Social Development Minister Anne Tolley said she was looking forward to receiving ignoring recommendations from the UN’s Committee on the Rights of the Child, after a “comprehensive” session in Geneva.
“They asked a question about poverty, they asked a question about how many children were homeless and did we have an official measure – of course, we do have an official measure.”
They also talked at length about the new Ministry for Vulnerable Children.
“There was some misunderstanding as to what we’re trying to achieve with that but I think we had good dialogue about it.”
The government delegation did not pretend New Zealand had all the answers, particularly around outcomes for Māori and Pasifika children, Mrs Tolley said.
But Unicef NZ executive director Vivien Maidaborn, who was part of the delegation, said the panel had expressed concern about the new ministry.
“The comment that was made was, ‘I don’t understand why you would call a Ministry the Ministry of Vulnerable Children when it could just have been the Ministry of Children. You’re in danger of overtargeting towards vulnerable children at the expense of rights to all New Zealand children.'”
Govt is only part of the problem, when a overwhelmed family has been forced to work several jobs, lacks access to family time, bonding opportunities, money to spend to take family out etc… …thanks to govt. You then should look at private sector abuses of child rearing. Working stiffs get how bone tired only to find there role at providing a healthy meal is impossible as our supermarket routinely extort money from them. Good retail provide the five basics, quality, consistency, availability, price, choice. Go in our major food retailers, and you’ll findaisles of sugery foods, varying prices, varying quality, unavailability (take red grapefruit f available its been on the shevles so long they’ve had to infuse it with detergent to keep it looking sellable. Fruit cooked on the inside. Meat tasteless and obvious thawed passed off as fresh, and wtf does freeflow meat mean.
You want to know why the poorest in NZ, the child of the poorest, are so badly off, its quite simple. Labour MPs have too much wealth, there’s too few of them, and they have no connection to poverty and to much to propert, to the ideals of big retail. It was hard to believe, but Australia is institutionalized racist, take how Maori are treated there, and NZ is socially fascists, its retailers work far too hard squeezing profits to actually do it efficiently. Bulk sales means lower costs, o nly poor managers a poor mangerment class, like our awfully small parliament doubling as a upper chamber, would think that our extremist retail sector is good for either profits of shareholders (its not as debt growth from over paying idiots to produce another opportunity to grow rebates is not…
We suffer in NZ from a lack of critical thinkers who can stand up and call a spade a spade, and have to many critics doing meta analaysis of their own meta handingly of procedural nonosense. Raise the no of MPs, fund public broadcasting, and put distance between business and govt, so let our nation finall breath some democratic air for a change.
The head of the Women’s Refuge says recently signalled reforms to tackle family violence mean they’ll need even more funding, and soon.
Dr Ang Jury from the Palmerston North Women’s RefugeAng Jury said Women’s Refuge had not received any increase to its core service funding since about 2008.
Justice Minister Amy Adams told TV3’s The Nation a $130 million package announced this week was largely about changes to the legal framework and a ministerial taskforce is still working on how to fund frontline services.
Dr Ang Jury said they would like to see an announcement before current contracts end in June.
“There’s been no increase in our core service funding since about 2008 and all of the reforms which are being signalled as being put in place are requiring more.
“Now I understand that the ministers are well and truly aware of that, and that they are working on that, but at this point in time we’ve got no idea what happens next.”
Big story on racism and the justice system – well known to some may open eyes of others
A Stuff Circuit investigation has delved into 10 years’ worth of data, examining arrest, prosecution, conviction and sentencing records and spoken to a broad range of people confronting the problem.
Problem? Undeniably, yes. There is no doubt that, from whichever angle you look at it, there is a serious skew in the system against Maori.
Even the Government acknowledges it. A senior official admitted to Stuff Circuit that unconscious bias in the justice system was a “live issue”.
Besides, the numbers are undeniable…
…As part of our research, we looked back at the number of police apprehensions over the past 10 years. It’s roughly the same number for Pakeha as Maori – 875,000 versus 868,000.
But if the number of Maori apprehensions were adjusted to match the proportion of the population made up by Maori, the number of Maori apprehensions would reduce to about 300,000.
Think about that for a minute: half a million fewer arrests of Maori. Imagine what it would mean not just for Maori but for our country if that was the reality.
As part of our research, we looked back at the number of police apprehensions over the past 10 years. It’s roughly the same number for Pakeha as Maori – 875,000 versus 868,000.
But if the number of Maori apprehensions were adjusted to match the proportion of the population made up by Maori, the number of Maori apprehensions would reduce to about 300,000.
That could indicate racism or that Māori are more likely to commit crimes. Considering that poverty does drive criminal activity then that may actually be true considering that Māori are also over represented in poverty statistics.
If Māori do commit more crime then we need to address the cause for that and that is most likely to mean addressing the cause of poverty which itself is probably, partially at least, due to racism. A large part is capitalism which is the direct cause of poverty in the first place.
That needs the entire sentence and what it was a response to as all I was doing there was showing that the bit quoted could show two things and thus wasn’t something that could be used to base a conclusion on.
Weak police and people in power, profiling others based on their appearance aka skin colour. They need to sharpen up, psychologically advance.
Next generation teaches me, my youngest points to a person in a group of others, telling me how awesome that person is, how they helped her at school and that he was a nice kid, i ask her which one, she replies the one with the orange shirt on, he was the only brown kid in that small group of kids and she choose to identify him by his shirt colour. Kudos little one keep it up.
Thanks for highlighting this demonstrable stain MM. One can only guess at the figures if Polynesian people were included in the analysis……a million, more ?
My almost daily and oftentimes bitter experience is of a justice system which discriminates against Maori and Polynesian, particularly the young. In randomly varying measure it is evident at all levels. From police on the street to police prosecutors to probation officials to court officials to lawyers to judicial officers. The ‘spin’, grand mission statements and so on, tells differently. Trouble is the ‘spin’ is devised and disseminated to conceal the ugly fact rather than to own and address it. A construct moral comfort.
Subliminal racist attitudes persuade that “these people” are more or less definitionally culpable. Time and again “these people” are treated accordingly as the Stuff analysis shows.
Examples are too numerous to report exhaustively. I will report this informally made observation from a District Court judge – “We are at real risk of civil unrest in New Zealand…….” Yes, poverty of course but when as is so often the case the picture includes racism…….ask yourself. A society can blame and brand and humiliate and dehumanise for only so long.
b waghorn
If it is; “more classism than racism”, then how do explain this?
Parliament’s Senior Māori Advisor is angry he was threatened with arrest when pulled over by Wellington police because he chose to respond to the officer’s questions in te reo Māori. Kura Moeahu says he did nothing wrong and was only exercising his legal right to speak his national language…
“[The officer said] ‘Don’t talk like that, I won’t have that talk to me’, so I continue to respond in Māori and then he said, ‘you do that again I’m going to arrest you’.”
If i was a cop and i pulled someone up while doing my job and the spoke to me another language when i knew damn well he could speak my language i’d just see him as being a foolish dick head. Or are you suggesting all police be multi lingual .
I am suggesting that our police should have multilingual capability – for the official languages of Aotearoa/ NZ (though it wouldn’t hurt to be able to communicate with tourists too). The individual officer might be monolingual, but an interpreter service should be accessible; this might even be an app for te reo (though I’ve heard that they’re a bit iffy so far).
Would you also suggest that someone who persisted in using NZ sign language as being a; “foolish dick head”?
”Would you also suggest that someone who persisted in using NZ sign language as being a; “foolish dick head”?”
if they could hear and speak then yes if they were deaf or mute or both then of course not
That’s the thing about making a language an official one of your country – you’re free to demand that public officials use it when they speak to you. The cop should count himself lucky it wasn’t a deaf-rights activist demanding to be dealt with in sign language.
Gabby
Yes, the cop does sound like a; “pigheaded arsehole”. Not accepting that he was an officer of the law being addressed in an official language of the country.
Bradbury has some nice phrases for this issue over on TDB:
…if that’s the way the Police treat a Maori on the Police Advisory board, how do you think they treat Maori on the street when no one is looking?…
That it’s taken almost 2 centuries for us to discuss how racist the system of NZ really is should be the shocking part of this issue.
Structural racism can only exist when the majority wilfully denies that it exists.
Hopefully the SJW’s and all those women group advocates who signed the document when the witch hunt was in full swing show a bit of spine and apologise to the Chiefs rugby players.
Of course, if you are a true New Zealander, you don’t say sorry if you’re a man, do you?
Educate yourself.
David Cunliffe’s apology brave, not silly
‘Please tell me I’m dreaming”, texted a friend of mine. “Please tell me that David Cunliffe didn’t just apologise for being a man.”
I stared at my cell-phone in disbelief. Was he joking? Why would the leader of a political party languishing in the opinion polls alienate at least half of the voting public? Why would he hand his opponents such an enormous cudgel? As if his party wasn’t already battered enough?
Later that day, at the pub, the guffaws and the jokes continued. I have to confess, I contributed my fair share of them. I would also point out that although all of my drinking companions were Lefties, by no means all of them were men. This was equal-opportunity ridicule.
So what was going on here? Why were a tableful of seasoned Leftists – male and female – and all of them well-versed in the facts and figures of domestic violence in New Zealand, so unanimous in condemning the opening sentences of David Cunliffe’s speech to last Friday’s Women’s Refuge Symposium?
It might be useful, here, to remind ourselves of his actual words: “Can I begin by saying I’m sorry – I don’t often say it – I’m sorry for being a man, right now. Because family and sexual violence is perpetrated overwhelmingly by men against women and children. So the first message to the men out there is: ‘wake up, stand up, man up and stop this bullshit’.”
You see? Written down in full and contextualised, Cunliffe’s words don’t look all that silly – do they? Indeed, you might even say they look rather brave.
None of us seated around that table at the pub, and no intelligent person reading Cunliffe’s sentences anywhere else in New Zealand, would dispute them. The perpetration of psychological, physical and sexual violence is overwhelmingly a masculine phenomenon. And while not every male is guilty of assaulting and/or raping women and girls, the violence inflicted upon females by a minority of males does contribute to the maintenance of a patriarchal culture from which all men derive benefit.
Patriarchy and imperialism are closely related, so perhaps it would help to elucidate the role that violence plays in shoring up our patriarchal culture by elucidating the role it played in shoring up the British Empire.
