Daily review 12/05/2021
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5:30 pm, May 12th, 2021 - 43 comments
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Daily review is also your post.
This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day.
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- Cameron Slater’s Creepy Fixation On Jacinda Ardern
Has anybody else noticed Cameron Slater still obsessing over Jacinda Ardern? The disgraced Whale Oil blogger seems to have made it his life’s mission to shadow the former Prime Minister of New Zealand like some unhinged stalker lurking in the digital bushes.The man’s obsession with Ardern isn't just unhealthy...it’s downright ...4 hours ago - Fact brief – Is climate change a net benefit for society?
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is climate change a net benefit for society? Human-caused climate change has been a net detriment to society as measured by loss of ...14 hours ago - National’s Water Done Well Will Cost Ratepayers More
When the National Party hastily announced its “Local Water Done Well” policy, they touted it as the great saviour of New Zealand’s crumbling water infrastructure. But as time goes by it's looking more and more like a planning and fiscal lame duck...and one that’s going to cost ratepayers far more ...18 hours ago
- Trump’s Tariff Tantrum Is Causing Economic Chaos
Donald Trump, the orange-hued oligarch, is back at it again, wielding tariffs like a mob boss swinging a lead pipe. His latest economic edict; slapping hefty tariffs on imports from China, Mexico, and Canada, has the stench of a protectionist shakedown, cooked up in the fevered minds of his sycophantic ...1 day ago
- The ‘China’ challenge: now a multi-generational test for Australian strategy
In the week of Australia’s 3 May election, ASPI will release Agenda for Change 2025: preparedness and resilience in an uncertain world, a report promoting public debate and understanding on issues of strategic importance to ...1 day ago - White Rabbit
One pill makes you largerAnd one pill makes you smallAnd the ones that mother gives youDon't do anything at allGo ask AliceWhen she's ten feet tallSongwriter: Grace Wing Slick.Morena, all, and a happy Bicycle Day to you.Today is an unofficial celebration of the dawning of the psychedelic era, commemorating the ...1 day ago - Why Has The World Forgotten About Hollywood?
It’s only been a few months since the Hollywood fires tore through Los Angeles, leaving a trail of devastation, numerous deaths, over 10,000 homes reduced to rubble, and a once glorious film industry on its knees. The Palisades and Eaton fires, fueled by climate-driven dry winds, didn’t just burn houses; ...1 day ago
- Viennese Refugees Who Changed the Way We Think
Four eighty-year-old books which are still vitally relevant today. Between 1942 and 1945, four refugees from Vienna each published a ground-breaking – seminal – book.* They left their country after Austria was taken over by fascists in 1934 and by Nazi Germany in 1938. Previously they had lived in ‘Red ...2 days ago - Disputationes adversus astrologiam divinatricem, by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1496): A Complete...
Good Friday, 18th April, 2025: I can at last unveil the Secret Non-Fiction Project. The first complete Latin-to-English translation of Giovanni Pico della Mirandola’s twelve-book Disputationes adversus astrologiam divinatricem (Disputations Against Divinatory Astrology). Amounting to some 174,000 words, total. Some context is probably in order. Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463-1494) ...2 days ago - Hamish Campbell Lied About His Links With Two By Twos Cult
National MP Hamish Campbell's pathetic attempt to downplay his deep ties to and involvement in the Two by Twos...a secretive religious sect under FBI and NZ Police investigation for child sexual abuse...isn’t just a misstep; it’s a calculated lie that insults the intelligence of every Kiwi voter.Campbell’s claim of being ...2 days ago
- Is Shane Jones The Most Corrupt Politician in New Zealand?
New Zealand First’s Shane Jones has long styled himself as the “Prince of the Provinces,” a champion of regional development and economic growth. But beneath the bluster lies a troubling pattern of behaviour that reeks of cronyism and corruption, undermining the very democracy he claims to serve. Recent revelations and ...2 days ago
- Good Friday
Give me one reason to stay hereAnd I'll turn right back aroundGive me one reason to stay hereAnd I'll turn right back aroundSaid I don't want to leave you lonelyYou got to make me change my mindSongwriters: Tracy Chapman.Morena, and Happy Easter, whether that means to you. Hot cross buns, ...2 days ago - Luxon Turns A Blind Eye to Homelessness
New Zealand’s housing crisis is a sad indictment on the failures of right wing neoliberalism, and the National Party, under Chris Luxon’s shaky leadership, is trying to simply ignore it. The numbers don’t lie: Census data from 2023 revealed 112,496 Kiwis were severely housing deprived...couch-surfing, car-sleeping, or roughing it on ...2 days ago
- The Hoon around the week to April 18
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: on a global survey of over 3,000 economists and scientists showing a significant divide in views on green growth; and ...2 days ago - Simeon Brown Has Caused The Doctor’s Strike
Simeon Brown, the National Party’s poster child for hubris, consistently over-promises and under-delivers. His track record...marked by policy flip-flops and a dismissive attitude toward expert advice, reveals a politician driven by personal ambition rather than evidence. From transport to health, Brown’s focus seems fixed on protecting National's image, not addressing ...2 days ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16 2025
Open access notables Recent intensified riverine CO2 emission across the Northern Hemisphere permafrost region, Mu et al., Nature Communications: Global warming causes permafrost thawing, transferring large amounts of soil carbon into rivers, which inevitably accelerates riverine CO2 release. However, temporally and spatially explicit variations of riverine CO2 emissions remain unclear, limiting the ...3 days ago
- Whatever Happened to Cactus Kate?
