Love the quote. Unfortunately media tend to focus more on the; “slightly mad”, aspect than the; “internal moral engine”. This is particularly evident down here in Dunedin with incessant harping on about anti-deep sea drilling protestors use of fossil fuels:
“Despite his [Haazen’s] beliefs, he cruised up Otago Harbour on diesel power yesterday, on the ”perfect” still morning. ”We are totally addicted to oil. We need to wean ourselves off our oil addiction,” he said.”
The current lack on an alternative fuel infrastructure being one of the primary points of the protest action! But then, when it comes to basic facts:
“Pro Gas Otago spokesman Andrew Whiley Coyote said he ”struggled”… ”I’m really confused.”
Mr Haazen said Mr Whiley had incorrect information, as [both] oil and gas were being sought.”
A Whiley Coyote isn’t as smart as he thinks he is in Prostituting Otago Oil.
Dunedin seems a particularly compromised choice for risking an oil spill.
Dunedin is one the only place in the southern hemisphere where any species of Albatross breeds on the mainland and Dunedin happens to have the largest one – the Royal Albatross breeding there, they have the Yellow-Eyed Penguins – a species severely challenged already and as I understand it Dunedin is pretty special in that there are a variety of cormorant species (shags) living in the same area – and this is also rare. These are only the things I know about and there are bound to be more – I guess other places in New Zealand would have similar issues.
It would be pretty bad for all the people if oil got into that harbour – and how quickly would the oil ‘be washed away’ in that harbour with the shape that it is?
Many dont understand the greens cos their bottom line isnt money… thats why they label them nutters. Better to consider them insane than correct. Imagine how frightening it is for many to consider that money isnt the most important thing.
Oh so you just come along and squash my concept. Now you mention it … no wonder we are floating around in a sort of black hole … nothing has definite edges any more … it must be that fuzzy logic I’ve heard talked about.
Every political activist I’ve ever met, with the exception of one, was left leaning, and everyone did it for ultraistic motifs. The one exception was my Nat cousin, whose father was a tory throw-back, but even then my cousin turned down the baubles of power, deluded into working to elect a Nat Government. Every other tory has done it for the money. They weren’t activists, just greedy.
To me, a true activist does it for ultraistic reasons. I’m sure JK was at Whangarei for that reason – the right thing to do – whereas your “average” right-wing activist is looking at “what’s in it for me” – payback.
Fair enough. However, many right-wingers want to radically change society (and have); they are not just looking after their own narrow self interest i.e ”what’s in it for me”.
Who is the real activist between say John Minto and Roger Douglas?
It’s in the eye of the beholder I guess.
According to Oxford Dictionaries (online) activism is: ”the policy or action of using vigorous campaigning to bring about political or social change.”
The term activist is often used as a pejorative to dismiss and marginalise people like Jane Kelsey and John Minto, who (regardless of your view of the issue) are advocating the more conservative path. Thus in the minds of the people, opposing the likes of the TPPA is the activist or radical position.
To my mind, those campaigning for a treaty that threatens our sovereignty are pro-TPPA activists.
Alan Gibbs would be better than Douglas in your comparison if feel. But both are activists they just have completely different methods and reasoning. Whilst Minto is much more vocal etc I’d argue that Gibb’s version has had greater effect on NZ. People just cant see it because its all done behind closed doors. …
Good point. Douglas was elected, and got his way by using (manipulating) the parliamentary system. Gibbs used other channels as an activist of the far right for both personal enrichment and political upheaval.
He seems to prefer the identity of ”predator” judging from extracts from ‘Serious Fun: The Life and Times of Alan Gibbs’ penned by National list MP and author Paul Goldsmith.
From the NZ Herald review in August 2012 by Chris Barton:
“Predators seek to incur the least possible risk while hunting,” writes Goldsmith, comparing the law of the jungle with the behaviour of successful, risk-averse businessmen. On a 1987 trip to Zimbabwe and Kenya, Gibbs found the great African plains a revelation. He was fascinated by the way gazelle accommodated to living in constant peril. “The competition for survival in nature was absolute and unsentimental: the strong survived; the weak were eaten.” Goldsmith extends the metaphor to the New Zealand business ecosystem of the 70s – predator-free, with the natural process disrupted by government regulation and protection, allowing “plenty of fundamentally unsound businesses to limp along.” Until, according to Goldsmith, Gibbs restored the balance. “Gibbs had emerged since 1979 as one of the larger local predators, at a time when old protections were starting to lose their power.” Ends
Just to think, they wanted to let this man loose on our health system.
