I have been overseas for the last fortnight or so. While away I saw almost nothing about New Zealand, except for sports, in the news and I was left in a happy state of thinking that the Government was going to bite the bullet and do a proper job on arms control by banning ALL semiautomatic weapons.
Even then it appears that there will be exceptions to the ban.
“The Government plans to ban on military-style semi-automatic (MSSA) weapons and assault rifles, though there would be exemptions for guns commonly used by farmers for pest control, as well as hunters.”.
Why didn’t they have the guts to follow John Howard’s example of 20 years ago and to ban all semiautomatics? There is no need to have any semiautomatic outside the Military and the Police.
This was the chance to do something meaningful and instead they have simply bowed down before the members of the Gun Lobby.
Why have they turned out to be such cowards? Has Tsar Winston simply trod on the other two parties again?
I realise that Lprent coined the description for all such owners but it seems truly appropriate for Kelvin.
I mean to say. What did a schoolteacher need an AK47 equivalent for? Is he so scared of the pupils that he needs to man up like Rambo just to get from the classroom to the staffroom and back each day?
Is it really to late for the Government to actually do something meaningful about guns or is it just another case of “all hat and no cattle” as that wonderful Texas phrase describes it.
Edit.. rubbish, we will have the same as Aussie, currently the law in Aussie is….
Category D – All self-loading centrefire rifles, pump-action or self-loading shotguns that have a magazine capacity of more than 5 rounds, semi-automatic rimfire rifles over 10 rounds, are restricted to government agencies, occupational shooters and primary producers.
And Nash is proposing the same, as far as I’m aware, which is….
“Are any semi-automatic firearms exempted from the changes?
A small number of firearms owners have a legitimate use for weapons with a larger capacity. Semi-automatic firearms which are commonly used for hunting, pest control, stock management on farms, and duck shooting will not be affected. These are:
• Semi-automatic .22 calibre rimfire firearms with a magazine which holds no more than ten rounds
• Semi-automatic and pump action shotguns with a non-detachable tubular magazine which holds no more than five rounds ”
Anyways, discussion in the house tomorrow if you are interested….
“The Arms Amendment Bill will have its first reading tomorrow, and be referred to a Select Committee for a swift public submissions process. It will return to Parliament next week to pass through its remaining stages. It is intended to come into force on 12 April, the day after the Royal Assent.”
The debate is really about what New Zealand is doing.
However there are a few things you should note about what happened in Australia.
When Howard got these reforms through the banned weapons included ALL semiautomatic rifles. That included all rimfire weapons as well. We aren’t doing that.
The seizure/buyback was about 650,000 guns. That was estimated to be 20% of all the privately owned weapons in Australia. https://www.vox.com/2015/8/27/9212725/australia-buyback
We aren’t talking anything like that number.
Howard had, of course,to get the laws accepted and passed by all the states and territories. That is a hell of a lot harder than we have here.
The laws have been eased up in the last 20 years as State Governments bow to the pressures of the Gun Lobby and Howard is no longer around to provide the moral impetus.
For example in NSW we have
“A 2008 amendment to the firearms act, passed by the Labor government and Shooters and Fishers Party, allowed people to enter a gun club and begin shooting without a licence and the previous 28-day background check” https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/gun-control-eroded-since-port-arthur-20160427-gog5u5.html
No, it is no use making excuses. Our Government has the chance to do something meaningful and they have morally collapsed from fear of the Shooting Lobby. Gutless, the lot of them.
They are all talk and no trousers.
No Micky. This is the only chance we have. If all the semi-automatic weapons aren’t banned right now it is never going to happen.
Look at the history of the last 20+ years since the Thorp Report.
Nothing at all from either Labour or National Governments. And as the immediate memory of the affair in Christchurch fades the chances of anything significant happening in the future fades with it.
If the Government can’t find the courage to do it now it will never happen.
Now you’re back in the country, maybe instead of writing about lost nerve on here you write to the men in the linked article.
There are a lot of mental midgets who think they should have all the guns of any type they want. All the pressure in the world mightn’t change their self-obsessed cowboy mentality but is it only Ardern’s job to fight a battle with them. Expect her to have the nerve which we don’t?
