The final Cass Report was released yesterday. Four years in the making, it's a damning indictment of the affirmation only model of health care for children with gender dysphoria in the UK's GIDS clinic.
A lot of commentary and complexities in what Hillary Cass has revealed. This one stands out and should make people pause and think about what has really been going on.
It's previously been reported that GIDS refused to share data with the initial work Cass did, then it turns out that they hadn't actually been collecting it. That's the data that would have showed if their treatment model, including puberty blockers was working. Once the Cass review got up and running, this happened,
Amid all today's noise, please don't let this important story get lost: Hilary Cass says the adult gender clinics conspired, for ideological reasons, to prevent her doing follow-up studies for outcomes of the children passing through the Tavistock. The whole scandal in microcosm
Hilary Cass was actively impeded from doing a follow-up study of Tavistock children by adult gender clinics who wouldn’t co-operate. She believes this stunning refusal was co-ordinated and ideologically driven. All credit to @ameliagentleman in the Guardian for this revelation
It was “unbelievably disappointing” that the research study she had hoped to conduct to look at the outcomes of 9,000 former Tavistock patients had been blocked by the adult gender clinics, who refused to contact former patients for permission on her behalf.
The former health secretary Sajid Javid had changed legislation to allow researchers to link pre- and post-transition NHS numbers, but the research had to be abandoned when all but one of the adult clinics refused to cooperate, Cass said.
“I do think it was coordinated. It seemed to me to be ideologically driven,” she said. “There was no substantive reason for it. So I can only really conclude that it was because they didn’t feel that it was the right thing to do to try and nail down this data.”
And yet the NZ parliament has recently passed legislation that is likely to criminalize any parents or medical professionals who are unwilling to endorse medicalization of a child's gender dysphoria, because that would be "conversion therapy". Jacinda Ardern herself acknowledged that such prosecutions could happen under the new legislation.
Every single Labour, Green and Maaori Party MP voted for this legislation, as did "libertarian" David Seymour, who apparently believed that a 13-yr old girl can give informed consent to life-changing and irreversible procedures.
According to this article below, Te Whatu Ora "commissioned the Professional Association of Transgender Health Aotearoa (PATHA) to update the national guidelines and referral pathways for gender-affirming healthcare." If that's true, it's cause for great concern. Why did Te Whatu Ora commission an activist body to guide clinical practice? The article itself is rather poor journalism, in that it fails to challenge PATHA's misleading claim that the Cass Review "ignores the consensus of major medical bodies around the world and lacks relevance in an Aotearoa context". Is PATHA really unaware that Sweden and France have also recently halted the uncritical application of "gender-affirming care" (such as Orwellian term)? And what exactly is meant by "an Aotearoan context"?
Yes, sadly I fear that Visubversa is right. I'm aware that most of the Nats also supported the bill – including all of their current front bench apart from Shane Reti. And unfortunately, two of the eight who had the courage to oppose the bill are no longer in parliament.
The one aspect of politicians that may work in favour, is their chameleon ability to change position as the political background changes.
Public awareness changes the political background.
What is required here is immense effort, and care must be taken to ensure those harmed by this medical treatment – have high-quality care and support delivered to them.
As substantive – and harder to dismiss – evidence comes to public awareness, insurance companies may play a big part in stopping harmful procedures as they will not insure doctors or surgeons, or pay for treatments via health insurance.
Does anyone know if NZ doctors carry a liability insurance, or is this completely covered by ACC?
If so, asking ACC what their exposure is may be worth investigating.
It sounds like ACC will shield doctors from most (but not all) of the damage here in NZ. Whereas in Australia, where they don't have ACC, one insurance company has recently dropped coverage for doctors who carry out "gender affirming care":
Then I might get on with a letter to Minister for ACC, Hon Matt Doocey, and an OIA for Dr Tracey Batten as Chair and David Hunt as Deputy Chair to the Board of ACC to see what mechanism they can use to change the identified harmful practices we are still doing here in NZ.
Matt Doocey worked at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust and the Northern School of Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy as Assistant Director of Education and Training, not afaik in GIDS the service that was doing GA health care w young people
Molly – you and others may be interested that Doucey's work with Tavistock has been/is under discussion in the last 24 hours on "X" aka Twitter under a post by Stephen Franks (weka's tweet posted in her comment above is in this thread:)
"Have I missed the NZ journalist demands from Matt Doocey MP our most prominent local connection with Tavistock etc for his response to the Cass review? Surely it’s relevant that our Minister of Mental Health, and our Minister of Youth, was proud of being a former operative in what has been confirmed to be an unscientific and barbaric chop industry. Has he recanted? Pretty important in a country that has reportedly been using the life-ruining drugs even more than the UK. Our weak and Trudeau-trendy rulers voted unanimously for the ludicrous self-identification law. They voted their contempt for free speech with the ban on what Tavistock and its sinister collaborators branded ‘conversion therapy’. Are those who still don’t know what is a woman still controlling the puberty blocker drug spout?
Re questioning by some as to why Doucey is a National MP etc, Doucey is in fact part of the Carter family which includes David Carter, former Speaker of the House – his uncle. From Wikipedia:
Doucey's Wikipedia entry also records that his qualifications as follows (although note "citation needed")
Doocey worked in mental health and healthcare management in both New Zealand and the UK. He studied Counselling Psychology at Weltech, has a BSc (Hons) in Social Policy, an MA in Healthcare Management from Kingston University in London and an MSc in Global Politics from Birkbeck, University of London.[citation needed]
I'm heartened that the new Minister of Health (Reti) voted against the inclusion of gender identity in the "Conversion Practices" legislation. So if PATHA's review is predictably ideological, maybe he will quash it – if he doesn't, he will get a letter from me.
Public health expert and Otago University emeritus professor Charlotte Paul said Pharmac data showed New Zealand children aged 12 to 17 were being prescribed puberty blockers at *10 times the rate* as children in the UK.
Referral guidelines allowed for children as young as eight or nine to get blockers, she said.
I see red flag after red flag in that article. People still saying that PB are "safe and reversible". PATHA "not responding". Parent reports saying that PB made their kids mental health worse.
Incoming medical scandal. It will be bigger here because we always overdo stupid overseas trends to prove we're part of the world.
Apparently, PATHA was contracted to conduct and author the review…
"Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora, which was responsible for clinical care and guidance, had commissioned the Professional Association of Transgender Health Aotearoa (PATHA) to update the national guidelines and referral pathways for gender-affirming healthcare."