It is said that the entire Indian sub-continent was kept in the thrall of Great Britain by an imperial administration of fewer than 100,000 men. By no means all of these men were engaged in the brutal business of repression. The majority were well-educated, thoroughly decent civil servants who would never have dreamed of flogging a man to death, or presiding over the slow starvation of an entire province. Such dreadful acts were carried out by others: by soldiers and policemen. Deplorable, of course, but necessary – if the British Raj was to survive.
Is that why even we Lefties buried our heads in our hands upon hearing Cunliffe’s words? Because we knew, instinctively, just how outraged “ordinary” men would be when they heard them?
Not because these other men were in favour of hurting women and children, but because, however ham-fistedly, Cunliffe had acknowledged all men’s complicity in the myriad acts of violence and intimidation that mandate the equally numerous acts of female-to-male deference and acceptance by which the patriarchal individual defines himself.
The exercise of power and control constitutes the common coinage of both patriarchy and imperialism. And, no matter how thoroughly we attempt to conceal them beneath the draperies of romantic love and the “White Man’s Burden”, the true character of their brutal transactions cannot be hidden.
All men (and, I suspect, an alarmingly large number of women also) learn to both see and not-see the effects of domestic and sexual violence. We recoil in horror from the murdered wives and children but find it next to impossible to recognise the manifest evil in the perpetrators – the men invariably described as “just an ordinary bloke, a good family man”. But, in portraying these “enforcers” of patriarchy in such chillingly normative terms we confirm (albeit unconsciously) our own participation in the dark secret that Cunliffe shouted to the world.
That these horrors are of our making – men’s making – and will persist until, acknowledging the role violence plays in preserving our patriarchal privilege, we can all say: “I’m sorry for being a man.”
So true Ad. Andrew wondered why we import so many chefs and was ridiculed for ages. Now? Questions are being raised about that.
David’s, ““Can I begin by saying I’m sorry – I don’t often say it – I’m sorry for being a man, right now. Because family and sexual violence is perpetrated overwhelmingly by men against women and children. So the first message to the men out there is: ‘wake up, stand up, man up and stop this bullshit’.”
Now it is becoming more relevant. We do nod in agreement.
Agree, and just wanted to add that only a non alpha male does not apologise even when he is wrong.
An Alpha Male has no hang-ups. He simply says, “I was wrong. I apologise.” And he rectifies the problem if possible.
A sure way of spotting the boys from the men, men admit when they are wrong then try and fix the problem. But then again parenting does have a role to play, much of it is learned behaviour. Break the cycle
@.BM/James. Do you two sit together in class? Bet the teacher gets annoyed with you. A lot to say while saying nothing of any consequence. Boring in the extreme.
The Police should still have dealt with the matter as one of theft. It seems the products on offer were available to those willing to pay appropriately but like a shoplifter they chose not to.
The driver admitted to licking “Scarlette” as she performed a lap dance for him, which was paid for by the Chiefs.
He said he did so after he was egged on by Chief team members.
I hope you are not justifying the Chief’s actions. Did you note their behaviour as reported in the article?
This is the reason why we have such awful statistics in this country.
James sounds like a dickhead letting his balls do the thinking for him ……..
Rugby union must love clowns like him or BMs and the ugly face it puts to our shit house minor league and irrelevant national game ………..
Club player numbers are through the floor …………….
The lost sheep was going on about super 15 rugby players licking arseholes at team celebrations the other day ………. like it was a normal part of the game …..
It does not seem very family orientated though ……………
I hope john key does not have any NZ rugby players involved with his lawyer and their tax haven connections …………….
Witness statements are notoriously unreliable and Scarlette was justifiably outraged by not being paid in full for her services. A chiefs player would be aggrieved if he wasn’t paid by his employer to do the job he had agreed to.
@ James. A civil case would be great. Then these ghost witnesses would have to front up and be visible and swear to ‘tell the truth’ etc. How do you know they even exist? And doesn’t it seem ironical that the only REAL witness is an elderly bus driver who appears to have been thrown under his own bus? It is also telling that none of the rugby team (chiefs) have fronted up to tell their story. Why haven’t they? Pathetic rugby brand being protected by the Old Boys Club.
Boys will always stick together, we all know that, especially those boys. I can fully see them egging on the bus driver, or using him for a scape goat. Only those whom were there know the real story.
It’s rugby, cleverly managed by the media to keep it shiny as key cradles it in his punny arms.
It sounds to me like the Chiefs team members didn’t have the bottle to do what the driver did and so they egged him on so they could visually get their jollies off – whatever the outcome its disgusting. What staggers me is from reading these comments from BM and others is the extent of the vitriole and hatred some men in NZ have for women. There is real anger in their replies – why do these men hate women so much – what have women done to them in their lives to have this attitude?
Yep. The stripper was whinging because she didn’t get an extra $50 for the licking & touching. Happy to do anything if she’s paid for it.
We all know this type.
@Fireblade,
Well it is $50 extra if you are sick in the taxi on top of the fare. Maybe look at in this light. The women had to do something unpleasant (put up with the touching) so expected to be paid for it. The points are that
a) did she consent to the touching?,
b) if she did consent, then she was ripped off as they did not pay her for it. Either way, not acceptable. (In their warped little brains maybe they imagine she enjoyed it and therefore should not be paid). Just as the drunks think that taxi drivers should clean up vomit as part of their duties.
c) This is completely unacceptable anyway for a group representing the country to acting this way. What’s next, strip teases at parliament for the men to get their jollies???
it is actually really easy, she is working in a legal profession and has the right to a safe workplace. if these geezers can’t behave themselves after a beer or many, than they need to be
a. trained in how to consume alcohol responsible
b. taught the difference between consent and not consent
c. taught how commercial transactions come about and what happens when a contractual obligation is not upheld
d. trained into not being an ass when pretending to be a ‘role model’ for the young in this country, lest we would like to see our young turn into asses like they are.
e. taught that prostitutes, strippers, burlesque dancers and all others that work in the adult entertainment business are full human beings with all the rights of full human beings.
Just like the Warrior players are happy to be paid for being in a scrum and tackling. Close body contacts and exchange of sweat, blood, saliva, egged on by a cheering crowd many of them drunk.
BM @ 5
You call her a liar? As any honest woman would tell you… better to carry on the charade than admit you’re upset. Who knows what might happen if a bunch of obnoxious, drunken rugby hooligans discover you don’t like their behaviour. After all they were a lot bigger than she was.
To describe you and your ilk as neanderthals is an insult to Neanderthals. I bet they didn’t behave like that. The All Blacks – aka The Chiefs – only served to confirm for me what I have long known. They are the worst possible ‘role models’ imaginable for impressionable school boys.
It says heaps about what is really wrong with this country.
Totally agree Anne.
It is clear from the account that the Chiefs were behaving like ‘obnoxious, drunken hooligans’, yet James and BM feel sorry for them.
Anne – I don’t know what made you so bitter – but a lot of those guys are indeed fantastic role models.
You say you have always known that they were bad role models without having met most (if any) of them, without knowing their lives and values or how they behave.
You make allegations and remarks based off your view of what you think they would be like.
But you get shitty if it’s on the other foot. People like you are more of the problem than anything.
You probably think the woman in this story is a better role model. Despite being proven a liar and running to the media with a billshit story trying to ruin the lives of other people.
You say you have always known that they were bad role models without having met most (if any) of them, without knowing their lives and values or how they behave.
We do know how they behave. Their atrocious behaviour is almost always in the news and arseholes like you are ready and willing to defend that behaviour.
Regardless of the Scarlett carry-on, it remains abundantly clear that rucking fugby has turned a team sport into an embarrassing all encompassing lifestyle. A lifestyle of pack mentality by and for testosterone driven boof heads. Rugby has always had this element in NZ, but it has worsened with the move to professional sport and the neolib attitude of win at all costs. Exactly what this Government fosters.
As an aside, it is a total embarrassment to attend any match now and observe the crowd behaviour.
A lifestyle of pack mentality by and for testosterone driven boof heads. Rugby has always had this element in NZ, but it has worsened with the move to professional sport and the neolib attitude of win at all costs. Exactly what this Government fosters.
Brilliantly put. Thanks Garibaldi. And lets remind ourselves which politician – more than any other in recent years – has fostered this untenable culture by his own behaviour? Yes, the prime-minister of the day, John Key.
And right on cue, Q & A this morning included a lengthy interview with Amy Adams (plus a robust debate from the panel) about the violence towards women and children in this country and what to do about it. Not surprisingly the Chiefs affair was mentioned more than once.
I don’t think Anne is bitter, she is telling the truth. Why is it every time someone has a comment which the right does not feel comfortable with the person commenting is always “bitter”?
“but a lot of those guys are indeed fantastic role models.”
You must be Joking, I would be most surprised if any of my kids had any Thugby player as a role model. Real men and role models aren’t they to younger generations when they had a stripper at one of their functions.
The are put on pedestals by the media and politicians when they think they can score browny points off them.
There are a lot of better role models in NZ that do a lot more than fight over an odd shaped ball in a paddock.
To describe you and your ilk as neanderthals is an insult to Neanderthals. I bet they didn’t behave like that. The All Blacks – aka The Chiefs – only served to confirm for me what I have long known. They are the worst possible ‘role models’ imaginable for impressionable school boys.
She was? You know this how, exactly? Nothing in the article you linked to provides a basis for such firm conviction – maybe the certainty’s an artefact of your prejudice, not a demonstrated outcome of the evidence.
The bus driver sounds like a BM type character. Willing to drop a whole rugby squad in it for 5 weeks before coming clean. Partial to the coverup and probably full of bullshit anyway.
If it was all Labour’s bus drivers fault I’m sure he would have been crucified from day one. Funny he wasn’t.
How in the world do you get that Scarlett was lying about what happened from that article?
All it says is that one older man, who was there for a short time, thinks Scarlett was talking about him in her complaint because he licked her. Sounds like the Chiefs have found someone to throw under the bus.
Syrian flash pointier: US Centcom admits error in airstrike killing 62 Syrian Army soldiers, wounding over 100 more and destroying vital equipment and facilities, allowing head chopping Islamic jihadists to advance on a Syrian air base.
This is what happens when you have a government owned by lobbyists.
Policy that does not tackle the issues properly.
The government has been accused of ignoring scientific evidence of how alcohol reform could contribute to reducing family violence.
Professor Doug Sellman, medical spokesman for Alcohol Action NZ, insists the government has a mistaken political ideology that education and targeting interventions at high risk individuals is the correct way to tackle social problems like family violence, without evidence that approach works.
He says the government has cynically dismissed the Law Commission’s report recommending reform of alcohol pricing, marketing, accessibility and age of purchase.