You don’t want certain guns here? A childish rant about Kelvin Davis is easy. What else have you got, what constructive things are you going do, or are you “all hat and no cattle”?
“most gun owners were “pretty responsible I would imagine”.”
And there’s the nub.
You’d have been as dumb as a sack of mssa to advocate in print for gun ownership now, when you can’t even be certain gun owners aren’t more than “pretty responsible, I would imagine”.
“but is it only Ardern’s job to fight a battle with them. Expect her to have the nerve which we don’t”.
YES I DO expect her to fight the battle.
She is the Prime Minister. She can do something about it. I’m not an MP. I can only comment on the subject and tell the people who are in office what I want them to do. Well, quite consistently I believe, I have.
Ban all semiautomatic weapons. NOW.
That is about all I can do in response to your question “what constructive things are you going do”. What other options do I have?
If they don’t have the guts to do it now it will never happen.
Howard had the courage to do it, even with threats to his life. There was at least one meeting where he was persuaded to wear a bullet-proof vest because his life was believed to be in danger. Luckily the people involved were only talking about killing him.
Ardern is the PM right now. I can offer you another Americanism about what she has to do. It is “there is a time when you either have to piss or get off the pot”. Nixon even said it to Eisenhower. Well sorry Jacinda. This is the one and only chance we have to get rid of automatic and semi-automatic weapons in the general public’s hands. Do it NOW.
I like it when some scream, “Do it, do it now, be decisive, have the balls!” And then from the same camp, “Why weren’t we consulted, are we living in a dictatorship and then a rallying call of the next election is about ploughing ahead and doing dictatorially what the electorate didn’t want, ignoring their rights.
Fun politics in Ukraine: “A comedian with no political experience has won the most votes in the first round of Ukraine’s presidential elections, early results indicate.
With half the ballots counted, Volodymyr Zelenskiy – who plays the president on TV – got about 30%, with current leader Petro Poroshenko on 16%.” https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-47767440
“The two – who have expressed largely pro-EU opinions – are set to take part in a run-off election next month. Former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko appears to have been eliminated.”
So now they have to choose whether or not to dump a billionaire. Gee, tough choice?? I doubt it, if they wonder whether to be controlled by an oligarch, or entertained!
“Mr Poroshenko aimed to appeal to conservative Ukrainians through his slogan “Army, Language, Faith”. No, no! That will freak them out! “Mr Poroshenko, a chocolate magnate and one of Ukraine’s wealthiest people, was elected in a snap vote after former pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych was toppled in the February 2014 Maidan Revolution, which was followed by Russia’s annexation of Crimea and a Russian-backed insurgency in the east.” There you go, all he needs to do is offer voters a free chocolate fish each. Election bribes normally work well.
Faced with getting to the stage of having to have my kid wipe my arse and wipe my drool, or (and not to diminish the good work loads of carers do), leave it to a minimum wage employee who may beat me and steal my possessions, rather than be what I would consider to be a burden, I might well take up the option of legally ending my life.
I would never say a woman shouldn’t have the right to choose abortion, likewise it’s not anyone’s business but my own should I opt to end my life when the prognosis is dire and or very painful. Taking any liability away from those assisting me would be a cherry on top of the icing on the cake.
The point isn’t state care, about which I amended in an edit to reflect the good work some wonderful people do, but the fact I would consider it burdensome to be so cared for by family or strangers.
If I thought for one minute I’d get dementia I hope I’d have the fortitude to end it at a time of my choosing with family and friends around me.
It’s a cold heart to deny that to someone whose fate is so awful and condemn them to one worse than death.
“Van Baarsen’s scruples have crystallised in the country’s first euthanasia malpractice case, which prosecutors are now preparing. (Three further cases are currently under investigation.) It involves a dementia sufferer who had asked to be killed when the “time” was “right”, but when her doctor judged this to be the case, she resisted. The patient had to be drugged and restrained by her family before she finally submitted to the doctor’s fatal injection. The doctor who administered the dose – who has not been identified – has defended her actions by saying that she was fulfilling her patient’s request and that, since the patient was incompetent, her protests before her death were irrelevant. Whatever the legal merits of her argument, it hardly changes what must have been a scene of unutterable grimness.”
