Children First

Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, March 18th, 2011 - 67 comments
Categories: education, families - Tags: , , ,

Firstly: a quick thank-you to The Standard for letting me blog here.

Secondly: today our thoughts are (still) with Christchurch and the difficulties those there face.  Especially those whose friends and relatives are still on the missing list.

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I was going to have my first post on the economy, but that will have to wait until the weekend as I’m all inspired after hearing Judy Bailey give a Brainwave Trust presentation this week.

Most of the presentation was not new material to me – a lot of it has been covered at Labour conferences in the preparation for the evidence-led policy Putting Children First.  Having 2 pre-schoolers also gives one an interest in the area.

But the incredible importance of providing the best possible start to our children in those very early years was good to have reinforced.

For a better future New Zealand we need to make all our children a priority.  The Brainwave Trust rightly focuses on the need for cuddles, love and attachment, and their importance on the development of the brain – but as a society we have a responsibility to support parents to be able to provide that care.

This means a lot of things.  From Working For Families, to lessen the stress of the extra costs of those early years, to freely available parenting classes for all who want or need them.  Enrolment of all in Plunket or other Well-Child providers, and the ability to intervene early if things are going wrong.  The restoration of free primary health for young children, and reduction of child poverty.

It certainly includes high-quality Early Childhood Education.  Economically, at no point does investment in education provide the return that it does in under-5s; but far more importantly, socially it is vital.  Here children learn to interact with their world.  They learn the empathy that will keep them from crime.  They don’t just learn the motor-skills to move about their world physically, they learn the emotional skills to move through life with resilience.

Instead of improving that education system, National have slashed $400million from it, raising fees and reducing access for those who most need it.  They have also introduced changes to allow 75 children under-2 in a centre – meaning incredible stress for babies and no chance of making a vital attachment to a teacher.

Meanwhile they have reversed the child poverty improvements Labour made in their last term.  People are no longer able to afford to take their kids to the doctor after-hours.

Parenting classes could easily have been integrated into Adult and Community Education Night Classes – if they hadn’t been almost entirely wiped out.

National have also shown no interest in working on a cross-party solution for our children that would greatly benefit our future.

Because those who have the gift of top-quality pre-school years will go on to be life’s successes.  Much more able to cope with stress, to learn and adapt, to empathise, control their emotions.  Those who have a troubled early childhood will instead develop a “fight or flight” brain – with no empathy or remorse, a high likelihood of crime and violence, low concentration impairing their learning ability, and low control of their basic urges resulting in poor health and addiction to food, drugs and other things.

Instead of wanting to help our next generation to be better, National prefer to bash beneficiaries – forgetting, like the Welfare Working Group, that the DPB is for the children, not the parents, and so any reduction of the benefit is punishment for our most defenseless little members of society.  There is some twisted logic that sees that those whose early years are in poverty will likely grow up to have their adult years in poverty and concludes the way to help them is to reduce their income.

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[Ben Clark is Labour’s candidate for the open seat of North Shore at this year’s election (as we covered here). He’ll provide us with a candidate’s eye-view of the campaign. Welcome aboard, Ben – The Standardistas]

67 comments on “Children First ”

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  1. lprent 1
    18 March 2011 at 10:42 am

    Nice to see you here.

    I’ve worked with Ben, both as a party activist when he has helped campaign for North Shore (even though I had no idea who he was then and I never met him) and in real life in my professional work (he is a mean AI programmer). We were thinking about him doing guest posts. But in the end plumped for just asking him in as an author.

    If he manages to get into parliament at the election, then we’d lose him to Red Alert. So this is one candidate of the left that I have mixed feelings on them winning at the election. 😈

    You’re going to enjoy his writing and the way he thinks (well most of you probably are).

    • higherstandard 1.1
      18 March 2011 at 3:46 pm

      Unless he’s highish on the list I don’t think there’s much chance of him getting into parliament.

      National could run Judith Tizzard on the Northshore and still be confident of winning the seat.

      • lprent 1.1.1
        18 March 2011 at 4:34 pm

        It is a hard sell. But it isn’t that bad when you look at the numbers, especially if you think of MMP.

        But the neighboring north shore electorate in Birkenhead has been held by a Labour electorate MP until 2005 (from memory). The North Shore electorate is somewhat variable (from memory the party vote went to Labour in 2002). From http://2008.electionresults.govt.nz/

        LAB / NAT electorate
        2008 9250 / 23824 Twyford / Mapp
        2005 12274 / 21975 Twyford / Mapp
        2002 9970 / 15068 Duncan / Mapp

        LAB / NAT party
        2008 8381 / 22738
        2005 11252 / 20125
        2002 10841 / 9507

        Only went back to 2002 as the 1999 results are in CSV’s. And I haven’t looked at boundary changes.

        I like the party vote in 2002 :0 … But generally it depends on turnout, candidate, and the general political mood. In this case Mapp is retiring which almost invariably means a electorate vote fall. The Nats are in power, which tends to drive votes away over time. And there are useful amounts of party vote available – which is what really counts.

        You’re still thinking FPP style….

        • higherstandard 1.1.1.1
          18 March 2011 at 6:14 pm

          If he’s running for the Nth Shore electorate he has no show of getting into parliament in November as an electorate MP and will have to rely on the list.

      • mickysavage 1.1.2
        18 March 2011 at 8:31 pm

        The North Shore currently is a barren wasteland for Labour. But with candidates of the quality of Ben and Paula Gillon and Vivienne Goldsmith things could change.

        Northcote is the fourth most marginal seat in the Auckland area (excluding maori seats) and with a good campaign Labour could win it. I think that Paula could give the odious Coleman a considerable fright. Maybe not this time but next time the seat is a possibility. And North Shore is not out of the question. As Lprent points out Labour won the party vote in 2002.

