Must be western elites fomenting rebellion against a democratically elected government because clearly, tens of thousands of Romanians would never take to the streets to rid themselves of a corrupt regime.
//
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Only ‘outstanding’ if you share a black/white worldview where people’s varied belongings/potentials can only fit into one box. I would rather trust that most people are capable of holding more than one position at once. It’s certainly what I’ve experienced. Life is complex. Ask any poor brown woman or queer disabled migrant.
However, practically speaking some in Labour may still need reminding that they are a team and sometimes their faction does not get to win, cos politics. Politics always seems an unfortunate reduction of life in that respect.
Poto Williams was in discussions with the Labour leadership regarding her concerns, the Labour leadership believed they had an agreement that she wouldn’t post anything, she changed her mind and then posted it anyway.
The damage and threat to Little’s leadership is breath-taking in its arrogance and naivety…
If this is what happened then it makes the whole thing worse… Poto is lucky she wasn’t ‘gone by lunchtime’.
This is the crux of the problem. I, too, respect her for what are strong and genuinely held views. No decent person would quarrel with her on them. But to go ahead and defy an agreement she appears to have made with the party leadership is almost beyond comprehension.
I could be wrong, but I suspect she was encouraged – maybe even coerced – to go rogue on the agreement by person/persons whose agenda(s) were not the same as her own. If so, I hope she knows never to take their advice again.
On Checkpoint, Andrew Little said Poto Williams raised the points with Little last week. It seems that Little then went ahead and announced Jackson was going to be a candidate, without taking the issues raised by Poto to the caucus?
Am I missing something? Surely Little should have had a wider discussion with caucus, and perhaps the wider party, about the issues raised by Poto, before going public and announcing Jackson as a candidate?
Then is it surprising Williams was pissed off with Little not going through the required process and ignoring her advice?
Exactly!
It’s not Poto who has the problem here – it’s Little.
The authoritarian manner of his decision making is cringe worthy. I’m having very serious thoughts about him as PM.
Who do you suggest takes his place at this late stage?
I’ve heard Shaw make far more “cringing” comments than that, yet I accept people are people and can make errors of judgment, we are all capable of that, yes, all of us.
Did Shaw arbitrarily announce that he’d chosen someone to skip the list selection process? How about that many members think that someone’s recent behaviour is contrary to some of the essential principles and policies of the party?
Little doesn’t suffer from foot-in-mouth disease. His problem is that he became complacent and forgot that Labour is a democratic party that he can’t dictate to. Happens in every group organisation from time to time, the person with the vision sometimes forgets to bring people along with them for the ride, and starts unilateral action.
I think it’s recoverable, but it’s definitely something for Little to learn from.
NO, but Shaw did arbitrarily announce that he could “work with National’, I wonder how many members agreed with that decision?
Any party that states they are prepared to work with the worst scumbags to ever have the opportunity to destroy NZ, will never receive my support, that’s never.
You seem to have for gotten how important it is to keep the “dirty laundry” out of the public domain.
It’s for ALL members to learn from, making public statements that create the perception of disunity is probably the MOST UNPRODUCTIVE and DESTRUCTIVE method of getting their point across, no matter how valid the point is.
The Green Party formed a working relationship with National to work on a few ideas where the two political parties have common ground. The first step was a $323 million home insulation fund to make 180,000 Kiwi homes warmer and drier over the next four years.
Another area of common ground is the New Zealand Cycleway where Kevin Hague added his expertise to the Prime Minister’s tourism project.
That is one of the Strengths of the Green Party. They have shown that they are able to work across the political divide to advance policies that are directed towards positive ends.
“NO, but Shaw did arbitrarily announce that he could “work with National’, I wonder how many members agreed with that decision?”
Wtf are you on about? The membership passed a remit at two separate AGMs allowing the party to work with National.
I’d also like to see a citation for Shaw having made that announcement arbitrarily or at all. I suspect you are talking about Russell Norman but he still had the ok from the party to do that (even though how he did it was not particularly wise).
Edit, Here’s a whole post on the Green Party’s position on working with National and not supporting them to form government, and how that decision was arrived at.
weka – Early on in his role as co-leader James did say something to that effect – but what he was saying was simply reiterating the Green position to work with National where positive action that addressed Green Party policies could be achieved.
There has been next to no area in the past few years where that has been the case. There was some hope such as with the sub-committee to investigate special needs in schooling – but in the end disappointingly that went nowhere.
I’d still like to see the citation for context. Shaw became co-leader 30 May 2015. Here he is a week later being interviewed in the media,
“What century are we talking about?”, Shaw responds when asked if the Greens are ever likely to sit around a Cabinet table with National.
“Look, I cannot see, certainly in 2017, how that could possibly function. It will be coming to the end of a third term National Government, we are miles apart (especially on the environment). The underlying economic system that produces the kind of environmental and social costs and consequences that we go on about is core to National’s way of governing. If we wanted to be in a coalition with them we would have to have a conversation with them about the nature of the economy and I can’t see them giving up on the model they’ve had for the last 30 years.”
But the Green Party is unashamedly on the hunt for National votes – and it sees no contradiction between that and its hardline position about doing a deal with any future National government.
Yes Carolyn_nth – what you’re missing is the wider picture of WHY Willie Jackson was invited into Labour – which is that he could help connect Labour to the urban Maori and the disadvantaged Maori, and the enrolled non-voter – all vital for the Labour vote.
His mistakes were in the past, he’d apologised – several times – for them.
And yes, he’s a blokey-type jokey sort of bloke – not the sort necessarily appreciated by educated women.
Andrew Little talked to Poto Williams about these things.
Poto Williams should be “big” enough, and intelligent enough, to realise there are other matters at play in this scene ….. and personally I would have thought, as a Cook Islander (who are usually big on Christianity) that she could see the need for forgiveness in this matter.
If Jackson becomes sexist and pro-violence while he’s a candidate or an MP, then that’s a different matter – she’d be right to really get stuck into him.
But meanwhile, as an intelligent Labour woman she needs to show a bit of forgiveness and perhaps a bit of advice to him on how he should behave, and attitudes towards women.
And she needs to keep to caucus rules which she signed up to.
But didn’t Little fail to follow caucus/Labour Party rules on candidate selection before going public? Surely he should be leading by example?
As I understand it, the Labour Party systems are meant to be fairly democratic, especially with regard to candidate selection. The strategic reasoning may be sound in terms of Labour Party principles, but surely that should have been discussed more internally before Little went public on it. That is my point.
The way you describe it, the Labour Party member sounds very authoritarian.
I’m not certain about attracting urban Maori and the disadvantaged Maori because they are important to the LP vote. Surely it should be about what Labour can do for these groups, and surely the LP shouldn’t be sidelining principles about equality for all, including women (including Maori women)etc, in order to gain votes?
“The way you describe it, the Labour Party member sounds very authoritarian.”
yes, compared to the Greens, where this kind of things is incredibly rare presumably because they work with a consensus model rather than an authoritarian one. i.e. you wouldn’t get this dissent because the caucus wouldn’t disregard the opinions of one of their spokespeople like this.
Saying he was too casual or playing devil’s advocate is pretty mild as apologies go.
But Williams is supposed to remain silent (as Labour spokesperson on dv) and wait until after he’s been given membership, a waiver, fast-tracked up the list, made an MP, and then repeats his sort of attitudes of late 2013? Bit bloody late then.
Yeah, that’s the one. It’s not like anyone is really expecting the LP to get to grips with rape culture, but what are they thinking is going to happen when Jackson shoots his mouth off when they’re in govt? Or god forbid the month before the election (which actually might be ok if it bumps the Green vote). It’s possible that they’ve gotten an assurance from Jackson that he won’t be an arse.
“Poto Williams should be “big” enough, and intelligent enough, to realise there are other matters at play in this scene ….. and personally I would have thought, as a Cook Islander (who are usually big on Christianity) that she could see the need for forgiveness in this matter.”
OMG!!!
🙄
Sorry Jenny – but that has to be about as offensive as Willie Jackson was to the young woman on radio.
It doesn’t work that way Carolyn Nth. I find Martyn Bradbury too much most of the time but, from my own knowledge and experiences in the LP, his version of what happened re- Poto Williams sounds more than a tad plausible. He has many contacts including MPs.
Of course Little consulted widely and it probably included senior union personnel as well. Its fairly obvious most approved of allowing Willie Jackson back into the party for the same reasons Little has publicly expressed. But for reasons only Poto can fully explain, she appears to have chosen to renege on an agreement she made with the Labour leadership which would have included the deputy leader and the party president at the least.
Willie Jackson knows West Aucklanders and South Aucklanders like the back of his hand. He understands them and can speak their language. Huge numbers of them don’t bother to vote. Willie is well known and trusted in these two regions and he has the power of persuasion which would be a hugely valuable tool in getting them out to vote for Labour.
Edit: Jenny Kirk above is on the button. She broke the most important caucus rule – keeping caucus matters confidential to caucus.
Well, Jackson may have an understanding of west and south Auckland men, but what about the women, given the survivors of the Roastbuster abuse were westie women?
If Williams did agree not to go public, then it is fair to criticise her for breaking that agreement. When she made that promise, did she know Little was going to go public with it in a couple of days, or did she think there’d be more discussion of it within the party?
Yes I’d like to see more people voting. But many have given up because they don’t think any politicians will do anything for them.
So what is Labour going to do for west and South Aucklanders, and urban Maori?
It’s all speculation but if I had to guess I’d say what it looks like from the outside is that there was some initial discussion in caucus about brining Jackson in, Williams’ concerns were ignored, and in amongs that there are the Māori politics (in and outside the party) as well as the feeling amongs the general membership. It’s not just Williams that is upset about this whole thing.
Leftie: It was the timing of her FB post that made me feel that she did indeed know
how so? because the timing of the announcement (on a public holiday), and William’s FB response. suggests to me the possibility that she had thought the possible Jackson candidacy would be discussed more widely in the party before it was announced publicly.
I asked:
So what is Labour going to do for west and South Aucklanders, and urban Maori?
Still no answer. And I have in mind that the big hole in Labour’s housing policy – ie so far nothing to directly combat the rising cost of private rentals, indicates low income westies and South Aucklanders have not been given a lot of consideration in the policies.
You’re talking about a legislative vote in parliament. If Labour was happy to allow the whole of parliament to have a say in Willie Jacksons’ return to politics then someone would have to draw up legislation which would go to a select committee and their recommendations would be put to the vote in the debating chamber where both sides could debate the pros and cons. If it was a party vote controlled by the whips then she could ‘cross the floor’ and vote with the other side whoever they might be.