Great post ! Especially on the day when we got up at 5am (groan) in the dark, drove in the dark and wind down to the Whangarei growers market and set up a stall to raise awareness and get written submissions opposing the Local Govt Commission’s proposal for a Unitary Authority for the whole of Northland. We had almost 100 (95 to be exact) handwritten submissions within 3 hours to send off to the LGC. This is on top of the 60 we’ve previously sent off from other stalls. Yeah …. I’d go along with the “slightly mad” description – except for the fact we had umpteen people saying to us – ” thanks for doing this, I wouln’t have got around to sending off a submission otherwise”
Sorry GreyWarbler – I’m just not getting into that scenario yet ….. haven’t sorted out my own submission for the LGC hearings – been too busy raising awareness of the issue locally, and my personal objection is that the draft Unitary proposal takes away a huge amount of current decision-making from local councillors – putting all the major decisions into the hands of one mayor and 9 councillors covering the entire – hugely isolated in parts – of Northland. Its too remote.
The Waitakere local board recently were the “victims” of such decision-making – not even being consulted about the possibility of oil drilling off Auckland’s west coast which is their patch.
“First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, and then you win.” Mahatma Gandhi
<blockquote.âThose who love peace must learn to organize as effectively as those who love war.â Martin Luther King Jr.
Is David Cunliffe placing himself on the wrong side of history, in supporting Deep Sea Oil drilling?
Many tens, if not hundreds of New Zealanders are preparing to blockade our ports against the passage of the Deep Sea Oil rig support ships.
Many thousands protested on our beaches.
Even the most powerful man in the world, the President of the United States of America has been unable to push the XL pipeline through, against opposition from determined US activists.
Deep Sea Oil Drilling is this country’s version of the XL pipeline.
Like the protests against schedule 4 mining that made the National government back down.
Like the protests that drove nuclear warships and Petrobras from our shores.
Sooner or later the movement against Deep Sea Oil will become overwhelming.
Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son?
And where have you been my darling young one?
I’ve stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains
I’ve walked and I’ve crawled on six crooked highways
I’ve stepped in the middle of seven sad forests
I’ve been out in front of a dozen dead oceans
I’ve been ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard
And it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard, and it’s a hard
It’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall.
“Which strategy is best? It depends on whether the change is brought about through violence or resistance. University of Denver political scientist Erica Chenoweth and her colleague Maria Stephan compared violent and nonviolent revolutions and reforms since 1900. They found that âfrom 1900 to 2006, nonviolent campaigns worldwide were twice as likely to succeed outright as violent insurgencies.â And: âThis trend has been increasing over time, so that in the last 50 years nonviolent campaigns are becoming increasingly successful and common, whereas violent insurgencies are becoming increasingly rare and unsuccessful.â Only a small percentage of a population is necessary to bring about change: âNo single campaigns failed after they’d achieved the active and sustained participation of just 3.5 percent of the population.â And if they surpassed the 3.5 percent threshold, all were nonviolent and âoften much more inclusive and representative in terms of gender, age, race, political party, class, and the urban-rural distinction.â It’s a faster track to the 3.5 percent magic number when you are more inclusive and participation barriers are low. Plus, nonviolent resistance does not require expensive guns and weapons.” Michael Shermer Scientific American Febuary 1, 2014
New Zealand must be one of the world leaders in effective peaceful protest, from Vietnam to Schedule 4. and everything in between.
During the Vietnam war era New Zealand had the largest number of anti war protesters per head of population in the world. Though the New Zealand state supported the war, NZ could only send volunteers. Unlike Australia the government could not impose conscription, in fact they even had to abandon the precursor to conscription, Compulsory Military Training, when anti-war protesters blocked the tracks of the trains taking trainees to Papakura and the trainees joined the protests.
In 1975 the Vietnam war ended and the Maori Land March took place under the banner “Not One More Acre” protesting the continuing confiscation of Maori Land primarily through the use of the Public Works Act. This huge mobilisation of Maori and their supporters brought both Auckland and Wellington to a grinding halt when the Land March passed through these cities. Winning several important concessions for Maori in particular the founding of the Maori Land Court to consider all cases of unfair Maori Land alienation.