I look forward to a totally ideology-free and evidence-based review of the available evidence, and also hope that one day I will gain the ability to shoot laser beams out of my eyes and lightning bolts out of my arse.
One of these outcomes is considerably more likely than the other.
The findings of the review were deeply concerning. It concluded that clinical guidelines globally used to treat gender-questioning children and adolescents were crafted in violation of international standards for guideline development. These guidelines recommended medical interventions for minors despite insufficient evidence, particularly regarding long-term treatment outcomes in adolescents. Additionally, they relied on other guidelines that recommended medical treatments as the basis for making similar recommendations.
PATHA – Professional Association for Transgender Health Aotearoa
references WPATH SOC8 in their guidelines:
"We recommend healthcare providers refer to the latest Standards of Care version 8 (SOC-8), released by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), for guidance for working with transgender children and adolescents.2"
– Page 5 Primary Care Gender Affirming Hormone Therapy Initiation Guidelines (2023 – Aotearoa New Zealand)
A small number of "scientists" (e.g. Jack Turban) publish garbage-tier statistically dubious work in journals where they either directly know the reviewers or editorial team or know their ideological stance.
That work gets picked up by the PATHAs of the world, further inflating the influence of said "scientists".. ("my work has been cited by International Bodies and used to create Important Guidelines!!")
The "scientists" on the basis of Being Used to Create Important Guidelines then publish further garbage-tier science, which then inflates their importance further, which lends them further credibility that the PATHAs of the world then cite to show that their guidelines are based on credible "science"
The "No debate" means that no contrary opinion ever enters the citation merry-go-round.
It's not the kind of merry-go-round that kids play on. It's the kind of merry-go-round that plays with kids.
"Endocrinologist Dr. Will Malone, who is one of several doctors raising the alarm on this issue, said, “It is misleading to state as fact that ‘puberty blockers are reversible’. No one knows if the physical and psychological impacts of halting normal puberty are reversible.” Research conducted by Dr. Malone and Dr. Michael Laidlaw found that after two years of pubertal suppression, up to a third of children aged 12 – 15 years old were found to have abnormally low bone density. Moreover, further research conducted by Dr. Michael Biggs found that after two years of ‘puberty blocking’ medications, bone density in a significant number of children “declined to a level that should trigger clinical concern”. In the study, Biggs cites an example of a patient at the Tavistock clinic who began taking endocrine disruptors at the age of 12 and experienced four broken bones by the age of 16."
For a shorter 6 min video expressing an overview of the concerns visit Gluck's Twitter post:
I agree, preaching to the converted but please keep on preaching.
What bugs me about all this is how obvious the problem is. So many politicos will be like "I'm so surprised! Nobody could have known! I trusted the science!" and that's because politicians consume science like they are at a salad bar. Yeah, I'll have the croutons, but not the coleslaw. Don't like the coleslaw. I'll pretend it does not exist.
Unfortunately Chloe Swarbrick is a prime example of this.
I enjoy the exchange of info here too, @That_guy, but also post knowing that there may be some who retain intellectual curiosity, and will start to look into the issue because others have posted some starting points to investigate.
It all just demonstrates that this is an ideology – a form of quasi religious belief which leads its "true believers" to defy any requirements that they feel are against their accepted dogma.
They have moved from "no debate" to obstruction, obfuscation and the abuse of power.
"Thousands of kids have been harmed by this ideology, along with many, many adults. Those of us who have been shunned, lost jobs, friends and reputations as a result of accusations of bigotry and transphobia are, of course, secondary victims. And as for those who have played it safe? Inevitably, they will now stay silent or pretend that the evidence of harm contained in the Cass Report is a shocking revelation. The truth, of course, is that the evidence has been there all along. To those new converts now pretending otherwise: we see you."
while you are doing that, I would encourage you to read the first hand accounts of detransitioners. They are the ones most badly damaged as young people. Let me know if you would like some links.
try this first hand account of medical/surgical transition and detransition from Ritchie/TullipR on twitter, written in 2022 when was 35. He started transitioning at 26. Not sure when he started detransitioning, maybe 3 years ago or longer.
I want to tell everyone what they took from us, what irreversible really means, and what that reality looks like for us. No one told me any of what I’m going to tell you now.
I have no sensation in my crotch region at all. You could stab me with a knife and I wouldn't know. The entire area is numb, like it's shell shocked and unable to comprehend what happened, even 4 years on.
I tore a sutra 4 days post recovery, they promised to address it, i begged them in emails to fix it, they scorned me instead. Years later, I have what looks like a chunk of missing flesh next to my neo-vagina, it literally looks like someone hacked at me. They still wont fix it
No one told me that the base area of your penis is left, it can't be removed – meaning you're left with a literal stump inside that twitches. When you take Testosterone and your libido returns, you wake up with morning wood, without the tree. I wish this was a joke
And if you do take testosterone after being post op, you run the risk of internal hair in the neo-vagina. Imagine dealing with internal hair growth after everything? What a choice… be healthy on Testosterone and a freak, or remain a sexless eunuch.
And thats something that will never come back and one of the reason why i got surgery. My sex drive died about 6 months on HRT and at the time I was glad to be rid of it, but now 10 years later, Im realising what im missing out on and what I won't get back.
Because even if i had a sex drive, my neo vagina is so narrow and small, i wouldn't even be able to have sex if i wanted too. And when I do use a small dilator, I have random pockets of sensation that only seem to pick up pain, rather than pleasure.
Any pleasure I do get comes from the Prostate that was moved forward and wrapped in glands from the penis, meaning anal sex isnt possible and can risk further damage.
Then theres the dreams. I dream often, that I have both sets of genitals, in the dream I'm distressed I have both, why both I think? I tell myself to wake up because I know its just a dream. And I awaken into a living nightmare.
In those moments of amnesia as I would wake, I would reach down to my crotch area expecting something that was there for 3 decades, and it's not. My heart skips a beat, every single damn time.
Then theres the act of going to the toilet. It takes me about 10 minutes to empty my bladder, it's extremely slow, painful and because it dribbles no matter how much i relax, it will then just go all over that entire area, leaving me soaken.
So after cleaning myself up, I will find moments later that my underwear is wet – no matter how much I wiped, it slowly drips out for the best part of an hour. I never knew at 35 I ran the risk like smelling like piss everywhere I went.
Now i get to the point where im detransitioned and the realisation that this is permanent is catching up with me. During transition, I was obsessive and deeply unwell, I cannot believe they were allowed to do this to me, even after all the red flags.
I wasn't even asked if I wanted to freeze sperm or want kids. In my obsessive, deeply unwell state they just nodded along and didnt tell me the realities, what life would be like.