It would make a hilarious comedy show but somehow don’t think it would be approved by the speaker. 😎
“I could be wrong, but I suspect she was encouraged – maybe even coerced – to go rogue on the agreement by person/persons whose agenda(s) were not the same as her own.”
Interesting. Do you think the public undermining of Little is part of a larger potential leadership challenge?
Not at this stage. Andrew Little is strong and does not suffer fools gladly. Nor does he put up with people who play silly political games behind the scenes. Helen Clark was the same and she also had some enemies inside the party – at least in the initial years.
Not likely. Too long ago. The culprits (for want of a better word) wouldn’t have even been born. No, they have ambitions beyond what they are worth and know their chances of success while Little is leader is zilch. That’s my conclusion based on what I’ve seen and heard.
I listened to it last night. Little only says that he discussed it with Williams a few days before the announcement about Jackson, and she expressed the same injections as in her FB post. He does not indicate if Williams knew he was about to announce the candidacy in spite of Williams objections.
He does not mention that he had breached LP candidacy procedures by making an executive decision on Jackson’s candidacy.
And Little’s having trouble controlling a caucus of 31. No Key, English plummeting into the future that is 2002, an insane deputy PM – and the election’s still Labour’s to lose. WTF?
That’s more-or-less what Andrew said on Campbell RNZ tonight, Anne. Can’t remember the exact words, but Poto definitely stepped out of line. Any problems an MP has with whatever policy has to be discussed in caucus first, and dealt with there.
Poto is blinkin’ lucky she just got off with a mild reprimand.
My own transgression – over a much more important issue at the time – Rogernomics – resulted in three days of no-speaks by anyone – very uncomfortable to experience.
Poto – and other Labour women – need to look at the wider picture, and they also need to know what Willie Jackson has been doing in the intervening years since roadbusters. There is something underhand about this vendetta.
“My own transgression – over a much more important issue at the time – Rogernomics – resulted in three days of no-speaks by anyone – very uncomfortable to experience.”
Do you regret making that stand, then?
If not, how do we evaluate the importance of an issue?
Firstly, he reckons he knows what the leadership believed about their behind the scenes discussions with Williams. If someone’s telling him, then why isn’t he calling the leadership on the damaging leaks as much as he is Williams?
Secondly, he’s bitching about identity politics while talking about WJ getting out the “urban Maori” vote. Hypocritical, much?
Thirdly, if he thinks it’s smart that Labour undemocratically elevate a random Maori celebrity to get the urban Maori vote, does he really think that the best role model Labour can find is someone who can’t bring forward a decent apology for referring to rape as “mischief”? Seriously?
FFS. Bradbury’s a fucking tool. Maybe I forgot, and that’s why I bothered this time.
The way I see it is that Little is only bending over backwards for Willie because he is scared shitless the Maori/Mana deal will wipe out his Maori MPs. Bit of a risk really because he is alienating many Labour supporters who can’t see the merits of a talk-back host getting a free ride high on the list ahead of genuine Labour people.
I suspect less thought went into it than that – WJ was looking for a place to live and got on the O’Conner bandwagon, Little and he hammered it out themselves and nobody knew about it until it was being announced like it was a done deal.
And if WJ’s comment history even occurred to them, they probably assumed it was water under the bridge.
And now they’re in the shit. Complacency fucks folks every time.
lol
I remember once on my last evening in London deciding to have a feast of “Traditional English Fish and Chips”. After a night going at both ends I managed to struggle onto the plane to take me home. Fish and Chips never passed my lips again for a very long time.
Reading a Bradbury rant has much the same effect.
Despite your rather useful descriptions 🙂 I felt the need to go have a look myself (because otherwise sensible people in this thread are treating what he says about Labour as a valid source for what happened). I see he is now the Pete George of the left, having to selectively quote people on TS in order to frame his agenda. Oh dear. Might be ok if all the people that hate IP end up there though 🙂
Had to laugh at his quote of from you weka. Made me giggle, I was thinking Pete George as well LOL.
Did concern me the whole “I’m a man, so you better listen to me” vibe that ran through his whole piece. I wonder if he will get how much a sexist prick he is? Or the fact if you opposed to civil rights, you not on my side or anyone else’s who actually give a dam about people.
He quoted me the other day too. I’m not that happy to be on his radar tbh, seeing what he’s done to others. I agree a big part of this is “listen to me”. Some of that seems just ego out of control. But the anti-IP stuff that is coming up not just with him but with others, that’s lefties taking their memes not just from the like of Trotter but from the alt-right. I find it concerning and it does look to me like these are predominantly white men who are emboldened by the US election result.
The civil rights framing is good, thanks for that.
I share your concerns and it’s a step backwards. It’s been a long hard struggle to get women’s, race, LGBTI and disability issues incorporated within the dominant left organisations, policies and campaigns.
These civil rights issues were also watered down at the same time class issues were watered down within and through the neoliberal shift. But guys that seem to want to return to a largely white, heterosexual, male dominated left seem to be using the collapse of neoliberalism to push their retro agenda.
Good point Carolyn_nth. It’s like these guys don’t even know what major class A retrogrades they are being as well.
I don’t want to live in a world where people don’t have civil rights, where women, LGBTI, indigenous, and disabled are not a major part of the solution.
I know people in the US who are very scared right now. The thing that scares me here is that while I see NZ as being very different than the US politically and socially, I think we are quite capable of having our own version of authoritarianism arise here. That’s what the whole anti-IP is starting to look like. The false framing of what IP is, and the push from lefties who also support Tr*mp. I guess it’s useful to see this more honestly, but I also think we it’s likely we don’t have a lot of time to start working together. Not Bradbury, but the rest of us. If we get a hard GFC for instance and a reactive conservatism.
I’d always read Bradbury with a grain of salt, went off him with his whole emerald army thing. Gave him a break when he did waatea news show. But now he’s back to his authoritarian best – so a lost cause.
I’ve had a few tear fulled facebook conversations of late as well. Mainly over heath care for disabled friends of mine. They deeply concerned about the end of Obama care. It’s like the weakest in society, or those who have the most to lose, are the constant target of these retrograde individuals be they left or right. We have all lost since the rise of neo-liberalism, time to try somthing different.
Yeah all we got is organising ourselves, and doing it local. Did that tonight with group I work with, small steps to prepare them if it gets worse.
The Daily Blog’s moderators make that site a joke. There’s no discussion unless you toe their line.
I wrote 1 comment last night that they let through, foolishly I commented before I had read all of Bomber’s writing on Jackson (note to self- no more commenting after 2nd glass of wine) My second comment said that I wanted to withdraw what I had said about Bomber understanding the seriousness of the Roastbusters, because it looked like he was prepared to ‘throw women’s issues under a bus” . Nothing particuarly inflammatory about my comment- but no, 24 hours later, they haven’t let it through.
I wrote a pissed off comment on the Chris Trotter post- saying Trotter had done more damage to the Labour party with his columns than Poto Williams had. That one hasn’t seen the light of day either.
Thank you to the moderators at the Standard who don’t make us kiss their arses before we can get our comments published.
Because that all that term identitarians means, and end to civil rights. When people on the left have taken on board wholesale acceptance of the rights criticism of civil rights, the illusion of any sort of freedom, becomes stark.
There have several of saying this from the start.
It is clear many in the Labour Party have not learnt the lessons they should have from Clinton’d defeat.
As Bradbury puts it so well.
“Me, me, me, I, I, I and my, my, my have replaced ‘us’ as the language of political inclusion.
Replacing class for hyper individualism makes solidarity almost impossible and creates fractures within unity, which is exactly what we are seeing happen in real time with the Labour Party right now.”
When it’s about a large segment of the population, and the way they are treated within the system e.g. women, sexual violence survivors, etc. It’s not individualism, any more than white guys focusing about their issues…. that could just as easily be called..me, me, me…. don’t care about yous others, according to your logic.
Systemic treatment of women, rape culture etc, is a collective issue, just like class.
Systemic treatment of women, rape culture etc, is a collective issue, just like class.
Hear! Hear!
In my humble opinion Jackson ruled himself out of any further involvement in Political representation the day he “interviewed” that unfortunate young woman and asked her if rape was possible if the girls considered the boys to be “good looking”!
For goodness sake! He clearly, doesn’t understand the nature of sexual abuse!
An “apology” simply doesn’t cut it!
And Little thinks he would make a good candidate????
Thanks Carolyn and Macro – I too do not see an attitude of dismissal and denigration of women as Identity Politics , but more akin to a classs issue.
Antonina
I think “akin to a class issue”, means that they are similar in being about systemic oppression and/or discrimination of a whole group of people – not that gender oppression is a class issue per se.
But Little looked at other aspects of Jackson’s life, Macro – and saw that he had redeemed himself somewhat by finding out about womens refuges, and why they exist, and the end result of sexual abuse and violence. And that he was now running programmes at the Urban Maori Authority to help re-educate people and counter abuse and violence.
People are not just one dimensional. They’re made up of many different facets, and some are good,and some not so good – but if they get the opportunity to reflect on their not so good attributes, they can change them.
That appears to have happened in Jackson’s case – and that’s what Andrew Little saw.
And yes, from the point of view of bringing urban maori, young maori, and disadvantaged maori in to see that Labour could help them, than that makes him a good candidate.
“and saw that he had redeemed himself somewhat by finding out about womens refuges, and why they exist, and the end result of sexual abuse and violence. And that he was now running programmes at the Urban Maori Authority to help re-educate people and counter abuse and violence.”
Have read what you have quoted in some articles from the Herald et al, Macro. I doubt that Poto Williams was unaware of the steps Willie Jackson had taken over the last 3 years. That’s what Andrew Little is saying, that Willie Jackson is backing up his apologies with action.
Little and Jackson don’t get to be the ones that decide if Jackson has changed his views and beliefs about rape culture. It’s obvious that Jackson does many good things. It’s also obvious that he still doesn’t get what the problem is. Neither does Little, and it’s a shame he didn’t choose to work this in a way that was good for all sides.
Working with Urban Maori is well and good – but it doesn’t suggest that he has changed the underlying problem his attitudes wrt of the denigration of women.
He hasn’t just been working with urban Maori though. It appears it doesn’t matter what he does to address the wrongful things he said in the past, for some, it will never be enough, he is damned for life.
Well that’s the way it is with rapists…
It’s a hard road back.