Once a venomous thorn in New Zealand’s blogosphere, Cathy Odgers, aka Cactus Kate, has slunk into the shadows, her once-sharp quills dulled by the fallout of Dirty Politics.The dishonest attack-blogger, alongside her vile accomplices such as Cameron Slater, were key players in the National Party’s sordid smear campaigns, exposed by Nicky ...3 days ago
- Sovereign capability can benefit Australia—up to a point
Once upon a time, not so long ago, those who talked of Australian sovereign capability, especially in the technology sector, were generally considered an amusing group of eccentrics. After all, technology ecosystems are global and ...3 days ago
- David Seymour’s Charter School Rort
The ACT Party leader’s latest pet project is bleeding taxpayers dry, with $10 million funneled into seven charter schools for just 215 students. That’s a jaw-dropping $46,500 per student, compared to roughly $9,000 per head in state schools.You’d think Seymour would’ve learned from the last charter school fiasco, but apparently, ...3 days ago
- Flexibility and awareness will help India deal with Trump (again)
India navigated relations with the United States quite skilfully during the first Trump administration, better than many other US allies did. Doing so a second time will be more difficult, but India’s strategic awareness and ...3 days ago
- Inflation data confirms real terms minimum wage cut
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi is concerned for low-income workers given new data released by Stats NZ that shows inflation was 2.5% for the year to March 2025, rising from 2.2% in December last year. “The prices of things that people can’t avoid are rising – meaning inflation is rising ...3 days ago - Climate Change: Kicking the can down the road again
Last week, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment recommended that forestry be removed from the Emissions Trading Scheme. Its an unfortunate but necessary move, required to prevent the ETS's total collapse in a decade or so. So naturally, National has told him to fuck off, and that they won't be ...3 days ago - The Spirit for Australia: why Canberra should pursue the B-2 bomber
China’s recent naval circumnavigation of Australia has highlighted a pressing need to defend Australia’s air and sea approaches more effectively. Potent as nuclear submarines are, the first Australian boats under AUKUS are at least seven ...3 days ago
- A bit more unpicking of RB spending and the Funding Agreement
In yesterday’s post I tried to present the Reserve Bank Funding Agreement for 2025-30, as approved by the Minister of Finance and the Bank’s Board, in the context of the previous agreement, and the variation to that agreement signed up to by Grant Robertson a few weeks before the last ...3 days ago - A successful COP31 needs Pacific countries at the table
Australia’s bid to co-host the 31st international climate negotiations (COP31) with Pacific island countries in late 2026 is directly in our national interest. But success will require consultation with the Pacific. For that reason, no ...3 days ago
- Brown unveils unfunded health plan for small NZ
Old and outdated buildings being demolished at Wellington Hospital in 2018. The new infrastructure being funded today will not be sufficient for future population size and some will not be built by 2035. File photo: Lynn GrievesonLong stories short from our political economy on Thursday, April 17:Simeon Brown has unveiled ...3 days ago - Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace
The introduction of AI in workplaces can create significant health and safety risks for workers (such as intensification of work, and extreme surveillance) which can significantly impact workers’ mental and physical wellbeing. It is critical that unions and workers are involved in any decision to introduce AI so that ...3 days ago
- NZ Must Undertake a Peacekeeping Role in Trump’s Wars
Donald Trump’s return to the White House and aggressive posturing is undermining global diplomacy, and New Zealand must stand firm in rejecting his reckless, fascist-driven policies that are dragging the world toward chaos.As a nation with a proud history of peacekeeping and principled foreign policy, we should limit our role ...3 days ago
- Donald Trump’s first three months: rude, raucous and rogue
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- Gordon Campbell On The Left’s Electability Crisis, And The Abundance Ecotopia
There are any number of reasons why anyone thinking of heading to the United States for a holiday should think twice. They would be giving their money to a totalitarian state where political dissenters are being rounded up and imprisoned here and here, where universities are having their funds for ...3 days ago - Taiwan: the sponge that soaks up Chinese power
Taiwan has an inadvertent, rarely acknowledged role in global affairs: it’s a kind of sponge, soaking up much of China’s political, military and diplomatic efforts. Taiwan soaks up Chinese power of persuasion and coercion that ...4 days ago
- Women in combat roles strengthen our defence force
The Ukraine war has been called the bloodiest conflict since World War II. As of July 2024, 10,000 women were serving in frontline combat roles. Try telling them—from the safety of an Australian lounge room—they ...4 days ago
- China targets Canada’s election—and may be targeting Australia’s
