Daily review 20/03/2023

Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, March 20th, 2023 - 52 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 …

52 comments on “Daily review 20/03/2023 ”

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  1. SPC 1
    20 March 2023 at 7:09 pm

    Upper Hutt Ram Raiders be afraid

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2023/03/who-is-new-police-minister-ginny-andersen-not-even-prime-minister-chris-hipkins-seems-to-know-her-cops-credentials.html

    Andersen was a policy manager at police with a main focus on gangs, organised crime and meth.

    In fact, she was seconded into the Beehive under John Key to work on his Tackling Meth Action Plan.

    Speaking to those close to police, there is some optimism not just coming from her police experience but also from chairing the Justice Select Committee here at Parliament. Newshub is told she holds her own and understands the organisation well.

    • Jilly Bee 1.1
      20 March 2023 at 8:03 pm

      Interest news SPC – our Chippy isn't as dim as the Natz team would make him out to be. I (for better or worse) subscribe to N Z Herald probably to take perverse delight in reading what their rabid supporters comment on matters pertaining to the Government. They were literally frothing at the mouth about Ginny Andersen's promotion to Minister of Police – I think I just may watch Question Time tomorrow, being the political tragic I am!

  2. weka 2
    20 March 2023 at 8:11 pm

    If you want to understand why so many women are drawn to KJK, watch this. Massive fucking ovaries as she fronts up to MSM and Hipkins over defamation and entry visa. She’s still wrong about not responding to the Nazi issue, but she’s right on enough issues that many women won’t care. If you make women choose many will choose someone who speaks up for them.

    https://twitter.com/ThePosieParker/status/1637688039370620929

    • Phillip ure 2.2
      20 March 2023 at 8:55 pm

      I watched it…I thought it was all rambling and largely incoherent..

      The speaker seems to have grafted her transphobia onto feminism..they don't gell together well..

      And it is a bit of a groin stretch to claim that opposing her poison means you are ipso facto anti-women ..

      And the speaker does seem to have a bit of a thing going on about penile bulges in miniskirts ..(heh..!..)

      And her final line was pure trump..'l never lose..!'..

      Right ho..!

      And does anyone else find it kinda surreal that in this day and age that we have to ask’but what about the goose-stepping nazis.?

      • Molly 2.2.1
        20 March 2023 at 9:57 pm

        This is not a good video to ascertain either her campaign or her perspective.

        It is a response to the continual rhetoric she is exposed to, and is obviously unrehearsed and frustration is showing.

        There has been a wealth of misinformation written about her, and after being the recipient of what police call credible death threats, she is understandably angry about being accused of violence.

        I am appalled at the failure of any who call themselves left to protect the rights of women speaking. The violence at these events come only from those who want to stop women speaking.

        The “Trumpian” ending is a set closing piece, delivered often with a sardonic smile.

        You can see the violence and threats women have been exposed to at the events. The Melbourne event on Saturday came to a swift close, as the police advised they needed to run if they broke the ranks, and they believed they could not hold the line. The protestors had given the police reason to believe women would be assaulted if they were reached. Activists were punching the stomachs of the police horses in order to get through under their bellies.

        This is context.

        https://www.youtube.com/live/M4lZ5u8uws4?feature=share

      • Molly 2.2.2
        20 March 2023 at 10:24 pm

        @phillip ure, before we continue… nice to see you back here. wink

    • Anker 2.3
      20 March 2023 at 9:31 pm

      You go girl! Yes she has massive ovaries fronting up from this level of smearing.

      I hope she sues the pants off them!

    • tWiggle 2.5
      20 March 2023 at 9:57 pm

      Gee, everything I've watched of hers just leaves me thinking 'ick'!

    • tWiggle 2.6
      21 March 2023 at 12:11 am

      Weka, you seem upset at the content I've been putting up about Posy Parker. Please would you answer one question? Do you agree with her 2018 statement that 'transgender men should be sterilised'? After all, by her definition they are still, immutably, women. I really don't understand your zealous defense of her.

      • Molly 2.6.1
        21 March 2023 at 12:32 am

        Link to source?

          • weka 2.6.1.1.1
            21 March 2023 at 1:02 am

            I can't find that tweet on twitter, so either she'd deleted it, or it's fake.

