecting the UN would ride over the hill like the US 7th CAV to protect the NZ as it’s the only plan in town?
While not considering planning for a worst scenario because a National Security & Economic Security Plan for NZ is all to hard & it means we the Left have to sallow a few dead rats like the right would have to do as well.
Thank you. So often it's the people who have put their lives on the line for the security of their nation who get these things right.
NZ’s left burying its head in sand as the Sth Pacific Security Environment has changed forever on Thursday morning.
In terms of an Asia-Pacific war with the PRC, immediate neighbours like Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore and Indonesia while capable, would absorb a terrible punishment from the Chinese airforce and navy. They're just too close.
There are just three countries capable of standing up to a militant China and surviving – the US, India and now Australia. By next Thursday Australia could have a tranche of the latest Block Tomahawk cruise missiles stationed near Darwin and capable of sinking Chinese merchant ships in the Straits of Malacca.
From his perspective Xi Xinping sees a western world divided, often decadent, corrupt, weakened and unwilling to defend it's interests and allies in SE Asia. Like all bullies he holds his targets in contempt and has calculated we will let him invade Taiwan without much resistance.
The goal here is deterrence and containment. Everyone in SE Asia knows that if the PRC get away with expropriating Taiwan they will be next. Everyone in the region knows that the claim 'that Taiwan is part of China' is a plausible lie intended to fool gullibles in the west.
As you've said before, CCP strategists will have closely studied Imperial Japan's defeat and will understand two things – not to repeat the Japanese mistakes and that despite these mistakes just how close they came to winning the whole of Asia Pacific anyway. The CCP will be convinced they can do better – and indeed it's very likely they would.
Then acting like a drunk on the Roulette Table putting his/her last $50 on Red expecting that diplomacy will win on the Day & if not expecting the UN would ride over the hill like the US 7th CAV to protect the NZ as it’s the only plan in town?
As the most consistently pro-UN writer here – this is depressingly true. A decade ago one might have put some faith in a rules based UN order saving the day. But with an impotent UN incapable of even giving Taiwan independent recognition – well that cavalry ain't leaving barracks either.
In reality, the USA was not altruistically defending Australia and NZ in the battle of the Coral Sea: they were defending their own interests, which happened to coincide with ours. Lucky for us.
The Japanese did not in fact have the troops or resources available to invade Australia (the US had far more troops in Vietnam than the Japanese used in the Pacific, and the US still lost in Vietnam) and it would not have helped them with their big battles in China and Burma. It is truly unlikely that they would have bothered – despite all the scaremongering here in NZ.
Only after the defeat of the USA and Britain would we have eventually had to submit – sheer unreality. That was never going to happen.
Taiwan has persistently claimed to be the true China, even after Nixon finally recognised the real China. Small wonder that China claims Taiwan. A big dead rat there, Scud. And before China went Communist (how naughty!) the USA recognised Tibet as the 5th province of the great nation of China. Another dead rat.
The Japanese did not in fact have the troops or resources available to invade Australia
Their immediate goal was to deny the US the ability to use Townsville and Darwin as safe bases to operate from, and to then prevent Australian troops from returning back from operations in the ME and European theatres.
After that they could have subjugated the domestic populations of both AU and NZ at their leisure. A relatively modest task in comparison to what they'd already achieved in China and the across the whole of SE Asia already.
The Japs are were highly unlikely to invade Australia not for the lack of Troops, but for the necessity of Logistics of supplying of the troops on the ground. Even now most of the key access points & main arterial routes in Nth’ern Oz are still weather dependent even during the wet season, it was something we were taught on my Sub2 for Airfield Defence Guard (Airforce Infantry) SNCO and we walk the ground up at Weipa aka RAAF bare Base Scherger. The main arterial route is a class 3 rd (a form dirt rd to Pt Douglas which is closed in the wet, having drove it when I was in the AFDS Support Flt and it was rough as guts.
The Japanese Concept of Operations Plan was to contain Australia by seizing PNG, Bismarck Sea, down the Solly’s, New Hebrides & the Coral Sea. What would’ve happened had the Japs won the Battle of the Coral is anyone’s guess?
My assumption they would’ve had a crack at New Caledonia & swing left through the Sth Pacific which was weakly held by NZ & US Forces. But we were lucky that the IJN were led by very conservative Cdrs who unlike Yamamoto wanted to be Tojo in 1904, but had they not stuck with their prewar Operations Plan of chasing the Remains of the RN Far East Fleet in the Indian Ocean. But had they use their I Boats (Subs) in the Indian Ocean & use the Combined Fleet with its 4-6 or so Fleet Carriers & Battleship SQN in the Sth Pacific as Yamamoto wanted, it as the situation was in their favour as it could’ve completely unhinged the Allied War effort in the Pacific.
The reason why the Yanks lost Vietnam, is the same reasons why the lost Iraq & Afghanistan, they can’t fight a COIN War to save themselves nor do their Politicians understand the concept on How, Why When & Where fight a COIN War.
The Battle of the Coral Sea (incl the Bombing of Darwin) is a very big thing here in Oz and it studied at all levels of Command of the ADF as it was a close run thing. Thence the renew ADF interest of its former Naval & RAAF Base in Manus Is.
If we can prevent war by using Jaw Jaw i’m all for it as I know what the alternative is & it’s hell. But we on the left must also prepare what direction we must take if Jaw Jaw fails just like when poor old Neville had to make in the late 30’s when he realised it’s unlikely he could turn Hitler. My gut feeling is we are heading towards that direction that poor old Neville faced, that we are facing with China atm. Unfortunately it’s all new ball game now in our neck of the woods with the Oz SSN’s. But relying on Plan A is just plan nuts & stupid especially if it goes to shit as Ships, Aircraft & more importantly the trained Men & Women don’t grow on trees.
Thanks for the informed details there Scud. I accept that the IJN was unlikely to invade Aus/NZ in the near term – their immediate goal was to deny the US access to safe bases in northern Australia. And they damn nearly accomplished this.
All Japan had to do in 42-43 was isolate Australia and in the event the war in Europe had gone their way it would have only been a matter of time before they could have occupied a defenseless AU/NZ with relative ease.
I must confess it's only recently that I've read up on the Solomon and PNG campaigns – and just how astonishingly brutal and close the outcomes were. Whole battles literally pivoted on the most random details that could have so easily gone the other way. We grew up thinking that the Allied victory in the Pacific was somehow a given – it was no such bloody thing.
We owed a great historical debt to the US for the thousands of their young soldiers' lives that were expended expelling the Japanese troops from the islands they occupied during WW2 to build harbours & airstrips for their naval & air fleets.
Have you visited the Marine Memorial at QE2 Park in Paekakariki, RL?
It records, among other things, the numbers of marines who drowned during a tragic beach landing craft training exercise disaster that took place in far too rough seas.
Also the time someone in the training camp there accidentally fired a mortar round into the town of "Paekak", from memory, fortunately, with no casualties.
And – as the US is mainly a nation of beef eaters – how much they looked foward to each new supply of US beef that made it to the camp, after months of having to each lamb or mutton, which they referred to as "damned mountain goat!"
Wellington in particular owes the US Army (or it might have been Marines) engineers big time for constructing our magnificent & very scenic Coastal Highway from Paekakariki to Pukerua Bay.
[Sorry Mods: Left the "a" off "Gezza". First reply gone into Moderation. Can you delete it?]
@ RL. We've owed a great historical debt to the US for the thousands of their young soldiers' lives that were expended expelling the Japanese troops from the islands they occupied during WW2 to build harbours & airstrips for their naval & air fleets.
Have you visited the Marine Memorial at QE2 Park in Paekakariki, RL?
It records, among other things, the numbers of marines who drowned during a tragic beach landing craft training exercise disaster that took place in far too rough seas.
Also the time someone in the training camp there accidentally fired a mortar round into the town of "Paekak", from memory, fortunately, with no casualties.
And – as the US is mainly a nation of beef eaters – how much they looked foward to each new supply of US beef that made it to the camp, after months of having to eat NZ lamb or mutton, which they referred to as "damned mountain goat!"
Wellington in particular owes the US Army (or it might have been Marines) engineers big time for constructing our magnificent & very scenic Coastal Highway from Paekakariki to Pukerua Bay.
It's own status as a self governing part of the one China
What 'one China'?
Some years back before we moved to Australia, I did a number of tramping trips with a very senior retired Taiwanese govt official and learned a great deal from him. Kiwis really don't know much about the place – and yet we share a great deal of cultural similarity. Moreover after the great Maoist destruction of traditional Chinese heritage on the mainland, Taiwan can be considered the surviving remnant of it, a precious fragment now threatened and vulnerable. Modern Taiwan is a thriving, capable and wonderful nation – well worth visiting and getting to understand. It's what mainland China could and should have been if it was not for the communists.
There is no question that the people of Taiwan consider themselves Chinese – and they can make a strong case for this based on their unbroken chain of upholding and protecting this heritage. But absolutely they reject the idea this means they must be consumed by the CCP.
The reason why the CCP want to crush Taiwan can be explained in one word – democracy. They brutally stamped it out internally at Tiananmen Square and betrayed formal promises in order to crush it in Hong Kong. The idea that the people should be able to hold their leaders to account is an absolute anathema to the CCP who will reach out to undermine, damage and eradicate democratic governments anywhere they can reach.
The Taiwan question will neatly cleave the western world left into two camps – those who hold to the concept of socialism within a democratically accountable framework – and those who dream of a marxist revolution and permanent power.
The real war is to ensure the security of western democracy, and otherwise due international regime respect for national sovereignty. This is not served by a NATO stick in the territorial face of historic Russia, nor by anything of the like to historic China – whether via Hong Kong or Taiwan.
We have to learn from History – which nobody generally does.
Nations have revolutions and ideologies, but each nation's cultural style of rule tends to creep back and new theories like communism or democracy get subverted – the nation reverts to its natural culture. Putin could be seen as the newest autocratic Czar: Stalin as the last one.
Despite its half-forgotten communist ideology, this Chinese Govt is growing stronger, and behaving much as all the stronger dynasties did in the past.
We preach democracy, but practise our usual imperialist hypocrisy.
Democracy is good for us, but what we foster elsewhere can be a different matter.
For all practical purposes the current governing coalition in Taipei policy is that "The position of the Pan-Green Coalition of the ROC is that Taiwan is an independent sovereign state named "Republic of China", and Taiwan is not part of "China".
And this position is supported strongly by the Taiwanese people themselves. They and everyone else in the region watched events in Hong Kong unfold with dismay and are more determined than ever not to become vassals of China's 'President for Life'.
The Taiwanese 'question' has as much to do with the Western world, as the Quebec question has to do with China.
The Western world has declared forever that Taiwan is part of China. Indeed the US recognised Taiwan as China up until 1979.
"The idea that the people should be able to hold their leaders to account is an absolute anathema to the CCP who will reach out to undermine, damage and eradicate democratic governments anywhere they can reach."
Bullshit —the CPC does not give a flying fuck how NZ or Australia governs itself. Its always the West trying to change China, not the other way round.
Everyone in the region knows that the claim 'that Taiwan is part of China' is a plausible lie intended to fool gullibles in the west.
Taiwanese call themselves part of China – just look at their passport cover. And the PRC considers Taiwan part of China. And the USA recognised the Taiwanese government as the sole government of all of China up until 1949. And all Western countries abide, or at least pay lip service to the one China policy.
.