“There’s been very little done about alcohol law reform in New Zealand, despite the Government – I think – pretending they are doing a lot,” he said.
The government has been accused of ignoring scientific evidence of how alcohol reform could contribute to reducing family violence.
Sellman’s a fuckwit. Yes, banning alcohol could contribute to reducing family violence. So could banning men and women from living together. Solutions that aren’t stupid ones would be more worth looking at.
Principle’s the same: restricting access to alcohol would reduce family violence; so would restricting the opportunities for men and women to live together; and there are other, equally stupid measures that could be adopted, like installing video surveillance in every home. Just because some stupid idea would reduce family violence doesn’t make it less of a stupid idea.
Principle’s the same: restricting access to alcohol would reduce family violence; so would restricting the opportunities for men and women to live together;
No, they’re not.
One is shaping the market to help bring about reform while the other simply a stupid, illogical argument because it cannot be done and you know it.
Can’t be done? Tell that to Saudi Arabia. Of course it can be done, the only question is whether the fact that it would reduce family violence means it should be done. “Reduce family violence” isn’t some kind of trump card that means the government must adopt any stupid idea some fanatic comes up with.
Yes, cannot be done. Saudi Arabia has a completely different culture than we do and there’s no way that such restrictions could be put in place in NZ.
On the other hand, we have restrictions on alcohol sales that do mostly work and further minor restrictions will still work and produce some sort of result in decrease in both binge drinking and lower violence.
We already have an overly restrictive approach to alcohol and even more so to other recreational drugs. Tinkering around the edges making already stupid workarounds more stupid isn’t a good approach to problem-solving.
We already have an overly restrictive approach to alcohol and even more so to other recreational drugs.
I agree with the other drugs needing to be legalised but I also think that raising the age to 21 from its present 18 and putting in place more restrictive opening hours of pubs would help and so does the research.
You’re calling it ‘tinkering around the edges’ while the government does nothing at all. Laws aren’t perfect and they do need to be changed and updated every now and again based upon the evidence. You’re doing the same as the government and ignoring that evidence.
As usual with the Nacts its even worse than it appears on the surface ….
They swung their Dirty politics unit into action against health professionals and others seeking to lower alcohol abuse …………
John Key was the first out of the blocks to go ‘nah fuck that’,….. and immediately nobble the main recommendations from the Law Commission’s report ….
The laws they did end passing are an expensive mess for councils and ratepayers …. with the booze companys appealing every liquor plan submitted …………
Twice under the misuse of urgency in parliament the Nacts passed pro-booze laws……..
So clearly Collins, Tolly, Bennett, Adams,Key etc are all liars when they pretend to be concerned about child welfare and abuse ………….
A lot of extra kids have experienced or witnessed violence because of Alcohol abuse in their homes …..
Finally rehab services have been shrunk and are inferior to what they once were …… they are still the first to get chopped or cut back when health funds and budgets are under stress ….
What society calls Alcoholics and problem drinkers ….. the booze company s call high value customers.
A relapsed alcoholic earns the piss sellers heaps ……….
If I wanted to fuck up Alcoholics recoveries….. I’d stick booze in supermarkets
If I wanted to keep domestic violence rates high …… I’d keep alcohol abuse rates high ….
Didn’t those ‘independent witnesses’ say they saw ‘nothing happen’? Did any of them mention a naughty bus driver? Barbara Streisand effect maybe? There’s a story going round in rugby fan circles that the stripper was ‘paid off’ by rugby management not to comment.
I was waiting for the ‘hysterical’ word to come up! Nice one, never one to disappoint are you James! Now the ladeees should just shut up, its mans time now.
Then she should have admitted it was all about the money. Seems like she enjoyed it at the time and gave CONSENT. Then she’s all boo hoo I wasn’t paid enough. Good on the Pensioner for having go. Get real people, this how [deleted] operate.
[That’s quite some run-up to the line you’ve taken in order to jump waaay over there. Well done…outta sight! One month ban] – Bill
“Trench warfare is a type of land warfare using occupied fighting lines consisting largely of trenches, in which troops are significantly protected from the enemy’s small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artillery. The most famous use of trench warfare is the Western Front in World War I. It has become a byword for stalemate, attrition, sieges and futility in conflict.[1]”
The area between opposing trench lines (known as “no man’s land”) was fully exposed to artillery fire from both sides….” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trench_warfare
It has been interesting reading the; “100 years ago” reprints in the ODT. The level of propagandist drumbeating for the war makes me wonder how our own media will be seen after a similar interval (assuming there’s anyone left to read it) eg:
The thoughts of the people of New Zealand will be with the members of their Expeditionary Force who form part of that glorious army which is facing discomfort, danger, and the risk of death in order to protect their Empire and to assist in crushing the military despotism of Germany.
That was actually from earlier in the week (13/9/1916). Because, although later reprints do have such WTF images as Indian Calvary preparing for the Somme, that day had this reminder of how wars can be used to justify other ends:
Wellington states that the film censorship regulations have been gazetted, and will come into operation to-morrow. Provision has been made for the establishment of a Board of Appeal, consisting of three persons, who will be appointed shortly. Strong representations have been made to the Minister urging the appointment of at least one woman to the Appeal Board; but, as the censorship deals with the questions of decency and suggestiveness of films, Mr Russell, after careful consideration, has decided that, in order to provide full freedom for the discussion of details, it is better that women should not be on the board.
Is this not what the activist left want to happen?
“A speech from Andrew Little in which he acknowledges the devastation wrought by Rogernomics, and spelling out how he proposes to right the wrongs it inflicted on working-class Kiwis, would almost certainly produce a similar galvanising effect as Brash’s 2004 speech to the Orewa Rotary Club.”
Speaking Maori to a Police Officer is considered a threat …. nekminit Maori will be shot because Maori man looked aggressively at me “Police Officer” says? Do we need to declare we’ve got an Apartheid State in Aotearoa, oh sorry, Nueeew Zeeeelind? WTF. Nick Smiths got a lot to answer for! Kiwi versus Iwi election campaign slogan-John Ansell! http://www.newshub.co.nz/nznews/police-meet-maori-adviser-after-incident-2016091719
No one likes to be pulled over by the police. This looks like Kura Moeahu was being a little naughty…quickly working out the police officer did not understand him so milked it for all it was worth.
New Zealand has three official languages, English, Maori and NZ sign. How is it rude and arrogant to speak one of these official langauges? Would it be rude an arrogant for a deaf person to speak in New Zealand Sign language? Or does it only apply to Maori?
“How is it rude and arrogant to speak one of these official langauges?”
When the other party to the conversation does not understand what you are saying…more so in this case when a police officer is just trying to do his/her job.
It is not rude or arrogant to speak an official langauge of this country. What is rude and arrogant is racists like you trying to deny someones rights to do that. As I said would a deaf person speaking in sign been treated the same way
In this case yep. Moeahu was clearly looking to cause “a issue” by refusing to communicate with the police officer (who obviously could not speak Te Reo).
Speaking the National language of the country isn’t a crime.(Well not yet) The price of milk has nothing to do with what language one speaks or what colour your skin is. Ignorance is in-discriminant too, race shouldn’t be a reason to discriminate nor should, colour & what language one speaks. I don’t speak Maori. I have a desire to but have tried a number of times to learn but I think my “programming” from the 80’s NZ’s ed. system has some influence on my ability to do so, so I’ll just plug along with the this language for now. Chuck, you’re obviously “unaware” of institutional racism and more aligned probably with Nick Smiths way of seeing things? So stand by and observe, you might just learn something?? Its time that Institutional Racism is addressed and if its possible to do so, keep the bigots, racists and inbreds well away from the debate.
It has everything to do with racism. He was speaking an official language of New Zealand as he is legally entitled to do and was threatened with arrest for that. The fact you can’ t see that as a problem highlights Takeres point regarding the institutional racism in this country.
“Sigh…its called common courtesy to communicate in a language that both parties understand.” My god how many times has that old chestnut been dragged out by English speakers too arrogant to learn another language?
“people like you to scream “see its racism” says it all”. People like me who are Maori experience racism everyday and unlike people like you I have seldomly been treated with any courtesy when I have had dealings with the police.
Or people like my koro who feel more comfortable speaking in Te Reo than in English and should be able to do so without being threatened with arrest or being called plonkers by you
I see you still have not addressed whether a deaf person using sign would have been considered arrogant or would have been threatened with arrest.
“English speakers too arrogant to learn another language?”
Why should every NZer “have to learn Te Reo”? no issue with those who want to (or can learn, as even Takere said he has tried but can’t pick up a new language).
“People like me who are Maori experience racism everyday” I call bullshit on that…nearly 3/4 of my family have Maori blood in there veins, they work in a diverse range of jobs, from a police officer to builders, admin, customer service and early childhood ed. They don’t experience racism everyday or most other times.
Are you mixing up racism with just everyday BS that ALL of us have to put up with?
Don’t get me wrong…Maori are on the wrong side of a bunch of things, that needs to be improved. Going around with a chip on ones shoulder does not help matters.
“Or people like my koro who feel more comfortable speaking in Te Reo than in English and should be able to do so without being threatened with arrest or being called plonkers by you”
Your koro are just being awkward and rude. If they know the other person cannot speak Te Reo.
“I see you still have not addressed whether a deaf person using sign would have been considered arrogant or would have been threatened with arrest.”
If a person is deaf that would be clearly signaled and understood by the police officer. And if required an interrupter would be used.
Whenever I go to a petrol station the attendent makes me come in and pay first even though often a white guy will pull up at the next pump and give a little wave and have his pump turned on. I then go inside and explain I want a fill and am asked for a credit card. Meanwhile white guy has pumped his gas and is coming in to pay. Only difference is the colour of our skin.
So yes I see this as racism not everyday bullshit.
I work at a University and regularly travel overseas to conferences etc and for no apparant reason I “randomly” get stopped for “random” checks. My pakeha colleagues say it’s not because I am Maori, it is because I look middle eastern so am mistaken for a terrorist and they may be right but either way it is racial profiling.
I also work closely with schools in South Auckland helping teachers to provide culturally responsive programmes for Maori and Pasifika. I have lost track of the number of times a Pakeha teacher has made comments about nothing being done for white kids when our whole education system is designed to benefit white kids and there is not a single white kid in their class.
I never said that you should learn Te Reo I merely pointed out the arrogance of English speakers (not just in this country) who believe everyone should have to speak English when nearly every other ethnic group speaks multiple langauges.
It always makes me smile when Pakeha teachers talk about their Samoan and Tongan students being below standard. I mention to them that those kids speak two languages and by that standard it is them that is below.