In 1976 the government decided to subdivide Auckland Council land alienated from Maori in 1882. A peaceful protest to stop the subdivision occupied the land after 500 days the government mobilised over 800 troops and police to evict them. But the government was never able to carry out their plans to subdivide the land for luxury housing. And the protesters won another major concession from the Crown. For the first time ever, the Maori Land Court was given the power to consider historic grievances. And the first ever settlement under the new powers given the land court was to return Bastion Point to the Ngati Whatua o Orakei.
In 1981 protests mounted against racially selected sporting tours culminated in huge protests against the springbok tour, that never saw another sports team from that regime ever visit this country again. ‘nuf said. (except that these protests captured the world’s attention, and gave valuable moral support to the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa itself)
The New Zealand protests against nuclear armed and powered warships brought the world’s most powerful navy to grinding halt. The protests became so huge and powerful that the debate went into parliament. A private members bill to ban nuclear ships was brought onto the floor of parliament by Labour opposition MP Richard Prebble. Under huge public pressure two government MPs were prepared to cross the floor to see the bill passed. The crisis brought down the government. The new administration tried to continue the same policy of neither confirm nor deny to allow US warship the Buchanon back into New Zealand, Nicky Hagar met with Prime Minster Lange and told him any attempt to bring the Buchanon into New Zealand would be met with the same scale of protests that brought down the last government. The day after he told the Buchanon to turn around and go back to the US. David Lange was reported in the Listener as saying the peace movement was the lobby he most feared.
Schedule 4 protests against the mining of conservation land saw another government backdown in the face of huge public protest.
I am proud to say that I have been intimately involved in all these schedules, just like many other tens of thousands of New Zealanders. (except only minimally in the schedule 4 protests)
We have never been beaten and have never found ourselves on the wrong side of history.
Myself and many other experienced activists are now mobilising against Deep Sea Oil drilling, and to save the planet.
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The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Governmentâs democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Governmentâs 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 thatâs great for the planet and great for consumers after her memberâs bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the countryâs books after Teanau Tuionoâs membersâ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his memberâs bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Todayâs advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Governmentâs newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealandâs urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. âOur Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealandâs hydrogen future, with the opening of the countryâs first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. âI want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealandâs own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealandâs energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. âThe report shows that New Zealandâs emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,â Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where heâll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Governmentâs work to restore law and order. âAttending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealandâs human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the worldâs largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. âThe reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealandâs wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin  NgÄ mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho  Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today.  I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. âOur Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealandâs overseas missions.  âOur diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealandâs interests around the world,â Mr Peters says.  âI am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. Â âOver 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. âIt is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. âOur coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
âChina remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,â Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.  Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. âRecently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachersâ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.  âThe Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. âScience, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During todayâs meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. âThe Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in TaupĹ as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the TaupĹ International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. âAnticipation for the ITM TaupĹ Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. âThe coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. âThis project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sectorâs productivity,â Mr Jones says. âThe project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Governmentâs plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. âBenefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Governmentâs commitment to doubling New Zealandâs renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealandâs latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. âOur Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. âNew Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Governmentâs intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. âThe introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Todayâs announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Governmentâs plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. âInflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sectorâs role in the export-led recovery of the economy. âI am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Governmentâs support for the revitalisation the sector.  "New Zealandâs wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. âThe inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. âMy meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Asia Pacific Report Students and activist staff at Australiaâs University of Sydney (USyd) have set up a Gaza solidarity encampment in support of Palestinians and similar student-led protests in the United States. The camp was pitched as mass graves, crippled hospitals, thousands of civilian deaths and the near-total destruction of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James B. Dorey, Lecturer in Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong Australian teddy bear bees are cute and fluffy, but get a look at that massive (unbarbed) stinger! James Dorey Photography Most of us have been stung by a bee and we ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jen Roberts, Senior Lecturer, School of Humanities and Social Inquiry, University of Wollongong Aussie~mobs/FlickrVictor Farr, a private in the 1st Infantry Battalion, was among the first to land at Anzac Cove just before dawn on April 25 1915. Victor Farr ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Gregory Moore I had the good fortune to care for the sugar gum at The University of Melbourneâs Burnley Gardens in Victoria where I worked for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australiaâs inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and itâs now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Ong ViforJ, ARC Future Fellow & Professor of Economics, Curtin University Just when we think the price of rentals could not get any worse, this weekâs Rental Affordability Snapshot by Anglicare has revealed low-income Australians are facing a housing crisis like ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tracey Holmes, Professorial Fellow in Sport, University of Canberra When the news broke last weekend that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive to a banned drug in early 2021 and were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympic Games six months later ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cally Jetta, Senior Lecturer and Academic Lead; College for First Nations, University of Southern Queensland Australian War MemorialAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people, as well as sensitive historical information ...