“Since the Kuomintang (KMT) retreat from mainland China in 1949, the island of Taiwan has firmly been held by the Republic of China (ROC) who continued to hold de facto sovereignty over the island. Though the legality of the KMT takeover of Taiwan has long been under question, the ROC was able to maintain its status as representing “China” in the United Nations until 1971, when it lost its seat to the mainland People’s Republic of China (PRC). Without an ROC surrender, the PRC has sought to reduce the political legitimacy of a formally independent Taiwan, through economic and diplomatic coercion in a policy it dubbed the ‘One China Principle’.
Although both countries still view themselves as the legitimate representative of ‘China’, since the 1990s, there has been a rising movement for the formal recognition of a separate Taiwanese independence and identity. A view in Taiwan is that the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China are both sovereign, thus forming “two Chinas”, or “one China, one Taiwan”. Nevertheless, there are grounds for the notion that the PRC and the ROC/Taiwan have undergone such different paths, that it is impossible to reconcile the growing Taiwanese identity with a singular ‘China’.”
Precisely. An intelligent PRC leadership would have recognised this reality by now – instead under Xi Xingping it's doubled down on the rhetoric, intensified the jingoistic fervour and staked a great deal of his personal credibility and legitimacy on absorbing Taiwan.
However murky and contested the origins of this question – the reality is that Taiwan has been a separately governed entity since 1949 and forcing a 're-unification' against the will of the Taiwanese people has zero legitimacy.
“Oh for heavens sake, the PRC has no interest in taking over all of SE Asia and it would be militarily unrealistic.”
Well someone should tell Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia & India then. That China isn’t a threat to their respective countries? As the bulk of their Regular Armies, Airforces & in Vietnam’s case it Naval Assets are in the Nth, as it might something to do with the Middle Kingdom during the Middle Ages, including post 1949 as those countries respective both oral & written histories as they have clearly not forgotten Chinese invasions over the centuries or after 1949.
Just like the Eastern Europeans & Nordic Countries of Russia’s past intentions & the same could be said of the US since the end of WW2.
My faith in the UN, Humanity and Nations keeping their word that they will keep up their end of the negotiations died in East Timor in 99, when I was a part the Chap7 Peacekeeping Force INTERFET99- 00 and the remains of this carcass was buried, cremated & nuke during my 1-2 wk stint in Sth Sudan if not sooner in Middle East Region.
I know are a number of individuals here on The Standard who comment & write the odd post, still have faith in the UN, Humanity & that Nations keep their word during & after negotiations have gone in favour of them or against them.
Unfortunately, these individuals are going to hit Moral, Ethical, Religious ie (Quaker, Methodist & Presbyterian) Fork in the rd, Cross rd or the Crossing the Rubicon in the next 5-10yrs if Jaw Jaw fails to prevent War War aka the Two Way Range.
It is a bitter & sour pill to swallow with a very bad after taste, which is something I’m still struggling to understand or come to grips with the “Why, the Who & the How” Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow & into the Future. Some days it get the better of me of these decisions made by Politicians & that of my immediate Commanders or made by me as a Section/ Patrol Commander have made or should’ve, could’ve or shouldn’t & or shouldn’t etc, etc.
So we have had a few issues with some breaking covid rules, I am yet to read of anyone being convicted and what penalties they were imposed. So why increase the fines? This could be seen as a means to appease those in lockdown that are baying for blood, you could be forgiven in thinking that this is a right wing governments response 😱.
I think the main reason there have been few convictions is because like everything else, court cases are affected by lockdowns and are running way behind schedule. One notable anti-masker woman in Auckland who was arrested about 4 to 5 weeks ago will not face proceedings until mid to late October.
Altho I think quite a high number of people will contine to get caught breaching lockdowns. Folk are getting tired of their seclusion & taking risks.
Not a justification, by any means, but none of us has ever faced anything like these socially deprived enforced “home detentions” in our lives before. They’re necessary, but far from enjoyable.
Sarah's an excellent swimmer. I put a bread chunk down expecting a pukeko would amble along the path over my fence & find it. Once I saw her little face peek out from the foliage, I slowly pulled out my cellcam & beyond that hardly made another movement. She probably didn't realise I was there….
It looks like restrictions are coming for unvaccinated NZers. Great stuff. About time. There will need to be a special exemption for the immune compromised though.
Great another set of rules that are going to disproportionately effect Maori and Polynesians and no doubt other marginalized groups… just what NZ society needs…
Cheered on no doubt by the masses, the explosion of racism relating to the outbreak in South Auckland in facebook groups has been unreal, sickening actually…
But I guess that doesnt matter to those who've got secure accommodation, stable employment probably living in a leafy central suburbs and toasting your massive capital gains…
This is going to end badly long term there'll be massive schisms in society which I doubt we'll ever truly recover from…
What the hell has that diatribe got to do with the problem of unvaccinated people? Anyone who refuses to be vaccinated – whether they are white, black, yellow, green or brindle – should have restrictions placed on them so the rest of the community can go about their lives in relative safety. Simple as that.
And for your edification, the majority of anti-vaxxers are white so can't see what the subject of racism and poverty has to do with it except to infer I'm one of the masses ganging up on them on Facebook. I don't do Facebook precisely for the reason you have stated. As far as I can tell it is mainly a cesspit of conspiracy theorists, racists, rednecks and ignoramuses.
Also Im not talking about white anti vaxxers…. im talking about communities and demographics of people who for a bunch or reasons are already falling behind in vaccination rates. Mainly Maori and Polynesian in younger age cohorts. They already get the shitty end of the stick when it comes to education, health, justice, housing etc etc this is going to be another policy that drives that wedge deeper…
Well with Tamaki and Te Koha dripping poison in their ears for the last 8 months or so for political purposes, I can understand why there is a need to make up for the misinformation they have been receiving. The H2R people have been doing good work, and the older ones are getting jabbed at much the same rate as other demographics. It is the younger demographic that needs the catch up and there is work being done there also.
Yep the likes of the self appointed Bishop are a big problem, I can forsee a time if we go the route of a vaccine passport someone is going to have to decide if churchs are included in that. Exempt churches many will be upset, include them and that will play right into someone like Brian Tamaki's hands.
With initiatives such as the Shot Bros, and the likes of the Ngati Hine vaccination centre, I don't see Māori/Pacifica vaccinations lagging much behind Pakeha, for long.
Judith gave a reasonable interview on The Nation this morning, must have had some training. Will be interesting to see what’s in their ‘peer reviewed’ COVID Plan coming out next week. I wonder if it was Des Gorman who they used.
Must have a watch. Either tomorrow morning, or maybe later on their On Demand Three Now option.
Will tell you what I think.
Hopefully she’s listening to what see’s actually saying in this interview . Earlier this week on one tv appearance she referred to NZ’s Covid response “sittings” when she obviously meant to say settings.
Tbh she blurts out so many verbal bloopers like that I reckon either she’s really actually a bit of a doofus, or that she panics in important or difficult interviews & loses track. All the interviewer has to do is talk over her a couple of times, shoot some rapid-fire questions at her & she seems to come apart.
That’s interesting. Tova’s gone for her jugular at various other times.
Even John Campbell started off giving her a bit of a grilling earlier this week on Breakfast on One. But then backed off & let her have her say uniterrupted.
Wonder if the word’s gone out that if you keep giving her a savaging you won’t get any more interviews?
I don’t do farcebook much. Does Collins post tame interviews or soliloquies there?
That's an excellent interview with Collins. Best I've seen from her ever since her appointment as National's leader, I think.
Interesting comments she makes about the new Police Teams just announced (ARTs by another name after the Police Commissioner knows he got it wrong, by caving in to pressure from some quarters & cancelling the ARTs)
Quite a wide-ranging interview. She doesn't disgrace herself.
Tova even grills her at the end, telling her that National MPs are leaking their unhappiness with Collins to her. Collins says she's never seen them happier or more focussed on doing their jobs.
When Tova threw her some curve ball questions about her low polling, her senior office staff leaving, & recent public criticisms by her former Chief Press Officer, she remained unfazed & gave quite reasonable answers.
Newshub's published the full interview already, in the embedded video here:
One swallow doesn't make a summer. A leopard can't change its spots. Can't teach an old dog new tricks, etc, etc.
Collins is 62 years old. She's been in parliament for 20 years and was a lawyer before that. Media training at this point is clearly going against everything she has built herself upon, and is papering over the not inconsiderable cracks in her ethical and behavioural make up.
She may very well not be a spiteful and vindictive bully, but that is certainly the way she comes across to the public.
Yes, I agree. I find her erratic as well. So obviously far from being suitable PM material only the truly deluded + dedicated National supporter would give her even a snowflake's chance in hell of getting her Party back into power. Unlikely to see the year out. Must be deaf to the obvious sounds of the knives sharpening.
Only my opinion, but think she is one of those people who cravws the job a bit too much more than looking inward and seeing if they could actually handle the thing and the spotlight.
I actually think she was a pretty good senior MP, but leader material was kind of obvious from the start never going to work out very well.
Especially against Ardern.
To much clash of persona angry against a persona of nice.
What they are both actually like in real life would be interesting to see.
Notable contrast with the constant interruptions, the insertion of their own ill informed opinions and eye rolling from Tova and other media interviewers when interviewing Government MP's.
From chats to friends around, many are struggling with demotivated/depressed children. How can these children ( and adults) get some interaction between friends without meeting covertly, reminder that should level 2 remain until school returns that will be over 7 weeks ?
I cannot see Auckland being in level 2 before holidays, as should we be granted level 2 status result will be mass exodus as Aks spread around the country. Perhaps as an idea to throw out there, what about some give? Keep the boundary in tact but allow bubble mix over the holidays.
I take a walk each day for approximately one hour, and local parks are usually busy with children/teens hanging out. This morning we took our dog to Taipari Strand in Te Atatu, and there were family groups and teens out walking. Like you, I'm concerned about the mental health of our young people (in fact of everyone) at this time.
No; Cricklewood, let's not say "fuck the rules", it is possible to extend bubbles in even Delta PAL3, without resorting to such self-entitled nihilism. But then that's easy for me to say down here in Ōtepoti – where I have had kids back at school for a couple of weeks, and spent much free time out and about with scorching weather recently (not been on site a lot because beaches are not at all friendly to mobile devices what with sand and brine).
Also, kids are not just prone to depression just because of the COVID19 pandemic, the ongoing climate catastrophes (of which, SARS-CoV-2 emergence is but a single example) are quite enough for that!
A total of 15,543 people began the survey, 10,000 (68%) completed it. There was an even split in terms of gender (51% male, 49% female) and age group (49% aged 16-20; 51% aged 21-25 years)…
Many endorsed a range of negative emotions, with over 50% of respondents saying they had felt afraid, sad, anxious, angry, powerless, helpless, and/or guilty. The emotions least often reported were optimism and indifference. Respondents endorsed a range of negative thoughts, with 77% saying the future was frightening. Among those who said they talked with others about climate change (81·2% of the sample), almost half (48·4%) reported that other people had ignored or dismissed them. Results for thoughts and feelings about climate change varied significantly by country but were strikingly present in all populations…
Participants tended to rate government response negatively… Over 60% of the sample disagreed with every positive statement and agreed with every negative statement, with significant differences among countries. Across all countries, participants reported greater feelings of betrayal than of reassurance
Essentially yes. There is a good analysis of the thinking by Ministers and the Ministry of Health here. There are pros and cons – the teams are required to repay some of the cost they do take up some of the space in MIQ. Ministers have sought to move teams out of designated MIQ hotels to other spaces, but there are problems with doing that, including insufficient staff and inadequate facilities. If they were to cancel visiting teams when the country is for the most part covid free, there would be hell to pay. Not from myself, but I know my neighbours (and many like them) would be livid. What else would there be for them to live for?
