I’d like to give a huge shoutout to the team at Hamilton’s MilkTestNZ, together with the gutsy advice of MPI who put the case to Treasury and then to Cabinet to put up nearly $900 million to eradicate MBovis from the entire cow herd of New Zealand.
After starting way back in 2018, they are now down to their last infected farm, and they will get it out of there soon. There were plenty of doubters at the time who I am sure will have the sense to keep quiet now.
It is of course immensely stressful and there are many hundreds of devastated farmers and indeed cow families whose cow herds have been slaughtered as part of this massive eradication programme.
Once complete it will be the only time in the world that a massive MBovis outbreak has ever been eradicated in the entire world.
It is also our biggest ever biosecurity outbreak since the Norwegian Shiprat. Faced and brought to heel.
So congratulations to the entire team of testers, public servants, Minister O’Connor, the lab scientists, trackers, cattle agents and of course the farmers who have together brought this under control.
Interesting! While 68% want a tax cut in the next budget (including 54% of labour voters) 76% of kiwi's want gst off food. Getting rid of gst is indeed a tax cut for everyone. It's also progressive af, GST is a Disgraceful consumption tax that hurts the poorest.
Since more people favor gst cuts than tax cuts , If Labour has any sense they will be dropping GST to atleast pre Key levels in the budget ( preferably they'd go further and drop to 10% like Australia) and remind everyone at every chance that nationals tax cuts will mean a GST rises which means price rises.
instead of trying to attack Luxon for what he'd personally get out of tax cuts (which didn't work with key and isn't working with Luxon) people don't care about his wealth, they would care that his tax cuts will mean they get $20 a week but pay more on every item they buy..
Since the tax take is 2.7 billion dollars higher than forecast that $2.7 billion should go to tax cuts or gst cuts.
By doing something on tax (preferably the more popular option of gst) Labour can neutralize Nationals biggest stick (tax cuts)
Do you think the Government should give New Zealanders a tax cut in the upcoming May Budget?
68% said yes. I'm surprised it wasn't 100%. Who doesn't want a tax cut.
Its up to the government to make sure that National's policy – to give themselves and their mates a massive tax cut and the rest a few coins in comparison – is known by every man and woman in the country.
Some of you may be aware of the Transpower rises in Electricity charges for manufacturers indicated last week.
It may be of further interest to know that the sole manufacturer of construction steel in NZ, including rebar and roofing will be disadvantaged by a 348% rise by April 2023. This will increase the cost of electricity for BlueScope from $3million to $14m p/a. Increasing the cost of steel by $16.50 tonne.
Although BlueScope is Australian owned, it is providing construction steel while supply lines are stretched and not reliable.
Rio Tinto on the other hand has been subsidised. There's more to this, but the impact on construction costs will be noted.
Son is doing a compulsory paper at university, and module is currently the mātauranga Māori one. During the last few days, while stuck in traffic, he pulls up the online powerpoints and we've had some interesting discussions on what is being presented.
It's been a hybrid of fact, opinion, unevidenced speculation and unconvincing equivalences of some aspects of Te Ao Māori with universal science concepts.
Yesterdays contribution – apparently delivered with a straight face, was in regards to water pollution. The use of scientific method to determine whether there was pollution was considered a colonial approach of science. According to the lecturer, mātauranga Māori approach was superior. If you were adept at mātauranga Māori, you did not have to resort to testing of any kind. You had the (unspoken but implied) superior method of looking at a body of water and knowing whether it was suitable for swimming or drinking.
This application of Māori knowledge, ill fitted, non-evidenced and unable to be challenged (yes, they were advised at the start of the module that some may find the material contentious but that was the fault of the complainers) is going to backfire. It will create understandable dismisssal and possibly resentment for those that are presented with it.
A true partnership between Māori and the Crown requires mutual respect, not this facsimile of understanding and equality.
God help us Molly. Seriously "the use of the scientific method to determine whether there was pollution was considered a colonial approach of science. Acording to the lecturer Matauranga Maori was superior. ………..you did not have to resort to testing of any kind."
Expect NZ to lose its scientists in droves because of this stuff.
Gobsmacked!
Science is apparently no longer of any value in this post-truth world.
Expect NZ international university ratings to take a nose-dive if this is embedded.
Not to mention that we are crying out for scientifically literate graduates in a whole range of areas.
I don't know about you, but if 3 Waters goes ahead, I really, really do want to have some scientific backing to claims of potability of my water supply…..
Observation (which happens in scientific enquire as well as mātauranga Māori) can give you broad indications of the health of a body of water (healthy plants, diversity of fishes and invertebrates, even colour and smell of the water, etc.), but doesn't tell you anything about fecal coliform counts or cryptosporidium levels.
It is possible to look at a river, a life force, and tell it is not healthy.
Western science is useful but is also a colonial construct used to protect economic benefits of a small number of farming elite, to the detriment of the river ecosystem.
Science – which endeavours to be a universal language – and has contributors from cultures all over the world, includes the observation you speak of as a primary source of theories.
"It is possible to look at a river, a life force, and tell it is not healthy."
Yes. But it is not possible to look at a body of water and tell if it is drinkable from that observation only. That assumes a mystical knowledge that is the antithesis of science. The observation leads to a theory that the water is able to be drunk. That theory is tested, and conclusion reached.
"Western science is useful but is also a colonial construct used to protect economic benefits of a small number of farming elite, to the detriment of the river ecosystem."
You call it a colonial construct, despite knowledge being built up over millenium from a wide variety of cultures.
To me, it is a tool, that can be used wisely or not, to examine the world around us. It can benefit all. To say it is limited to the use of a "farming elite, to the detriment of the river system" is emotive rhetoric. Which also has no place in science evaluation.
Yes. But it is not possible to look at a body of water and tell if it is drinkable from that observation only. That assumes a mystical knowledge that is the antithesis of science. The observation leads to a theory that the water is able to be drunk. That theory is tested, and conclusion reached.
I addressed this above/below but want to dig into it a bit more.
it's not just observation, it's also interaction
observation can tell us immediate things that do in fact establish drinkable eg I wouldn't drink from a pond that was full of algae. I don't need science to tell me that, and humans had ways of avoiding making themselves sick long before western science arrived on the scene.
deep observation can see things we cannot and so the ability to establish drinkable may be more than point 2. eg can the person see that over time there's been a decline in the nymph that lives in the rocks on the edge of the creek and then one year they are nearly all gone, and there's an oral history of this occurrence and people becoming very ill when drinking the water (I made that example up)
None of that is infallible, but then neither is science.
I believe observation to be the starting blocks of science. Every learned fact was first observed, and tested in some way, and conclusions reached. Whether that is from a series of observations leading to a fixed pattern being recognised or otherwise, observations are a fundamental part of scientific theory. Your example of water observation in this sense, fits well.
However, there is a limited number of Maaori who retain the intimacy and connection to land to perform this type of observation. And that loss should be recognised and mourned, and hopefully, as we become more intimate with the land, regained. However, we need to ensure when teaching, that it is not promoted as an innate ability that is unable to be understood, so it takes on a mystical quality.
If we err on that side, the inclusion of matuaranga Maaori will have justified critics. If we introduce concepts, the explanation should be robust (as yours was – I'll actually share it with my son, so he can write about it in that form) and able to be queried.
(Bit of a red flag for me: Questions were also discouraged. I really want to sit in on these lectures to see for myself what is actually going on, then I'd be able to be either reassured about content, or able to articulate better if I consider there to be problems.)
that would be a red flag for me too. I do think there is cause for concern here based on what you have share. My response is similar to Robert's and as I shared below, is faulty delivery better or worse than no delivery?
And that loss should be recognised and mourned, and hopefully, as we become more intimate with the land, regained.