Following Canadian authorities’ discovery of a Chinese information operation targeting their country’s election, Australians, too, should beware such risks. In fact, there are already signs that Beijing is interfering in campaigning for the Australian election ...4 days ago
- Climate Adam: Climate Scientist Reacts to Elon Musk
This video includes personal musings and 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). From "founder" of Tesla and the OG rocket man with SpaceX, and rebranding twitter as X, Musk has ...4 days ago
- Rattus Interneticus: Otago’s Internet Saga
Back in February 2024, a rat infestation attracted a fair few headlines in the South Dunedin Countdown supermarket. Today, the rats struck again. They took out the Otago-Southland region’s internet connection. https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360656230/internet-outage-hits-otago-and-southland Strictly, it was just a coincidence – rats decided to gnaw through one fibre cable, while some hapless ...4 days ago - Spin (and obfuscation)
I came in this morning after doing some chores and looked quickly at Twitter before unpacking the groceries. Someone was retweeting a Radio NZ story with the headline “Reserve Bank’s budget to be slashed by 25%”. Wow, I thought, the Minister of Finance has really delivered this time. And then ...4 days ago
- Little’s pitch
So, having teased it last week, Andrew Little has announced he will run for mayor of Wellington. On RNZ, he's saying its all about services - "fixing the pipes, making public transport cheaper, investing in parks, swimming pools and libraries, and developing more housing". Meanwhile, to the readers of the ...4 days ago
- Our Rough Beast.
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?W.B. Yeats, The Second Coming, 1921ALL OVER THE WORLD, devout Christians will be reaching for their bibles, reading and re-reading Revelation 13:16-17. For the benefit of all you non-Christians out there, these are the verses describing ...4 days ago - What does India Want? What is New Zealand willing to give?
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- President Trump is redefining America’s international role, and Australia has influence
In the week of Australia’s 3 May election, ASPI will release Agenda for Change 2025: preparedness and resilience in an uncertain world, a report promoting public debate and understanding on issues of strategic importance to ...4 days ago
- Simeon Brown Gaslights Doctors
Yesterday, 5,500 senior doctors across Aotearoa New Zealand voted overwhelmingly to strike for a day.This is the first time in New Zealand ASMS members have taken strike action for 24 hours.They are asking the government to fund them and account for resource shortfalls.Vacancies are critical - 45-50% in some regions.The ...4 days ago - ACT’s “Tough on Crime” Facade Crumbles with Jago’s Appeal
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- Judith Collins’ Hypocrisy: War Drums Over Welfare
Judith Collins is a seasoned master at political hypocrisy. As New Zealand’s Defence Minister, she's recently been banging the war drum, announcing a jaw-dropping $12 billion boost to the defence budget over the next four years, all while the coalition of chaos cries poor over housing, health, and education.Apparently, there’s ...4 days ago
- Making the most of it
I’m on the London Overground watching what the phones people are holding are doing to their faces: The man-bun guy who could not be less impressed by what he's seeing but cannot stop reading; the woman who's impatient for a response; the one who’s frowning; the one who’s puzzled; the ...4 days ago - Maranga Ake
You don't have no prescriptionYou don't have to take no pillsYou don't have no prescriptionAnd baby don't have to take no pillsIf you come to see meDoctor Brown will cure your ills.Songwriters: Waymon Glasco.Dr Luxon. Image: David and Grok.First, they came for the Bottom FeedersAnd I did not speak outBecause ...4 days ago - Bernard’s Dawn Chorus & Pick ‘n’ Mix for Wednesday, April 16
The Health Minister says the striking doctors already “well remunerated,” and are “walking away from” and “hurting” their patients. File photo: Lynn GrievesonLong stories short from our political economy on Wednesday, April 16:Simeon Brown has attacked1 doctors striking for more than a 1.5% pay rise as already “well remunerated,” even ...4 days ago - Strengthening Australia’s space cooperation with South Korea
The time is ripe for Australia and South Korea to strengthen cooperation in space, through embarking on joint projects and initiatives that offer practical outcomes for both countries. This is the finding of a new ...4 days ago
- They Can Only Talk About One Thing
Hi,When Trump raised tariffs against China to 145%, he destined many small businesses to annihilation. The Daily podcast captured the mass chaos by zooming in and talking to one person, Beth Benike, a small-business owner who will likely lose her home very soon.She pointed out that no, she wasn’t surprised ...4 days ago - National’s Inflation Shame: Kiwis Pay the Price
National’s handling of inflation and the cost-of-living crisis is an utter shambles and a gutless betrayal of every Kiwi scraping by. The Coalition of Chaos Ministers strut around preaching about how effective their policies are, but really all they're doing is perpetuating a cruel and sick joke of undelivered promises, ...4 days ago