Poor Lauren Boebert she had to steal from her campaign funds to pay her rent and utilities and she clearly can't afford paying anybody to proofread her stuff.
The Associated Press with Spanish-language broadcaster Univision accompanied the Ocean Warrior this summer on an 18-day voyage to observe up close for the first time the Chinese distant water fishing fleet on the high seas off South America.
The vigilante patrol was prompted by an international outcry last summer when hundreds of Chinese vessels were discovered fishing for squid near the long-isolated Galapagos Islands, a UNESCO world heritage site that inspired 19th-century naturalist Charles Darwin and is home to some of the world’s most endangered species, from giant tortoises to hammerhead sharks.
China’s deployment to this remote expanse is no accident. Decades of overfishing have pushed its overseas fleet, the world’s largest, ever farther from home. Officially capped at 3,000 vessels, the fleet might actually consist of thousands more. Keeping such a sizable flotilla at sea, sometimes for years at a time, is at once a technical feat made possible through billions in state subsidies and a source of national pride akin to what the U.S. space program was for generations of Americans.
Thanks joe. I found that very interesting & informative. Let's hope that UN International Treaty On Fishing the video refers to gets finalised & passed before too much longer
Altho if countries like China happily sign up to it, it probably won't amount to a hill of beans if their long-range fleet fishing boats continue switching off their trackers & carry on illegally fishing other countries' EEZs.
Also the increasingly muscular -& frequently even outright aggressive – posture PLAN – their navy – is adopting might end up seeing China's ever-growing number of huge, well-armed, seagoing Coast Guard ships involved in confrontations with naval assets of other countries coming to challenge Chinese fishing ships operating within their territorial waters.
Ah, The bastards are back up to their usual shenanigans again, that’s the 3rd straight yr they’ve rape & pillage around the Galapagos Is. Last yr was the worst the locals, Government Bodies & the various NGO’s, with some saying if there is another yr like this by the Chinese Fishing Fleet in 2021. They certainly believe that the Chinese Fishing Fleet would case the biodiversity around the Galapagos Is to totally collapse.
Gezza,
The Chinese Fishing Fleet were using the same tactics in NZ’s EEZ for 2-3yrs straight possibly now Nth to Nth East of the Kermadec’s out of Fiji’s EZZ & Tonga via the Minerva Reefs up to a depth of between 50- 100kms inside NZ’s EEZ Illegally & even more concerning is the reported use of the Chinese Coast Guard Ships (these Ships are the size or bigger of the current RNZN ANZAC Frigates with a Combat Mission System & Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance also known as ISR Capability to match the ANZAC’s) the necessary overwatch incase the Kiwis coming looking.
Given the NZDF lack of resources to Enforce NZ’s EEZ through the lack of funding & lack from NZG over the decades. Countries like China & to a lesser degree Sth Korea & Taiwan including a of EU Countries in the Southern Ocean . See NZ’s EEZ as a rich juicy target to be raped & pillage, and especially now since last Thursday when Australia said it’s now going to purchase a number of SSN’s. Expect to see the Chinese Fishing Fleet & it various Coast Guard/ Spy Ships aka start mapping the sea floor as the start poking down NZ’s Eastern edge of its EEZ.
As it’s easier to deploy its SSN’s & possible Bomber Subs through the backdoor of NZ and possibly shot the gap between Stewart Island and Campbell Island to patrol around the RAN Fleet Bases & off Adelaide’s ASC Dockyard than trying to head down the Tasman or through the Indonesian Archipelago.
As I’ve said already the Sth Pacific & NZ Security Environment has changed forever now since Thursday when Australia announced it will now purchase a number of SSN’s & to paraphrase the AoC 11 Group AVM Sir Keith Parks at the start of BoB “The Bastards won’t stop now until we either surrender or we knock’m out of the sky”
Btw, I’m not saying we should sunk them Willy nilly, but the NZG should now onwards Publicly Announce the Chinese Fishing Fleet when they are caught illegally in NZ’s EEZ & not through the usual back channels of quite diplomacy. Also that should go for everyone else for that matter regardless of who the are if it’s ship or a sub.
Daylight savings in my house already (though not officially till 2am tomorrow) which has me a bit off kilter, but at least kids in bed early for once. Some weird stories out of Te Anau about going fulltime into summer, which seems to be largely marketing fluff. But then, Te Waipounamu is more of a South-West Island than a South Island to Te Ika-a-Māui. Even Ōtautahi (CHCH) is further west of anything up in the Big Fish short of Cape Reinga.
Rather than perpetually staying in Daylight Saving Time, the SW Islands might be better to adopt a similar timezone UTC+11 as "New Caledonia" (that other western outcrop of the largely sunken continent of Zelandia), or the Solomons. Which would still allow a local Daylight Saving Time, which has advantages in such a temperate zone with substantial seasonal variations (though some dislike it).
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
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 ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
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 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luis Gómez Romero, Senior Lecturer in Human Rights, Constitutional Law and Legal Theory, University of Wollongong Fifty years ago, Australian feminist Anne Summers denounced “the ideology of sexism” governing over so many women’s lives. Unfortunately, sexism is as lethal today as it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jose Antonio Lara-Hernandez, Senior Researcher in Architecture, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images The COVID-19 pandemic and the hybrid work patterns it fostered have changed the way we think about office space, and central business districts in general. While fears ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dale Boccabella, Associate Professor of Taxation Law, UNSW Sydney There’s a good reason your local volunteer-run netball club doesn’t pay tax. In Australia, various nonprofit organisations are exempt from paying income tax, including those that do charitable work, such as churches. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marina Deller, Casual Academic, Creative Writing and English Literature, Flinders University NetflixComedy is opening up spaces for silences to be broken and trauma stories to be told. In 2018, Hannah Gadsby started a revolution with Nanette, asking audiences to rethink ...
The workplace can be a minefield of bad comms and passive aggression. Kinksters can help you navigate it. A friend and colleague recently gave me a compliment I loved. They told me I’d always been good at emotional communication and making people feel comfortable. “But I feel like it’s really ...
Even if some students are now just texting on their laptops. Stewart Sowman-Lund writes in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
Councils from Horowhenua, Kāpiti, Wairarapa, the Hutt Valley, Porirua and Wellington City will meet this Friday to work together on a plan for a Greater Wellington region water deal. ...
Renowned musician, advocate, and proud born and raised daughter of Tauranga, Ria Hall, is announcing her candidacy for Mayor of Tauranga and Pāpāmoa Ward for the upcoming election on July 20th. ...
The new Aotearoa histories curriculum is rich with potential. There’s still work to be done, but the education minister’s criticisms about ‘balance’ miss the mark, argues primary school teacher Jessie Moss. In 2015, Ōtorohanga College students presented to parliament a petition signed by more than 10,000 people calling for a ...
For too long our so-called national bird has maintained its stranglehold on the economy of regional New Zealand. Thanks to the fast track legislation, we will have our revenge. Theories abound on what ails New Zealand’s economy. National leader Chris Luxon has posited that we’re negative, wet, whiny, and inward-looking; ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 6 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
For the past 12 years, Georgia-Rose Brown has balanced on the brink of making an Olympic Games – but always landed gracefully on the wrong side. Reaching the Olympics is a dream the gymnast has harboured since she was a six-year-old; a dream that would dwindle every four years, yet ...
Late one afternoon in March 1860 a man in a thin green velveteen jacket and a wide-awake hat arrived on foot at a sheep station named Glenmark, about 65 kilometres north of Christchurch. The man was in his mid-fifties but he looked older. Several people who met him that day ...
If building one of Auckland’s possible waterfront stadiums was funded privately, it would need to hold a sold-out Ed Sherran concert every weekday for 25 years. That’s Rob Hamlin’s finding – he’s a senior marketing lecturer at the University of Otago. “It’s not going to happen; forget about it,” he ...
Comment: The debate over the future relationship between news and social media is bringing us closer to a long-overdue reckoning. Social media isn’t trying to kill journalism, because social media has never really cared about journalism. Social media is resolutely in the attention business. News propels some attention — perhaps ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra A new Commonwealth Prac Payment will provide students with $319.50 a week when they are on clinical and professional placements. The payment will be means tested and start from July 1 next year, which ...
Asia Pacific Report About 500 people honoured Palestinian journalists in the heart of the New Zealand city of Auckland today for their brave coverage of Israel’s War on Gaza, now in its seventh month with almost 35,000 people killed, mostly women and children. Marking the annual May 3 World Press ...
The Government Communications Security Bureau denies hosting a foreign spying capability flagged by the watchdog, differentiating it from the system recently criticised. ...
RNZ News A group of academic staff at New Zealand’s largest university have expressed concern at the administration’s move to block a protest encampment that was planned to take place on campus calling for support for the rights of Palestinians. This week, the University of Auckland warned that while it ...
Genterwocky After a hard days marching, Sir Doocey calls in at the Village Tavern For a pint of ale and a pork pie. The grim villagers stare at him. “Do not be travelling on the forest road,” warns a crusty old beak. “And why is that, antique peasant?” Grins Sir ...
Political conferences after a party returns to power are usually a chance for some healthy, even unhealthy backslapping. Yet National Party president Sylvia Wood’s address to its mainland representatives on Saturday hardly contained the unalloyed delight that one might have expected following National’s escape from the wilderness of opposition. Yes, ...
Comment: Almost half the world is voting in national elections this year and artificial intelligence is the elephant in the room. There are genuine fears AI-generated or AI-edited deepfakes will potentially manipulate election outcomes not just in the US and UK, but critically in countries such as India. For that ...
Ahead of the reality franchise’s return to New Zealand, allow us to introduce the eight brides and grooms. Chuck on a veil and tie back your man bun, because it’s time to say “I do” to a new season of Married at First Sight NZ. The reality TV “social experiment” ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Norton, Professor in the Practice of Higher Education Policy, Australian National University Every year on June 1, student debt in Australia is indexed to inflation. In 2023, high inflation pushed the indexation rate to 7.1%, the highest since 1990. This ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Changes in the May 14 budget will cut the student debt of more than three million people, wiping more than $3 billion from what people owe. The government will cap the HELP indexation rate ...
Asia Pacific Report The prosecutor’s office at the International Criminal Court (ICC) has appealed for an end to what it calls intimidation of its staff, saying such threats could constitute an offence against the “administration of justice” by the world’s permanent war crimes court. The Hague-based office of ICC Prosecutor ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk A women’s union in New Caledonia has staged a sit-in protest this week to support senior Kanak indigenous journalist Thérèse Waia, who works for public broadcaster Nouvelle-Calédonie la Première, after a smear attack by critics. The peaceful demonstration was held on ...
New Zealand Food Safety is monitoring overseas recalls of Indian packaged spice products manufactured by MDH and Everest due to concerns over a cancer-causing pesticide. ...
By Stephen Wright and Stefan Armbruster of BenarNews Fiji’s ranking in a global press freedom index has jumped into the top tier of countries with free or mostly free media after its government last year repealed a draconian law that threatened journalists with prison for doing their jobs. Fiji’s improvement ...
We might be in Invercargill but all anyone can talk about is Gore. Specifically, Salford Street. That’s where three-year-old Lachlan Jones lived, south of the centre of town, between the A&P Showgrounds and the Mataura River. Roughly 1.2 km away from the single level home he lived in with his ...
