Daily review 18/10/2022

Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, October 18th, 2022 - 45 comments
Categories: Daily review - Tags:

Daily review is also your post.

This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Don’t forget to be kind to each other …

45 comments on “Daily review 18/10/2022 ”

  1. observer 2

    I hope Labour stare down Sharma, rather than playing along with his stunt.

    If/when he resigns (he hasn't yet) then choose the earliest possible date for the by-election (so this year), and boycott it. Don't get caught up in headless chicken punditry, focus on winning a year from now, which probably won't include Hamilton West anyway, so it doesn't matter.

    Of course people here on a political blog will say "no, they must stand, the by-election is so important", but the people of Hamilton won't give a damn. They are right.

    Treat Sharma with the contempt he deserves, and let National win on a 20% turnout. Chances are their candidate will provide embarrassing headlines for them anyway, as will Sharma.

    • Anne 2.1

      Of course the Nats will say "The Labour Party are cowards. Won't even stand a candidate." But Labour is going to lose the seat anyway. They can afford to turn their back on the whole shemozzle.

      My pick is the turnout would be an all time low. Labour voters will stay at home. Only the Nats and ACT will turn out in decent numbers. Nobody will be able to read anything in the result.

    • Muttonbird 2.2

      Well, he has resigned now.

      You can be sure National Party operatives (Chris Bishops's office) will have been in his ear for weeks upon weeks now, coaxing and coaching him to do exactly this.

      • observer 2.2.1

        I don't think the Speaker has received his letter of resignation yet. Presumably he will, but Sharma is so incompetent he probably thinks a statement on Facebook counts. It doesn't.

  2. SPC 3

    "Thus any system which removes the ability to name and recognise the female sex as a class is seen to serve the interest of patriarchal capitalism. If male and female cease to be labels that recognise a material reality, but instead identity markers that can be adopted by either sex, it becomes impossible for women to organise or be recognised as a sex class. This is what gender identity results in – a system of idealist individual liberalism, where material reality is subordinate to an individual’s claim of identity."

    Dave Hewitt

    https://voidifremoved.substack.com/p/identitarianism-is-not-left

    A classic case of poor use of language and a poor analysis in one.

    First, the confusion of the two different meanings of class.

    Second, the conflation with a contest over categorisation (here male and female) with capitalism and social and economic class politics. Presumably to claim only one side in the contest is "left wing". That is divide the left on the issue.

    class

    /klɑːs/

    noun

    1. a set or category of things having some property or attribute in common and differentiated from others by kind, type, or quality.

      "it has good accommodation for a hotel of this class"

      Similar: category grade rating classification group bracket set division kind sort type order variety genre brand species genus family generation breed strain denomination stamp ilk cast mould stripe

    2. a system of ordering society whereby people are divided into sets based on perceived social or economic status.

      "people who are socially disenfranchised by class"

    It's bad enough that people like Posie Parker/aka Kellie-Jay Keen a left wing activist for womens rights

    asserts that she does not call her herself a feminist because those that do support porn and prostitution (they in fact support women in whatever choices they make – just that they be empowered/have legal rights/are safe). This mischaracterisation of the position does nothing to build bridges with those "feminists" some of whom are on the same side on this issue. So why does she do it? It's obviously of a deliberate intent to conflate the issue of "identity" with porn and prostitution. The "theology" graduate student is of an agenda, to divide "left wing" women against each other on these issues.

    • Sabine 3.1

      and men will still not be part of that group, class, category, type, style, form, etc.

      Because men will have their own class, category, type, style, form, etc.

      Men will never be women. Women will never be men. No matter how many surgeries they have, how much hormones they down, and how often they proclaim their pronouns.

      people with birthing abilities will always oppressed and exploited on the function of their reproductive abilities, and it mattes not one bit if you call these people women, transmen or non binary. they are oppressed on the grounds of being able to gestate and birth a full blown human being. Men will contribute to that child by squirting semen, in a cup or in a vagina. And thus men – call them men, transwomen or non binary men – will always be the class – aided and abetted by some 'women, transmen, nonbinary, – that will exploit the female body that is the material reality of 'women'.