Lastly I do not have a chip on my shoulder. I am extremely well balanced and have a chip on both shoulders.
Who gives a shit what they call themselves. She was a stripper. She was hired from strippers r us. She was found under the sedition Waikato strippers on the female strippers page.
Go on admit it – even to someone who is in denial- she’s a stripper right ?
Hello CV, I would be interested to hear your opinion on the DCC candidates this year, I am social aquaintances with Ronald Fung & find him a pleasant approachable guy. What do you think?
Gangnam Style
I put a cross by Fung’s name mainly on the basis that he used too many exclamation marks in his Candidate Information booklet blurb. Also, the way he was enthusing about facilitating private investment in white elephant projects (tourism seems a very shaky platform for economic development). However, I haven’t filled out the voting form yet.
I would be happy to learn more about the candidates when they’re not targeting their brief words to what they assume the voters want to hear. So far, I’ve only been googling background on the Mayoral aspirants. Those other candidates who aren’t already councillors are a blank to me.
Gabby
That assumes that the white elephant (a harbour pier, when Dunedin’s attraction to tourists is largely in its not completely trashed natural environment), is worth while in the first place. If it requires the election of a councilor to implement the project, rather than it being viable on its own merits, then that seems to be more likely to be for the benefit of the private investors than the town’s people (in this case securing planning permission against the industrial area’s opposition).
That said, Fung isn’t one of the candidates who I’ve crossed off the list for asset selling. Though there are no shortage of those promising to focus on “rate stability” & “core infrastructure” which translates to asset sales. Also anyone with a background in real estate tends to get crossed off the list pretty quickly.
Awesome story on The Listening Post this morning. All about the media in the USA, I didn’t know that Bill Clinton signed a communications agreement in the ’90’s effectively transforming the media into a monopoly, changing the landscape into what we see today, 6 corporations controlling 96% of media in the USA.
Well worth a watch, just 30mins long. Fascinating write up on how media is capitalising on Trumps notoriety to gain huge profits via advertising/ratings.
Watch this film.
It covers a lot on the issue of the US media.
Of course a lot can now be applied to NZ as well.
“Shadows of Liberty presents the phenomenal true story of today’s disintegrating freedoms within the U.S. media, and government, that they don’t want you to see. The film takes an intrepid journey through the darker corridors of the American media landscape, where global media conglomerates exercise extraordinary political, social, and economic power. The overwhelming collective power of these firms raises troubling questions about democracy. Highly revealing interviews, actuality, and archive material, tell insider accounts of a broken media system, where journalists are prevented from pursuing controversial news stories, people are censored for speaking out against abuses of government power, and individual lives are shattered as the arena for public expression has been turned into a private profit zone. Will the Internet remain free, or be controlled by a handful of powerful, monopolistic corporations? The media crisis is at the core of today’s most troubling issues, and people everywhere are taking action, trying to change the media monopolies’ strangle hold on information.”
Consuming Kids throws desperately needed light on the practices of a relentless multi-billion dollar marketing machine that now sells kids and their parents everything from junk food and violent video games to bogus educational products and the family car. Drawing on the insights of health care professionals, children’s advocates, and industry insiders, the film focuses on the explosive growth of child marketing in the wake of deregulation, showing how youth marketers have used the latest advances in psychology, anthropology, and neuroscience to transform American children into one of the most powerful and profitable consumer demographics in the world. Consuming Kids pushes back against the wholesale commercialization of childhood, raising urgent questions about the ethics of children’s marketing and its impact on the health and well-being of kids.
or something similar and it’s as true as the day is long.
Currently I am living in an age where I am not in control of my countries destiny but those in power have control of mine. When we lost the fourth estate we lost democracy, and in most western countries you will see how media has progressed this way since well starting in the 90’s I’d say.
If you look at the western worlds media moguls today can you name even one without far right political leanings if not direct ties?
Bill Clinton created the model of a Democratic Party paid for and captive to large corporates (broadcasting, banks, etc.) using the active assumption that the working class would keep voting Democratic anyway because “they had no where else to go.”
Is it normal for someone to get arrested by a NZ cop for only speaking French, Chinese, Tongan or any other language other than english? Or just Te Reo. Or would the cop try & find an interpreter first?
While the elderly New Zealanders and others in pain suffer because this government and Peter Dunne has denied them legal access to medicinal cannibas…there are political lobby groups involved and big Bucks..pharmaceutical companies and the alcohol industry
‘Opioid use decreases in US states that legalize medical marijuana – study’
“New research shows a decline in the use of opioid painkillers in US states that allow people to treat pain with medical marijuana, affirming the fears of Big Pharma who have been vigorously seeking to frustrate efforts to legalize the herb….
“Given the growing opioid overdose epidemic, campaigning against medical marijuana is morally repugnant.”
“We cannot allow prescription drug companies to block the legalization of #medicalcannabis http://huff.to/2clBjZY”
“Addictive painkiller profiteer donates $500k to fight cannabis legalization in #Arizona http://on.rt.com/7oux”
…”Insys isn’t the first pharmaceutical company to be found bankrolling anti-marijuana legislation though with a number of alcohol and pharmaceutical companies “heavily” invested in such laws in a number of states, according to The Intercept.
Oh, but what about euthanasia… …a distraction issue to speak to older people and move away from getting on with medical legalization. Anyone who needs these drugs should have to declare it, lose their license, be banned from certain jobs, and anyone stupid enough to get themselves addict should suffer similar fates, they wont be so eager to di drugs if they cant drive, or have to declare in public being needy of chemical immerframes. Olds should be respectedthese drugs are for them, youth need to know they can wait for old age to have their spin.
And wtf, whats with the palative lobby, do they make a bundle from elderly putting them in their will or what. Put a quota up, allow say five euthanasias a year, its not like elderly people aren’t being now, its just they have to change their wills first. Bring it out into the open and we can then start focusing on the real number of such killings.
And wtf gives with the SST are these fools for real, they cant believe they serve crime when they call for harnessness, people trip up, they find themselves in jail, they dont need to be pushed further away from society, brutalized they come out hating, that means more crime, there’s nothing sensuble about the SST if it wants harsher punishment, its oxymoronic.
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
Our trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...
This article was prepared for publication yesterday. More ministerial announcements have been posted on the government’s official website since it was written. We will report on these later today …. Buzz from the BeehiveThere we were, thinking the environment is in trouble, when along came Jones. Shane Jones. ...
New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Where some saw the worst press conference given by the government to date, Anna Rawhiti-Connell recognised girl maths game.Nicola Willis, recently exasperated by comparisons to Ruth Richardson, said she was “a bit sick of being compared with every female finance minister that’s ever been out there.”Some think that’s ...
The March results are reported against forecasts based on the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update 2023 (HYEFU 2023), published on 20 December 2023 and the results for the same period for the previous year. ...
Jamie Arbuckle, the district councillor who became an MP but decided to keep getting paid for both roles, will instead donate one salary to charity. ...
Adding gender to the Human Rights Act would simply make the implicit explicit. So why is it so controversial? Paul Thistoll explain. At present, Aotearoa’s 1993 Human Rights Act (HRA) includes sex, marital status, religious belief, ethical belief (meaning a lack of religious belief), colour, race, ethnicity or national origin, ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, an 18-year-old who’s studying and working in hospo shares their approach to spending and saving. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here.Gender: Transmasc Age: 18 Ethnicity: Pākehā/Māori Role: Student, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Kelsey, Emeritus Professor of Law, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Resources Minister Shane Jones has reportedly asked officials for advice on whether oil and gas companies could be offered “bonds” as compensation if drilling rights offered by ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Gleeson, Associate Professor of Law, Macquarie University Shutterstock The Albanese government is weighing up the costs of delivering an election promise to protect religious people from discrimination in Commonwealth law. Such protections were relatively uncontroversial when included in state anti-discrimination ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yen Ying Lim, Associate Professor, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio Dementia is often described as “the long goodbye”. Although the person is still alive, dementia slowly and irreversibly chips away at their memories and the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Judy Bush, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, The University of Melbourne Adam Calaitzis/Shutterstock I met with a friend for a walk beside Merri Creek, in inner Melbourne. She had lived in the area for a few years, and as we walked ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Throsby, Distinguished Professor of Economics, Macquarie University Arts companies and individual artists in Australia are supported by government arts agencies, philanthropists, industry bodies, private donors and patrons. However, it is frequently overlooked that a major source of support for the arts ...
Harm Reduction Coalition Aotearoa, a new incorporated society dedicated to ending harmful drug policies, officially launched today, seeks a new fit-for-purpose drug law for Aotearoa New Zealand, rooted in science, experience and evidence. ...
The Corrections Minister admits he "muddied the water" after he and the Prime Minister repeatedly provided incorrect information about a $1.9 billion prison spend-up. ...
It took a post-post-cabinet statement to confirm that 810 new beds will be built at Waikeria, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
Lili Tokaduadua was only 15 when she left her family in Fiji to pursue her netball dream in New Zealand. She’d been playing the sport for 10 years and was offered a netball scholarship at Auckland’s Howick College. Now, in her first year out of high school, the 19-year-old defender ...
The beloved local grocers lost a legal challenge to stop a new cycleway outside their store. Joel MacManus reports. In the annals of New Zealand legal history, there are a few brave people who have dared to stand up to the powers that be, no matter how bleak the odds ...
How what we produce and what we eat connects us to the world beyond our shores, visualised. Walking around a supermarket or vege shop, it might be obvious that everything on the shelves came from somewhere. But you might ...
Professor Jemma Geoghegan, of the University of Otago, Otakou Whakaihu Waka, co-leads a Te Niwha project aimed at understanding how and where avian influenza could affect Aotearoa New Zealand, as the highly infectious H5N1 virus spreads globally. The virus has now spread to all continents except Oceania and was recently ...
Thirty years on from Rwanda’s genocide, is guilt over the atrocities is blinding the world to the true nature of its current leadership? The post The repressive underside of Rwanda’s regime appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Opinion: Last week, important recommendations for our criminal justice system were made by the international community. Every five years, each member of the United Nations has its human rights practices reviewed. This rolling event – the Universal Periodic Review – is the culmination of a government reporting on its human ...
Highly pathogenic avian influenza – H5N1, or bird flu – has been flying around the world since the late 1990s. New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands are so far free of it, but now it’s been discovered in mainland Antarctica and scientists say it’s only a matter of time ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 7 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
The following interview with auto electrician and former caver Stu Berendt, 68, of Charleston on the West Coast, came about because he was part of the caving team that found the rare and amazing fossil remains of the giant Haast eagle, the subject of one of the year’s best books, ...
