I usually put a marginal sign alongside significant usable points in any book, with a pencil: < . The sign is an arrowhead pointer, and an excellent book ends up featuring oodles of such pointers. This editorial method gives you key points for writing a summary of what the book's primary messages are, which may or may not also motivate an essay blending these with your own thoughts.
This morning I'd like to share one such initial point of his:
"Robert Frost saw civilisation as a small clearing in a great forest. We have hewn our space at no small cost, and the dark out there seems ever ready to close in again – a collapse into chaos should our ideation fail. In my book I shall consider Frost's clearing to be the disciplines of mind, reality-adjusted thinking, reason, logic, civilisation, society, culture. I shall consider the dark forest to be the primal stuff, the unconscious, the unknown potential—perhaps just an "empty category."
Collective ideation collapse seems a suitable description of our random walk into the 21st century that has since ensued, powered by fossil fuels, orchestrated by neolibs of the left/right. Within the banality of this whole you can always find diverse interesting clever stuff happening, fortunately. Frost's small clearing is too long ago – population explosion since has driven the spread of cities until the forest shrinkage became a global crisis, yet as metaphor the dark in the collective mind looms still.
The cosmic egg is nowadays represented by niche in evolutionary theory, and the crack is the path to the future out of that which featured as quest in legend, so its a nifty binary image in the signal becoming a triad when enacted by stepping onto that path & heading for the realm of possibility in the beyond. Doing so collectively is how humans make progress, so while neolib sheeple circle mindlessly in the middle of the paddock, those averse to terminal boredom gradually converge in synch heading for the open gate…
Nobody in their right mind would expect a lawyer to be capable of regenerating a neocolonial water distribution! All lawyers ever do is administer conformity to laws.
From about 1950 until the 70s, Wellington built most of its pipes with asbestos cement. It’s not dangerous to public health, but it turns out asbestos cement is a crappy material that only lasts half as long as ceramic pipes. So now they’re all breaking.
They put a Labour dude in charge of the thing! A perpetual recipe for evasion of the problem. All the guy needs to do to retain tenure is tell everyone the problem's underground, so out of sight out of mind is the way to retain normalcy.
He certainly used to be a Labour man. He was a Porirua Councillor and then Mayor from 1998 until 2016. During that time he was a member of the Labour Party. He then ran for Mayor of Wellington City but, because Labour had picked an official candidate in the form of Justin Lester he had to resign from the Labour Party or be expelled.
Unfortunately Lester won and proved to be a terrible Mayor for his only term before he in turn got dumped.
Still, our current and at least in my opinion even worse Mayor in Wellington has a solution to our problems.
Trumpet flourish for her solution "Water Meters". In Tory's own words "Water meters will help us take a smarter approach to identifying leaks and reduce waste".
I can suggest an even simpler solution, and one that they can start doing immediately. Start fixing the ones people report. There is one in my street that has been wasting water for at least 3 months. The water comes out in the middle of the road, runs down the hill and then follows the gutter for a few hundred meters before going down a drain. Not a terribly big flow but assuming 10 litres/minute it will have wasted about 1.3 million litres in the last 90 days.
Twice we have been advised it would be fixed during the "next week". On neither occasion did anything happen.
And yes I did report it on several occasions but nothing happens.
Quote from Tory are from the printed Post of 27/01/2024. I don't have access to the on-line paper.
I had already included a link, where I got the quote from Legget's wiki page, which pointed out he switched to the National Party, so I don't know why you have linked to it again.
" In August 2016, Labour Leader Andrew Little accused Leggett of being a "right-winger", alleging that his campaign manager for the Wellington Mayoral election was a well-known Act Party figure."
"Leggett then changed allegiance to the National Party later that year citing ideological differences with Labour's leadership"
The National Party was obviously a better fit for Legget.
If memory serves, Tory Whanau was supportive of Labour's Three Waters reforms that would have addressed long-standing water infrastructure issues that existed long before she had become mayor.
National binned the reforms without a replacement solution, so maybe your anger should be directed to Luxon's National led government.
Experience has told me that there is a tendency on the part of one of the moderators to insist on a link to anything I say as a fact. I quoted additional material from the Wiki entry on Leggett so, discretion being the better part of valour, I included a link to the source.
In a comment today, on a different post, I included a comment on something that John McEnroe said. "You cannot be serious". I even included a link to that spectacular rant of his, in case I was said to be inventing it.
I have no idea on whether Tory was, or was not, in favour of the 3 waters scheme. I thought it was a terrible idea though, if anyone is interested. It appeared to allow an unelected group to borrow large amounts of money which would become the responsibility of the ratepayers of the area if they could make no provision for paying of the loans.
Eight years a Nat. Calling him a 'Labour dude' is like calling Shane Jones a Labour dude. There is a reason why we have the term 'former'; and also the term 'waka-jumper'.
National and Act’s coalition agreement says the Government will amend the Overseas Investment Act 2005 to restrict ministerial decision-making to national security concerns only and make these decisions “much more timely”.
National and Act’s coalition agreement says the Government will amend the Overseas Investment Act 2005 to restrict ministerial decision-making to national security concerns only and make these decisions “much more timely”.
It would appear that NZF has compromised its long held position to enable this, something either TPM or United blocked under the Key led government (or was further than Key would go).
It means investment not in our national interest will go ahead – all so someone who owns something can get a higher price selling to a foreigner (attracted by our lack of CGT).