Now I’m not saying that Jackson is one – but his interview on Radio Live was pretty bloody horrible, and a huge apology for rape culture. That was the reason so many advertisers withdrew their support forthwith from the programme and forced Radio Live to remove him and Henare from the air.
It was a stupid and insensitive interview, and too damned right he should apologise. But even that is not enough. He really has to demonstrate, in the eyes of all abused women, that he is truly repentant – and that is going to take time and effort.
“He hasn’t just been working with urban Maori though. It appears it doesn’t matter what he does to address the wrongful things he said in the past, for some, it will never be enough, he is damned for life.”
That’s a misrepresentation of what people think Leftie. For instance, I said a few days before the Williams’ statement that for me it wasn’t about keeping Jackson out of Labour, it was about how Labour dealt with the rape culture issues. Thus far, badly, although it could have been worse.
Others believe that Jackson should never be in parliament again, and I understand why they argue that (myself, I think we should take all rape apologists out which would decimate parliament).
As for Jackson, I think you simply fail to understand what the problem is here and why his apologies have fallen flat. Anyone can say the right thing to get what they want. It’s not about that, it’s about demonstrating that he has changed. I just don’t see it.
And as Macro has been arguing, this wasn’t just a faux pas. It was a major issue around rape culture that never got resolved, hence it coming back to bite Labour now. Lots of us could have told Labour this would happen and I’d hazard a guess that Little was told and chose to ignore it. It’s on him then.
“Well that’s the way it is with rapists…
It’s a hard road back.
Now I’m not saying that Jackson is one”
Aren’t you, Macro? Because it sure sounded like that was what you were calling him.
Weka, I wasn’t referring “about keeping Jackson out of Labour” My comment is about giving someone a chance to redeem themselves. We learn through our entire lives, do we not? And I haven’t got the impression from what Andrew Little has said in the media, that he ignored concerns. There is a process to be followed, that would have been a more productive platform to raise those concerns.
I awoke this morning with the horrible realization that I had mis-named Jackson’s co-host.
Willie Jackson’s co-host was of course John Tamahere not Henare. My sincere apologies for this error, and any offense it may have caused.
As to the query raised by Leftie above the fact remains that people who encourage, or condone rape, are as much to blame as those who carry out the abuse.
Amy said she was a friend of one of the Roast Busters’ victims. Jackson told her the girls in the case “shouldn’t be drinking anyway” and claimed that since some of the girls had consented, the boys couldn’t be considered rapists.
“No, but if they’re still raping other girls then it does make them rapists,” replied Amy.
Jackson then tried to ascertain if rape was possible when the girls considered the boys “good looking”.
Whether the girls had been drinking or not, unconsented sexual abuse is rape.
Whether or not the girls considered the boys “good looking”, unconsented sexual abuse is rape.
The fact of the matter is that many men and women in this country do not understand this, and I’m sure Jackson is one of them.
Misnamed? Frankly you shouldn’t have written it like that at all Macro, and your apology is accepted, but how about an acknowledgement on someone who said something wrong in the past and the time spent since in working to address it. Willie Jackson is backing up his apology, and at least he is trying and making effort.
Sorry, but Little and Jackson don’t get to be the ones that decide if Jackson has changed his views and beliefs about rape culture. It’s obvious that Jackson does many good things. It’s also obvious that he still doesn’t get what the problem is. Neither does Little, and it’s a shame he didn’t choose to work this in a way that was good for all sides.
Trump is said to have has lost his shit because a woman parodied Sean Spicer and apparently, in Trumps world, there’s nothing more degrading than a woman taking the piss.
"it was Spicer’s portrayal by a woman that was most problematic in the president’s eyes"https://t.co/o7dFVs9gzG— Kaili Joy Gray (@KailiJoy) February 7, 2017
@calvininsf – i am here to serve – alec has trump – melissa has spice – i would need a few days to prepare – so if called – i will be ready— ROSIE (@Rosie) February 7, 2017
The Germans stand up to corporates trying to buy and take over their national game.
The AllBlacks were sold as cash cows to transnationals without a murmur.
Their main sponsor, AIG , has enough money for them, but appears to not have enough for Christchurch.
This is interesting and coincerning.
Humans could be extinct in 9 years – scientists
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Speak of the devil. The Australian website Crikey has just launched an investigative series about the notorious lobbying firm Crosby Textor, or C/T as it now prefers to be called. It transpires that two clients of C/T’s American subsidiary will benefit greatly from the AUKUS defence pact between the US, ...
Aotearoa’s failure to deal with the escalating pace of human-induced climate change was starkly on display yesterday. Lynn Grieveson/Getty ImagesTL;DR: Our planet is now warming and generating extreme climate events faster than our politicians, voters and institutions can agree to reduce the costs and share the burden of those events ...
It’s Friday and we’ve got a long weekend ahead of us. Here’s our latest roundup of stories that caught our eye this week. The Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt reviewed National’s new housing policy. On Tuesday Matt looked at some of the highlights from Auckland Transport’s ...
The facts are bald and simple; India is now the most populous country in the world and the fifth largest economy and is on track to becoming the fourth. Despite that, New Zealand’s relationship with India could best be described as in its infancy, even though New Zealand has ...
Open access notables Multiple studies indicate changes in the properties of Antarctic bottom water (AABW) over the past half century. These changes involve density and hence will affect both local and distant circulation of the oceans, not least overturning effects that are vital for marine biology but also climate and ...
Completed reads for May: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, by Jules Verne Gulliver’s Travels, by Jonathan Swift Journey to the Centre of the Earth, by Jules Verne Round the World in Eighty Days, by Jules Verne The Secret of the Island, by Jules Verne From the Earth ...
Ben Roberts-Smith is apparently "Australia’s most decorated living soldier", having won a Victoria Cross for killing people in Afghanistan. But today, after a stupendous self-own defamation case, he's also been proven to be a war criminal who committed multiple murders: Ben Roberts-Smith VC, Australia’s most decorated living soldier, has ...
Hey Uncle Dave, My house got wrecked in the summer floods. Do you know if the government’s got any plans to help me, or are they too busy making bilingual road signs?Noah InsuranceYou picked a good day to ask, Noah, the Govt has just announced there’ll be an offer of ...
The government has looked at imposing a tax on nitrogen fertiliser, used heavily in NZ agriculture, but yesterday Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor conceded he had not convinced farming leaders to go ahead with it. ACT”s Mark Cameron claimed credit in Parliament for “killing” the plan. Both Federated ...
Are women the new Māori?Since Christopher Luxon has been leader National have shown they’re prepared to throw Māori under a bus. Be it not wanting them to have a seat at the table on water management, referring to the Treaty as a “little experiment”, or the monocultural candidate selection polices ...
Are women the new Māori?Since Christopher Luxon has been leader National have shown they’re prepared to throw Māori under a bus. Be it not wanting them to have a seat at the table on water management, referring to the Treaty as a “little experiment”, or the monocultural candidate selection polices ...
Buzz from the Beehive An email from Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta had yet to be posted on the government’s official website, when Point of Order made its morning check on our ministers and what they are (officially) up to. She was providing us with an account – a ...
Multiple reviews are examining options to address a $25M to $40M funding hole in its operating budget and a reported $300M, 70,000 hour maintenance backlog for huts, tracks and visitor assets.Thomas Cranmer writes – Following Friday’s revelation that Budget 2023has left the Department of Conservation ...
Property values fell a further 0.7% in May from April across Aotearoa, but Core Logic sees evidence in the data “the current downturn is winding up.” Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: There are fresh signs this morning the housing market-with-bits-tacked-on economy is brightening up going into winter, and just ...
This is a cross post by Malcom McCracken at Better things are possible. It was from between when National signalled their change in housing policy but before they announced it but highlights why the Medium Density Residential Standards are important. Yesterday, the leader of the National Party, Christopher Luxon, ...
Do the global climate models (GCMs) we use for describing future climate change really capture the change and variations in the region that we want to study? There are widely used tools for evaluating global climate models, such as the ESMValTool, but they don’t provide the answers that I ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). The world is getting hotter and the headlines are scary. So does climate change mean the world is about to pass ...
Politik (paywalled) reports that He waka eke noa, the farmers' scam to have the rest of us subsidise their emissions forever, so they can keep on destroying the planet, is dead: Reality appears to be about to shatter Jacinda Ardern's dream that New Zealand could lead the world in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two ministerial press statements today draw attention to the Government’s incorporation of mātauranga Māori in its science policies and programmes. One of these announced the launch of the national space policy, which will oblige our space boffins to bring indigenous knowledge into their considerations. The ...
The Stations of the Cross, as all of us know from our devout and Godly ways, is a series of fourteen stations that depict the final hours in the story of Christ our Lord - appearing before Pilate, shouldering the wooden cross, whistling the Monty Python tune, so on and ...
The Stations of the Cross, as all of us know from our devout and Godly ways, is a series of fourteen stations that depict the final hours in the story of Christ our Lord - appearing before Pilate, shouldering the wooden cross, whistling the Monty Python tune, so on and ...
The Herald reports on a trivial but telling incident from Parliament: Labour Cabinet Minister Kiri Allan read the wrong speech at the third reading of a freedom camping bill in Parliament last night. She re-read almost word for word a speech given at the Self-contained Motor Vehicles Legislation bill’s ...
Barrie Saunders writes – Very well-intentioned politicians, judges and others have taken New Zealand down into a Treaty rabbit hole, from which few know how to exit without creating more social divisions. The modern interpretations of the Maori version of Treaty have set aside a common understanding of ...
It’s like deja-vu all over again. House prices are primed to surge 10-20% soon after any clear National-ACT win on October 14. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: There are increasing signs in economists’ forecasts, auction clearance rates, migration rates, divergent tax policies and house building rates that a clear ...
I did something yesterday that I hadn’t done in ages. Watch Oral Questions in parliament. I’m not sure what happened in all the episodes I missed, but nothing much seemed to have changed.For those unfamiliar, Question Time takes place in parliament at 2pm each Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of the ...
Slow Learner: Effective leaders develop a political “muscle memory” of their own. The National Party should get one.SPEAKING IN PUBLIC tops most people’s list of fearful situations. There are some careers, however, for which public fluency is a non-negotiable pre-requisite. There’s little point in pursuing an acting career, for example, ...
Reality appears to be about to shatter Jacinda Ardern’s dream that New Zealand could lead the world in showing how to deal with farm emissions. The Government is facing a breakdown in negotiations over its much-vaunted He Waka Eke Noa deal with farmers to price greenhouse gas emissions and ...