A $1.8b funding boost for Pharmac still won’t enable it to buy more drugs, raising questions about the Government’s approach to the agency The post Can Pharmac do more with the same pot of money? appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Eric Stokan, Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Maryland, Baltimore County If you live in one of the most economically deprived neighborhoods in your city, you might think the government is directing a smaller share of public funds to your community. ...
Wansolwara The news media’s crucial role in climate change and environment journalism was the focus of The University of the South Pacific’s Journalism Programme 2024 World Press Freedom Day celebrations. The European Union Ambassador to the Pacific, Barbara Plinkert, and Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Henry Puna were the chief ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Adams, Professor of Corporate Law & Academic Director of UNE Sydney campus, University of New England Last August, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) launched legal proceedings against Qantas. The consumer watchdog accused the airline of selling thousands of tickets ...
This episode of A View From Afar was recorded LIVE on May 6, 2024 (NZST) which is Sunday evening, May 5, 2024 at 8:30pm (USEST). In an analytical essay titled ‘A moment of friction’ political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan wrote how we are living within a decisive moment ...
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http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/313582/un-challenges-nz-on-child-poverty
Shameful.
Just watch as National cuts the budget for the department and tightens up the criteria.
Govt is only part of the problem, when a overwhelmed family has been forced to work several jobs, lacks access to family time, bonding opportunities, money to spend to take family out etc… …thanks to govt. You then should look at private sector abuses of child rearing. Working stiffs get how bone tired only to find there role at providing a healthy meal is impossible as our supermarket routinely extort money from them. Good retail provide the five basics, quality, consistency, availability, price, choice. Go in our major food retailers, and you’ll findaisles of sugery foods, varying prices, varying quality, unavailability (take red grapefruit f available its been on the shevles so long they’ve had to infuse it with detergent to keep it looking sellable. Fruit cooked on the inside. Meat tasteless and obvious thawed passed off as fresh, and wtf does freeflow meat mean.
You want to know why the poorest in NZ, the child of the poorest, are so badly off, its quite simple. Labour MPs have too much wealth, there’s too few of them, and they have no connection to poverty and to much to propert, to the ideals of big retail. It was hard to believe, but Australia is institutionalized racist, take how Maori are treated there, and NZ is socially fascists, its retailers work far too hard squeezing profits to actually do it efficiently. Bulk sales means lower costs, o nly poor managers a poor mangerment class, like our awfully small parliament doubling as a upper chamber, would think that our extremist retail sector is good for either profits of shareholders (its not as debt growth from over paying idiots to produce another opportunity to grow rebates is not…
We suffer in NZ from a lack of critical thinkers who can stand up and call a spade a spade, and have to many critics doing meta analaysis of their own meta handingly of procedural nonosense. Raise the no of MPs, fund public broadcasting, and put distance between business and govt, so let our nation finall breath some democratic air for a change.
They also straight-up lied to the UN about intersex genital mutilation. Hope the UN call them on it.
Shameful #2
Women’s Refuge needs more funding – and soon.
Meanwhile….
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CsgFXIIVUAAk7KI.jpg:large
This just annoys me. They shouldn’t have to struggle for funding.
They need to buy more tables at Cabinet Club. Do they have a general slush fund for bribes?
Big story on racism and the justice system – well known to some may open eyes of others
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/84346494/new-zealands-racist-justice-system–our-law-is-not-colourblind
We all lose because of this institutional racism.
That could indicate racism or that Māori are more likely to commit crimes. Considering that poverty does drive criminal activity then that may actually be true considering that Māori are also over represented in poverty statistics.
If Māori do commit more crime then we need to address the cause for that and that is most likely to mean addressing the cause of poverty which itself is probably, partially at least, due to racism. A large part is capitalism which is the direct cause of poverty in the first place.
Nah it is racism not bad Māori – read the research
I didn’t say anything about Māori being bad.
And you should probably read all that I wrote.
I did read it and i agree about poverty and caputalism but I don’t agree when you say, ‘or that Māori are more likely to commit crimes’
That needs the entire sentence and what it was a response to as all I was doing there was showing that the bit quoted could show two things and thus wasn’t something that could be used to base a conclusion on.
Fair enough sorry for misinterpreting
Strongly agree
Weak police and people in power, profiling others based on their appearance aka skin colour. They need to sharpen up, psychologically advance.
Next generation teaches me, my youngest points to a person in a group of others, telling me how awesome that person is, how they helped her at school and that he was a nice kid, i ask her which one, she replies the one with the orange shirt on, he was the only brown kid in that small group of kids and she choose to identify him by his shirt colour. Kudos little one keep it up.
Thanks for highlighting this demonstrable stain MM. One can only guess at the figures if Polynesian people were included in the analysis……a million, more ?
My almost daily and oftentimes bitter experience is of a justice system which discriminates against Maori and Polynesian, particularly the young. In randomly varying measure it is evident at all levels. From police on the street to police prosecutors to probation officials to court officials to lawyers to judicial officers. The ‘spin’, grand mission statements and so on, tells differently. Trouble is the ‘spin’ is devised and disseminated to conceal the ugly fact rather than to own and address it. A construct moral comfort.
Subliminal racist attitudes persuade that “these people” are more or less definitionally culpable. Time and again “these people” are treated accordingly as the Stuff analysis shows.
Examples are too numerous to report exhaustively. I will report this informally made observation from a District Court judge – “We are at real risk of civil unrest in New Zealand…….” Yes, poverty of course but when as is so often the case the picture includes racism…….ask yourself. A society can blame and brand and humiliate and dehumanise for only so long.
It’s more classism than racism , we saw a kings son walk away with no conviction recently in nz just as the delegate boy did .
b waghorn
If it is; “more classism than racism”, then how do explain this?
http://www.maoritelevision.com/news/regional/kaumatua-speaks-maori-threatened-arrest
If i was a cop and i pulled someone up while doing my job and the spoke to me another language when i knew damn well he could speak my language i’d just see him as being a foolish dick head. Or are you suggesting all police be multi lingual .
I am suggesting that our police should have multilingual capability – for the official languages of Aotearoa/ NZ (though it wouldn’t hurt to be able to communicate with tourists too). The individual officer might be monolingual, but an interpreter service should be accessible; this might even be an app for te reo (though I’ve heard that they’re a bit iffy so far).
Would you also suggest that someone who persisted in using NZ sign language as being a; “foolish dick head”?
Good point, as you have read, some have trouble with just the one language. 👿
”Would you also suggest that someone who persisted in using NZ sign language as being a; “foolish dick head”?”
if they could hear and speak then yes if they were deaf or mute or both then of course not
That’s the thing about making a language an official one of your country – you’re free to demand that public officials use it when they speak to you. The cop should count himself lucky it wasn’t a deaf-rights activist demanding to be dealt with in sign language.
He sounds like a bit of a pigheaded arsehole. I wonder what he was pulled over for.
Gabby
Yes, the cop does sound like a; “pigheaded arsehole”. Not accepting that he was an officer of the law being addressed in an official language of the country.
Bradbury has some nice phrases for this issue over on TDB:
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2016/09/18/as-nzers-scramble-to-comprehend-that-their-justice-system-is-racist-a-maori-gets-threatened-withy-arrest-for-speaking-maori/#comment-352782
He was ‘exercising his right’ to use language as a status marker and put himself above the copper. He clearly understood what was said to him.
The facade of the rock star economy.
http://media.nzherald.co.nz/webcontent/image/jpg/201638/160916SPLBROMHEAD.JPG
What a surprise, she was lying her head off.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11711892
Hopefully the SJW’s and all those women group advocates who signed the document when the witch hunt was in full swing show a bit of spine and apologise to the Chiefs rugby players.
They won’t of course. A woman can never be a liar. It’s the men’s fault as always.
Yep, an attitude that seems to be synonymous with the left.
Of course, if you are a true New Zealander, you don’t say sorry if you’re a man, do you?
Educate yourself.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/opinion/10256036/David-Cunliffes-apology-brave-not-silly
shame the Labour caucus couldn’t wait to get rid of him.
I agree.
The Labour Party is full of men who totally agree with BM and James’s neanderthal view of women.
Annette King, Jacinda Ardern and other women in the caucus were very pleased to dump Cunliffe.
That though is probably not linked to the I’m sorry story.
Rather a tussle over direction of the Labour Party.
Yeah I get it Paul, you’re one of those self loathing left wing men who feels the need to constantly self flagellate for being born with a penis.
So you did not read a word of the article.
BM could not get an erection the whole time Helen Clark was prime minister and it nearly drove him insane ………… bitter memories.
He finds trolling helps…… and For man relief he takes pride in John Key winning us the world cup for domestic violence …..
Gives him a hard on like Clint Rickards police baton.
Yay …….BMs got enough cock pride for all of us men…………..
Bent to the right though ……………………..
unbalanced bull
keep perpetrating the myth though
the hand that rocks the cradle
What on earth are you talking about?
Probably that women who raise children want a boy to become their idea of a man and a girl their idea of a woman.
Cardinal political rule: It’s wrong to be right too soon
So true Ad. Andrew wondered why we import so many chefs and was ridiculed for ages. Now? Questions are being raised about that.
David’s, ““Can I begin by saying I’m sorry – I don’t often say it – I’m sorry for being a man, right now. Because family and sexual violence is perpetrated overwhelmingly by men against women and children. So the first message to the men out there is: ‘wake up, stand up, man up and stop this bullshit’.”
Now it is becoming more relevant. We do nod in agreement.
Agree, and just wanted to add that only a non alpha male does not apologise even when he is wrong.
An Alpha Male has no hang-ups. He simply says, “I was wrong. I apologise.” And he rectifies the problem if possible.
A sure way of spotting the boys from the men, men admit when they are wrong then try and fix the problem. But then again parenting does have a role to play, much of it is learned behaviour. Break the cycle
An attitude that seems to be synonymous with too many New Zealand men.
http://thewireless.co.nz/articles/the-pencilsword-we-re-number-one
@.BM/James. Do you two sit together in class? Bet the teacher gets annoyed with you. A lot to say while saying nothing of any consequence. Boring in the extreme.
You two !
When you fell on your head’s, they never put humpty together again.
Egging him on is even more sinister, then lie.
Nah, = you are having me on aren’t you? James.
Gender has nothing to do with honesty, men & women be as deceptive as each other but men shouldn’t belittle women more should they?
No wonder the police declined to press the matter further.