“Not only does the dispatch of the NZDF team to the Red Sea strengthen the impression of a diplomatic U-turn in Wellington, it also points to a selective concern about maintaining international law.
By agreeing to send an NZDF team to the Red Sea without demanding the US end its opposition to a ceasefire in Gaza, the New Zealand government seems to have retreated from an independent foreign policy based on principles and values.”
And this is only the start of the unwinding of NZ's “principles and values”. The future looks bleaker by the day.
The US and probably Luxon are desperate to unlink Gaza and Yemen but this will be increasingly difficult especially with the ICJ ruling and the consequence that all nations are obliged to now intervene to ensure Palestinians are protected.
The US, Canada, Australia and Italy have now ceased funding UNRWA simply on allegations by Israel of involvement of 12 workers in Oct 7 without waiting for the investigation findings. Even if all 12 were complicit, this would be 0.0004% of a staff of over 30 000. This will have huge ramifications for aid to Gaza. Are we about to follow?
"The US and probably Luxon are desperate to unlink Gaza and Yemen… "
Bald lies since the Houthis are on record as saying they will continue the attacks until the Israelis stop their attacks on Gaza. Luxon is also on record as repeating the mantra that there is "no link between the Red Sea attacks and the Gaza attacks". Unbelievable!
I also note Luxon's latest buzz word is "values". He has been flinging it around a lot lately:
"my government believes in upholding our values etc. etc…"
when in fact they are dismantling them one by one.
"…no link between the Red Sea attacks and the Gaza attacks"
Obviously there is a link but it isn't what some people seem to believe (the Houthis support for the Palestinians), because they couldn't care less about them. The link between the two is Iran, who have been arming, training and supporting their fellow Shia groups the Houthis, Hezbollah and Hamas for years. There aim is to destabilize the middle east, with the ultimate goal being to destroy Israel.
It's fine for the US to give billions to Israel to buy arms to carry out genocide in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, but when a small number of employees in a vast humanitarian aid organisation are accused of something the US doesn't like, funding for humanitarian aid is immediately shut off.
No wonder young people are not going to vote for Biden.
Defence of shipping is in accord with international law.
A nation has a right in international law to take military action in response to an attack.
Patman seems confused by the complexity of some diplomatic circumstances.
The real issue of the moment is the ICJ wants some focus from Israel on the well being of civilians. Yet USA and now the UK have cut off funding to UNRWA, whose work Israel has been impeding – lack of safe areas for operating and lack of supplies getting through.
New Zealand should say its funding will continue because the world should be helping here, not making things worse because of politics.
The Israeli appointee supported 2 interim decisions – end to incitement and improved well-being for the civilians, so the least that Israel and those who support its right to self-defence can do, is not play politics and get more aid in.
Shipping that is in the service of the Israeli genocide is no longer legal. Nations are on notice that any support of the destruction of the Palestinian people will bring consequences. The UNSC resolution supporting free passage in the Red Sea has now been superseded by the ICJ ruling. The ICJ is in effect the supreme court of the UN. To have the UNSC resolution and the ICJ ruling effective at the same time would be ludicrous.
A further consequence of the ICJ ruling is that the naval blockade of Gaza is now illegal. There are only two options that would allow the proper fulfillment of the protection orders given the infrastructure damages in Gaza. Either a complete ceasefire by Israel or a massive maritime aid convoy.
Israel has destroyed almost all hospitals. 85% of the Gazan population is internally displaced and at best, living in tents. It is winter. There is little to no access to food and no sanitation. Famine and disease are already taking hold. These kinds of deaths will now be tallied up in the list of genocidal behaviour. Famine and disease are not legitimate weapons of war. Neither is freezing to death. To prevent these kinds of deaths is exactly what the ICJ judgement is about and at this stage, it will take a massive humantarian effort. A naval blockade of Gaza makes this impossible. Continuing the destruction of Gaza makes this impossible. Israel is so far down the rabbit hole of destruction that these are the only options by which they can comply with the conditions that have been set
(of a stimulus or mental process) below the threshold of sensation or consciousness; perceived by or affecting someone's mind without their being aware of it."
Act’s strategy seems to be to offer fake Treaty principles to the public, generate a few hundred thousand supportive online select-committee submissions, hold six months of heated hearings, hope for civil unrest, produce polls showing a majority wishes the Treaty had been written by Mill, and then accuse National of siding with Māori radicals against “mainstream New Zealanders”
No. I didn't watch the video. Listening to 45 minutes of him was too much to ask.
A small taster:
ACT Party Leader David Seymour reiterated his stance and plans for “real change” from the new Government in his “state of the nation” address at Auckland’s Westhaven on Sunday morning…
He outlined that New Zealand had become a “more divided” nation, and had experienced “lost decades” under previous Governments. “The good news is we have a Government prepared to accept reality and solve problems, with policies based on the right values,” he said.
That word "values" again. We've got three years of values, values and more values.
What values I hear you ask? We'll never know.
One rule for all (no Treaty, no UNDRIP), one income tax rate for all (no CGT, no wealth tax, no estate tax, no land tax, no stamp duty), one voucher to access (X Y and Z) providers. Only one party can provide liberty from other – those of ethnic or racial difference, those of lower income, those with less wealth.
Majority values, just do not expect any morality. Epsom values, our school zone.
Finish with a truth, lock out the underclass (when they cannot afford the rent).
What a Charade this "Values" laden government is!! What they say, and what they do are two different planets. Unity and Values Tui Tui .. Forked tongues!!!