And finally, theres dilation, which is like some sort of demonic ceremony where you impale yourself for 20 agonising minutes to remind you of your own stupidity.
This isn't even the half of it. And this isn't regret either, this is grief and anger. Fuck everyone who let this happen.
@Robert Guyton – A strange response. What do you think you are contributing here – other than a exposure of some of your less savoury personality traits?
visubversa, posted this: "Thousands of kids have been harmed by this ideology, along with many, many adults.".
weka's response – for those who have kept up with the discussion – identifies two well-funded organisations that completely failed at child safeguarding.
If you care about the iatrogenic harm that has been identified, and is still being facilitated in NZ via the same guidelines, then you could instead look into this further instead of playing schoolboy games while the grownups talk.
Response from InsideOut (the org that goes into schools etc to preach about being in the wrong bodyetc)
"We categorically reject any calls to restrict access to gender affirming care in Aotearoa, following the release of the Cass Review in the U.K. earlier this week.
The Cass Review is a biased, unethical, methodologically flawed and politically motivated review that disregards a strong evidence base in support of affirming models of trans healthcare. It ignores the consensus of major medical bodies around the world and lacks relevance in an Aotearoa context."
And more denialof NZ’s PATHA on the evidence in the Cass resport:
"In a written statement, PATHA president Jennifer Shields [NZ] said the Cass Review "ignores the consensus of major medical bodies around the world and lacks relevance in an Aotearoa context".
"The final Cass Review did not include trans or non-binary experts or clinicians experienced in providing gender affirming care in its decision-making, conclusions, or findings. Instead, a number of people involved in the review and the advisory group previously advocated for bans on gender affirming care in the United States, and have promoted non-affirming 'gender exploratory therapy', which is considered a conversion practice."
"Dr Cass is clear that standards in this field have been woefully subpar, with children given treatments that lacked any evidence base. This might be excused temporarily, given that this is a fast-developing field, but what is inexcusable is that there has been no attempt to build an evidence base, and indeed Dr Cass’s own attempts to build one were “thwarted” by the adult and child NHS gender services. The most important overarching point in her report is that the standard of care for gender-distressed children has fallen far short of what this vulnerable population needs and deserves. "
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David Farrar writes – Radio NZ reports: The Education Review Office says too many new teachers feel poorly prepared for their jobs. In a report published on Monday, the review office said 60 percent of the principals it interviewed said their new teachers were not ready. ...
New Zealand’s economic performance and the PM’s vision Michael Reddell writes – When I wrote yesterday morning’s post, highlighting how poorly both New Zealand and its Anglo peer countries have been doing in respect of productivity in recent times (ie, in the case of New ...
Hi all,Firstly - thank you! You guys are awesome. The response I’ve received to last night’s mail has been quite overwhelming. It’s a ghastly day outside, but there are no clouds in here.In case you didn’t read my email and are wondering what on earth I’m talking about you can ...
If there was still any doubt as to who is actually running this government – and it isn’t the buffoon from Botany – then this week’s announcement of a huge spend up on charter schools has settled the matter. While jobs and public services continue to be cut in the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Gaye Taylor As widespread drought raises expectations for a repeat of last year’s ferocious wildfire season, response teams across Canada are grappling with the rapidly changing face of fire in a warming climate. No longer quenched by winter, nor quelled by the ...
Half of Christchurch City Holdings Ltd’s directors and its chair resigned en masse last night in protest at Christchurch City Council’s demand to front-load dividends File Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The chair of Christchurch City Council’s investment company and four of its independent directors resigned in protest last ...
The University of Waikato has reworded an advertisement that begins the tender process for its new $300 million-plus medical school even though the Government still needs to approve it. However, even the reworded ad contains an architect’s visualisations of what the school might look like. ACT leader David Seymour told ...
As a follow-up to the Rings of Power trailer discussion, I thought I needed to add something. There has been some online mockery about the use of the same actor for both the Halbrand and Annatar incarnations of Sauron. The reasoning is that Halbrand with a shave and a new ...
This isn’t quite as dramatic as the title might suggest. I’m not going anywhere, but there is something I wanted to talk to you about.Let’s start with a typical day.Most days I send out a newsletter in the morning. If I’ve written a lot the previous evening it might be ...
Buzz from the Beehive The promise of tax relief loomed large in his considerations when the PM delivered a pre-Budget speech to the Auckland Business Chamber. The job back in Wellington is getting government spending back under control, he said, bandying figures which show that in per capita terms, the ...
Yesterday de facto Prime Minister David Seymour announced that his glove puppet government would be re-introducing charter schools, throwing $150 million at his pet quacks, donors and cronies and introducing an entire new government agency to oversee them (the existing Education Review Office, which actually knows how to review schools, ...
Seeing that, in order to discredit the figures and achieve moral superiority while attempting to deflect attention away from the military assault on Rafa, Israel supporters in NZ have seized on reports that casualty numbers in Gaza may be inflated … Continue reading → ...
Te Pāti Māori have launched a petition to stop the repeal of Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act. This announcement comes prior to the first reading of the Section 7AA repeal bill in Parliament today. “Section 7AA forces the Government to adhere to Te Tiriti o Waitangi with respect ...
The Government has yet again failed to do the one thing that needs to happen to ensure houses can be built – commit to ongoing funding, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Treasury officials have outlined many ways in which the Fast Track Approvals Bill is deeply flawed, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking says. ...
Green Party co-leaders Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick used this year's State of the Planet to call on the Government to prioritise people and planet as the delivery of the Budget approaches. A full transcript of their speeches can be found below. ...
Green Party co-leaders Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick have used their State of the Planet speeches to challenge the Government to prioritise people and planet over profit as the delivery of the Budget approaches. ...
The Government’s introduction of legislation that would enable landlords to end tenancies with no reason marks a dark day for the 1.4 million people who rent their home in Aotearoa. ...
The Minister for Mental Health has found the Suicide Prevention Office and mental health support for 111 calls slipping through his fingers, says Labour spokesperson for Mental Health Ingrid Leary. ...
Today’s justification from the Minister for Children for scrapping protections for our tamariki was either a case of ignorance or deliberate deception. ...
The Green Party says the Government’s misguided policy on gangs will fail, following the announcement of the establishment of a national gang unit and district gang disruption units to target gang activities. ...
“With Police pay negotiations still unresolved after six months in Government, Mark Mitchell has today rolled the Commissioner out for a rebrand of their approach to gang crime,” Labour police spokesperson Ginny Andersen said. ...