That becoming more intimate with the land is currently blocked. It's why we have climate change and polluted rivers. It stems directly from the dominant cultural world view that the universe is mechanistic, as well as our general disconnect from nature. I see the push of mātauranga Māori into education as one way of changing that. My biggest concerns here are that if they don't bring people along there will be a backlash, and that if they do it badly it will undermine the usefulness of western science. The problem here is trying to teach concepts to people who don't have the conceptual language or framework.
When I learned te reo, it was taught in a specific context, te Ao Māori. It wasn't taught like Latin or French as a set of patterns of words (although that was also taught), it was embedded in culture. Opening and closing karakia, learning some haka, waiata, marae visits and so on.
If we want to decolonise knowledge and learning, then we have to look at who gets to determine the cultural context it is taught in. At the moment the default is Pākehā (British descent).
However, we need to ensure when teaching, that it is not promoted as an innate ability that is unable to be understood, so it takes on a mystical quality.
There are some things that cannot be understood with the reductionist mind. We have mysticism because it gives us the conceptual frame and language to talk about those things.
I have a book somewhere about Aboriginal culture in Australia, with chapters regarding their bushcraft and hunting and gathering rituals and practices.
I remember vividly the chapter on testing new plantstuffs to see whether they were edible. Starting with observations about the plant, and similarity to other ones that they knew were edible, to looking for the evidence regarding what other animals ate it. When both those questions were answered positively, they had a set of tests they would put the plant through. Starting with skin sensitivity, and moving through the range of exposures until they were reassured enough to ingest it in small quantities.
If I come across it, I'll post the title. But for me, a really informative look into another culture and a clear understanding of their processes, which were related alongside their rituals.
I recall buying it from the withdrawals of the library as it started with a woman giving birth in the outback, and using practiced rituals to connect to the land and sky while giving birth. (After making this comment, I want to read it again now and have it as a comparative guide when looking at the mataraunga Maaori curriculum).
Are you suggesting that critiques of western science as colonial are somehow aligned with not using western science? Because that's not my understanding. The whole point is to have mātauranga Māori and western science and get the best of both worlds.
A true partnership between Māori and the Crown requires mutual respect, not this facsimile of understanding and equality.
Well, mutual respect has been absent from the side of the crown for nearly 200 years now. Why the sudden importance? Oh, that's right, it's because Maori are asking serious questions and conservative white people don't like it.
What is your desired outcome when you write "conservative white people" and " conservative white people bubble"?
It would be interesting to know what reaction you would like in return, or is it just about releasing tension for you personally, or a show of aggression?
What serious questions did the lecturer in Molly's son class ask? It sounds like the lecture was about labelling Western science colonial and inflating the ability of Maori to know water quality on sight and smell.
As I conceded to weka, I would probably have to attend a class to ensure that I am not misrepresenting either my son, or what was being delivered.
I see some red flags, but without evidence I can only express disquiet rather than outrage.
I'd be really annoyed though, if a badly designed or taught mataraunga Maaori curriculum put the consideration of the value of the contribution of Te Ao Maaori backwards instead of forwards.
Yes and I probably need to pause and breath a little.
The book you sited about Aboriginal culture bush craft is worthy of knowing about. And Maori have similar wisdom to offer.
When I hear people denigrating science and referring to it as colonial, red flags go off for me. What it is signalling for me is an ideological approach that is most unhelpful. I have experienced this in my own profession, when at a workshop I went to, the particular expertise I has was referred to as colonisation and the speaker frankly did not understand anything about what the methodology I used. I went along in good faith to learn more about Maori approaches in my field but I had to conclude that it had very little to offer. And I actually challenged the speaker re her saying the approach I am trained in was colonisation and she was extremely patronizing towards me.
I am beginning to think that the idea of denigrating science as colonial could be pervading our educational institutions. This worries me greatly.
I also have difficulties with acceptance the colonial reference in regards to science. I understood the science knowledge base to be one built on through millenia, and contributed to by cultures around the world from various places, at different times.
I also consider the building of this knowledge base to be ongoing. A truly universal language that allows any individual or culture to participate and contribute. The outcome: Mataraunga Maaori being recognised as a valued contributor, and having input into changes processes, if changing processes is what is required.
But the flipside of equal consideration is equal scrutiny. We can and should demand that curriculum from all sources are fit for purpose, and can stand up to critique.
You raise many good and interesting points, as usual.
Many of our science graduates will live and work overseas at some time in their lives although not necessarily working in a field of science. This raises the question whether VM gives them an international advantage or not, assuming it is more than just feeding a parochial need or island mentality.
Yeah I am a science graduate, and I have never worked in science.
However I use an understanding of science knowledge all of the time in everything from writing code to arguing on here about politics. And have a sufficient base to keep growing more understanding.
is it possible to see the content? (sorry, I know you've posted a lot of links to curriculum in the past). I'd like us to tease out what is official and what is the lecturer or tutor saying (is there a problem with the course itself, or was it this particular teacher, and how much of both?)
One thing I know from learning some te reo Māori, is that there are concepts quite hard to understand to the Western mind. It requires a different kind of thinking. Thus there's a tendency to see an mātauranga body of knowledge (oh some nice myths and such but not real knowledge) as inferior rather than alongside.
Don't disagree with you about the potential problems of what is being done, although I suspect part of the problem is trying to teach conceptual ideas and content related to that to people who don't have the conceptual grasp. Part of it is the emphasis on the literal in Western thinking and the lesser ability to think in metaphor.
Re your example of rivers, to my mind there is the reductionist approach (measure known pollutants and pathogens), and there is the knowledge that comes from deep observation and experience with the landscape (something that Westerners often struggle to grasp both the complexity and degree). Someone who knows a river from livelong interaction within a framework that establishes knowledge and that within the context of generations of observation, can see things we can't. When one's life and the lives of whānau and hapū depend on that, intergenerationally, then it's not so hard to see the body of knowledge being developed. Much of this has been grossly harmed by colonisation.
The tone of the teacher seems patronising. I've also seen such things reported by people who missed what was really being said.
Engineering. Like me, on the Aspergers spectrum, and very pedantic about what is being said. I trust him to get it right, because he is also forthright about getting it wrong.
My son, as a teen, accompanied me to Tikanga Marae course, and was involved in Kapa Haka for a while. Wants to learn Te Reo, and has some exposure to some of the concepts of Te Ao Maaori.
"Someone who knows a river from livelong interaction within a framework that establishes knowledge and that within the context of generations of observation, can see things we can't."
This I understand. But this is not what was said. It is a privilege afforded to very few people – Maaori or not, to have such an intimate connection with the land. I think that there is a difference between acknowledging the value of that connection while recognising the scale of the loss of it due to urbanisation and losing contact, with assuming that it is sense incumbent within all Maaori. I really believe the standard of the delivery will be dependent on the quality and restraint of the kaiako. Someone who is passionate about the injustices of the Crown, may be more likely to stretch the alignment of concepts to the point where a break is visible.
We are urban Maaori. My maternal grandparents farm was our de-facto marae, where we all gathered at holidays, celebrations and tangihanga. I have sought out additional learning for myself and my children, as after the grandparents died the farm ownership has been in and out of court for decades, and that easy relationship has been fractured.
I believe that mataraunga Maaori can and does contribute to the well-being of not only all the people of NZ, but the land.
I just want to ensure that the policy that hopes to include it, succeeds and does not put people off learning more. I think if they are not careful about content AND delivery, it could have a negative effect.
(My experience with the three courses from Te Wananga o Aotearoa, are mostly informed by the quality and delivery of the tutors. Two were superb, and retained most of the enrolments. The third, Te Reo, was painful, by a begrudging tutor, and the course finished with less than a third of the original number. My te reo is non-existent now.)