Obviously it’s a very personal subject, and no doubt there are good arguments on both sides of the divide, but I honestly believe it should be a personal choice to end a life with dignity in the face of a horrible, debilitating ending.
Taking away any stigma and bringing that decision within the law, is in my mind, a compassionate, humane act.
True. At present I would have to send my unhappy family away to have a coffee or such to ensure that they wouldn’t be charged and have to appear in Court as to whether they had helped me or killed me. And I think they would have to sit somewhere in public where they could call on a witness as alibi if needed.
The various concerns raised could be controlled with legislation.
There would be a required model or models to follow to ensure that the matter was done in a responsible way.
Often people who commit suicide are desperately unhappy and want the pain to stop. Temporary pain permanent solution.
Please don’t try to be flippant about the horrendous suicide rates in this country – it is a sign that people are being pushed too far and nothing whatsoever to do with assisted dying.
I don’t think it’s uncalled for, and certainly not flippant. I thought I’d made that quite clear. It’s a valid point.
Besides, I’m sure any law would involve input from medical staff, and the grounds for assisted death would probably include terminal disease as the only criteria, and would exclude suicidal people with mental issues, temporary of otherwise.
We need a good Mental Health System which is compassionate towards people with Mental Health Issues, we did have a Mental Health System which may not have been perfect, but we did have one.
Under the Lange/Douglas Labour Government and the Neoliberal Agenda under Harold Titter an Englishman imported for the job, they dismantled the Mental Health System and released a lot of Mental Health patients back into the community. Then proceeded to sell off the Assets held by the Health Department ?
Erdogan has lost Ankara in the local body elections and his party’s claim to have won Istanbul is being challenged by the opposition. Adds some context to the recent furore over Winston’s trip to Turkey and just what Erdogan was playing at.
Audit them forensically and then prosecute to the full extent of the law if appropriate.
Fishing and Outdoors editor Graham Carter stood by an article in his paper today which called out Ardern and Police Minister Stuart Nash.
“Our Dumb-as-a-Plank New Zealand Prime Minister and lapdog New Zealand Police Minister have announced a ban on assault rifles that are and have been banned for the last ‘thirty-five years’.
“Comments made by our PM are disingenuous and misleading the general public.”
The article, written by John McNab, goes on to say that it was already illegal to fire any rifle which was “full-auto” even if it was a defence force firearm.
Would you care to expand on what you really mean by your first sentence?
You sound as if you propose to use the IRD as a Government controlled police force who will aim their powers at anyone who says nasty things about members of the Government.
You aren’t serious are you?
I’d like to know that these guys comply totally with the law and all legal requirements in regards to their firearms licence and any weapons they may have. I don’t want someone to kill other people because of hate. These people have put their heads up with their comments therefore they are first in line. Simple enough even for you. I don’t care about their money or whether they pay enough tax – you’re back here now alwyn get up to speed will ya ffs.
End of Life Choice Bill will make New Zealand a ‘dangerous place’ – Sir Bill English…
“It’s worse than a slippery slope… once you start saying ‘we’ll drop the ban on killing, some people can choose to be killed’ – how do you stop more and more and more?”
What else would he say? He is conservative through and through, with his mind totally religion-controlled. NZ will find one excuse after another to avoid any reasoned process on this. And why would more and more rise exponentially? Did he ever worry about the amount of depression in NZ when he was PM and provide better conditions for all people, and for depressed more talking help and widening the scope of therapies? As more people are living longer there may be a growing number wanting to limit the length of the journey – so there may be a growing number. Nothing to worry him though, it’s just a growth in the demographics and I suppose he knows what that means.