MONDAY I lined up the latest round of civil servants from city hall against the wall, and signalled for the firing squad to drop their rifles. I stepped up onto a wooden crate to look at the office workers in the eye. But that didn’t feel right, so I found ...
Keen hiker and second-year MSc student Liam Hewson wears two hats when he’s in the great outdoors. “The scientist in me appreciates nature and goes, ‘Oh, there’s that thing and there’s another thing,’ but then the tramper and the outdoorsy person in me thinks, ‘Cool bush.’” Born and bred in ...
After a long and illustrious career as a goal kicker, Dan Carter’s favourite way to unwind is… kicking goals. Why can’t he get enough of it? And what it’s like to watch him do it for an hour straight? A semicircle of people wielding cameras and phones has formed in ...
Dame Susan Devoy takes us through her life in television, including late night ER debriefs, her proudest CTI moment and the show she watches in secret. Quite aside from her four world champion squash titles, Dame Susan Devoy will likely go down in history as one of the best Celebrity ...
Hera Lindsay Bird reveals the best places in Ōtepoti to score more for your apocalypse-prep book hoard.Sometimes I get the feeling I’ve been killed in a car crash, and this second half of my life is just the brain unspooling itself, like one of those episodes of a hospital ...
ThreeNow’s new murder mystery series takes us on a dark, damp journey into the Australian wilderness.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. High Country is ThreeNow’s new Australian eight-part crime drama, set in a remote part of the Victorian highlands. It tells ...
Introducing a new way to read The Spinoff every weekend. After nearly 10 years of being an online magazine, we’re finally embracing the weekend liftout. Despite our best efforts to convince you otherwise, writers and editors at The Spinoff don’t work weekend. It is through the sheer power of technology ...
Tip one: let yourself be nurtured by this big old man. Tip two: don’t ask him to adopt you. So, you’ve arrived at your first session with a new therapist. He tells you to make yourself comfortable and you opt for the tweed armchair, hoping it makes you look like ...
I didn’t know books could open you back up; that there were books that stayed with you, where reading was like a chemical event. I knew nothing.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.Not too long ago, I was listening to the American ...
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 ...
“An Afghan man waiting to know if he could get a visa to join family in New Zealand has been killed trying to flee to Pakistan, a source says.
A member of the man’s family had helped the Defence Force in Afghanistan and has already been resettled here.
So far resettlement of people who helped the Defence Force has been limited to partners and dependent children.
But other family members were also at risk from the Taliban that has now taken over Afghanistan, Community Law Centres O Aotearoa chief executive Sue Moroney said.
…The man who died was one of a group of 70 waiting for a hearing in a Wellington court about how Immigration New Zealand has stalled processing their visas. Community Law Waikato was working with the lawyers taking the action.
…An Immigration New Zealand spokesman said it had not been made aware of the incident, but understood the difficulties faced by those in Afghanistan and empathised with their situation.
The national manager of refugee and migrant services, Andrew Lockhart, said in a statement that Immigration New Zealand was unable to comment on matters while they were before the courts.”
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/immigration/126486667/taliban-believed-to-have-killed-afghan-man-waiting-for-result-of-nz-visa-bid
………………………………………..
It’s a damn shame the wheels of the system are turning ever so slowly. Must be a nightmare for these people, with the Taliban also being present in Pakistan if any of them somehow manage to slip past the Taliban border guards in Afghanistan.
Aljazeera TV is showing this Part 2 of a documentary The Forbidden Reel this week, showing film archives of Afghanistan, just before, & during, the time of the Soviet invasion & occupation.
It's a fascinating look at how westernised the people of the towns & cities were before the Taliban eventually took over & sent whole country back to a medieval-like Islamic Emirate. (25.03 min)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9SKaYxREbr4
Next week they'll be showing Part 3: The Rise of the mujahideen.
Here is one especially for Ad, our resident New Labour lover, so thereby as is with his beloved NZ Labour Party are enemies of Left wing politics and any real structural progressive changes in our society….and of course it goes without saying are enemies of the working classes… remember folks, just because you are better than National doesn't make you good.
[This is another personal attack and your recent comments have been in the same vein and aimed at the same commenter. Saving your aggressive attacks for OM does not give you special licence to attack others especially not others who are also Authors on this site.
You obviously cannot distinguish between robust debate and attacking others for whom you have nothing but contempt.
This is your only warning because we have been here before so many times – Incognito]
Obviously you feel strongly that the NZ Labour Party are heading the country towards a model of complete non Union workers, like Walmart. I disagree as they appear to have made strides towards better worker rights and protections. It may not happen as fast as you would like but workers are definitely better off under a Labour/Greens Government than under a Act/National Government (or the other way around which ever is the greatest)
Your video above, has no relevance to NZ and your attack on another commentator by using it is just mischievous and pointless.
See my Moderation note @ 7:30 am.
This is in addition to Incognito's primary moderation.
You have been told repeatedly that comments primarily framed as a personal attacks are going to get the attention of the moderators. The odd dig here or there is going to be tolerated – especially if there's a decent argument being made – but you fail to understand the boundary. You have a clear pattern of this behaviour – making the debate aggressively personal with no provocation.
We do try to implement moderation in an incremental, proportionate fashion, warnings, advice, editing, moving to OM and then bans of increasing severity. You have used up all of these options – it's my view the next step will likely be terminal.
Team 🙂
What are comrades for?
That would be a shame. Adrian, like Rogue Trooper whom I miss hearing from, to my mind have been some of the few working class voices that sound like the aunts and uncles I grew up with out of mining and forestry communities that frequent this site.
They understand that what was normal and not even extreme left before Rogernomics is still way to the left of where the pale blue labour party is now.
Things are not getting better for the poor and Labour is not really doing much to lift things in a serious way – the lack of implementation of the WEAG recommendations to benefit rates was a severely wasted opportunity compounded by the two tier benefit system they have introduced during COVID. The difference in approach to supporting people during lock-down this time – no increase in food limits like last time left foodbanks etc overwhelmed and distraught.
All around them people are suffering – good intentions and be kind are insufficient.
Many Labour people are happy with slow incremental steps – the trouble is as always that the right lurches right everytime they get into power. You can't beat lurches with baby steps.
Agree with your summary Descendant.
NZ Labour have criminally wasted a likely once in a generation MMP majority Govt. situation due to entrenched neo liberalism long embedded in the NZ State, the “Parliamentary wing” and Caucus being able to dictate to the wider NZ Labour membership, and fifth columnist tories throughout the senior public service.
Adrian always had the opportunity to make his point without leading with a personal attack. Especially not on an author who contributes substantially to the site.
His choices, his consequences. You don't get to blame 'systemic censorship' or some such.
I hear your pain. Not all things are able to be corrected at once, and big money has huge power.
Adrian attacks the person too often in his anger. This is not helpful for the moderators.
You are correct about the lurches by the right and the left infiltrators of the 80s. This Government is trying to correct the levers and the settings, and have every intention of introducing the WEAG.
However, the pandemic has meant Health and Education needed fast support in these unusual times. We do need to keep a level of faith and trust in their good intentions. We are only half way through their second term.
We try to be tolerant of differing levels of commitment to the cause, as age experience gives a different more nuanced view of 'progress'.
Nonsense. Kids are not at school cause they are stacking shelves in the supermarket to bring some money into the family, kids can't do homework cause they have no electricity so can't read/study in the evening, kids can't study cause they can't concentrate due to living in overcrowded conditions and motels – while those who own the motels make millions off them or don't feel safe in that motel environment.
What age tells me is that those horrific stories of poverty, slum housing, children working, dependence on charity not welfare, church groups making money off the poor and so on that my grand-parents and great grand parents experienced are back – have been for some time and is getting worse.
There is no collective warm heart in charity and the government has no intention of making benefits back to the same rate as NZS as they used to be – and in my view compensating those who have suffered with the punitive rates that have existed for a long time. They freely admit that officials gave them advice not to lift benefits by another fifty dollars cause people might not go to work- and yeah they followed that advice.
At times I think they are just naive – but most times they are just not competent in addressing poverty in a timely manner. In the meantime children and adults suffer.
The gentle sentiments rather than the angry ones.
I appreciate the angle you are coming from and share your criticism of the Labour party.
I would like to continue reading yr opinions. In the spirit of the test match tonight, play the ball not the man.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/south-pacific/126487798/aukus-logic-is-morally-wrong-and-new-zealand-must-resist-it
An alternative view to the nuclear submarine issue. I especially liked this bit.
“If we want to enjoy a peaceful future, Aotearoa should do the exact opposite of what Hooton and Malpass suggest. We should forge closer relations with others that share our anti-nuclear values – and there is no shortage of such countries.
We should increase our diplomatic capacity to build relationships and to contribute to conflict prevention and peace. We should focus our international energy on solutions to climate and the urgent transitions we need on energy, food and transport. Instead of focusing our diplomatic and security efforts on the Five Eyes, we should strengthen our relationships in, for example, Asean countries, in Latin America and, of course, in our neighbouring nuclear-free Pacific Islands.”
What a breath of fresh air.
“If we want to enjoy a peaceful future, Aotearoa should do the exact opposite of what Hooton and Malpass suggest. We should forge closer relations with others that share our anti-nuclear values – and there is no shortage of such countries.
The ground has shifted from the 80's and this pretty delusion would leave NZ foolishly vulnerable. A Xi Xinping led-PRC has now become first a competitor and now an opponent of the US. It's a hairs-breadth away from becoming an enemy. Now we get to pick a side – there will be no idealistic 'sitting it out as a neutral, non-nuclear, non-aligned' pixie dust land.
NZ survives as a trading nation and our biggest customers will all be on one side or another – and certainly the US will not tolerate NZ trading with the PRC in the event of open hostilities. This ain't a pretty reality but more than a few kiwis need to grow up on this.
Nuclear weapons are never going away. We can ban them all we want, but any reasonably advanced nation can build a bunch before lunchtime if they feel the urgent need to. The weapons themselves – fearful as they are – are not the primary issue. The core problem is a world in which totalitarian regimes retain the capacity to project their rising power onto first their neighbours and then whole regions.
Arguing for banning nuclear weapons as solution to aggression – is like banning door locks as the answer to home invasion.
We should focus our international energy on solutions to climate and the urgent transitions we need on energy, food and transport.
All fine things. It’s called human development and we’ve been doing this really well for the decades since WW2. But you can be secure and rich, but not dead and rich.
If that's true, then NZ should do everything possible to prevent it from happening. We may not have significant influence, but we need to send clear diplomatic signals that this is not what NZ wants – it shouldn't be what anyone wants, imho.
Ideologically-driven hawks are pushing for a 'confrontation' between China and AUKUS, and appear keen for NZ to pick a side. Can our small, stable democracy withstand pressure from our "very, very, very good [5 eyes] friend" and its other allies? Given our divergent and successful response to the pandemic so far, maybe we can.
David 'I can smell the uranium of your breath' Lange and Helen Clark won't be everyone's cup of tea, but those left-leaning PMs spoke for me on matters of (nuclear) war – hope in the fullness of time I'll be able to say the same of Ardern.
Fingers crossed commonsense prevails over hawkish impulses, at least for now.
Yes and so unsurprising for Xi to visibly walk it back on the world stage, with the AUKUS deal sewn up last week, and the 4 Pillars meeting today. China getting the message … its "wolves" will turn into standard Labradoodles once more.