The Police should still have dealt with the matter as one of theft. It seems the products on offer were available to those willing to pay appropriately but like a shoplifter they chose not to.
I hope you are not justifying the Chief’s actions. Did you note their behaviour as reported in the article?
This is the reason why we have such awful statistics in this country.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CsgFXIIVUAAk7KI.jpg:large
New Zealand is no paradise, it is brutal
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/84158436/new-zealand-is-no-paradise-it-is-brutal
New Zealand is no paradise: Is it the most sexist place on earth?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/84167679/new-zealand-is-no-paradise-is-it-the-most-sexist-place-on-earth
New Zealand is no paradise: Rugby, racism and homophobia
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/84211773/new-zealand-is-no-paradise-rugby-racism-and-homophobia
She lied – a lot. And there is no evidence for he majority of her claims – in fact all the witnesses etc indicate she made a lot of this up.
As CV said – no wonder the police didn’t take it forward. But still there are limp wristed fools like yourself.
What about the damage this has done to the chiefs.
In an ideal world they would take a civil case against the woman for all the $ this has cost them from her false allegations.
Homophobia and misogyny.
Wow.
James sounds like a dickhead letting his balls do the thinking for him ……..
Rugby union must love clowns like him or BMs and the ugly face it puts to our shit house minor league and irrelevant national game ………..
Club player numbers are through the floor …………….
The lost sheep was going on about super 15 rugby players licking arseholes at team celebrations the other day ………. like it was a normal part of the game …..
It does not seem very family orientated though ……………
I hope john key does not have any NZ rugby players involved with his lawyer and their tax haven connections …………….
That wo7uld be a very ugly look ………….
Witness statements are notoriously unreliable and Scarlette was justifiably outraged by not being paid in full for her services. A chiefs player would be aggrieved if he wasn’t paid by his employer to do the job he had agreed to.
@ James. A civil case would be great. Then these ghost witnesses would have to front up and be visible and swear to ‘tell the truth’ etc. How do you know they even exist? And doesn’t it seem ironical that the only REAL witness is an elderly bus driver who appears to have been thrown under his own bus? It is also telling that none of the rugby team (chiefs) have fronted up to tell their story. Why haven’t they? Pathetic rugby brand being protected by the Old Boys Club.
Boys will always stick together, we all know that, especially those boys. I can fully see them egging on the bus driver, or using him for a scape goat. Only those whom were there know the real story.
It’s rugby, cleverly managed by the media to keep it shiny as key cradles it in his punny arms.
It sounds to me like the Chiefs team members didn’t have the bottle to do what the driver did and so they egged him on so they could visually get their jollies off – whatever the outcome its disgusting. What staggers me is from reading these comments from BM and others is the extent of the vitriole and hatred some men in NZ have for women. There is real anger in their replies – why do these men hate women so much – what have women done to them in their lives to have this attitude?
WK. I guess I’m the “and others” you mentioned.
Don’t hate women – happily married 20 years plus and have a stepdaughter I have raised and love very much.
The fact I can hate the actions of a person who has lied and caused a huge amount of damage does not mean I hate all of her sex.
I think she should be held to account for her actions.
That’s all.
it really is that simple.
“A woman can never be a liar. It’s the men’s fault as always.”
Sounds like pent up anger to me.
Probably a chief ball boy AND anger issues
Don’t be ridiculous,I don’t hate women.
What i do hate though is this lefty construct of putting women up on a pedestal and treating them like some godly creatures beyond reproach.
This person told lies, hurt a lot of people and cost businesses money by having their reputations dragged through the mud.
She should be called out on that.
You hate women and Māori and equality and probably yourself imo – a real rwnj
Yep. The stripper was whinging because she didn’t get an extra $50 for the licking & touching. Happy to do anything if she’s paid for it.
We all know this type.
yep the one that insist in CONSENT.
consent to not be licked and touched.
consent to be licked and touched.
you don’t have consent? you should consider any licking and touching sexual assault.
@Fireblade,
Well it is $50 extra if you are sick in the taxi on top of the fare. Maybe look at in this light. The women had to do something unpleasant (put up with the touching) so expected to be paid for it. The points are that
a) did she consent to the touching?,
b) if she did consent, then she was ripped off as they did not pay her for it. Either way, not acceptable. (In their warped little brains maybe they imagine she enjoyed it and therefore should not be paid). Just as the drunks think that taxi drivers should clean up vomit as part of their duties.
c) This is completely unacceptable anyway for a group representing the country to acting this way. What’s next, strip teases at parliament for the men to get their jollies???
.
it is actually really easy, she is working in a legal profession and has the right to a safe workplace. if these geezers can’t behave themselves after a beer or many, than they need to be
a. trained in how to consume alcohol responsible
b. taught the difference between consent and not consent
c. taught how commercial transactions come about and what happens when a contractual obligation is not upheld
d. trained into not being an ass when pretending to be a ‘role model’ for the young in this country, lest we would like to see our young turn into asses like they are.
e. taught that prostitutes, strippers, burlesque dancers and all others that work in the adult entertainment business are full human beings with all the rights of full human beings.
Just like the Warrior players are happy to be paid for being in a scrum and tackling. Close body contacts and exchange of sweat, blood, saliva, egged on by a cheering crowd many of them drunk.
I think half the country is walking around with bashed chins from their knees jerking so violently
BM @ 5
You call her a liar? As any honest woman would tell you… better to carry on the charade than admit you’re upset. Who knows what might happen if a bunch of obnoxious, drunken rugby hooligans discover you don’t like their behaviour. After all they were a lot bigger than she was.
To describe you and your ilk as neanderthals is an insult to Neanderthals. I bet they didn’t behave like that. The All Blacks – aka The Chiefs – only served to confirm for me what I have long known. They are the worst possible ‘role models’ imaginable for impressionable school boys.
It says heaps about what is really wrong with this country.
Totally agree Anne.
It is clear from the account that the Chiefs were behaving like ‘obnoxious, drunken hooligans’, yet James and BM feel sorry for them.
Anne – I don’t know what made you so bitter – but a lot of those guys are indeed fantastic role models.
You say you have always known that they were bad role models without having met most (if any) of them, without knowing their lives and values or how they behave.
You make allegations and remarks based off your view of what you think they would be like.
But you get shitty if it’s on the other foot. People like you are more of the problem than anything.
You probably think the woman in this story is a better role model. Despite being proven a liar and running to the media with a billshit story trying to ruin the lives of other people.
We do know how they behave. Their atrocious behaviour is almost always in the news and arseholes like you are ready and willing to defend that behaviour.
+ 1
Regardless of the Scarlett carry-on, it remains abundantly clear that rucking fugby has turned a team sport into an embarrassing all encompassing lifestyle. A lifestyle of pack mentality by and for testosterone driven boof heads. Rugby has always had this element in NZ, but it has worsened with the move to professional sport and the neolib attitude of win at all costs. Exactly what this Government fosters.
As an aside, it is a total embarrassment to attend any match now and observe the crowd behaviour.
Brilliantly put. Thanks Garibaldi. And lets remind ourselves which politician – more than any other in recent years – has fostered this untenable culture by his own behaviour? Yes, the prime-minister of the day, John Key.
And right on cue, Q & A this morning included a lengthy interview with Amy Adams (plus a robust debate from the panel) about the violence towards women and children in this country and what to do about it. Not surprisingly the Chiefs affair was mentioned more than once.
No link available at present.
Links:
http://tvnz.co.nz/q-and-a-news/family-violence-reforms-justice-minister-video-6493373
http://tvnz.co.nz/q-and-a-news/justice-panel-family-violence-video-6493375
“Anne – I don’t know what made you so bitter ”
I don’t think Anne is bitter, she is telling the truth. Why is it every time someone has a comment which the right does not feel comfortable with the person commenting is always “bitter”?
“but a lot of those guys are indeed fantastic role models.”
You must be Joking, I would be most surprised if any of my kids had any Thugby player as a role model. Real men and role models aren’t they to younger generations when they had a stripper at one of their functions.
The are put on pedestals by the media and politicians when they think they can score browny points off them.
There are a lot of better role models in NZ that do a lot more than fight over an odd shaped ball in a paddock.
QFT
No, sounds to me like she was telling the truth and she’s just been vindicated by the one person who could fully do so.
You know, the Chuffs don’t come out of that version too well. Egging on a pensioner? Bunch of arseholes.
James and BM can’t see that.
Nor do they seem at all concerned with the possible health consequences for the old guy by making him lick her ring piece.
What a surprise, she was lying her head off.
She was? You know this how, exactly? Nothing in the article you linked to provides a basis for such firm conviction – maybe the certainty’s an artefact of your prejudice, not a demonstrated outcome of the evidence.
The bus driver sounds like a BM type character. Willing to drop a whole rugby squad in it for 5 weeks before coming clean. Partial to the coverup and probably full of bullshit anyway.
If it was all Labour’s bus drivers fault I’m sure he would have been crucified from day one. Funny he wasn’t.
How in the world do you get that Scarlett was lying about what happened from that article?
All it says is that one older man, who was there for a short time, thinks Scarlett was talking about him in her complaint because he licked her. Sounds like the Chiefs have found someone to throw under the bus.
Syrian flash pointier: US Centcom admits error in airstrike killing 62 Syrian Army soldiers, wounding over 100 more and destroying vital equipment and facilities, allowing head chopping Islamic jihadists to advance on a Syrian air base.
Link
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-09-17/syria-accuses-us-airstrike-killing-62-soldiers-serious-and-blatant-aggression
Russia accuses US of bombing Syrian army as truce falters
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/world/313576/russia-accuses-us-of-bombing-syrian-army-as-truce-falters
This is what happens when you have a government owned by lobbyists.
Policy that does not tackle the issues properly.
http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/health/govt-ignoring-advice-on-alcohol-family-violence-link/
The government protects the profits of the corporations at the expense of the community. Always has done.
The government has been accused of ignoring scientific evidence of how alcohol reform could contribute to reducing family violence.
Sellman’s a fuckwit. Yes, banning alcohol could contribute to reducing family violence. So could banning men and women from living together. Solutions that aren’t stupid ones would be more worth looking at.
He doesn’t appear to have asked for banning of alcohol but better regulation.
Principle’s the same: restricting access to alcohol would reduce family violence; so would restricting the opportunities for men and women to live together; and there are other, equally stupid measures that could be adopted, like installing video surveillance in every home. Just because some stupid idea would reduce family violence doesn’t make it less of a stupid idea.
No, they’re not.