RNZ News Melissa Lee has been ousted from New Zealandâs coalition cabinet and stripped of the Media portfolio, and Penny Simmonds has lost the Disability Issues portfolio in a reshuffle. Climate Change and Revenue Minister Simon Watts will take Leeâs spot in cabinet. Simmonds was a minister outside of cabinet. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Lindenmayer, Professor, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University laurello/Shutterstock Some reports and popular books, such as Bill Gammageâs Biggest Estate on Earth, have argued that extensive areas of Australiaâs forests were kept open through frequent burning by ...
Analysis - Christopher Luxon framing the demotion of two ministers as the portfolios getting "too complex" is a charitable way of saying they weren't up to the job. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra With Jim Chalmersâs third budget on May 14, Australians will be looking for some more cost-of-living relief â beyond the tax cuts â although they have been warned extra measures will be modest. As ...
Analysis: Melissa Lee has lost the media portfolio and her spot in Cabinet after multiple failed attempts to find solutions for a media industry in crisis. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister announced Lee would be losing her spot in Cabinet along with her media and communications ministerial portfolio. The job ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Wilmot, Senior Lecturer, Film, Deakin University Among the many Australian who served during the second world war, there is a small group of people whose stories remain largely untold. These are the Muslim men and women who, while small in number, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Saunders, PhD Candidate, University of Canberra There has been much analysis and praise of Justice Michael Leeâs recent judgement in Bruce Lehrmannâs defamation case against Channel Ten. Many people were openly relieved to read Leeâs âforensicâ and ânuancedâ application of law ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathy Gibbs, Program Director for the Bachelor of Education, Griffith University zEdward_Indy/Shutterstock Around one in 20 people has attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Itâs one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood and often continues into adulthood. ADHD is diagnosed ...
The Fairer Future coalition of anti-poverty groups say Whaikaha must be properly funded going forward, and that to argue that poor financial management of the new Ministry is a red herring by the Prime Minister. ...
The Taxpayersâ Union is today congratulating Hon. Paul Goldsmith on his appointment as Minister for Media and Communications and urges him to rule out state intervention in the private media sector. ...
Asia Pacific Report The West Papuan resistance OPM leader has condemned Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Joe Biden, accusing their countries of âsix decades of treacheryâ over Papuan independence. The open letter was released today by OPM chairman Jeffrey P Bomanak on the eve of ANZAC Day ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits and quirks of New Zealanders at large. This week: writer and one of Time Magazineâs 100 most influential people of 2024, Lauren Groff.The book I wish Iâd writtenIf I wish Iâd written a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Fechner, Research Fellow, Social Marketing, Griffith University mavo/Shutterstock Imagine having dinner at a restaurant. The menu offers plant-based meat alternatives made mostly from vegetables, mushrooms, legumes and wheat that mimic meat in taste, texture and smell. Despite being given that ...
âThree Strikes is a dead-end policy proposed by a dead-end government. The Three Strikes law ignores the causes of crime, instead just brutalising people already crushed by the cost of living.â ...
By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist An Australian-born judge in Kiribati could well face deportation later this week after a tribunal ruling that he should be removed from his post. The tribunalâs report has just been tabled in the Kiribati Parliament and is due to be debated by MPs ...
With its clear mandate for police use, political nuances, and nuanced public trust, Denmark's insights provide valuable considerations for Australia and New Zealand. ...
Books editor Claire Mabey reviews poet Louise Wallaceâs debut novel. A famous poet once said to me that heâs always suspicious when a poet publishes a novel. I never really understood why but maybe itâs something to do with cheating on your first form. Louise Wallace is a poet. Sheâs ...
