Is it just me, or has Glenn Greenwald shifted to the right over the past year or two? He seems to support Trump, and also, more disturbingly, seems to claim to be in favour of civil liberties, but is now very pro police being able to gun down blacks like dogs in the middle of the street.
I have emailed him to clarify these views, but he never replied.
In that case, please provide a link to his Twitter feed. Not everybody here is on Twitter and they might still want to access it through a browser, as I tend to do from time to time. Ideally, please provide a link to one or two specific Twitter feeds that support your comment. Don’t expect others to do the digging.
Yes provide a link to show us all where Greenwald has said or even implied that supports "police being able to gun down blacks like dogs in the middle of the street." and "guy wants to give police in the USA power to give out summary executions."..if you cannot provide those links, I believe these comments really need to be removed.
Given my browser no longer works with the toolbar here I cannot link to it, but Greenwald’s current focus on Twitter is that Democrats are not taking public concerns about violent crime as seriously as they do their own security on Capitol Hill (and he claims that because Biden has not done anything for Assange this means he wants to criminalise journalism).
Which is not support for police doing summary executions, but is, what it is.
So in other words millsy is just making shit up…..those comments should really be moderated, not that I am trying to tell moderators how to do their job, but millsy's comments seem to be straight out slander.
Jonathan Cook is a really thoughtful and thought provoking journalist.
No wonder he was chucked off the Guardian .They refused to print his dispatches from Jerusalem because they didn't reflect the core values of the Guardian (not pro Israel enough)
Sorry , should have included a bit more info about the link
an excerpt
“Others on the left recoil from this approach. They warn that, by fixating on Trump, elements of the left have drifted into worryingly authoritarian ways of thinking – sometimes openly, more often implicitly – as a bulwark against the return of Trump or anyone like him.”
It is there plain is day. He is starting to carry on about crime – that has always been used as an exuce to let cops gun down and beat up who they damn well please,
All my points illustrated there and then. You simply cannot be in favour if civil liberties if you support the right of cops to beat and shoot whoever they like.
The guy would have supported the KKK and lynching back in the day.
Glenn Greenwald supports a massive crackdown on civil liberties to fight crime. Its right there, plain as day. The guy is a charlatan, plain and simple.
He probably thought that George Floyd deserved to die,
[you have made a number of allegations about Greenwald and still not provided a single specific example (i.e. tweet) to support these. It definitely looks like you’re making up shit.
You’re now in Pre-Moderation until you provide links to specific tweets to support all of your allegations made today here on OM about Greenwald or until you withdraw each and every one of them or until you’ll be moved to the Ban list for a while – Incognito]
@millsy, just as a matter of interest do you also believe that Trump was enabled by Putin?..just wondering, as your desperate efforts to extrapolate that bullshit out of Greenwalds tweets is giving me flash backs to that mad debunked conspiracy theory and the tortured logic that often went with it.
Yeah, nahh… everybody has their eyes peeled on other issues. Drugs and alcohol not that much. Child violence, poverty and child death has not improved despite so many promises. But we have 16 billion to give for corporate welfare. Feelin so much better…sarc.
……our assessment didn’t need to split hairs in this way. The evidence was overwhelming.
…..Deep decarbonisation requires that we reduce anthropogenic emissions in the first place. In fact, we need a year-on-year reduction in emissions from now until 2050, roughly equivalent to the 7% reductions seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.
…..To study the social dynamics needed for such a rapid transformation, we looked at ten social drivers of decarbonisation: United Nations climate governance, transnational initiatives, climate-related regulation, climate protests and social movements, climate litigation, ….
…..Though the 1.5°C target might be possible, there are currently no grounds for optimism that we will meet it. But perhaps our findings will provide exactly the motivation we need to make it happen.
Those most at risk from Cov-19 are in the older age bracket.
Those most at risk from climate change are the young people.
Maybe this explains the difference between the extraordinary efforts taken to prevent covid-19 and the lackluster efforts taken to prevent climate change.
Climate change anxiety: Young people 'feel hopeless'
By Steffan Messenger
BBC Wales Environment Correspondent
"The most soul-crushing thing is not being optimistic about [climate change].
"It's something I'm quite worried about that isn't going to be sorted fast enough. We're already seeing effects at the moment. Not enough is being done."
"The government should not see this as something that is just a problem for young people – the other way of actually tackling climate anxiety is to do something about climate change."
Regular surveys by Cardiff University's school of psychology have shown a big shift in people's attitude to climate change in recent years – with 40% of those polled across the UK now saying they are "very or extremely worried" about it.
A third said it triggered feelings of anxiety, fear or outrage.
I understand the SUFW is trying to protect the rights of women and also women only spaces. They are also trying to stop children being encouraged to transition rather than growing up gay. Its seems to me that it is the trans movement that is more likely to be funded by fundamental religious groups. A man with long hair, high heels, makeup and wearing a dress is still a man and no matter how deluded will always be a man.
[Janice, my commitment here as a moderator and feminist is to try and prevent the gender/sex war taking place on TS. The boundaries around robust debate and not using language that effectively excludes others is different from elsewhere. Your comment is a problem in two ways (plus the request below re funding):
By saying that TW are merely cross dressing men you make invisible TW with gender dysphoria and TW as a gender identity. You can make the argument on both those points but I’m going to ask you be less offensive in how you do that (consider the TW reading and those who may want to take part in the conversation) and that you do in fact make the argument if you want to post the opinion).
saying that TW are deluded is akin to saying women are hysterical ie as a class are deficient.
I’m figuring out how to moderate in this debate, so I hope you will take more care. It’s always fine to ask for clarification – weka]
Jasus. There is no equivalence to be being Trans or Gay other than their fight for acceptance in society. When I grew up when it was illegal to be Gay it didn't mean I started wearing frocks.
"A man with long hair, high heels, makeup and wearing a dress is still a man and no matter how deluded will always be a man.?"
Do you have any idea, or care, how offensive comments like this are.
If your comment is reflective of religious bigotry or the SUFW movement then you, churches and the SUFW should STFU
" When I grew up when it was illegal to be Gay it didn't mean I started wearing frocks."…Wonder how Quentin Crisp would have got on in today's climate?
Whatever the answer, here is an incredible interview of an extremely interesting man who was on the forefront of being openly gay in the UK…
I think the very brave Mr Crisp would be a very "happy camper" in todays society and I, for one, am grateful to him so we can ride on his beautifully bloused shoulders.
Janice possible means physically – which may well be true. We shouldn't be so touchy about expressions before we found out what is meant. Some in this forum have English as their second language. If we really care, we care about everybody and their perspective. How else can you get consensus even if it is that there are different opinions?
Janice just make your points quietly and reasonably and don't bring in suggestions that feel like hyperbole likely to arouse emotions from either side of the debate. Just saying, from experience.
Do you know of any legitimate organisations which advocate for womans rights (especially where they conflict with trans rights)? Or are they all transphobic by doing that advocacy?
Not so very long ago The Science declared that human brains do not mature until about 25 years of age.
Speak Up For Women quite rightly have grave concerns about teenagers being encouraged to undergo life altering chemical and surgical 'therapies'.
Watchful waiting and talking therapies are more appropriate.
Pro child-transitioning 'advocates' have declared this treatment approach to children and young people experiencing gender dysphoria as 'denying them access to healthcare'.
Do you really think this is a left wing/right wing issue?
If you read widely on the topic you'll find that some of the most gender (ideology) critical feminists were firmly planted in the Left. Until they began to speak up about the impact on women and girls of accepting without question that 'transwomen are women'. Then the pile on from the wokest left drove them away.
Not to the right…btw…but away.
IMHO I don't believe the traditional definitions of 'Left' and "right' apply anymore.
Nah, I think the trans thing is as much of a generational issue as a political issue.
But social conservatives (i.e. the "right wing") will take the UK court findings about teenage consent for medical procedures and apply them to other medical procedures. Like abortion and contraception.
the people opposed to any sort of sex ed in schools will sure want to stop teens asking the doc for the pill.
I suggest the person on Twitter who asks so many questions about SUFW attends one of their public meetings to find some answers……….The group that has been referred to as a hate group, which the High Court found was patently not true, is now able to hold meetings in Council premises as the High Court concluded was their democratic right.