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Most people wouldn't have heard of a little worm like Rhys Williams, a so-called businessman and former NZ First member, who has recently been unmasked as the venomous troll behind a relentless online campaign targeting Green Party MP Benjamin Doyle.According to reports, Williams has been slinging mud at Doyle under ...5 days ago
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Illustration credit: Jonathan McHugh (New Statesman)The other day, a subscriber said they were unsubscribing because they needed “some good news”.I empathised. Don’t we all.I skimmed a NZME article about the impacts of tariffs this morning with analysis from Kiwibank’s Jarrod Kerr. Kerr, their Chief Economist, suggested another recession is the ...5 days ago - US allies must band together in weapons development
Let’s assume, as prudence demands we assume, that the United States will not at any predictable time go back to being its old, reliable self. This means its allies must be prepared indefinitely to lean ...5 days ago
- I’ve been reading
Over the last three rather tumultuous US trade policy weeks, I’ve read these four books. I started with Irwin (whose book had sat on my pile for years, consulted from time to time but not read) in a week of lots of flights and hanging around airports/hotels, and then one ...5 days ago
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- Winston is inciting terrorism
That's the conclusion of a report into security risks against Green MP Benjamin Doyle, in the wake of Winston Peters' waging a homophobic hate-campaign against them: GRC’s report said a “hostility network” of politicians, commentators, conspiracy theorists, alternative media outlets and those opposed to the rainbow community had produced ...5 days ago
- Winston is inciting terrorism
That's the conclusion of a report into security risks against Green MP Benjamin Doyle, in the wake of Winston Peters' waging a homophobic hate-campaign against them: GRC’s report said a “hostility network” of politicians, commentators, conspiracy theorists, alternative media outlets and those opposed to the rainbow community had produced ...5 days ago
- Why has Hamish Campbell Gone Into Hiding?
National Party MP Hamish Campbell’s ties to the secretive Two By Twos "church" raises serious questions that are not being answered. This shadowy group, currently being investigated by the FBI for numerous cases of child abuse, hides behind a facade of faith while Campbell dodges scrutiny, claiming it’s a “private ...5 days ago
- Why has Hamish Campbell Gone Into Hiding?
National Party MP Hamish Campbell’s ties to the secretive Two By Twos "church" raises serious questions that are not being answered. This shadowy group, currently being investigated by the FBI for numerous cases of child abuse, hides behind a facade of faith while Campbell dodges scrutiny, claiming it’s a “private ...5 days ago
- The Government is cutting, just as the economic recovery is stalling
The economy is not doing what it was supposed to when PM Christopher Luxon said in January it was ‘going for growth.’ Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short from our political economy on Tuesday, April 15:New Zealand’s economic recovery is stalling, according to business surveys, retail spending and ...5 days ago - For a safer Symonds Street
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NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff has published an opinion piece which makes the case for a different approach to economic development, as proposed in the CTU’s Aotearoa Reimagined programme. The number of people studying to become teachers has jumped after several years of low enrolment. The coalition has directed Health New ...5 days ago
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The growth of China’s AI industry gives it great influence over emerging technologies. That creates security risks for countries using those technologies. So, Australia must foster its own domestic AI industry to protect its interests. ...5 days ago
- Luxon’s Economic Mismanagement
Unfortunately we have another National Party government in power at the moment, and as a consequence, another economic dumpster fire taking hold. Inflation’s hurting Kiwis, and instead of providing relief, National is fiddling while wallets burn.Prime Minister Chris Luxon's response is a tired remix of tax cuts for the rich ...5 days ago
- Girls and Boys
Girls who are boys who like boys to be girlsWho do boys like they're girls, who do girls like they're boysAlways should be someone you really loveSongwriters: Damon Albarn / Graham Leslie Coxon / Alexander Rowntree David / Alexander James Steven.Last month, I wrote about the Birds and Bees being ...5 days ago - Australia can learn from Britain on cyber governance
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- Gordon Campbell On Why The US Stands To Lose The Tariff Wars
Deputy PM Winston Peters likes nothing more than to portray himself as the only wise old head while everyone else is losing theirs. Yet this time, his “old master” routine isn’t working. What global trade is experiencing is more than the usual swings and roundabouts of market sentiment. President Donald ...5 days ago
- Why is there no progress in Ukrainian war peace talks?