(Addition: Not supposed to share content. He was reading off his phone while I was driving, but they are advised not to share coursework with anyone. So, we just discussed what was said. Some slides with content points, but the lecturer riffed off them, which is where variation naturally occurs.)
Thanks Molly, lots there to consider, hope to come back today or over the weekend.
(being told not to share coursework is a big red flag for me. Not that he should share, don't want him to be uncomfortable or get grief about it. But that they are telling students to be secretive about it is really not ok).
Given the transfer during Covid to online, I suspect this is a standard proviso to protect intellectual property (and income streams). At present he still has access, but is not a rule breaker so don't want to push to get access. I have asked. I think he'd be comfortable with me in the room while he's watching, but he really doesn't want to watch again. Other priorities.
The class were invited to speak amongst themselves, and the other student was resentful of what had been presented. My concern is, that if not done well this effort will have long term negative repercussions.
I think weka has actually encapsulated that really well in her examples above. I showed her comments to my son to see if between him seeing it, and us talking about it, there has been a misinterpretation on my part.
He can follow weka's comments easily, and said that what was presented was not along those lines.
I'm trying to persuade him to watch online, so I can have a look and report back not via hearsay.
I'm supportive of an education system that gives all students an opportunity to be introduced and understand Te Ao Maori. That's why I think it is really important to get right.
If anyone has an opportunity to sit in on such lectures it'd be good to hear back. Unfortunately, like most courses, it might be a failing of lecturer and delivery rather than content. Or it could be neither – or both.
This was a fascination, frustrating discussion, weka, Molly et al. It's also a critical one, imo and one that's engaging "governance" up and down nga motu 🙂
Is the anguish expressed here primarily about the potential for a valuable adjustment to our world-view being harmed by faulty delivery, or are we debating the worth of the coming to prominence of matauranga Maori in the thinking/decision-making of all of us, but especially those especially those in the political sphere? Or something else?
The debate becomes, as it so often does, nebulous, if there isn't a focus set.
It might seem odd, and might sink like a stone (he pohatu kei roto puna?) but I'd like to suggest that we discuss/share dialogue around the word/concept "hauora"?
Thinking about this and debating in the council chamber, with iwi aboard, over the past couple of years, has proved very valuable, in my opinion. However, given this thread is "old" now (how ephemeral life is 🙂 it's likely my suggestion will be erased by circumstance; such is (modern) life 🙂
Is the anguish expressed here primarily about the potential for a valuable adjustment to our world-view being harmed by faulty delivery, or are we debating the worth of the coming to prominence of matauranga Maori in the thinking/decision-making of all of us, but especially those especially those in the political sphere? Or something else?
thanks Robert. This was my thinking too, but not as eloquently thought in my head. I suspect it's mostly the former, but it risks the latter. If it's a choice between faulty delivery or no delivery, what would we choose?
I also think decolonising western minds is pertinent, and I don't know how else to do that in NZ en masse apart from engaging with te Ao Māori.
Can you lead the discussion around hauora? My first thought goes to what wellbeing is compared to how our health system sees it (something broken that needs fixing). Something I was reading from Little the other day, our mainstream health systems are a very long way from upholding health and vigour.
I'd keep away from "the health system" in a discussion about hauora, weka, as it's too, too loaded with prior expectations/agonies/anguish. I was thinking about "hauora' as it's being used with regard water quality – the hauora of the water has become the lens through which legislation etc. around water quality is being viewed and it's creating some very intense discussions. For me, it's a very useful pivot around which the whole matauranga Maori/Western/colonizer science debate can turn.
It's a flash-point, imo. From the discussions I've been involved in, it seems there is a problem with applying our usual intellectual/thinking strategies to understanding "hauora" and meaning can only be gained through more poetic approaches. I guess the same problem would occur here and little might be gained. Face to face though, in an atmosphere of eagerness-to-learn, insight can be achieved by describing "hauora" in terms of, for example, a mother and new-born and their relationship, especially in terms of how the mother wraps her entire experience of living around the little one. Using that analogy/story to help express "hauora" with regards water, might stretch to breaking point most "colonised, Western minds 🙂 Nevertheless, I have been present in discussions where this has been spoken aloud to great effect 🙂
I hear you on the loss, both generally and for families in situations like yours. The loss was similar for my people (most peoples), but it was long ago enough that we don't even acknowledge it let alone remember or feel it. Layers of colonisation and here we are at the end of the world.
I also hear you about the quality of the delivery. I guess the ideal in an engineering course would be to have someone who is 'bilingual'. Understands science well and understands mātauranga. But as you point out, we probably don't have enough people who are also skilled in teaching.
The issue then becomes what do we do next?
It is a privilege afforded to very few people – Maaori or not, to have such an intimate connection with the land.
There are quite a lot of people seeking to remedy this and building experience, skill and knowledge. Robert is one such, nearly 30 years of direct and deep engagement with one place along with intention does that. I think many Māori still on the land have it. I know other Pākehā too, quite a lot. There are Pākehā frameworks that are helping eg permaculture. So all is not lost and it is worth trying to shift the cultural stuff while we still have enough functional society and civ tech to do so.
I see an overlap here with the Freedom protests. A subsection of that is people who manage their health from direct observation and engagement, and to them vaccination in particular is just weird (plus now it's mixed in with all the conspiracy and misinformation). Intuition is valued much more highly than science.
But in the wider sub culture that they belong to, there are people recovering health that mainstream medicine had said was not possible. I know this happens in Māoridom as well. And the other side is that in alternative health there is a fair amount of stupid and bullshit (but I would say this about mainstream medicine too, it's just displayed differently and msm has the power and resources to get away with it).
All of that to me points to a binary fragmentation that is getting worse and based in a lot of people not listening to each other and not prepared to listen to each other (which is scary).
We see that in the sex/gender wars as well. And in the culture wars generally. It's not a good thing to be happening at this point in history.
Apart from the liberal fringe of coastal states, it is hard to find social attitudes at a legislative level in the United States that are much more advanced than those of the Taliban. To illustrate: once Roe goes, up to 30 US states will legislate to effectively re-criminalise abortion altogether.
Barbie Kardashian is a troubled teenager who was “born a male but identifies as female”, and has a history of particularly nasty physical and sexual violence towards women. Having previously torn the eyelids from a female care worker, Kardashian was jailed last year in the women’s wing of Limerick prison following threats of violence against two individuals. According to the court report, Kardashian was “very anxious she be detained in a prison facility for females, as she identifies as a female”.
Already there was a “pre-operative, pre-hormone therapy”, male-to-female transgender prisoner who had been convicted of ten counts of sexual assault and one count of cruelty against a child.
Violence against authority is common amongst troubled youth. Violence against fellow inmates is also common amongst troubled youth. It has nothing to do with self-ID.
Why do you believe that women's prison estates were created?
Housing is an issue, but oh, this tactic of telling women that they should show their concern on other topics before this is a tired one.
This thread is about how the impact of self-id in terms of policy for single-sex spaces puts women at increased risk of harm (and skews statistical data).
"I'd be writing to the prison authorities in question to ensure that didn't happen."
That is the thrust of the campaign regarding KPSS. Keep Prisons Single Sex.
There is no data that is used to rationalise the breaking of the single sex boundary for the prison estate.
Vulnerable men – who are not transgender – remain housed in the men's prison estate. Men who are trans-identified have not been shown to be more vulnerable than these others: young men, men with limited mental capacity, men with FASD and easily manipulated, men who are physically small or weak, men who are more effeminate in nature.
It is the responsibility of the men's estate to house all of these men safely.
Self ID enables the likes on Ms K to be housed with other women and girls. Ms K threatens to rape children and women. What leads you to deny this is a problem?