Usually the research that is used to determine health decisions in Aotearoa, is from overseas, e.g Covid vaccines. NZ doesn't have the same population or funding to undertake Gold Standard research. BTW NICE guidelines on puberty blockers are that there is little evidence to support them improving gender dysphoria, mental health and Body image. They are experimental. I am sorry I don't have a link at hand, but promise to post later. I am running late today!
Ok just had a quick glance and will need more time from me but will do later.
My understanding is that SUFW was the BDMR bill kept as it is where a small number of people, because that is all it is, have to apply to the family court and have a medical exam to change their birth cert. NB my understanding is that genital surgery is not a requirement of this
Sacha I just got home from work. The blog you posted has a hell of a lot of information in it. I am to comment on my views in this area. I am not SUFW nor am I a member.
Reading through it I agree with most of SUFW views. So maybe I will comment on all these areas tonight on Open mike if I get to or or tomorrow.
Since Laurel Hubbard’s naming in the New Zealand Olympic team this week, there’s been a flurry of discussion about the inclusion (or exclusion) of transgender women in women’s sport and the need to protect women’s rights.
It’s fantastic to see how women’s rights and women’s sport are all of a sudden coming to the fore. Now that you are so interested in women’s sport let’s talk about the big threats facing women in sport.
But actually Sacha, it is the trans gender inclusion in women's sport. Here's the science. There is another article I hope to find about the shaky science the Olympic committee used to reach their decision on trans women. its an interesting read.
I agree with all Zoe George says about women's sport but as Rosemary said I add the Trans gender issues as a recent threat and the the two articles on the science of trans gender in womens sport are why
One of the tactics that is sometimes used against gender critical women is the old "look over there!" I think we need to stick to the issues personally
Then there is the skaky science on the exclusion of a South African athlete from their specialist 800m and 1500 metre events, yet allowing them to compete over sprint distances or field events – the entire history of testosterone supplements for competitive advantage has been in sprint or field events.
1. I’ll be moderating to maintain TS kaupapa of robust debate that doesn’t use language or tone to exclude people. Please read the Policy.
2. I’ll also be moderating to prevent the war that is happening elsewhere from happening here. I expect a level of respect for people even where there is disagreement on position or politics.
3. I suggest people read mod notes and comments over time to learn where the boundaries are. There are examples in Open Mike today.
4. on days I am busy I won’t have time to explain and will be more using the mod tools like pre mod and short bans to take the heat out of the debate if it’s getting out of hand. I will try and give warnings.
5. other mods will make decisions about how to moderate, this is a statement about my own approach. We do discuss moderation in the back end.
6. It’s always ok to ask questions if unclear on boundaries or TS debate culture
7. I’d really like to see TS as an exemplar of how to debate the gender/sex issues, and would appreciate all sides helping with that]
For what it is worth about the Laurel Hubbard saga, does anyone know if she has had gender reassignment surgery and is she now legally female on her birth certificate? If no to either, then she shouldn't go.
Transgender athletes should be required to undergo full transition before competing. That is the best solution for everyone.
Hi Millsy the competitive advantage that Laureen has over female weight lifters starts with testosterone in the womb. If you want a link to that I will find it but it was from a scientist at Otago medical school. Once puberty kicks in the advantage increases significantly. If a man has his testicles removed he will produce very little testosterone. But going through male puberty already gives the advantages of a larger heart, larger lungs with greater capacity, larger bones, more haemoglobin, a specific type of muscle which gives men an advantage, height, hand size for sports like rugby. Men also are faster than women, the fastest 10,000men on the planet can out run the one fastest women. Some of these men are 14 years old and some are 50. The two articles I posted today on transgender in sport cover it well.
Yes this is why the issues is being debated. The Olympic committee only changed the trans gender regulations in 2015 or thereabouts.
But in the States Trans women BMX riders are competing with women and winning titles. Same in Italy.
Obviously sporting bodies are aware of the transgender issue and trying to formulate policy. It is something to be addressed, even if at this stage it is just Laureen Hubbard. Allowing trans women to play rugby with women will not only be unfair, it will be dangerous.
There is a proposal that there are two sporting categories women and other and I support this. I think in doing this it allows for fairness to women and girls, while not depriving anyone of the chance to compete.
Afterall it is bodies that play sport, not identities.
I am totally confused about this debate as I think are many others. So i'll ask for a little information.
Setting aside what people do in the privacy of their own homes (who cares about how many Teddy bears they share a room with) what are the issues when it comes to Public facing interactions such as playing sport or using spaces that are used or classified as "male" or "female".
Are we looking at three groups female, interzone and male or is it going to stick with two groups? If we stick with two groups do interzone (regardless of medical procedures undertaken or not) select public facing interactions on a fairly permanent basis as to how they wish to be perceived? Or do we have three groups and assign public facing interactions on some basis over those 3 groups? And if we assign then how do we do it? If we have three groups do we use a neutral pronoun
One example: women’s refuges where traumatised women would have to share spaces with traumatised trans women. Trauma informed support would be not subjecting a woman whose been raped to be housed with a male bodied person, because of retraumatisation. Doesn’t take too much searching to see where there are already problems with this. Solution: retain women only services and set up trans and/gender neutral services. Do the political work to make sure funding is adequate.
Agree REdBaronCV what people do in the privacy of their own homes (as long of course it is mutually consenting adults).
I am speaking up for women (though not a member of that group). The human rights act clearly set out that women have rights to separate spaces in public toilets and change rooms. I want it to stay that way.
The human rights Act also makes the provision for separate women's spaces in accommodation such as hostels, shelters prisons and refuges. The right to have single sex schools for women. It also makes provisions for women's only sports.
I support moves to keep the preservation of these rights. While I do see myself as able to offer complete solutions to issues about Transgender people , eg how they get to play sport , what change rooms they are in, I want to preserve the arrangements we have (although already we have a biological male who is competing in women's elite sport at Olympic level). Women are being expected to automatically comply with allowing trans women to assess domains that are normally reserved for them. Female weight lifters are being told not to speak up about Laureen Hubbard.
I also have huge concerns about introducing gender ideology to school children as young as 7 years old. Kids are being taught there are all these difference gender's you can be e.g pan gender, gender fluid, trans etc. They are presented with flags that go with each gender. I don't believe there is any science behind gender ideology (correct me if I am wrong). I think children at this age are not capable of abstract thought so will just accept these ideas as truths.
We have significant increases of children and young teens as identifying as transgender and we are not sure why. So we now have 12 years old being prescribed puberty blockers and then cross hormones. NICE have come out strongly to say there is a lack of evidence to support the efficacy of puberty blockers and unknown long term effects. We have 16 year old girls getting double masectomies and then hysterectomies at 18 years.
So I have many concerns about this whole area. Not sure I have answered you questions.
Hey Anker that was helpful. I noticed Sacha below used a Venn diagram analogy so we are looking at discussing which public activities intersect the men or women circle and which remain outside. with different levels of support etc? When it comes to some things like public rest rooms do we bump up the disabled toilet type facility- which are very much appreciated by some other groups like women/ men with small children who can use them and keep the children close.
As for children of 7 receiving instruction i suspect it will go straight over their heads. In times past I was treated to some work perfect recitations of the facts of life ( some parents do a great job) complete with zero understanding.
Well my view is that if you are born male and have a male's physiology then you compete with men. I think the Other category could be open to anyone, men, trans women and anyone else who wants to compete in that group. The women's category for women born women and that would be open to trans men.
That seems fair and safe to me. But I understand some trans women may feel uncomfortable with this. Interestingly I watched a clip with a UK trans women who was very clear she should be playing with biological males and has joined a men rugby team. Again my view is it is bodies that play sports not identities. That is why in weightlifting and boxing there are separate categories for different weights. You wouldn't put a light weight man with a heavy weight. BTW Laureen Hubbard is competing in a category that her weight well exceeds in.
I am really sorry about this. I realize this is difficult for some trans people. But my full support goes to women and girls. I am speaking up for the female weight lifters who have been told to stay quiet about Laureen Hubbard. If not me and groups like SUFW then who?
I think this is the problem Sacha. To date you are the first person who has told me that i.e women and trans men are females.
May I ask who decided that? I think Weka is correct most people would know what I meant and I do see how want I said could be considered to be offensive.
I don't think of myself as female as such ,unless the options are male or female. I have always thought of myself as a women. End of.
I do think of myself as female, but in English that word is used in some contexts and not others. Woman is more common. Most people still use the word woman to mean biologically female, but it's implied, they're not sitting there thinking about biology because this is how woman has always been used until fairly recently.
words do indeed evolve, but at this point in history there are compelling reasons why women want to have some control over the language that they use, and that affects them.
