“Every murder is devastating for those who know the victim. But during the ten-year period between 2013-2022 only four homicides of trans people were recorded in the UK, once reporting errors were corrected. During the same period, 7,118 homicides were recorded in the UK, combining data for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. This suggests that murders of trans people were a tiny fraction of all murders, 0.056 per cent. This is around an order of magnitude lower than the Census estimate of the proportion of trans people in the population at 0.58 per cent. In other words, trans people were greatly underrepresented among homicide victims. Thanks to the Census, trans people can have confidence that they may safely ignore alarmist rhetoric encouraging them to fear for their lives.”
that's a very good quote. I'd like to see similar analysis of violence against trans men, and trans women, because I suspect this is a problem. But really we need good research on exactly how discrimination against trans people is functioning. Most of what I see is more qualitative than quantitative.
No, I am not about to forget the Trans Genocide "rhetoric"; Visubversa. I did look at that Spectator piece, and the linked article about "reporting errors". Leaving aside the tone of the writing, the world is bigger than the UK. I don't have the time to track down all original sources from the other side of the world over the past decade, but here is one case that was excluded as a reporting error in the TMM:
…found dead in Heron Court, Victoria Road, Worthing on 19 November.
Two men aged 34 and 63, both from Worthing, were arrested on suspicion of murder and released on bail.
A 63-year-old man has been charged with assaulting Ms… who was known as Jacqui, on 18 November…
"Although we are no longer treating her death as suspicious, we are still investigating the assault on her the night before, during which she was injured."
As well as suffering from depression and epilepsy, she also struggled to control her alcoholism – something she is said to have made great strides to overcome in recent years.”…
A post-mortemproved inconclusive and further tests are to be carried out to confirm the cause of death. Detective Inspector Gordon Denslow said: “We are still trying to confirm exactly what happened in the hours before her death.
If I had to guess, I'd say this Jacqui probably killed herself after being assaulted (I've known people in Aotearoa who have gone that way). Which isn't exactly murder, but still less than desirable.
However the annual; Trans Murder Monitoring (TMM), report itself is upfront with it's methodological limitations. And also that many of those reported murdered are sex workers, as well as being trans (which the "reporting errors" author regards as; "a fact that has been quietly brushed under the carpet."):
The year 2022 saw 327 reported murders of trans and gender-diverse people between 1 October 2021 and 30 September 2022. With 222 cases, Latin America and the Caribbean remains the region that reported most of the murders…
95% of those murdered globally were trans women or trans feminine people;
Half of murdered trans people whose occupation is known were sex workers;
These numbers are just a small glimpse into the reality on the ground. The majority of the data came from countries with a strong network of trans and LGBTIQ organisations that conduct the monitoring.
One of the major problems with the TMM is that there is little data from Africa – with its reliance on LGBTIQ organisations providing it to them, given TGEU's limited budget. But what information does come out of that continent is pretty grim, and what doesn't make it out may be worse:
Being transgender in Kenya can be dangerous. In 2021, her friend was stoned to death by a mob on a beach near the city of Malindi, she said. A few months later, Arya said she was chased by people wielding machetes.
Arya, 27, said the protections of the safe house have been all the more important over the past week as a backlash against lesbian, gay and transgender Kenyans has flared following the death of LGBTQ rights activist Edwin Chiloba.
Chiloba's body was found in a metal box on the roadside near the city of Eldoret… "People were going through other gay people's social media saying, 'Have you seen Chiloba? You are next,'" said Arya…
Amnesty International and other campaign groups last week said there had been increasing cases of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), as well as domestic abuse, across Kenya.
They said there was an "uncoordinated and often reluctant response to SGBV from State and non-state actors" and called on authorities to do more to investigate crimes and work with survivors.
So turning to now reality of trans genocide; this is not simply the annual death count in any given country (though I am certainly not planning on going to Brazil anytime soon!), but rather seeking to eradicate a group of people from society. The question to me is whether the current laws recognize trans (and wider LGNTQ+) people under the umbrella of; "a national, ethnical, racial or religious group":
Raphäel Lemkin led the campaign to have genocide recognised and codified as an international crime…
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has repeatedly stated that the Convention embodies principles that are part of general customary international law. This means that whether or not States have ratified the Genocide Convention, they are all bound as a matter of law by the principle that genocide is a crime prohibited under international law. The ICJ has also stated that the prohibition of genocide is a peremptory norm of international law (or ius cogens) and consequently, no derogation from it is allowed.
The ideological constructions of transgender women promoted by gender critical ideologues are particularly genocidal. They share many features in common with other, better known, genocidal ideologies. Transgender women are represented as stealth border crossers who seek to defile the purity of cisgender women, much as Tutsi women were viewed in Hutu Power ideology and Jewish men in Nazi antisemitism. Trans people in general are framed as figures that threaten the wholeness of the patriarchal nuclear family as well as the strength and vitality of national communities, much in the way that ethnic and national targets of genocide are viewed as cosmic enemies of the perpetrator group. Like the religious targets of genocidal violence, trans people are often described as somehow polluted, sinful, or against God. They are blamed for a host of social problems that have nothing to do with them or with the free expression of their identities.
"…So turning to now reality of trans genocide; this is not simply the annual death count in any given country (though I am certainly not planning on going to Brazil anytime soon!), but rather seeking to eradicate a group of people from society. …"
This is assumptive rhetoric, familiar, but not proven by any of your links.
The transgender component has to be isolated out from other factors. As you are no doubt aware, many of the deaths you refer to in Brazil involve those involved in prostitution or the drug trade. Mortality rates are exceptionally high in that environment, transgender or not.
Citation needed on the drug trade bit; Molly, but many trans people certainly do feel they have few options except sex work (fortunately not so much in Aotearoa). I don't personally feel that sex workers are asking to be killed, any more than someone dressed like a sex worker is asking to be sexually assaulted. I do not feel too confident that I can disentangle the ant- trans from sex-worker motivation in Brazilian murders – just not having any intention going there myself anytime soon.
I linked to the UN page that quotes text from the 1948 convention:
In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:
Killing members of the group;
Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
My question is mainly if trans people can be regarded as a "religious group" by the terms of this convention, if the region defining them is not there own. In the USA many anti-laws are promulgated on explicit religious basis, and there is little reason to suppose their present Supreme Court will strike them down on the basis of separation of church and faith.
More legislation has been filed to restrict the lives of trans people so far in 2022 than at any other point in the nation’s history, with trans youth being the most frequent target of lawmakers…
Several governors also have put through their own forms of restrictions.
Earlier this year, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) issued a directive requiring child welfare agents to investigate gender-affirming medical procedures as child abuse — an order that could strip trans children away from their families.
Texas’ child welfare agency is once again blocked from investigating parents who provide gender-affirming care to their transgender children. The injunction applies to any family that belongs to PFLAG, an LGBTQ advocacy group with more than 600 members in Texas.
The injunction also specifically protects a handful of families named in the suit, including the Briggles, outspoken advocates for transgender youth who were among the first to be investigated under this directive.
This is the latest chapter in a monthslong legal battle over whether providing medically indicated gender-affirming health care, under the guidance of a doctor, could result in a finding of child abuse by the state.
I do know that if someone tried to take my children away to give to dubious care of Oranga Tamariki on the basis of supposed child abuse from following medical advice, I would be going to the courts myself. And if the NZ supreme court supported the decision (if say; a new christo-fascist had been elected and had passed a law requiring this), then taking the NZ government to the International Court of Justice on the basis of facilitating genocide would not seem excessive to me.
Fortunately that is not the situation here at present. Places like Brazil, Uganda, Afghanistan, and possibly the USA (depending how the 2024 election goes) might be a different case.
Sex trade is inexorably involved with the drug trade, but it is good to see you acknowledge that the mortality rate in Brazil cannot be attributed to what you refer to as an eradication due to transgender status.