President Trump’s hopes of ending the war in Ukraine seemed more driven by ego than realistic analysis. Professor Vladimir Brovkin’s latest video above highlights the internal conflicts within the USA, Russia, Europe, and Ukraine, which are currently hindering peace talks and clarity. Brovkin pointed out major contradictions within ...6 days ago - Ani O’Brien has Zero Credibility
In the cesspool that is often New Zealand’s online political discourse, few figures wield their influence as destructively as Ani O’Brien. Masquerading as a champion of free speech and women’s rights, O’Brien’s campaigns are a masterclass in bad faith, built on a foundation of lies, selective outrage, and a knack ...6 days ago
- Australian policy does need more Asia—more Southeast Asia
The international challenge confronting Australia today is unparalleled, at least since the 1940s. It requires what the late Brendan Sargeant, a defence analyst, called strategic imagination. We need more than shrewd economic manoeuvring and a ...6 days ago
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- Bookshelf: How China sees things
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- The Mirage of Chris Luxon’s Pre-Election Promises
The New Zealand National Party has long mastered the art of crafting messaging that resonates with a large number of desperate, often white middle-class, voters. From their 2023 campaign mantra of “getting our country back on track” to promises of economic revival, safer streets, and better education, their rhetoric paints ...6 days ago
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It is almost six weeks since the shock announcement early on the afternoon of Wednesday 5 March that the Governor of the Reserve Bank, Adrian Orr, was resigning effective 31 March, and that in fact he had already left and an acting Governor was already in place. Orr had been ...6 days ago
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- Release: Boot camps blog post fails to provide clarity
After stonewalling requests for information on boot camps, the Government has now offered up a blog post right before Easter weekend rather than provide clarity on the pilot. ...3 days ago - Release: Inflation rises and families feel the squeeze
Inflation is rising again and it’s landing hardest on families already stretched thin. ...3 days ago
- Release: Govt doesn’t know how to fund new hospitals
The Government’s health infrastructure plan is big on promises but coy on where the money is coming from. ...4 days ago
- Release: $10 million for only 215 students in charter schools
David Seymour is pouring $10 million into charter schools that only have 215 students enrolled. ...4 days ago
- Release: Food prices further stretching the family budget
Families already stretched by rising costs will struggle with the news food prices are going up again. ...5 days ago
- Release: Mental health staff and patients at risk without plan
More people could be harmed if Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey does not guarantee to protect patients and workers as the Police withdraw from supporting mental health call outs. ...6 days ago
- Release: Driver licensing proposal doesn’t put safety first
The Government’s proposal to change driver licensing rules is a mixed bag of sensible and careless. ...6 days ago
- Release: Students struggling as Govt sits on hands
The Government is continuing to sit on its hands as students struggle to pay rent due to delays with StudyLink. ...1 week ago
- Release: More must be done to stop children going hungry
More children are going hungry and statistics showing children in material hardship continue to get worse. ...1 week ago
- Greens continue to call for Pacific Visa Waiver
The Green Party recognises the extension of visa allowances for our Pacific whānau as a step in the right direction but continues to call for a Pacific Visa Waiver. ...1 week ago - More children going hungry under Coalition govt
The Government yesterday released its annual child poverty statistics, and by its own admission, more tamariki across Aotearoa are now living in material hardship. ...1 week ago
- Release: Longer wait for treatment under National
New Zealanders have waited longer to get an appointment with a specialist and to get elective surgery under the National Government. ...1 week ago
- Ka mate te Pire- Ka ora te mana o Te Tiriti o Waitangi me te iwi Māori
Today, Te Pāti Māori join the motu in celebration as the Treaty Principles Bill is voted down at its second reading. “From the beginning, this Bill was never welcome in this House,” said Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader, Rawiri Waititi. “Our response to the first reading was one of protest: protesting ...1 week ago
- Chris Hipkins speech: Treaty Principles Bill second reading
Normally, when I rise in this House to speak on a bill, I say it's a great privilege to speak on the bill. That is not the case today. ...1 week ago
- Release: End to the Treaty Principles Bill, but challenges remain ahead for Aotearoa
Ka mate te pire I te rā neiThe bill dies today ...1 week ago
- Ka mate te Pire, ka ora Te Tiriti o Waitangi – Treaty Principles Bill dead, Te Tiriti o Waitangi m...