Woman born woman is an evolution of language that's come out of women wanting to be able to talk about their experience in a highly charge social/political arena. I often just revert to using woman, depending on context, because woman and trans woman is a really effective way to communicate. Everyone knows what is being said.
Unless one believes that women have the right to self determination, in which case it's more like women resisting men telling women what to do, again.
I don't believe that trans women have the right to tell women how to speak about ourselves. What TAs could be doing instead is working with women on how to resolve the issues, including the conflicts. Most women would be open to that (or would have been, there's some seriously angry GC women around now who've had or seen really shitty things done to women). As far as I can tell a big part of this is the dysphoria that drives trans women to need to be accepted as women to relieve dysphoria. I think there are better ways to approach that than taking away women's rights. I also think there's a level of entitlement in that that needs challenging. And I don't think that dysphoria should be a driving force for such significant social change without serious examination. A lot of that is social rather than regulatory or legislative.
I believe the Olympics have an issue with having both a womans and an open category. The suggestion is that this reduces the value of the womans category where the competition is close enough that the best women are in the open category. Their preference is for non overlapping categories, though I do think this could be amended if needed.
"The Soviet Union became a society where everyone knew what their leaders said was not real, because they could see with their own eyes that the economy was falling apart. But everybody had to play along and pretend that it was real, because no one could imagine any alternative."
"One Soviet writer ( Alexei Yurchak, a professor of anthropology who was born in Leningrad and later went to teach in the United States) called it hypernormalisation."
" We are so much part of the system that it is impossible to see beyond it. The fakeness was hypernormal"
"We live in a world where the powerful deceive us. We know they lie. They know we know they lie. They don't care. We say we care but we do nothing. And nothing ever changes. It's normal. Welcome to the post-truth world. HyperNormalisation"
Interesting question….perhaps he's symbolic of a section of the public demonstrating the dishonesty of the system….here is a known liar and crook and we will vote for him as the exemplar of the system.
Yeah but did you find it interesting. I quite like his stuff ever since All Watched over By Machines Of Loving Grace. which looked at Silicon Valley and it's connections to Ayn Rand amongst other things.
These strange days did not just happen. We – and those in power – created them together.
— Adam Curtis
It supports what I've said for a long time – since the 80's – that you need to fundamentally change the power structures – whereas power has focussed on changing individuals – which is really just victim blaming.
We've seen a touch of changing power with the move from Maori consultation to Maori wards. Much more needs to be done to re-empower informed communities in decision making.
Auckland mayor Phil Goff agrees the current model isn’t fair and he hopes the review can throw up some better options.
“As a result of seven different legacy councils having varying levels of asset investment, assets inherited by and maintained by different local boards receive variable funding,” he says.
“The historic legacy means that some areas are not getting equitable funding with others. There are complex issues to work through, but the joint governance working party and council are examining how to ensure that different parts of the city have equitable access to amenities and that funding is provided on a fair basis across the region.”
At least now there is a working group, so snails pace yourselves.
Inequality in wellbeing is increased by such funding frameworks as those that are currently in place.
Yeah but some councils divested themselves (sold off) income producing assets while others did not. Some councils kept costly upgrade needed housing while others sold it off.
Those who disposed of assets benefitted at the time and I can see why some ratepayers would rightly say they didn't benefit in anyway from the sell-offs made at the time but are expected to see those areas who did sell off benefit from them not doing so.
I also think that central government needs to support those councils who did keep housing by giving them some funding to upgrade their housing stock.
Central government helped the private sector through tax breaks and Housing NZ directly (apart from when national pinched poor peoples rent in the way of dividends leaving little money for maintenance) – the councils were always left out. Those they stayed the course should be now compensated.
It’s also ironic that the right go on about councils should only do sewage and water but we can see across the country that they have neglected this very function but due to the rights focus on shifting costs for things like conference centres and racing events and so on that mainly the elite get to partake in they still manage to spend lots of money.
And your own site, power, water, wastewater, roading, playgrounds, schools….
The system is broken….talk about hypernormality.
Even good old Bernard Hickey has given up and recommends anyone not already owning a house should flee while they still can.
The median voter remains supreme. The government has in recent weeks prioritised “keeping a lid on debt” over infrastructure to ensure houses are built.
Get out while you still can
Those parents still renting and those just graduating into Covid without assets should move now. Giving up hope seems a capitulation. It is. But sometimes discretion is the better part of valour. Sometimes there is no hope. Move to Australia and you’ll find wages are 30-40% higher and rents have fallen $50-100 in the last year.
Yes. But in terms of housing during rebuilds those are already usually onsite. And when your permanent housing is ready, it can be sold. repacked and moved on.
I wasn't suggesting it as THE solution to our housing situation (I believe that is a multipronged one), rather as a tool to be deployed where appropriate.
Also, we do need to look how judicious use of technology in our building industry can be used to design and build with efficient use of resources and lower costs. We are really behind the ball here.
(They also have tried to design to avoid the need for heavy moving trucks and cranes, again reducing costs.)
Ok, disagree on the comparison. (Not foldable and able to be moved on a trailer… and using basic build techniques to build cheaper, not efficiently. )
More thinking how investment in automated factories and improvements in design and utilising local supply chains may reduce build costs while standardising a high build quality. Beasley homes were just small homes built to be transported. Build costs in NZ are exceptionally high.
Investing in standardised local supply chains for fittings, and utilising technology and automated systems for regional production of State Housing would be beneficial. Current approach is not keeping up.
Transportables came late to the party when major infrastructure projects required hundreds of homes in remote locations.
The methods and innovations imported post war by Beazly snr and jnr were employed locally to build thousands of comfortable, affordable homes, like the one I grew up in, to accommodate tens of thousands of working New Zealanders. The majority still stand.
The methods and innovations imported post war by Beazly snr and jnr were employed locally to build thousands of comfortable, affordable homes
Jeez. They did not utilise automated systems, or the design software that allows for changes to suit site or orientation. This is possible now without material waste or loss of production efficiency.
But ok, I understand you think there is no room for improvement in building design, material wastage, build time or costs.
… BTW used a relocatable to add extra bedrooms, so not unfamiliar with them. The transport costs can be high. The smaller units shown could be transported on a trailer.
It is estimated that thousands of people with disabilities are living in unsuitable accommodation but only 2 percent of houses are accessible in Aotearoa.
Kāinga Ora plans to make 15 percent of new houses accessible and there is growing pressure for more.
It's not only housing, new plans for carless city centres block out people who struggle to walk or cycle.
A proposal to make Wellington's Golden Mile car-free has been criticised for excluding a large part of the population, while the head of a recreation group has highlighted the barriers to the country's great walks for disabled people.
Sweeping new changes that sound good, look good in nicely coloured promotions, are often coming from the idealist not the realist perspective.
Car free Manners Mall ( now used by buses) was a dogbox but now much better. The bottom end of Cuba Street is deserted pretty much – people don’t even walk through there
This little proposal is worse than that. Yes anyone who can't walk a reasonable distance or climb on a bus can forget it under this.
But the underlying study focused on only three parts of the day, morning and evening rush times and the lunch break. Now to get the buses through pronto we should probably get all private transport ( cars and cycles as well, out of the bus route at those morning and evening times. The actual volumes are low on the actual route ( the side streets are different) so that's not too disruptive. I include cycles because no matter what the number of lanes is limited and will remain so and we don't need buses following slow bikes. There won't be much more space for pedestrians either.
No reason why private transport can't use and park outside those times. A lot of the area is sunless caverns outside lunch hours (it was designed like that in the past) and in the evenings the lower two thirds are absolutely deserted. It will stop people parking when they want to go to a show other evening entertainment etc. It doesn't address the impacts on surrounding areas either or unavoidable road closure and alternate routes when disaster strikes.
Worse of all is the $59 to $76 mill price tag. There would be some minor works needed on the vehicle carriage way but the rest of the price tag looks like $50 mill of planter boxes and paving.
Frankly it's ideology gone mad dressed in high priced designer togs.
RedBaroncv – The idea is the thing. The council planners have to come up with something new and bold etc etc.