Hi,Webworm won a Voyager media award over the weekend for “Best Team Investigation”! This would not have been possible without readers. Without you. Thank you.Also, there’s a new Flightless Bird out today, where I look at drug rehab clinics in Florida. I talk to three former addicts, and their stories ...
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 The Government is coy about some aspects of its relationship with China – and with the United States. Earlier this month, the PM spent a hectic 23 hours in Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea, where he responded to the superpower security deal just ...
What do Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings and your daily newspaper all have in common? They all tell tales of imaginary worlds.In Game of Thrones the honourable Stark family find themselves in deadly conflict with the ruthless House of Lannister.In the NZ Herald the Rt Hon Chris Hipkins finds himself ...
What do Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings and your daily newspaper all have in common? They all tell tales of imaginary worlds.In Game of Thrones the honourable Stark family find themselves in deadly conflict with the ruthless House of Lannister.In the NZ Herald the Rt Hon Chris Hipkins finds himself ...
In 2022 the government announced a periodic review of the Intelligence and Security Act, the legislation governing New Zealand's spies. Yesterday the review presented its report, Taumaru: Protecting Aotearoa New Zealand as a Free, Open and Democratic Society. Its a chunky read, and I'm not finished yet, but from the ...
The Charities Services decision to require the Waipareira Trust to claw back $385,000 of interest-free loans from John Tamihere brings renewed attention to the links between Whānau Ora and the Trust.Thomas Cranmer writes – Revelations earlier this month in the Herald that the social services charity Waipareira ...
National has developed a novel election strategy. It involves being both for and against almost every issue that comes down the pike. The use of te reo on public signage? Recently National Party leader Christopher Luxon came out against the bi-lingual use of te reo in the naming of government ...
Anti-densification residents’ and ratepayers’ groups are cock-a-hoop over National’s partial backflip on MDRS over the weekend and have ramped up their campaigns to stop densification in their areas. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/Getty ImagesTL;DR: NIMBY groups are cock-a-hoop this morning, calling on councils and the Government to completely abandon the MDRS housing ...
It’s been two months but today the Auckland Transport board meet for again. There’s a lot on the agenda so I can’t cover it all in this post but here are some of the highlights from their regular board papers. The open session starts at 9am and can be watched on ...
This story by Aaron Cantú was originally published in Capital & Main and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. Monic Uriarte was thrilled to get approved for an affordable apartment in Los Angeles’ University Park, close to USC. But soon after she and her ...
This incomplete picture speaks of everything we love most about a summer holiday in Aotearoa: The bach, the beach, the barbecue, the sand, the christmas ham sandwiches, the serenity.We love it, don’t we, Aotearoa? Getting away to somewhere warm and quiet with a high tide and a hammock. And if ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers who took time out from the Labour Party congress to attend to portfolio duties were focused largely on promoting the country’s interests overseas. The statements with the widest implications dealt with: Trade – Damien O’Connor joined ministerial representatives at a meeting in Detroit, USA, ...
In the last year of a second term in government. the election outcome shouldn’t even be close. All that’s required for a competent Opposition to be streets ahead in the polls, is an ability to look like a credible government-in-waiting. Instead, we’ve got a very tight contest. There’s a reason ...
The Herald reports that WINZ debt has reached the staggering total of $2.4 billion, with the usual racism and sexism in who owes and how much they pay: Anti-poverty groups say the poorest Kiwis are caught in a debt trap as the total amount of money owed to the ...
There was a poll last week which asked if now was the right time for a tax cut. Which is quite an odd thing to ask really, don’t you think?We’ve got to pay back the money used to keep paying people and stop businesses going under during the pandemic. Our ...
The Treasury released its budget economic forecasts. What do they say about the economy over the next four months?Brian Easton writes – Let me begin me with an irritation. One post-budget headline was ‘Treasury optimistic over recession risk in Budget 2023‘. Treasury being optimistic is almost an ...
As a politician swallowing a rat under a very public spotlight, Chris Bishop gave a spirited and relatively smooth account of himself yesterday. File Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Chris Bishop has detailed National’s new housing policy for Election 2023 that confirms a National Government would not force councils ...
After signalling it a week ago, yesterday National launched their new housing policy which abandons their support for the Medium Density Residential Standards (MDRS) that they had worked with the government to deliver back in 2021 and shifts the focus to more sprawl. Overall there are three key areas National ...
The audacity of National’s “u-turn” over housing intensification is an extraordinary slap in the face for Chris Bishop and Nicola Willis. If it does nothing else, it raises questions about their political judgement, not for the first time.. Some in the Caucus have still not forgiven them for their ...
As the general election approaches, the Association of Former Members of the Parliament of New Zealand has organised an essay competition to to foster democracy. Secondary school students are being challenged to identify the important elements of a successful democracy, explain their value and consider whether they can be improved ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: For paying subscribers, here's my pick of the week’s top six news developments, quotes and charts of the week with my personal reflections, plus my suggestions for Sunday reading and listening. There’s also one fun thing. In summary this week, my six takeaways were:Christopher ...
With Open Arms: Is it at all reasonable to suppose that a colonial society in which whites traditionally occupied all the upper rungs of the ethnic hierarchy, and where the colonised were relegated to the bottom of the socio-economic ladder, will respond positively to a concerted indigenous push from below, ...
Hi,Just a quick online-only update that Webworm won “Best Team Investigation” last night at the Voyagers.This means a lot, especially considering we were up against giant newsrooms like Stuff and TVNZ:WINNER: David Farrier and Hayden Donnell | Webworm – The Downward Spiral of Arise ChurchJUDGES: Alan Sunderland and Ali Ikram“This ...
May 28, 2025.Ladies and gentlemen. It’s a beautiful clear morning here in Auckland City. We’re heading for a maximum temperature of 14 degrees, and the local time is now 10:30am. Please remain seated if you’d like to, or get up and walk around the plane if you prefer. New regulations ...
Somebody has made a new survey and it tells us this little waterlogged nation of ours is rocketing up the misery charts. Maybe they took it before the sun came back out.Or maybe they took it any time in the last two years. Because negativity is quite surely the new ...
The appointment of Elizabeth Longworth as Chair of the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO was one of just two press statements on the government’s official website today. Perhaps that’s because ministers have been busy preparing speeches for the Labour Party faithful who have gathered in Wellington for the party’s ...
Alarm bells have been rung by the department after its Deputy Director-General for Operations warns, ‘the initial view shows that we do not have sufficient funding to cover our basic running costs’.Thomas Cranmer writes – Following last week’s budget, alarm bells have been rung by the Department ...
Luxon went after the NIMBY vote, declaring National’s 2021 bipartisan deal with Labour to make it much easier to put three townhouses on a regular section ‘wrong’. File Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTLDR: The week’s news in Aotearoa’s political economy I covered via The Kākā for subscribers included:The Labour ...
Hello! This is the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the week.Here’s what you may have missed.Last Sunday’s column was about the budget A big chunk of this year’s budget coverage was brought to us by the words crass, gauche and venal. The big questions ...
Hi,Usually Webworms are quite focussed — this one is the opposite. No rhyme or reason. A bit like my brain: sometimes ultra-focussed, other times utterly unable to settle on a goddamn thing. And as we head into the weekend, there are a bunch of things buzzing around in my head ...
Focussed immigration has always been essential to our future, but New Zealanders need to be aware of the immediate dire situation our government is putting us in with a predicted record of one hundred thousand new immigrants moving to New Zealand in this year alone. That means we will have ...
Today, President of Te Pāti Māori, John Tamihere has confirmed that Heather Te-Au Skipworth will stand for Te Pāti Māori in the Tukituki electorate this election. ...
During New Zealand First coalition negotiations our policy was to train and resource 1800 new frontline police. We secured this coalition policy win to ensure our streets had a police force that could tackle crime - after years of neglect. Remember those previous nine years of neglect saw a ‘tag ...
Katie Kenny from Stuff published an article today with a lazy attempt at so-called ‘fact checking’ my recent comments on the World Health Organisation’s concerning new regulations being developed. What is most surprising is that throughout this entire ‘fact checking’ process, Kenny never once rang me asking for my side ...
The National Party has released another confused and rushed policy that will only further worsen the inequality that is driven by unaffordable housing. ...
Welcome to sunny and calm Wellington, which I know those of you who are visiting would of course expect to be the case. It’s been a busy week since we put forward the 2023 Budget. Labour MPs have been out across the motu giving the good oil on the Budget. ...
Kia orana, Talofa lava, Mālo e lelei, Taloha ni, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Noa’ia e mauri, Ni sa bula vinaka, Kia ora, Tena Koutou Katoa. Labour Party President Jill Day, Prime Minister Hipkins, Party faithful, delegates and comrades, whānau and friends, it’s a privilege to be here today. I begin my ...
One of my kaumātua up North stood before the Waitangi Tribunal and said: ‘He aha kē ahau, te tangata kore hara i mua i te Atua, e tu nei kia whakawaatia e koe, te tangata tāhae, te tangata hara, te tangata kore tikanga?Ko koe kē te tika, kia tū ...
New Zealanders will be highly concerned that the World Health Organisation proposes to effectively take control of independent decision making away from sovereign countries and place control with the Director General. W.H.O International Health Regulations on future outbreaks of disease aim to give the Director General extraordinary and wide-sweeping powers. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to take responsibility for reducing inflation by taxing wealth instead of leaving RBNZ to continue hiking the Official Cash Rate. ...
The Green Party has released its list of candidates for the 2023 election. With a mix of familiar faces, fresh new talent, and strong tangata whenua voices, this exceptional group of candidates are ready to set the direction of the next Government. ...
Thank you for your invitation to be here, after yesterday's budget, and for the opportunity to talk with you. In the economic and social turmoil following the arrival of COVID 19 in New Zealand many concerns emerged. How would we keep our economy going and maintain our exports which are ...
At the heart of Budget 2023 is a cost of living package, designed to ease the pressure on New Zealanders in the face of global inflation and the challenges of rebuilding from extreme weather events. It provides practical cost of living relief across some of the core expenses facing Kiwis ...
A long standing Green Party policy has been extended yet again in this year’s Budget. This will deliver warmer homes for thousands of people, lower power bills, and cut climate pollution. ...
The Green Party is fully on board with free bus and train travel for under 12s and half price travel for under 25s - next stop, free travel for all under 18s, students, and apprentices. ...