        Ben is a candidate of considerable potential. If not this time then next time I would expect to see his prospects as being really rosy …

  2. prism 2
    18 March 2011 at 10:52 am

    This excerpt from the post says it all for achieving a better New Zealand for all, not just families themselves. For a better future New Zealand we need to make all our children a priority. The Brainwave Trust rightly focuses on the need for cuddles, love and attachment, and their importance on the development of the brain – but as a society we have a responsibility to support parents to be able to provide that care.

    Parents are often treated in a coercive or punitive manner rather than a helpful one which is respectful of their great responsibilities. The support for parents is presently patchy, available through pilots which even if successful, are not extended for all and made permanent, or gets withdrawn if the government wants to give more money back to those whose only interest is having money and things.

  3. Afewknowthetruth 3
    18 March 2011 at 10:53 am

    I feel sorry for any child born now. They will grow up in a world which has already been severely depleted of resources, and what lttle remains will be fought over. They will grow up in a world in which the evironment is being degraded at an utterly staggering rate which is accelerating. And all that avoidable calamity just so that a corrupt and inefficient economic system can persist for a few more years before falling over.

    The CO2 content of the atmosphere is now 393ppm -well above the acknowledged safe level of 350ppm for continuation of life on this planet- and is rising out of control. Escallating CO2 emissions will almost certainly trigger positive feedbacks that will probably make the Earth largely uninhabitable in a few decades.

    And ‘nobody’ cares about any of it -especialy not the hypocritical bought-and-paid-for cronies who inhabit the Beehive.

  4. fabregas4 4
    18 March 2011 at 11:09 am

    If that most loathsome of people Michael Laws stated this morning that there is a direct link to pedophilia and lack of education. There are some educated class criminals but at least (and I don’t mean to minimise the hurt they do) they mostly do white collar stuff rather than, in my view the worse type of crime, violent offending. Main point – we are all better off if our society is educated well and this begins from birth.

    • mcflock 4.1
      18 March 2011 at 1:46 pm

      “If that most loathsome of people Michael Laws stated this morning that there is a direct link to pedophilia and lack of education.”

      Didn’t hear him. It’s a sad comment that I honestly don’t know whether his solution was to a)give poor families more money and assistance and/or make education more accessible; or b) lock up the poor because they’re probably pedophiles.

  5. just saying 5
    18 March 2011 at 11:17 am

    Those who have a troubled early childhood are likely to<will instead develop a “fight or flight” brain – which sometimes, impairswith no empathy or remorse, a high likelihood of crime and violence, Other possible effects of the “fight or flight brain” include low concentration impairing their learning ability, and low control of their basic urges resulting in poor health and addiction to food, drugs and other things.

    Don’t want to be pedantic, and I completely agree with what you are saying about the importance of the early years, and the political implications, but the way it is written is downright defamatory to a big section of the population.

    • Ben Clark 5.1
      18 March 2011 at 2:48 pm

      Fair point.

    • Treetop 5.2
      18 March 2011 at 3:54 pm

      I don’t want to be pedantic either. Children have a lot of resilience, however when certain things happen and the perpetrator is not held to account this does a lot of damage. Often it is not until the child becomes an adult that they can begin to address being perpetrated against. When not taken seriously by who you have complained to when an adult, the child will battle with the adult and the adult then becomes absorbed by the child’s pain.

      I was sickened to hear of the non custodial sentence (sometimes) the filth of society (paedophiles) get. This is an insult to children who have been harmed by such filth and minimises the gravity of what has been done to them. I praise those who work in the field of tracking sickening imbalanced scum. Those who work in the filed of protecting children and do nothing about processing a child who is at risk I could spit on you.

      The cuts ACC have made to children who were sexually offended against prior to 1974 is overwhelming. I want to be assured that adults do not have to hold onto childhood pain. Clearly there is an issue when it is 2011 and a person has gone to ACC. ACC will drag up any family dysfunction and use this against the person desperately asking for help and validation for childhood sexual offending.

      Of course I want to see infants and children being nurtured, educated, receive good health care/nutrition and be protected.

  6. Bill 6
    18 March 2011 at 3:44 pm

    1. Being subjected to a wholly contrived social environment where ‘everybody’ is of the same age probably retards rather than enhances social development.

    2. Working For Families introduces stress because low wage earners know that a job loss will be compounded by the loss of the wff payments. And that’s not to mention the unconscionable discrimination of wff insofar as it excludes non-working parents and their 150 000 children. (But then, it wouldn’t act as an ‘incentiviser’ if it didn’t systemically consign the poorest to severe and significant hardship, would it?)

    3. Not convinced that hyper alertness that can result from trauma can be claimed to be precursor for the maladies you list.

    4. Labour bashed beneficiaries during their time in office too. Remember the introduction of Temporary Additional Support? The biggest single cut to benefit levels since the early 90s?

    5. I’m pretty sure QoT went through Annette King’s ridiculous ‘Putting Children First’ pap like a dose of salts some time back. Suffice to say that ‘Putting Children First’ gets a 10/10 for vacuous rhetoric.

    6. NZ has some of the highest instances of preventable diseases among children (pneumonia etc) in the OECD, the highest child suicide rate, and has among the lowest (perhaps the lowest?) rate of state spending for children in the OECD. And that didn’t kind of suddenly occur following National’s election victory.

    • just saying 6.1
      18 March 2011 at 4:45 pm

      “3. Not convinced that hyper alertness that can result from trauma can be claimed to be precursor for the maladies you list.”

      Quite right Bill, hypervigilance, anxiety disorders and depression are far more likely negative outcomes than the sociopathy Ben has described. Individuals who have experienced trauma can also become more rather than less sensitve to the needs and feelings of others as a result of their own difficult experiences. And absence of empathy and remorse aren’t necessarily the result of a “troubled early childhood”. (In fact, they seem to be fostered by capitalism given they constitute a competitive advantage where ‘dog eats dog’). Which is not to say that Ben isn’t quite right about the advantages to society of safe, happy, and securely attached early childhood experiences. And the need to do everything we can to help families achieve this.