“i’d be writng to prison authorities to ensure that doesn’t happen”. And will you also write to the councils asking them to ensure that male bodied people don’t access women’s toilets?
How about putting women, who are by far the majority, ahead of people who are male but want to identify as female? You see when men start denying there is a problem with self ID it tends to suggest they either don’t understand women’s position or don’t give a shit.
And if you don’t give a shit about women, how about you start thinking about girls and teen girls? Why should they have to put up with male bodied people in the spaces?
I think you are searching. Nothing about Ireland’s self-ID changes the threat to the family of Mr Mannix.
My reading of Joyce's comment is this. Genderists in the UK in particular point to Ireland as an example of a country that already has legal self-ID (UK doesn't) as a kind of 'see, there are no problems with self-ID, it won't hurt to bring it in'.
Self-ID doesn't make this young man be violent. It enables him into women's spaces and to have his violence crime recorded as a woman's crime and reported as such in the MSM i.e. the MSM is deceiving the public. Those are obvious problems, do they really have to be explained?
The article didn't explain how Kardashian was a threat to other women, apart from her mother, who apparently abused her.
I answered it with evidence from further down the article – showing that K has explicitly threatened sexual violence (specifically rape) to other women. In that context, the fact that K is biologically male (while self-identifying as a woman) is absolutely relevant.
Other commenters have addressed why this is relevant in a more general societal context. I was making the point, that it is directly relevant in this specific case. K is physically equipped to actually carry out the sexual assault.
I looked up Coovagh House and it does not say it is in the women's estate, whatever that means. It is for troubled children.
From the article which Helen Joyce tweeted:
Coovagh House takes residents aged 11 to 17 years…The court heard that Coovagh, which has capacity for four residents, houses young people who have experienced childhood trauma, and who are at risk to themselves and or others. It is one of only four such units in the State, and that residents are placed in the units specifically on foot of orders of the High Court.
These threats any less likely to happen if Ireland did not have self-ID?
How ever transphobic to suggest there is a connection between violence and self-ID. Feminists on the other hand are pointing to male pattern violence and saying stop reporting this as women's crime. It's not.
Or is it just the label, "Woman (20)", you are worried about?
cool, if you want to know I am more than happy to explain.
One of the main issues in the gender/sex war is about language and who gets to name what. We have a major problem with male violence against women and girls (MVAWG). When we allow men to self-ID and that mean they are treated for all intents and purposes as women, we then get the MSM reporting this as a woman's crime. Women rarely do crimes like this, violence of this type is overwhelmingly done by men, generally to females.
When genderists get to control the language, it becomes harder to talk about MVAWG. Some people will accuse people of being transphobic for talking about MVAWG. MSM mislead (the IG could have reported this as a transgender crime if it didn't want to report it as a male crime, but it needed to be made clear that the person is biologically male).
Other issues arise. If self-ID means that society must refer to TW as female, then rape victims in court i.e. women who have been raped by men, can be required to refer to the accused as 'she'. This is both demeaning, as well as potentially retraumatising. It's also a mindfuck and institutional abuse.
This week there's debate about using terms like 'birthing bodies' when talking about abortion. If women lose the ability to talk about our sex based oppression we will not be able to retain rights. The conservatives in the US will both remove abortion rights and adopt neoliberal concepts like 'birthing bodies' because when you dehumanise women, or objectify them, it becomes much easier to remove more of their rights.
There are lots of rights being challenged in the US currently, and women's rights is one of them that needs to be named very clearly if we want to talk meaningfully about what is happening. Conservatives aren't just attacking rights that happen to be women's, the attack is on women specifically because they are female and they hold reproductive power.
tl;dr, self-ID causes all sorts of problems for women because it says we don't exist as a sex class any more.
This You Tube argues that Putin will soon face a Russian rebellion. Wouldn't that be a good outcome.
Indisputable with Dr. Rashad Richey
A Kremlin coup comprised of former generals and KGB officials may be increasingly likely in Moscow, according to multiple reports. Dr. Rashad Richey and Wosny Lambre discuss on Indisputable. Tell us what you think in the comments below. Read more here: https://www.cityam.com/kremlin-on-hig… "Rumours are swirling in Moscow that a number of former generals and KGB officials are preparing to oust Russia’s president Vladimir Putin and plan to end the war in Ukraine, which is increasingly seen across Russia as a strategic mistake and, above all, an economic disaster. The top of Putin’s former employer – the Russian security service FSB – is said to be so frustrated about the lack of military progress in Ukraine that it has reached out to a number of generals and former army officials, according to various analysts and local media reports." *** Indisputable, features Dr. Richey talking about the top news stories of the day, reading viewer comments, and engaging in debates and conversations with guests. Help support our mission and get perks. Membership protects TYT's independence from corporate ownership and allows us to provide free live shows that speak truth to power for people around the world.
It's really just a case of the Natz applying the Goebbel's principle: 'tell a lie and repeat it often enough a people will begin to believe it.'
There really is zero evidence that this government is soft on crime – but hey, when you're up to your ears in dirty politics, what on earth do facts matter?
Can't trust 'em – Dirty Politics is an oozing infected wound Nat MPs have no intention of acknowledging, let alone healing – tbh I don’t think they know how.
Most Kiwis don't understand that the Commissioner of Police must act independently of ministers, so the Minister could be telling him to be tougher for all any of us know, but he's required to ignore that.
I ran across a recent essay from The Brothers Krynn, which attempts to map common horror monsters onto the Seven Deadly Sins: https://canadianculturecorner.substack.com/p/horror-monsters-and-vice My interest, however, is not in the meat of the piece, but rather the opening paragraph: It is an interesting fact that in recent decades, Vampires have ...
Buzz from the Beehive Transport Minister Simeon Brown dutifully issued advice to all road users to keep safe on our roads during the Easter weekend. He encouraged them to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. ...
Oliver Hartwich writes – New Zealanders recently learned about a new feature film. It will be about former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern – and taxpayers will subsidise it to the tune of NZ$800,000. Ardern had nothing personally to do with either the film or the subsidy. But her government’s ...
TL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above that was recorded yesterday afternoon above between and The Kākā’s climate correspondent : An independent review panel into the emergency response to Cyclone Gabrielle in Hawkes Bayconcluded “that ...
There are now only a few days left to give feedback on the Draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport 2024-34 (see our earlier post this week on GPS submission guides). As we’ve reported, the GPS is a disaster for Local Government, so we were particularly interested to hear ...
Willis has pledged to go ahead with the debt-funded tax cuts, despite growing opposition from her own supporters worried about appearing fiscally irresponsible. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for ...
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
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 ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
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. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
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 ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
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. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
COMMENTARY:By Ronny Kareni Since the atrocious footage of the suffering of an indigenous Papuan man reverberates in the heart of Puncak by the brute force of Indonesia’s army in early February, shocking tactics deployed by those in power to silence critics has been unfolding. Nowhere is this more evident ...
Analysis - Nicola Willis is holding firm on tax cuts despite the economic outlook being worse than forecast and critics urging her to wait, writes Peter Wilson for The Week In Politics. ...
Opposition MPs and unions are criticising a proposal by New Zealand’s Ministry of Pacific Peoples to cut staff by 40 percent. The country’s largest trade union — The Public Service Association — says the ministry has informed staff that it is looking to shed 63 of 156 positions. Opposition MPs ...
A poem by Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2024 featured poet Carin Smeaton. Daughtr of the 90s when she gets promoted to usherette a baby blu eel carries her all the way up to mothership she’s hovering high she lets the underaged in to see keanu reeves she lets the only lonely ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pick’n’mix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you’re at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, don’t panic: The Spinoff’s got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
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 A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
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Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
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While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
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While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
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I’d like to give a huge shoutout to the team at Hamilton’s MilkTestNZ, together with the gutsy advice of MPI who put the case to Treasury and then to Cabinet to put up nearly $900 million to eradicate MBovis from the entire cow herd of New Zealand.