The Green Party is proud to have voted down the Coalition Government’s Treaty Principles Bill, an archaic piece of legislation that sought to attack the nation’s founding agreement. ...1 week ago
- Member’s Bill an opportunity for climate action
A Member’s Bill in the name of Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter which aims to stop coal mining, the Crown Minerals (Prohibition of Mining) Amendment Bill, has been pulled from Parliament’s ‘biscuit tin’ today. ...1 week ago
- Release: Bill to make trading laws fairer passes first hurdle
Labour MP Kieran McAnulty’s Members Bill to make the law simpler and fairer for businesses operating on Easter, Anzac and Christmas Days has passed its first reading after a conscience vote in Parliament. ...1 week ago
- Release: Reserve Bank acts while Govt shrugs
Nicola Willis continues to sit on her hands amid a global economic crisis, leaving the Reserve Bank to act for New Zealanders who are worried about their jobs, mortgages, and KiwiSaver. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Property Law Amendment Bill pulled from ballot
A Bill to protect first home buyers and others from bad faith property vendors has been drawn from the Member’s Ballot. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: More children at risk of losing family connections
Karen Chhour is proposing to scrap Oranga Tamariki targets which aim to connect more children under state care with family and their culture. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: David Parker made a difference – Hipkins
The Labour Leader today acknowledged and celebrated David Parker’s 23-year contribution to the Labour Party and to Parliament. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: David Parker to step down from Parliament
Long-serving Labour MP and former Minister David Parker has today announced his intention to leave Parliament. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Flaws in Govt’s climate strategy will cost us money
The Government’s plan to achieve our climate goals falls short, and will cost New Zealanders money and jobs. ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party differing view on the Treaty Principles Bill
Read the Green Party's differing view on the Treaty Principles Bill, prepared by Tamatha Paul. ...2 weeks ago
- Te Pāti Māori Urges Governor-General to Block Repeal of 7AA
Today, the Oranga Tamariki (Repeal of Section 7AA) Amendment Bill has passed its third and final reading, but there is one more stage before it becomes law. The Governor-General must give their ‘Royal assent’ for any bill to become legally enforceable. This means that, even if a bill gets voted ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Abortion care quietly shelved amid staff shortage
Abortion care at Whakatāne Hospital has been quietly shelved, with patients told they will likely have to travel more than an hour to Tauranga to get the treatment they need. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Govt guts Kāinga Ora, third of workforce under axe
The gutting of Kāinga Ora shows public housing is not a priority for this Government as it removes a third of the roles at the housing agency. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Thousands of submissions excluded from Treaty Principles Bill report
Thousands of New Zealanders’ submissions are missing from the official parliamentary record because the National-dominated Justice Select Committee has rushed work on the Treaty Principles Bill. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Uncertainty remains over the impact of tariffs
Today’s announcement of 10 percent tariffs for New Zealand goods entering the United States is disappointing for exporters and consumers alike, with the long-lasting impact on prices and inflation still unknown. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Worst February for building consents in over a decade
The National Government’s choices have contributed to a slow-down in the building sector, as thousands of people have lost their jobs in construction. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Labour supports Willie Apiata’s selfless act
Willie Apiata’s decision to hand over his Victoria Cross to the Minister for Veterans is a powerful and selfless act, made on behalf of all those who have served our country. ...3 weeks ago
- Te Pāti Māori MPs Denied Fundamental Rights in Privileges Committee Hearing
The Privileges Committee has denied fundamental rights to Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, Rawiri Waititi and Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, breaching their own standing orders, breaching principles of natural justice, and highlighting systemic prejudice and discrimination within our parliamentary processes. The three MPs were summoned to the privileges committee following their performance of a haka ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Govt health and safety changes put workers at risk
Changes to New Zealand’s health and safety laws will strip back key protections for small businesses and put working Kiwis at greater risk. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Kiwis worse off this April thanks to Govt choices
April 1 used to be a day when workers could count on a pay rise with stronger support for those doing it tough, but that’s not the case under this Government. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Three more years for Interislander ferries
Winston Peters is shopping for smaller ferries after Nicola Willis torpedoed the original deal, which would have delivered new rail enabled ferries next year. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Myanmar junta must stop the airstrikes
The Government should work with other countries to press the Myanmar military regime to stop its bombing campaign especially while the country recovers from the devastating earthquake. ...3 weeks ago
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I am a nomad…I live/travel around in the tiniest of tiny homes..a small vintage (mid-fifties) caravan…
in this I have all I need/want…and I hafta say..I can wax eloquent on how much I love this life I am living..
as an indicator of the delights I experience on a daily/ongoing basis..since Xmas I have worn shoes/socks about 10 times..that's 'cos I stay in places where I don't need to wear shoes…beautiful places..a rolling roster of nz nature beauty..Tonite I have 270 degree seaviews..
but I am here to comment on this proposed crackdown on freedom campers..
and I would like to note that in the last few years I have been living this life here on the frontline I have seen not one freedom camper..foreign or local..abuse/pollute where they/we stay..all of them respecting…I have seen no toilet paper etc.
and as for those locals…many/most of them are homeless/low-paid workers..living in tents/vans/station wagons/cars…unable to afford rents in this poverty-blighted country..
I have never seen any of these homeless locals abusing/polluting our environment..
from what I see/experience this whole freedom camping moral panic is built on the back of anecdotal/historical evidence..nothing more..and the screams of the privileged..moaning that the very presence of freedom campers spoils their view/world..(and/well..fuck them..I say..)
and is nothing more than a punch down on those doing it the hardest..from this tory in labour drag..nash..and this 'kind/caring' labour government..
maybe these homeless..if barred from their only refuges by this poxy proposed legislation..maybe they should go and camp outside parliament..eh..?
and if nash success in this exercise in poor-bashing..I will put my hand up to help make that occupation happen…and I will be there with them..
the unthinking cruelty of this proposed crackdown ..to the weakest/poorest…makes my fucken blood boil…
and it must be stopped..
And the filthy fuckers who climb the fence to unleash their bowels in my yard and the first I know of it is when the damn dogs roll in their excrement and tramp it through the house?
Some days I can't take the dogs to the beach because of the piles of reeking excrement in the dunes and the shitty bog paper flying like a flag from the lupins, FFS.