One is shaping the market to help bring about reform while the other simply a stupid, illogical argument because it cannot be done and you know it.
Can’t be done? Tell that to Saudi Arabia. Of course it can be done, the only question is whether the fact that it would reduce family violence means it should be done. “Reduce family violence” isn’t some kind of trump card that means the government must adopt any stupid idea some fanatic comes up with.
Yes, cannot be done. Saudi Arabia has a completely different culture than we do and there’s no way that such restrictions could be put in place in NZ.
On the other hand, we have restrictions on alcohol sales that do mostly work and further minor restrictions will still work and produce some sort of result in decrease in both binge drinking and lower violence.
We already have an overly restrictive approach to alcohol and even more so to other recreational drugs. Tinkering around the edges making already stupid workarounds more stupid isn’t a good approach to problem-solving.
I agree with the other drugs needing to be legalised but I also think that raising the age to 21 from its present 18 and putting in place more restrictive opening hours of pubs would help and so does the research.
You’re calling it ‘tinkering around the edges’ while the government does nothing at all. Laws aren’t perfect and they do need to be changed and updated every now and again based upon the evidence. You’re doing the same as the government and ignoring that evidence.
As usual with the Nacts its even worse than it appears on the surface ….
They swung their Dirty politics unit into action against health professionals and others seeking to lower alcohol abuse …………
John Key was the first out of the blocks to go ‘nah fuck that’,….. and immediately nobble the main recommendations from the Law Commission’s report ….
The laws they did end passing are an expensive mess for councils and ratepayers …. with the booze companys appealing every liquor plan submitted …………
Twice under the misuse of urgency in parliament the Nacts passed pro-booze laws……..
So clearly Collins, Tolly, Bennett, Adams,Key etc are all liars when they pretend to be concerned about child welfare and abuse ………….
A lot of extra kids have experienced or witnessed violence because of Alcohol abuse in their homes …..
Finally rehab services have been shrunk and are inferior to what they once were …… they are still the first to get chopped or cut back when health funds and budgets are under stress ….
What society calls Alcoholics and problem drinkers ….. the booze company s call high value customers.
A relapsed alcoholic earns the piss sellers heaps ……….
If I wanted to fuck up Alcoholics recoveries….. I’d stick booze in supermarkets
If I wanted to keep domestic violence rates high …… I’d keep alcohol abuse rates high ….
Fuck this whole thread should be nuked from orbit – rwnjs and their issues – so pathetic.
+1
“Fuck this whole thread should be nuked from orbit”
Ha… that’s why we can’t have a Mana supporters finger on the nuke button…the World would be destroyed in seconds 🙂
Lol good one chuck
One of those occasions where leaving the women hater’s words unmoderated and available for all to read is the harshest possible punishment.
Absolutely trp, hoisted by their own hateful bitter angry petards, let the comments stay.
Yup.
President of Haiti reveals Clinton tried to bribe him… and he kept the documents
Yep Trump held a campaign meeting in Little Haiti in Miami this week – first visit by a Presidential candidate to Little Haiti ever.
Letterman apologises to Trump.
Letterman was spot on – Trump says dopey stupid things to get attention. And boy, has it worked.
Good to see that BM and James are pro-rape apologists who think that is it is OK for men to force themselves on a woman.
No moral compass. Comes with being rightwing.
Didn’t those ‘independent witnesses’ say they saw ‘nothing happen’? Did any of them mention a naughty bus driver? Barbara Streisand effect maybe? There’s a story going round in rugby fan circles that the stripper was ‘paid off’ by rugby management not to comment.
Now you are just being hysterical – I do not think that at all.
I was waiting for the ‘hysterical’ word to come up! Nice one, never one to disappoint are you James! Now the ladeees should just shut up, its mans time now.
I have no idea is Millsy is a woman or a man – and dont care. That was my view of his/her comment stating that I was a pro-rape apologist.
I don’t know wether Millsy is a man or women, I don;t assume he/she isn’t. Also, there are women readers, or don’t they count? Politics = man talk?
Then she should have admitted it was all about the money. Seems like she enjoyed it at the time and gave CONSENT. Then she’s all boo hoo I wasn’t paid enough. Good on the Pensioner for having go. Get real people, this how [deleted] operate.
[That’s quite some run-up to the line you’ve taken in order to jump waaay over there. Well done…outta sight! One month ban] – Bill
Bm and James are running pretty close with the levels of misogyny shown.
It’s thoughtful of people like Fireblade to put in an appearance now and then to remind us why feminism’s still relevant.
100 years since the Somme.
“Trench warfare is a type of land warfare using occupied fighting lines consisting largely of trenches, in which troops are significantly protected from the enemy’s small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artillery. The most famous use of trench warfare is the Western Front in World War I. It has become a byword for stalemate, attrition, sieges and futility in conflict.[1]”
The area between opposing trench lines (known as “no man’s land”) was fully exposed to artillery fire from both sides….”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trench_warfare
It has been interesting reading the; “100 years ago” reprints in the ODT. The level of propagandist drumbeating for the war makes me wonder how our own media will be seen after a similar interval (assuming there’s anyone left to read it) eg:
That was actually from earlier in the week (13/9/1916). Because, although later reprints do have such WTF images as Indian Calvary preparing for the Somme, that day had this reminder of how wars can be used to justify other ends:
https://www.odt.co.nz/opinion/100-years-ago/third-winter-campaign-be-fought
Is this not what the activist left want to happen?
“A speech from Andrew Little in which he acknowledges the devastation wrought by Rogernomics, and spelling out how he proposes to right the wrongs it inflicted on working-class Kiwis, would almost certainly produce a similar galvanising effect as Brash’s 2004 speech to the Orewa Rotary Club.”
“And a much better poll.”
http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.co.nz/2016/09/a-better-poll.html
Trotter lays it out so well…
“Regardless of its severity, it was tactically foolish of Little to deny the accuracy of Colmar Brunton’s latest survey”
“When presented with terrible news, it is perfectly natural for human-beings to take refuge in denial.”
Speaking Maori to a Police Officer is considered a threat …. nekminit Maori will be shot because Maori man looked aggressively at me “Police Officer” says? Do we need to declare we’ve got an Apartheid State in Aotearoa, oh sorry, Nueeew Zeeeelind? WTF. Nick Smiths got a lot to answer for! Kiwi versus Iwi election campaign slogan-John Ansell!
http://www.newshub.co.nz/nznews/police-meet-maori-adviser-after-incident-2016091719
No one likes to be pulled over by the police. This looks like Kura Moeahu was being a little naughty…quickly working out the police officer did not understand him so milked it for all it was worth.
So now it’s ‘naughty’ to speak Te Reo in NZ? Firing on all barrels today!
Well in this case it’s bloody rude and arrogant.
New Zealand has three official languages, English, Maori and NZ sign. How is it rude and arrogant to speak one of these official langauges? Would it be rude an arrogant for a deaf person to speak in New Zealand Sign language? Or does it only apply to Maori?
“How is it rude and arrogant to speak one of these official langauges?”
When the other party to the conversation does not understand what you are saying…more so in this case when a police officer is just trying to do his/her job.
It is not rude or arrogant to speak an official langauge of this country. What is rude and arrogant is racists like you trying to deny someones rights to do that. As I said would a deaf person speaking in sign been treated the same way
It’s an unacceptable microaggression.
“unacceptable”
Oh noes! Hurt feelings!
Taser the fucker then? What does it say in the Police manual? “You will respect my authoritah!”.
Get off your knees.
In this case yep. Moeahu was clearly looking to cause “a issue” by refusing to communicate with the police officer (who obviously could not speak Te Reo).
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Unless they’re speaking Italian, the insolent dogs!
Speaking the National language of the country isn’t a crime.(Well not yet) The price of milk has nothing to do with what language one speaks or what colour your skin is. Ignorance is in-discriminant too, race shouldn’t be a reason to discriminate nor should, colour & what language one speaks. I don’t speak Maori. I have a desire to but have tried a number of times to learn but I think my “programming” from the 80’s NZ’s ed. system has some influence on my ability to do so, so I’ll just plug along with the this language for now. Chuck, you’re obviously “unaware” of institutional racism and more aligned probably with Nick Smiths way of seeing things? So stand by and observe, you might just learn something?? Its time that Institutional Racism is addressed and if its possible to do so, keep the bigots, racists and inbreds well away from the debate.
“Its time that Institutional Racism is addressed and if its possible to do so, keep the bigots, racists and inbreds well away from the debate.”
This particular situation has nothing to do with racism. Its simply a plonker called Moeahu trying to cause a issue…
Or is this thread rapidly becoming about a plonker called Chuck trying to cause a issue…
No point engaging with Chucky Paul, he believes in conspiracy theories perpetuated by a far left cabal…
It has everything to do with racism. He was speaking an official language of New Zealand as he is legally entitled to do and was threatened with arrest for that. The fact you can’ t see that as a problem highlights Takeres point regarding the institutional racism in this country.
Sigh…its called common courtesy to communicate in a language that both parties understand.
Just because you have a plonker trying to engineer a headline, for people like you to scream “see its racism” says it all.
“Sigh…its called common courtesy to communicate in a language that both parties understand.” My god how many times has that old chestnut been dragged out by English speakers too arrogant to learn another language?
“people like you to scream “see its racism” says it all”. People like me who are Maori experience racism everyday and unlike people like you I have seldomly been treated with any courtesy when I have had dealings with the police.
Or people like my koro who feel more comfortable speaking in Te Reo than in English and should be able to do so without being threatened with arrest or being called plonkers by you
I see you still have not addressed whether a deaf person using sign would have been considered arrogant or would have been threatened with arrest.
“English speakers too arrogant to learn another language?”
Why should every NZer “have to learn Te Reo”? no issue with those who want to (or can learn, as even Takere said he has tried but can’t pick up a new language).
“People like me who are Maori experience racism everyday” I call bullshit on that…nearly 3/4 of my family have Maori blood in there veins, they work in a diverse range of jobs, from a police officer to builders, admin, customer service and early childhood ed. They don’t experience racism everyday or most other times.
Are you mixing up racism with just everyday BS that ALL of us have to put up with?
Don’t get me wrong…Maori are on the wrong side of a bunch of things, that needs to be improved. Going around with a chip on ones shoulder does not help matters.
“Or people like my koro who feel more comfortable speaking in Te Reo than in English and should be able to do so without being threatened with arrest or being called plonkers by you”
Your koro are just being awkward and rude. If they know the other person cannot speak Te Reo.
“I see you still have not addressed whether a deaf person using sign would have been considered arrogant or would have been threatened with arrest.”