Typical Randian nonsense from Seymour. The pinnacle of human achievement shall be the extraction and abuse of resources, environmental and human, for profit.
What the court ordered of Israel, where the judges came down, and what’s next for South Africa’s case alleging Israel’s violation of the Genocide Convention in Gaza
The Ugandan justice’s opine that this is a matter for diplomacy and not the court explains her voting.
Benjamin Nethanyahu's reaction, is similar to that after Oct 7, which led to statements by Gallant and Herzog that the court found incitement to genocide. Reaction, rather that a considered response. The sort of thing one would expect of the Religious Zionists group (fascists) created by Netanyahu to pose Likud as of a new centre.
The singular practice of a response by overwhelming force and then negation of any call for restraint.
When the Ottoman empire practiced this in the region pre 1900, a ME legend was created, of the flea that bit a Turk and the camel which hosted the flea was killed. A reference to collective punishment.
It is past time, Gantz demonstrated that the decision to appoint Gallant ahead of him in 2010-2011 was wrong and why. Gallant’s Dahiya doctrine getting rewarded despite the international cost reprised here on steroids.
When it failed last time, Israel had to hand over 1000 Hamas prisoners to get one captured IDF person back. Some do not learn from history – Hamas made the move because Gallant was Defence Minister and could be played.
The GOP on Capitol Hill explain that they are not hypocrites, they merely support the powerful against the weak – not international law, not collective security.
They will cut off aid to Ukraine and provide hope to those in the Kremlin that want to rule to NATO borders and then wait for the USA to withdraw from co-operation with Europe in trade and security (Trump's isolationism).
They will support Likud's rule over Palestinians from the river to the sea. Part of their Christian Zionism, or more simply God and mammon prosperity religion (belief where America is blessed, if they support Israel has become their imperial religion – outcome of their creationism and end time judgment fundamentalism cultural heritage).
The ram raid publicity was obviously politically motivated, it shows how a significant number of voters are easily manipulated……or you could say 'rightly ram raided'….
Great question re ram raids, love to know the answer. Seriously… All a campaign by dairy owners? Paid by their trade association? What was the role of the tobacco industry? Who set up any Facebook pages? Are ram raids still happening? Should be, its summer. Or was it great policing, social services?
My guess, joking… the dairy owners kids diddit. Grabbed the gear, gave it back to the owners, insurance for the rest and a grant for security. And a new government. Win, win, win.
I have a brother who lives in Ireland. He tells me that he used to buy a lot of stuff online from the UK when they were in the EU. It was easy and thigs would be delivered in one or two days.
Now – it is hard, there is Customs stuff and a whole bunch of extra problems. So, he now buys from France, or Belgium, or Spain and still gets the same delivery times and none of the problems.
The State Department said it would allow the sale of some $23 billion worth of fighter jets and equipment to Turkey, among the final steps in a much delayed transaction that has severely strained the relationship between Ankara and Washington.
The sale of the 40 F-16 fighter jets and upgrades to dozens of other jets became linked to Sweden's accession to NATO, with the U.S. postponing the transfer of the Lockheed Martin-produced aircraft until the Turkish government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan approved Sweden's membership this past week.
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Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8. The universe was ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
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. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
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 ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard de Grijs, Professor of Astrophysics, Macquarie University Bruno Scramgnon/Pexels All systems are “go” for tonight’s launch of China’s next step in a carefully planned lunar exploration program. Placed on top of a powerful Long March 5 rocket, the Chang’e 6 ...
National returned a massive donation the day after a Newsroom story linked the donors to a property being investigated for operating unlawfully as a migrant workers’ hostel. The party’s 2023 donation filings, released on Friday, show it returned a $200,000 donation from Buen Holdings on August 23. That was the ...
Pacific Media Watch New Zealand has slumped to an unprecedented 19th place in the annual Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index survey released today on World Press Freedom Day — May 3. This was a drop of six places from 13th last year when it slipped out of its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joshua Black, Political Historian and Administrator Officer, Australian Historical Association, Australian National University Australia has had its fair share of public record-keeping controversies in recent years. Some have been mere farce, as in the case of two formerly government-owned filing cabinets (containing ...
Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), a United Nations-affiliated organization dedicated to fostering peace through civilian-led initiatives, has issued a statement in response to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. ...
A poem by Tessa Keenan, from AUP New Poets 10. Mātou These days we are a photograph; one of a farm strewn with cows that used to be bright harakeke or swamp. The kids point at it and say the sun sits behind a smudge (left by someone at Christmas); ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (Faber & Faber, $25)The masterful Irish writer ...
Marriage and civil union statistics record the number of marriages and civil unions registered in New Zealand each year, and divorce statistics record the number of divorces granted in New Zealand each year. Key facts Marriages and civil unions In ...
Marriage and civil union statistics record the number of marriages and civil unions registered in New Zealand each year, and divorce statistics record the number of divorces granted in New Zealand each year. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lennon Y.C. Chang, Associate Professor of Cyber Risk and Policy, Deakin University Taiwan stands out as a beacon of democracy, innovation and resilience in an increasingly autocratic region. But this is under growing threat. In recent years, China has used a variety ...
In this excerpt from her new memoir, Dame Susan Devoy remembers her turn as star contestant on the 2022 season of Celebrity Treasure Island. The most anxious time of every day was pre-elimination, when you knew this could be your final day on the show. I felt such contradictory emotions, ...