Children are being removed from families in the US and Australia by the equivalent of Oranga Tamariki, for NOT immediately providing affirming social transition and/or medical or surgical transition. These children, many with co-morbidities, are not assessed for these co-morbidities or undergoing exploratory therapy, they are alienated from their families in order to transition. Your imagined scenario is happening in reverse in reality. But that seems often to be the case, imagined persecution versus actual harm.
Recent papers following up on the Dutch Protocol long-term outcomes are not supporting of transition of minors. One such can be found here. There are many more. What has always been missing is robust data supporting the transition of minors. Instead there have been non-medically evidenced activist guidelines being taken as fundamental evidence.
The situation you write of in the state of Texas, is perhaps due to the fact that Texas, unlike California, has looked at the evidence provided for social, medical and surgical transition and found that robust data in respect to net benefits for minors is not available. There is also little quality data available in terms of a positive impact on suicidal ideation. Countries or health authorities who undertake independent literature reviews are unanimously coming to the conclusion that the use of medical or surgical interventions for minors is harmful.
It is likely that with that information to hand, the Gov of Texas, Greg Abbott, asked the Attorney General to ascertain whether the provision of medical and surgical interventions was detrimental to the well-being of children, and falls into the category of child abuse. The written response is sobering:
"I do know that if someone tried to take my children away to give to dubious care of Oranga Tamariki on the basis of supposed child abuse from following medical advice, I would be going to the courts myself. And if the NZ supreme court supported the decision (if say; a new christo-fascist had been elected and had passed a law requiring this), then taking the NZ government to the International Court of Justice on the basis of facilitating genocide would not seem excessive to me."
I have OIA'd the Ministry of Health regarding their guidelines for the medical transitioning of minors, and while appalled, am not surprised to find that our treatment response is the last daisy in a chain that originates from the WPATH guidelines. Once again, guidelines written by activists, without clinical evidence. For this reason, I feel the current medical advice is not only not proven to be beneficial, but given the outcome of actual literature reviews, causes harm. So, I will, along with others be writing to Andrew Little, once more to ask him to do due diligence on this issue, and conduct an independent review of the literature available.
The constant cry of trans genocide, and suicidal ideation is one that I find hard to forgive, when it comes to young people. This is the only time where constant referrals of self harm is magnified by advocates, despite the evidence that doing so actually increases distress and likelihood of harm. Add to that, the association of people not complying with demands in regards to your declared identity, with bigotry, fascism, hatred, transphobia and eradication, and you have another significant harm done to young people who already have personal issues that are overwhelming.
I find your rhetoric in this vein and have very little patience with it.
They are blamed for a host of social problems that have nothing to do with them or with the free expression of their identities.
They are also particularly strident when it comes to their 'right' to invade spaces that exclude biological males for safety reasons. By doing so they have largely discredited themselves, not as individuals, but as a thread of advocacy.
it's useful to differentiate between trans women (who hold a wide ranges of beliefs and have a wide range of behaviours, just like other groups), and gender identity activists (aka trans rights activists).
thanks for this in depth post. I agree that we should be noticing a trans woman who kills herself after being assaulted, and society needs to sort out it's shit that so many trans women are doing sex work. We also have to be able to discuss the reasons for that.
I don't believe that trans people should be included in the definition of peoples affected by genocide. Genocide has a pretty distinct meaning. I also think there is harm in promoting the idea that being trans is a shit experience fraught with danger from murder or suicide. We should be honest about the situations. In the UK murder of trans people is rare. In the US less so, but there from what I understand most are related to sex work or partner violence.
In the English-speaking world, the only country I am aware of that is trying to roll back trans rights is the US, where the fundamentalist right holds a lot of power. They are doing this to women too. In the UK it's a bit different, because most people there still support the human rights of trans people, while rejecting self-ID and TWAW positions. What that tells me is that there is an opportunity for society to integrate trans people more fully. But I can't see that happening if gender activists carry on the way they are including by misleading the public about trans deaths. We can not frame it as genocide but still acknowledge the tragedies when they happen. I'd like to see liberal attention focused on the number of murders of women too.
Weka; it's getting on for time to pick up kids from school, so I am running out of time here. Fortunately, since school started up again yesterday I will have more time to be onsite (though not every hour of every day), so will have to get back to you with reasons why I can indeed frame the attempt to eliminate trans people as a form of genocide (though the Lemkin Institute statement covers a lot of it). But it'll have to be on a different day's OM.
No one is stopping anyone here from focusing on Femicide, which seems to be a worthwhile topic in Aotearoa (though important to acknowledge assaults and problems that fall short of outright murder). I'd certainly rather read that than trans exclusionary arguments from the basis of; Daily Mail, Spectator, and Twitter, sources that I am just not going to click on.
the point is that liberals are focused on identity politics rather than the gnarly issues like women being murdered or raped. Which is why we end up with the ridiculous situation of male rapists being housed in women's prisons and the left saying this is a good thing.
As for the Daily Mail etc, if liberals want liberal media coverage of the issues they can stop No Debate. But they don't, because then we'd have to actually address the problems.
There's nothing wrong with excluding people from places they don't belong. I wouldn't argue that I should be allowed into the spaces of TW, despite the fact that I fit under the contemporary trans umbrella.
”To be clear, Wayne Brown was elected to cut rates and prioritize public services and amenities to the salubrious Eastern and Northern suburbs where the well-heeled and light-skinned live securely and in comfort (even if, to paraphrase Pink Floyd, hanging on in quiet desperation as well). He was installed to serve the interests of a specific demographic rather than the city and its surroundings as a whole, and is therefore not interested in helping (mostly) brown-skinned opposition voters living in flood plains and gullies. For him, the once-in-a-lifetime storm has been more of a nuisance that interferes with his social schedule than a moment to rise above his own ego and partisan biases in service of the commonweal.”
"I will leave it for others to dissect the political entrails of this corpse of a mayor but suffice it to say that a politician who cannot even fake empathy and compassion for those in his electorate who have been negatively impacted by the storm (including many who have lost everything, and in four cases, their lives) and who victim-blames those worst affected and finger-points at his subordinates when it comes to assigning responsibility for response delays and “mistakes” while arguing with media in front of cameras during press stand-ups is not fit to be a parking warden, much less mayor of NZ’s largest city."
What many of us were trying to say yesterday on this site but oh… so much better.
That article is worth a read. The Peter Principle in practice! We will be asking central government about effective emergency management in this Auckland case and by extension to the rest of New Zealand.
For this will not be the last event that will test the calibre of our elected representatives and our civil authorities, our insurance schemes and our personal liabilities be they where we live, how we live, or how we cope with all our disabilities, infirmities of age and health in the midst of pandemic and natural calamities.
Brown could not even acknowledge to interviewer Kim Hill that there is a thing called climate change, FFS.
Luxon is hardly her mate. She is red through and through. Do you not remember the Covid question times "Jessica, then Tova".
And do you realise who her husband is. Here's a clue…."Jessica Mutch is a TVNZ political editor who married Jacinda Ardern's hot bodyguard, Iain McKay."
“A contingent of military officials is quietly pushing the Pentagon to approve sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine to help the country defend itself from Russian missile and drone attacks, according to three people with knowledge of the discussions.”
Brown has defended himself against criticism that he did not call for a State of Emergency earlier, saying he followed the advice of the professionals when deciding whether to declare an emergency.
However, today he acknowledged communication with the public on the disaster on Friday fell short.
"I want to say to Aucklanders that yes there have been hiccups of course.
"I accept that communications including mine and my office were not good enough, especially on Friday night.
…
BUT:
…
"I don't think I personally did anything wrong," he said when asked about what "hiccups" he was referring to.
He was MIA, sitting at his desk waiting for the rain to stop or playing tennis or whatever, that was his cardinal professional sin and he is unrepentant. He will not learn from his mistakes when he is unwilling to admit that he made any and he will continue shifting the blame to others although I have not yet heard the emotional-junior-staffer ‘excuse’.