We will be fortunate to get compassionate assistance for the terminally ill, or people who are sick of being sick with constant pain. And I would like for myself the ability to organise arrangements with my family for my own death when I want, and also I would talk to my doctor if willing to be called to give a death certificate. I certainly don’t want anyone else to have the burden of deciding for me when ‘the time is right’. I would like a ‘managed demise’. That is all hypothetical anyway, I don’t expect much from NZ legislators now and if I am wrong in that then that will be a nice surprise.
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TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Pacific Media Watch Earthwise hosts Lois and Martin Griffiths. Earthwise presenters Lois and Martin Griffiths on Plains FM 96.9 community radio talk to Dr David Robie, a New Zealand author, independent journalist and media educator with a passion for the Asia-Pacific region. David talks about the struggle to raise awareness ...
Pacific Media Watch Ismail al-Ghoul, an Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent who was held for 12 hours at Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital, says Israeli forces rounded up Palestinian journalists at the facility and made them kneel on the ground for hours, while naked and blindfolded. “The occupation forces handcuffed and blindfolded us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute chinasong, Shutterstock Electricity customers in four Australian states can breathe a sigh of relief. After two years in a row of 20% price increases, power prices have finally stabilised. In many places they’re ...
Chumbawamba have reportedly issued the deputy PM a cease-and-desist notice after he used their song 'Tubthumping' before his state of the nation speech. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
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Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
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Finally the fish wrap might be seeing the writing on the wall. Reading it of course is another matter.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12218211
Thanks for the link Kat, that was well worth a read…..
David Cormack: The hopeless week of Simon Bridges
“We want an inspirational leader who can take us there. And we have one. It’s not you.”
LMFAO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have been overseas for the last fortnight or so. While away I saw almost nothing about New Zealand, except for sports, in the news and I was left in a happy state of thinking that the Government was going to bite the bullet and do a proper job on arms control by banning ALL semiautomatic weapons.
Instead I arrive back to discover they have completely lost their nerve and are only to ban things like AK47s and the US M4 (or M16) assault weapon equivalents.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=12218242
Even then it appears that there will be exceptions to the ban.
“The Government plans to ban on military-style semi-automatic (MSSA) weapons and assault rifles, though there would be exemptions for guns commonly used by farmers for pest control, as well as hunters.”.
Why didn’t they have the guts to follow John Howard’s example of 20 years ago and to ban all semiautomatics? There is no need to have any semiautomatic outside the Military and the Police.
This was the chance to do something meaningful and instead they have simply bowed down before the members of the Gun Lobby.
Why have they turned out to be such cowards? Has Tsar Winston simply trod on the other two parties again?
Oh well I suppose it will get one soon to be illegal weapon out of “dickhead” Davis’ possession.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12215729
I realise that Lprent coined the description for all such owners but it seems truly appropriate for Kelvin.
I mean to say. What did a schoolteacher need an AK47 equivalent for? Is he so scared of the pupils that he needs to man up like Rambo just to get from the classroom to the staffroom and back each day?
Is it really to late for the Government to actually do something meaningful about guns or is it just another case of “all hat and no cattle” as that wonderful Texas phrase describes it.
Edit.. rubbish, we will have the same as Aussie, currently the law in Aussie is….
Category D – All self-loading centrefire rifles, pump-action or self-loading shotguns that have a magazine capacity of more than 5 rounds, semi-automatic rimfire rifles over 10 rounds, are restricted to government agencies, occupational shooters and primary producers.
And Nash is proposing the same, as far as I’m aware, which is….
“Are any semi-automatic firearms exempted from the changes?
A small number of firearms owners have a legitimate use for weapons with a larger capacity. Semi-automatic firearms which are commonly used for hunting, pest control, stock management on farms, and duck shooting will not be affected. These are:
• Semi-automatic .22 calibre rimfire firearms with a magazine which holds no more than ten rounds
• Semi-automatic and pump action shotguns with a non-detachable tubular magazine which holds no more than five rounds ”
Anyways, discussion in the house tomorrow if you are interested….
“The Arms Amendment Bill will have its first reading tomorrow, and be referred to a Select Committee for a swift public submissions process. It will return to Parliament next week to pass through its remaining stages. It is intended to come into force on 12 April, the day after the Royal Assent.”