Earlier this week, the Prime Minister announced a billion dollar flood and cyclone recovery package as part of Budget 2023. This is about doing the basics - repairing and rebuilding what has been damaged and making smart investments, including $100 million of protection funding to ensure future events don’t cause ...
New Zealand’s most recent defence assessment identified climate change and geostrategic competition as the two greatest security challenges to our place in the South Pacific. To the first issue, partners engaging and re-engaging with Pacific Island Countries are finding that climate change is a security and existential threat in our ...
The government is continuing to support rangatahi in providing more funding into Maori Trades training and new He Poutama Rangatahi programmes across Aotearoa. “We’re backing 30 new by Māori for Māori Kaupapa employment and training programmes, which will help iwi into sustainable employment or progress within their chosen careers” says ...
Murihiku Marae was officially reopened today, setting a gold standard in sustainable building practices as well as social outcomes for the people of Waihōpai Invercargill, Regional Development Minister Kiri Allan says. “The marae has been a central hub for this community since the 1980’s. With the support of $9.65 million ...
The first major public housing development in Whangārei for decades has reached completion, with 37 new homes opened in the suburb of Maunu today. The project on Tapatahi Crescent and Puriri Park Road, consists of 15 one-bedroom, 4 two-bedroom, 7 three-bedroom, 8 four-bedroom and 3 five-bedroom homes, as well as ...
Trade and Export Growth Minister Damen O’Connor will depart tomorrow for London to represent New Zealand at the Commonwealth Trade Ministers’ Meeting and then to Paris to vice-chair the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting. “My travel to the United Kingdom is well-timed, with the United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement (UK FTA) ...
The Fuel Industry (Improving Fuel Resilience) Amendment Bill would: boost New Zealand’s fuel supply resilience and economic security enable the minimum stockholding obligation regulations to be adapted as the energy and transport environment evolves. “Last November, I announced a six-point plan to improve the resiliency of our fuel supply from ...
The Government is making sure those on low incomes will no longer have to wait five weeks to get the minimum weekly rate of ACC, and improving the data collected to make the system fairer, Minister for ACC Peeni Henare said today. The Accident Compensation (Access Reporting and Other Matters) ...
A compulsory code of conduct will ensure school board members are crystal clear on their responsibilities and expected standard of behaviour, Minister of Education Jan Tinetti said. It’s the first time a compulsory code of conduct has been published for state and state-integrated school boards and comes into effect on ...
Tena koutou katoa and thank you, Mayor Nadine Taylor, for your welcome to Marlborough. Thanks also Doug Saunders-Loder and all of you for inviting me to your annual conference. As you might know, I’m quite new to this job – and I’m particularly pleased that the first organisation I’m giving a ...
The Government will enter into a funding arrangement with councils in cyclone and flood affected regions to support them to offer a voluntary buyout for owners of Category 3 designated residential properties. It will also co-fund work needed to protect Category 2 designated properties. “From the beginning of this process ...
The Government has announced changes to strengthen requirements in venues with pokie (gambling) machines will come into effect from 15 June. “Pokies are one of the most harmful forms of gambling. They can have a detrimental impact on individuals, their friends, whānau and communities,” Internal Affairs Minister Barbara Edmonds said. ...
The total Police workforce is now the largest it has ever been. Police constabulary stands at 10,700 officers – an increase of 21% since 2017 Māori officers have increased 40%, Pasifika 83%, Asian 157%, Women 61% Every district has got more Police under this Government The Government has delivered on ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon Nanaia Mahuta met with Korea President Yoon, as well as Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Henry Puna, during her recent visit to Korea. “It was an honour to represent Aotearoa New Zealand at the first Korea – Pacific Leaders’ Summit. We discussed Pacific ambitions under the ...
The Government’s Research and Development Tax Incentive has supported more than $2 billion of New Zealand business innovation – an increase of around $1 billion in less than nine months. "Research and innovation are essential in helping us meet the biggest challenges and seize opportunities facing New Zealand. It’s fantastic ...
The next ‘giant leap’ in New Zealand’s space journey has been taken today with the launch of the National Space Policy, Economic Development Minister Barbara Edmonds announced. “Our space sector is growing rapidly. Each year New Zealand is becoming a more and more attractive place for launches, manufacturing space-related technology ...
A new Year 7-13 designated character wharekura will be built in Pāpāmoa, Associate Minister of Education Kelvin Davis has announced. The wharekura will focus on science, mathematics and creative technologies while connecting ākonga to the whakapapa of the area. The decision follows an application by the Ngā Pōtiki ā Tamapahore ...
Protecting the environment by establishing a stronger, more consistent system for freedom camping Supporting councils to better manage freedom camping in their region and reduce the financial and social impacts on communities Ensuring that self-contained vehicle owners have time to prepare for the new system The Self-Contained Motor Vehicle ...
A new law passed last night could see up to 25 percent of Family Court judges’ workload freed up in order to reduce delays, Minister of Justice Kiri Allan said. The Family Court (Family Court Associates) Legislation Bill will establish a new role known as the Family Court Associate. The ...
New Zealand businesses will begin reaping the rewards of our gold-standard free trade agreement with the United Kingdom (UK FTA) from today. “The New Zealand UK FTA enters into force from today, and is one of the seven new or upgraded Free Trade Agreements negotiated by Labour to date,” Prime ...
The Government will reform outdated surrogacy laws to improve the experiences of children, surrogates, and the growing number of families formed through surrogacy, by adopting Labour MP Tāmati Coffey’s Member’s Bill as a Government Bill, Minister Kiri Allan has announced. “Surrogacy has become an established method of forming a family ...
Defence Minister Andrew Little departs for Singapore tomorrow to attend the 20th annual Shangri-La Dialogue for Defence Ministers from the Indo-Pacific region. “Shangri-La brings together many countries to speak frankly and express views about defence issues that could affect us all,” Andrew Little said. “New Zealand is a long-standing participant ...
Research, Science and Innovation Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall and the Chinese Minister of Science and Technology Wang Zhigang met in Wellington today and affirmed the two countries’ long-standing science relationship. Minister Wang was in New Zealand for the 6th New Zealand-China Joint Commission Meeting on Science and Technology Cooperation. Following ...
5 percent uplift clearer and simpler to navigate Domestic productions can access more funding sources 20 percent rebate confirmed for post-production, digital and visual effects Qualifying expenditure for post-production, digital and visual effects rebate dropped to $250,000 to encourage more smaller productions The Government is making it easier for the ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs (Pacific Region) Carmel Sepuloni will represent New Zealand at Samoa’s 61st Anniversary of Independence commemorations in Apia. “Aotearoa New Zealand is pleased to share in this significant occasion, alongside other invited Pacific leaders, and congratulates Samoa on the milestone of 61 ...
The Government is continuing to support retailers with additional funding for the highly popular Fog Cannon Subsidy Scheme, Police and Small Business Minister Ginny Andersen announced today. “The Government is committed to improving retailers’ safety,” Ginny Andersen said. “I’ve seen first-hand the difference fog cannons are making. Not only do ...
The Government has received the first independent review of the Intelligence and Security Act 2017, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins says. The review, considered by the Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee, was presented to the House of Representatives today. “Ensuring the safety and security of New Zealanders is of the utmost ...
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has expressed condolences on behalf of New Zealand to the Kingdom of Tonga following the death of Her Royal Highness Princess Mele Siu’ilikutapu Kalaniuvalu Fotofili. “New Zealand sends it’s heartfelt condolences to the people of Tonga, and to His Majesty King Tupou VI at this time ...
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has expressed condolences on behalf of New Zealand to the Kingdom of Tonga following the death of Her Royal Highness Princess Mele Siu’ilikutapu Kalaniuvalu Fotofili. “New Zealand sends it’s heartfelt condolences to the people of Tonga, and to His Majesty King Tupou VI at this time ...
Defence Minister Andrew Little and Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta have today announced the extension of the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) deployment to Solomon Islands, as part of the regionally-led Solomon Islands International Assistance Force (SIAF). “Aotearoa New Zealand has a long history of working alongside the Royal Solomon ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta will travel to the Republic of Korea today to attend the Korea–Pacific Leaders’ Summit in Seoul and Busan. “Korea is an important partner for Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific region. I am eager for the opportunity to meet and discuss issues that matter to our ...
Trade and Export Growth Minister Damien O’Connor joined ministerial representatives at a meeting in Detroit, USA today to announce substantial conclusion of negotiations of a new regional supply chains agreement among 14 Indo-Pacific countries. The Supply Chains agreement is one of four pillars being negotiated within the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework ...
Our most spoken Pacific language is taking centre stage this week with Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa – Samoa Language Week kicking off around the country. “Understanding and using the Samoan language across our nation is vital to its survival,” Barbara Edmonds said. “The Samoan population in New Zealand are ...
Over 90 per cent of New Zealanders are expected to receive this year’s nationwide test of the Emergency Mobile Alert system tonight between 6-7pm. “Emergency Mobile Alert is a tool that can alert people when their life, health, or property, is in danger,” Kieran McAnulty said. “The annual nationwide test ...
ENGLISH: Whakatōhea and the Crown sign Deed of Settlement A Deed of Settlement has been signed between Whakatōhea and the Crown, 183 years to the day since Whakatōhea rangatira signed the Treaty of Waitangi, Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Andrew Little has announced. Whakatōhea is an iwi based in ...
Elizabeth Longworth has been appointed as the Chair of the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO, Associate Minister of Education Jo Luxton announced today. UNESCO is the United Nations agency responsible for promoting cooperative action among member states in the areas of education, science, culture, social science (including peace and ...
Tourism and hospitality employer accreditation scheme to recognise quality employers Better education and career opportunities in tourism Cultural competency to create more diverse and inclusive workplaces Innovation and technology acceleration to drive satisfying, skilled jobs Strengthening our tourism workers and supporting them into good career pathways, pay and working conditions ...
Tourism and hospitality employer accreditation scheme to recognise quality employers Better education and career opportunities in tourism Cultural competency to create more diverse and inclusive workplaces Innovation and technology acceleration to drive satisfying, skilled jobs Strengthening our tourism workers and supporting them into good career pathways, pay and working conditions ...
Greater access to primary care, including 193 more front line clinical staff More hauora services and increased mental health support Boost for maternity and early years programmes Funding for cancers, HIV and longer term conditions Greater access to primary care, improved maternity care and mental health support are ...