For a few months at the turn of the millennium, TrueBliss burned bright as the biggest pop stars in the country. Alex Casey chats to two superfans who still hold the flame. During a humble backyard wedding in Nelson, 1999, one of the cordially invited guests had to excuse themselves ...
How will the recent wave of job cuts impact ethnic diversity in the media? In November last year, I was working a very busy day in the newsroom of a large online news site, interviewing whÄnau about their concerns over the imminent closure of one of the few puna reo ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ruth Knight, Researcher, Queensland University of Technology Have you ever felt sick at work? Perhaps you had food poisoning or the flu. Your belly hurt, or you felt tired, making it hard to concentrate and be productive. How likely would you be ...
Despite heavy criticism and an ongoing select committee process, the Police Minister says the Government will forge ahead with a ban on gang patches. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam Whiting, Lecturer – Creative Industries, University of South Australia Shutterstock Everyone has a favourite band, or a favourite composer, or a favourite song. There is some music which speaks to you, deeply; and other music which might be the current ...
A new survey says âoutlook not greatâ for those charged with building infrastructure, while RMA changes delight farmers and depress environmentalists, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoffâs morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. First RMA changes announced ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olli Hellmann, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Waikato Getty Images When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day on April 25, itâs not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also ...
A leaked document shows the Canterbury/Waitaha arm of health agency Te Whatu Ora is scurrying to save $13.3 million by July. The âfinancial sustainability targetâ, which was âallocatedâ to Waitaha, is consistent with whatâs happening in other districts, says Sarah Dalton, executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists. ...
A look at the state of the previous governmentâs affordable housing scheme, and what could come next.Remind me: Whatâs KiwiBuild again?First announced in 2012, KiwiBuild was a flagship policy of the Labour Party heading into both its 2014 and 2017 election campaigns. With Jacinda Ardern as prime minister, ...
Labour in opposition will be shocked to learn which party had six years in power but squandered any chance to make real change. Grant Robertsonâs valedictory speech was a predictably entertaining trip down memory lane. The acid-tongued incoming Otago University chancellor administered a sick burn to the coalition government. He ...
There’s relief for building owners bending under the weight of earthquake strengthening rules â and costs â that came into force seven years ago. Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk has announced a scheduled 2027 review of the earthquake-prone building regulations will now start this year. Owners will also get ...
Opinion: It has been announced that nine percent of roles at Oranga Tamariki will be disestablished, presumably to help fund the tax cuts promised by the coalition Government. I am reminded of the graphics used to illustrate pandemic events, where five thousand people are standing in a field and then ...
After more than two sleepless days, running through savage terrain, Greig Hamilton didnât know if he was going to finish one of the most gruelling psychological assaults in sport. He was metres away from the finish line, a yellow gate made famous in a Netflix documentary; a race heâd dreamed ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 24 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
The following interview with former Green Party MP Sue Kedgley came about because she features in the new memoir Hine Toa by activist NgÄhuia te AwekĹtuku; the two knew each other at the University of Auckland in the early 70s, when they were both took on leadership roles in the ...
Taiwanâs semiconductor industry is seen some as its ‘silicon shield’ against invasion – but how will overseas expansion affect that protection? The post The state of Taiwan’s silicon shield appeared first on Newsroom. ...
COMMENTARY:By Murray Horton New Zealand needs to get tough with Israel. Itâs not as if we havenât done so before. When NZ authorities busted a Mossad operation in Auckland 20 years ago, the government didnât say: âOh well, Israel has the right to defend itself.â No, it arrested, prosecuted, ...
NEWSMAKERS:By Vijay Narayan, news director of FijiVillage Blessed to be part of the University of Fiji (UniFiji) faculty to continue to teach and mentor those who want to join our noble profession, and to stand for truth and justice for the people of the country. I was privileged to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Three weeks from now, some of us will be presented with a mountain of budget papers, and just about all of us will get to hear about them on radio, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan Lowry, Ice Sheet & Climate Modeller, GNS Science Hugh Chittock/Antarctica New Zealand, CC BY-SA As the climate warms and Antarcticaâs glaciers and ice sheets melt, the resulting rise in sea level has the potential to displace hundreds of millions of ...