But it took the collective to push back against China to get that result.
As our own PM reminded in her US speech, we need each other.
Exactly. While everyone can agree the war is morally appalling and in an ideal world all leaders would act to prevent it as a matter of principle – for the moment at least we have to rely on more pragmatic means and make the cost of it too high.
The ‘doves’ will be cooing, but where does this calm leave our standard ‘hawks‘?
Suppose it could be the calm before the storm – ‘hawks’ can only hope, although most ‘birds’ with any sense, even ‘eagles’, prefer calm, clear skys.
It's a terrible old saw "talk softly but carry a big stick" (Popularised by Theodore Roosevelt).
Looks pretty much like the Australians said last week we're getting a big stick, and this week China at the UN goes "OK we understand".
Well and good. Now in the spirit of this new found co-operation Xi Xinping can:
Xi Xinping can say anything he damn well pleases – his actions will be what counts.
Don't think Comrade Xi regards the BRI as a neocolonialist expansion plan. Probably will just contend Western countries continue to use their multinational corporations & private companies to effectively do the same thing?
PRC won't be repudiating their claim to Taiwan. They'll most likely take it back eventually, one way or another. May not be by military means.
They've held sway in Tibet for so long they'll see no need to pull out of there.
India may yet give them another bloody nose at the border. Depends how much military might Xi wants to invest in what I assume is relatively small amount of territory. Is it resource rich in something extremely valuable?
It would also be good if the US dismantled its military bases in:
– the Marshall Islands and
– Guam,
– pulled back a couple of its bases in Japan down to say a dozen,
– scaled back in Korea down to say half a dozen bases,
– Packed up in Kyrgystan, and
– Proposed how to roll back back the trade sanctions with China.
That might take a bit of heat out of stuff.
Let "them" do it first?
All has been said on the subject a couple of millennia ago:
“Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum”
Who's off first?
I don't mind.
Xi and Biden need to do something historic, together, to show they can still really do diplomacy.
Numbers vary, depending on what is considered a military base, and whether operational etc. but scanning various figures and tote ups online, China has barely 3 on foreign soil–one a signal station in Myanmar, and the US has 800 plus in upwards of 80 countries including Air, Navy and Marines etc. possibly more if embassies containing significant numbers of armed personnel are counted.
US Imperialism remains the largest threat to world peace as it has been since becoming a nuclear power. Time for Aotearoa NZ to leave 5 Eyes (4 Eyes sounds better) and have pride in non aligned status with a fully independent foreign policy.
Isn't it though. For a moment I thought it might be 'all on' – a terrifying prospect.
It's China that you are defending here. If you want to present the PRC as morally superior to the US then my short list above would be a starting point.
I've consistently said that the US is our least bad choice and nothing I've seen changes this calculus. Up until the leadership of Xi Xinping you might have been able to make an argument for the PRC – but not now. That ship has sailed.
You call me an 'ideological hawk' and maybe I am. I am going to stand against totalitarian regimes led by authoritarian strong-men like Hitler, Imperial Japan’s Hideki Tojo, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, the Kim family and Xi Xinping every damn time. This doesn't mean my allies are necessarily nice people or anyone I'd want to defend. I just need them to be effective.
I think we ought to change the focus of our condemnation in fact. Under Hu, the bellicose actions in Hong Kong and the threat to Taiwan weren't happening. The problem is Xi, not China. Like every other "President for life" he is automatically illegitimate. We, and our allies, have no problem with China in general, just the fool who is prepared to risk significant consequences for what seems like self-aggrandizement.
That assertion suits your narrative, but it's not what I'm doing. In as much as any country can have morals, I don't believe the PRC is morally superior to the US, and it's disappointing that your worldview constrains you to such a narrow interpretation of my comments. I invite you to read my comment @3.2.1 again and pinpoint where you believe I’m "defending" China – unless you mean "defending" China from a military assault, in which case yes, imho all countries should be defended from military aggression.
I believe democracy, the only system of governance I've participated in, is (far) preferable to communism, and I'd rather countries didn't (try to) impose their systems of governance on others. When a majority of citizens in a sovereign country clearly want a democratic say in how their country is run then pro-democracy movements, for example in Myanmar and Belarus, can be supported diplomatically. External aggression is not the answer.
Would also prefer that fully democratic governance could be continued in Hong Kong (a special administrative region) and Taiwan (whose sovereignty China disputes), and believe that other democratic countries should do what they can, short of going to war, to support established democracies there.
As for "making an argument for the PRC" – the PRC is a fact of life. What worries me is the idea that the PRC, or at least the CCP, is so evil and so great a threat to the lifestyles of ‘the golden billion’ that it must be ‘hounded’ out of extistence. Acting on such hawisk impulses cannot end well, imho.
Perhaps what this boils down to is that I believe that, for all their faults and internal challenges, both the US and the PRC have the right to exist and to govern themselves as they see fit.
unless you mean "defending" China from a military assault
That's cool. Now point me to anyone serious who has suggested invading the PRC mainland this century. (Invoking ghosts from 200 years past does not count.)
Would also prefer that fully democratic governance could be continued in Hong Kong (a special administrative region) and Taiwan (whose sovereignty China disputes), and believe that other democratic countries should do what they can, short of going to war, to support established democracies there.
That's also nice, except Xi Xinping has said he will go to war in order to absorb Taiwan into his regime. And followed up his words with substantial military preparations combined with almost daily armed incursions into the edges of Taiwan's airspace.
Provocative words and actions. In return you suggest we accept the threatened destruction of a nation very similar to NZ – in fact you could describe them as having more in common with us than virtually any other Asian nation – as a 'fact of life'.
or at least the CCP, is so evil and so great a threat to the lifestyles of ‘the golden billion’ that it must be ‘hounded’ out of extistence.
Yes. In the past 100 odd years we've had to do it at least four times and it's on the cards we're going to have to do it again. I know that's a bitter pill, even more so if it means we get sucked back into the orbit of the hated Yanks again – but there it is. Life sometimes sucks.
So much so it might give the thoughtful pause to consider what our grandparents generation did in the immediate aftermath of that last great global conflagration WW2. And what we might have to do in order to improve on their bitterly earned solution.
If by “this century” you mean the last 22 years, then no-one – same goes for the US. If you mean the last 100 years then Japan springs to mind.
If you say so. I believe war-mongering is detestable – that goes for “totalitarian monster” Xi’s war-mongering, and anyone else’s. ‘Good war-monger’ is an oxymoron, imho.
Such a disappointing (but unsurprising) fabrication – we both know I've suggested no such thing. Your continuing penchant for twisting my words is noted.
Internal conflicts (Communists vs Nationalists) and WWII gave birth to modern China – god help us all if your vision of another war to end China comes to pass.
Exactly – the idea the PRC needs a massive military and the largest navy in the world by hull count in order to 'defend' itself is a complete non-sequitur. It's sole conceivable purpose is to replace the hated Americans as the regional hegemon. And that region extends from Africa in the West to AU/NZ in the south by sea – and across Central Asia to the Middle East by land.
And while invading is easy, occupying is much harder. The subjugation of the Uighur people might well be seen as a practise run toward perfecting the mass control of large populations and rendering them incapable of resisting eternal CCP control. A decade ago such a thought would have been unthinkable – now much less so. Chillingly less so.
My vision is the exact opposite of another war – preventing Xi Xinping from invading Taiwan is precisely the means to avoid one.
Great – no more war is our shared vision. The US and regional players (notably China and countries hosting US military bases, i.e. Japan and South Korea) should make every effort, short of war, to avoid war.
END OF EMPIRE – 100 days in 1945 that changed Asia and the World
http://www.endofempire.asia/0817-3-general-order-no-1-4/
Why does the USA need 10 battle groups, why do they spend more on arms than the next 10 nations combined.
Because the Yanks learned in WW2 and the Cold War that if you do not act early and decisively to contain and crush totalitarian monsters – you pay a terrible price later.
Note carefully – this does not mean you have to like the Americans, or they should be immune to scrutiny or criticism. Feel free to go on hating them as per usual. But the rest of us will also observe on where you choose to remain silent.
The two-war doctrine.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/two-theatre-war
I might add that for many years after the Communists' very naughty win in China, Taiwan kept claiming to be the real China, and wanted to take the rest of China back. To make it worse, the silly USA decided that because Communism is so BAD, it had to officially recognise that poncey Taiwan Govt as the real China!
So piddly little Taiwan got recognised by the USA as the only one and real China, while the much more real Red China (which gave USA a good kick in the pants during Korea War) got no recognition at all.
One of the few good things Nixon did was to fix this idiocy up.
Who was suggesting that Taiwan has so much in common with NZ? Does Taiwan not still claim to be the true China Govt? Have they given uo that claim? At least NZ never made such a nonsensical claim.
Comedy! But we are both little and piddley in some ways.
I've said this elsewhere – in the aftermath of 1949 both the PRC and ROC made claim to each other's territory.
The difference in 2021 is that the ROC have long abandoned their claim when they became a democracy in the 70's, while the PRC has only doubled down on theirs.
Your contempt for New Zealand is noted.
Did Taiwan really become a democracy in the 1970's?
Correction noted – the process started in the mid-80's with the first proper opposition party and could be considered fully democratic by the 90's.
Comedy, as I said. A Democracy by 1990! Wow!
I have scorn for ridiculous policies, like the USA insisting for 20 years or so that a tin-pot little island like Taiwan with the USA's favoured stooge Govt was the real Govt of the true China.
Taiwan never had any legitimate claim to China – lost by right of conquest with the approval of the vast majority of the people. Only US naval power prevented the same happening to Taiwan.
I have no contempt for NZ (your absurd idea).
I have a good deal of contempt for anti-Chinese people who admit no validity at all to China's claim to Taiwan. It is valid – but our Western policy has produced a situation where Taiwan now would be tragically affected by Chinese annexation.
The point is that this is not China's fault.
What? Are you going to stand us, "Marxists" who aren't joining in with the pointless, juvenile and ineffectual dick waving, against a wall.
Please chill, comrade.
Response: What countries has the PRC invaded. How many has the US invaded. 'Massive navy and airforce'? LOL! So Western countries can have massive navy and airforce but Chinese can't? China suffered 100 years of humiliation and foreign invasion from Japan and the West. Surely they have the right do everything to avoid a repeat?
Response:
'intimidate and bully?' LOL – John McCain bomb bomb Iran, 'Weapons of mass destruction' the actual invasion of countless countries around the globe.
It was the Indians that went into China. The Tibetan plateau is part of China. They can do what they want there.
All bullshit –in any case an internal problem. No Muslim country condemns China, but only the countries that have killed the most muslims in the past 20 years.
No country is forced into the BRI…its their sovereign choice. If you don;t do what the US says, the US rains bombs on you. The Chinese way is far superior.
LOL! Taiwan also claims to be part of China, and Taiwan also claims the entire South China Sea – on behalf of guess what entity – China.
US hypocrisy is still no excuse for China, preventing local Democracy in Hong Kong, the treatment of the Muslim minority in China, and the threats against Taiwan, which whatever the past history, is now an independent self Governing State.
Suppressing the vote/undermining the Voting Rights Act, cutting funding for Family Planning/and now preparing the way step by step for a ban fertility treatments, allowing only skilled migrant labour/exploiting non voting illegals (new black slave class) for working class jobs (no sanctions on employers) let alone the millions of Americans under Patriot Act + surveillance regimes of the CT realm.
Local democracy in Hong Kong was suppressed from 1840 to 1997.