      As for feminists, I am not one. Have never professed to be one.
      I am what you might call a Merf.
      Male Exclusionary radical female.

      And i like so many Merfs are not keen on having dick in our changing/shower facilities in public sports centres, having dick locked up with women in prisons and 'fathering' or raping women into pregnancies, having men impersonate women in order to get jobs, or worse even become spokespersons of tampon or other female hygiene products, i mean what would men do with a tampon? Shove it up their arses? Hang about ladies toilets to offer them to young girls or women who may need one?
      And for those men that have castrated themselves in order to live their authentic lives, that still just makes them a eunuch presenting as an image of a stereotype of womanhood, their mind, their needs, their ideas are male, as you sadly can not amputate the mind as you can a dick.

      Posie Parker is a force and she is great. In fact she is an absolute Queen of a sort no man will ever be. They don't have then necessary brass ovaries and experience of being a women, a wife, a mother.

      but you do you.

      • SPC 3.1.1

        Whatever that was, it was not a response to my post.

        Male Exclusionary radical female.

        You do you, identity politics.

        It’s sad you see women as oppressed because they can give birth.

        I note the offence at those who would bring their male anatomy into womens spaces and yet still the slight at those transgender who undertake surgery.

  3. joe90 5

    Not too sure where cream cheese and water cracker fit in.

    One of my favorite words is lox,” says Gregory Guy, a professor of linguistics at New York University. There is hardly a more quintessential New York food than a lox bagel—a century-old popular appetizing store, Russ & Daughters, calls it “The Classic.” But Guy, who has lived in the city for the past 17 years, is passionate about lox for a different reason. “The pronunciation in the Proto-Indo-European was probably ‘lox,’ and that’s exactly how it is pronounced in modern English,” he says. “Then, it meant salmon, and now it specifically means ‘smoked salmon.’ It’s really cool that that word hasn’t changed its pronunciation at all in 8,000 years and still refers to a particular fish.”

    https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-english-word-that-hasn-t-changed-in-sound-or-meaning-in-8-000-years

  4. arkie 6

    Protests remain the easiest ways to hold the government to account on it’s action, or inaction, around climate change and the environment. Turns out that’s because there is seemingly no long term thinking.

    The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Simon Upton, has released a report on the country’s environmental reporting, research and investment.

    It found environmental data was fragmented, relying on contributions from different organisations for different purposes and using different methodologies.

    One of the key difficulties in current reporting was that environmental problems often lacked a simple link between cause and effect or, in some cases, there was a complete lack of data.

    “For a country that is so heavily reliant on the biophysical world to make a living, it is remarkable what we do not know,” Upton said.

    For example, there was no reliable data to know how much water was being taken from rivers, lakes, and aquifers.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/476910/concern-over-value-for-money-of-govt-s-2b-annual-spend-on-environment

    This lack of accountability across the Government and ministries isn’t surprising when, for example, we have a Department of Conservation that is onside with luxury developers:

    The native kororā, or little blue penguins, have been spotted at Kennedy Point marina searching for somewhere safe to make their home.

    Massey University’s kororā biologist professor John Cockrem is concerned about their wellbeing.

    He said the construction activities at Pūtiki Bay were having adverse effects on kororā.

    “Once it became apparent how many penguins live in the rock wall, at that point it was very clear that Pūtiki Bay is not an appropriate place for a marina.”

    Prof Cockrem said it was an offence to knowingly disturb native wildlife.

    “The construction activities are doing exactly that, they are knowingly disturbing and having adverse affects on the penguins.”

    Department of Conservation acting director Helen Neale said they would investigate if evidence of disturbance was provided.

    So far, Neale said there had been no evidence of significant disturbance to kororā.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/468683/waiheke-island-marina-construction-harming-nesting-efforts-of-little-blue-penguins-expert-says

    #ProtectPūtiki and Ngāti Pāoa are still protesting this consent and the harm this marina construction is causing. They also have a petition: https://our.actionstation.org.nz/petitions/protectputiki

  5. SPC 7

    The Scottish Greens have suspended ties with the Green Party of England and Wales after members raised concerns about transphobia.