A week that began in triumph ended in an all-too-familiar disaster for the Green Party. Duncan Greive asks if there’s something in the mission that breaks its best and brightest. A long, strange week for the Green party began with a fantastic poll result. On one level this is hardly ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Vanuatu’s former prime minister and opposition MP Ishmael Kalsakau has stepped down — just two days after he confirmed he was the rightful opposition leader. Kalsakau, MP for Port Vila, confirmed to ABC’s Pacific Beat, and the Vanuatu Daily Post on Thursday that he ...
What’s to blame for the coalition’s choppy start? Six months in, and the mojo meter is in the doldrums. A new poll would put National out of power and sees its leader, Chris Luxon, sliding in popularity. How much is it about policy, how much coalition management and a perception ...
The striking report goes far beyond the proposed repeal of the Oranga Tamariki Act’s Treaty of Waitangi provision, and its impact should be felt far beyond the unique circumstances of the claim it addresses. Earlier this week, the Waitangi Tribunal released an interim report on the government’s proposed repeal of ...
The world has been experiencing a productivity slowdown, from which New Zealand has not been exempt. COVID-19 temporarily boosted labour productivity, but more recently, productivity has retreated. The overall trend since 2007 has been one of slow productivity ...
What’s more wasteful than spending $315k on syrup and machine maintenance? Trying to drum up a controversy about it.Cast your mind back to the pre-pandemic idylls of 2019. A “rat” was a disgusting rodent and not a self-administered plague test; the sixth Labour government was in power; and the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Fitz-Gibbon, Professor of Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts, Monash University, Monash University Ken stocker/Shutterstock In the wake of numerous killings of women allegedly by men’s violence in 2024, thousands of Australians have joined rallies across the country to demand action ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Henry Cutler, Professor and Director, Macquarie University Centre for the Health Economy, Macquarie University Oleg Ivanov IL/Shutterstock Waiting times for public hospital elective surgery have been in the news ahead of this year’s federal budget. That’s the type of non-emergency surgery ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Konstantine Panegyres, McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellow, Historical and Philosophical Studies, The University of Melbourne Amna Artist/Shutterstock One of the earliest descriptions of someone with cancer comes from the fourth century BC. Satyrus, tyrant of the city of Heracleia on the Black Sea, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Rose, Professor of Sustainable Future Transport, University of Sydney LanaElcova/Shutterstock Electric vehicles are often seen as the panacea to cutting emissions – and air pollution – from transport. Is this view correct? Yes – but only once uptake accelerates. Despite the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giselle Natassia Woodley, Researcher and Phd Candidate, Edith Cowan University There is widespread agreement Australia needs to do better when it comes to gender-based violence. Anger and frustration at the numbers of women being killed saw national rallies over the weekend and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Graham, Lecturer in Economics, University of Sydney Mark and Anna Photography/Shutterstock As home ownership moves further out of reach for many Australians, “rentvesting” is being touted as a lifesaver. Rentvesting is the practice of renting one property to live ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sukhmani Khorana, Associate Professor, Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture, UNSW Sydney Netflix The new season of Heartbreak High is garnering mixed reviews. Critics are writing about the racy story lines, comparing it to other coming-of-age series about teenage relationships and ...
Bob Carr intends to launch legal action against Winston Peters and Julie Anne Genter is facing a second allegation of bullying. Both sucked the air out of an announcement on education, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in ...
In 1995, Sally Clark went out on her own in a bold and unorthodox attempt to join an illustrious group of equestrian riders conquering the world. In the days of glovebox road maps, brick cell phones, and the hit song How Bizarre, Clark refused to follow Sir Mark Todd, Blyth ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Beaglehole, Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago niphon/Getty Images The number of people accessing medication for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Aotearoa New Zealand increased significantly between 2006 and 2022. But the disorder is still under-diagnosed and ...
To celebrate the start of New Zealand music month, we look back at the best local tuneage that managed to weasel its way into Hollywood productions. There’s nothing quite like the thrilling zap of recognition when New Zealand weasels its way into a glamorous Hollywood production. Crack open a Tui ...
People trust other people more than institutions. So how can the media gain that trust through journalists without losing what’s important about the institution? Anna Rawhiti-Connell reflects on two years of curating the news for The Bulletin.Amonth ago, armed cops descended on my neighbourhood as calls to “lock your ...
Opinion: PFAS – per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – are a class of thousands of man-made chemicals used widely in everyday consumer items such as textiles, packaging, and cookware, popular for their water, grease and stain-repellent properties. However, the very properties that make PFAS so attractive to manufacturers are also what ...
NONFICTION 1 The Last Secret Agent by Pippa Latour & Jude Dobson (Allen & Unwin, $37.99)’ This is the hottest book in New Zealand, number one with a bullet in its first week, selling more than any overseas title, and demand is so huge that it’s already been reprinted. A ...
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A warning – suicide is discussed in this podcast New Zealand’s own long-running soap Shortland Street doesn’t hesitate to kill off its much-loved characters. But would TVNZ dare to kill off our favourite soap? That’s the fear as times get tough in television – even though it’s been pointed out ...
Essay: If the Crown harms children, how do you hold it accountable? Analysis by Aaron Smale in light of the Waitangi Tribunal court decision. The post The Crown versus Māori Children appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Asia Pacific Report A West Papuan resistance leader has condemned the United Nations role in allowing Indonesia to “integrate” the Melanesian Pacific region in what is claimed to be an “egregious act of inhumanity” on 1 May 1963. In an open letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Organisasi Papua Merdeka-OPM ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra A key part of the Albanese government’s political strategy is to fill the news cycle with its presence and messaging. Ministers are deployed to the maximum, even when they’ve little to say. This week ...