In Wellington the Kindergarten Kids are off until the 14th February when they resume. I guess we will find out who the milk monitors will be before then.
Possibly not the most helpful outcome for people trying to clean up the mess and devastation of their lives.
Not to mention that there are few (if any) holiday programmes running – so parents who don't have flood damage to clean up, have to take time off work (at very short notice) to care for their pre-teens. Of course, white-collar workers can just work from home (albeit, not very efficiently) – but, amazingly, there are many, many workers who are also parents, who are required to actually be physically present to do their jobs.
While there are a few schools with flood damage which would need to close – the vast majority would be performing a much better public service by opening.
Kids are already stir-crazy after the long summer holidays – filled, as it has been, predominantly with bad weather – so not much outside time.
Anyone who thinks that the vast majority of those kids will just stay quietly at home for the next week – is invited to look at the population at the malls and entertainment complexes over this weekend. Bubbling over with kids and families – and with not a carpark to be found.
The following quote also seems entirely counter-intuitive.
"Holsted said schools and kura can open or remain open for onsite instruction but need to provide distance learning."
How can schools be both open for onsite instruction, and closed until the 7th of February?
And my point about the kids/families headed to the malls and entertainment complexes. They're not staying at home. They're still using the roads.
At the very least, keeping the primary schools open (where the majority of the kids have a short distance to travel – and some even *walk*) – would have taken the load off parents (it's a lot harder to get anything useful done with a 6-year-old in tow, than it is with a 12-year-old).
By all means, make a different call for individual rural schools (where roading infrastructure is seriously damaged) – but the vast majority of urban/surburban schools have no reason to close.
This is a hard call in and for tough times but on balance I think it is sensible especially with the Code Red Heavy Rain Warnings issued for the next couple of days.
I'd had two of the articles open (to see if they were saying the same thing) – and linked to the wrong one.
Apparently it’s the provision that O’Connor at Auckland Grammar is relying on, to allow them to open unless specifically directed by the MoE to close [Grammar actually opened last week, and has borders on site]
Newstalk didn’t quote Holsted verbatim, but NZH did and it says something different.
Assuming the Headmaster doesn’t take his cues from NewstalkZB he should re-read the e-mail he received from MoE unless he has problems with reading comprehension or suffers from wishful thinking syndrome.
Only heard O'Connor interviewed – so don't know exactly what coms he had received at the time.
He said that he'd notified MoE of his intentions to remain open (based on the media reports at the time, since he'd not yet received any official notification) – unless specifically directed otherwise. MoE had acknowledged his email, but not yet responded.
Just checked, and the RNZ site now contains an update notification, that O'Connor has emailed parents that Grammar will be closed tomorrow (so, clearly he's now received that directive)
Update: After this interview, Auckland Grammar School Principal emailed parents later on Monday to advise his school will now close until further notice.
It's difficult to track the timelines on all of this. The interview is timestamped at 6.14 – but that will be a broadcast time (or possibly an update time**), not, necessarily, when O'Connor was interviewed. During the interview, he was adamant that he'd had no notification from the MoE – and it looks as though it wasn't sent out until after 5pm (IT failure).
**I don't know if the RNZ timestamp changed when the update was added (I don't think so, but don't know of a way to confirm or deny my belief)
And, you're quite right – I do mean kids who remain during term time, not edges on the map.
The Headmaster should have taken a leaf out of the Mayor’s book and waited at his desk for the complete picture to emerge. Now he looks a little foolish for confusing parents even more so just to give his 2 cts. on radio. He should join ACT and consider a career in politics.
Note that your tweet liknk includes the quote that O'Connor used to justify his stance (it certainly reads as though schools have the option to remain open – but have to provide distance learning)
In the absence of formal notification from MoE – I can see why he'd make the assumption that he could continue opening.
Don't see that Grammar parents are any more (or less) confused than the rest of us.
I received notification at about 10.30 that my teen's school would be open as scheduled this week (since they had relatively minor storm damage, and none to any learning areas). Clearly this was sent before any of the media reports about school closures.
Only to have this reversed at 6.30 pm, after the school had received the MoE directive.
In the interim, I'd received lots of social media updates on the closure – but the delay in the official notification by MoE (because of their IT issues) – clearly caused some confusion with schools.
And, as you've highlighted – the language used in the early reports implied an option (to remain open), which was not evident in the later official communication.
Grammar have been back since last week. So, really, quite a different scenario to (for example, as quoted above) Avondale College, which weren't scheduled back – for most of the school – until Friday this week.
There's quite an operational difference between delaying the start of school; and starting, then stopping, then starting again.
I think O'Connor was looking out for what was best for his students (which is, actually, his job). He was quite clear in the interview, that he would reverse the decision if instructed by the MoE. And, apparantly, that's what he did.
AG did no more flip-flops than any other school: if there were, as you said, 3 emails – they were – 'Go', 'Go', 'MoE says we have to Stop'.
The problem appears to arise in the delayed (because of IT reasons) of the official MoE communication to schools. The interim social media and media posts have an 'option' to remain open, which is not present in the official notification.
In the information vacuum, this was all Grammar had to go on – and they (quite rightly) wanted to let parents know a.s.a.p. (remember, their boys were expecting to be at school on Tuesday morning).
No wonder schools were confused.
NB: About that IT outage. Given that MoE have the details of the actual starting date for all schools – it doesn't seem unreasonable that they should have got directly in touch with the (few) in the Auckland region who had already started the school year – and let them know directly (since the email had failed). It is, after all, quite a bit more time critical for Grammar to know this, than Avondale.
O'Conner believed because his students' families were not impacted much by the weather event and its aftermath because the school zone is elite Auckland and not far to travel, that his first reaction should be to defy the government.
A definite turn-around for Labour.
And both polls put TPM in the kingmaker role (which, we know, means a left government – there's no way they're going with National).
Labour will be looking to build momentum on this.
Looking towards Hipkins' announcement of the refocused legislative priority list next week.
I did notice on my twitter feed but cannot find now that there was an objection from a member of the public to one of the evacuation centres asking for N95 disposable respirators on the usual grounds of Covid19 not being real and/or if it was real it had passed.
I just could not imagine anything worse than getting Covid in a shelter while dealing with the loss of your home, furniture and possibly your car.
Where have these horrible people come from…..don't answer, I know. I think any thoughts that time would put all the anti vaxxer madness behind us is off beam, they have been politicised and are walking among us.
Even on local authorities and now making a concerted campaign to win seats on Conservation Boards.
This is to hearken back to the roots of one wing of VFF and that is as campaigners against 1080. DoC has 1000s of hectares of land to undertake pest control on. Whatever your views on 1080 in some cases it is best suited to the topography.
They're the descendants of the mob back in time who burnt/beat clever women to death because they were believed to be witches and who executed anyone who dared to suggest the earth was a round. (tongue in cheek):
It is sadly more efficient economically. DoC is under-resourced for the scale of the work they are expected to do, and they are reliant on volunteers who can only do so much and often not as regularly as to be effective.
Why do you think he's an idiot (in this particular instance)?
Case in point. The primary school nearest to me (inner Auckland suburb) – on a ridge, little or no storm/water damage. 95% of the pupils live less than 10 minutes drive away (no school buses) – an awful lot of them walk to school (walking school buses).
There is, however, flood damage in the school catchment area. And some of the families will be continuing to clear up the associated mess and damage – and trying to deal with the various 3rd parties (insurance, water, electricity, Council, etc.).
The best thing that the Ministry of Education could do for those families, would be to open the school on schedule.
The result of closing the school:
A. Parents trying to clear up storm damage, will continue to do so, while simultaneously caring for their children.
B. Parents with no storm damage, will have to take additional time of work, at very short notice, to care for their children. No holiday programmes operating.