      Also quite right re Labour’s miserable track record in recent years, and its current “vacuous rhetoric” in this regard.

      • Puddleglum 6.1.1
        18 March 2011 at 6:49 pm

        I’ve linked to this article before, but if you want a quick summary of how personal well-being is connected to neurodevelopment it’s a good “horse’s mouth” summary.

        Attachment processes are linked to ‘socio-emotional’ difficulties later in life and to the quality of relationships. They also link to future ‘substance abuse’ and OCD, among other ‘pathologies’.

        In the realm of socio-emotional development, the measurement of security of infant–parent attachment has proved a powerful predictive source of future competence in later life (Denham et al. 2002). From the perspective of developmental psychopathology, there are several ways in which to view the relationship between attachment and subsequent clinical disturbance. Anxious attachments may be conceived as a risk factor for subsequent socio- emotional problems. Attachment theory predicts that by middle childhood the internal working models relate to coping strategies evoked to deal with situations where distress and insecurities are aroused. Children classified as secure are more likely to seek help from others than are children classed as insecure. Anxious attachments predict more difficult, aggressive peer relationships and few good, close friends.

        It’s this kind of research that the Brainwave Trust emphasise, correctly. As Keverne puts it:

        Humans tend to worry about the uterine environment and toxic agents or drugs, which may damage the fingers and toes of babies, but perhaps we should pay more attention to the post- partum period when the social environment exercises its effects on the developing brain and lays down the foundations for future well-being.

        The ‘first three years’ mantra, however, oversimplifies the neurodevelopmental literature. Up until our early twenties our brains are adjusting their ‘wiring’ to produce as adaptive behaviour as possible in the environment we find ourselves in. After that age, plasticity reduces (but does not disappear) and we have a greater tendency to adjust our environment to fit with the ‘wiring’ that has been established (e.g., seek out environments and people/social situations that we have become adapted to and are competent within – for better or worse.).

        It is, in particular, the prefrontal cortex that continues to develop in this way and it is that area of the brain that is most implicated in such functions as planning, decision making, social negotiation and consciousness (amongst other functions). We are, in effect, still within a ‘social womb’ until early adulthood so far as neurodevelopment is concerned. One last quotation from the article:

        It is clear, therefore, that different regions of the PFC that are engaged in decision-making, forward planning and emotional control, undergo a surge of development modifications at puberty that continue throughout adolescence that are complete around the age of 20–22 years and are important for adult well-being.

        It’s not all about the first three years.

        (Neuro)biology might not be destiny, but living a good life with a brain designed for other purposes is like hammering a nail with a screwdriver: It’s having to make do with the wrong tool.

        • just saying 6.1.1.1
          18 March 2011 at 7:25 pm

          “Those who have a troubled early childhood will instead develop a “fight or flight” brain – with no empathy or remorse, a high likelihood of crime and violence, low concentration impairing their learning ability, and low control of their basic urges resulting in poor health and addiction to food, drugs and other things.”

          Thanks for this PG, very informative. But I was reacting against the extremity of the above, rather than denying that attachment problems and childhood experiences can create serious problems

          • Puddleglum 6.1.1.1.1
            18 March 2011 at 8:18 pm

            Completely agree with your point.

            That’s why I tried to emphasise that it is the social environment lasting well beyond the first few years that matters (not just a troubled early childhood). I didn’t make it clear enough but I was trying to be supportive of your point – first, by agreeing with Ben that the early years are important but, second, pointing out that so are all the rest when it comes to determining adult actions and outcomes.

            I guess I was trying to play the neurodevelopmental game to show that such correlations can be misleading because we continue to be a work in progress (then there’s the fact that neurodevelopment is not destiny – even if it can make life harder to ‘do’).

            I could have added that control over emotional processes uses prefrontal cortex circuits that develop during and after puberty. More importantly, I could have also added that you are quite correct about absence of empathy and remorse being associated very strongly with social and economic arrangements. There’s long been a debate in economics over whether or not thinking like an economist undermines empathy and the like … not sure where that’s at now.

        • Rosy 6.1.1.2
          18 March 2011 at 8:35 pm

          A good link. From what I’ve seen this article gives the less dramatic but probably the more widespread maladies of troubled childhoods. I’m not saying that the more dramatic empathy issues, violent crime etc aren’t due to attachment issues, but I reckon most with these backgrounds just truck along with the said depression, OCD, substance abuse and other “socio-emotional issues”. One of the big problems I’ve noticed is the wasted opportunities in adult years learning things that should have been learnt as a child – how to socialise, seek help (not mental health, just the general idea that others are around who may know things you need to get along – advice, know-how, training etc). ECA, if it is good can provide a reasonable basis for dealing with these things for children who are already in troubled lives sooner.

          Over-egging the violence and doomed to fail issues risks writing off a pretty big section of society and won’t gain traction except for the moral panic people. IMO.

          • Puddleglum 6.1.1.2.1
            18 March 2011 at 8:57 pm

            Agreed. The main point to push is that these ‘thwarted’ developmental processes harm the individuals themselves.

            That some small minority of those individuals may cause problems for others should not be the principal reason for seeking policy options that minimise the effects of a ‘troubled childhood’.

            • Ben Clark 6.1.1.2.1.1
              18 March 2011 at 9:13 pm

              Indeed the harm is mostly to the individual, and that is the prime motivation; although the harm to others may be the aspect that’s more saleable to the electorate sadly.