Fuck 'em.
who's doing that Joe? Down south it used to mostly be the tourists travelling cheap in vans. I'm still seeing it a bit but not nearly as much.
So called freedom campers.
@ joe 90..
how do you know that..?
did you see them..?
how do you know it wasn't a drunken local..?
and you have been parroting that one for some time now..eh..?
c.f…'anecdotal/historical'..
q.e.d..
"'cos the 1960s had…"
Some days I can't take the kids to the beach because of all the pile of reeking dog excrement in the dunes and shoreline. And the off-leash beasts snarling and barking at children and wildlife FFS.
Fuck 'em.
Fuck 'em all, them come back alone !
Yeah, nah, it's real enough, the problems. A lot less now that the van tourists aren't dominating. Councils are useless from what I can tell, they just don't know what to do, mostly because of the $ signs in their eyes. I agree there's a whole layer of classism involved too. How many years into the housing crisis and they still haven't figured out how to support low income people living in mobile homes.
Glad you are out there having fun Phil. If you're still in barefeet, I'm guessing you're not down south, frosty toes now.
"Councils are useless from what I can tell, they just don't know what to do,"
Build more public toilets?
Wot forget now said..
the most obvious solution…
no need to further bash the poor…
Tried that.
Okato surfer Chris Wilkes said Paora Road, a well-known South Taranaki break, was overrun and the new freedom camping bylaw was not being policed.
The bylaw allows three self-contained vehicles there a night.
"Basically we have a carpark being used as a campground and we had about 28 vehicles here last night," he said.
"I tell them there's a campground just five minutes down the road. They can go down there and, for $5 a night, there's showers and toilets available so it's a much better option."
Mr Wilkes said most of the campers had been understanding and left, but others refused to budge. He took the registration numbers of those who stayed and later chained up the toilet.
"You've got a small toilet here that's not actually designed for the capacity … It's actually overflowing at the moment."
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/319668/freedom-campers-overrun-surf-spot
@ j 90..
news report from 2016.
c.f…'historical/anecdotal'
q.e.d..
Oh dear, that's awkward. lol
I'm a regular visitor to the Cape and the meagre facilities the local community can afford to supply are remain under pressure – no water, plastic everywhere and shit all over the shop. Also, the desecration, defilement and disrespect of local Iwi's sacred places and property continues and public access to several of the west coast's premier surf spots, Kumera patch, Arawhata, Puniho, Mangahume and Raglan's Indicators to name a few, has been lost.
speaking of people shitting in nature since forever..
how about those surfers..?..eh..?
It's called a fucking spade, Phillip.
funny story…I have never ever seen a surfer carrying a spade..
go figure..!
Petroleum jelly, hank of sash cord, baby's bath, a Burgess mat etc, etc.
But hey, it's likely too that you've no fucking idea what's in the boot of anyone's car.
so..we can gather from your comment..that when surfing..you shit in nature..but use a spade..so that makes it ok..?
have you thought of handing out plastic spades..to those who so offend you..
maybe a bucket of them at yr beach-side gate..?
If those dirty fuckers shitting all over the place near freedom camp sites isn't a problem, why is building more toilets "the most obvious solution…"?
+1
@ weka..
Upper waikato at the moment….very mild..
Hello Phillip, hope you are warm tonight. We did the motorhome life for 5 years.
We loved every minute and met great Kiwis with great stories. 2002 till 2007.
I have always believed Nash is a complete pillock. Cheers.
hello Patricia..
that is indeed one of the delights of this life..the many cool people you meet..
I also have a large very friendly dog..
he spurs many positive interactions..
and yep..I am warm..this caravan is brilliant..so well built..thick insulation..all varnished wood and yellow formica..and the body is raw aluminium…I effing luv it..
Yes Phillip and I bet you pick up rubbish and plant natives, as we did.
Can't beat the aluminium.
Are you a member of the NZMCA? We found the pops (park over properties) great and the parking properties they provided helpful for “Buzzing Along” Guess there are not too many free ones any more, and things have certainly changed after the outcry by some councils and MPs. Travel safely. Regards Trish and Norm
Chrs..
I don't plant natives….but yes to the rubbish thing..
No mca..yet..thinking about it..
Philip Ure – I agree with you about the crackdown on freedom camping, it's just nimbyism. 20 odd years travelling around NZ and I too haven't seen any freedom campers polluting our country, rivers or beaches. It's bullshit targeting low hanging fruit. There is human waste and toilet paper out there on the beaches and in the bushes that I reckon is coming from the locals, day trippers including children. I've seen a lot of nappies in the bush too. Freedom campers responsible? I don't think so.
Local users here are residents of one of the most troubled and deprived provincial communities in the country. Most can only dream of spending 20 odd years travelling around NZ.
@ j90..
the point you are attempting to make..?..is..?
joe90 – The Taranaki coast is my backyard and I'm an old surfer as well. Your comments don't ring true. Rocky Lefts/Graveyards (Paroa Rd) is always busy with surfers some who stay over. There is no campground within 5 mins of there. Is 90 how old you are?