Recent extreme weather events showed the importance of a well-functioning insurance system, says Commerce and Consumer Affairs minister Andrew Bayly. ...
By Jo Moir, RNZ News political editor, and Craig McCulloch, deputy political editor New Zealand’s Labour Party is demanding Winston Peters be stood down as Foreign Minister for opening up the government to legal action over his “totally unacceptable” attack on a prominent AUKUS critic. In an interview on RNZ’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Brakenridge, Postdoctoral research fellow at Swinburne University, Centre for Urban Transitions, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute The Conversation, Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock People have a pretty intuitive sense of what is healthy – standing is better than sitting, exercise is great for overall ...
The Wellington-based Reserve Force soldier is now almost three years into his New Zealand Army career with 5th/7th Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment. ...
"The Government needs to release the review immediately as this reckless approach to change risks disjointed decision making and creates more distress and uncertainty for staff," Fitzsimons said. ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor Jeremiah Manele has been elected Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, polling 31 votes to 18 over rival candidate and former opposition leader Mathew Wale with one abstention. The final result of the election by secret ballot was announced by the Governor-General, Sir David Vunagi, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Priestley Habru, PhD candidate, public diplomacy, University of Adelaide Former foreign minister Jeremiah Manele has been elected the next prime minister of Solomon Islands, defeating the opposition leader, Matthew Wale, in a vote in parliament. The result is a mixed bag for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shaun Eaves, Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Jamey Stutz, CC BY-SA How often do mountains collapse, volcanoes erupt or ice sheets melt? For Earth scientists, these are important questions as we try ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Flood, Professor of Sociology, Queensland University of Technology Shutterstock Most young adult men in Australia reject traditional ideas of masculinity that endorse aggression, stoicism and homophobia. Nonetheless, the ongoing influence of those ideas continues to harm men and the people ...
The NZQA proposal released to staff today would involve a net loss of 35 roles. There are 66 roles being disestablished with 13 of those currently vacant, and 31 new roles proposed, said Fleur Fitzsimons Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga ...
Alex Casey talks to Loren Taylor, the writer, director and star of new film The Moon is Upside Down, about assembling her dream ensemble cast, toilet paper pads and turning literal dreams into reality. There’s a moment in The Moon is Upside Down where frazzled anaesthetist Briar (Loren Taylor) gets ...
Half a century on, I've just got around to reading The Crack in the Cosmic Egg. The author seems onto it, very deep insight.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Chilton_Pearce
I usually put a marginal sign alongside significant usable points in any book, with a pencil: < . The sign is an arrowhead pointer, and an excellent book ends up featuring oodles of such pointers. This editorial method gives you key points for writing a summary of what the book's primary messages are, which may or may not also motivate an essay blending these with your own thoughts.
This morning I'd like to share one such initial point of his:
Collective ideation collapse seems a suitable description of our random walk into the 21st century that has since ensued, powered by fossil fuels, orchestrated by neolibs of the left/right. Within the banality of this whole you can always find diverse interesting clever stuff happening, fortunately. Frost's small clearing is too long ago – population explosion since has driven the spread of cities until the forest shrinkage became a global crisis, yet as metaphor the dark in the collective mind looms still.
The cosmic egg is nowadays represented by niche in evolutionary theory, and the crack is the path to the future out of that which featured as quest in legend, so its a nifty binary image in the signal becoming a triad when enacted by stepping onto that path & heading for the realm of possibility in the beyond. Doing so collectively is how humans make progress, so while neolib sheeple circle mindlessly in the middle of the paddock, those averse to terminal boredom gradually converge in synch heading for the open gate…
Internet Archive
https://archive.org › stream › Joseph-Chilton-Pearce-Crac…
Stuff reporter provides a useful primer for allocating blame, using the technique `spray & walk away': https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/25-01-2024/who-should-i-blame-for-wellingtons-water-shortage-a-users-guide
This will suit punters of all shapes & sizes, who have been produced by our neocolonial education system. More experienced blamers will go for the CEO of the org nominally responsible: https://www.wellingtonwater.co.nz/about-us/governance/wellington-water-committee-3/
Nobody in their right mind would expect a lawyer to be capable of regenerating a neocolonial water distribution! All lawyers ever do is administer conformity to laws.
Seems like a resilience/governance problem. So here's the governance structure: https://www.wellingtonwater.co.nz/about-us/governance/wellington-water-committee-2/
They put a Labour dude in charge of the thing! A perpetual recipe for evasion of the problem. All the guy needs to do to retain tenure is tell everyone the problem's underground, so out of sight out of mind is the way to retain normalcy.
The dude is not Labour.
Nicholas Oliver Leggett (born 1979) is a former New Zealand politician and, as of 2016, a member of the New Zealand National Party.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Leggett#:~:text=Nicholas%20Oliver%20Leggett%20(born%201979,the%20New%20Zealand%20National%20Party.
He certainly used to be a Labour man. He was a Porirua Councillor and then Mayor from 1998 until 2016. During that time he was a member of the Labour Party. He then ran for Mayor of Wellington City but, because Labour had picked an official candidate in the form of Justin Lester he had to resign from the Labour Party or be expelled.