After starting way back in 2018, they are now down to their last infected farm, and they will get it out of there soon. There were plenty of doubters at the time who I am sure will have the sense to keep quiet now.
It is of course immensely stressful and there are many hundreds of devastated farmers and indeed cow families whose cow herds have been slaughtered as part of this massive eradication programme.
Once complete it will be the only time in the world that a massive MBovis outbreak has ever been eradicated in the entire world.
It is also our biggest ever biosecurity outbreak since the Norwegian Shiprat. Faced and brought to heel.
So congratulations to the entire team of testers, public servants, Minister O’Connor, the lab scientists, trackers, cattle agents and of course the farmers who have together brought this under control.
Eradication approach leaves just one property with M. bovis (1news.co.nz)
No idea if this government will get much recognition for it, but it’s a hard earned result of a successful delivery.
I agree, great result for NZ and farming but little if any credit ill be given.
Yep. National brought it in and let it spread. Labour cleaned up the mess.
It's the little things.
National brought it in? Is there no end to their evil?
Interesting! While 68% want a tax cut in the next budget (including 54% of labour voters) 76% of kiwi's want gst off food. Getting rid of gst is indeed a tax cut for everyone. It's also progressive af, GST is a Disgraceful consumption tax that hurts the poorest.
Since more people favor gst cuts than tax cuts , If Labour has any sense they will be dropping GST to atleast pre Key levels in the budget ( preferably they'd go further and drop to 10% like Australia) and remind everyone at every chance that nationals tax cuts will mean a GST rises which means price rises.
instead of trying to attack Luxon for what he'd personally get out of tax cuts (which didn't work with key and isn't working with Luxon) people don't care about his wealth, they would care that his tax cuts will mean they get $20 a week but pay more on every item they buy..
Since the tax take is 2.7 billion dollars higher than forecast that $2.7 billion should go to tax cuts or gst cuts.
By doing something on tax (preferably the more popular option of gst) Labour can neutralize Nationals biggest stick (tax cuts)
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2022/05/newshub-reid-research-poll-overwhelming-majority-want-tax-cuts-in-budget-2022.html
Yes Corey.. That would just "pull the rug"
Question:
68% said yes. I'm surprised it wasn't 100%. Who doesn't want a tax cut.
Its up to the government to make sure that National's policy – to give themselves and their mates a massive tax cut and the rest a few coins in comparison – is known by every man and woman in the country.
Some of you may be aware of the Transpower rises in Electricity charges for manufacturers indicated last week.
It may be of further interest to know that the sole manufacturer of construction steel in NZ, including rebar and roofing will be disadvantaged by a 348% rise by April 2023. This will increase the cost of electricity for BlueScope from $3million to $14m p/a. Increasing the cost of steel by $16.50 tonne.
Although BlueScope is Australian owned, it is providing construction steel while supply lines are stretched and not reliable.
Rio Tinto on the other hand has been subsidised. There's more to this, but the impact on construction costs will be noted.
Yes they have complained in a letter to the Minister a few months back.
For us in the construction industry it ranks as bad as the closure of Marsden Point refinery.
Similarly a remnant hero project from 1966s, paired with the Meremere and Huntly Power Station for local steel from local bulk generation.
Son is doing a compulsory paper at university, and module is currently the mātauranga Māori one. During the last few days, while stuck in traffic, he pulls up the online powerpoints and we've had some interesting discussions on what is being presented.
It's been a hybrid of fact, opinion, unevidenced speculation and unconvincing equivalences of some aspects of Te Ao Māori with universal science concepts.
Yesterdays contribution – apparently delivered with a straight face, was in regards to water pollution. The use of scientific method to determine whether there was pollution was considered a colonial approach of science. According to the lecturer, mātauranga Māori approach was superior. If you were adept at mātauranga Māori, you did not have to resort to testing of any kind. You had the (unspoken but implied) superior method of looking at a body of water and knowing whether it was suitable for swimming or drinking.
This application of Māori knowledge, ill fitted, non-evidenced and unable to be challenged (yes, they were advised at the start of the module that some may find the material contentious but that was the fault of the complainers) is going to backfire. It will create understandable dismisssal and possibly resentment for those that are presented with it.
A true partnership between Māori and the Crown requires mutual respect, not this facsimile of understanding and equality.
God help us Molly. Seriously "the use of the scientific method to determine whether there was pollution was considered a colonial approach of science. Acording to the lecturer Matauranga Maori was superior. ………..you did not have to resort to testing of any kind."
Expect NZ to lose its scientists in droves because of this stuff.
Thanks for posting.
What is really annoying, is that this approach may actively discourage people from seeking out knowledge for themselves on Te Ao Māori.
Gobsmacked!
Science is apparently no longer of any value in this post-truth world.
Expect NZ international university ratings to take a nose-dive if this is embedded.
Not to mention that we are crying out for scientifically literate graduates in a whole range of areas.
I don't know about you, but if 3 Waters goes ahead, I really, really do want to have some scientific backing to claims of potability of my water supply…..
Observation (which happens in scientific enquire as well as mātauranga Māori) can give you broad indications of the health of a body of water (healthy plants, diversity of fishes and invertebrates, even colour and smell of the water, etc.), but doesn't tell you anything about fecal coliform counts or cryptosporidium levels.
"…but doesn't tell you anything about fecal coliform counts or cryptosporidium levels."
Almost word for word in what I told my son.
It is possible to look at a river, a life force, and tell it is not healthy.
Western science is useful but is also a colonial construct used to protect economic benefits of a small number of farming elite, to the detriment of the river ecosystem.
Science – which endeavours to be a universal language – and has contributors from cultures all over the world, includes the observation you speak of as a primary source of theories.
"It is possible to look at a river, a life force, and tell it is not healthy."
Yes. But it is not possible to look at a body of water and tell if it is drinkable from that observation only. That assumes a mystical knowledge that is the antithesis of science. The observation leads to a theory that the water is able to be drunk. That theory is tested, and conclusion reached.
"Western science is useful but is also a colonial construct used to protect economic benefits of a small number of farming elite, to the detriment of the river ecosystem."
You call it a colonial construct, despite knowledge being built up over millenium from a wide variety of cultures.
To me, it is a tool, that can be used wisely or not, to examine the world around us. It can benefit all. To say it is limited to the use of a "farming elite, to the detriment of the river system" is emotive rhetoric. Which also has no place in science evaluation.
I addressed this above/below but want to dig into it a bit more.
None of that is infallible, but then neither is science.
I believe observation to be the starting blocks of science. Every learned fact was first observed, and tested in some way, and conclusions reached. Whether that is from a series of observations leading to a fixed pattern being recognised or otherwise, observations are a fundamental part of scientific theory. Your example of water observation in this sense, fits well.
However, there is a limited number of Maaori who retain the intimacy and connection to land to perform this type of observation. And that loss should be recognised and mourned, and hopefully, as we become more intimate with the land, regained. However, we need to ensure when teaching, that it is not promoted as an innate ability that is unable to be understood, so it takes on a mystical quality.
If we err on that side, the inclusion of matuaranga Maaori will have justified critics. If we introduce concepts, the explanation should be robust (as yours was – I'll actually share it with my son, so he can write about it in that form) and able to be queried.
(Bit of a red flag for me: Questions were also discouraged. I really want to sit in on these lectures to see for myself what is actually going on, then I'd be able to be either reassured about content, or able to articulate better if I consider there to be problems.)
that would be a red flag for me too. I do think there is cause for concern here based on what you have share. My response is similar to Robert's and as I shared below, is faulty delivery better or worse than no delivery?