C. A very large number of the B. category, will be hitting the entertainment complexes and/or malls (local parks sodden, beaches off limits, kids going stir-crazy at home) – and will drive there (i.e. result = more cars on the roads, not fewer)
While I can see, on a case-by-case basis, there might well be a good argument for a rural school, with significant storm damage to the surrounding roading network, to be closed – there seems to be very little benefit to closing the vast majority of inner city and suburban schools.
You could consider replying to those who responded to David Seymour's tweet.
There is, however, flood damage in the school catchment area. And some of the families will be continuing to clear up the associated mess and damage – and trying to deal with the various 3rd parties (insurance, water, electricity, Council, etc.).
Gosh. And so do nurses and doctors, and wastewater engineers and supermarket workers. Should we shut all of those places of employment down as well?
Teachers are neither more nor less privileged than any other worker who is required (for the most part) to be present in order to do their job.
Principals who have a small number of teachers who need to be absent in order to deal with stormwater damage – can call on their relief-teacher network (just as they do in case of illness or family emergency).
Principals who have a very large number of teachers impacted might well choose to close their school.
It's the one-size-fits-all approach I have an issue with.
Earlier today, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) asked us to take action to help minimise traffic movement on Auckland roads while vital infrastructure is urgently repaired.
With the possibility of further weather damage leading to more disruption, the Secretary for Education has directed that schools, kura, early learning services and Tertiary Organisations in the Auckland region (Wellsford to Pukekohe) to close for physical onsite attendance and instruction until Friday, opening after Waitangi weekend.
"The mayor's suggestion was that schools should close for one day, the ministry seems to have made a unilateral decision to close for one week. There doesn't seem to be much logic for it."
No doubt some consistency will emerge – it's a fluid situation.
Also angry about it from the social infrastructure perspective.
It's almost always Mum who has to tell her boss that she can't work because she has to mind the kids at short notice.
[Yes, I know there are *some* Dads who do this – but it's overwhelmingly Mums]
And, this has inevitable consequences on promotion and salary prospects.
If you want to know why women have life-time earnings deficits – this kind of unpaid expectation is one of the big reasons.
Out of our team of about 100 – the management team touched base with everyone on Friday night – and updated on Saturday – to check in that everyone was OK and see what support was needed. We had 4 people with significant flood damage (including the business owner), and about another 6 with minor issues (wet garage, etc.). So less than 5% seriously impacted, and 10% with some issues.
This evening, I've already had 3 out of the 10 people in my immediate team, tell me they need to take emergency leave to mind kids for the rest of this week (2 mums, 1 grandma). [Notably. None of the men have requested this.] So that's over 30% impacted, directly.
Some will be taking leave without pay – since they've already used their current leave allocation over Christmas. [Actually, we'll almost certainly let them advance leave – but that's a zero sum game – there's never enough leave allowance for parents with school kids – so they either come up short now, or in the next school holidays]
So – the biggest impact on our staff and business isn't the flood – it's closing schools.
So – the biggest impact on our staff and business isn't the flood – it's closing schools.
NEMA, the MoE, Mayor Brown et al. likely consider this impact regrettable. I hope public inconvenience/anger never looms large in their decision making during a state of emergency. Imho we can expect more of this, for all the good it will do.
Rather sad you feel so comfortable ignoring the social impact on women/mothers.
Is that what I did, Belladonna? Fwiw, I have little respect for anyone who casually twists words – imho you just can’t trust such people.
I rather thought that I was expressing my hope that public inconvenience and anger would not unduly influence NEMA's and the MoE's decisions during a state of emergency.
I daresay that Iona Holsted didn't issue her directive lightly, and regrets any inconvenience.
Emergency management requested the closures to minimise traffic while workers do their best to safely clean up and reinstate services. Under normal circumstances most of that work would require complex traffic management plans/road closures and be carried out overnight and during weekends.
The difficulties involved are obviously beyond the idiot.
I seriously doubt that Emergency management requested that every school in Auckland close down. I can certainly believe that they may have requested closure in some areas, where the roading network has been significantly damaged (Riverhead bridge, etc.).
Perhaps you can link to this request?
I've driven through some of the very badly affected-by-flooding areas on the North Shore today (SH1, Wairau Rd, etc.); and while the shops and businesses and homes are still being cleaned and dried out – the roading network, itself is unaffected. There are a few local trees still down across roads due to slips (roads into reserves or yacht moorings – which (quite rightly) aren't being prioritized for clearance)
There is no good (roading) reason why local schools couldn’t be open.
And, as pointed out above, city-based parents and kids will be hitting the malls and entertainment precincts – so, this decision is likely to create more traffic, rather than less.
In other words, for most of those students it means they’d miss only one day at school at which not much learning would have taken place anyway. Seymour knows this but he prefers to call it “a week” which creates the wrong impression, by design, of course.
Any loss of school days could (and will?) be made up later in the term(s) or at the end of the year. Seymour knows this too.
Tim Conner is defying the MOE and reckons his boys are going to school regardless. My own kids' schools will close but one principal did say in the email the government announcement was via media.
I will be out and about on Khyber Pass early tomorrow so shall report back if Auckland Grammar is rebelling0!
"They"? As a past educator, it seems sensible to me. It is a disaster and needs clear instructions and decisions.
Checks on… water quality testing/toilets functions/electricity safely on/ roads and paths safe/staffing and pupil issues met/ food available?/ dry clothing?…materials? to name just a few issues.
The staff and Principal are in "loco parentis'. Responsible from the child's gate 'till safely home after school. The Ministry has deemed the over all risks too great.
What is happening that people quizz every decision as if it is taken to annoy them personally?
I just described how I feel as a parent after this holiday period. It seems 2023 has got off to a start which 2022, 20221, and 2020 would be envious of.
no patricia, you should realize that decision does annoy the easily annoyed. every decision is targeted at them, and them alone, to allow their outrage alarm to go off .
Looks as though Conner said that, since the official communication from the MoE, said that schools could open, but had to provide distance learning – they would be opening, unless specifically directed not to.
Don't know why the MoE waited until after 5 on the day before schools were scheduled to open – to send out their notice … seems a bit… dilatory).
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8. The universe was ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
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 ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
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Hooton has a talent for installing duds – Muller, now Brown. He's the tradie from hell.
hooton is working for a deep left conspiracy outfit,(could tell you thier name but…) who's roll is to destroy the right-wing, johnkey told me.
I believe you. I am sure that 1000s wouldn't though.
But that is Ok as not everybody can be right can they?
Could it be that he can control them from the back room? Power behind the throne?
power behind the throne is comonly called the cistern. hooten should really be in the throne, along with many of his mates.
Forget the "Trans Genocide" rhetoric.
“Every murder is devastating for those who know the victim. But during the ten-year period between 2013-2022 only four homicides of trans people were recorded in the UK, once reporting errors were corrected. During the same period, 7,118 homicides were recorded in the UK, combining data for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. This suggests that murders of trans people were a tiny fraction of all murders, 0.056 per cent. This is around an order of magnitude lower than the Census estimate of the proportion of trans people in the population at 0.58 per cent. In other words, trans people were greatly underrepresented among homicide victims. Thanks to the Census, trans people can have confidence that they may safely ignore alarmist rhetoric encouraging them to fear for their lives.”
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/what-the-census-reveals-about-trans-people-in-britain/
that's a very good quote. I'd like to see similar analysis of violence against trans men, and trans women, because I suspect this is a problem. But really we need good research on exactly how discrimination against trans people is functioning. Most of what I see is more qualitative than quantitative.