Unfortunately Lester won and proved to be a terrible Mayor for his only term before he in turn got dumped.
Still, our current and at least in my opinion even worse Mayor in Wellington has a solution to our problems.
Trumpet flourish for her solution "Water Meters". In Tory's own words "Water meters will help us take a smarter approach to identifying leaks and reduce waste".
I can suggest an even simpler solution, and one that they can start doing immediately. Start fixing the ones people report. There is one in my street that has been wasting water for at least 3 months. The water comes out in the middle of the road, runs down the hill and then follows the gutter for a few hundred meters before going down a drain. Not a terribly big flow but assuming 10 litres/minute it will have wasted about 1.3 million litres in the last 90 days.
Twice we have been advised it would be fixed during the "next week". On neither occasion did anything happen.
And yes I did report it on several occasions but nothing happens.
Quote from Tory are from the printed Post of 27/01/2024. I don't have access to the on-line paper.
Material about Leggett is from Wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Leggett
I had already included a link, where I got the quote from Legget's wiki page, which pointed out he switched to the National Party, so I don't know why you have linked to it again.
" In August 2016, Labour Leader Andrew Little accused Leggett of being a "right-winger", alleging that his campaign manager for the Wellington Mayoral election was a well-known Act Party figure."
"Leggett then changed allegiance to the National Party later that year citing ideological differences with Labour's leadership"
The National Party was obviously a better fit for Legget.
If memory serves, Tory Whanau was supportive of Labour's Three Waters reforms that would have addressed long-standing water infrastructure issues that existed long before she had become mayor.
National binned the reforms without a replacement solution, so maybe your anger should be directed to Luxon's National led government.
" I don't know why you have linked to it again."
Experience has told me that there is a tendency on the part of one of the moderators to insist on a link to anything I say as a fact. I quoted additional material from the Wiki entry on Leggett so, discretion being the better part of valour, I included a link to the source.
In a comment today, on a different post, I included a comment on something that John McEnroe said. "You cannot be serious". I even included a link to that spectacular rant of his, in case I was said to be inventing it.
I have no idea on whether Tory was, or was not, in favour of the 3 waters scheme. I thought it was a terrible idea though, if anyone is interested. It appeared to allow an unelected group to borrow large amounts of money which would become the responsibility of the ratepayers of the area if they could make no provision for paying of the loans.
I see. You didn't quote any additional material, it was more like a synopsis.
"an unelected group"? who are you referring to? and it was not a general election.
You appear to not know very much about the water reforms that National has shortsightedly got rid of, which will force councils to increase rates.
About the Water Services Reform Programme
https://www.dia.govt.nz/Water-services-reform-about-the-reform-programme
I thought the Kaipara Council covered the Three Waters reforms quite well.
https://www.kaipara.govt.nz/news/post/377-Three-waters-explained
Eight years a Nat. Calling him a 'Labour dude' is like calling Shane Jones a Labour dude. There is a reason why we have the term 'former'; and also the term 'waka-jumper'.
mac1
I don't recall this in NATZAZ campaign'
Pay off for support?
https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/01/26/plans-to-scale-back-ministers-powers-over-foreign-investment/
NZ put on the block to the highest bidder.
NZ citizens the low-cost labour under our wealthy overlords.
All to plan, I would think!
It would appear that NZF has compromised its long held position to enable this, something either TPM or United blocked under the Key led government (or was further than Key would go).
It means investment not in our national interest will go ahead – all so someone who owns something can get a higher price selling to a foreigner (attracted by our lack of CGT).
Robert G Patman has upended the Luxon Govt.’s confused announcements in relation to the Houthi Red Sea attacks and Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/27/new-zealands-red-sea-deployment-points-to-a-selective-concern-over-international-law
And this is only the start of the unwinding of NZ's “principles and values”. The future looks bleaker by the day.
The US and probably Luxon are desperate to unlink Gaza and Yemen but this will be increasingly difficult especially with the ICJ ruling and the consequence that all nations are obliged to now intervene to ensure Palestinians are protected.
The US, Canada, Australia and Italy have now ceased funding UNRWA simply on allegations by Israel of involvement of 12 workers in Oct 7 without waiting for the investigation findings. Even if all 12 were complicit, this would be 0.0004% of a staff of over 30 000. This will have huge ramifications for aid to Gaza. Are we about to follow?
https://mondoweiss.net/2024/01/operation-al-aqsa-flood-day-113-a-day-after-icj-ruling-u-s-and-allies-withdraw-funding-to-unrwa/
My bad. As a percentage its 0.04
"The US and probably Luxon are desperate to unlink Gaza and Yemen… "
Bald lies since the Houthis are on record as saying they will continue the attacks until the Israelis stop their attacks on Gaza. Luxon is also on record as repeating the mantra that there is "no link between the Red Sea attacks and the Gaza attacks". Unbelievable!
I also note Luxon's latest buzz word is "values". He has been flinging it around a lot lately:
"my government believes in upholding our values etc. etc…"
when in fact they are dismantling them one by one.
"Are we about to follow?"
Of course.
To be fair, Luxon is both dishonest and deeply stupid.
"…no link between the Red Sea attacks and the Gaza attacks"
Obviously there is a link but it isn't what some people seem to believe (the Houthis support for the Palestinians), because they couldn't care less about them. The link between the two is Iran, who have been arming, training and supporting their fellow Shia groups the Houthis, Hezbollah and Hamas for years. There aim is to destabilize the middle east, with the ultimate goal being to destroy Israel.