The Government bringing back 50 charter schools will not increase achievement and is a distraction from the core mission of the education system, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Te Pāti Māori is showing extreme concern over the Environment Select Committees adoption of a lucky dip draw to determine hearings for the Fast Track Approvals bill. Of the 27,000 submissions, 2,900 requested to present. All organisations will be heard; however, the remaining 2,350 submitters will be subject to a ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Kia ora koutou, good morning, and zao shang hao. Thank you Fran for the opportunity to speak at the 2024 China Business Summit – it’s great to be here today. I’d also like to acknowledge: Simon Bridges - CEO of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. His Excellency Ambassador - Wang ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed a New Zealand Government plane will head to New Caledonia in the next hour in the first in a series of proposed flights to begin bringing New Zealanders home. “New Zealanders in New Caledonia have faced a challenging few days - and bringing ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed a New Zealand Government plane will head to New Caledonia in the next hour in the first in a series of proposed flights to begin bringing New Zealanders home. “New Zealanders in New Caledonia have faced a challenging few days - and bringing them ...
The Coalition Government will introduce legislation this year that will enable roadside drug testing as part of our commitment to improve road safety and restore law and order, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Alcohol and drugs are the number one contributing factor in fatal road crashes in New Zealand. In ...
The Government has announced a series of immediate actions in response to the independent review of Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “Kāinga Ora is a large and important Crown entity, with assets of $45 billion and over $2.5 billion of expenditure each year. It ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour is pleased that Pseudoephedrine can now be purchased by the general public to protect them from winter illness, after the coalition government worked swiftly to change the law and oversaw a fast approval process by Medsafe. “Pharmacies are now putting the medicines back on their ...
Tēnā koutou katoa. Da jia hao. Good morning everyone. Prime Minister Luxon, your excellency, a great friend of New Zealand and my friend Ambassador Wang, Mayor of what he tells me is the best city in New Zealand, Wayne Brown, the highly respected Fran O’Sullivan, Champion of the Auckland business ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced that the Government will make it easier for lines firms to take action to remove vegetation from obstructing local powerlines. The change will ensure greater security of electricity supply in local communities, particularly during severe weather events. “Trees or parts of trees falling on ...
Wairarapa Moana ki Pouakani were the top winners at this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy awards recognising the best in Māori dairy farming. Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka announced the winners and congratulated runners-up, Whakatōhea Māori Trust Board, at an awards celebration also attended by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Finance Minister ...
"On the 27th of March, I sought assurances from the Chief Executive, Department of Internal Affairs, that the Department’s correct processes and policies had been followed in regards to a passport application which received media attention,” says Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden. “I raised my concerns after being ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins has announced the appointment of three new District Court Judges, to replace Judges who have recently retired. Peter James Davey of Auckland has been appointed a District Court Judge with a jury jurisdiction to be based at Whangarei. Mr Davey initially started work as a law clerk/solicitor with ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour is calling on the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) to put ideology to the side and focus on students’ learning, in reaction to the union holding paid teacher meetings across New Zealand about charter schools. “The PPTA is disrupting schools up and down the ...
Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly today announced the appointment of Craig Stobo as the new chair of the Financial Markets Authority (FMA). Mr Stobo takes over from Mark Todd, whose term expired at the end of April. Mr Stobo’s appointment is for a five-year term. “The FMA plays ...
Surf Life Saving New Zealand and Coastguard New Zealand will continue to be able to keep people safe in, on, and around the water following a funding boost of $63.644 million over four years, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. “Heading to the beach for ...
New Zealand and Tuvalu have reaffirmed their close relationship, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand is committed to working with Tuvalu on a shared vision of resilience, prosperity and security, in close concert with Australia,” says Mr Peters, who last visited Tuvalu in 2019. “It is my pleasure ...
New Zealand is gravely concerned about the situation in New Caledonia, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The escalating situation and violent protests in Nouméa are of serious concern across the Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “The immediate priority must be for all sides to take steps to de-escalate the ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met today with Samoa’s O le Ao o le Malo, Afioga Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, who is making a State Visit to New Zealand. “His Highness and I reflected on our two countries’ extensive community links, with Samoan–New Zealanders contributing to all areas of our national ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has announced that he has approved Waiheke Island ferry operator Island Direct to be eligible for SuperGold Card funding, paving the way for a commercial agreement to bring the operator into the scheme. “Island Direct started operating in November 2023, offering an additional option for people ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters today announced further sanctions on 28 individuals and 14 entities providing military and strategic support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Russia is directly supported by its military-industrial complex in its illegal aggression against Ukraine, attacking its sovereignty and territorial integrity. New Zealand condemns all entities and ...
A year on from the tragedy at Loafers Lodge, the Government is working hard to improve building fire safety, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “I want to share my sincere condolences with the families and friends of the victims on the anniversary of the tragic fire at Loafers ...
Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora and good afternoon, everyone. Thank you so much for having me here in the lead up to my Government’s first Budget. Before I get started can I acknowledge: Simon Bridges – Auckland Business Chamber CEO. Steve Jurkovich – Kiwibank CEO. Kids born ...
New Zealand and Vanuatu will enhance collaboration on issues of mutual interest, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “It is important to return to Port Vila this week with a broad, high-level political delegation which demonstrates our deep commitment to New Zealand’s relationship with Vanuatu,” Mr Peters says. “This ...
Minister for Land Information, Chris Penk will travel to Peru this week to represent New Zealand at a meeting of trade ministers from the Asia-Pacific region on behalf of Trade Minister Todd McClay. The annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade meeting will be held on 17-18 May ...
Minister of Education Erica Stanford will head to the United Kingdom this week to participate in the 22nd Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) and the 2024 Education World Forum (EWF). “I am looking forward to sharing this Government’s education priorities, such as introducing a knowledge-rich curriculum, implementing an evidence-based ...
Minister of Education Erica Stanford has today thanked outgoing New Zealand Qualifications Authority Chair, Hon Tracey Martin. “Tracey Martin tendered her resignation late last month in order to take up a new role,” Ms Stanford says. Ms Martin will relinquish the role of Chair on 10 May and current Deputy ...
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and President Emmanuel Macron of France today announced a new non-governmental organisation, the Christchurch Call Foundation, to coordinate the Christchurch Call’s work to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online. This change gives effect to the outcomes of the November 2023 Call Leaders’ Summit, ...
Distinguished public servant and former diplomat Sir Maarten Wevers will lead the independent review into the disability support services administered by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. The review was announced by Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston a fortnight ago to examine what could be done to strengthen the ...