I'm a little younger than Arch.
@ green bus..
chrs for yr input..
and 20 yrs ..?..I'm impressed…
have you written the book yet..?
My experience with living out of a vehicle for most of a year (a while back now) was that; with such a tiny home, you really planned what you had with you. I was more homeless than freedom camping (though I did once get a ticket for parking-up without a blue sticker, and managed to get the council to waive it on the basis of homelessness – which prompted WINZ to finally acknowledge my housing needs, because it made them look bad). Still, I always managed to find room for a sealable (old paint) bucket with me and some cleaning stuff which was an adequate toilet when necessary, though not often used.
Anyway, other vehicle-dwellers I talked to, usually had some backup plan (including spades – though I didn't ask everyone what they used). Because you can't always trust a place with toilets to be open (/functional) – even when a map says they exist. So, I would agree with GreenBus; that it is most likely to be unprepared daytrippers, especially those with children (who aren't the best at anticipating their bodies' needs), who are responsible for the fouling.
Cheers Forget now. I've lost count of popular places that don't have toilets and the bushes are messed up with human filth. They usually have many Motor Homes parked up. They all have toilets on board, why on earth would they squat behind a bush? Answer, they don't. It will be all the car loads of people many with children that gotta go somewhere. Seems logical to me. But the campers are blamed. I use a porta potti which is truly portable for any vehicle and can be emptied easily at any ordinary toilet as well as dump stations. I've never had to use my spade yet.
I do not know quite where to put this comment. As it was not far from the beehive.
I was in Wellington on Lambton Quay at 9 am this morning after having been up during the night chucking with a migraine. I had to get home as quick as I was able to on inter city. I attended a relatives graduation yesterday where Hipkins spoke.
The weather was cold and wet. I saw a number of people with cups out to take a donation, but it was the two people who appeared asleep in a shop door front, they were covered up and had a sign out saying they were refused emergency accommodation.
I was cold, sleep deprived and unwell but on my way home to a shower and warm bed to sleep. How the people in the doorway are going to get through the winter went through my mind. As well were there a night shelter a bed would have been a human right.
There is something seriously wrong that people cannot have a bed provided.
Wet hostels are required as well.
I thought that there had been a plan for a hostel for Wellington's homeless last year? Though not a wet one – but I thought at least it's a start. Any idea anyone what became of this practical and worthy plan?
The WCC are too engrossed in their own dysfunction to have provided a hostel.
Down the road at the Beehive no one there has taken leadership to ensure that people can access a night shelter.
I would have homes with a respectful coordinator for the homeless with complex needs. The coordinator would need to be fair and available to be a listening ear to build a trusting relationship and have first aid training.
I have spoken to homeless people and have been told living in one place reminds them of being in prison. People become stuck for many reasons.
I agree Treetop. And as life becomes more complex it drives us all nuts. I think that we are all becoming warped by the hegemony of the drivers in society. Which is part of that Wellington problem you mention.
The PTB are unable to concentrate on outcomes that are needed, because of so many different matters put forward that are basically window dressing or having to fit embedded systems to meet requirements that are not proving practical – like having no choice but to deal with businesses to carry out services to the public like buses. Having to talk up your city or town so that it can be called up to 'world class' defined by whom, one should ask, and also why?
This fits in with what you and Tiger Mountain have said on – https://thestandard.org.nz/guest-post-let-the-outrage-continue/#comment-1792664
Have you heard of korsakoff syndrome?
It is a dimentia due to alcoholism.
The reason for the night shelter going in Wellington is because long term accommodation is what the WCC are trying to do. If you have dimentia independent housing is probably not going to end well. Being able to go to a night shelter or a hostel (as a walk in) instead of being on the street at night is dignifying and able to be done.
The drug and alcohol act could be required to assess a person to avoid being beaten up, sexually assaulted, robbed or exposed to hypothermia.
Keeping in the line with the theme aimed against China, must mean that the Israelis are practicing Genocide against Palestinians, or does that brand you antisemitic.
Lip service only from the big Powers.
I guess a black hole is an astronomical object:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/442373/police-unconscious-bias-inquiry-not-necessary-says-national-party-s-judith-collins
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/collins-calls-for-police-discretion-in-taser-use/A4MAXNPKXOZ6UJU3XMDWMVZVE4/
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1461355720947779
Though for the last link, I'd be interested in reading more than the abstract – if someone here has a spare 29 pounds sterling equivalent to post some quotes?
As an epileptic, putting those electric-whips in the hands of uniformed bullies, simply terrified me then. Still does, a decade later.
Ugly victim blaming from Heather Duplicity Allan on the radio this afternoon. Says the race relations tensions are all Labour's fault, of course.
Imagine taking advice on such things from a South African!
A little history
https://michael-hudson.com/2021/04/the-honest-sector/