Greater access to primary care, including 193 more front line clinical staff More hauora services and increased mental health support Boost for maternity and early years programmes Funding for cancers, HIV and longer term conditions Greater access to primary care, improved maternity care and mental health support are ...
The Government continues progress on the survivor-led independent redress system for historic abuse in care, with the announcement of the design and advisory group members today. “The main recommendation of the Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Abuse in Care interim redress report was for a survivor-led independent redress system, and the ...
Flood-ravaged West Aucklanders are rejoicing after the government announced it will offer buyout options to people whose land is too risky to rebuild on. ...
Wayne Brown has sent councillors copies of insulting emails from the public, including one that called them "dip shits", while the deputy mayor says the mayor is not making the budget process easier. ...
The National Party wildly underestimated how popular its leader would be when he visited New Plymouth on Friday and had to turn people away at the door. Political editor Jo Moir found a patch of wall to lean against as Christopher Luxon got all sorts of questions and advice, not ...
By Repeka Nasiko in Lautoka The University of the South Pacific will be receiving additional funding from the Fiji government in the 2023-2024 national budget, says Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Professor Biman Prasad. Speaking at a public consultation in Lautoka this week, he said the additional funding ...
By Gorethy Kenneth in Port Moresby The National Court has ordered the Papua New Guinea government to disclose the full details of the gold refinery deal it entered into with a Singapore-based company, National Gold Corporation. The court ordered Prime Minister James Marape (first defendant), Planning Minister Renbo Paita (second ...
Asia Pacific Report A new edition of the Okinawan Journal of Island Studies features social justice island activism, including a case study of Aotearoa New Zealand’s Pacific Media Centre, in what the editors say brings a sense of “urgency” in the field of diversity, equity, and inclusion in scholarship. In ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Preliminary findings of a yet-to-be released Transparency International survey has found sextortion — demanding sexual favours in return for public services — is a major issue in parts of the Pacific. Papua New Guinea, the Federated States of Micronesia and Solomon Islands have higher ...
RNZ News New Zealand’s Media Freedom Council has called Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown’s exclusion of some media outlets from his budget speech today “unacceptable”. In an appearance at Auckland Transport’s Viaduct headquarters, Brown took time out of pitching his plan to sell the city’s holdings in Auckland Airport to complain ...
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Love the people of Romania
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dicdt8isW9Q
Must be western elites fomenting rebellion against a democratically elected government because clearly, tens of thousands of Romanians would never take to the streets to rid themselves of a corrupt regime.
//
Half a million people protesting the government, wow!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9fndNIUQWs
Sounds like it’s a protest against neo-liberalism and austerity.
And not reported in NZ’s msm.
What a surprise….
Instead from the Herald.
Polly Gillespie not on air after Facebook post
Tape Face slammed: ‘unfunny, pointless’
Amanda Knox: You probably hated me
The worst excuses for sick days
Posh flees after ‘Beckileaks’ drama
The top viewed stories on Stuff.
Polly & Grant missing from the airwaves after her attack on radio bosses
Why my wedding day was the loneliest day of my life
Queen Elizabeth II marks record 65 years on throne, but it’s tinged with sadness
Young Central Otago couple collect their $18 million Lotto win
Maybe George Carlin was right along.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKN1Q5SjbeI
So you won’t want to be branded a ‘stupid people’ and hypocrite by quoting or linking from either source ever again, will you?
Hey I’m not that bad.
I’d have to make the effort of doing a google search on this dipshit’s badly transcribed words to find the original links.
Of course if I did that then I’d probably find something that I could get annoyed about.
You do an excellent George Carlin impersonation.
You probably know it as editing. 🙂
Little reminds Labour caucus about discipline: http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/323972/willie-jackson-concerns-'a-matter-for-caucus‘
Another outstanding article by Malcolm Bradbury on the subject.
Class vs Identity Politics – Why Andrew Little has no choice but to stare down the Identitarians inside Labour
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2017/02/07/class-vs-identity-politics-why-andrew-little-has-no-choice-but-to-stare-down-the-identitarians-inside-labour/
Only ‘outstanding’ if you share a black/white worldview where people’s varied belongings/potentials can only fit into one box. I would rather trust that most people are capable of holding more than one position at once. It’s certainly what I’ve experienced. Life is complex. Ask any poor brown woman or queer disabled migrant.
However, practically speaking some in Labour may still need reminding that they are a team and sometimes their faction does not get to win, cos politics. Politics always seems an unfortunate reduction of life in that respect.
+ 100% Sacha.
Excerpt from Paul’s link:
If this is what happened then it makes the whole thing worse… Poto is lucky she wasn’t ‘gone by lunchtime’.
“the Labour leadership believed they had an agreement that she wouldn’t post anything, she changed her mind and then posted it anyway.”
I respect her reservations but I’d fire her for that, on the spot. Must have some factional support to protect her.
This is the crux of the problem. I, too, respect her for what are strong and genuinely held views. No decent person would quarrel with her on them. But to go ahead and defy an agreement she appears to have made with the party leadership is almost beyond comprehension.
I could be wrong, but I suspect she was encouraged – maybe even coerced – to go rogue on the agreement by person/persons whose agenda(s) were not the same as her own. If so, I hope she knows never to take their advice again.
+100
On Checkpoint, Andrew Little said Poto Williams raised the points with Little last week. It seems that Little then went ahead and announced Jackson was going to be a candidate, without taking the issues raised by Poto to the caucus?
Am I missing something? Surely Little should have had a wider discussion with caucus, and perhaps the wider party, about the issues raised by Poto, before going public and announcing Jackson as a candidate?
Then is it surprising Williams was pissed off with Little not going through the required process and ignoring her advice?
Exactly!
It’s not Poto who has the problem here – it’s Little.
The authoritarian manner of his decision making is cringe worthy. I’m having very serious thoughts about him as PM.
Macro
Who do you suggest takes his place at this late stage?
I’ve heard Shaw make far more “cringing” comments than that, yet I accept people are people and can make errors of judgment, we are all capable of that, yes, all of us.
Did Shaw arbitrarily announce that he’d chosen someone to skip the list selection process? How about that many members think that someone’s recent behaviour is contrary to some of the essential principles and policies of the party?
Little doesn’t suffer from foot-in-mouth disease. His problem is that he became complacent and forgot that Labour is a democratic party that he can’t dictate to. Happens in every group organisation from time to time, the person with the vision sometimes forgets to bring people along with them for the ride, and starts unilateral action.
I think it’s recoverable, but it’s definitely something for Little to learn from.
NO, but Shaw did arbitrarily announce that he could “work with National’, I wonder how many members agreed with that decision?
Any party that states they are prepared to work with the worst scumbags to ever have the opportunity to destroy NZ, will never receive my support, that’s never.
You seem to have for gotten how important it is to keep the “dirty laundry” out of the public domain.
It’s for ALL members to learn from, making public statements that create the perception of disunity is probably the MOST UNPRODUCTIVE and DESTRUCTIVE method of getting their point across, no matter how valid the point is.
The Greens have already worked with National
That is one of the Strengths of the Green Party. They have shown that they are able to work across the political divide to advance policies that are directed towards positive ends.
If you can’t bring them along with you, then you’ve got to get rid of them otherwise, you’re going nowhere.
“NO, but Shaw did arbitrarily announce that he could “work with National’, I wonder how many members agreed with that decision?”
Wtf are you on about? The membership passed a remit at two separate AGMs allowing the party to work with National.
I’d also like to see a citation for Shaw having made that announcement arbitrarily or at all. I suspect you are talking about Russell Norman but he still had the ok from the party to do that (even though how he did it was not particularly wise).
Edit, Here’s a whole post on the Green Party’s position on working with National and not supporting them to form government, and how that decision was arrived at.
https://thestandard.org.nz/green-politics/
weka – Early on in his role as co-leader James did say something to that effect – but what he was saying was simply reiterating the Green position to work with National where positive action that addressed Green Party policies could be achieved.
There has been next to no area in the past few years where that has been the case. There was some hope such as with the sub-committee to investigate special needs in schooling – but in the end disappointingly that went nowhere.
I’d still like to see the citation for context. Shaw became co-leader 30 May 2015. Here he is a week later being interviewed in the media,
“What century are we talking about?”, Shaw responds when asked if the Greens are ever likely to sit around a Cabinet table with National.
“Look, I cannot see, certainly in 2017, how that could possibly function. It will be coming to the end of a third term National Government, we are miles apart (especially on the environment). The underlying economic system that produces the kind of environmental and social costs and consequences that we go on about is core to National’s way of governing. If we wanted to be in a coalition with them we would have to have a conversation with them about the nature of the economy and I can’t see them giving up on the model they’ve had for the last 30 years.”
But the Green Party is unashamedly on the hunt for National votes – and it sees no contradiction between that and its hardline position about doing a deal with any future National government.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/69120801/The-Green-Partys-Shaw-and-Turei-new-look-new-direction
Maybe it was in the week before that?
Yes Carolyn_nth – what you’re missing is the wider picture of WHY Willie Jackson was invited into Labour – which is that he could help connect Labour to the urban Maori and the disadvantaged Maori, and the enrolled non-voter – all vital for the Labour vote.
His mistakes were in the past, he’d apologised – several times – for them.
And yes, he’s a blokey-type jokey sort of bloke – not the sort necessarily appreciated by educated women.
Andrew Little talked to Poto Williams about these things.
Poto Williams should be “big” enough, and intelligent enough, to realise there are other matters at play in this scene ….. and personally I would have thought, as a Cook Islander (who are usually big on Christianity) that she could see the need for forgiveness in this matter.
If Jackson becomes sexist and pro-violence while he’s a candidate or an MP, then that’s a different matter – she’d be right to really get stuck into him.
But meanwhile, as an intelligent Labour woman she needs to show a bit of forgiveness and perhaps a bit of advice to him on how he should behave, and attitudes towards women.
And she needs to keep to caucus rules which she signed up to.
But didn’t Little fail to follow caucus/Labour Party rules on candidate selection before going public? Surely he should be leading by example?
As I understand it, the Labour Party systems are meant to be fairly democratic, especially with regard to candidate selection. The strategic reasoning may be sound in terms of Labour Party principles, but surely that should have been discussed more internally before Little went public on it. That is my point.
The way you describe it, the Labour Party member sounds very authoritarian.
I’m not certain about attracting urban Maori and the disadvantaged Maori because they are important to the LP vote. Surely it should be about what Labour can do for these groups, and surely the LP shouldn’t be sidelining principles about equality for all, including women (including Maori women)etc, in order to gain votes?