Today’s announcement by Police Commissioner Andrew Coster of a National Gang Unit and district Gang Disruption Units will help deliver on the coalition Government’s pledge to restore law and order and crack down on criminal gangs, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. “The National Gang Unit and Gang Disruption Units will ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today expressed regret at North Korea’s aggressive rhetoric towards New Zealand and its international partners. “New Zealand proudly stands with the international community in upholding the rules-based order through its monitoring and surveillance deployments, which it has been regularly doing alongside partners since 2018,” Mr ...
Air Vice-Marshal Tony Davies MNZM is the new Chief of Defence Force, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. The Chief of Defence Force commands the Navy, Army and Air Force and is the principal military advisor to the Defence Minister and other Ministers with relevant portfolio responsibilities in the defence ...
Legislation to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act has been introduced to Parliament. The Bill’s introduction reaffirms the Coalition Government’s commitment to the safety of children in care, says Minister for Children, Karen Chhour. “While section 7AA was introduced with good intentions, it creates a conflict for Oranga ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins will this week travel to the UK and Italy to meet with her defence counterparts, and to attend Battles of Cassino commemorations. “I am humbled to be able to represent the New Zealand Government in Italy at the commemorations for the 80th anniversary of what was ...
The upcoming Budget will include funding for up to 50 charter schools to help lift declining educational performance, Associate Education Minister David Seymour announced today. $153 million in new funding will be provided over four years to establish and operate up to 15 new charter schools and convert 35 state ...
“The results of the public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has now been received, with results indicating over 13,000 submissions were made from members of the public,” Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “We heard feedback about the extended lockdowns in ...
Foreign Minister, Defence Minister, other Members of Parliament Acting Chief of Defence Force, Secretary of Defence Distinguished Guests Defence and Diplomatic Colleagues Ladies and Gentlemen, Good afternoon, tēna koutou, apinun tru It’s a pleasure to be back in Port Moresby today, and to speak here at the Kumul Leadership ...
Health, infrastructure, renewable energy, and stability are among the themes of the current visit to Papua New Guinea by a New Zealand political delegation, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Papua New Guinea carries serious weight in the Pacific, and New Zealand deeply values our relationship with it,” Mr Peters ...
The coalition Government is launching Roads of Regional Significance to sit alongside Roads of National Significance as part of its plan to deliver priority roading projects across the country, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The Roads of National Significance (RoNS) built by the previous National Government are some of New Zealand’s ...
A high-level New Zealand political delegation in Honiara today congratulated the new Government of Solomon Islands, led by Jeremiah Manele, on taking office. “We are privileged to meet the new Prime Minister and members of his Cabinet during his government’s first ten days in office,” Deputy Prime Minister and ...
New Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Maguire, Associate Professor in Human Rights and International Law, University of Newcastle The request by Karim Khan, chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), for arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders is a significant step in the effort to ...
RNZ Pacific A New Zealand author, journalist and media educator who has covered the Asia-Pacific region since the 1970s says liberation “must come” for Kanaky/New Caledonia. Professor David Robie sailed on board Greenpeace’s flagship Rainbow Warrior until it was bombed by French secret agents in New Zealand in July 1985 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Renwick, Professor of Agricultural Economics, Lincoln University, New Zealand Fonterra caught the business world by surprise last week with plans to sell off its consumer brands and businesses – including supermarket mainstays such as Anchor, Fresh’n Fruity and Mainland. The move ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Small, Senior lecturer, Above the Bar School of Educational Studies and Leadership, University of Canterbury With an air force plane on its way to rescue New Zealanders stranded by the violent uprising in New Caledonia, many familiar with the island’s history ...
A New Zealand government plane is heading to New Caledonia to assist with bringing New Zealanders home. Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters today confirmed it was the first in a series of proposed flights. Peters said the flight would carry around 50 passengers with the most pressing needs from Nouméa ...
Regional councils must focus on building meaningful and enduring relationships with iwi and hapū to support better freshwater management, says the Auditor-General in a new report. ...
Chris Glaudel, Deputy Chief Executive of Community Housing Aotearoa, sees the announcement as a step towards addressing New Zealand’s high and rising levels of homelessness by improving our approach and system to delivering affordable homes. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ali Mamouri, Research fellow, Middle East studies, Deakin University The death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash this week occurred during one of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s most challenging periods. Raisi, a prominent figure in the political elite, ...
The end of universal flu shot funding for under-12s is a step backwards for New Zealand child health, say experts from the University of Auckland and the University of Otago. New Zealand’s decision to no longer offer free influenza vaccines for all children under 12 will likely wipe out recent ...
The PSA is taking action to force the Ministry of Education to comply with its legal obligations to do everything it can to find other roles for staff it is laying off because of the Government’s spending cuts. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrea Waling, Senior Lecturer & Research Fellow, Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University Netflix There has been much excitement in the lead up to the first four episodes of Bridgerton’s season three, featuring leading couple Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa De Bortoli, Senior Research Fellow, Australian Council for Educational Research Taylor Flowe/Unsplash, CC BY Australian teenagers have more disruptive maths classrooms and experience bullying at greater levels than the OECD average, a new report shows. But in better news, Australian ...
Poet, editor and former bookseller Jane Arthur’s debut children’s novel Brown Bird is the story of a shy, self-conscious 11-year-old – partly based on her childhood self – venturing out of her quiet comfort zone. Children’s books are close to my heart because mostly I believe that adults are rings ...
Peter Jackson is bringing Lord of the Rings back to Wellington, producing two new Gollum films in Wellington. Madeleine Chapman (Gollum) argues with Madeleine Chapman (Smeagol) about it. First of all, I can’t believe we’re even having this conversation. Of course it’s great news!I don’t know, it gives me ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a part-time media librarian and superannuitant explains how he spends and saves. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here.Gender: Male Age: 65 Ethnicity: EuropeanRole: Media librarian ...
The Government’s Environmental Select Committee is refusing to engage meaningfully when it matters the most over new fast tracking environmental legislation, says Ngāti Ruanui. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Marsh, Senior Research Fellow in Public Health, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Christoph Soeder/dpa New Zealand’s decision to no longer offer free influenza vaccines for all children under 12 will likely wipe out recent gains in uptake. And it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexis Anja Kallio, Deputy Director (Research), Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University Many young people in contact with the justice system come from backgrounds of extreme poverty, parental abuse or neglect, parental incarceration and disrupted education. These complex traumas often manifest as addictions ...
The agency was found to be underperforming and ‘not financially viable’, explains Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A damning report A government-ordered ...