As for having to swallow the dead rat agreement for the return of its territory – there is license in contract law to revisit unequal agreements.
American encouragement of democracy in Hong Kong backfired on locals, just as arms sales to Taiwan are now doing.
There is no suppression of 'democracy' in Hong Kong.
All China is doing is simply pushing through a national security law that was agreed with the British way before 1997.
There are no issues with the treatment of the 'muslim minority'
That is bs western propaganda. That is why not one Muslim country has come out and condemned China's actions in Xinjiang. Heck, even the Taliban and China are getting close
Sure.
"Now we get to pick a side – there will be no idealistic 'sitting it out as a neutral, non-nuclear, non-aligned' pixie dust land."
No need to pick a side. If there is a shooting war it will be in the South China Sea or Taiwan Straits. A long way away from NZ
The US will not go to war. Its all bluster. Americans are sick of foreign wars, and most Americans would not sacrifice their sons for Taiwan or the SCS.
On the other hand, the CPC considers Taiwan and the SCS its own territory so will fight like fuck to keep them.
On the other hand, the CPC considers Taiwan and the SCS its own territory so will fight like fuck to keep them.
There you have it in your own words. Despite all your denials above you are committed to war in the event Taiwan declares it's independence.
And who exactly is trying to 'take Taiwan off the PRC' – none other than of course the independent, democratic people and government of Taiwan themselves.
Self-serving circular nonsense – all a plausible lie intended to deceive gullible people in the west. You wouldn't try this line in Asia itself – you'd get laughed out of the room.
China has ALWAYS said it would fight like fuck to keep Taiwan. China has NEVER renounced the use of force. Publicly and loudly, in Asian and out of Asia.
And at one stage Taiwan said it would take over all of mainland China
Well there you have it. Not much ambiguity about that is there.
What you're also not mentioning is the full on blast of internal propaganda aimed at the mainland Chinese using the most openly bellicose language to inflame sentiments against the independence of Taiwan. You assume that because I cannot read Mandarin that I do not have contacts who do.
And at one stage Taiwan said it would take over all of mainland China
This is not the policy of the current govt in Taipei and it would be quite hilarious to think the mighty PRC feel at all threatened by this,
Not much ambiguity about that is there.
Agree. Not at all. It is a consistent policy of both the Communists, and the KMT that Taiwan is part of China.
The Taiwanese also claim all of the South China Sea – on behalf of China.
Why PRC and Taiwan agree on the South China Sea – Asia Dialogue (theasiadialogue.com)
Pretty much proves that both PRC and Taiwan agree that Taiwan is part of China.
Don’t know what scares me the most:
Australia getting SSN’s and the containment policy of China fails when it successfully invades Taiwan or the US & it’s regional Allies aka Japan, Sth Korea & Australia get such a beating they slowly pulled back to their respective countries like we did in WW2 when Japan achieved overmatched in the Pacific when it came a battle of survival between 42 & 43.
NZ RW Political Party’s with their Supporters & MFAT’s Trade at all costs Policy & dammed the consequences to NZ long term & or
NZ’s left burying its head in sand as the Sth Pacific Security Environment has changed forever on Thursday morning. Then acting like a drunk on the Roulette Table putting his/her last $50 on Red expecting that diplomacy will win on the Day & if not expecting the UN would ride over the hill like the US 7th CAV to protect the NZ as it’s the only plan in town?
While not considering planning for a worst scenario because a National Security & Economic Security Plan for NZ is all to hard & it means we the Left have to sallow a few dead rats like the right would have to do as well.
Thank you. So often it's the people who have put their lives on the line for the security of their nation who get these things right.
NZ’s left burying its head in sand as the Sth Pacific Security Environment has changed forever on Thursday morning.
In terms of an Asia-Pacific war with the PRC, immediate neighbours like Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore and Indonesia while capable, would absorb a terrible punishment from the Chinese airforce and navy. They're just too close.
There are just three countries capable of standing up to a militant China and surviving – the US, India and now Australia. By next Thursday Australia could have a tranche of the latest Block Tomahawk cruise missiles stationed near Darwin and capable of sinking Chinese merchant ships in the Straits of Malacca.
From his perspective Xi Xinping sees a western world divided, often decadent, corrupt, weakened and unwilling to defend it's interests and allies in SE Asia. Like all bullies he holds his targets in contempt and has calculated we will let him invade Taiwan without much resistance.
The goal here is deterrence and containment. Everyone in SE Asia knows that if the PRC get away with expropriating Taiwan they will be next. Everyone in the region knows that the claim 'that Taiwan is part of China' is a plausible lie intended to fool gullibles in the west.
As you've said before, CCP strategists will have closely studied Imperial Japan's defeat and will understand two things – not to repeat the Japanese mistakes and that despite these mistakes just how close they came to winning the whole of Asia Pacific anyway. The CCP will be convinced they can do better – and indeed it's very likely they would.
Then acting like a drunk on the Roulette Table putting his/her last $50 on Red expecting that diplomacy will win on the Day & if not expecting the UN would ride over the hill like the US 7th CAV to protect the NZ as it’s the only plan in town?
As the most consistently pro-UN writer here – this is depressingly true. A decade ago one might have put some faith in a rules based UN order saving the day. But with an impotent UN incapable of even giving Taiwan independent recognition – well that cavalry ain't leaving barracks either.
In reality, the USA was not altruistically defending Australia and NZ in the battle of the Coral Sea: they were defending their own interests, which happened to coincide with ours. Lucky for us.
The Japanese did not in fact have the troops or resources available to invade Australia (the US had far more troops in Vietnam than the Japanese used in the Pacific, and the US still lost in Vietnam) and it would not have helped them with their big battles in China and Burma. It is truly unlikely that they would have bothered – despite all the scaremongering here in NZ.
Only after the defeat of the USA and Britain would we have eventually had to submit – sheer unreality. That was never going to happen.
Taiwan has persistently claimed to be the true China, even after Nixon finally recognised the real China. Small wonder that China claims Taiwan. A big dead rat there, Scud. And before China went Communist (how naughty!) the USA recognised Tibet as the 5th province of the great nation of China. Another dead rat.
The Japanese did not in fact have the troops or resources available to invade Australia
Their immediate goal was to deny the US the ability to use Townsville and Darwin as safe bases to operate from, and to then prevent Australian troops from returning back from operations in the ME and European theatres.
After that they could have subjugated the domestic populations of both AU and NZ at their leisure. A relatively modest task in comparison to what they'd already achieved in China and the across the whole of SE Asia already.
Only after the defeat of USA and Britain could they have made such a major new step. As I said and Yamamoto knew – never going to happen.
The Japs are were highly unlikely to invade Australia not for the lack of Troops, but for the necessity of Logistics of supplying of the troops on the ground. Even now most of the key access points & main arterial routes in Nth’ern Oz are still weather dependent even during the wet season, it was something we were taught on my Sub2 for Airfield Defence Guard (Airforce Infantry) SNCO and we walk the ground up at Weipa aka RAAF bare Base Scherger. The main arterial route is a class 3 rd (a form dirt rd to Pt Douglas which is closed in the wet, having drove it when I was in the AFDS Support Flt and it was rough as guts.
The Japanese Concept of Operations Plan was to contain Australia by seizing PNG, Bismarck Sea, down the Solly’s, New Hebrides & the Coral Sea. What would’ve happened had the Japs won the Battle of the Coral is anyone’s guess?
My assumption they would’ve had a crack at New Caledonia & swing left through the Sth Pacific which was weakly held by NZ & US Forces. But we were lucky that the IJN were led by very conservative Cdrs who unlike Yamamoto wanted to be Tojo in 1904, but had they not stuck with their prewar Operations Plan of chasing the Remains of the RN Far East Fleet in the Indian Ocean. But had they use their I Boats (Subs) in the Indian Ocean & use the Combined Fleet with its 4-6 or so Fleet Carriers & Battleship SQN in the Sth Pacific as Yamamoto wanted, it as the situation was in their favour as it could’ve completely unhinged the Allied War effort in the Pacific.
The reason why the Yanks lost Vietnam, is the same reasons why the lost Iraq & Afghanistan, they can’t fight a COIN War to save themselves nor do their Politicians understand the concept on How, Why When & Where fight a COIN War.
The Battle of the Coral Sea (incl the Bombing of Darwin) is a very big thing here in Oz and it studied at all levels of Command of the ADF as it was a close run thing. Thence the renew ADF interest of its former Naval & RAAF Base in Manus Is.
If we can prevent war by using Jaw Jaw i’m all for it as I know what the alternative is & it’s hell. But we on the left must also prepare what direction we must take if Jaw Jaw fails just like when poor old Neville had to make in the late 30’s when he realised it’s unlikely he could turn Hitler. My gut feeling is we are heading towards that direction that poor old Neville faced, that we are facing with China atm. Unfortunately it’s all new ball game now in our neck of the woods with the Oz SSN’s. But relying on Plan A is just plan nuts & stupid especially if it goes to shit as Ships, Aircraft & more importantly the trained Men & Women don’t grow on trees.
Thanks for the informed details there Scud. I accept that the IJN was unlikely to invade Aus/NZ in the near term – their immediate goal was to deny the US access to safe bases in northern Australia. And they damn nearly accomplished this.
All Japan had to do in 42-43 was isolate Australia and in the event the war in Europe had gone their way it would have only been a matter of time before they could have occupied a defenseless AU/NZ with relative ease.
I must confess it's only recently that I've read up on the Solomon and PNG campaigns – and just how astonishingly brutal and close the outcomes were. Whole battles literally pivoted on the most random details that could have so easily gone the other way. We grew up thinking that the Allied victory in the Pacific was somehow a given – it was no such bloody thing.
We owed a great historical debt to the US for the thousands of their young soldiers' lives that were expended expelling the Japanese troops from the islands they occupied during WW2 to build harbours & airstrips for their naval & air fleets.
Have you visited the Marine Memorial at QE2 Park in Paekakariki, RL?
It records, among other things, the numbers of marines who drowned during a tragic beach landing craft training exercise disaster that took place in far too rough seas.
Also the time someone in the training camp there accidentally fired a mortar round into the town of "Paekak", from memory, fortunately, with no casualties.
And – as the US is mainly a nation of beef eaters – how much they looked foward to each new supply of US beef that made it to the camp, after months of having to each lamb or mutton, which they referred to as "damned mountain goat!"
Wellington in particular owes the US Army (or it might have been Marines) engineers big time for constructing our magnificent & very scenic Coastal Highway from Paekakariki to Pukerua Bay.
[Sorry Mods: Left the "a" off "Gezza". First reply gone into Moderation. Can you delete it?]
@ RL. We've owed a great historical debt to the US for the thousands of their young soldiers' lives that were expended expelling the Japanese troops from the islands they occupied during WW2 to build harbours & airstrips for their naval & air fleets.
Have you visited the Marine Memorial at QE2 Park in Paekakariki, RL?
It records, among other things, the numbers of marines who drowned during a tragic beach landing craft training exercise disaster that took place in far too rough seas.
Also the time someone in the training camp there accidentally fired a mortar round into the town of "Paekak", from memory, fortunately, with no casualties.
And – as the US is mainly a nation of beef eaters – how much they looked foward to each new supply of US beef that made it to the camp, after months of having to eat NZ lamb or mutton, which they referred to as "damned mountain goat!"
Wellington in particular owes the US Army (or it might have been Marines) engineers big time for constructing our magnificent & very scenic Coastal Highway from Paekakariki to Pukerua Bay.