“The way you describe it, the Labour Party member sounds very authoritarian.”
yes, compared to the Greens, where this kind of things is incredibly rare presumably because they work with a consensus model rather than an authoritarian one. i.e. you wouldn’t get this dissent because the caucus wouldn’t disregard the opinions of one of their spokespeople like this.
His mistakes were only a few years ago.
Saying he was too casual or playing devil’s advocate is pretty mild as apologies go.
But Williams is supposed to remain silent (as Labour spokesperson on dv) and wait until after he’s been given membership, a waiver, fast-tracked up the list, made an MP, and then repeats his sort of attitudes of late 2013? Bit bloody late then.
Yeah, that’s the one. It’s not like anyone is really expecting the LP to get to grips with rape culture, but what are they thinking is going to happen when Jackson shoots his mouth off when they’re in govt? Or god forbid the month before the election (which actually might be ok if it bumps the Green vote). It’s possible that they’ve gotten an assurance from Jackson that he won’t be an arse.
/naivety.
Well said Jenny
“Poto Williams should be “big” enough, and intelligent enough, to realise there are other matters at play in this scene ….. and personally I would have thought, as a Cook Islander (who are usually big on Christianity) that she could see the need for forgiveness in this matter.”
OMG!!!
🙄
Sorry Jenny – but that has to be about as offensive as Willie Jackson was to the young woman on radio.
“Cook Islander (who are usually big on Christianity) that she could see the need for forgiveness in this matter.”
This is a pretty weird and borderline racist thing to say.
It doesn’t work that way Carolyn Nth. I find Martyn Bradbury too much most of the time but, from my own knowledge and experiences in the LP, his version of what happened re- Poto Williams sounds more than a tad plausible. He has many contacts including MPs.
Of course Little consulted widely and it probably included senior union personnel as well. Its fairly obvious most approved of allowing Willie Jackson back into the party for the same reasons Little has publicly expressed. But for reasons only Poto can fully explain, she appears to have chosen to renege on an agreement she made with the Labour leadership which would have included the deputy leader and the party president at the least.
Willie Jackson knows West Aucklanders and South Aucklanders like the back of his hand. He understands them and can speak their language. Huge numbers of them don’t bother to vote. Willie is well known and trusted in these two regions and he has the power of persuasion which would be a hugely valuable tool in getting them out to vote for Labour.
Edit: Jenny Kirk above is on the button. She broke the most important caucus rule – keeping caucus matters confidential to caucus.
Well, Jackson may have an understanding of west and south Auckland men, but what about the women, given the survivors of the Roastbuster abuse were westie women?
If Williams did agree not to go public, then it is fair to criticise her for breaking that agreement. When she made that promise, did she know Little was going to go public with it in a couple of days, or did she think there’d be more discussion of it within the party?
Yes I’d like to see more people voting. But many have given up because they don’t think any politicians will do anything for them.
So what is Labour going to do for west and South Aucklanders, and urban Maori?
Why wouldnt she know when she had been in discussions about Willie Jackson?
It was the timing of her FB post that made me feel that she did indeed know.
It’s all speculation but if I had to guess I’d say what it looks like from the outside is that there was some initial discussion in caucus about brining Jackson in, Williams’ concerns were ignored, and in amongs that there are the Māori politics (in and outside the party) as well as the feeling amongs the general membership. It’s not just Williams that is upset about this whole thing.
Leftie: It was the timing of her FB post that made me feel that she did indeed know
how so? because the timing of the announcement (on a public holiday), and William’s FB response. suggests to me the possibility that she had thought the possible Jackson candidacy would be discussed more widely in the party before it was announced publicly.
I asked:
So what is Labour going to do for west and South Aucklanders, and urban Maori?
Still no answer. And I have in mind that the big hole in Labour’s housing policy – ie so far nothing to directly combat the rising cost of private rentals, indicates low income westies and South Aucklanders have not been given a lot of consideration in the policies.
Spot on Anne and Jenny, you are both are right on the button.
“Edit: Jenny Kirk above is on the button. She broke the most important caucus rule – keeping caucus matters confidential to caucus.”
What if it’s a matter of conscience? I’m thinking of Marilyn Waring crossing the floor.
Labour could have had Jackson and satisfied the women in the party. Pity they didn’t do that.
From what I remember Williams had support from other Labour women.
You’re talking about a legislative vote in parliament. If Labour was happy to allow the whole of parliament to have a say in Willie Jacksons’ return to politics then someone would have to draw up legislation which would go to a select committee and their recommendations would be put to the vote in the debating chamber where both sides could debate the pros and cons. If it was a party vote controlled by the whips then she could ‘cross the floor’ and vote with the other side whoever they might be.
It would make a hilarious comedy show but somehow don’t think it would be approved by the speaker. 😎
No, I was making a comparison on matters of conscience. Nice side step though 🙂
+ 100% Anne. I don’t think you’re wrong. I suspect the same as you do.
“I could be wrong, but I suspect she was encouraged – maybe even coerced – to go rogue on the agreement by person/persons whose agenda(s) were not the same as her own.”
Interesting. Do you think the public undermining of Little is part of a larger potential leadership challenge?
Not at this stage. Andrew Little is strong and does not suffer fools gladly. Nor does he put up with people who play silly political games behind the scenes. Helen Clark was the same and she also had some enemies inside the party – at least in the initial years.
“Andrew Little is strong…”
This does seem to be an attempt to weaken him. Nevertheless, I was curious in the other agenda(s) you suspected.
Could it be related to Jackson being ex Alliance?
Not likely. Too long ago. The culprits (for want of a better word) wouldn’t have even been born. No, they have ambitions beyond what they are worth and know their chances of success while Little is leader is zilch. That’s my conclusion based on what I’ve seen and heard.
Every major political party has them.
“the Labour leadership believed they had an agreement that she wouldn’t post anything, she changed her mind and then posted it anyway.”
I respect her reservations but I’d fire her for that, on the spot. Must have some factional support to protect her.
Me too if it was true but I’m not going to use Bradbury as a useful source for what happened.
Fair call – doh. Subsequent RNZ story here: http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/201832310/andrew-little-defends-decision-to-let-willie-jackson-stand-for-labour
thanks, can’t bring myself to listen to him, too much disappointment.
I listened to it last night. Little only says that he discussed it with Williams a few days before the announcement about Jackson, and she expressed the same injections as in her FB post. He does not indicate if Williams knew he was about to announce the candidacy in spite of Williams objections.
He does not mention that he had breached LP candidacy procedures by making an executive decision on Jackson’s candidacy.
Does the Labour Party have a process by which candidates are selected by “executive decision”?
If not, is there a rule that states the leader can’t express an opinion on the subject? Has he exceeded his mandate?
If not, why make up spurious claims (“breached LP candidacy procedures”)? Aren’t the facts of the matter sufficient grounds for concern?
Agreed. Very lucky.
Corbyn is having problems as well with ill-discipline with UK Labour and a failure to discipline such acts is costing them dearly.
And Little’s having trouble controlling a caucus of 31. No Key, English plummeting into the future that is 2002, an insane deputy PM – and the election’s still Labour’s to lose. WTF?
She was very lucky.
That’s more-or-less what Andrew said on Campbell RNZ tonight, Anne. Can’t remember the exact words, but Poto definitely stepped out of line. Any problems an MP has with whatever policy has to be discussed in caucus first, and dealt with there.
Poto is blinkin’ lucky she just got off with a mild reprimand.
My own transgression – over a much more important issue at the time – Rogernomics – resulted in three days of no-speaks by anyone – very uncomfortable to experience.
Poto – and other Labour women – need to look at the wider picture, and they also need to know what Willie Jackson has been doing in the intervening years since roadbusters. There is something underhand about this vendetta.
+100 Jenny and Andrew Little is into redemption and giving people a chance to do better.
“My own transgression – over a much more important issue at the time – Rogernomics – resulted in three days of no-speaks by anyone – very uncomfortable to experience.”
Do you regret making that stand, then?
If not, how do we evaluate the importance of an issue?
Martyn.
I actually read it. Probably won’t bother again.
Firstly, he reckons he knows what the leadership believed about their behind the scenes discussions with Williams. If someone’s telling him, then why isn’t he calling the leadership on the damaging leaks as much as he is Williams?
Secondly, he’s bitching about identity politics while talking about WJ getting out the “urban Maori” vote. Hypocritical, much?
Thirdly, if he thinks it’s smart that Labour undemocratically elevate a random Maori celebrity to get the urban Maori vote, does he really think that the best role model Labour can find is someone who can’t bring forward a decent apology for referring to rape as “mischief”? Seriously?
FFS. Bradbury’s a fucking tool. Maybe I forgot, and that’s why I bothered this time.
The way I see it is that Little is only bending over backwards for Willie because he is scared shitless the Maori/Mana deal will wipe out his Maori MPs. Bit of a risk really because he is alienating many Labour supporters who can’t see the merits of a talk-back host getting a free ride high on the list ahead of genuine Labour people.
I suspect less thought went into it than that – WJ was looking for a place to live and got on the O’Conner bandwagon, Little and he hammered it out themselves and nobody knew about it until it was being announced like it was a done deal.
And if WJ’s comment history even occurred to them, they probably assumed it was water under the bridge.
And now they’re in the shit. Complacency fucks folks every time.
Unless Labour’s party vote rises, there will be few of their list MPs who get in.
lol
I remember once on my last evening in London deciding to have a feast of “Traditional English Fish and Chips”. After a night going at both ends I managed to struggle onto the plane to take me home. Fish and Chips never passed my lips again for a very long time.
Reading a Bradbury rant has much the same effect.
Despite your rather useful descriptions 🙂 I felt the need to go have a look myself (because otherwise sensible people in this thread are treating what he says about Labour as a valid source for what happened). I see he is now the Pete George of the left, having to selectively quote people on TS in order to frame his agenda. Oh dear. Might be ok if all the people that hate IP end up there though 🙂
Had to laugh at his quote of from you weka. Made me giggle, I was thinking Pete George as well LOL.
Did concern me the whole “I’m a man, so you better listen to me” vibe that ran through his whole piece. I wonder if he will get how much a sexist prick he is? Or the fact if you opposed to civil rights, you not on my side or anyone else’s who actually give a dam about people.