Asia Pacific Report For more than 76 years, Palestinians have resisted occupation, dispossession and ethnic cleansing, culminating in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. Yet in the midst of this catastrophic seven months of “hell on earth”, it is a paradox that there exists an extraordinary oasis of peace and nature. ...
You’ll never set foot in one. But its emissions still effect you. Shanti Mathias reports on a campaign to make private jet owners pay for their emissions in some way. The private jet passengers saunter down the red carpet, wearing sunglasses and heels; paparazzi cameras flash. The sky is blue, ...
Quality teachers back on the front line can only be a good thing. One of the difficult things we teach in senior English classes at secondary school is the development of an idea. This involves deepening your argument, without instead “going sideways” and merely adding examples while repeating the same ...
It’s 2011 and I am 43 years old. My partner, Christine, and I got together when I was 36. We had been friends for about 10 years before that. One of the first things I asked Christine was whether she wanted to have kids. I had just come out of ...
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Opinion: As an indication of the eye-watering sums involved for the mega-prison plans announced two weeks ago by Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell, consider that $932 million has already been spent on a separate facility due to open at Waikeria next year – that’s about $1.5 million for each of the ...
Opinion: People with certain types of health conditions are more likely than others to have their symptoms dismissed, minimised or disbelieved. These conditions are diagnosed based on the patient self-report of symptoms, where there is no definitive diagnostic test that can prove the existence of disease or demonstrate structural or ...
The intensity of it, ironically, can feel like bullying. Social media activism is reaching something of a peak with the war in Gaza, using the hashtag Blockout2024. It started at this year’s MetGala when influencer and model Haley Kalil was caught on video muttering ‘let them eat cake’ – suddenly ...
New Caledonia’s Tontouta International Airport remains closed, and Air New Zealand’s next scheduled flight is on Saturday — although it is not ruling out adding extra services. Air NZ’s Captain David Morgan said on Monday evening flights would only resume when they were assured of the security of the airport ...
Asia Pacific Report As Israel drives the Palestinians deeper into another Nakba in Gaza with its assault on Rafah, the Palestine Youth Aotearoa (PYA) and solidarity supporters in Aotearoa New Zealand tonight commemorated the original Nakba — “the Catastrophe” — of 1948. The 1948 Nakba . . . more than ...
Young people on the streets in New Caledonia are saying they will “never give up” pushing back against France’s hold on the Pacific territory, a Kanak journalist in Nouméa says. Pro-independence Radio Djiido’s Andre Qaeze told RNZ Pacific young people had said that “Paris must respect us” and what had ...
This episode of A View from Afar podcast was recorded live from 12:45pm May 20, 2024 (NZST). Political scientist Paul Buchanan and Selwyn Manning examine: The United States and how the world is engaging with it geopolitically.Specifically, Paul and Selwyn analyse what has changed in this regard in ...
Analysis - Power is not being abused, but it is not being well managed either. New Zealand democracy, unique and currently brittle, should be handled with greater care, Alexander Gillespie writes. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Lindenmayer, Professor, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University Forest Conservation Victoria, CC BY-NC-ND Victoria’s native forest logging industry ended on January 1 this year. The news was met with jubilation from conservationists. But did logging really ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Crosby, Professor, Monash University Rose Marinelli/ShutterstockThis article is part two of The Conversation’s “Business Basics” series where we ask leading experts to discuss key concepts in business, economics and finance. How governments should manage their budgets, and how ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicole George, Associate Professor in Peace and Conflict Studies, The University of Queensland On Sunday afternoon, Australian citizens who have been trapped in New Caledonia were called to a meeting at one of the large hotels in the capital, Noumea. The ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hannah Soong, Senior Lecturer and Socio-cultural researcher, UniSA Education Futures, University of South Australia International students have come under fire from both sides of federal politics in the past week. The Albanese government introduced legislation to parliament last Thursday to put ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jake Renzella, Lecturer, Director of Studies (Computer Science), UNSW Sydney An example of shrimp Jesus.Shutterstock AI Generator If you search “shrimp Jesus” on Facebook, you might encounter dozens of images of artificial intelligence (AI) generated crustaceans meshed in various forms with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joshua McLeod, Lecturer in Sport Management, Deakin University Being a sport administrator comes with many perks, so it’s no surprise many want to stay in their positions as long as possible. Recently, a trend has emerged whereby leaders in sport are seeking ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lauren Ball, Professor of Community Health and Wellbeing, The University of Queensland Joyisjoyful/Shutterstock If you buy your olive oil in bulk, you’ve likely been in for a shock in recent weeks. Major supermarkets have been selling olive oil for up to ...
A conversation with artist and home cook Prairie Hatchard-McGill, aka @cacioeprairie. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. A few weeks ago, I spotted Prairie strolling down Ponsonby Road at sunset, a bunch of celery tucked under her arm. She was too far away for me ...
The Haka Challenge invites anyone to learn and record the Ka Mate haka as performed by the All Blacks, to show their support for "the South Pacific's greatest truth teller". ...
At the Christchurch rally in support of Palestine, he started his hunger strike and vowed to continue until the government stops supporting Israel’s genocide in Gaza. ...
With Nouméa reeling as mainly young, politically active Kanak people take to the streets and protest, a spirit that has been dormant since the 1980s has awoken. Tāmaki Makaurau-based Kanak Joseph Xulué provides some context.As reports continue to emphasise the fires burning through the streets of Nouméa (the capital ...
James, you will be missed.
totally. More than most.
James, he will be missed, a man of integrity and well informed on the things he stood for. Wishing him well in his next chapter
I credit j.shaw with getting the green party to where it is now..
..having the credibility to be within biting distance of labour..and being a credible opposition voice..in their own right..and ready for power..
I have said previously that shaw has been playing a long game..in building that credibility/trust..and I stand by that..
He was the right person for that time/role..and he succeeded in that/his task…
Much respect to him…
The final Cass Report was released yesterday. Four years in the making, it's a damning indictment of the affirmation only model of health care for children with gender dysphoria in the UK's GIDS clinic.
A lot of commentary and complexities in what Hillary Cass has revealed. This one stands out and should make people pause and think about what has really been going on.
It's previously been reported that GIDS refused to share data with the initial work Cass did, then it turns out that they hadn't actually been collecting it. That's the data that would have showed if their treatment model, including puberty blockers was working. Once the Cass review got up and running, this happened,
https://twitter.com/simonjedge/status/1778000213149377015
https://twitter.com/simonjedge/status/1777983256224210993
From the Guardian piece,
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/apr/10/children-are-being-used-as-a-football-hilary-cass-on-her-review-of-gender-identity-services
that's a medical scandal in its own right.