I have a feeling that this impetus for Councils is exemplified in this intro for a video meeting of Councils. I don't want to point the finger at any particular council but the current emphasis on being excellent, leading edge, world class etc. all spells money, and perhaps measures beyond what would be satisfactory and useful. Is 'good enough' OK for the average ratepayer? I think they might be getting to that POV:
This … will cover the ,,,,Council's continuous improvement efforts, and all it has done in its pursuit of excellence.
[It] has shown courageous leadership as it strives towards the goal of being the very best Council in New Zealand. Their journey started four years ago when the Council undertook its first CouncilMARK™ assessment which helped …. establish a baseline of performance. From there, a comprehensive work programme was created that centered around continuous improvement.
While the ratepayers spend their time hoping the money is spent well. Seems to be a vast increase in style over substance in some areas. The courageous always makes me laugh – what are they expecting – everyone to wade through a crocodile infested swamp?
So the government is going to hand out free phones.Wheee. Much better idea than closing the travel bubble, All this sounds horribly detached from peoples real lives.
And I can't say I liked this Jacinda comment on any level. you know privacy, commercial firms tracking us, sticking it on overseas databases
"We expect that over time requiring people to scan in would become a part of normal life."
Pretty sure when they say scan they mean scan or sign in. The issue with signing in is that the government hasn't set up good systems. Who wants to use a pen that lots of other people have just used in the middle of an outbreak? It's solvable, they just haven't done the mahi.
I'm reasonably ok with what's happening with the app data currently (it's not shared with govt, and afaik stays on the phone rather in the cloud. Commercial companies don't have access?). My concern is what a National government would do to change that, and what Labour might do if pressured enough.
Labour atm has a majority, so really they don't feel pressured to do anything they don't like to do. As for National, let me put it this way, they would do exactly what is legal to do and they would go as far as they could, and Labour if the shoe were on the other side would do exactly the same. I mean, really.
Do you trust Labour to setup a surveillance system that would be 'National' proof? Because making ‘a scanning in a thing of norm’ is plowing the grounds to lay some seeds of mass surveillance. And the plants growing of these seeds won’t be good ones.
Nope. But the current app system seems reasonably ok for now.
Pressure on Labour would be economic pressure, but also closer to the election pressure. Pressure of a scared public demanding the govt be punitive to non-complyers.
Emphasis on 'current'. Currently it is not mandatory. Once it is mandatory who will monitor and how, and i don't trust this government any further on that then i would trust a National government on it.
The ones bringing Covid to our shores are coming in via plane, they are not living here. So really how keeps forcing you to sign in in Dunedin keeps the waitress safe from a spreader on holiday in Auckland or Wellington, Chch, or Arrowtown? And what if you don't comply? A fine? Home D? A bit of a prison stint?
Define ' the public' that is demanding stuff from the government would be helpful too. Also consider that there are things the public demands from government and yet, government does very little or what ever it does is belated. Health Care, Mental Healthcare, Housing, crumbling infrastructure, etc.
So yeah, nah, nah. Surveillance under Labour is/will be as bad as it would be under National. They would both abuse the situation if need arises and if they could get away with it.
I could also see a tool of mass surveillance masked under ‘public health’ to be a massive voter turn off. Just saying. Not that these guys would care about that.
As for economic reasons, well they could get the vaccines in the country with a bit of gusto and urgency and maybe they get finished before the next election runs about?
The whole of NZ should be a bit freaked out at the fact that some covid carrying dude from OZ came to NZ for a bit of leisure and plague spreading.
So, close the door. Unless really the government is now so outta cash that it needs the foreign currency injection so badly that it rather put us under constant surveillance then close the door to people and re-instate the two weeks mandatory quarantine.
And the 'some ask for harsher' methods is not clearly defined, could literally just be some government flunky who realised that Covid is also an issue for those that are well heeled. In fact, that is the issue is it not, its not spread world wide by the poor, but by those that can afford to holiday and fly. But the poor will have to pay the bill, again. Right?
I can not wait for 2023 to come soon enough, just so that i can again vote against these people.
Just get on with the vaccination roll out. And on the topic why have not these alternatives been cleared yet ??
Our closed boarders are only a stop gap until science prevails with the answer/solutions.
and re the phone how will they know that you or I have zapped the app ? Not sure how a government agent will be able to ask to check your or my phone at a pub ?
"The whole of NZ should be a bit freaked out at the fact that some covid carrying dude from OZ came to NZ for a bit of leisure and plague spreading."
I'm not freaked out. The system is working. My concern is where Labour push the system beyond its limits due to economics. I'd be happy with stronger border controls and shifting NZ to a steady state, relocalised economy, but that's not going to happen.
the system works? the system works insofar that we can trace the virus.
But until we have a confirmed case, that case can meander about the country spreading the plague where ever they go.
Maybe ask someone who works at a supermarket, pharmacy, etc if they think the 'system' works. Maybe ask a Nurse at the local ED department if they think the system and works, and then ask how long they think if will hold up if we had an outbreak here like OZ now has.
Maybe ask someone who works public facing if they should wear a mask for 8 + hours a day, just so that some guys from Oz can come over and have a holiday.
The system does not work in preventing an outbreak, it only works in tracing it and hopefully before it goes rampant is brought under control. What do you think your chances are if there were an outbreak? Yes, everyone should be freaked.
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – 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. ...
Brian Easton writes – 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 (I will report on them ...
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 ...
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 ...
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Is it just me, or has Glenn Greenwald shifted to the right over the past year or two? He seems to support Trump, and also, more disturbingly, seems to claim to be in favour of civil liberties, but is now very pro police being able to gun down blacks like dogs in the middle of the street.
I have emailed him to clarify these views, but he never replied.
Would you please be so kind to include a link, so that we can all be on the same page?
Just scroll through his twitter feed. The guy wants to give police in the USA power to give out summary executions.
In that case, please provide a link to his Twitter feed. Not everybody here is on Twitter and they might still want to access it through a browser, as I tend to do from time to time. Ideally, please provide a link to one or two specific Twitter feeds that support your comment. Don’t expect others to do the digging.
Yes provide a link to show us all where Greenwald has said or even implied that supports "police being able to gun down blacks like dogs in the middle of the street." and "guy wants to give police in the USA power to give out summary executions."..if you cannot provide those links, I believe these comments really need to be removed.
Given my browser no longer works with the toolbar here I cannot link to it, but Greenwald’s current focus on Twitter is that Democrats are not taking public concerns about violent crime as seriously as they do their own security on Capitol Hill (and he claims that because Biden has not done anything for Assange this means he wants to criminalise journalism).
Which is not support for police doing summary executions, but is, what it is.
So in other words millsy is just making shit up…..those comments should really be moderated, not that I am trying to tell moderators how to do their job, but millsy's comments seem to be straight out slander.
Jonathan Cook is a really thoughtful and thought provoking journalist.
No wonder he was chucked off the Guardian .They refused to print his dispatches from Jerusalem because they didn't reflect the core values of the Guardian (not pro Israel enough)
https://www.jonathan-cook.net/blog/2021-06-22/greenwald-trump-happened/
Sorry , should have included a bit more info about the link
an excerpt
“Others on the left recoil from this approach. They warn that, by fixating on Trump, elements of the left have drifted into worryingly authoritarian ways of thinking – sometimes openly, more often implicitly – as a bulwark against the return of Trump or anyone like him.”
It is there plain is day. He is starting to carry on about crime – that has always been used as an exuce to let cops gun down and beat up who they damn well please,
Here's his twittering.
https://twitter.com/ggreenwald
All my points illustrated there and then. You simply cannot be in favour if civil liberties if you support the right of cops to beat and shoot whoever they like.
The guy would have supported the KKK and lynching back in the day.
I'm not entirely sure I'd go that far to describe his content. Can you quote the one about beating and shooting whomever they'd like?
Its all implied….
The only mention of police I could see in his last few dozen tweets:
https://twitter.com/ggreenwald/status/1409198083389394960
Your mouth seems to be writing a lot of cheques that the evidence can't cash, millsy.
Glenn Greenwald supports a massive crackdown on civil liberties to fight crime. Its right there, plain as day. The guy is a charlatan, plain and simple.
He probably thought that George Floyd deserved to die,
[you have made a number of allegations about Greenwald and still not provided a single specific example (i.e. tweet) to support these. It definitely looks like you’re making up shit.
You’re now in Pre-Moderation until you provide links to specific tweets to support all of your allegations made today here on OM about Greenwald or until you withdraw each and every one of them or until you’ll be moved to the Ban list for a while – Incognito]
See my Moderation note @ 2:36 pm
Plain as day. When did you stop beating your wife?