If a person is deaf that would be clearly signaled and understood by the police officer. And if required an interrupter would be used.
if required an interrupter would be used
*headdesk*
Your koro are just being awkward and rude
They’re in the Crimes Act now eh? “Being awkward and rude to police”.
How about “smelling of foreign food” or “dressing in a funny way”?
My head hurts from repeated banging on the desk. I think it would be better if in future I used yours.
It may of escaped your thinking OAB, that if a person is deaf they have pretty much no option other than to use sign language.
If a person can speak 2 languages, of which the one they CHOOSE to use is not understood by the other person…its called being awkward and rude.
The police have a hard enough job to do, without plonkers trying it on.
Deaf people can’t write?
I missed the part where being “awkward and rude” is grounds for arrest.
Whenever I go to a petrol station the attendent makes me come in and pay first even though often a white guy will pull up at the next pump and give a little wave and have his pump turned on. I then go inside and explain I want a fill and am asked for a credit card. Meanwhile white guy has pumped his gas and is coming in to pay. Only difference is the colour of our skin.
So yes I see this as racism not everyday bullshit.
I work at a University and regularly travel overseas to conferences etc and for no apparant reason I “randomly” get stopped for “random” checks. My pakeha colleagues say it’s not because I am Maori, it is because I look middle eastern so am mistaken for a terrorist and they may be right but either way it is racial profiling.
I also work closely with schools in South Auckland helping teachers to provide culturally responsive programmes for Maori and Pasifika. I have lost track of the number of times a Pakeha teacher has made comments about nothing being done for white kids when our whole education system is designed to benefit white kids and there is not a single white kid in their class.
I never said that you should learn Te Reo I merely pointed out the arrogance of English speakers (not just in this country) who believe everyone should have to speak English when nearly every other ethnic group speaks multiple langauges.
It always makes me smile when Pakeha teachers talk about their Samoan and Tongan students being below standard. I mention to them that those kids speak two languages and by that standard it is them that is below.
Lastly I do not have a chip on my shoulder. I am extremely well balanced and have a chip on both shoulders.
Fair enough.
“Lastly I do not have a chip on my shoulder. I am extremely well balanced and have a chip on both shoulders.”
Great reply back 🙂
I think calling the fellow a racist is going a bit far. Rude not to respond in an official NZ language when he was capable though.
1 dancer vs the NZ Empire of Toxic Masculinity Rugby
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2016/09/18/1-dancer-vs-the-nz-empire-of-toxic-masculinity-rugby/
Oh, shes a “dancer” now is she?
Now people are trying to change the narrative.
She wasnt a dancer. She was a stripper, and she was fired for offering extras.
To say she was a “dancer” is bullshit at best. She was hired from “Strppers R us” not from the Candy Lane dance troupe.
edit – adding link for place of employment and reason being fired. http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/82900153/Chiefs-rugby-stripper-Scarlette-sacked-after-scandal
Unbelievable.
You need to read this.
http://everydayfeminism.com/2014/03/examples-of-rape-culture/
The difference between now and say 15 years ago is social media…its a cancer that spreads a lot of what you have linked to Paul.
They do refer to themselves as ‘Dancers’ actually. You might refer to them as something else but in the profession it is referred to as ‘Dancers’.
Who gives a shit what they call themselves. She was a stripper. She was hired from strippers r us. She was found under the sedition Waikato strippers on the female strippers page.
Go on admit it – even to someone who is in denial- she’s a stripper right ?
Hello CV, I would be interested to hear your opinion on the DCC candidates this year, I am social aquaintances with Ronald Fung & find him a pleasant approachable guy. What do you think?
Gangnam Style
I put a cross by Fung’s name mainly on the basis that he used too many exclamation marks in his Candidate Information booklet blurb. Also, the way he was enthusing about facilitating private investment in white elephant projects (tourism seems a very shaky platform for economic development). However, I haven’t filled out the voting form yet.
I would be happy to learn more about the candidates when they’re not targeting their brief words to what they assume the voters want to hear. So far, I’ve only been googling background on the Mayoral aspirants. Those other candidates who aren’t already councillors are a blank to me.
Thanks. I am also waiting for the Generation Zero page with Dunedin updates.
Hi Gangnam Style…no strong opinions as yet…will keep in touch
private investment in white elephant projects seems a bit easier on the public purse. Or is it a euphemism for sale of council assets?
Gabby
That assumes that the white elephant (a harbour pier, when Dunedin’s attraction to tourists is largely in its not completely trashed natural environment), is worth while in the first place. If it requires the election of a councilor to implement the project, rather than it being viable on its own merits, then that seems to be more likely to be for the benefit of the private investors than the town’s people (in this case securing planning permission against the industrial area’s opposition).
That said, Fung isn’t one of the candidates who I’ve crossed off the list for asset selling. Though there are no shortage of those promising to focus on “rate stability” & “core infrastructure” which translates to asset sales. Also anyone with a background in real estate tends to get crossed off the list pretty quickly.
Awesome story on The Listening Post this morning. All about the media in the USA, I didn’t know that Bill Clinton signed a communications agreement in the ’90’s effectively transforming the media into a monopoly, changing the landscape into what we see today, 6 corporations controlling 96% of media in the USA.
Well worth a watch, just 30mins long. Fascinating write up on how media is capitalising on Trumps notoriety to gain huge profits via advertising/ratings.
http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/listeningpost/2016/09/elections-media-160916141606631.html
Watch this film.
It covers a lot on the issue of the US media.
Of course a lot can now be applied to NZ as well.
“Shadows of Liberty presents the phenomenal true story of today’s disintegrating freedoms within the U.S. media, and government, that they don’t want you to see. The film takes an intrepid journey through the darker corridors of the American media landscape, where global media conglomerates exercise extraordinary political, social, and economic power. The overwhelming collective power of these firms raises troubling questions about democracy. Highly revealing interviews, actuality, and archive material, tell insider accounts of a broken media system, where journalists are prevented from pursuing controversial news stories, people are censored for speaking out against abuses of government power, and individual lives are shattered as the arena for public expression has been turned into a private profit zone. Will the Internet remain free, or be controlled by a handful of powerful, monopolistic corporations? The media crisis is at the core of today’s most troubling issues, and people everywhere are taking action, trying to change the media monopolies’ strangle hold on information.”
Thanks for the link 😀
It’s a great film.
And this is too.
Consuming Kids.
Consuming Kids throws desperately needed light on the practices of a relentless multi-billion dollar marketing machine that now sells kids and their parents everything from junk food and violent video games to bogus educational products and the family car. Drawing on the insights of health care professionals, children’s advocates, and industry insiders, the film focuses on the explosive growth of child marketing in the wake of deregulation, showing how youth marketers have used the latest advances in psychology, anthropology, and neuroscience to transform American children into one of the most powerful and profitable consumer demographics in the world. Consuming Kids pushes back against the wholesale commercialization of childhood, raising urgent questions about the ethics of children’s marketing and its impact on the health and well-being of kids.
thanks appreciate the info
better version on the putlocker, the link u gave just went to another link and so on and so on
http://putlocker.is/watch-shadows-of-liberty-online-free-putlocker.html
Some excellent viewing on putlocker. Will watch doco 2nite, thanks again.
their was an old saying..
“He who controls the message controls the masses”
or something similar and it’s as true as the day is long.
Currently I am living in an age where I am not in control of my countries destiny but those in power have control of mine. When we lost the fourth estate we lost democracy, and in most western countries you will see how media has progressed this way since well starting in the 90’s I’d say.
If you look at the western worlds media moguls today can you name even one without far right political leanings if not direct ties?
Bill Clinton created the model of a Democratic Party paid for and captive to large corporates (broadcasting, banks, etc.) using the active assumption that the working class would keep voting Democratic anyway because “they had no where else to go.”
Is it normal for someone to get arrested by a NZ cop for only speaking French, Chinese, Tongan or any other language other than english? Or just Te Reo. Or would the cop try & find an interpreter first?
Might depend if someone was using a different language in a deliberate, contrived attempt to stymie a police investigation or an inquiry.
While the elderly New Zealanders and others in pain suffer because this government and Peter Dunne has denied them legal access to medicinal cannibas…there are political lobby groups involved and big Bucks..pharmaceutical companies and the alcohol industry
‘Opioid use decreases in US states that legalize medical marijuana – study’
https://www.rt.com/usa/359655-marijuana-laws-opioid-usage/
“New research shows a decline in the use of opioid painkillers in US states that allow people to treat pain with medical marijuana, affirming the fears of Big Pharma who have been vigorously seeking to frustrate efforts to legalize the herb….
“Given the growing opioid overdose epidemic, campaigning against medical marijuana is morally repugnant.”
“We cannot allow prescription drug companies to block the legalization of #medicalcannabis http://huff.to/2clBjZY”
“Addictive painkiller profiteer donates $500k to fight cannabis legalization in #Arizona http://on.rt.com/7oux”
…”Insys isn’t the first pharmaceutical company to be found bankrolling anti-marijuana legislation though with a number of alcohol and pharmaceutical companies “heavily” invested in such laws in a number of states, according to The Intercept.
https://theintercept.com/2016/09/14/beer-pot-ballot/
Oh, but what about euthanasia… …a distraction issue to speak to older people and move away from getting on with medical legalization. Anyone who needs these drugs should have to declare it, lose their license, be banned from certain jobs, and anyone stupid enough to get themselves addict should suffer similar fates, they wont be so eager to di drugs if they cant drive, or have to declare in public being needy of chemical immerframes. Olds should be respectedthese drugs are for them, youth need to know they can wait for old age to have their spin.
And wtf, whats with the palative lobby, do they make a bundle from elderly putting them in their will or what. Put a quota up, allow say five euthanasias a year, its not like elderly people aren’t being now, its just they have to change their wills first. Bring it out into the open and we can then start focusing on the real number of such killings.
And wtf gives with the SST are these fools for real, they cant believe they serve crime when they call for harnessness, people trip up, they find themselves in jail, they dont need to be pushed further away from society, brutalized they come out hating, that means more crime, there’s nothing sensuble about the SST if it wants harsher punishment, its oxymoronic.
I have a quick question before I go to bed..
Hope someone can help.
This David Farrar fella runs a stats polling thing company am I correct?
Isn’t he the same guy who seems to run the ratepayers and taxpayers associations?
what’s going on there? If so.. hopw can he be knee deep in right wing action groups he’s funding and setting up and have a job polling ?
I must be wrong perhaps it’s the tickle bloke.
It’s not the tickle bloke.