I think you forgot Japan in there.
It's own status as a self governing part of the one China meant the UN was never going to recognise Taiwan independence.
Nixon realised winning the Cold War with Russia required a sacrifice. Yet neither Trump nor Biden has the IQ to step up in any comparable way today.
It's own status as a self governing part of the one China
What 'one China'?
Some years back before we moved to Australia, I did a number of tramping trips with a very senior retired Taiwanese govt official and learned a great deal from him. Kiwis really don't know much about the place – and yet we share a great deal of cultural similarity. Moreover after the great Maoist destruction of traditional Chinese heritage on the mainland, Taiwan can be considered the surviving remnant of it, a precious fragment now threatened and vulnerable. Modern Taiwan is a thriving, capable and wonderful nation – well worth visiting and getting to understand. It's what mainland China could and should have been if it was not for the communists.
There is no question that the people of Taiwan consider themselves Chinese – and they can make a strong case for this based on their unbroken chain of upholding and protecting this heritage. But absolutely they reject the idea this means they must be consumed by the CCP.
The reason why the CCP want to crush Taiwan can be explained in one word – democracy. They brutally stamped it out internally at Tiananmen Square and betrayed formal promises in order to crush it in Hong Kong. The idea that the people should be able to hold their leaders to account is an absolute anathema to the CCP who will reach out to undermine, damage and eradicate democratic governments anywhere they can reach.
The Taiwan question will neatly cleave the western world left into two camps – those who hold to the concept of socialism within a democratically accountable framework – and those who dream of a marxist revolution and permanent power.
The real war is to ensure the security of western democracy, and otherwise due international regime respect for national sovereignty. This is not served by a NATO stick in the territorial face of historic Russia, nor by anything of the like to historic China – whether via Hong Kong or Taiwan.
We have to learn from History – which nobody generally does.
Nations have revolutions and ideologies, but each nation's cultural style of rule tends to creep back and new theories like communism or democracy get subverted – the nation reverts to its natural culture. Putin could be seen as the newest autocratic Czar: Stalin as the last one.
Despite its half-forgotten communist ideology, this Chinese Govt is growing stronger, and behaving much as all the stronger dynasties did in the past.
We preach democracy, but practise our usual imperialist hypocrisy.
Democracy is good for us, but what we foster elsewhere can be a different matter.
Red Logix. Your comment is daft.
Taiwanese 'independence' simply means Taiwan declares they are not Chinese, not that they are not PRC Chinese. That is what mainland China is against.
The actual situation is more complex than you pretend it it.
For all practical purposes the current governing coalition in Taipei policy is that "The position of the Pan-Green Coalition of the ROC is that Taiwan is an independent sovereign state named "Republic of China", and Taiwan is not part of "China".
And this position is supported strongly by the Taiwanese people themselves. They and everyone else in the region watched events in Hong Kong unfold with dismay and are more determined than ever not to become vassals of China's 'President for Life'.
The Taiwanese 'question' has as much to do with the Western world, as the Quebec question has to do with China.
The Western world has declared forever that Taiwan is part of China. Indeed the US recognised Taiwan as China up until 1979.
"The idea that the people should be able to hold their leaders to account is an absolute anathema to the CCP who will reach out to undermine, damage and eradicate democratic governments anywhere they can reach."
Bullshit —the CPC does not give a flying fuck how NZ or Australia governs itself. Its always the West trying to change China, not the other way round.
Everyone in the region knows that the claim 'that Taiwan is part of China' is a plausible lie intended to fool gullibles in the west.
Taiwanese call themselves part of China – just look at their passport cover. And the PRC considers Taiwan part of China. And the USA recognised the Taiwanese government as the sole government of all of China up until 1949. And all Western countries abide, or at least pay lip service to the one China policy.
.
“Since the Kuomintang (KMT) retreat from mainland China in 1949, the island of Taiwan has firmly been held by the Republic of China (ROC) who continued to hold de facto sovereignty over the island. Though the legality of the KMT takeover of Taiwan has long been under question, the ROC was able to maintain its status as representing “China” in the United Nations until 1971, when it lost its seat to the mainland People’s Republic of China (PRC). Without an ROC surrender, the PRC has sought to reduce the political legitimacy of a formally independent Taiwan, through economic and diplomatic coercion in a policy it dubbed the ‘One China Principle’.
Although both countries still view themselves as the legitimate representative of ‘China’, since the 1990s, there has been a rising movement for the formal recognition of a separate Taiwanese independence and identity. A view in Taiwan is that the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China are both sovereign, thus forming “two Chinas”, or “one China, one Taiwan”. Nevertheless, there are grounds for the notion that the PRC and the ROC/Taiwan have undergone such different paths, that it is impossible to reconcile the growing Taiwanese identity with a singular ‘China’.”
https://globalriskinsights.com/2021/06/the-difficult-case-of-taiwans-sovereignty/
Precisely. An intelligent PRC leadership would have recognised this reality by now – instead under Xi Xingping it's doubled down on the rhetoric, intensified the jingoistic fervour and staked a great deal of his personal credibility and legitimacy on absorbing Taiwan.
However murky and contested the origins of this question – the reality is that Taiwan has been a separately governed entity since 1949 and forcing a 're-unification' against the will of the Taiwanese people has zero legitimacy.
The goal here is deterrence and containment. Everyone in SE Asia knows that if the PRC get away with expropriating Taiwan they will be next.
Oh for heavens sake, the PRC has no interest in taking over all of SE Asia and it would be militarily unrealistic.
They are utterly committed to Taiwan remaining part of the Chinese nation (not necessarily the PRC – yet), and that is a policy from way way way back.
No big deal or surprises here. Afterall Taiwan wanted to take back the Chinese mainland originally.
If you think the average New Zealander gives a flying fuck about dying to defend Taiwanese, you are deranged
“Oh for heavens sake, the PRC has no interest in taking over all of SE Asia and it would be militarily unrealistic.”
Well someone should tell Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia & India then. That China isn’t a threat to their respective countries? As the bulk of their Regular Armies, Airforces & in Vietnam’s case it Naval Assets are in the Nth, as it might something to do with the Middle Kingdom during the Middle Ages, including post 1949 as those countries respective both oral & written histories as they have clearly not forgotten Chinese invasions over the centuries or after 1949.
Just like the Eastern Europeans & Nordic Countries of Russia’s past intentions & the same could be said of the US since the end of WW2.
[fixed minor typo in e-mail address]
My faith in the UN, Humanity and Nations keeping their word that they will keep up their end of the negotiations died in East Timor in 99, when I was a part the Chap7 Peacekeeping Force INTERFET99- 00 and the remains of this carcass was buried, cremated & nuke during my 1-2 wk stint in Sth Sudan if not sooner in Middle East Region.
I know are a number of individuals here on The Standard who comment & write the odd post, still have faith in the UN, Humanity & that Nations keep their word during & after negotiations have gone in favour of them or against them.
Unfortunately, these individuals are going to hit Moral, Ethical, Religious ie (Quaker, Methodist & Presbyterian) Fork in the rd, Cross rd or the Crossing the Rubicon in the next 5-10yrs if Jaw Jaw fails to prevent War War aka the Two Way Range.
It is a bitter & sour pill to swallow with a very bad after taste, which is something I’m still struggling to understand or come to grips with the “Why, the Who & the How” Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow & into the Future. Some days it get the better of me of these decisions made by Politicians & that of my immediate Commanders or made by me as a Section/ Patrol Commander have made or should’ve, could’ve or shouldn’t & or shouldn’t etc, etc.
So we have had a few issues with some breaking covid rules, I am yet to read of anyone being convicted and what penalties they were imposed. So why increase the fines? This could be seen as a means to appease those in lockdown that are baying for blood, you could be forgiven in thinking that this is a right wing governments response 😱.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2021/09/government-significantly-increases-fines-for-breaking-covid-19-rules.html
Herodotus, More concern at the anti vax group joining any protest group here, as they have in Australia imo.
I think the main reason there have been few convictions is because like everything else, court cases are affected by lockdowns and are running way behind schedule. One notable anti-masker woman in Auckland who was arrested about 4 to 5 weeks ago will not face proceedings until mid to late October.
Easy enough to work that one out.
Good point Anne. 👍🏼
Altho I think quite a high number of people will contine to get caught breaching lockdowns. Folk are getting tired of their seclusion & taking risks.
Not a justification, by any means, but none of us has ever faced anything like these socially deprived enforced “home detentions” in our lives before. They’re necessary, but far from enjoyable.
I think it is the other way. People have got tired of people breaching and are now dobbing them in. People were always breaching.
Saw it during first lockdown – middle of night traffic, daytime helicopters.
Everybody should have a stream, I reckon.
Sarah's an excellent swimmer. I put a bread chunk down expecting a pukeko would amble along the path over my fence & find it. Once I saw her little face peek out from the foliage, I slowly pulled out my cellcam & beyond that hardly made another movement. She probably didn't realise I was there….
It looks like restrictions are coming for unvaccinated NZers. Great stuff. About time. There will need to be a special exemption for the immune compromised though.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/the-90-project-pm-jacinda-ardern-on-a-no-jab-no-entry-scheme-and-childrens-vaccinations/GYRJDOOQOOH2EMSO7QQEGBUKDQ/
Surely they need to be in permanent lockdown and excluded from society ….
For the greater good?
If enough get vaccinated we have space to allow those that cannot.
Whether we have the space for those that won't while still protecting those that cannot, remains in question.
It actually looks promising in NZ, as it appears the certainly won't are in single figures, unlike the USA where in some States it is as high as 50%>
Great another set of rules that are going to disproportionately effect Maori and Polynesians and no doubt other marginalized groups… just what NZ society needs…
Cheered on no doubt by the masses, the explosion of racism relating to the outbreak in South Auckland in facebook groups has been unreal, sickening actually…
But I guess that doesnt matter to those who've got secure accommodation, stable employment probably living in a leafy central suburbs and toasting your massive capital gains…
This is going to end badly long term there'll be massive schisms in society which I doubt we'll ever truly recover from…
What the hell has that diatribe got to do with the problem of unvaccinated people? Anyone who refuses to be vaccinated – whether they are white, black, yellow, green or brindle – should have restrictions placed on them so the rest of the community can go about their lives in relative safety. Simple as that.
And for your edification, the majority of anti-vaxxers are white so can't see what the subject of racism and poverty has to do with it except to infer I'm one of the masses ganging up on them on Facebook. I don't do Facebook precisely for the reason you have stated. As far as I can tell it is mainly a cesspit of conspiracy theorists, racists, rednecks and ignoramuses.
To clarify im not infering anything about you.
Also Im not talking about white anti vaxxers…. im talking about communities and demographics of people who for a bunch or reasons are already falling behind in vaccination rates. Mainly Maori and Polynesian in younger age cohorts. They already get the shitty end of the stick when it comes to education, health, justice, housing etc etc this is going to be another policy that drives that wedge deeper…
Well with Tamaki and Te Koha dripping poison in their ears for the last 8 months or so for political purposes, I can understand why there is a need to make up for the misinformation they have been receiving. The H2R people have been doing good work, and the older ones are getting jabbed at much the same rate as other demographics. It is the younger demographic that needs the catch up and there is work being done there also.
Yep the likes of the self appointed Bishop are a big problem, I can forsee a time if we go the route of a vaccine passport someone is going to have to decide if churchs are included in that. Exempt churches many will be upset, include them and that will play right into someone like Brian Tamaki's hands.