@millsy, just as a matter of interest do you also believe that Trump was enabled by Putin?..just wondering, as your desperate efforts to extrapolate that bullshit out of Greenwalds tweets is giving me flash backs to that mad debunked conspiracy theory and the tortured logic that often went with it.
Yes.
It is just you.
Hopefully this guy gets a decent sentence handed down from the judge that will actually act as a deterrent.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/300343177/police-officer-hospitalised-with-serious-concussion-after-alleged-assault-in-central-auckland
Well these two wont be "parents of the year". A shame these kids weren't taken away from the parents.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/125552709/parents-jailed-for-injuring-children
Yeah, nahh… everybody has their eyes peeled on other issues. Drugs and alcohol not that much. Child violence, poverty and child death has not improved despite so many promises. But we have 16 billion to give for corporate welfare. Feelin so much better…sarc.
Can we stop global warming climate change?
We are quite capable of stopping climate change
Will we stop global warming/climate change?
No we won't
Why?
Because there is no political will to do so.
We need to be that 'motivation’, ‘to make it happen'.
These wilful criminals need to be sued and protested against for all they are worth.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
OK Boomer
Those most at risk from Cov-19 are in the older age bracket.
Those most at risk from climate change are the young people.
Maybe this explains the difference between the extraordinary efforts taken to prevent covid-19 and the lackluster efforts taken to prevent climate change.
We need to harness our outrage to demand that our governing bodies do something about it.
Detailed analysis of SUFW's stance – not my content and I am not in a position to comment on it but I figure people here deserve to have access to it. https://postingdad.medium.com/speak-up-for-what-d3d7a7cecab9
https://twitter.com/postingdad/status/1409037507912605696
https://twitter.com/postingdad/status/1409063171415937028
SUFW is a group set up to wage war on the trans community.
You will find that it is the God-people that are jerking their chain if you dig deep enough.
[please provide some evidence that Christians control SUFW or retract the assertion – weka]
[assertion has now been retracted below – weka]
Look, Sacha can post links to Tweets.
Um, the trick is to put the link on a line of their own here and this system expands them out automatically.
Your tip is handy, thank you.
The trick is to put just a tiny little bit of effort into it and when it fails, ask for technical assistance here.
Trial and errer.
I understand the SUFW is trying to protect the rights of women and also women only spaces. They are also trying to stop children being encouraged to transition rather than growing up gay. Its seems to me that it is the trans movement that is more likely to be funded by fundamental religious groups. A man with long hair, high heels, makeup and wearing a dress is still a man and no matter how deluded will always be a man.
[Janice, my commitment here as a moderator and feminist is to try and prevent the gender/sex war taking place on TS. The boundaries around robust debate and not using language that effectively excludes others is different from elsewhere. Your comment is a problem in two ways (plus the request below re funding):
I’m figuring out how to moderate in this debate, so I hope you will take more care. It’s always fine to ask for clarification – weka]
Jasus. There is no equivalence to be being Trans or Gay other than their fight for acceptance in society. When I grew up when it was illegal to be Gay it didn't mean I started wearing frocks.
"A man with long hair, high heels, makeup and wearing a dress is still a man and no matter how deluded will always be a man.?"
Do you have any idea, or care, how offensive comments like this are.
If your comment is reflective of religious bigotry or the SUFW movement then you, churches and the SUFW should STFU
I also think it’s incredibly offensive and will be keeping an eye on this as a moderator.
" When I grew up when it was illegal to be Gay it didn't mean I started wearing frocks."…Wonder how Quentin Crisp would have got on in today's climate?
Whatever the answer, here is an incredible interview of an extremely interesting man who was on the forefront of being openly gay in the UK…
I think the very brave Mr Crisp would be a very "happy camper" in todays society and I, for one, am grateful to him so we can ride on his beautifully bloused shoulders.
Janice possible means physically – which may well be true. We shouldn't be so touchy about expressions before we found out what is meant. Some in this forum have English as their second language. If we really care, we care about everybody and their perspective. How else can you get consensus even if it is that there are different opinions?
As with Millsy, can you please provide the evidence that the trans rights movement is funded by religious fundamentalist groups.
For clarity and with regard to the nature of the debate, when you say man you mean biologically make right?
Are you saying that trans women as a group are deluded?
Mod note for you Janice
Janice just make your points quietly and reasonably and don't bring in suggestions that feel like hyperbole likely to arouse emotions from either side of the debate. Just saying, from experience.
emotion is fine. Flaming is not.
Do you know of any legitimate organisations which advocate for womans rights (especially where they conflict with trans rights)? Or are they all transphobic by doing that advocacy?
NZ's National Council for Women seems like a relevant organisation: https://www.ncwnz.org.nz/
Mod note for you Millsy.
Thanks Weka. Millsy, where is your evidence. A claim like that needs to be backed up or please retract.
I know your claim to be absolutely false.
See retraction at end of thread.
Not really in the mood to argue today.
New tweet to start from/share:
https://twitter.com/postingdad/status/1409239796011081728
Not so very long ago The Science declared that human brains do not mature until about 25 years of age.
Speak Up For Women quite rightly have grave concerns about teenagers being encouraged to undergo life altering chemical and surgical 'therapies'.
Watchful waiting and talking therapies are more appropriate.
Pro child-transitioning 'advocates' have declared this treatment approach to children and young people experiencing gender dysphoria as 'denying them access to healthcare'.
Just wait for the right wing to take those grave concerns and apply them to general sexual health matters, including contraception and abortion.
Just wait for the right wing ….
Do you really think this is a left wing/right wing issue?
If you read widely on the topic you'll find that some of the most gender (ideology) critical feminists were firmly planted in the Left. Until they began to speak up about the impact on women and girls of accepting without question that 'transwomen are women'. Then the pile on from the wokest left drove them away.
Not to the right…btw…but away.
IMHO I don't believe the traditional definitions of 'Left' and "right' apply anymore.
Nah, I think the trans thing is as much of a generational issue as a political issue.
But social conservatives (i.e. the "right wing") will take the UK court findings about teenage consent for medical procedures and apply them to other medical procedures. Like abortion and contraception.
the people opposed to any sort of sex ed in schools will sure want to stop teens asking the doc for the pill.
I suggest the person on Twitter who asks so many questions about SUFW attends one of their public meetings to find some answers……….The group that has been referred to as a hate group, which the High Court found was patently not true, is now able to hold meetings in Council premises as the High Court concluded was their democratic right.
Usually the research that is used to determine health decisions in Aotearoa, is from overseas, e.g Covid vaccines. NZ doesn't have the same population or funding to undertake Gold Standard research. BTW NICE guidelines on puberty blockers are that there is little evidence to support them improving gender dysphoria, mental health and Body image. They are experimental. I am sorry I don't have a link at hand, but promise to post later. I am running late today!
When you have some time I suggest you read his blog post that answers all those questions.
Didn't click on it sorry Sacha. Will do so.
Ok just had a quick glance and will need more time from me but will do later.
My understanding is that SUFW was the BDMR bill kept as it is where a small number of people, because that is all it is, have to apply to the family court and have a medical exam to change their birth cert. NB my understanding is that genital surgery is not a requirement of this
Sacha I just got home from work. The blog you posted has a hell of a lot of information in it. I am to comment on my views in this area. I am not SUFW nor am I a member.
Reading through it I agree with most of SUFW views. So maybe I will comment on all these areas tonight on Open mike if I get to or or tomorrow.
Relatedly, a recent NZ opinion piece about priorities in women's sport: https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/women-in-sport/300341029/the-biggest-threat-to-womens-sport-is-not-the-inclusion-of-transgender-athletes
I read that the other day.
And re- read it.
Revised the heading to "Inclusion of transgender women just the latest threat to women's sport."
https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/the-detail/story/2018757712/the-science-of-transgender-women-in-sport
But actually Sacha, it is the trans gender inclusion in women's sport. Here's the science. There is another article I hope to find about the shaky science the Olympic committee used to reach their decision on trans women. its an interesting read.
From the extract I quoted above:
I agree with all Zoe George says about women's sport but as Rosemary said I add the Trans gender issues as a recent threat and the the two articles on the science of trans gender in womens sport are why
One of the tactics that is sometimes used against gender critical women is the old "look over there!" I think we need to stick to the issues personally
would you mind talking about trans women in women's sports? I think the issues for trans men are different.
you might find this an interesting read.