              • Rosy …
                18 March 2011 at 10:14 pm

                Ben. I am in complete agreement about the need for early childhood education, but I think you’re pandering to talkbackland but what are you offering with to them with this sale? an alternative to eugenics? another way to make sure those brownies and white trash don’t invade our homes for their druggie habits? I mean I understand this, I use it myself when talking to the family rednecks – i.e. you and your kids will be safer if the underclass are fed, housed and educated – but surely this isn’t your key demographic?

                Just imagine you were trying to ‘sell’ primary education for 5 year-olds – would you use the same tactic? I suggest you’ll outline the benefits for the child as well as for society and assume the benefits of education were widespread and multifactorial and not just to protect society by improving the lot of a minor bunch of misfits.

                • Ben Clark …
                  18 March 2011 at 10:51 pm

                  I think all good selling points are worth pushing, and different demographics will take different things out of it. Hopefully most will be taken with the selling points about benefits across society, but it’s worth pushing all points to be sure.

                  • Rosy …
                    18 March 2011 at 11:18 pm

                    See that’s where we part company. You’re Labour – you’re meant to support the people who come from the background I had, not talk in terms of a fight and flight brains and lacking empathy and a propensity for violence. If this is the selling point, I’m not buying. It’s up to Labour, I guess, to calculate how many votes they’ll shed for the talkback votes they’ll gain because of the way they choose to sell a very important policy.

                    “you can take the boy out of loserville but you can’t take the place from the man” (Stuart Adamson)…remember that – nice middle-class people like me can have absolutely sh*t backgrounds and feel totally alienated when standing around listening to other nice middle class people unknowingly dissing them because they don’t understand where they came from. Sorry, Angry 🙁

    • Ben Clark 6.2
      18 March 2011 at 9:06 pm

      Hi Bill,

      There is no one correct way for people to raise their kids. I find my eldest gets an awful lot from her time in an environment where ‘everybody’ is of the same age. In fact not everybody is of the same age – there are older and younger pre-schoolers and adult teachers. She learns from all of them, and enjoys her playing. But naturally children do have a lot of enjoyment spending time with others of similar ages – I’m not sure how ‘artificial’ the situation is.

      I can’t really accept the WfF introduces stress, and it was not introduced as an ‘incentiviser’, as National likes to do. Giving people more money to be able to afford more for their kids is not really going to increase people’s worries over not giving them the money. Labour also strived for full-employment, so there were a minimum of families without any income. Yes they might have done more for beneficiaries.

      Puddleglum’s nicely pointed to the research around 3, just saying is correct in that I missed adding a couple of qualifiers. I worry that js suggest that I’m defaming a big section of the population – hopefully not that many have had sustained trauma in their first 3 years.

      I didn’t agree with QoT’s attack on ‘Putting Children First’. Those of us within the party have seen the policy research, the consultation with those on the Dunedin Study and others as to what could be best for our children know it is far from ‘vacuous rhetoric’. There is serious policy behind it, starting with reinstating the $400million for ECE, but a whole heap of connected work in all departments too – ensuring that there is no ‘silo thinking’ and all of government must consider what is best for the very young, our next generation. Automatic enrolment in Well-Child providers will help an awful lot who miss out on those important checks. Increasing paid maternity leave will give people more options. And there is much more if QoT had wanted to look rather than write it off. In contrast to her, I would say it is some of the meatiest policy-platforms in a number of elections.

      NZ has a lot of things happening to our children of which we should not be proud. That’s why Putting Children First is so necessary. The 5th Labour Govt made good progress on lots of those statistics – you can’t change them overnight – but 2 years of National has seen us head rapidly back on Child Poverty and so much more. Putting Children First is a long-term policy that won’t have results in a 3-year electoral cycle – that’s why I’m so pleased to see there is the courage to put it forward. It aims for a truly better New Zealand for which those who implement it will never be rewarded.

      • Rosy 6.2.1
        18 March 2011 at 9:18 pm

        “I worry that js suggest that I’m defaming a big section of the population – hopefully not that many have had sustained trauma in their first 3 years”

        I worry that you must have had a sheltered life if that’s what you think. Just goes to show that most people get on with it, albeit with personal problems. Understanding that a focus on early childhood can benefit a big section of society may give you a better platform than focusing on the anti-social few.

        captcha: potential – aim to reach it early 😉

        • Ben Clark 6.2.1.1
          18 March 2011 at 10:46 pm

          Well I guess there’s a definite spectrum and it depends on how serious we term trauma and many make a big section of the population – let’s just agree that far too much trauma happens to far too many of our young ones, and we need to do something about it.

          (edit) And indeed I agree that this focus on early childhood will benefit pretty much everyone in the next generation, not just the anti-social few. I really have no disagreement here.

      • Puddleglum 6.2.2
        18 March 2011 at 9:27 pm

        I think this kind of research is a real argument for a society that refocuses on children and child-rearing as an imperative that should underpin social and economic structure, so I’m pleased that Labour appears familiar with what is being established (not that it should surprise anyone).

        On the point about ‘same age’ peer experiences. The anthropological literature on hunter-gatherer and tribal societies (i.e., the social forms closest to some assumed, basic evolutionary social environment) suggests that children do tend to form non-adult groups but that these groups have a wide age range (often siblings ‘bring in’ younger children into the group). In those groups, older children ‘naturally’ gravitate to caring for, and inducting, younger children, which has important life lessons in child-rearing.

        I have to say that same age stratification – in developmental terms – is a bit like the blind trying to develop the blind (if you get what I mean). My five year old, as a personal example, is attracted towards older children (2-3 years older) and certainly ‘aspires’ to be like them and, interestingly, already adopts a caring and nurturing approach to those she sees as ‘littlies’.

        Development – in the human species – is largely an imitative process. It is imitative of those more developed than ourselves. Age-stratified schools can be obstacles to this process. While I don’t deny that ‘peer’ relationships are important, I think we – conveniently, given current social structures that involve institutionalised schooling – tend to be drawn to a post hoc justification about ‘how important’ it is for children to be accepted by their ‘peers’. Same-age ‘peers’ were not the focus for the tens of millenia of our evolutionary history.