He quoted me the other day too. I’m not that happy to be on his radar tbh, seeing what he’s done to others. I agree a big part of this is “listen to me”. Some of that seems just ego out of control. But the anti-IP stuff that is coming up not just with him but with others, that’s lefties taking their memes not just from the like of Trotter but from the alt-right. I find it concerning and it does look to me like these are predominantly white men who are emboldened by the US election result.
The civil rights framing is good, thanks for that.
I share your concerns and it’s a step backwards. It’s been a long hard struggle to get women’s, race, LGBTI and disability issues incorporated within the dominant left organisations, policies and campaigns.
These civil rights issues were also watered down at the same time class issues were watered down within and through the neoliberal shift. But guys that seem to want to return to a largely white, heterosexual, male dominated left seem to be using the collapse of neoliberalism to push their retro agenda.
+1
The message that I got loud and clear over at TDB, is that the left is a working class male thing and the rest of us (ie women) need to STFU
Good point Carolyn_nth. It’s like these guys don’t even know what major class A retrogrades they are being as well.
I don’t want to live in a world where people don’t have civil rights, where women, LGBTI, indigenous, and disabled are not a major part of the solution.
I know people in the US who are very scared right now. The thing that scares me here is that while I see NZ as being very different than the US politically and socially, I think we are quite capable of having our own version of authoritarianism arise here. That’s what the whole anti-IP is starting to look like. The false framing of what IP is, and the push from lefties who also support Tr*mp. I guess it’s useful to see this more honestly, but I also think we it’s likely we don’t have a lot of time to start working together. Not Bradbury, but the rest of us. If we get a hard GFC for instance and a reactive conservatism.
I’d always read Bradbury with a grain of salt, went off him with his whole emerald army thing. Gave him a break when he did waatea news show. But now he’s back to his authoritarian best – so a lost cause.
I’ve had a few tear fulled facebook conversations of late as well. Mainly over heath care for disabled friends of mine. They deeply concerned about the end of Obama care. It’s like the weakest in society, or those who have the most to lose, are the constant target of these retrograde individuals be they left or right. We have all lost since the rise of neo-liberalism, time to try somthing different.
Yeah all we got is organising ourselves, and doing it local. Did that tonight with group I work with, small steps to prepare them if it gets worse.
The Daily Blog’s moderators make that site a joke. There’s no discussion unless you toe their line.
I wrote 1 comment last night that they let through, foolishly I commented before I had read all of Bomber’s writing on Jackson (note to self- no more commenting after 2nd glass of wine) My second comment said that I wanted to withdraw what I had said about Bomber understanding the seriousness of the Roastbusters, because it looked like he was prepared to ‘throw women’s issues under a bus” . Nothing particuarly inflammatory about my comment- but no, 24 hours later, they haven’t let it through.
I wrote a pissed off comment on the Chris Trotter post- saying Trotter had done more damage to the Labour party with his columns than Poto Williams had. That one hasn’t seen the light of day either.
Thank you to the moderators at the Standard who don’t make us kiss their arses before we can get our comments published.
“Trotter had done more damage to the Labour party with his columns”
I agree with that.
awww… but he went got learned himself a fancy new word.
“Identitarians” — and he can even spell it — now just another 8 months of him breathlessly repeating it in reference to senior Labour MPs…
I suppose that makes him a Blusterfarian.
Or a Sexistprickitarian?
When did you stop believing in civil rights Paul?
Because that all that term identitarians means, and end to civil rights. When people on the left have taken on board wholesale acceptance of the rights criticism of civil rights, the illusion of any sort of freedom, becomes stark.
Prime TV- 5.30-labour getting a wack re willie in labour.Careful poto ,careful.
There have several of saying this from the start.
It is clear many in the Labour Party have not learnt the lessons they should have from Clinton’d defeat.
As Bradbury puts it so well.
“Me, me, me, I, I, I and my, my, my have replaced ‘us’ as the language of political inclusion.
Replacing class for hyper individualism makes solidarity almost impossible and creates fractures within unity, which is exactly what we are seeing happen in real time with the Labour Party right now.”
Are you a labour supporter Paul?
I am left wing.
When it’s about a large segment of the population, and the way they are treated within the system e.g. women, sexual violence survivors, etc. It’s not individualism, any more than white guys focusing about their issues…. that could just as easily be called..me, me, me…. don’t care about yous others, according to your logic.
Systemic treatment of women, rape culture etc, is a collective issue, just like class.
Hear! Hear!
In my humble opinion Jackson ruled himself out of any further involvement in Political representation the day he “interviewed” that unfortunate young woman and asked her if rape was possible if the girls considered the boys to be “good looking”!
For goodness sake! He clearly, doesn’t understand the nature of sexual abuse!
An “apology” simply doesn’t cut it!
And Little thinks he would make a good candidate????
Thanks Carolyn and Macro – I too do not see an attitude of dismissal and denigration of women as Identity Politics , but more akin to a classs issue.
Antonina
How is mis-treating and mis-valuing women possibly “a class issue”? It’s sexism. Already has a name, thanks.
I think “akin to a class issue”, means that they are similar in being about systemic oppression and/or discrimination of a whole group of people – not that gender oppression is a class issue per se.
Ah, thanks.
But Little looked at other aspects of Jackson’s life, Macro – and saw that he had redeemed himself somewhat by finding out about womens refuges, and why they exist, and the end result of sexual abuse and violence. And that he was now running programmes at the Urban Maori Authority to help re-educate people and counter abuse and violence.
People are not just one dimensional. They’re made up of many different facets, and some are good,and some not so good – but if they get the opportunity to reflect on their not so good attributes, they can change them.
That appears to have happened in Jackson’s case – and that’s what Andrew Little saw.
And yes, from the point of view of bringing urban maori, young maori, and disadvantaged maori in to see that Labour could help them, than that makes him a good candidate.
“and saw that he had redeemed himself somewhat by finding out about womens refuges, and why they exist, and the end result of sexual abuse and violence. And that he was now running programmes at the Urban Maori Authority to help re-educate people and counter abuse and violence.”
You can link to that?
And Poto Williams was unaware of this??
Have read what you have quoted in some articles from the Herald et al, Macro. I doubt that Poto Williams was unaware of the steps Willie Jackson had taken over the last 3 years. That’s what Andrew Little is saying, that Willie Jackson is backing up his apologies with action.
I repeat what weka says below:
Working with Urban Maori is well and good – but it doesn’t suggest that he has changed the underlying problem his attitudes wrt of the denigration of women.
He hasn’t just been working with urban Maori though. It appears it doesn’t matter what he does to address the wrongful things he said in the past, for some, it will never be enough, he is damned for life.
Well that’s the way it is with rapists…
It’s a hard road back.
Now I’m not saying that Jackson is one – but his interview on Radio Live was pretty bloody horrible, and a huge apology for rape culture. That was the reason so many advertisers withdrew their support forthwith from the programme and forced Radio Live to remove him and Henare from the air.
It was a stupid and insensitive interview, and too damned right he should apologise. But even that is not enough. He really has to demonstrate, in the eyes of all abused women, that he is truly repentant – and that is going to take time and effort.
“He hasn’t just been working with urban Maori though. It appears it doesn’t matter what he does to address the wrongful things he said in the past, for some, it will never be enough, he is damned for life.”
That’s a misrepresentation of what people think Leftie. For instance, I said a few days before the Williams’ statement that for me it wasn’t about keeping Jackson out of Labour, it was about how Labour dealt with the rape culture issues. Thus far, badly, although it could have been worse.
Others believe that Jackson should never be in parliament again, and I understand why they argue that (myself, I think we should take all rape apologists out which would decimate parliament).
As for Jackson, I think you simply fail to understand what the problem is here and why his apologies have fallen flat. Anyone can say the right thing to get what they want. It’s not about that, it’s about demonstrating that he has changed. I just don’t see it.
And as Macro has been arguing, this wasn’t just a faux pas. It was a major issue around rape culture that never got resolved, hence it coming back to bite Labour now. Lots of us could have told Labour this would happen and I’d hazard a guess that Little was told and chose to ignore it. It’s on him then.
“Well that’s the way it is with rapists…
It’s a hard road back.
Now I’m not saying that Jackson is one”
Aren’t you, Macro? Because it sure sounded like that was what you were calling him.
Weka, I wasn’t referring “about keeping Jackson out of Labour” My comment is about giving someone a chance to redeem themselves. We learn through our entire lives, do we not? And I haven’t got the impression from what Andrew Little has said in the media, that he ignored concerns. There is a process to be followed, that would have been a more productive platform to raise those concerns.
I awoke this morning with the horrible realization that I had mis-named Jackson’s co-host.
Willie Jackson’s co-host was of course John Tamahere not Henare. My sincere apologies for this error, and any offense it may have caused.
As to the query raised by Leftie above the fact remains that people who encourage, or condone rape, are as much to blame as those who carry out the abuse.
http://thewireless.co.nz/articles/two-years-on-from-the-roast-busters
Whether the girls had been drinking or not, unconsented sexual abuse is rape.
Whether or not the girls considered the boys “good looking”, unconsented sexual abuse is rape.
The fact of the matter is that many men and women in this country do not understand this, and I’m sure Jackson is one of them.
Misnamed? Frankly you shouldn’t have written it like that at all Macro, and your apology is accepted, but how about an acknowledgement on someone who said something wrong in the past and the time spent since in working to address it. Willie Jackson is backing up his apology, and at least he is trying and making effort.
Sorry, but Little and Jackson don’t get to be the ones that decide if Jackson has changed his views and beliefs about rape culture. It’s obvious that Jackson does many good things. It’s also obvious that he still doesn’t get what the problem is. Neither does Little, and it’s a shame he didn’t choose to work this in a way that was good for all sides.
Trump is said to have has lost his shit because a woman parodied Sean Spicer and apparently, in Trumps world, there’s nothing more degrading than a woman taking the piss.
The Germans stand up to corporates trying to buy and take over their national game.
The AllBlacks were sold as cash cows to transnationals without a murmur.
Their main sponsor, AIG , has enough money for them, but appears to not have enough for Christchurch.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38802113
The insurance co screwing ChCh is IAG, Insurance Australia Group, not AIG, American International Group who sponsor the All Blacks
This is interesting and coincerning.
Humans could be extinct in 9 years – scientists
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSnrDRU6_2g
Alarmist drivel.
well said Stunned Mullet, the correspondent who posted this link seems to have a strong attraction to alarmist drivel
“Bishops get Maori minder”
Love the click bait title, great appointment by the way.
http://www.waateanews.com/waateanews/x_story_id/MTU1OTA=/Bishops-get-Maori-minder