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1904/S00005/tighter-gun-laws-to-enhance-public-safety.htm
The debate is really about what New Zealand is doing.
However there are a few things you should note about what happened in Australia.
When Howard got these reforms through the banned weapons included ALL semiautomatic rifles. That included all rimfire weapons as well. We aren’t doing that.
The seizure/buyback was about 650,000 guns. That was estimated to be 20% of all the privately owned weapons in Australia.
https://www.vox.com/2015/8/27/9212725/australia-buyback
We aren’t talking anything like that number.
Howard had, of course,to get the laws accepted and passed by all the states and territories. That is a hell of a lot harder than we have here.
The laws have been eased up in the last 20 years as State Governments bow to the pressures of the Gun Lobby and Howard is no longer around to provide the moral impetus.
For example in NSW we have
“A 2008 amendment to the firearms act, passed by the Labor government and Shooters and Fishers Party, allowed people to enter a gun club and begin shooting without a licence and the previous 28-day background check”
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/gun-control-eroded-since-port-arthur-20160427-gog5u5.html
No, it is no use making excuses. Our Government has the chance to do something meaningful and they have morally collapsed from fear of the Shooting Lobby. Gutless, the lot of them.
They are all talk and no trousers.
This is the urgent part of the reform. There will be a lot more happen later.
No Micky. This is the only chance we have. If all the semi-automatic weapons aren’t banned right now it is never going to happen.
Look at the history of the last 20+ years since the Thorp Report.
Nothing at all from either Labour or National Governments. And as the immediate memory of the affair in Christchurch fades the chances of anything significant happening in the future fades with it.
If the Government can’t find the courage to do it now it will never happen.
Now you’re back in the country, maybe instead of writing about lost nerve on here you write to the men in the linked article.
There are a lot of mental midgets who think they should have all the guns of any type they want. All the pressure in the world mightn’t change their self-obsessed cowboy mentality but is it only Ardern’s job to fight a battle with them. Expect her to have the nerve which we don’t?
You don’t want certain guns here? A childish rant about Kelvin Davis is easy. What else have you got, what constructive things are you going do, or are you “all hat and no cattle”?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12218204
OK guys, what about this – I found it totally gobsmacking, just putting it out there.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12218204
“most gun owners were “pretty responsible I would imagine”.”
And there’s the nub.
You’d have been as dumb as a sack of mssa to advocate in print for gun ownership now, when you can’t even be certain gun owners aren’t more than “pretty responsible, I would imagine”.
Someone’s lacking a laser (in)sight.
“but is it only Ardern’s job to fight a battle with them. Expect her to have the nerve which we don’t”.
YES I DO expect her to fight the battle.
She is the Prime Minister. She can do something about it. I’m not an MP. I can only comment on the subject and tell the people who are in office what I want them to do. Well, quite consistently I believe, I have.
Ban all semiautomatic weapons. NOW.
That is about all I can do in response to your question “what constructive things are you going do”. What other options do I have?
If they don’t have the guts to do it now it will never happen.
Howard had the courage to do it, even with threats to his life. There was at least one meeting where he was persuaded to wear a bullet-proof vest because his life was believed to be in danger. Luckily the people involved were only talking about killing him.
Ardern is the PM right now. I can offer you another Americanism about what she has to do. It is “there is a time when you either have to piss or get off the pot”. Nixon even said it to Eisenhower. Well sorry Jacinda. This is the one and only chance we have to get rid of automatic and semi-automatic weapons in the general public’s hands. Do it NOW.
Thanks for the reply. I get it.
I like it when some scream, “Do it, do it now, be decisive, have the balls!” And then from the same camp, “Why weren’t we consulted, are we living in a dictatorship and then a rallying call of the next election is about ploughing ahead and doing dictatorially what the electorate didn’t want, ignoring their rights.
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/03/29/asia/new-zealand-guns-intl/index.html
Fun politics in Ukraine: “A comedian with no political experience has won the most votes in the first round of Ukraine’s presidential elections, early results indicate.
With half the ballots counted, Volodymyr Zelenskiy – who plays the president on TV – got about 30%, with current leader Petro Poroshenko on 16%.”