The government's plan to reintroduce a three strikes regime is being strongly opposed by lawyers, who argue there is no evidence it reduces crime or helps people rehabilitate. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan Jerker B. Svantesson, Professor specialising in Internet law, Bond University Do Australian courts have the right to decide what foreign citizens, located overseas, view online on a foreign-owned platform? Anyone inclined to answer âyesâ to this question should perhaps also ask ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giovanni E Ferreira, NHMRC Emerging Leader Research Fellow, Institute of Musculoskeletal Health, University of Sydney Last week in a post on X, owner of the platform Elon Musk recommended people look into disc replacement if theyâre experiencing severe neck or back pain. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Hayward, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy, RMIT University anek.soowannaphoom/Shutterstock NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey caught the headlines yesterday, courtesy of a blistering speech condemning the latest GST carve-up. New South Wales, he claimed, would be A$11.9 billion worse off over the ...
While police are "broadly in favour", the government's proposed anti-gang laws are facing pushback from lawyers, rights groups and former gang members. ...
While police are "broadly in favour", the government's proposed anti-gang laws are facing pushback from lawyers, rights groups and former gang members. ...
By Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has arrived at Kokoda Station, Northern province, at the start of his state visit to Papua New Guinea. Both Albanese and Prime Minister James Marape will meet with the locals and the Northern Provincial government before they begin their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Wallace, Professor, School of Politics Economics & Society, Faculty of Business Government & Law, University of Canberra Shutterstock An important principle was invoked by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last week in defence of the governmentâs Future Made in Australia industry ...
Love the quote. Unfortunately media tend to focus more on the; “slightly mad”, aspect than the; “internal moral engine”. This is particularly evident down here in Dunedin with incessant harping on about anti-deep sea drilling protestors use of fossil fuels:
“Despite his [Haazen’s] beliefs, he cruised up Otago Harbour on diesel power yesterday, on the ”perfect” still morning. ”We are totally addicted to oil. We need to wean ourselves off our oil addiction,” he said.”
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/290091/protest-vessel-arrives
The current lack on an alternative fuel infrastructure being one of the primary points of the protest action! But then, when it comes to basic facts:
“Pro Gas Otago spokesman Andrew Whiley Coyote said he ”struggled”… ”I’m really confused.”
Mr Haazen said Mr Whiley had incorrect information, as [both] oil and gas were being sought.”
A Whiley Coyote isn’t as smart as he thinks he is in Prostituting Otago Oil.
Dunedin seems a particularly compromised choice for risking an oil spill.
Dunedin is one the only place in the southern hemisphere where any species of Albatross breeds on the mainland and Dunedin happens to have the largest one – the Royal Albatross breeding there, they have the Yellow-Eyed Penguins – a species severely challenged already and as I understand it Dunedin is pretty special in that there are a variety of cormorant species (shags) living in the same area – and this is also rare. These are only the things I know about and there are bound to be more – I guess other places in New Zealand would have similar issues.
It would be pretty bad for all the people if oil got into that harbour – and how quickly would the oil ‘be washed away’ in that harbour with the shape that it is?
Have these factors been taken into account?
Link to Greenpeace’s oil spill map
Nutters unite at the Botanics around 1pm today again đ
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. Edmund Burke
That is one of my favourite quotes đ
Mine too.
Mine too
you’re really getting the hang of that satire thing…
Many dont understand the greens cos their bottom line isnt money… thats why they label them nutters. Better to consider them insane than correct. Imagine how frightening it is for many to consider that money isnt the most important thing.
đ
Money is the tool of the practical man, it is visually self-sufficient. Whereas ideas, ethics, cognitive decisions, are invisible. Q.E.D.
Of course today, money is electronic and largely invisible too.
Oh so you just come along and squash my concept. Now you mention it … no wonder we are floating around in a sort of black hole … nothing has definite edges any more … it must be that fuzzy logic I’ve heard talked about.
The trappings of wealth are highly visible that’s why wealthy people like to have remuera tractors to look down on the the plebs.
The trappings of wealth are highly visible that’s why wealthy people like to have remuera tractors to look down on the the plebs.
Money is the sledgehammer of the man who cant be bothered using a chisel.