No, I am not about to forget the Trans Genocide "rhetoric"; Visubversa. I did look at that Spectator piece, and the linked article about "reporting errors". Leaving aside the tone of the writing, the world is bigger than the UK. I don't have the time to track down all original sources from the other side of the world over the past decade, but here is one case that was excluded as a reporting error in the TMM:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-sussex-26145984
https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/10830573.tributes-pour-in-for-brave-worthing-woman-found-dead-in-flat/
If I had to guess, I'd say this Jacqui probably killed herself after being assaulted (I've known people in Aotearoa who have gone that way). Which isn't exactly murder, but still less than desirable.
However the annual; Trans Murder Monitoring (TMM), report itself is upfront with it's methodological limitations. And also that many of those reported murdered are sex workers, as well as being trans (which the "reporting errors" author regards as; "a fact that has been quietly brushed under the carpet."):
https://transrespect.org/en/tmm-update-tdor-2022/
One of the major problems with the TMM is that there is little data from Africa – with its reliance on LGBTIQ organisations providing it to them, given TGEU's limited budget. But what information does come out of that continent is pretty grim, and what doesn't make it out may be worse:
https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/transgender-kenyans-seek-refuge-amid-backlash-over-activists-death-2023-01-13/
So turning to now reality of trans genocide; this is not simply the annual death count in any given country (though I am certainly not planning on going to Brazil anytime soon!), but rather seeking to eradicate a group of people from society. The question to me is whether the current laws recognize trans (and wider LGNTQ+) people under the umbrella of; "a national, ethnical, racial or religious group":
https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/genocide.shtml
https://www.lemkininstitute.com/statements-new-page/statement-on-the-genocidal-nature-of-the-gender-critical-movement%E2%80%99s-ideology-and-practice
"…So turning to now reality of trans genocide; this is not simply the annual death count in any given country (though I am certainly not planning on going to Brazil anytime soon!), but rather seeking to eradicate a group of people from society. …"
This is assumptive rhetoric, familiar, but not proven by any of your links.
There are counties where the birth of twins is considered witchcraft, yet it would be flawed to conflate that with western birth practices.
The transgender component has to be isolated out from other factors. As you are no doubt aware, many of the deaths you refer to in Brazil involve those involved in prostitution or the drug trade. Mortality rates are exceptionally high in that environment, transgender or not.
Citation needed on the drug trade bit; Molly, but many trans people certainly do feel they have few options except sex work (fortunately not so much in Aotearoa). I don't personally feel that sex workers are asking to be killed, any more than someone dressed like a sex worker is asking to be sexually assaulted. I do not feel too confident that I can disentangle the ant- trans from sex-worker motivation in Brazilian murders – just not having any intention going there myself anytime soon.
I linked to the UN page that quotes text from the 1948 convention:
My question is mainly if trans people can be regarded as a "religious group" by the terms of this convention, if the region defining them is not there own. In the USA many anti-laws are promulgated on explicit religious basis, and there is little reason to suppose their present Supreme Court will strike them down on the basis of separation of church and faith.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2022/10/14/anti-trans-bills/
https://www.texastribune.org/2022/09/16/texas-trans-teens-investigation-child-abuse/
I do know that if someone tried to take my children away to give to dubious care of Oranga Tamariki on the basis of supposed child abuse from following medical advice, I would be going to the courts myself. And if the NZ supreme court supported the decision (if say; a new christo-fascist had been elected and had passed a law requiring this), then taking the NZ government to the International Court of Justice on the basis of facilitating genocide would not seem excessive to me.
Fortunately that is not the situation here at present. Places like Brazil, Uganda, Afghanistan, and possibly the USA (depending how the 2024 election goes) might be a different case.
Sex trade is inexorably involved with the drug trade, but it is good to see you acknowledge that the mortality rate in Brazil cannot be attributed to what you refer to as an eradication due to transgender status.
Children are being removed from families in the US and Australia by the equivalent of Oranga Tamariki, for NOT immediately providing affirming social transition and/or medical or surgical transition. These children, many with co-morbidities, are not assessed for these co-morbidities or undergoing exploratory therapy, they are alienated from their families in order to transition. Your imagined scenario is happening in reverse in reality. But that seems often to be the case, imagined persecution versus actual harm.
Recent papers following up on the Dutch Protocol long-term outcomes are not supporting of transition of minors. One such can be found here. There are many more. What has always been missing is robust data supporting the transition of minors. Instead there have been non-medically evidenced activist guidelines being taken as fundamental evidence.
The situation you write of in the state of Texas, is perhaps due to the fact that Texas, unlike California, has looked at the evidence provided for social, medical and surgical transition and found that robust data in respect to net benefits for minors is not available. There is also little quality data available in terms of a positive impact on suicidal ideation. Countries or health authorities who undertake independent literature reviews are unanimously coming to the conclusion that the use of medical or surgical interventions for minors is harmful.
It is likely that with that information to hand, the Gov of Texas, Greg Abbott, asked the Attorney General to ascertain whether the provision of medical and surgical interventions was detrimental to the well-being of children, and falls into the category of child abuse. The written response is sobering:
https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/files/opinion-files/opinion/2022/kp-0401.pdf
"I do know that if someone tried to take my children away to give to dubious care of Oranga Tamariki on the basis of supposed child abuse from following medical advice, I would be going to the courts myself. And if the NZ supreme court supported the decision (if say; a new christo-fascist had been elected and had passed a law requiring this), then taking the NZ government to the International Court of Justice on the basis of facilitating genocide would not seem excessive to me."
I have OIA'd the Ministry of Health regarding their guidelines for the medical transitioning of minors, and while appalled, am not surprised to find that our treatment response is the last daisy in a chain that originates from the WPATH guidelines. Once again, guidelines written by activists, without clinical evidence. For this reason, I feel the current medical advice is not only not proven to be beneficial, but given the outcome of actual literature reviews, causes harm. So, I will, along with others be writing to Andrew Little, once more to ask him to do due diligence on this issue, and conduct an independent review of the literature available.
The constant cry of trans genocide, and suicidal ideation is one that I find hard to forgive, when it comes to young people. This is the only time where constant referrals of self harm is magnified by advocates, despite the evidence that doing so actually increases distress and likelihood of harm. Add to that, the association of people not complying with demands in regards to your declared identity, with bigotry, fascism, hatred, transphobia and eradication, and you have another significant harm done to young people who already have personal issues that are overwhelming.
I find your rhetoric in this vein and have very little patience with it.
Summary of Texas Attorney General's advice:
They are blamed for a host of social problems that have nothing to do with them or with the free expression of their identities.
They are also particularly strident when it comes to their 'right' to invade spaces that exclude biological males for safety reasons. By doing so they have largely discredited themselves, not as individuals, but as a thread of advocacy.
it's useful to differentiate between trans women (who hold a wide ranges of beliefs and have a wide range of behaviours, just like other groups), and gender identity activists (aka trans rights activists).
GI activists and allies have a more specific set of beliefs and behaviours (although they're not a hive mind either)
Yes – a good distinction.
thanks for this in depth post. I agree that we should be noticing a trans woman who kills herself after being assaulted, and society needs to sort out it's shit that so many trans women are doing sex work. We also have to be able to discuss the reasons for that.
I don't believe that trans people should be included in the definition of peoples affected by genocide. Genocide has a pretty distinct meaning. I also think there is harm in promoting the idea that being trans is a shit experience fraught with danger from murder or suicide. We should be honest about the situations. In the UK murder of trans people is rare. In the US less so, but there from what I understand most are related to sex work or partner violence.
In the English-speaking world, the only country I am aware of that is trying to roll back trans rights is the US, where the fundamentalist right holds a lot of power. They are doing this to women too. In the UK it's a bit different, because most people there still support the human rights of trans people, while rejecting self-ID and TWAW positions. What that tells me is that there is an opportunity for society to integrate trans people more fully. But I can't see that happening if gender activists carry on the way they are including by misleading the public about trans deaths. We can not frame it as genocide but still acknowledge the tragedies when they happen. I'd like to see liberal attention focused on the number of murders of women too.