      • just saying 6.2.3
        18 March 2011 at 9:41 pm

        I believe about 35 percent of children have an insecure attachment style. Puddleglum can probably give us the gen here. Obviously there are varying degrees, but sadly unhappiness is far from rare for under-threes (or any age-group). I wish trauma was as rare for very young children, as you seem to believe it to be.

        Politics is not divorced from this reality, so I’m glad Labour is making helping families a priority.
        This had better be more than mere rhetoric. It’s far too important to be just another vote slogan. Politicians could make a real difference.

        • Puddleglum 6.2.3.1
          18 March 2011 at 11:11 pm

          yes, 35% would be the usually accepted figure for non-secure ‘attachment styles’. I should add, though, that attachment theory has its critics (both in terms of method and measurement, on the one hand, and theory on the other).

          Some of the more interesting work has looked at the effect on the development of neural systems (for the regulation of the child’s arousal levels and stress response) of maternal stress (i.e., the mother’s stressful circumstances).

          I think that if one idea needs undermining it is the idea that babies are simply ‘unfolding’ from the inside out (a botanical metaphor). That is, the idea that development is just something that happens and is driven by internal processes and parents simply provide a bit of food and warmth and the rest just happens (like watering a plant but, in between times, wandering off and ignoring it).

          That’s not how (neuro)development occurs – instead, it is a constant process of adjustment and response by the developmental process as it tries to ‘predict’ the form of the world into which the organism is being thrown: It is a process of designing ‘on the hoof’.

      • Colonial Viper 6.2.4
        18 March 2011 at 9:48 pm

        Ben I hold you in the highest respect. However, if Labour are going to put children first there is a very easy final policy objective to describe to the NZ public:

        The creation of our resilient economy where one parent can elect to be a full time child rearer, while the other parent can earn enough money doing a 35 hour a week job to support the family and pay the mortgage. Give the parent who is the full time rearer all the support, facilities, advice they need to do a great job.

        ECE and well child examinations are all good but finally they also all dance around the fact that children are a prime casualty of our current economic structure. A huge number of families are benefit dependent, or both parents need to work long hours away from their children just to make ends meet.

        The 5th Labour Govt made good progress on lots of those statistics – you can’t change them overnight – but 2 years of National has seen us head rapidly back on Child Poverty and so much more. Putting Children First is a long-term policy that won’t have results in a 3-year electoral cycle – that’s why I’m so pleased to see there is the courage to put it forward.

        This is, and please excuse me, crazy talk. I’ve seen the same stats that David Craig has presented. The 5th Labour Government did good things yes, but in the main, they halted the continuing rot in NZ child statistics, and in places made some minor albeit temporary reversals.

        Very few if any of the child stats are as good as the NZ of the early 1980’s, before Rogernomics.

        Further, how on earth is Labour going to implement long term policies of putting children first, and prevent it being all rolled back in the first new National term which comes along?

        Labour restores ECE budgets, National take it away. Labour restores it. National takes it away. This is merry go round charade which does minimal good, if any.

        No you may describe these steps as “courage”, but they are also steps which will only live as long as the next National government.

        • Ben Clark 6.2.4.1
          18 March 2011 at 10:53 pm

          I think the answer is to not keep voting National governments in 😉

        • todd 6.2.4.2
          18 March 2011 at 11:50 pm

          A very good post CV. I often wonder how much the merry go round actually costs the country. Unfortunately both National and Labour have allowed our negative childhood poverty statistics to get worse. Labour being the lessor of two evils in this respect, but still not good enough.

          Much of this is due to politicking instead of tackling the core issues and trying to alleviate poverty in New Zealand. It not only requires a change in mind set, it requires a change in direction. National promised a change but have not delivered. The last Labour government was meant to uphold its fundamental policies but failed to do so in the many years of its administration. Both political parties have proven they have little concern for children who live in poverty. We can no longer trust either of these parties.

          If you look at some of the stats, Labour made the situation far worse. Saying otherwise is just incorrect, no matter how much you might believe auntie Helen’s warm bosom has a beating heart. Labour did not look after children living in poverty, it increased those numbers and made their situations worse. Shame on Labour for their right-wing ideals. Shame on those who supported them in their abuse of impoverished children. Shame on National for carrying on that negative trend.

          Child poverty in this country makes me ashamed to be a New Zealander.

      • Bill 6.2.5
        18 March 2011 at 11:09 pm

        Ben. Are all of your friends roughly the same age as yourself? Do you think it would be the most rewarding social environment if you were constrained to spend the majority of your social time only with those your own age? We were all subjected to that throughout our school years. And it’s not natural. If it was, then we’d continue to socialise rather exclusively with those around our own age throughout our lives. And our experience of life would be that much limited.

        But anyway, you say…

        There is no one correct way for people to raise their kids.

        And yet

        Those of us within the party have seen the policy research, the consultation with those on the Dunedin Study and others as to what could be best for our children…

        See, there’s an implicit expectation there that all parents bring up their children to be some middle class approximation of what is best for ‘our’ children. (Love that phrase our children and the old Labour speak our people. So…patronising and paternal!) Anyway. The parents in the broken down estates where self medication may be the norm and where habits and behaviours have adapted to deal with the harsh environment they inhabit are meant to apply some ideal to their children that doesn’t account for the realities of their lives, or produce ideal children as though they inhabit a vaccum? I don’t get it. The apparent (apparent, because it’s from the perspective of a different social position) dysfunction of these people and families is actually normal given their circumstances. I wish liberals could ‘get that’ and help tear down the economic edifice that produces the environments that shape the behaviours and attitudes they find so undesirable.