And yet the NZ parliament has recently passed legislation that is likely to criminalize any parents or medical professionals who are unwilling to endorse medicalization of a child's gender dysphoria, because that would be "conversion therapy". Jacinda Ardern herself acknowledged that such prosecutions could happen under the new legislation.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2021/08/prime-minister-jacinda-ardern-doesn-t-rule-out-parents-facing-charges-under-conversion-therapy-ban.html
Every single Labour, Green and Maaori Party MP voted for this legislation, as did "libertarian" David Seymour, who apparently believed that a 13-yr old girl can give informed consent to life-changing and irreversible procedures.
According to this article below, Te Whatu Ora "commissioned the Professional Association of Transgender Health Aotearoa (PATHA) to update the national guidelines and referral pathways for gender-affirming healthcare." If that's true, it's cause for great concern. Why did Te Whatu Ora commission an activist body to guide clinical practice? The article itself is rather poor journalism, in that it fails to challenge PATHA's misleading claim that the Cass Review "ignores the consensus of major medical bodies around the world and lacks relevance in an Aotearoa context". Is PATHA really unaware that Sweden and France have also recently halted the uncritical application of "gender-affirming care" (such as Orwellian term)? And what exactly is meant by "an Aotearoan context"?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/514044/ministry-of-health-taking-the-time-to-get-it-right-on-puberty-blockers
NZ has a much higher rate of prescribing PBs than the UK I think.
the scandal will reach here eventually. But as Visubversa says below, we will go through a lot of denial and blocking first.
Most of the National MPs also voted for the bill.
Yes, sadly I fear that Visubversa is right. I'm aware that most of the Nats also supported the bill – including all of their current front bench apart from Shane Reti. And unfortunately, two of the eight who had the courage to oppose the bill are no longer in parliament.
The one aspect of politicians that may work in favour, is their chameleon ability to change position as the political background changes.
Public awareness changes the political background.
What is required here is immense effort, and care must be taken to ensure those harmed by this medical treatment – have high-quality care and support delivered to them.
As substantive – and harder to dismiss – evidence comes to public awareness, insurance companies may play a big part in stopping harmful procedures as they will not insure doctors or surgeons, or pay for treatments via health insurance.
Does anyone know if NZ doctors carry a liability insurance, or is this completely covered by ACC?
If so, asking ACC what their exposure is may be worth investigating.
Molly I think this document sheds some light on your question:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://nzmii.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NZMP-INF002-C2-Doctor-in-Training-Fact-Sheet-03.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjBk5H5l7uFAxUdjGMGHTorDT8QFnoECBIQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2FUI0mFrlFlzxRwD2iWay8
It sounds like ACC will shield doctors from most (but not all) of the damage here in NZ. Whereas in Australia, where they don't have ACC, one insurance company has recently dropped coverage for doctors who carry out "gender affirming care":
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-13/qld-medical-insurer-drops-cover-private-doctors-gender-dysphoria/102592298
Thank you, Dolomedes III.
Then I might get on with a letter to Minister for ACC, Hon Matt Doocey, and an OIA for Dr Tracey Batten as Chair and David Hunt as Deputy Chair to the Board of ACC to see what mechanism they can use to change the identified harmful practices we are still doing here in NZ.
(On the list for the weekend…)
Matt Doocey worked at the Tavistock and is proud of it.
Likely you already knew that but there it is.
Ah yes, one of the "liberal" Nats.
Worked at the Trust as an educator, we don't know if he worked in the GIDS clinic itself.
@Dolomedes Erica Stanford is just as bad.
https://twitter.com/wekatweets/status/1778281731847766182
(in the interests of accuracy).
No, I did not. Thank you for that information.
@weka
Thanks for the link
Matt Doocey's own words, in Hansard:
"I used to work for the Tavistock Clinic in London."
https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/document/51HansS_20150506_00001648/doocey-matt-social-security-clothing-allowances-for
I am not sure he is qualified to work in the GIDS clinic itself, his qualifications seem to be in political science mostly.
Molly – you and others may be interested that Doucey's work with Tavistock has been/is under discussion in the last 24 hours on "X" aka Twitter under a post by Stephen Franks (weka's tweet posted in her comment above is in this thread:)
https://twitter.com/franks_lawyer
Re questioning by some as to why Doucey is a National MP etc, Doucey is in fact part of the Carter family which includes David Carter, former Speaker of the House – his uncle. From Wikipedia:
Doucey's Wikipedia entry also records that his qualifications as follows (although note "citation needed")
To answer Frank's question about journos I suspect most of them have drink the Koo Aid too and don't see anything to question.
some will be wanting to keep their careers too.
I'm heartened that the new Minister of Health (Reti) voted against the inclusion of gender identity in the "Conversion Practices" legislation. So if PATHA's review is predictably ideological, maybe he will quash it – if he doesn't, he will get a letter from me.
Thank you Molly for those heartening words of wisdom.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2024/04/government-won-t-say-if-it-will-follow-britain-s-move-to-ban-routine-use-of-puberty-blockers.html
I see red flag after red flag in that article. People still saying that PB are "safe and reversible". PATHA "not responding". Parent reports saying that PB made their kids mental health worse.
Incoming medical scandal. It will be bigger here because we always overdo stupid overseas trends to prove we're part of the world.
The "review" of puberty blockers initiated by the outgoing government – is due out next week:
https://www.health.govt.nz/news-media/news-items/mental-health-and-wellbeing-inform-evidence-brief-puberty-blockers
Apparently, PATHA was contracted to conduct and author the review…
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/514044/ministry-of-health-taking-the-time-to-get-it-right-on-puberty-blockers
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
I look forward to a totally ideology-free and evidence-based review of the available evidence, and also hope that one day I will gain the ability to shoot laser beams out of my eyes and lightning bolts out of my arse.
One of these outcomes is considerably more likely than the other.
Christina Buttons has just posted an article about the circular "citation cartel" when it comes to referencing for "affirmation only" healthcare.
Worth the read, which clearly identifies what many have previously understood and tried to draw attention to.
https://www.buttonslives.news/p/new-systematic-review-exposes-deceptive
PATHA – Professional Association for Transgender Health Aotearoa
references WPATH SOC8 in their guidelines:
– Page 5 Primary Care Gender Affirming Hormone Therapy Initiation Guidelines (2023 – Aotearoa New Zealand)
https://patha.nz/Guidelines
A small number of "scientists" (e.g. Jack Turban) publish garbage-tier statistically dubious work in journals where they either directly know the reviewers or editorial team or know their ideological stance.