Every political activist I’ve ever met, with the exception of one, was left leaning, and everyone did it for ultraistic motifs. The one exception was my Nat cousin, whose father was a tory throw-back, but even then my cousin turned down the baubles of power, deluded into working to elect a Nat Government. Every other tory has done it for the money. They weren’t activists, just greedy.
There’s plenty of right-wing activists: the asset-selling activists, the free trade at all costs activists, etc.
To me, a true activist does it for ultraistic reasons. I’m sure JK was at Whangarei for that reason – the right thing to do – whereas your “average” right-wing activist is looking at “what’s in it for me” – payback.
Is the word you are meaning altruism ? [selfless consideration for others’ welfare]
Ultraistic means something quite different. [extremism]
The way our society is being reconfigured, being altruistic is going to be considered by the powers that be as ultraistic!!!
The powers that be are ultraistic đ
(New word for me – never heard of it before!)
Sorry, spell-check throws up some curve balls, and balls-ups.
Fair enough. However, many right-wingers want to radically change society (and have); they are not just looking after their own narrow self interest i.e ”what’s in it for me”.
Who is the real activist between say John Minto and Roger Douglas?
Douglas isn’t an activist.
It’s in the eye of the beholder I guess.
According to Oxford Dictionaries (online) activism is: ”the policy or action of using vigorous campaigning to bring about political or social change.”
The term activist is often used as a pejorative to dismiss and marginalise people like Jane Kelsey and John Minto, who (regardless of your view of the issue) are advocating the more conservative path. Thus in the minds of the people, opposing the likes of the TPPA is the activist or radical position.
To my mind, those campaigning for a treaty that threatens our sovereignty are pro-TPPA activists.
Alan Gibbs would be better than Douglas in your comparison if feel. But both are activists they just have completely different methods and reasoning. Whilst Minto is much more vocal etc I’d argue that Gibb’s version has had greater effect on NZ. People just cant see it because its all done behind closed doors. …
Good point. Douglas was elected, and got his way by using (manipulating) the parliamentary system. Gibbs used other channels as an activist of the far right for both personal enrichment and political upheaval.
He seems to prefer the identity of ”predator” judging from extracts from ‘Serious Fun: The Life and Times of Alan Gibbs’ penned by National list MP and author Paul Goldsmith.
From the NZ Herald review in August 2012 by Chris Barton:
“Predators seek to incur the least possible risk while hunting,” writes Goldsmith, comparing the law of the jungle with the behaviour of successful, risk-averse businessmen. On a 1987 trip to Zimbabwe and Kenya, Gibbs found the great African plains a revelation. He was fascinated by the way gazelle accommodated to living in constant peril. “The competition for survival in nature was absolute and unsentimental: the strong survived; the weak were eaten.” Goldsmith extends the metaphor to the New Zealand business ecosystem of the 70s – predator-free, with the natural process disrupted by government regulation and protection, allowing “plenty of fundamentally unsound businesses to limp along.” Until, according to Goldsmith, Gibbs restored the balance. “Gibbs had emerged since 1979 as one of the larger local predators, at a time when old protections were starting to lose their power.” Ends
Just to think, they wanted to let this man loose on our health system.
Great post ! Especially on the day when we got up at 5am (groan) in the dark, drove in the dark and wind down to the Whangarei growers market and set up a stall to raise awareness and get written submissions opposing the Local Govt Commission’s proposal for a Unitary Authority for the whole of Northland. We had almost 100 (95 to be exact) handwritten submissions within 3 hours to send off to the LGC. This is on top of the 60 we’ve previously sent off from other stalls. Yeah …. I’d go along with the “slightly mad” description – except for the fact we had umpteen people saying to us – ” thanks for doing this, I wouln’t have got around to sending off a submission otherwise”
Good stuff JK. Keep up the good work.
Thanks, Mickey.
That’s great activism JK, impressive.
jk
briefly what do you think would work best for northland?
Sorry GreyWarbler – I’m just not getting into that scenario yet ….. haven’t sorted out my own submission for the LGC hearings – been too busy raising awareness of the issue locally, and my personal objection is that the draft Unitary proposal takes away a huge amount of current decision-making from local councillors – putting all the major decisions into the hands of one mayor and 9 councillors covering the entire – hugely isolated in parts – of Northland. Its too remote.
The Waitakere local board recently were the “victims” of such decision-making – not even being consulted about the possibility of oil drilling off Auckland’s west coast which is their patch.