        Whats that saying about you can take the boy from the slum, but you can’t take the slum from the boy? Mind you. We could build a slum free society. But no. Let’s just develop inappropriate parenting classes and ‘teach’ people how their correct adaptation to their environment is ‘wrong’ and ‘damaging’. Teach them long enough and hard enough and give them tools that are suited to a foreign environment and all the human tragedy inherent to our social set ups will disappear. How’s that work again? Oh, that’s right. It doesn’t. But it sounds nice. All that sincerely insincere concern for the truly fucked over. Wanting ‘them’ to be just like ‘us’. Actually, it’s just ‘us’ not wanting to question ‘our way’ or the economic factors that sustain the social ‘us’ and ‘our way’. ‘Our way’s’ just natural innit? And it doesn’t do anybody any harm, does it? I mean, it doesn’t come at a price…a price that’s paid by ‘them’ others. God, no. Perish the thought!

        Meanwhile. You can’t accept that wff causes stress? So you can’t accept that the threat of a return to significant and severe hardship, thanks to the double financial whammy coming your way if you piss off your boss or get made redundant from the crappy arsed, ‘pay cheque to pay cheque’ low paid job you endure is stressful? Okay.

        • Puddleglum 6.2.5.1
          18 March 2011 at 11:37 pm

          Exactly Bill. People – being humans – adapt to the world they are born in to. I remember some story about how humans are almost the opposite of many other animals. A pet anteater, for example, treats its owner as if the owner were another anteater. A human raised with wolves, however, starts to take on the manner of its wolf ‘parents’ (i.e., it doesn’t assume the wolves are just hairy people). Humans are the quintessential adaptors – they’ll become just about anything that’s needed to get by in the world they experience from birth.

          ‘Education’ classes to ‘persuade’ people of the errors of the ways they have ‘chosen’ miss the obvious – ‘our’ society is not benign to people and their development, largely because it is not organised in a way that has that as a priority.

          To put it starkly, we’re organised for production and consumption, not reproduction (of well functioning – and simply well – adults).

        • just saying 6.2.5.2
          18 March 2011 at 11:43 pm

          Very well said Bill.
          How’d you get to be so wise?

        • Rosy 6.2.5.3
          19 March 2011 at 10:38 pm

          Just a point on socially constrained age-groups – I’m not sure that it’s a problem in pre-school. But anyways… as you clearly point out economic factors need to be questioned and this fits in, I think…

          One of the disasters of economic policy since the ’80s is families moving around either for work (i.e. because they have to) or to get ahead (i.e. because they have aspirations). For working class social cohesion this has been an unmitigated social disaster and is still unquestion in mainstream political discourse (IMO). Big families, with a range of ages and lifestyles are reduced by losing support from, and interaction with, peers and trusted (wider family and neighbourhood) advisors.

          In terms of constraining children to certain age groups, let me stereotype just to illustrate the point. Big working class family networks – lots of babysitters, but as well, children are involved in social gatherings and everyone looks after the kids. The social gatherings often have a wide range of people as well, given that they are not work-based events. The kids are there and involved – (and if kids are involved they are learning). The little ones look up to the big kids and the big kids take responsibility, although for them (esp teenage boys, the hero worship from said little ones is an ego-boost of the best kind). When you move for work, this is all broken.

          For the middle-class with small families a lot of the socialising does not include kids, or if it does it is scripted. Children are left with a ‘responsible’ babysitters, so kids miss out on all that spontaneous interaction with people outside their own age and social strata. A lot of middle-class social spaces do not welcome children. It’s not so bad for the middle class, they have money to pay for the socialisation of their children and to pay for advice (this comment is not meant to downplay the problems of isolation in nuclear families btw). The working class cannot buy their advice and support. The result is a lack of interaction until social networks can be rebuilt, a lack of suitable advice and lost previously built-up family and relationships knowledge.

          Early childhood education can mitigate these problems by providing, not just socialisation for children, but parents can absorb hints, information and child-rearing techniques from high quality staff and build networks that may replace what was lost to the free-market gods. And thats why it is important in the world we now live in.

  7. Pete 7
    18 March 2011 at 5:01 pm

    Ben, good to see you having a go here, some of what you say is fair enough, but to be honest it doesn’t enlighten me at all. It sounds to much like familiar palaver that could have come from any number of sources. It may be suitable material for a party selection process to show how much you know about standard party lines, but it doesn’t reveal anything about you and what you could contribute to an electorate.

    Policies are important for parties, but people (outside the bubble) often want to know what people are like. I think there are a lot more votes for perceptions of people than for policies. Would you be comfortable being a reliable cog in the machine? Or sometime would you want to jump on deck and try and make a noticable difference?

    • Pascal's bookie 7.1
      18 March 2011 at 5:21 pm

      Pete, this isn’t a candidate selection meeting and you live in dunedin anyway; also, you’re a dick and you’re not fooling anyone.

      • Pete 7.1.1
        18 March 2011 at 6:03 pm

        I know it’s not a candidate selection meeting, I made that point. If he ends up on the List (which presumably he will) then he can make a difference nationally. If he wants to.

        If Ben wants to post on a NZ wide blog, and if he wants to respond to any questions, it’s up to him isn’t it? He may actually get the idea that to get more votes a party has to engage more. And not diss anyone a few (who aren’t putting themselves before the electorate) choose to exclude from their wee club.

        I’m still an ex-Labour voter. I haven’t seen anything to encourage me to change my mind. You sort of comment is part of the 30% problem.

        Ben – I want to see better candidates and MPs in all parties, so our parliament and our government will improve.

        • Pascal's bookie 7.1.1.1
          18 March 2011 at 6:49 pm

          I’ve voted labour exactly once, and I had to get good and drunk to do so. If you are going to to base whether or not to vote for labour on what I say to you on the Standard, then you are a bigger idiot than even I took you for. Perhaps you’d like to explain your reasoning there?

          i)Someone I know nothing about was rude to me on the Standard

          ii)?

          iii) Don’t vote labour!