Title X and full inclusion of trans girls and women in the US.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/04/15/transgender-athletes-womens-sports-title-ix/
Then there is the skaky science on the exclusion of a South African athlete from their specialist 800m and 1500 metre events, yet allowing them to compete over sprint distances or field events – the entire history of testosterone supplements for competitive advantage has been in sprint or field events.
https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/06/the-problems-with-laurel-hubbards-qualifying-for-the-olympics-as-a-woman/?fbclid=IwAR0isT5R–76ozVZuocMnfRhSMoi
And this piece about how it was decided Trans gender could compete at the Olympics. Interesting that there was nofemaleweight lifting till 2000.
Will get back to you soon Sacha. Juggling a busy day
[general mod note on the sex/gender debate:
1. I’ll be moderating to maintain TS kaupapa of robust debate that doesn’t use language or tone to exclude people. Please read the Policy.
2. I’ll also be moderating to prevent the war that is happening elsewhere from happening here. I expect a level of respect for people even where there is disagreement on position or politics.
3. I suggest people read mod notes and comments over time to learn where the boundaries are. There are examples in Open Mike today.
4. on days I am busy I won’t have time to explain and will be more using the mod tools like pre mod and short bans to take the heat out of the debate if it’s getting out of hand. I will try and give warnings.
5. other mods will make decisions about how to moderate, this is a statement about my own approach. We do discuss moderation in the back end.
6. It’s always ok to ask questions if unclear on boundaries or TS debate culture
7. I’d really like to see TS as an exemplar of how to debate the gender/sex issues, and would appreciate all sides helping with that]
Ok, I retract the statement made earlier on this morning about SUFW.
Thanks Millsy. I respect that. I think we all make assumptions and I appreciate your retraction
For what it is worth about the Laurel Hubbard saga, does anyone know if she has had gender reassignment surgery and is she now legally female on her birth certificate? If no to either, then she shouldn't go.
Transgender athletes should be required to undergo full transition before competing. That is the best solution for everyone.
AFAIK you don’t need to surgically transition to change BC sex in NZ.
why should surgery be necessary for inclusion in Olympic sport?
BC?
Birth Certificate.
Testosterone has a huge impact on muscle strength. Competing against females (biological) will provide an advantage.
https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-testosterone
Hi Millsy the competitive advantage that Laureen has over female weight lifters starts with testosterone in the womb. If you want a link to that I will find it but it was from a scientist at Otago medical school. Once puberty kicks in the advantage increases significantly. If a man has his testicles removed he will produce very little testosterone. But going through male puberty already gives the advantages of a larger heart, larger lungs with greater capacity, larger bones, more haemoglobin, a specific type of muscle which gives men an advantage, height, hand size for sports like rugby. Men also are faster than women, the fastest 10,000men on the planet can out run the one fastest women. Some of these men are 14 years old and some are 50. The two articles I posted today on transgender in sport cover it well.
Yet Lauren Hubbard is the first trans athlete who has qualified to compete in an Olympics.
Yes this is why the issues is being debated. The Olympic committee only changed the trans gender regulations in 2015 or thereabouts.
But in the States Trans women BMX riders are competing with women and winning titles. Same in Italy.
Obviously sporting bodies are aware of the transgender issue and trying to formulate policy. It is something to be addressed, even if at this stage it is just Laureen Hubbard. Allowing trans women to play rugby with women will not only be unfair, it will be dangerous.
There is a proposal that there are two sporting categories women and other and I support this. I think in doing this it allows for fairness to women and girls, while not depriving anyone of the chance to compete.
Afterall it is bodies that play sport, not identities.
I am totally confused about this debate as I think are many others. So i'll ask for a little information.
Setting aside what people do in the privacy of their own homes (who cares about how many Teddy bears they share a room with) what are the issues when it comes to Public facing interactions such as playing sport or using spaces that are used or classified as "male" or "female".
Are we looking at three groups female, interzone and male or is it going to stick with two groups? If we stick with two groups do interzone (regardless of medical procedures undertaken or not) select public facing interactions on a fairly permanent basis as to how they wish to be perceived? Or do we have three groups and assign public facing interactions on some basis over those 3 groups? And if we assign then how do we do it? If we have three groups do we use a neutral pronoun
will do my best to put my tuppence in.may come later today
One example: women’s refuges where traumatised women would have to share spaces with traumatised trans women. Trauma informed support would be not subjecting a woman whose been raped to be housed with a male bodied person, because of retraumatisation. Doesn’t take too much searching to see where there are already problems with this. Solution: retain women only services and set up trans and/gender neutral services. Do the political work to make sure funding is adequate.
Agree REdBaronCV what people do in the privacy of their own homes (as long of course it is mutually consenting adults).
I am speaking up for women (though not a member of that group). The human rights act clearly set out that women have rights to separate spaces in public toilets and change rooms. I want it to stay that way.
The human rights Act also makes the provision for separate women's spaces in accommodation such as hostels, shelters prisons and refuges. The right to have single sex schools for women. It also makes provisions for women's only sports.
I support moves to keep the preservation of these rights. While I do see myself as able to offer complete solutions to issues about Transgender people , eg how they get to play sport , what change rooms they are in, I want to preserve the arrangements we have (although already we have a biological male who is competing in women's elite sport at Olympic level). Women are being expected to automatically comply with allowing trans women to assess domains that are normally reserved for them. Female weight lifters are being told not to speak up about Laureen Hubbard.
I also have huge concerns about introducing gender ideology to school children as young as 7 years old. Kids are being taught there are all these difference gender's you can be e.g pan gender, gender fluid, trans etc. They are presented with flags that go with each gender. I don't believe there is any science behind gender ideology (correct me if I am wrong). I think children at this age are not capable of abstract thought so will just accept these ideas as truths.
We have significant increases of children and young teens as identifying as transgender and we are not sure why. So we now have 12 years old being prescribed puberty blockers and then cross hormones. NICE have come out strongly to say there is a lack of evidence to support the efficacy of puberty blockers and unknown long term effects. We have 16 year old girls getting double masectomies and then hysterectomies at 18 years.
So I have many concerns about this whole area. Not sure I have answered you questions.
Hey Anker that was helpful. I noticed Sacha below used a Venn diagram analogy so we are looking at discussing which public activities intersect the men or women circle and which remain outside. with different levels of support etc? When it comes to some things like public rest rooms do we bump up the disabled toilet type facility- which are very much appreciated by some other groups like women/ men with small children who can use them and keep the children close.
As for children of 7 receiving instruction i suspect it will go straight over their heads. In times past I was treated to some work perfect recitations of the facts of life ( some parents do a great job) complete with zero understanding.
So trans women would compete as women? Or do they have to compete with trans men?
Well my view is that if you are born male and have a male's physiology then you compete with men. I think the Other category could be open to anyone, men, trans women and anyone else who wants to compete in that group. The women's category for women born women and that would be open to trans men.
That seems fair and safe to me. But I understand some trans women may feel uncomfortable with this. Interestingly I watched a clip with a UK trans women who was very clear she should be playing with biological males and has joined a men rugby team. Again my view is it is bodies that play sports not identities. That is why in weightlifting and boxing there are separate categories for different weights. You wouldn't put a light weight man with a heavy weight. BTW Laureen Hubbard is competing in a category that her weight well exceeds in.
I am really sorry about this. I realize this is difficult for some trans people. But my full support goes to women and girls. I am speaking up for the female weight lifters who have been told to stay quiet about Laureen Hubbard. If not me and groups like SUFW then who?
In other words, genetic females. Why not just say that?
How about people use the language they use to best communicate what they’re trying to communicate except where they’re being excessively offensive.
When trying to communicate about sex and gender it pays to know the difference.
We already have one standard word in this language that describes both ‘women born women’ and ‘trans men’ in this context. Females.
How did Anker fail to not understand the difference between sex and gender?
most people would understand what she said
I think this is the problem Sacha. To date you are the first person who has told me that i.e women and trans men are females.
May I ask who decided that? I think Weka is correct most people would know what I meant and I do see how want I said could be considered to be offensive.
I don't think of myself as female as such ,unless the options are male or female. I have always thought of myself as a women. End of.
I do think of myself as female, but in English that word is used in some contexts and not others. Woman is more common. Most people still use the word woman to mean biologically female, but it's implied, they're not sitting there thinking about biology because this is how woman has always been used until fairly recently.