Is David Cunliffe placing himself on the wrong side of history, in supporting Deep Sea Oil drilling?
Many tens, if not hundreds of New Zealanders are preparing to blockade our ports against the passage of the Deep Sea Oil rig support ships.
Many thousands protested on our beaches.
Even the most powerful man in the world, the President of the United States of America has been unable to push the XL pipeline through, against opposition from determined US activists.
Deep Sea Oil Drilling is this country’s version of the XL pipeline.
Like the protests against schedule 4 mining that made the National government back down.
Like the protests that drove nuclear warships and Petrobras from our shores.
Sooner or later the movement against Deep Sea Oil will become overwhelming.
Ugh. Eve Ensler. Whose “activism” includes “dehumanizing women of colour for her own ~personal growth~”
http://ideologicallyimpure.wordpress.com/2013/12/13/oh-fuck-off-eve-ensler-how-white-feminists-dehumanise-women-of-colour-masterclass/
“A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall”
Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son?
And where have you been my darling young one?
I’ve stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains
I’ve walked and I’ve crawled on six crooked highways
I’ve stepped in the middle of seven sad forests
I’ve been out in front of a dozen dead oceans
I’ve been ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard
And it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard, and it’s a hard
It’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xq1q9k_bob-dylan-a-hard-rain-s-a-gonna-fall-1964_music
Jenny the climate change Goebbels
A scientific take on activism.
New Zealand must be one of the world leaders in effective peaceful protest, from Vietnam to Schedule 4. and everything in between.
During the Vietnam war era New Zealand had the largest number of anti war protesters per head of population in the world. Though the New Zealand state supported the war, NZ could only send volunteers. Unlike Australia the government could not impose conscription, in fact they even had to abandon the precursor to conscription, Compulsory Military Training, when anti-war protesters blocked the tracks of the trains taking trainees to Papakura and the trainees joined the protests.
In 1975 the Vietnam war ended and the Maori Land March took place under the banner “Not One More Acre” protesting the continuing confiscation of Maori Land primarily through the use of the Public Works Act. This huge mobilisation of Maori and their supporters brought both Auckland and Wellington to a grinding halt when the Land March passed through these cities. Winning several important concessions for Maori in particular the founding of the Maori Land Court to consider all cases of unfair Maori Land alienation.
In 1976 the government decided to subdivide Auckland Council land alienated from Maori in 1882. A peaceful protest to stop the subdivision occupied the land after 500 days the government mobilised over 800 troops and police to evict them. But the government was never able to carry out their plans to subdivide the land for luxury housing. And the protesters won another major concession from the Crown. For the first time ever, the Maori Land Court was given the power to consider historic grievances. And the first ever settlement under the new powers given the land court was to return Bastion Point to the Ngati Whatua o Orakei.
In 1981 protests mounted against racially selected sporting tours culminated in huge protests against the springbok tour, that never saw another sports team from that regime ever visit this country again. ‘nuf said. (except that these protests captured the world’s attention, and gave valuable moral support to the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa itself)
The New Zealand protests against nuclear armed and powered warships brought the world’s most powerful navy to grinding halt. The protests became so huge and powerful that the debate went into parliament. A private members bill to ban nuclear ships was brought onto the floor of parliament by Labour opposition MP Richard Prebble. Under huge public pressure two government MPs were prepared to cross the floor to see the bill passed. The crisis brought down the government. The new administration tried to continue the same policy of neither confirm nor deny to allow US warship the Buchanon back into New Zealand, Nicky Hagar met with Prime Minster Lange and told him any attempt to bring the Buchanon into New Zealand would be met with the same scale of protests that brought down the last government. The day after he told the Buchanon to turn around and go back to the US. David Lange was reported in the Listener as saying the peace movement was the lobby he most feared.
Schedule 4 protests against the mining of conservation land saw another government backdown in the face of huge public protest.
I am proud to say that I have been intimately involved in all these schedules, just like many other tens of thousands of New Zealanders. (except only minimally in the schedule 4 protests)
We have never been beaten and have never found ourselves on the wrong side of history.
Myself and many other experienced activists are now mobilising against Deep Sea Oil drilling, and to save the planet.
inheritance brings wealth to children and grandchildren. The work and economy of the forebear is passed on. Is this a crime.