That becoming more intimate with the land is currently blocked. It's why we have climate change and polluted rivers. It stems directly from the dominant cultural world view that the universe is mechanistic, as well as our general disconnect from nature. I see the push of mātauranga Māori into education as one way of changing that. My biggest concerns here are that if they don't bring people along there will be a backlash, and that if they do it badly it will undermine the usefulness of western science. The problem here is trying to teach concepts to people who don't have the conceptual language or framework.
When I learned te reo, it was taught in a specific context, te Ao Māori. It wasn't taught like Latin or French as a set of patterns of words (although that was also taught), it was embedded in culture. Opening and closing karakia, learning some haka, waiata, marae visits and so on.
If we want to decolonise knowledge and learning, then we have to look at who gets to determine the cultural context it is taught in. At the moment the default is Pākehā (British descent).
There are some things that cannot be understood with the reductionist mind. We have mysticism because it gives us the conceptual frame and language to talk about those things.
I have a book somewhere about Aboriginal culture in Australia, with chapters regarding their bushcraft and hunting and gathering rituals and practices.
I remember vividly the chapter on testing new plantstuffs to see whether they were edible. Starting with observations about the plant, and similarity to other ones that they knew were edible, to looking for the evidence regarding what other animals ate it. When both those questions were answered positively, they had a set of tests they would put the plant through. Starting with skin sensitivity, and moving through the range of exposures until they were reassured enough to ingest it in small quantities.
If I come across it, I'll post the title. But for me, a really informative look into another culture and a clear understanding of their processes, which were related alongside their rituals.
I recall buying it from the withdrawals of the library as it started with a woman giving birth in the outback, and using practiced rituals to connect to the land and sky while giving birth. (After making this comment, I want to read it again now and have it as a comparative guide when looking at the mataraunga Maaori curriculum).
sounds interesting!
https://thespinoff.co.nz/live-updates/04-05-2022/at-home-heart-checks-could-be-game-changer-for-maori
Bloody colonial Western Science again providing heart checks for Maori.
Are you suggesting that critiques of western science as colonial are somehow aligned with not using western science? Because that's not my understanding. The whole point is to have mātauranga Māori and western science and get the best of both worlds.
Well, mutual respect has been absent from the side of the crown for nearly 200 years now. Why the sudden importance? Oh, that's right, it's because Maori are asking serious questions and conservative white people don't like it.
Suddenly it's time for respect! Lol.
Are you assuming that I am both conservative and white?
Why don't you comment on content?
Don't be so arrogant as to assume my comment was about you.
So misinterpretation and insinuation in direct reply to me, but not intended to relate to me…
Quality contribution. Just low-quality.
My comment was general. You can include yourself in the conservative white people bubble if you like, or not.
"My comment was general. You can include yourself in the conservative white people bubble if you like, or not."
How is making unevidenced generalisations about people in regards to their position on a topic – a good contribution?
What is the outcome you expect from that? Or do you gain a personal satisfaction from arbitrarily labelling people who you disagree with?
I didn't label you anything. You did that yourself.
What is your desired outcome when you write "conservative white people" and " conservative white people bubble"?
It would be interesting to know what reaction you would like in return, or is it just about releasing tension for you personally, or a show of aggression?
What serious questions did the lecturer in Molly's son class ask? It sounds like the lecture was about labelling Western science colonial and inflating the ability of Maori to know water quality on sight and smell.
What are these serious questions you talk of?
As I conceded to weka, I would probably have to attend a class to ensure that I am not misrepresenting either my son, or what was being delivered.
I see some red flags, but without evidence I can only express disquiet rather than outrage.
I'd be really annoyed though, if a badly designed or taught mataraunga Maaori curriculum put the consideration of the value of the contribution of Te Ao Maaori backwards instead of forwards.
Yes and I probably need to pause and breath a little.
The book you sited about Aboriginal culture bush craft is worthy of knowing about. And Maori have similar wisdom to offer.
When I hear people denigrating science and referring to it as colonial, red flags go off for me. What it is signalling for me is an ideological approach that is most unhelpful. I have experienced this in my own profession, when at a workshop I went to, the particular expertise I has was referred to as colonisation and the speaker frankly did not understand anything about what the methodology I used. I went along in good faith to learn more about Maori approaches in my field but I had to conclude that it had very little to offer. And I actually challenged the speaker re her saying the approach I am trained in was colonisation and she was extremely patronizing towards me.
I am beginning to think that the idea of denigrating science as colonial could be pervading our educational institutions. This worries me greatly.
I also have difficulties with acceptance the colonial reference in regards to science. I understood the science knowledge base to be one built on through millenia, and contributed to by cultures around the world from various places, at different times.
I also consider the building of this knowledge base to be ongoing. A truly universal language that allows any individual or culture to participate and contribute. The outcome: Mataraunga Maaori being recognised as a valued contributor, and having input into changes processes, if changing processes is what is required.
But the flipside of equal consideration is equal scrutiny. We can and should demand that curriculum from all sources are fit for purpose, and can stand up to critique.
You raise many good and interesting points, as usual.
Many of our science graduates will live and work overseas at some time in their lives although not necessarily working in a field of science. This raises the question whether VM gives them an international advantage or not, assuming it is more than just feeding a parochial need or island mentality.
Yeah I am a science graduate, and I have never worked in science.
However I use an understanding of science knowledge all of the time in everything from writing code to arguing on here about politics. And have a sufficient base to keep growing more understanding.
Is your son doing a science degree?
is it possible to see the content? (sorry, I know you've posted a lot of links to curriculum in the past). I'd like us to tease out what is official and what is the lecturer or tutor saying (is there a problem with the course itself, or was it this particular teacher, and how much of both?)
One thing I know from learning some te reo Māori, is that there are concepts quite hard to understand to the Western mind. It requires a different kind of thinking. Thus there's a tendency to see an mātauranga body of knowledge (oh some nice myths and such but not real knowledge) as inferior rather than alongside.
Don't disagree with you about the potential problems of what is being done, although I suspect part of the problem is trying to teach conceptual ideas and content related to that to people who don't have the conceptual grasp. Part of it is the emphasis on the literal in Western thinking and the lesser ability to think in metaphor.
Re your example of rivers, to my mind there is the reductionist approach (measure known pollutants and pathogens), and there is the knowledge that comes from deep observation and experience with the landscape (something that Westerners often struggle to grasp both the complexity and degree). Someone who knows a river from livelong interaction within a framework that establishes knowledge and that within the context of generations of observation, can see things we can't. When one's life and the lives of whānau and hapū depend on that, intergenerationally, then it's not so hard to see the body of knowledge being developed. Much of this has been grossly harmed by colonisation.
The tone of the teacher seems patronising. I've also seen such things reported by people who missed what was really being said.
Engineering. Like me, on the Aspergers spectrum, and very pedantic about what is being said. I trust him to get it right, because he is also forthright about getting it wrong.
My son, as a teen, accompanied me to Tikanga Marae course, and was involved in Kapa Haka for a while. Wants to learn Te Reo, and has some exposure to some of the concepts of Te Ao Maaori.
"Someone who knows a river from livelong interaction within a framework that establishes knowledge and that within the context of generations of observation, can see things we can't."
This I understand. But this is not what was said. It is a privilege afforded to very few people – Maaori or not, to have such an intimate connection with the land. I think that there is a difference between acknowledging the value of that connection while recognising the scale of the loss of it due to urbanisation and losing contact, with assuming that it is sense incumbent within all Maaori. I really believe the standard of the delivery will be dependent on the quality and restraint of the kaiako. Someone who is passionate about the injustices of the Crown, may be more likely to stretch the alignment of concepts to the point where a break is visible.