Who said 'offensive'? Just illogical.
Nothing novel or controversial in saying that so I'm not sure what company you have been keeping.
In English. And words evolve as cultures do.
words do indeed evolve, but at this point in history there are compelling reasons why women want to have some control over the language that they use, and that affects them.
Woman born woman is an evolution of language that's come out of women wanting to be able to talk about their experience in a highly charge social/political arena. I often just revert to using woman, depending on context, because woman and trans woman is a really effective way to communicate. Everyone knows what is being said.
In venn diagram terms, positioning the circle 'trans women' as outside the circle 'women' is quite different than inside.
Transgender activists and communities have used the term 'cis women' as distinct from trans women' where both are subsets of 'women'.
The 'debate' seems much like white people trying to claim the word 'New Zealander' or 'Kiwi' only for themselves.
Unless one believes that women have the right to self determination, in which case it's more like women resisting men telling women what to do, again.
I don't believe that trans women have the right to tell women how to speak about ourselves. What TAs could be doing instead is working with women on how to resolve the issues, including the conflicts. Most women would be open to that (or would have been, there's some seriously angry GC women around now who've had or seen really shitty things done to women). As far as I can tell a big part of this is the dysphoria that drives trans women to need to be accepted as women to relieve dysphoria. I think there are better ways to approach that than taking away women's rights. I also think there's a level of entitlement in that that needs challenging. And I don't think that dysphoria should be a driving force for such significant social change without serious examination. A lot of that is social rather than regulatory or legislative.
Which only makes sense if you define trans women as not women. Bit circular there.
I believe the Olympics have an issue with having both a womans and an open category. The suggestion is that this reduces the value of the womans category where the competition is close enough that the best women are in the open category. Their preference is for non overlapping categories, though I do think this could be amended if needed.
Reply to Sacha………?Illogical to say women and trans women???????
I have no idea what you mean.
And also what did you mean when you said about the company I keep? You don't even know me.
A comment on Pundit that resonates….
"The Soviet Union became a society where everyone knew what their leaders said was not real, because they could see with their own eyes that the economy was falling apart. But everybody had to play along and pretend that it was real, because no one could imagine any alternative."
"One Soviet writer ( Alexei Yurchak, a professor of anthropology who was born in Leningrad and later went to teach in the United States) called it hypernormalisation."
" We are so much part of the system that it is impossible to see beyond it. The fakeness was hypernormal"
"We live in a world where the powerful deceive us. We know they lie. They know we know they lie. They don't care. We say we care but we do nothing. And nothing ever changes. It's normal. Welcome to the post-truth world. HyperNormalisation"
https://www.pundit.co.nz/content/debt-is-a-part-of-a-modern-economy-it-still-is-even-if-we-call-it-colonial#comments-placeholder=
So Pat. Where does Trump fit in there?
Interesting question….perhaps he's symbolic of a section of the public demonstrating the dishonesty of the system….here is a known liar and crook and we will vote for him as the exemplar of the system.
A demonstration of contempt.
Heh.
Hot off the youtube press, Beau of the fifth column credits dolt45 for normalising the consideration of socialism in the USA.
not quite the same thing but I wouldnt disagree with his analysis either
Adam Curtis did a good questioning of hyper normalisation.
https://thoughtmaybe.com/hypernormalisation/
2 hours 46…..later
Yeah but did you find it interesting. I quite like his stuff ever since All Watched over By Machines Of Loving Grace. which looked at Silicon Valley and it's connections to Ayn Rand amongst other things.
He has a new series which I haven't watched yet.
https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/2021/cgyoomh
These strange days did not just happen. We – and those in power – created them together.
— Adam Curtis
It supports what I've said for a long time – since the 80's – that you need to fundamentally change the power structures – whereas power has focussed on changing individuals – which is really just victim blaming.
We've seen a touch of changing power with the move from Maori consultation to Maori wards. Much more needs to be done to re-empower informed communities in decision making.
Interesting …may find the time to watch later tonight
This legacy of systematic inequity remains a decade after the formation of Auckland Council.
Auckland mayor Phil Goff agrees the current model isn’t fair and he hopes the review can throw up some better options.
“As a result of seven different legacy councils having varying levels of asset investment, assets inherited by and maintained by different local boards receive variable funding,” he says.
“The historic legacy means that some areas are not getting equitable funding with others. There are complex issues to work through, but the joint governance working party and council are examining how to ensure that different parts of the city have equitable access to amenities and that funding is provided on a fair basis across the region.”
At least now there is a working group, so snails pace yourselves.
Inequality in wellbeing is increased by such funding frameworks as those that are currently in place.
Yeah but some councils divested themselves (sold off) income producing assets while others did not. Some councils kept costly upgrade needed housing while others sold it off.
Those who disposed of assets benefitted at the time and I can see why some ratepayers would rightly say they didn't benefit in anyway from the sell-offs made at the time but are expected to see those areas who did sell off benefit from them not doing so.
I also think that central government needs to support those councils who did keep housing by giving them some funding to upgrade their housing stock.
Central government helped the private sector through tax breaks and Housing NZ directly (apart from when national pinched poor peoples rent in the way of dividends leaving little money for maintenance) – the councils were always left out. Those they stayed the course should be now compensated.
It’s also ironic that the right go on about councils should only do sewage and water but we can see across the country that they have neglected this very function but due to the rights focus on shifting costs for things like conference centres and racing events and so on that mainly the elite get to partake in they still manage to spend lots of money.
This is where investment in innovation, technology and new ways of providing housing could have an impact in NZ.
Small houses, delivered for $49,000USD that are able to be connected to services on site within an hour of delivery.
The whole channel is worth watching, when you are disillusioned with the pace of change that you see about you…
https://youtu.be/_W2YDxVi02I
PS. Price includes delivery, fridge and washing machine. You do have to provide your own bed, couch, dining suite…
And your own site, power, water, wastewater, roading, playgrounds, schools….
The system is broken….talk about hypernormality.
Even good old Bernard Hickey has given up and recommends anyone not already owning a house should flee while they still can.
The median voter remains supreme. The government has in recent weeks prioritised “keeping a lid on debt” over infrastructure to ensure houses are built.
Get out while you still can
Those parents still renting and those just graduating into Covid without assets should move now. Giving up hope seems a capitulation. It is. But sometimes discretion is the better part of valour. Sometimes there is no hope. Move to Australia and you’ll find wages are 30-40% higher and rents have fallen $50-100 in the last year.
And your own site, power, water, wastewater.
Yes. But in terms of housing during rebuilds those are already usually onsite. And when your permanent housing is ready, it can be sold. repacked and moved on.
I wasn't suggesting it as THE solution to our housing situation (I believe that is a multipronged one), rather as a tool to be deployed where appropriate.
Also, we do need to look how judicious use of technology in our building industry can be used to design and build with efficient use of resources and lower costs. We are really behind the ball here.
(They also have tried to design to avoid the need for heavy moving trucks and cranes, again reducing costs.)
Nothing new under the sun. (iirc the factory turned out four or five every day)
https://collection.fletcherarchives.co.nz/objects/2432/fletcher-holdings-ltd-beazley-group
[image resized]
Ok, disagree on the comparison. (Not foldable and able to be moved on a trailer… and using basic build techniques to build cheaper, not efficiently. )
More thinking how investment in automated factories and improvements in design and utilising local supply chains may reduce build costs while standardising a high build quality. Beasley homes were just small homes built to be transported. Build costs in NZ are exceptionally high.
Investing in standardised local supply chains for fittings, and utilising technology and automated systems for regional production of State Housing would be beneficial. Current approach is not keeping up.
… and Beasley homes were both mean-spirited and ugly. I bet those that profited from them, never would live in them.
Transportables came late to the party when major infrastructure projects required hundreds of homes in remote locations.
The methods and innovations imported post war by Beazly snr and jnr were employed locally to build thousands of comfortable, affordable homes, like the one I grew up in, to accommodate tens of thousands of working New Zealanders. The majority still stand.
https://www.pressreader.com/new-zealand/manawatu-standard/20100717/281509337461552
The methods and innovations imported post war by Beazly snr and jnr were employed locally to build thousands of comfortable, affordable homes
Jeez. They did not utilise automated systems, or the design software that allows for changes to suit site or orientation. This is possible now without material waste or loss of production efficiency.
But ok, I understand you think there is no room for improvement in building design, material wastage, build time or costs.