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-47767440
“The two – who have expressed largely pro-EU opinions – are set to take part in a run-off election next month. Former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko appears to have been eliminated.”
So now they have to choose whether or not to dump a billionaire. Gee, tough choice?? I doubt it, if they wonder whether to be controlled by an oligarch, or entertained!
“Mr Poroshenko aimed to appeal to conservative Ukrainians through his slogan “Army, Language, Faith”. No, no! That will freak them out! “Mr Poroshenko, a chocolate magnate and one of Ukraine’s wealthiest people, was elected in a snap vote after former pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych was toppled in the February 2014 Maidan Revolution, which was followed by Russia’s annexation of Crimea and a Russian-backed insurgency in the east.” There you go, all he needs to do is offer voters a free chocolate fish each. Election bribes normally work well.
may pay to consider the last TV personality to be elected President….and reflect
Happy to agree with Bingles here. He’s even borrowed from our Prime Minister.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2019/04/end-of-life-choice-bill-will-make-new-zealand-a-dangerous-place-sir-bill-english.html
Can you point to the bit in the proposed legislation that bans offering kindness and replaces it with killing people? Specific clauses, please.
+1
You well know you can’t legislate for kindness nor against it. The law is impersonal like that. People do kindness and people withhold kindness.
Then why bleat about kindness when referring to legislation?
The legislation wouldn’t ‘ban’ kindness but it does offer to kill people.
Like a majority of Kiwis I just worry that very ill people’s lives will be seen as burdensome. You can’t safeguard against that in the legislation.
Faced with getting to the stage of having to have my kid wipe my arse and wipe my drool, or (and not to diminish the good work loads of carers do), leave it to a minimum wage employee who may beat me and steal my possessions, rather than be what I would consider to be a burden, I might well take up the option of legally ending my life.
I would never say a woman shouldn’t have the right to choose abortion, likewise it’s not anyone’s business but my own should I opt to end my life when the prognosis is dire and or very painful. Taking any liability away from those assisting me would be a cherry on top of the icing on the cake.
I’m not sure state care not being good enough is a good reason to introduce assisted dying.
I do think a shrinking of state care services is high on the list of outcomes for the member who introduced this bill. He has form in this area.
The point isn’t state care, about which I amended in an edit to reflect the good work some wonderful people do, but the fact I would consider it burdensome to be so cared for by family or strangers.
If I thought for one minute I’d get dementia I hope I’d have the fortitude to end it at a time of my choosing with family and friends around me.
It’s a cold heart to deny that to someone whose fate is so awful and condemn them to one worse than death.
A big long article worth reading on this subject.
“Van Baarsen’s scruples have crystallised in the country’s first euthanasia malpractice case, which prosecutors are now preparing. (Three further cases are currently under investigation.) It involves a dementia sufferer who had asked to be killed when the “time” was “right”, but when her doctor judged this to be the case, she resisted. The patient had to be drugged and restrained by her family before she finally submitted to the doctor’s fatal injection. The doctor who administered the dose – who has not been identified – has defended her actions by saying that she was fulfilling her patient’s request and that, since the patient was incompetent, her protests before her death were irrelevant. Whatever the legal merits of her argument, it hardly changes what must have been a scene of unutterable grimness.”
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2019/jan/18/death-on-demand-has-euthanasia-gone-too-far-netherlands-assisted-dying
That’s sad, but like I wrote, I hope I’d get to make that call before I was incapacitated or deemed incapable.
Just think what it would do for the property market.
Thanks Allen for putting up points relating to assisted dying. It is a
hard one with numbers of different needs, ideas and ideals to consider.
Of
Obviously it’s a very personal subject, and no doubt there are good arguments on both sides of the divide, but I honestly believe it should be a personal choice to end a life with dignity in the face of a horrible, debilitating ending.
Taking away any stigma and bringing that decision within the law, is in my mind, a compassionate, humane act.