It's fine for the US to give billions to Israel to buy arms to carry out genocide in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, but when a small number of employees in a vast humanitarian aid organisation are accused of something the US doesn't like, funding for humanitarian aid is immediately shut off.
No wonder young people are not going to vote for Biden.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jan/07/joe-biden-youth-vote-gaza-climate-change
Like sheep into the arms of someone far, far worse.
The GOP are more hardline on support for Israel, are anti-GW action, and would reduce protection for the environment and labour.
Its really just an incredibly crap electoral system largely based on dosh.
So young people and others with a moral compass have to support Genocide Joe rather than Mussolini/Hitler Trump? Jeez. What a choice.
Exactly Grey.
Defence of shipping is in accord with international law.
A nation has a right in international law to take military action in response to an attack.
Patman seems confused by the complexity of some diplomatic circumstances.
The real issue of the moment is the ICJ wants some focus from Israel on the well being of civilians. Yet USA and now the UK have cut off funding to UNRWA, whose work Israel has been impeding – lack of safe areas for operating and lack of supplies getting through.
New Zealand should say its funding will continue because the world should be helping here, not making things worse because of politics.
The Israeli appointee supported 2 interim decisions – end to incitement and improved well-being for the civilians, so the least that Israel and those who support its right to self-defence can do, is not play politics and get more aid in.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68119268
Shipping that is in the service of the Israeli genocide is no longer legal. Nations are on notice that any support of the destruction of the Palestinian people will bring consequences. The UNSC resolution supporting free passage in the Red Sea has now been superseded by the ICJ ruling. The ICJ is in effect the supreme court of the UN. To have the UNSC resolution and the ICJ ruling effective at the same time would be ludicrous.
A further consequence of the ICJ ruling is that the naval blockade of Gaza is now illegal. There are only two options that would allow the proper fulfillment of the protection orders given the infrastructure damages in Gaza. Either a complete ceasefire by Israel or a massive maritime aid convoy.
The ICJ did not mention any of that in its ruling. You've extrapolated a lot out of what it did say.
Israel has destroyed almost all hospitals. 85% of the Gazan population is internally displaced and at best, living in tents. It is winter. There is little to no access to food and no sanitation. Famine and disease are already taking hold. These kinds of deaths will now be tallied up in the list of genocidal behaviour. Famine and disease are not legitimate weapons of war. Neither is freezing to death. To prevent these kinds of deaths is exactly what the ICJ judgement is about and at this stage, it will take a massive humantarian effort. A naval blockade of Gaza makes this impossible. Continuing the destruction of Gaza makes this impossible. Israel is so far down the rabbit hole of destruction that these are the only options by which they can comply with the conditions that have been set
You must consider his pen name and its meaning.
"subliminal"
adjective
PSYCHOLOGY
Of course he can make out these ideas.
Thank you Alwyn
Further evidence this government stands for nothing other than the money it receives from large corporate backers.
New Zealand backs away from deep-sea trawling restrictions.
https://www.thepost.co.nz/politics/350157805/new-zealand-backs-away-deep-sea-trawling-restrictions
Also fast tracking development of coastal fisheries, mining on conservation land etc.
Waitangi is a long way for an old fart to drive.
Does anybody know of a peaceful/silent protest happening closer to auckland to demonstrate our disgust at the governments treaty proposals
Hoots on Nact's wilful disingenuity.
.
Act’s strategy seems to be to offer fake Treaty principles to the public, generate a few hundred thousand supportive online select-committee submissions, hold six months of heated hearings, hope for civil unrest, produce polls showing a majority wishes the Treaty had been written by Mill, and then accuse National of siding with Māori radicals against “mainstream New Zealanders”
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/national-and-act-are-failing-the-good-faith-test-over-treaty-principles-bill-matthew-hooton/MTKZFN6HPFBFDIT3GIYOKEFWAM/
https://archive.li/eOrVe
And right on cue:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/350160501/acts-david-seymour-promises-real-change
No. I didn't watch the video. Listening to 45 minutes of him was too much to ask.
A small taster:
That word "values" again. We've got three years of values, values and more values.
What values I hear you ask? We'll never know.
One rule for all (no Treaty, no UNDRIP), one income tax rate for all (no CGT, no wealth tax, no estate tax, no land tax, no stamp duty), one voucher to access (X Y and Z) providers. Only one party can provide liberty from other – those of ethnic or racial difference, those of lower income, those with less wealth.
Majority values, just do not expect any morality. Epsom values, our school zone.
Finish with a truth, lock out the underclass (when they cannot afford the rent).
What a Charade this "Values" laden government is!! What they say, and what they do are two different planets. Unity and Values Tui Tui .. Forked tongues!!!
Typical Randian nonsense from Seymour. The pinnacle of human achievement shall be the extraction and abuse of resources, environmental and human, for profit.
The legal stuff
The Ugandan justice’s opine that this is a matter for diplomacy and not the court explains her voting.
https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/making-sense-of-the-icj%27s-provisional-measures-in-south-africa-v.-israel
Benjamin Nethanyahu's reaction, is similar to that after Oct 7, which led to statements by Gallant and Herzog that the court found incitement to genocide. Reaction, rather that a considered response. The sort of thing one would expect of the Religious Zionists group (fascists) created by Netanyahu to pose Likud as of a new centre.
The singular practice of a response by overwhelming force and then negation of any call for restraint.