    A motion to suspend the formal association was submitted at the Scottish Greens conference in Dundee.

    On Sunday, the motion was passed following a vote by party members, with the suspension taking immediate effect.

    It will remain in place until both issues of transphobia and respect for the Scottish Green party and its independence are resolved, the motion indicated.

    https://news.stv.tv/politics/scottish-greens-suspend-ties-with-green-party-of-england-and-wales

    • Dear Lord. Climate emergency anyone?
      While shivering in unheated houses, inundated by rising sea levels, and battered by climate-driven storms – at least they'll be using their pronouns correctly.

      • Muttonbird 7.1.1

        Green parties all over the world are about more than climate change alone. They must after all have policy positions on a wide range of issues or else they will be seen as single issue parties. I note that this is exactly what you attempt with your comment, to box back the Greens to just the one issue.

        • Incognito 7.1.1.1

          Everybody with even a modicum of understanding of the Green Party knows about its four pillars.

        • Belladonna 7.1.1.2

          A matter of relative priorities.
          There is a climate emergency.
          I don't believe that anyone has proclaimed a transgender emergency.

          The art of politics is to work effectively with allies – even when you don't agree with the whole of their platform. To find common ground.

          For the Scottish Greens to cut ties with a party with which they share the majority of their polices in common, over a small difference – is the marker of a party seeking electoral irrelevance.

          • Muttonbird 7.1.1.2.1

            Clearly it is not a small difference. The Scottish Greens are not happy with some apparent Transphobic rhetoric from the much more conservative England and Wales Greens.

            It's a stand which they feel is important but for some they are way outside their lane…

  6. joe90 8

    How TF do you go from a tilt at a presidential nomination on issues that included health, big pharma and insurance sector reforms, justice, drug laws and the private prison industry reforms, financial reforms including holding big banks and their executives accountable, climate change and pollution to supporting fascist Republicans?

    Not hard I guess if you've always been an opportunist fraud.

    /

    https://twitter.com/EricCortellessa/status/1582178259693096961

    • Sabine 8.1

      She not for going to war with Russia and dropping pre-emptively some nukes.

      remainder: The us has a track record for dropping nukes and attacking foreign countries in which they have interests that they want to protect pre-emptively and i would like to point to success stories such as Iraq and Afghanistan.

      So she left the Democratic party last week, and laid out her reasoning quite eloquently. and is now an independent that can do and campaign for whomever she sees fit.

      But i guess, leaving the democratic party is now verboten?

      • Joe90 8.1.1

        Gabbard volunteered to join America's pre-emptive war to change Iraq's regime. She's also a bigoted, homophobic opportunist who supports Hinduvata's fascism and assorted murderous despots.

        http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1505/27/wolf.02.html

        • SPC 8.1.1.1

          REP. TULSI GABBARD, (D), HAWAII: Well, the first thing we need to be doing is make sure that the primary recipient of our support through arms, weapons, equipment, intelligence, training, needs to go to the Kurds and to the Sunni tribes. These are proven trusted partners that we have worked with in the past successfully to defeat al Qaeda. We need to work with them as our troops on the ground now in this fight against ISIS in Iraq. We need to step up our airstrike campaign and make sure we're dealing these decisive blows against ISIS in a very targeted way to stop the momentum they have been building. As they capture more territory and capture more ground, this just goes to add to their ability to recruit more fighters, to show that they're actually winning in this battle. We need to make sure that we put stop to that. And we need to make sure we stop of continuing this failed policy of supporting and propping up this central government in Baghdad, this fantasy, really, of a one unified country of Iraq and support this three-state solution of empowering the Sunni tribes, the Kurds and Shiites, each of them having three autonomous territories rather than continue what we've seen really has failed for so long

          It's just a statement of fact (as applied in 2015), though Iran supported Shia militias also played a part in the defeat of Islamic State.

          And on Iraq she was on point, that country was 3 provinces under the Ottomans for a reason.

          Today Iraq holds elections, but cannot form governments.