True. At present I would have to send my unhappy family away to have a coffee or such to ensure that they wouldn’t be charged and have to appear in Court as to whether they had helped me or killed me. And I think they would have to sit somewhere in public where they could call on a witness as alibi if needed.
The various concerns raised could be controlled with legislation.
There would be a required model or models to follow to ensure that the matter was done in a responsible way.
I fully get that.
“This law will make New Zealand a dangerous place for people who are young and suicidal or old and think they’re a burden”
We’ve all seen the horrendous rates of suicide in NZ. 100% not being insensitive, but clearly these people don’t need an assisted dying law.
Uncalled for that.
Often people who commit suicide are desperately unhappy and want the pain to stop. Temporary pain permanent solution.
Please don’t try to be flippant about the horrendous suicide rates in this country – it is a sign that people are being pushed too far and nothing whatsoever to do with assisted dying.
I don’t think it’s uncalled for, and certainly not flippant. I thought I’d made that quite clear. It’s a valid point.
Besides, I’m sure any law would involve input from medical staff, and the grounds for assisted death would probably include terminal disease as the only criteria, and would exclude suicidal people with mental issues, temporary of otherwise.
Great you know it all.
To your edited out comment…
I hear you, I just disagree with your understanding and interpretation of what I’ve written. No biggie
To the edited version…
Without the bill in front of us, everything in conjecture.
It is a challenging subject.
Very confronting, for sure.
We need a good Mental Health System which is compassionate towards people with Mental Health Issues, we did have a Mental Health System which may not have been perfect, but we did have one.
Under the Lange/Douglas Labour Government and the Neoliberal Agenda under Harold Titter an Englishman imported for the job, they dismantled the Mental Health System and released a lot of Mental Health patients back into the community. Then proceeded to sell off the Assets held by the Health Department ?
Bill English has no right to bleat about kindness when his track record is anything but ‘kind’.
Erdogan has lost Ankara in the local body elections and his party’s claim to have won Istanbul is being challenged by the opposition. Adds some context to the recent furore over Winston’s trip to Turkey and just what Erdogan was playing at.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/01/erdogan-party-loses-ankara-in-turkish-local-elections-blow
so funny
https://www.theguardian.com/global/video/2019/apr/01/the-cures-robert-smith-offers-blunt-response-to-overzealous-tv-host-video
From that I’d almost swear he’s a high functioning Aspie.
Audit them forensically and then prosecute to the full extent of the law if appropriate.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12218204
Would you care to expand on what you really mean by your first sentence?
You sound as if you propose to use the IRD as a Government controlled police force who will aim their powers at anyone who says nasty things about members of the Government.
You aren’t serious are you?
I’d like to know that these guys comply totally with the law and all legal requirements in regards to their firearms licence and any weapons they may have. I don’t want someone to kill other people because of hate. These people have put their heads up with their comments therefore they are first in line. Simple enough even for you. I don’t care about their money or whether they pay enough tax – you’re back here now alwyn get up to speed will ya ffs.
End of Life Choice Bill will make New Zealand a ‘dangerous place’ – Sir Bill English…
“It’s worse than a slippery slope… once you start saying ‘we’ll drop the ban on killing, some people can choose to be killed’ – how do you stop more and more and more?”
What else would he say? He is conservative through and through, with his mind totally religion-controlled. NZ will find one excuse after another to avoid any reasoned process on this. And why would more and more rise exponentially? Did he ever worry about the amount of depression in NZ when he was PM and provide better conditions for all people, and for depressed more talking help and widening the scope of therapies? As more people are living longer there may be a growing number wanting to limit the length of the journey – so there may be a growing number. Nothing to worry him though, it’s just a growth in the demographics and I suppose he knows what that means.
We will be fortunate to get compassionate assistance for the terminally ill, or people who are sick of being sick with constant pain. And I would like for myself the ability to organise arrangements with my family for my own death when I want, and also I would talk to my doctor if willing to be called to give a death certificate. I certainly don’t want anyone else to have the burden of deciding for me when ‘the time is right’. I would like a ‘managed demise’. That is all hypothetical anyway, I don’t expect much from NZ legislators now and if I am wrong in that then that will be a nice surprise.