I just dont think it works out in the long run.
Good ole Dr Seuss lays it out for us.
Nice one gsays very apt for the times
Giving a person a small amount of power – of any kind – and it's always instructive to see what they do with it.
With initiatives such as the Shot Bros, and the likes of the Ngati Hine vaccination centre, I don't see Māori/Pacifica vaccinations lagging much behind Pakeha, for long.
Judith gave a reasonable interview on The Nation this morning, must have had some training. Will be interesting to see what’s in their ‘peer reviewed’ COVID Plan coming out next week. I wonder if it was Des Gorman who they used.
Must have a watch. Either tomorrow morning, or maybe later on their On Demand Three Now option.
Will tell you what I think.
Hopefully she’s listening to what see’s actually saying in this interview . Earlier this week on one tv appearance she referred to NZ’s Covid response “sittings” when she obviously meant to say settings.
Tbh she blurts out so many verbal bloopers like that I reckon either she’s really actually a bit of a doofus, or that she panics in important or difficult interviews & loses track. All the interviewer has to do is talk over her a couple of times, shoot some rapid-fire questions at her & she seems to come apart.
A very gentle interview from Tova. Marginal pushing about internal politics. The rest could have been a puff piece.
Maybe 3 didn’t want to potentially alienate a senior politician, so went easy.
Judith came across as a reasonable human being. Although she does have a habit of smiling at the wrong time.
That’s interesting. Tova’s gone for her jugular at various other times.
Even John Campbell started off giving her a bit of a grilling earlier this week on Breakfast on One. But then backed off & let her have her say uniterrupted.
Wonder if the word’s gone out that if you keep giving her a savaging you won’t get any more interviews?
I don’t do farcebook much. Does Collins post tame interviews or soliloquies there?
That's an excellent interview with Collins. Best I've seen from her ever since her appointment as National's leader, I think.
Interesting comments she makes about the new Police Teams just announced (ARTs by another name after the Police Commissioner knows he got it wrong, by caving in to pressure from some quarters & cancelling the ARTs)
Quite a wide-ranging interview. She doesn't disgrace herself.
Tova even grills her at the end, telling her that National MPs are leaking their unhappiness with Collins to her. Collins says she's never seen them happier or more focussed on doing their jobs.
When Tova threw her some curve ball questions about her low polling, her senior office staff leaving, & recent public criticisms by her former Chief Press Officer, she remained unfazed & gave quite reasonable answers.
Newshub's published the full interview already, in the embedded video here:
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2021/09/could-have-been-prevented-collins-says-nz-too-slow-to-extract-afghan-allies-after-man-beaten-to-death-by-taliban.html
It won't last.
One swallow doesn't make a summer. A leopard can't change its spots. Can't teach an old dog new tricks, etc, etc.
Collins is 62 years old. She's been in parliament for 20 years and was a lawyer before that. Media training at this point is clearly going against everything she has built herself upon, and is papering over the not inconsiderable cracks in her ethical and behavioural make up.
She may very well not be a spiteful and vindictive bully, but that is certainly the way she comes across to the public.
Yes, I agree. I find her erratic as well. So obviously far from being suitable PM material only the truly deluded + dedicated National supporter would give her even a snowflake's chance in hell of getting her Party back into power. Unlikely to see the year out. Must be deaf to the obvious sounds of the knives sharpening.
Only my opinion, but think she is one of those people who cravws the job a bit too much more than looking inward and seeing if they could actually handle the thing and the spotlight.
I actually think she was a pretty good senior MP, but leader material was kind of obvious from the start never going to work out very well.
Especially against Ardern.
To much clash of persona angry against a persona of nice.
What they are both actually like in real life would be interesting to see.
Notable contrast with the constant interruptions, the insertion of their own ill informed opinions and eye rolling from Tova and other media interviewers when interviewing Government MP's.
From chats to friends around, many are struggling with demotivated/depressed children. How can these children ( and adults) get some interaction between friends without meeting covertly, reminder that should level 2 remain until school returns that will be over 7 weeks ?
I cannot see Auckland being in level 2 before holidays, as should we be granted level 2 status result will be mass exodus as Aks spread around the country. Perhaps as an idea to throw out there, what about some give? Keep the boundary in tact but allow bubble mix over the holidays.
I take a walk each day for approximately one hour, and local parks are usually busy with children/teens hanging out. This morning we took our dog to Taipari Strand in Te Atatu, and there were family groups and teens out walking. Like you, I'm concerned about the mental health of our young people (in fact of everyone) at this time.
Imo if your children are struggling with the isolation fuck the rules if you are able to extend the bubble so there's some social contact.
No; Cricklewood, let's not say "fuck the rules", it is possible to extend bubbles in even Delta PAL3, without resorting to such self-entitled nihilism. But then that's easy for me to say down here in Ōtepoti – where I have had kids back at school for a couple of weeks, and spent much free time out and about with scorching weather recently (not been on site a lot because beaches are not at all friendly to mobile devices what with sand and brine).
Also, kids are not just prone to depression just because of the COVID19 pandemic, the ongoing climate catastrophes (of which, SARS-CoV-2 emergence is but a single example) are quite enough for that!
https://poseidon01.ssrn.com/delivery.php?ID=881031104121114079066098019026125088005017063054033022103011063061126010027090018009077044118083080033031047116097064069074090044023007113118003001009087080090062065048062012030095122071117015009000011026069002037117029007106127110126103082031086093096022011115068004084127100031077097116091&EXT=pdf&INDEX=TRUE
My grandkids loved lockdown. All those adults at home playing with them.
Is this true?
https://twitter.com/hinemoana/status/1441311742714286082?s=21
Essentially yes. There is a good analysis of the thinking by Ministers and the Ministry of Health here. There are pros and cons – the teams are required to repay some of the cost they do take up some of the space in MIQ. Ministers have sought to move teams out of designated MIQ hotels to other spaces, but there are problems with doing that, including insufficient staff and inadequate facilities. If they were to cancel visiting teams when the country is for the most part covid free, there would be hell to pay. Not from myself, but I know my neighbours (and many like them) would be livid. What else would there be for them to live for?
thems the rules.
https://sportnz.org.nz/covid-19-response/advice-guidance-and-resources/international-travel-exemption-form/
The best people.
https://news.yahoo.com/imeach-biden-lauren-boebert-mocked-215222954.html
Poor Lauren Boebert she had to steal from her campaign funds to pay her rent and utilities and she clearly can't afford paying anybody to proofread her stuff.
Strip mining the high seas.
The Associated Press with Spanish-language broadcaster Univision accompanied the Ocean Warrior this summer on an 18-day voyage to observe up close for the first time the Chinese distant water fishing fleet on the high seas off South America.
The vigilante patrol was prompted by an international outcry last summer when hundreds of Chinese vessels were discovered fishing for squid near the long-isolated Galapagos Islands, a UNESCO world heritage site that inspired 19th-century naturalist Charles Darwin and is home to some of the world’s most endangered species, from giant tortoises to hammerhead sharks.
China’s deployment to this remote expanse is no accident. Decades of overfishing have pushed its overseas fleet, the world’s largest, ever farther from home. Officially capped at 3,000 vessels, the fleet might actually consist of thousands more. Keeping such a sizable flotilla at sea, sometimes for years at a time, is at once a technical feat made possible through billions in state subsidies and a source of national pride akin to what the U.S. space program was for generations of Americans.
https://apnews.com/article/china-oceans-overfishing-squid-294ff1e489589b2510cc806ec898c78f
Thanks joe. I found that very interesting & informative. Let's hope that UN International Treaty On Fishing the video refers to gets finalised & passed before too much longer
Altho if countries like China happily sign up to it, it probably won't amount to a hill of beans if their long-range fleet fishing boats continue switching off their trackers & carry on illegally fishing other countries' EEZs.
Also the increasingly muscular -& frequently even outright aggressive – posture PLAN – their navy – is adopting might end up seeing China's ever-growing number of huge, well-armed, seagoing Coast Guard ships involved in confrontations with naval assets of other countries coming to challenge Chinese fishing ships operating within their territorial waters.
Ah, The bastards are back up to their usual shenanigans again, that’s the 3rd straight yr they’ve rape & pillage around the Galapagos Is. Last yr was the worst the locals, Government Bodies & the various NGO’s, with some saying if there is another yr like this by the Chinese Fishing Fleet in 2021. They certainly believe that the Chinese Fishing Fleet would case the biodiversity around the Galapagos Is to totally collapse.
Gezza,
The Chinese Fishing Fleet were using the same tactics in NZ’s EEZ for 2-3yrs straight possibly now Nth to Nth East of the Kermadec’s out of Fiji’s EZZ & Tonga via the Minerva Reefs up to a depth of between 50- 100kms inside NZ’s EEZ Illegally & even more concerning is the reported use of the Chinese Coast Guard Ships (these Ships are the size or bigger of the current RNZN ANZAC Frigates with a Combat Mission System & Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance also known as ISR Capability to match the ANZAC’s) the necessary overwatch incase the Kiwis coming looking.
Given the NZDF lack of resources to Enforce NZ’s EEZ through the lack of funding & lack from NZG over the decades. Countries like China & to a lesser degree Sth Korea & Taiwan including a of EU Countries in the Southern Ocean . See NZ’s EEZ as a rich juicy target to be raped & pillage, and especially now since last Thursday when Australia said it’s now going to purchase a number of SSN’s. Expect to see the Chinese Fishing Fleet & it various Coast Guard/ Spy Ships aka start mapping the sea floor as the start poking down NZ’s Eastern edge of its EEZ.
As it’s easier to deploy its SSN’s & possible Bomber Subs through the backdoor of NZ and possibly shot the gap between Stewart Island and Campbell Island to patrol around the RAN Fleet Bases & off Adelaide’s ASC Dockyard than trying to head down the Tasman or through the Indonesian Archipelago.
As I’ve said already the Sth Pacific & NZ Security Environment has changed forever now since Thursday when Australia announced it will now purchase a number of SSN’s & to paraphrase the AoC 11 Group AVM Sir Keith Parks at the start of BoB “The Bastards won’t stop now until we either surrender or we knock’m out of the sky”
Btw, I’m not saying we should sunk them Willy nilly, but the NZG should now onwards Publicly Announce the Chinese Fishing Fleet when they are caught illegally in NZ’s EEZ & not through the usual back channels of quite diplomacy. Also that should go for everyone else for that matter regardless of who the are if it’s ship or a sub.
Heroine of the Federation rewarded.
https://twitter.com/JuliaDavisNews/status/1441444734095052802
Daylight savings in my house already (though not officially till 2am tomorrow) which has me a bit off kilter, but at least kids in bed early for once. Some weird stories out of Te Anau about going fulltime into summer, which seems to be largely marketing fluff. But then, Te Waipounamu is more of a South-West Island than a South Island to Te Ika-a-Māui. Even Ōtautahi (CHCH) is further west of anything up in the Big Fish short of Cape Reinga.
Rather than perpetually staying in Daylight Saving Time, the SW Islands might be better to adopt a similar timezone UTC+11 as "New Caledonia" (that other western outcrop of the largely sunken continent of Zelandia), or the Solomons. Which would still allow a local Daylight Saving Time, which has advantages in such a temperate zone with substantial seasonal variations (though some dislike it).
Time is an illusion. Luchtime doubly so.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/452292/push-for-permanent-daylight-savings-in-southland
https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/southland/te-anau-time-tricksters-hope-stunt-will-attract-tourists
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/World_Time_Zones_Map.png