We are urban Maaori. My maternal grandparents farm was our de-facto marae, where we all gathered at holidays, celebrations and tangihanga. I have sought out additional learning for myself and my children, as after the grandparents died the farm ownership has been in and out of court for decades, and that easy relationship has been fractured.
I believe that mataraunga Maaori can and does contribute to the well-being of not only all the people of NZ, but the land.
I just want to ensure that the policy that hopes to include it, succeeds and does not put people off learning more. I think if they are not careful about content AND delivery, it could have a negative effect.
(My experience with the three courses from Te Wananga o Aotearoa, are mostly informed by the quality and delivery of the tutors. Two were superb, and retained most of the enrolments. The third, Te Reo, was painful, by a begrudging tutor, and the course finished with less than a third of the original number. My te reo is non-existent now.)
(Addition: Not supposed to share content. He was reading off his phone while I was driving, but they are advised not to share coursework with anyone. So, we just discussed what was said. Some slides with content points, but the lecturer riffed off them, which is where variation naturally occurs.)
Thanks Molly, lots there to consider, hope to come back today or over the weekend.
(being told not to share coursework is a big red flag for me. Not that he should share, don't want him to be uncomfortable or get grief about it. But that they are telling students to be secretive about it is really not ok).
Given the transfer during Covid to online, I suspect this is a standard proviso to protect intellectual property (and income streams). At present he still has access, but is not a rule breaker so don't want to push to get access. I have asked. I think he'd be comfortable with me in the room while he's watching, but he really doesn't want to watch again. Other priorities.
The class were invited to speak amongst themselves, and the other student was resentful of what had been presented. My concern is, that if not done well this effort will have long term negative repercussions.
how would online powerpoint be different than handouts in a class?
Don't know. But I understand that may apply there too. I'll check.
(They’ve actually posted the full lectures, not just the Powerpoints.)
I feel that there is probably a lot of contextual nuance about rohe familiarity and cultural priorities that haven't been understood here imo
I think weka has actually encapsulated that really well in her examples above. I showed her comments to my son to see if between him seeing it, and us talking about it, there has been a misinterpretation on my part.
He can follow weka's comments easily, and said that what was presented was not along those lines.
I'm trying to persuade him to watch online, so I can have a look and report back not via hearsay.
I'm supportive of an education system that gives all students an opportunity to be introduced and understand Te Ao Maori. That's why I think it is really important to get right.
If anyone has an opportunity to sit in on such lectures it'd be good to hear back. Unfortunately, like most courses, it might be a failing of lecturer and delivery rather than content. Or it could be neither – or both.
This was a fascination, frustrating discussion, weka, Molly et al. It's also a critical one, imo and one that's engaging "governance" up and down nga motu 🙂
Is the anguish expressed here primarily about the potential for a valuable adjustment to our world-view being harmed by faulty delivery, or are we debating the worth of the coming to prominence of matauranga Maori in the thinking/decision-making of all of us, but especially those especially those in the political sphere? Or something else?
The debate becomes, as it so often does, nebulous, if there isn't a focus set.
It might seem odd, and might sink like a stone (he pohatu kei roto puna?) but I'd like to suggest that we discuss/share dialogue around the word/concept "hauora"?
Thinking about this and debating in the council chamber, with iwi aboard, over the past couple of years, has proved very valuable, in my opinion. However, given this thread is "old" now (how ephemeral life is 🙂 it's likely my suggestion will be erased by circumstance; such is (modern) life 🙂
thanks Robert. This was my thinking too, but not as eloquently thought in my head. I suspect it's mostly the former, but it risks the latter. If it's a choice between faulty delivery or no delivery, what would we choose?
I also think decolonising western minds is pertinent, and I don't know how else to do that in NZ en masse apart from engaging with te Ao Māori.
Can you lead the discussion around hauora? My first thought goes to what wellbeing is compared to how our health system sees it (something broken that needs fixing). Something I was reading from Little the other day, our mainstream health systems are a very long way from upholding health and vigour.
https://maoridictionary.co.nz/search?idiom=&phrase=&proverb=&loan=&histLoanWords=&keywords=hauora
I'd keep away from "the health system" in a discussion about hauora, weka, as it's too, too loaded with prior expectations/agonies/anguish. I was thinking about "hauora' as it's being used with regard water quality – the hauora of the water has become the lens through which legislation etc. around water quality is being viewed and it's creating some very intense discussions. For me, it's a very useful pivot around which the whole matauranga Maori/Western/colonizer science debate can turn.
Is the immediate value there in the discussions being created?
It's a flash-point, imo. From the discussions I've been involved in, it seems there is a problem with applying our usual intellectual/thinking strategies to understanding "hauora" and meaning can only be gained through more poetic approaches. I guess the same problem would occur here and little might be gained. Face to face though, in an atmosphere of eagerness-to-learn, insight can be achieved by describing "hauora" in terms of, for example, a mother and new-born and their relationship, especially in terms of how the mother wraps her entire experience of living around the little one. Using that analogy/story to help express "hauora" with regards water, might stretch to breaking point most "colonised, Western minds 🙂 Nevertheless, I have been present in discussions where this has been spoken aloud to great effect 🙂
I hear you on the loss, both generally and for families in situations like yours. The loss was similar for my people (most peoples), but it was long ago enough that we don't even acknowledge it let alone remember or feel it. Layers of colonisation and here we are at the end of the world.
I also hear you about the quality of the delivery. I guess the ideal in an engineering course would be to have someone who is 'bilingual'. Understands science well and understands mātauranga. But as you point out, we probably don't have enough people who are also skilled in teaching.
The issue then becomes what do we do next?
There are quite a lot of people seeking to remedy this and building experience, skill and knowledge. Robert is one such, nearly 30 years of direct and deep engagement with one place along with intention does that. I think many Māori still on the land have it. I know other Pākehā too, quite a lot. There are Pākehā frameworks that are helping eg permaculture. So all is not lost and it is worth trying to shift the cultural stuff while we still have enough functional society and civ tech to do so.
I see an overlap here with the Freedom protests. A subsection of that is people who manage their health from direct observation and engagement, and to them vaccination in particular is just weird (plus now it's mixed in with all the conspiracy and misinformation). Intuition is valued much more highly than science.
But in the wider sub culture that they belong to, there are people recovering health that mainstream medicine had said was not possible. I know this happens in Māoridom as well. And the other side is that in alternative health there is a fair amount of stupid and bullshit (but I would say this about mainstream medicine too, it's just displayed differently and msm has the power and resources to get away with it).
All of that to me points to a binary fragmentation that is getting worse and based in a lot of people not listening to each other and not prepared to listen to each other (which is scary).
We see that in the sex/gender wars as well. And in the culture wars generally. It's not a good thing to be happening at this point in history.
This might interest you, weka et al.
The War on Reality: Mary Harrington & Paul Kingsnorth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4kms2jkKbA
Am 12 minutes in so far. Superb, thank you. It’s like more educated people channelling my thinking but with enough new bits to keep me wanting more.
Well expressed Weka.
Worth a read. I fear it is correct.
https://theshot.net.au/general-news/america-is-surely-we-all-know-by-now-fucked/
https://twitter.com/hjoycegender/status/1521968502751604741?s=21
These threats any less likely to happen if Ireland did not have self-ID?
Or is it just the label, "Woman (20)", you are worried about?
The article didn't explain how Kardashian was a threat to other women, apart from her mother, who apparently abused her.
Still not seeing how self-ID makes any difference to this particular incident.
Quote from further down the article.
It's clear that this is a very disturbed individual. But it's the threat of rape which makes the self-ID issue relevant.
I think you are searching. Nothing about Ireland’s self-ID changes the threat to the family of Mr Mannix.
The accused was travelling with a female care worker and assaulted her. I can't find the original article I read but here's another.