Weka; it's getting on for time to pick up kids from school, so I am running out of time here. Fortunately, since school started up again yesterday I will have more time to be onsite (though not every hour of every day), so will have to get back to you with reasons why I can indeed frame the attempt to eliminate trans people as a form of genocide (though the Lemkin Institute statement covers a lot of it). But it'll have to be on a different day's OM.
No one is stopping anyone here from focusing on Femicide, which seems to be a worthwhile topic in Aotearoa (though important to acknowledge assaults and problems that fall short of outright murder). I'd certainly rather read that than trans exclusionary arguments from the basis of; Daily Mail, Spectator, and Twitter, sources that I am just not going to click on.
the point is that liberals are focused on identity politics rather than the gnarly issues like women being murdered or raped. Which is why we end up with the ridiculous situation of male rapists being housed in women's prisons and the left saying this is a good thing.
As for the Daily Mail etc, if liberals want liberal media coverage of the issues they can stop No Debate. But they don't, because then we'd have to actually address the problems.
There's nothing wrong with excluding people from places they don't belong. I wouldn't argue that I should be allowed into the spaces of TW, despite the fact that I fit under the contemporary trans umbrella.
The highlight of Dave Chappelle's recent Netflix special was this story of his transgender friend Daphne.
"I am having a human experience!"
😭💔
Pablo telling it like it is.
https://www.kiwipolitico.com/2023/01/when-it-rains-it-pours/
”To be clear, Wayne Brown was elected to cut rates and prioritize public services and amenities to the salubrious Eastern and Northern suburbs where the well-heeled and light-skinned live securely and in comfort (even if, to paraphrase Pink Floyd, hanging on in quiet desperation as well). He was installed to serve the interests of a specific demographic rather than the city and its surroundings as a whole, and is therefore not interested in helping (mostly) brown-skinned opposition voters living in flood plains and gullies. For him, the once-in-a-lifetime storm has been more of a nuisance that interferes with his social schedule than a moment to rise above his own ego and partisan biases in service of the commonweal.”
Further excerpt from link:
"I will leave it for others to dissect the political entrails of this corpse of a mayor but suffice it to say that a politician who cannot even fake empathy and compassion for those in his electorate who have been negatively impacted by the storm (including many who have lost everything, and in four cases, their lives) and who victim-blames those worst affected and finger-points at his subordinates when it comes to assigning responsibility for response delays and “mistakes” while arguing with media in front of cameras during press stand-ups is not fit to be a parking warden, much less mayor of NZ’s largest city."
What many of us were trying to say yesterday on this site but oh… so much better.
A big thanks to Pablo.
Thanks Anne,
You are very kind. The post has been updated since this morning with some additional observations about leadership. Cheers.
That article is worth a read. The Peter Principle in practice! We will be asking central government about effective emergency management in this Auckland case and by extension to the rest of New Zealand.
For this will not be the last event that will test the calibre of our elected representatives and our civil authorities, our insurance schemes and our personal liabilities be they where we live, how we live, or how we cope with all our disabilities, infirmities of age and health in the midst of pandemic and natural calamities.
Brown could not even acknowledge to interviewer Kim Hill that there is a thing called climate change, FFS.
Hurrah! On the 4 pm RNZ news Mayor Brown acknowledges climate change involved.
Poll out tonight on TV1. Jessica sounds excited about it so must be good news for her mate Luxon. And may be on on Tv3 as well.
Luxon is hardly her mate. She is red through and through. Do you not remember the Covid question times "Jessica, then Tova".
And do you realise who her husband is. Here's a clue…."Jessica Mutch is a TVNZ political editor who married Jacinda Ardern's hot bodyguard, Iain McKay."
https://showbizcorner.com/jessica-mutch-mckay-husband-iain-mckay
There is one poll that really counts. A great deal may happen between now and then.
Now this would put the cat amongst the Putin pigeons.
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/28/pentagon-send-f-16s-ukraine-00080045
“A contingent of military officials is quietly pushing the Pentagon to approve sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine to help the country defend itself from Russian missile and drone attacks, according to three people with knowledge of the discussions.”
Something for those who need a distraction form this weeks event and appreciate music from days of old (IMO)
Oh look:
BUT:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/483338/auckland-weather-disaster-mayor-wayne-brown-admits-hiccups-in-response (My bold)
He was MIA, sitting at his desk waiting for the rain to stop or playing tennis or whatever, that was his cardinal professional sin and he is unrepentant. He will not learn from his mistakes when he is unwilling to admit that he made any and he will continue shifting the blame to others although I have not yet heard the emotional-junior-staffer ‘excuse’.
its from the trump book of bullshit. "there were mistakes, but not by me" .
School's out this week in the greater Auckland area!
They only get this week off?
In Wellington the Kindergarten Kids are off until the 14th February when they resume. I guess we will find out who the milk monitors will be before then.
https://www.parliament.nz/en/get-involved/features/sitting-calendar-confirmed-for-2023/
Possibly not the most helpful outcome for people trying to clean up the mess and devastation of their lives.
Not to mention that there are few (if any) holiday programmes running – so parents who don't have flood damage to clean up, have to take time off work (at very short notice) to care for their pre-teens. Of course, white-collar workers can just work from home (albeit, not very efficiently) – but, amazingly, there are many, many workers who are also parents, who are required to actually be physically present to do their jobs.
While there are a few schools with flood damage which would need to close – the vast majority would be performing a much better public service by opening.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/hit-significantly-all-auckland-schools-kura-early-learning-services-and-tertiary-institutions-to-close-until-febuary-7/4J44L2734JFV5ONLAOGBXNUMXA/
Kids are already stir-crazy after the long summer holidays – filled, as it has been, predominantly with bad weather – so not much outside time.
Anyone who thinks that the vast majority of those kids will just stay quietly at home for the next week – is invited to look at the population at the malls and entertainment complexes over this weekend. Bubbling over with kids and families – and with not a carpark to be found.
The following quote also seems entirely counter-intuitive.
"Holsted said schools and kura can open or remain open for onsite instruction but need to provide distance learning."
How can schools be both open for onsite instruction, and closed until the 7th of February?
The cited factor was roading/transport.
And my point about the kids/families headed to the malls and entertainment complexes. They're not staying at home. They're still using the roads.
At the very least, keeping the primary schools open (where the majority of the kids have a short distance to travel – and some even *walk*) – would have taken the load off parents (it's a lot harder to get anything useful done with a 6-year-old in tow, than it is with a 12-year-old).
By all means, make a different call for individual rural schools (where roading infrastructure is seriously damaged) – but the vast majority of urban/surburban schools have no reason to close.
Looks like one-size-fits-all thinking, to me.
To be fair, some of your concerns have been acknowledged by MoE.
https://www.education.govt.nz/news/severe-weather-event-information/
This is a hard call in and for tough times but on balance I think it is sensible especially with the Code Red Heavy Rain Warnings issued for the next couple of days.
I can’t find your quote in your link!?
Apologies
https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/emergency/hit-significantly-all-auckland-schools-kura-early-learning-services-and-tertiary-institutions-to-close-until-febuary-7/
It's the 4th para.
I'd had two of the articles open (to see if they were saying the same thing) – and linked to the wrong one.
Apparently it’s the provision that O’Connor at Auckland Grammar is relying on, to allow them to open unless specifically directed by the MoE to close [Grammar actually opened last week, and has borders on site]
Newstalk didn’t quote Holsted verbatim, but NZH did and it says something different.
Assuming the Headmaster doesn’t take his cues from NewstalkZB he should re-read the e-mail he received from MoE unless he has problems with reading comprehension or suffers from wishful thinking syndrome.
I think you meant boarders.
Only heard O'Connor interviewed – so don't know exactly what coms he had received at the time.
He said that he'd notified MoE of his intentions to remain open (based on the media reports at the time, since he'd not yet received any official notification) – unless specifically directed otherwise. MoE had acknowledged his email, but not yet responded.