          No one is excluding you from any sort of club, people are just pointing out that you are pretty transparent, and that your oh so sensible platitudes are actually, empty.

          Take this most recent example. Ben writes something about policy, which you simply dismiss on the grounds that it’s policy. Instead, you say that you, or rather, ‘people outside the bubble’ would rather just hear about what sort of a chap he is. It’s the tabloidisation of politics. ‘Who would we like to have a beer’ with, ignore anything about policy.

          Well, how about you speak for yourself. You are no more representative of ‘people’ than I am so don’t pretend to speak for them, and don’t pretend you know jack shit about me.

          • Pete 7.1.1.1.1
            18 March 2011 at 6:57 pm

            “don’t pretend you know jack shit about me.” – Ditto.

            “you’re not fooling anyone”, “people are just pointing out” – who are you talking on behalf of?
            (lprent, I’m not suggesting you know what, just responding to Pb’s dig at me speaking for more than myself)

            I wouldn’t base any voting decision on what you say (unless you become a candidate, or are a candidate) – but I wasn’t asking you, I was asking Ben – before you decided to butt in with your assumptions and accusations. Ben is actually trying to put himself in contention for votes. He might like to get some, for himself and/or for his party.

            • Colonial Viper 7.1.1.1.1.1
              18 March 2011 at 7:02 pm

              I figure you’re so disciplined at this, that you’ve got a paid gig. Just saying.

              • Pete …
                18 March 2011 at 7:06 pm

                I’m acting entirely on my own, I don’t belong to any group, I don’t act for anyone or speak for anyone but myself. I am open about who I am and what my name is.

                I have had a bit of practice, I’ve dealt with a lot more crap than the conclusion jumpers here have tried so far. Some are a bit precious about “their” space and are not very welcoming of fresh input. That seems to happen a bit with some people who aren’t responsible for the blog themselves.

                Is it normal for everyone to be prompted to make full disclosures here?

                [lprent: Missed this earlier.

                No one has asked for disclosure, amongst other reasons, because the moderators frown Heavily on such demands.

                Stating an opinion about others isn’t (usually) moderated. Depends on what is said. CV offered an opinion.

                Stating something as a definite fact and then not being able to substantiate it or delineate the limits to knowledge is also frowned on. I would presume that PB’s comment about Dunedin comes from a source offsite like kiwiblog where you’d stated it. You can challenge for a source if you want to.

                ]

                • Colonial Viper …
                  18 March 2011 at 7:11 pm

                  Woo-hoo, who asked you for “full disclosures”?

                  I didn’t. I’m not interested in what you have to hide or to disclose.

                  I am open about who I am and what my name is.

                  Oh yeah of course, Hi “Pete”

                  • Pete …
                    18 March 2011 at 7:13 pm

                    Just stressing a point on your wee accusation, just saying.

                    Anyone who cared to find out would know my name, and there have been a few who obviously know. I didn’t start with my full name here to test the water (a bit acidic), and it doesn’t seem to be the done thing.

                    • Colonial Viper …
                      18 March 2011 at 7:18 pm

                      Which point? I never asked you for full disclosure nor do I expect it.

                      You brought that up to distract from my actual assertion – that you are not here for your own good graces. Your random running of left and right leaning lines, inconsistency of values, utter politeness and patience (well done its much appreciated and noted) etc. show all the hall marks of a paid astroturfer trying to ingratiate themselves with a set audience.

                    • Pete …
                      18 March 2011 at 7:31 pm

                      I’m wondering if there’s no point in telling you anything, you seem to ignore it and carry on regardless. I’m not a paid astroturfer.

                      The main reason I got involved in political blogs is to try and promote the idea of more positive, inclusive, accountable politics. Yeah, it’s ironic I get a fair bit of negative response from people who are unaccountable (and unidentified) to anyone trying to exclude me.

                      I am fed up with the perpetual starting point of “us versus them”, but that’s the approach most seem to prefer. But it’s usually fun, informative and challenging trying.

                    • Colonial Viper …
                      18 March 2011 at 9:34 pm

                      The main reason I got involved in political blogs is to try and promote the idea of more positive, inclusive, accountable politics.

                      Hence your point of view that people seeking to get involved in political parties as grassroots campaigners are seeking privilege and cushy advantage?

                      Yeah you mouth all the right words.

                    • Pete …
                      18 March 2011 at 9:43 pm

                      “Hence your point of view that people seeking to get involved in political parties as grassroots campaigners are seeking privilege and cushy advantage?”

                      Your mouth, not mine. You either misread me or you have a habit of trying to misquote me. I don’t believe I’ve said anything like that.

                    • Colonial Viper …
                      18 March 2011 at 9:54 pm

                      Yawn

                      I understand that joining a party could give me political privileges and influence – I don’t want that, I don’t think I should have to join a cosy club to get preferential treatment in a supposed democracy.

                      I know there’s little chance of changing the system much, it’s a cosy arrangement for those that toe the lines on offer so parties are not going to give that up easily.

                      http://thestandard.org.nz/the-racist-party/#comment-308459

                    • Pete …
                      18 March 2011 at 10:19 pm

                      Failed.

                      I wasn’t talking for anyone else as you implied. That’s as I see it for me.

              • Rosy …
                19 March 2011 at 11:11 pm

                “I figure you’re so disciplined at this, that you’ve got a paid gig. Just saying.”

                hmmm – paid gig… kiwiblog commentator….DF…. focus groups….Pete talks in word clouds…. is there a link, I think 😉

            • Pascal's bookie 7.1.1.1.1.2
              18 March 2011 at 7:06 pm

              I made no assumptions, nor accusations. I called it how I see it.