When the Ottoman empire practiced this in the region pre 1900, a ME legend was created, of the flea that bit a Turk and the camel which hosted the flea was killed. A reference to collective punishment.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world-news/350160567/netanyahu-defiant-after-un-court-ruling-deaths-gaza-offensive-continue
It is past time, Gantz demonstrated that the decision to appoint Gallant ahead of him in 2010-2011 was wrong and why. Gallant’s Dahiya doctrine getting rewarded despite the international cost reprised here on steroids.
When it failed last time, Israel had to hand over 1000 Hamas prisoners to get one captured IDF person back. Some do not learn from history – Hamas made the move because Gallant was Defence Minister and could be played.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoav_Gallant
The 37th government of Israel (the most inept in its history) had advance warning.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/30/world/middleeast/israel-hamas-attack-intelligence.html
Seymour says he believes in "equal opportunity for all"!
https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/national/seymour-slams-opposition-to-treaty-bill-takes-aim-at-key-ardern-in-state-of-the-nation-speech/ar-BB1hmh67?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=0f8647e572274aba8c61568a29326154&ei=28
Does that mean he supports 100% inheritance tax?
Well, not until after he inherits. He's a silver spoon boy. Clearly evident by the whinging when someone disagrees with diddums
The GOP on Capitol Hill explain that they are not hypocrites, they merely support the powerful against the weak – not international law, not collective security.
They will cut off aid to Ukraine and provide hope to those in the Kremlin that want to rule to NATO borders and then wait for the USA to withdraw from co-operation with Europe in trade and security (Trump's isolationism).
They will support Likud's rule over Palestinians from the river to the sea. Part of their Christian Zionism, or more simply God and mammon prosperity religion (belief where America is blessed, if they support Israel has become their imperial religion – outcome of their creationism and end time judgment fundamentalism cultural heritage).
If you have any other explanation for this …
https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/2024-01-25/ty-article-magazine/.premium/republicans-are-looking-at-netanyahu-for-how-to-combat-bidens-post-war-gaza-plans/0000018d-4162-d35c-a39f-eb7a4a6e0000?gift=77e2c95918264f3585e10ec0d656c57a
Where have all the ram raids gone……..
Just asking for a friend…
Still there, but less reported???
Still happening.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/350160632/second-michael-hill-jewellery-store-targeted-many-days
Where’s the comment from the local MP? Mark Mitchell. MIA?
Not a peep out of Sunny Kaushal either.
The ram raid publicity was obviously politically motivated, it shows how a significant number of voters are easily manipulated……or you could say 'rightly ram raided'….
Great question re ram raids, love to know the answer. Seriously… All a campaign by dairy owners? Paid by their trade association? What was the role of the tobacco industry? Who set up any Facebook pages? Are ram raids still happening? Should be, its summer. Or was it great policing, social services?
My guess, joking… the dairy owners kids diddit. Grabbed the gear, gave it back to the owners, insurance for the rest and a grant for security. And a new government. Win, win, win.
If only the experts had warned someone, anyone….
//
24 hours of Brexit failures
Collapsed trade deals, rising food prices, more border checks and not enough flowers for Valentine’s Day – thanks a bunch
Edwin Hayward
[…]
The UK government gave up trying to renew our temporary rollover trade deal with Canada
[…]
Incoming border checks were deemed to increase the cost of our imported food and drink by £200 million a year
[…]
There were warnings that the new incoming border checks could lead to flower shortages in the run-up to Valentine’s Day
[…]
The EU is setting up an Entry-Exit System that will collect biometrics from every passenger
[…]
France’s Constitutional Council blocked a preferential visa clause in a new French immigration bill
[…]
Health sector professionals warned that the EU is planning to bulk buy key medicines and establish a shared stockpile for its 27 members
[…]
Rishi Sunak’s pledge that all new laws will be screened to ensure they do not create trade barriers in the Irish Sea is causing ructions
https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/24-hours-of-brexit-failures/
https://archive.li/Q50tD
( links https://twitter.com/edwinhayward/status/1750673173069140381 )
I have a brother who lives in Ireland. He tells me that he used to buy a lot of stuff online from the UK when they were in the EU. It was easy and thigs would be delivered in one or two days.
Now – it is hard, there is Customs stuff and a whole bunch of extra problems. So, he now buys from France, or Belgium, or Spain and still gets the same delivery times and none of the problems.
It was always about the planes.
.
The State Department said it would allow the sale of some $23 billion worth of fighter jets and equipment to Turkey, among the final steps in a much delayed transaction that has severely strained the relationship between Ankara and Washington.
The sale of the 40 F-16 fighter jets and upgrades to dozens of other jets became linked to Sweden's accession to NATO, with the U.S. postponing the transfer of the Lockheed Martin-produced aircraft until the Turkish government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan approved Sweden's membership this past week.
https://www.npr.org/2024/01/27/1227418505/f-16s-turkey-sweden-nato-kurds-greece
Looks like Labour members have sent a strong message to the Labour Council – re introducing a CGT of some sort:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/michael-wood-among-familiar-faces-to-win-labour-election-as-party-mulls-tax-discussion/MB3XPAEYIBFULNDNCMEP7RD6YQ/
Kia ora whano .
The sandflies can’t catch me legally so they cheat and use the mental health act to lock me up.
and they have people going around spreading the lies about my mental health.
In reality the sandflies have been shitting on my Mana for years .
my mental health is and has always been perfectly fine
ka kite ano