  7. Poission 9

    National party continues with Trussonomic liberterian bullshit.

    https://twitter.com/business/status/1582242339527221248?cxt=HHwWgIDTwcrBoPUrAAAA

    The dual mandate (like the fed) for monetary stability (inflation targeting) and employment ( credit lines availability to banks and non banking entities such as insurance and pension) ensure international flows of capital outside of the political sphere.This is an important part of the independence of institutions,outside of the risk of political corruption.

    The RBNZ did make a forced error (admitted) by delaying first,then halving the rate increase after the large inflation prints sept 2021 but was constrained by the AK covid spread.

  8. joe90 10

    Her name is Elnaz Rekabi. The mullahs and their thugs will punish her for competing at the Asian Climbing Competitions finals in Seoul without her head covered.

    https://twitter.com/IranWireEnglish/status/1582128573443608576

    • weston 10.1

      Unfortunately any effort to support these extremely brave women is gonna be undermined by the extremely stupid decision to put further sanctions on them imo but i guess you'll be in favour of that move joe ?

    • roblogic 10.2

      I hope she gets asylum in Korea instead of going back to the medieval mullah's paradise

    • weston 11.1

      Why are you putting up stuff like this weka ? Not enough poison pens on twitter for you ?just asking

      • Shanreagh 11.1.1

        Weston: The tweets are a way of summarising what this nutter, Chantelle Baker, is all about.

        Not satisfied with being a crazy about vaccines, with the potential to put people in danger with the misguided views etc she now is putting the citizens of another country in actual danger from war.

        Whatever links Weka wants to use is fine by me. The ignorance is astounding and there is no excuse for putting others in danger no matter what your views.

        • weston 11.1.1.1

          Shanreagh : I dont do either FB or twitter normally but in an effort to understand why Weka had put up the particular tweet i looked at the threads around it .Seems to me by the veiled and not so veiled threats conveyed by the commenters to the SBU looking into CB etc that you dont have to look very far underneath the pretty blue and yellow to find hate and malevolence towards anything obstructing the states narrative which is what i find disturbing .Better out than in ?maybe , or just another contributing factor on the proverbial ' slippery slope ' towards what someone else has called "a woke ww3 "

        • Shanreagh 11.1.1.2

          Just to clarify this statement was about Chantelle Baker.

          The ignorance is astounding and there is no excuse for putting others in danger no matter what your views.

      • weka 11.1.2

        Weston, this is TS. People here are often rude, and this isn't a problem so long as it's not gratuitous, trolling, or presented without a political point/argument. If you read the thread, there are serious political issues presented. The presentation has style you might not like (fair enough), but the politics are there for those that want to see them.

        Also because this is TS, please address the politics rather than taking potshots at people.

  9. Shanreagh 12

    commenters to the SBU looking into CB

    I don't understand this. What is SBU?

    I still think that the link used by Weka is Ok to present a point of view.

    I view CB trip and postings from Ukraine with horror at the ignorance she espouses, going to a country, with little understanding of the issues and then spouting off to all and sundry.

    • weston 12.1

      SBU is the equivalent to ukrainian secret police same ones that assassinated Daryia Dugina with a car bomb a month or so ago .Looking at the big picture the Baker chick is prob pretty small cheese .If she's as dumb as people say surely anything she ' exposes ' will evaporate in the collective mirth wont it ?

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    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

    The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

    Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.    “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Grant Illingworth KC appointed as transitional Commissioner to Royal Commission

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024.  “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ to advance relationships with ASEAN partners

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane.    “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says.   “This will be our third visit to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Backing mental health services on the West Coast

    Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ support for sustainable Pacific fisheries

    New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Students’ needs at centre of new charter school adjustments

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Commissioner replaces Health NZ Board

    In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today.  “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister to speak at Australian Space Forum

    Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum.  While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation.  “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Climate Change Minister to attend climate action meeting in China

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan.  “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Oceans and Fisheries Minister to Solomons

    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Government launches Military Style Academy Pilot

    The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Nine priority bridge replacements to get underway

    The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Update on global IT outage

    Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • New Zealand, Japan renew Pacific partnership

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