              And this is a blog with a comment section. I’m not ‘butting in’; it’s an open forum. If you want a private conversation perhaps you should try email. I’m done here, but you’ll note that everyone else on the thread is quite happy to talk about the policy; that would be ‘on topic’.

              But thanks for demonstrating my point, re: vacuous.

            • Pascal's bookie 7.1.1.1.1.3
              18 March 2011 at 7:16 pm

              I see you edited, so I’ll respond to that edit:

              “you’re not fooling anyone”, “people are just pointing out” – who are you talking on behalf of?

              No one. The your not fooling anyone is simply a description of what I’ve seen of you over the last few days and the reaction, and the’ people’ are these people:

              “And not diss anyone a few (who aren’t putting themselves before the electorate) choose to exclude from their wee club.”

              …those people you brought up and ascribed motives to.

    • Ben Clark 7.2
      18 March 2011 at 8:42 pm

      Hi Pete,

      I’ll take you in more good faith than everyone else seems to give you here…

      You are right in that personalities are important in getting people elected. And I wouldn’t say they were only important outside the bubble – if anything more important to TV journos and the like with our modern celebrity media. Other than a test of “trustability” I wish that weren’t so – policy should be much more important, it should matter what we want to actually see done, rather than who does it.

      Online forums like this are very much suited for discussion of policy, which is one of the reasons I like them. Yes there is discussion of personalities too, but you asking me about my personality is a bit pointless. Of course I’m going to say I’m an upright, intelligent, caring sort-of-a-guy. But it’s my actions that matter, and whether I follow through on the beliefs I share. I can express my personality through my writing here, so that might be of some help to you, but other than coming to North Shore to meet me, the best I can probably do for you is tell you to visit my website.

      But my gig at The Standard isn’t about campaigning, it’s about the ability to test my beliefs in the fire of the blogosphere, make sure they’re well formed, and to engage with people to see if there are better ideas and policies for which I should be aiming.

      • Pete 7.2.1
        18 March 2011 at 9:14 pm

        Thanks for taking the time to reply Ben, and it was a pretty good reply. Fine if you want to use the blog for policy development – but over time approach and integrity do get revealed a bit anyway – probably a lot more than on MSM, especially for those in the political background.

        I agree that policy is important for parties and for people in parties – but it matters a lot to some (I’d say quite a big some) voters whether they think the prospective MPs have the integrity, determination, common sense and ability to put good policy into practice successfully – it is done tardily far to often. God policy is no good without good implementation.

        It’s very easy to jump to conclusions on blogs, and without face to face it can take a while to sort out the reality. Unlike what I seem to manage you’ve started with a good impression, civil usually promotes civil. So if I feel a need I’ll challenge some of your policy ideas civilly – I agree probably about 2/3 with what you posted here, for a policy post there was a lot of “Nats did this wrong”, but the only thing that really grated was the bashing bene comment that’s been done to death. Negative generalisations like that pander to some but don’t promote anything good.

        Note that challenging something you might post doesn’t mean I disagree with everything and that I think the opposite extreme, that seems to be a common misapprehension on blogs. And blogs are pretty tame compared to the House, so it should be easy to deal with.

        I think it’s a great thing that prospective MPs (and some MPs) are prepared to engage with the general riff raff online. The better communication and understanding we all have the better we will get on and do things. MSM is a very narrow uneven unforgiving (and often unfair) but essential medium.

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    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    1 day ago

  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    1 day ago

  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 day ago

  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 day ago

  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    Bowalley Road
    3 days ago

  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    4 days ago

  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Feline Friends and Fragile Fauna The Complexities of Cats in New Zealand’s Conservation Efforts

    Cats, with their independent spirit and beguiling purrs, have captured the hearts of humans for millennia. In New Zealand, felines are no exception, boasting the highest national cat ownership rate globally [definition cat nz cat foundation]. An estimated 1.134 million pet cats grace Kiwi households, compared to 683,000 dogs ...

    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    5 days ago

  • Or is that just they want us to think?
    Nice guy, that Peter Williams. Amiable, a calm air of no-nonsense capability, a winning smile. Everything you look for in a TV presenter and newsreader.I used to see him sometimes when I went to TVNZ to be a talking head or a panellist and we would yarn. Nice guy, that ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Did global warming stop in 1998?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Did global warming stop in ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • Arguing over a moot point.
    I have been following recent debates in the corporate and social media about whether it is a good idea for NZ to join what is known as “AUKUS Pillar Two.” AUKUS is the Australian-UK-US nuclear submarine building agreement in which … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago

  • No Longer Trusted: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    Turning Point: “What has turned me away from the mainstream news media is the very strong message that its been sending out for the last few years.” “And what message might that be?” “That the people who own it, the people who run it, and the people who provide its content, really don’t ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Mortgage rates at 10% anyone?
    No – nothing about that in PM Luxon’s nine-point plan to improve the lives of New Zealanders. But beyond our shores Jamie Dimon, the long-serving head of global bank J.P. Morgan Chase, reckons that the chances of a goldilocks soft landing for the economy are “a lot lower” than the ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    6 days ago

  • Sad tales from the left
    Michael Bassett writes –  Have you noticed the odd way in which the media are handling the government’s crackdown on surplus employees in the Public Service? Very few reporters mention the crazy way in which State Service numbers rocketed ahead by more than 16,000 during Labour’s six years, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 hours ago

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago

  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago

  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
    The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Navigating an unstable global environment
    New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States.    “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • NZ welcomes Australian Governor-General
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for Winter
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ and the US: an ever closer partnership
    New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Joint US and NZ declaration
    April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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  • Government redress for Te Korowai o Wainuiārua
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  • Focus on outstanding minerals permit applications
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  • Tenancy rules changes to improve rental market
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  • Boosting NZ’s trade and agricultural relationship with China
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  • Freshwater farm plan systems to be improved
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