Just checked, and the RNZ site now contains an update notification, that O'Connor has emailed parents that Grammar will be closed tomorrow (so, clearly he's now received that directive)
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018875688/auckland-grammar-headmaster-wants-school-to-stay-open
It's difficult to track the timelines on all of this. The interview is timestamped at 6.14 – but that will be a broadcast time (or possibly an update time**), not, necessarily, when O'Connor was interviewed. During the interview, he was adamant that he'd had no notification from the MoE – and it looks as though it wasn't sent out until after 5pm (IT failure).
**I don't know if the RNZ timestamp changed when the update was added (I don't think so, but don't know of a way to confirm or deny my belief)
And, you're quite right – I do mean kids who remain during term time, not edges on the map.
The Headmaster should have taken a leaf out of the Mayor’s book and waited at his desk for the complete picture to emerge. Now he looks a little foolish for confusing parents even more so just to give his 2 cts. on radio. He should join ACT and consider a career in politics.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/131101944/auckland-schools-must-remain-closed-this-week [16:43, Jan 30 2023]
https://thespinoff.co.nz/live-updates/30-01-2023/auckland-schools-ordered-to-remain-closed-until-february-7
One of the earliest tweets I could find [3:45 PM · Jan 30, 2023]:
https://twitter.com/GIDee123/status/1619889596988538881
You can check any webpage’s metadata for time stamps.
Note that your tweet liknk includes the quote that O'Connor used to justify his stance (it certainly reads as though schools have the option to remain open – but have to provide distance learning)
In the absence of formal notification from MoE – I can see why he'd make the assumption that he could continue opening.
Don't see that Grammar parents are any more (or less) confused than the rest of us.
I received notification at about 10.30 that my teen's school would be open as scheduled this week (since they had relatively minor storm damage, and none to any learning areas). Clearly this was sent before any of the media reports about school closures.
Only to have this reversed at 6.30 pm, after the school had received the MoE directive.
In the interim, I'd received lots of social media updates on the closure – but the delay in the official notification by MoE (because of their IT issues) – clearly caused some confusion with schools.
And, as you've highlighted – the language used in the early reports implied an option (to remain open), which was not evident in the later official communication.
AGS would have sent out an earlier email today or over the weekend welcoming families back to school and updating on the situation.
So O'Conner would have sent three. On, on (when everyone else says off), then off.
He was just being an idiot.
Grammar have been back since last week. So, really, quite a different scenario to (for example, as quoted above) Avondale College, which weren't scheduled back – for most of the school – until Friday this week.
There's quite an operational difference between delaying the start of school; and starting, then stopping, then starting again.
I think O'Connor was looking out for what was best for his students (which is, actually, his job). He was quite clear in the interview, that he would reverse the decision if instructed by the MoE. And, apparantly, that's what he did.
AG did no more flip-flops than any other school: if there were, as you said, 3 emails – they were – 'Go', 'Go', 'MoE says we have to Stop'.
The problem appears to arise in the delayed (because of IT reasons) of the official MoE communication to schools. The interim social media and media posts have an 'option' to remain open, which is not present in the official notification.
In the information vacuum, this was all Grammar had to go on – and they (quite rightly) wanted to let parents know a.s.a.p. (remember, their boys were expecting to be at school on Tuesday morning).
No wonder schools were confused.
NB: About that IT outage. Given that MoE have the details of the actual starting date for all schools – it doesn't seem unreasonable that they should have got directly in touch with the (few) in the Auckland region who had already started the school year – and let them know directly (since the email had failed). It is, after all, quite a bit more time critical for Grammar to know this, than Avondale.
https://www.masseyhigh.school.nz/calendar
Another college in the hard-hit West.
@ Belladonna. Your claim AGS was back the week beginning 23 Jan is just plain wrong and I think you said it for political purposes.
AGS was due to welcome all students 31 Jan. Some secondary schools had a graduated return between 31 Jan and 03 Feb.
Their school calendar says all students started on Tuesday the 24th of January (they had orientation for 3rd formers on the previous Friday.)
https://www.ags.school.nz/events/list/page/2/?eventDisplay=past
Feel free to tell the parents who sent their sons on that day, that they were wrong.
Grammar are well known for always starting their school year before other schools.
Your one-eyed response to anything that I say, is just getting boring.
Makes no difference.
O'Conner believed because his students' families were not impacted much by the weather event and its aftermath because the school zone is elite Auckland and not far to travel, that his first reaction should be to defy the government.
It plays to his (and your) base, I suppose.
Waiting for the apology.
I was not "just plain wrong" – you were.
I've provided a link to support my original (correct) statement.
You challenged it – put up your source. Or admit you were wrong.
Mind you, I won't hold my breath…..
A great leader….leads by example……
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/jacinda-ardern-a-chopper-and-a-digger-owairaka-landtree-slide-call-gets-big-response/YCQWSVAWFVABVNZ7G3Y4YONHLQ/
National loses ground to Hipkins' Labour in two new polls
The 1News Kantar poll had Labour up 5 percentage points to 38, with National down one percentage point to 37.
Newshub Reid Research’s poll had Labour up 5.7 percent to 38, ahead of National which lost 4.1 points, dropping to 36.6.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/483348/national-loses-ground-to-hipkins-labour-in-two-new-polls
Interesting…
A definite turn-around for Labour.
And both polls put TPM in the kingmaker role (which, we know, means a left government – there's no way they're going with National).
Labour will be looking to build momentum on this.
Looking towards Hipkins' announcement of the refocused legislative priority list next week.
Hipkins pips Luxon in the preferred PM poll (and is more trusted) and Labour gets a small bump for managing a smooth transition.
Luxon has been wooing the voters for 12mths +
Hipkins has been wooing the voters for about a week. Spot the difference?
Poor, old David Farrar. He did the usual post highlighting historic preferred PM poll bounce for the benefit of his worried boomer readership.
Number 1 was Geoffrey Palmer who recorded a 16% preferred PM bounce in 1989.
Chippy from the Hutt Valley smashed that with a 44% increase on Palmer's bounce.
Massive backfire for the Taxdodger's Union.
[Please lose the 4 dots from your user name next time thanks – Incognito]
Mod note
I did notice on my twitter feed but cannot find now that there was an objection from a member of the public to one of the evacuation centres asking for N95 disposable respirators on the usual grounds of Covid19 not being real and/or if it was real it had passed.
I just could not imagine anything worse than getting Covid in a shelter while dealing with the loss of your home, furniture and possibly your car.
Where have these horrible people come from…..don't answer, I know. I think any thoughts that time would put all the anti vaxxer madness behind us is off beam, they have been politicised and are walking among us.
Even on local authorities and now making a concerted campaign to win seats on Conservation Boards.
This is to hearken back to the roots of one wing of VFF and that is as campaigners against 1080. DoC has 1000s of hectares of land to undertake pest control on. Whatever your views on 1080 in some cases it is best suited to the topography.
They're the descendants of the mob back in time who burnt/beat clever women to death because they were believed to be witches and who executed anyone who dared to suggest the earth was a round. (tongue in cheek):
https://www.facebook.com/MontyPython/videos/shes-a-witch/491115104860430/
Assuming this is true (and it probably is), DOC uses 1080 in landscapes that are suitable for other methods like trapping. Farmers do too.
It is sadly more efficient economically. DoC is under-resourced for the scale of the work they are expected to do, and they are reliant on volunteers who can only do so much and often not as regularly as to be effective.
Yes I realise that & that is why the effort to stand for the boards.
Idiot.
https://twitter.com/dbseymour/status/1619908041020932096
Why do you think he's an idiot (in this particular instance)?
Case in point. The primary school nearest to me (inner Auckland suburb) – on a ridge, little or no storm/water damage. 95% of the pupils live less than 10 minutes drive away (no school buses) – an awful lot of them walk to school (walking school buses).