That work gets picked up by the PATHAs of the world, further inflating the influence of said "scientists".. ("my work has been cited by International Bodies and used to create Important Guidelines!!")
The "scientists" on the basis of Being Used to Create Important Guidelines then publish further garbage-tier science, which then inflates their importance further, which lends them further credibility that the PATHAs of the world then cite to show that their guidelines are based on credible "science"
The "No debate" means that no contrary opinion ever enters the citation merry-go-round.
It's not the kind of merry-go-round that kids play on. It's the kind of merry-go-round that plays with kids.
The evidence of harm has been around for decades, but ignored.
Genevieve Gluck posted this in 2021, linking to news stories from 2001:
https://genevievegluck.substack.com/p/puberty-blockers-and-the-medical
For a shorter 6 min video expressing an overview of the concerns visit Gluck's Twitter post:
https://x.com/WomenReadWomen/status/1644332569641762816
I agree, preaching to the converted but please keep on preaching.
What bugs me about all this is how obvious the problem is. So many politicos will be like "I'm so surprised! Nobody could have known! I trusted the science!" and that's because politicians consume science like they are at a salad bar. Yeah, I'll have the croutons, but not the coleslaw. Don't like the coleslaw. I'll pretend it does not exist.
Unfortunately Chloe Swarbrick is a prime example of this.
I enjoy the exchange of info here too, @That_guy, but also post knowing that there may be some who retain intellectual curiosity, and will start to look into the issue because others have posted some starting points to investigate.
Forever the optimist…
It all just demonstrates that this is an ideology – a form of quasi religious belief which leads its "true believers" to defy any requirements that they feel are against their accepted dogma.
They have moved from "no debate" to obstruction, obfuscation and the abuse of power.
Ducking for cover.
https://unherd.com/2024/04/the-cass-reports-cowardly-converts/
"Thousands of kids have been harmed by this ideology, along with many, many adults. Those of us who have been shunned, lost jobs, friends and reputations as a result of accusations of bigotry and transphobia are, of course, secondary victims. And as for those who have played it safe? Inevitably, they will now stay silent or pretend that the evidence of harm contained in the Cass Report is a shocking revelation. The truth, of course, is that the evidence has been there all along. To those new converts now pretending otherwise: we see you."
reverse ferret from Stonewall apparently. Also Mermaids doing some substantial spin.
Visubversa cites ducks, weka; ferrets and mermaids.
And it's not yet 9.
wait until you get your head around what is really going on. Then you too can choose which side you are on, or if you want to swap sides.
Swap sides?
Now?
I could end up on the wrong side!
🙂
that doesn’t seem to have bothered you so far 😛
I'm maintaining a watching brief.
while you are doing that, I would encourage you to read the first hand accounts of detransitioners. They are the ones most badly damaged as young people. Let me know if you would like some links.
I already read Unherd 🙂
try this first hand account of medical/surgical transition and detransition from Ritchie/TullipR on twitter, written in 2022 when was 35. He started transitioning at 26. Not sure when he started detransitioning, maybe 3 years ago or longer.
https://twitter.com/TullipR/status/1536422533230206976
Thanks (I think), weka.
That is some grim reading.
These are the real casualties in this culture war.
Like others, I trust the PTB wake up to the harmful ideological mindsets at play here.
@Robert Guyton – A strange response. What do you think you are contributing here – other than a exposure of some of your less savoury personality traits?
visubversa, posted this: "Thousands of kids have been harmed by this ideology, along with many, many adults.".
weka's response – for those who have kept up with the discussion – identifies two well-funded organisations that completely failed at child safeguarding.
If you care about the iatrogenic harm that has been identified, and is still being facilitated in NZ via the same guidelines, then you could instead look into this further instead of playing schoolboy games while the grownups talk.
Molly, myob.
Bob, fyoa.
"Bob"
Bobdobalina, Mr Bob Dobalina?
This issue should concern all the adults in NZ, Robert.
You're either one of them, or you are not.
Response from InsideOut (the org that goes into schools etc to preach about being in the wrong bodyetc)
"We categorically reject any calls to restrict access to gender affirming care in Aotearoa, following the release of the Cass Review in the U.K. earlier this week.
The Cass Review is a biased, unethical, methodologically flawed and politically motivated review that disregards a strong evidence base in support of affirming models of trans healthcare. It ignores the consensus of major medical bodies around the world and lacks relevance in an Aotearoa context."
(words in bold done by myself)
https://www.facebook.com/insideoutkoaro/posts/pfbid0VSjpfJxxiUNs3ACmH4N9gtG8vsejEbvQVkqcU2LGWMNnwyJMNSvxo9zURHvp7vSZl
And more denialof NZ’s PATHA on the evidence in the Cass resport:
"In a written statement, PATHA president Jennifer Shields [NZ] said the Cass Review "ignores the consensus of major medical bodies around the world and lacks relevance in an Aotearoa context".
"The final Cass Review did not include trans or non-binary experts or clinicians experienced in providing gender affirming care in its decision-making, conclusions, or findings. Instead, a number of people involved in the review and the advisory group previously advocated for bans on gender affirming care in the United States, and have promoted non-affirming 'gender exploratory therapy', which is considered a conversion practice."
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/514044/ministry-of-health-taking-the-time-to-get-it-right-on-puberty-blockers
From the Cass report
"Dr Cass is clear that standards in this field have been woefully subpar, with children given treatments that lacked any evidence base. This might be excused temporarily, given that this is a fast-developing field, but what is inexcusable is that there has been no attempt to build an evidence base, and indeed Dr Cass’s own attempts to build one were “thwarted” by the adult and child NHS gender services. The most important overarching point in her report is that the standard of care for gender-distressed children has fallen far short of what this vulnerable population needs and deserves. "
https://sex-matters.org/posts/updates/the-cass-review-is-a-damning-indictment-of-what-the-nhs-has-been-doing-to-children/
InsideOUT are partly funded by Te Whatu Ora and Ministry of Youth Development
https://insideout.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/InsideOUT-Annual-Report-2021-22.pdf
Such is the extent of activist capture of NZ institutions.
Hush Robert, the adults are talking
Nothing dismissive and arrogant about that, gsays!
Good times!
Test
Either you ain't weka or weka's changed their icon
that was me not logged in. Trying to test the cursor bug in the desktop version on the phone.
Infiltrator! I see you!
sneaky weka 😁