They retain an elevated risk to women because of their self-declared hatred of women, and their actions and threats of violence towards women.
https://unherd.com/2021/07/how-the-trans-activists-fooled-ireland/
Violence against authority is common amongst troubled youth. Violence against fellow inmates is also common amongst troubled youth. It has nothing to do with self-ID.
The consequences of inclusive policy based on self-id puts women at increased risk of harm.
I don't think it does. What increases harm is amateur landlordism and all the pressures of bringing up all children in healthy, stable environments.
Can't be done right now for a lot of people.
@Muttonbird.
Why do you believe that women's prison estates were created?
Housing is an issue, but oh, this tactic of telling women that they should show their concern on other topics before this is a tired one.
This thread is about how the impact of self-id in terms of policy for single-sex spaces puts women at increased risk of harm (and skews statistical data).
women in prison have been raped by males who self-ID as women. How is putting those trans women in women's prison not an increased risk of harm?
I'd be writing to the prison authorities in question to ensure that didn't happen.
@Muttonbird
"I'd be writing to the prison authorities in question to ensure that didn't happen."
That is the thrust of the campaign regarding KPSS. Keep Prisons Single Sex.
There is no data that is used to rationalise the breaking of the single sex boundary for the prison estate.
Vulnerable men – who are not transgender – remain housed in the men's prison estate. Men who are trans-identified have not been shown to be more vulnerable than these others: young men, men with limited mental capacity, men with FASD and easily manipulated, men who are physically small or weak, men who are more effeminate in nature.
It is the responsibility of the men's estate to house all of these men safely.
Self ID enables the likes on Ms K to be housed with other women and girls. Ms K threatens to rape children and women. What leads you to deny this is a problem?
“i’d be writng to prison authorities to ensure that doesn’t happen”. And will you also write to the councils asking them to ensure that male bodied people don’t access women’s toilets?
How about putting women, who are by far the majority, ahead of people who are male but want to identify as female? You see when men start denying there is a problem with self ID it tends to suggest they either don’t understand women’s position or don’t give a shit.
And if you don’t give a shit about women, how about you start thinking about girls and teen girls? Why should they have to put up with male bodied people in the spaces?
My reading of Joyce's comment is this. Genderists in the UK in particular point to Ireland as an example of a country that already has legal self-ID (UK doesn't) as a kind of 'see, there are no problems with self-ID, it won't hurt to bring it in'.
Self-ID doesn't make this young man be violent. It enables him into women's spaces and to have his violence crime recorded as a woman's crime and reported as such in the MSM i.e. the MSM is deceiving the public. Those are obvious problems, do they really have to be explained?
Your comment was
I answered it with evidence from further down the article – showing that K has explicitly threatened sexual violence (specifically rape) to other women. In that context, the fact that K is biologically male (while self-identifying as a woman) is absolutely relevant.
Other commenters have addressed why this is relevant in a more general societal context. I was making the point, that it is directly relevant in this specific case. K is physically equipped to actually carry out the sexual assault.
She also threatened to rape her care workers wife.
I don't want male bodied people who self id as women in woman's spaces.
There are a few problems here:
Violence statistics by sex for both victim and perpetrator are skewed,
Current policy to house self-identified transwomen in women's estate puts vulnerable women at risk (and possibly staff too);
Accused has not undertaken either medical or surgical transition, and retains full strength and sexual and physical violence capacity.
As an individual, it is apparent this person requires a high level of care and some form of restraint for public safety.
But for reasons above, not in the women's estate. And not counted as a woman in terms of data.
I looked up Coovagh House and it does not say it is in the women's estate, whatever that means. It is for troubled children.
From the article which Helen Joyce tweeted:
20 yrs old now. AFAIK, housed in Limerick's Women's Prison, as above. As per policy.
Any comments at all on risk factors?
Ms Kardasian in not a woman. They shouldn't be in women's spaces. Many of us women don't want them there.
I would suggest "Ms Kardasian" isn't housed with women or childrent.
Traumatized children shouldn’t have to put up with them
How ever transphobic to suggest there is a connection between violence and self-ID. Feminists on the other hand are pointing to male pattern violence and saying stop reporting this as women's crime. It's not.
What's the 'just' in your sentence for?
Twitter being what it is, Helen Joyce's statement was solely about the ID of Woman (20), which your repost of it here affirmed, hence the 'just'.
There was nothing else from either yourself, or Helen Joyce.
I'm asking you why you are minimising the importance of reporting a male crime as a female crime.
implies that it's no big deal for this to be reported in this way.
As I said, you didn't give anyone much to go on. You literally retweeted anti self-ID and that's it.
We are asked here at The Standard to back up with contribution, argument, and links.
You just did the link. Really hard to know what you actually meant.
cool, if you want to know I am more than happy to explain.
One of the main issues in the gender/sex war is about language and who gets to name what. We have a major problem with male violence against women and girls (MVAWG). When we allow men to self-ID and that mean they are treated for all intents and purposes as women, we then get the MSM reporting this as a woman's crime. Women rarely do crimes like this, violence of this type is overwhelmingly done by men, generally to females.
When genderists get to control the language, it becomes harder to talk about MVAWG. Some people will accuse people of being transphobic for talking about MVAWG. MSM mislead (the IG could have reported this as a transgender crime if it didn't want to report it as a male crime, but it needed to be made clear that the person is biologically male).
Other issues arise. If self-ID means that society must refer to TW as female, then rape victims in court i.e. women who have been raped by men, can be required to refer to the accused as 'she'. This is both demeaning, as well as potentially retraumatising. It's also a mindfuck and institutional abuse.
This week there's debate about using terms like 'birthing bodies' when talking about abortion. If women lose the ability to talk about our sex based oppression we will not be able to retain rights. The conservatives in the US will both remove abortion rights and adopt neoliberal concepts like 'birthing bodies' because when you dehumanise women, or objectify them, it becomes much easier to remove more of their rights.
There are lots of rights being challenged in the US currently, and women's rights is one of them that needs to be named very clearly if we want to talk meaningfully about what is happening. Conservatives aren't just attacking rights that happen to be women's, the attack is on women specifically because they are female and they hold reproductive power.
tl;dr, self-ID causes all sorts of problems for women because it says we don't exist as a sex class any more.
This You Tube argues that Putin will soon face a Russian rebellion. Wouldn't that be a good outcome.
Indisputable with Dr. Rashad Richey
Jacinda has confidence in everyone (even Mallard).
""Absolutely," Ardern said on Thursday, when asked if she still has confidence in Williams.
The problem is, that the public doesn't." – that sums it up.
Most Kiwis think Police Minister is too soft on crime, Newshub poll finds (msn.com)
Most people didn't want GST to go to 15% without warning. Jong Kee still did it. That is the definition of untrustworthy.
"And even Labour voters have turned on her, with a majority – 56.2 percent – saying she's too soft on crime, while just 28.1 percent said she's not."
It's really just a case of the Natz applying the Goebbel's principle: 'tell a lie and repeat it often enough a people will begin to believe it.'
There really is zero evidence that this government is soft on crime – but hey, when you're up to your ears in dirty politics, what on earth do facts matter?
Just look at crime stats. They're facts. I wonder where tonights ram raid will happen?
Can't trust 'em – Dirty Politics is an oozing infected wound Nat MPs have no intention of acknowledging, let alone healing – tbh I don’t think they know how.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/this-is-not-our-best-day-more-pain-for-nationals-mps
Most Kiwis don't understand that the Commissioner of Police must act independently of ministers, so the Minister could be telling him to be tougher for all any of us know, but he's required to ignore that.
I guess that's why some call him "cuddles" Coster.
Did you grow up in a household full with domestic violence?
No.
In other words, you received more loving and affectionate cuddles than vicious beatings at home when you grew up?