… BTW used a relocatable to add extra bedrooms, so not unfamiliar with them. The transport costs can be high. The smaller units shown could be transported on a trailer.
Excluding cars from areas in Wellington CBD – what impact will that have on small businesses?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/445647/wellington-businesses-lose-customers-as-level-2-restrictions-continue
https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/the-detail/story/2018801327/barriers-everywhere-for-disabled-people
It is estimated that thousands of people with disabilities are living in unsuitable accommodation but only 2 percent of houses are accessible in Aotearoa.
Kāinga Ora plans to make 15 percent of new houses accessible and there is growing pressure for more.
It's not only housing, new plans for carless city centres block out people who struggle to walk or cycle.
A proposal to make Wellington's Golden Mile car-free has been criticised for excluding a large part of the population, while the head of a recreation group has highlighted the barriers to the country's great walks for disabled people.
Sweeping new changes that sound good, look good in nicely coloured promotions, are often coming from the idealist not the realist perspective.
car-free doesn't seem to have killed Cuba St over the decades.
Car free Manners Mall ( now used by buses) was a dogbox but now much better. The bottom end of Cuba Street is deserted pretty much – people don’t even walk through there
Seemed pretty busy when I was there earlier in the year.
Only go to welly once a year or so. Sad TonTory on Manners st is no more – always liked that place late at night.
This little proposal is worse than that. Yes anyone who can't walk a reasonable distance or climb on a bus can forget it under this.
But the underlying study focused on only three parts of the day, morning and evening rush times and the lunch break. Now to get the buses through pronto we should probably get all private transport ( cars and cycles as well, out of the bus route at those morning and evening times. The actual volumes are low on the actual route ( the side streets are different) so that's not too disruptive. I include cycles because no matter what the number of lanes is limited and will remain so and we don't need buses following slow bikes. There won't be much more space for pedestrians either.
No reason why private transport can't use and park outside those times. A lot of the area is sunless caverns outside lunch hours (it was designed like that in the past) and in the evenings the lower two thirds are absolutely deserted. It will stop people parking when they want to go to a show other evening entertainment etc. It doesn't address the impacts on surrounding areas either or unavoidable road closure and alternate routes when disaster strikes.
Worse of all is the $59 to $76 mill price tag. There would be some minor works needed on the vehicle carriage way but the rest of the price tag looks like $50 mill of planter boxes and paving.
Frankly it's ideology gone mad dressed in high priced designer togs.
.
RedBaroncv – The idea is the thing. The council planners have to come up with something new and bold etc etc.
I have a feeling that this impetus for Councils is exemplified in this intro for a video meeting of Councils. I don't want to point the finger at any particular council but the current emphasis on being excellent, leading edge, world class etc. all spells money, and perhaps measures beyond what would be satisfactory and useful. Is 'good enough' OK for the average ratepayer? I think they might be getting to that POV:
This … will cover the ,,,,Council's continuous improvement efforts, and all it has done in its pursuit of excellence.
[It] has shown courageous leadership as it strives towards the goal of being the very best Council in New Zealand. Their journey started four years ago when the Council undertook its first CouncilMARK™ assessment which helped …. establish a baseline of performance. From there, a comprehensive work programme was created that centered around continuous improvement.
While the ratepayers spend their time hoping the money is spent well. Seems to be a vast increase in style over substance in some areas. The courageous always makes me laugh – what are they expecting – everyone to wade through a crocodile infested swamp?
Government looking at compulsory scanning in important areas,
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/300343498/covid19-nz-live-cabinet-has-commissed-advice-around-potentially-making-qr-scanning-compulsory-ardern-says
So the government is going to hand out free phones.Wheee. Much better idea than closing the travel bubble, All this sounds horribly detached from peoples real lives.
And I can't say I liked this Jacinda comment on any level. you know privacy, commercial firms tracking us, sticking it on overseas databases
"We expect that over time requiring people to scan in would become a part of normal life."
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/445682/government-to-consider-mandatory-masks-qr-code-scanning-pm-jacinda-ardern
Pretty sure when they say scan they mean scan or sign in. The issue with signing in is that the government hasn't set up good systems. Who wants to use a pen that lots of other people have just used in the middle of an outbreak? It's solvable, they just haven't done the mahi.
I'm reasonably ok with what's happening with the app data currently (it's not shared with govt, and afaik stays on the phone rather in the cloud. Commercial companies don't have access?). My concern is what a National government would do to change that, and what Labour might do if pressured enough.
Labour atm has a majority, so really they don't feel pressured to do anything they don't like to do. As for National, let me put it this way, they would do exactly what is legal to do and they would go as far as they could, and Labour if the shoe were on the other side would do exactly the same. I mean, really.
Do you trust Labour to setup a surveillance system that would be 'National' proof? Because making ‘a scanning in a thing of norm’ is plowing the grounds to lay some seeds of mass surveillance. And the plants growing of these seeds won’t be good ones.
Nope. But the current app system seems reasonably ok for now.
Pressure on Labour would be economic pressure, but also closer to the election pressure. Pressure of a scared public demanding the govt be punitive to non-complyers.
Emphasis on 'current'. Currently it is not mandatory. Once it is mandatory who will monitor and how, and i don't trust this government any further on that then i would trust a National government on it.
The ones bringing Covid to our shores are coming in via plane, they are not living here. So really how keeps forcing you to sign in in Dunedin keeps the waitress safe from a spreader on holiday in Auckland or Wellington, Chch, or Arrowtown? And what if you don't comply? A fine? Home D? A bit of a prison stint?
Define ' the public' that is demanding stuff from the government would be helpful too. Also consider that there are things the public demands from government and yet, government does very little or what ever it does is belated. Health Care, Mental Healthcare, Housing, crumbling infrastructure, etc.
So yeah, nah, nah. Surveillance under Labour is/will be as bad as it would be under National. They would both abuse the situation if need arises and if they could get away with it.
I could also see a tool of mass surveillance masked under ‘public health’ to be a massive voter turn off. Just saying. Not that these guys would care about that.
As for economic reasons, well they could get the vaccines in the country with a bit of gusto and urgency and maybe they get finished before the next election runs about?
Apparently there were Wellingtonians a bit freaked out yesterday.
https://twitter.com/BarristerNZ/status/1408313981421244417
read the thread, it's interesting, including the people who disagree with him about the app.
The whole of NZ should be a bit freaked out at the fact that some covid carrying dude from OZ came to NZ for a bit of leisure and plague spreading.
So, close the door. Unless really the government is now so outta cash that it needs the foreign currency injection so badly that it rather put us under constant surveillance then close the door to people and re-instate the two weeks mandatory quarantine.
And the 'some ask for harsher' methods is not clearly defined, could literally just be some government flunky who realised that Covid is also an issue for those that are well heeled. In fact, that is the issue is it not, its not spread world wide by the poor, but by those that can afford to holiday and fly. But the poor will have to pay the bill, again. Right?
I can not wait for 2023 to come soon enough, just so that i can again vote against these people.
Thinking I'll get me a burner phone for govt comms. And never answer it.
Just get on with the vaccination roll out. And on the topic why have not these alternatives been cleared yet ??
Our closed boarders are only a stop gap until science prevails with the answer/solutions.
and re the phone how will they know that you or I have zapped the app ? Not sure how a government agent will be able to ask to check your or my phone at a pub ?
who are you going to vote for?
"The whole of NZ should be a bit freaked out at the fact that some covid carrying dude from OZ came to NZ for a bit of leisure and plague spreading."
I'm not freaked out. The system is working. My concern is where Labour push the system beyond its limits due to economics. I'd be happy with stronger border controls and shifting NZ to a steady state, relocalised economy, but that's not going to happen.
@Weka,
like the last time a third party. I will neither vote for L, N or G. No use.
the system works? the system works insofar that we can trace the virus.
But until we have a confirmed case, that case can meander about the country spreading the plague where ever they go.
Maybe ask someone who works at a supermarket, pharmacy, etc if they think the 'system' works. Maybe ask a Nurse at the local ED department if they think the system and works, and then ask how long they think if will hold up if we had an outbreak here like OZ now has.
Maybe ask someone who works public facing if they should wear a mask for 8 + hours a day, just so that some guys from Oz can come over and have a holiday.
The system does not work in preventing an outbreak, it only works in tracing it and hopefully before it goes rampant is brought under control. What do you think your chances are if there were an outbreak? Yes, everyone should be freaked.