There is, however, flood damage in the school catchment area. And some of the families will be continuing to clear up the associated mess and damage – and trying to deal with the various 3rd parties (insurance, water, electricity, Council, etc.).
The best thing that the Ministry of Education could do for those families, would be to open the school on schedule.
The result of closing the school:
A. Parents trying to clear up storm damage, will continue to do so, while simultaneously caring for their children.
B. Parents with no storm damage, will have to take additional time of work, at very short notice, to care for their children. No holiday programmes operating.
C. A very large number of the B. category, will be hitting the entertainment complexes and/or malls (local parks sodden, beaches off limits, kids going stir-crazy at home) – and will drive there (i.e. result = more cars on the roads, not fewer)
While I can see, on a case-by-case basis, there might well be a good argument for a rural school, with significant storm damage to the surrounding roading network, to be closed – there seems to be very little benefit to closing the vast majority of inner city and suburban schools.
You could consider replying to those who responded to David Seymour's tweet.
Teachers have homes too.
Gosh. And so do nurses and doctors, and wastewater engineers and supermarket workers. Should we shut all of those places of employment down as well?
Teachers are neither more nor less privileged than any other worker who is required (for the most part) to be present in order to do their job.
Principals who have a small number of teachers who need to be absent in order to deal with stormwater damage – can call on their relief-teacher network (just as they do in case of illness or family emergency).
Principals who have a very large number of teachers impacted might well choose to close their school.
It's the one-size-fits-all approach I have an issue with.
The Secretary for Education as directed a four-day closure.
https://www.education.govt.nz/news/severe-weather-event-information/
Seems prudent in the circumstances. Mayor Brown suggested a one-day closure:
No doubt some consistency will emerge – it's a fluid situation.
Also angry about it from the social infrastructure perspective.
It's almost always Mum who has to tell her boss that she can't work because she has to mind the kids at short notice.
[Yes, I know there are *some* Dads who do this – but it's overwhelmingly Mums]
And, this has inevitable consequences on promotion and salary prospects.
If you want to know why women have life-time earnings deficits – this kind of unpaid expectation is one of the big reasons.
Out of our team of about 100 – the management team touched base with everyone on Friday night – and updated on Saturday – to check in that everyone was OK and see what support was needed. We had 4 people with significant flood damage (including the business owner), and about another 6 with minor issues (wet garage, etc.). So less than 5% seriously impacted, and 10% with some issues.
This evening, I've already had 3 out of the 10 people in my immediate team, tell me they need to take emergency leave to mind kids for the rest of this week (2 mums, 1 grandma). [Notably. None of the men have requested this.] So that's over 30% impacted, directly.
Some will be taking leave without pay – since they've already used their current leave allocation over Christmas. [Actually, we'll almost certainly let them advance leave – but that's a zero sum game – there's never enough leave allowance for parents with school kids – so they either come up short now, or in the next school holidays]
So – the biggest impact on our staff and business isn't the flood – it's closing schools.
NEMA, the MoE, Mayor Brown et al. likely consider this impact regrettable. I hope public inconvenience/anger never looms large in their decision making during a state of emergency. Imho we can expect more of this, for all the good it will do.
[image resized – Incognito]
Rather sad you feel so comfortable ignoring the social impact on women/mothers.
You might want to look in the mirror for your grumpy old man double.
Is that what I did, Belladonna? Fwiw, I have little respect for anyone who casually twists words – imho you just can’t trust such people.
I rather thought that I was expressing my hope that public inconvenience and anger would not unduly influence NEMA's and the MoE's decisions during a state of emergency.
I daresay that Iona Holsted didn't issue her directive lightly, and regrets any inconvenience.
95% of my comment was about the social impact on women/mothers.
You completely ignored all of it – to seize on the one (final) line you could twist to your purpose.
Hence the comment:
[Or, perhaps, you could quote the thoughtful response that you made to the issue I was raising…. /sarc/]
I know you're proud of your left-wing bias – and are pre-programmed to react negatively to any comment I make, since I don't share your world-view.
Going to leave this here.
Better things to do with my life.
Incorrect – I read your entire comment. The negative impacts of decisions taken during this (or any) state of emergency are regrettable.
Imho, such emergencies will become increasingly common, perhaps necessitating decisions with (even) greater negative impacts.
Don't know about "proud" – I'm certainly comfortable with lefty views.
Did you really expect me to react positively to this comment of yours?
No 'pre-programming' required – honest.
Clearly – you’ve made 14 comments on TS this evening.
Absolutely reject your suggestion that I'm grumpy – I'm simply observing.
Oh dear.
I get it – ‘the left' does it too. And who wouldn't feel grumpy, angry even, when inconvenienced by responses to a state of emergency. Best of luck.
Emergency management requested the closures to minimise traffic while workers do their best to safely clean up and reinstate services. Under normal circumstances most of that work would require complex traffic management plans/road closures and be carried out overnight and during weekends.
The difficulties involved are obviously beyond the idiot.
I seriously doubt that Emergency management requested that every school in Auckland close down. I can certainly believe that they may have requested closure in some areas, where the roading network has been significantly damaged (Riverhead bridge, etc.).
Perhaps you can link to this request?
I've driven through some of the very badly affected-by-flooding areas on the North Shore today (SH1, Wairau Rd, etc.); and while the shops and businesses and homes are still being cleaned and dried out – the roading network, itself is unaffected. There are a few local trees still down across roads due to slips (roads into reserves or yacht moorings – which (quite rightly) aren't being prioritized for clearance)
There is no good (roading) reason why local schools couldn’t be open.
And, as pointed out above, city-based parents and kids will be hitting the malls and entertainment precincts – so, this decision is likely to create more traffic, rather than less.
Seymour does what he does best: politicking. And this is a fine example of disaster politicking.
Seymour knows that not all schools would have opened tomorrow. For example, Avondale College:
https://www.avcol.school.nz/post/term-dates-for-2023
In other words, for most of those students it means they’d miss only one day at school at which not much learning would have taken place anyway. Seymour knows this but he prefers to call it “a week” which creates the wrong impression, by design, of course.
Any loss of school days could (and will?) be made up later in the term(s) or at the end of the year. Seymour knows this too.
Tim Conner is defying the MOE and reckons his boys are going to school regardless. My own kids' schools will close but one principal did say in the email the government announcement was via media.
I will be out and about on Khyber Pass early tomorrow so shall report back if Auckland Grammar is rebelling0!
Don't get me wrong, I am upset by the decision but have filed it under, "shit over the last three years I don't want to think about".
I'm upset because it has been a rubbish summer. Wet, difficult, disrupted recuperation. Clients being asshole, etc.
Was really looking forward to parking it and moving on with the resumption of school. They won't even let me do that. 🙁
"They"? As a past educator, it seems sensible to me. It is a disaster and needs clear instructions and decisions.
Checks on… water quality testing/toilets functions/electricity safely on/ roads and paths safe/staffing and pupil issues met/ food available?/ dry clothing?…materials? to name just a few issues.
The staff and Principal are in "loco parentis'. Responsible from the child's gate 'till safely home after school. The Ministry has deemed the over all risks too great.
What is happening that people quizz every decision as if it is taken to annoy them personally?
"They" is everyone who is not me!
I just described how I feel as a parent after this holiday period. It seems 2023 has got off to a start which 2022, 20221, and 2020 would be envious of.
no patricia, you should realize that decision does annoy the easily annoyed. every decision is targeted at them, and them alone, to allow their outrage alarm to go off .
Looks as though Conner said that, since the official communication from the MoE, said that schools could open, but had to provide distance learning – they would be opening, unless specifically directed not to.
Don't know why the MoE waited until after 5 on the day before schools were scheduled to open – to send out their notice … seems a bit… dilatory).
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018875688/auckland-grammar-headmaster-says-school-will-stay-open