            • Molly 2.6.1.1.1.1
              21 March 2023 at 9:31 am

              I know she's spoken about the lack of concern some women have for their child when they consciously make the decision to get pregnant while taking testosterone. There have been few studies about the effects of this medication on pregnancy. I know of one that looked at weight – which I guess can be collated from records – and found that the babies were underweight. That's not usually considered a great outcome, because it means development has been hindered. Given many women who have been pregnant are aware that both diet and medication should be reviewed for optimal health of the baby, this lack of research and maternal concern is worrisome.

              I have heard her criticise the disconnect between the declared gender identity – and the most female act of pregnancy and birth.

              Long story short, I wouldn't be surprised if this was an actual tweet, or if something very similar had been said.

              As a addendum: I find it interesting that this is considered a terrible thing to say, when infertility is a high statistical risk when women are taking "gender affirmative" healthcare. It is often also a de-facto sterilisation procedure, because of the side effects.

              • weka …
                21 March 2023 at 10:27 am

                I expect there was some context that we can't see.

                I agree there is both hypocrisy in the criticism as well as blindness to the issues.

                The tweet on its own is perceived as a huge problem because of eugenics. If she doesn't want her words to be used in this way she could be more careful (like the rest of us).

                • Molly …
                  21 March 2023 at 10:37 am

                  Agree that she could.

                  However, that it doesn't seem likely.

                  I think this is also because she has experienced or witnessed many times that careful language makes no difference. (Most recent example, Moira Deeming.) So filters are probably permanently off.

                  • weka …
                    21 March 2023 at 10:44 am

                    it's always a choice ime. I've just done a 6 tweet thread to someone who made shit up. I didn't do it for them, I did it for the people reading so that people know what my position is and this can be referenced later. This is invaluable in politics like this, because when people come along later and make shit up about me, I can prove that they are lying. It takes time but it's really not that hard.

                    • Molly …
                      21 March 2023 at 11:02 am

                      I know weka. I try to do the same. So, I'm not saying it wouldn't be the optimal approach.

                      I'm saying I can understand why she doesn't. Her personality doesn't strike me as the type to adopt that type of filter.

                      But while I am grateful to those who choose their words and craft their arguments well, I have also learnt from those with strident voices.

                      (I do wonder if such declarative and unflinching personal language use would be scrutinised if it came from a man. After listening to Chris Hipkins talk about KJK last night, and knowing what he was saying was mostly fabrication, he sounded so definite and confident despite it all. If this lack of truth is recognised at some point in the future, it will likely be brushed aside.)

      • weka 2.6.2
        21 March 2023 at 12:35 am

        I absolutely disagree with the idea that TM should be sterilised. I don't think TW should be either.

        My position on KJK is complex and nuanced. I don't think she is a Nazi sympathiser, I think she has the potential to become hard right if the UK tips into fascism. She's not alone in that. I understand why so many women have left the left, including her, I don't like her constant attacks on the left and feminists but I don't like them from other women who've likewise ended up politically homeless.

        I think she exists in large part because of No Debate, an active programme from trans activists and supported by chunks of the left which as suppressed many left wing and progressive gender critical voices. In that vacuum, she has been able to gather a large following. If you try and ostracise women they will go where they are welcome and where they feel heard. The reason LWS works is because it's non-partisan and it's accessible to any woman who can make it here. That is gold (I wish it was left wing feminists running it).

        She's very good at what she does, sometimes she's a bit of a loose unit. I've been back and forth on her so many times I've lose count. I've never felt like she was without problems. I nearly got to the point on Sunday of hoping they stop her coming because her unwillingness to say fuck off Nazis was a line that many GCF just could not sanction. But now she has come out and said it.

        Whatever I'm doing in this thread, it's not zealous defence. I'm sick of the lies and I'm sick of the bullshit from TRAs where they make assertions and never provide evidence or argument. I've just watched a couple of days of deliberate and unintentional misrepresentation of her and other women. I'm glad she made that video about defamation and I hope she does sue the worst offenders because someone has to put limits on what the MSM can do. Whatever KJK's faults, the lying is fundamental political dishonesty and that's just plain wrong.

        What I'm saying to you is, if you want to criticise her, have at it. I can think of things to criticise her for. But please make actual arguments backed up with evidence instead of the same old social media slurs.

        • weka 2.6.2.1
          21 March 2023 at 12:48 am

          here's an example. There is nothing in this RNZ article that backs up the idea that the Nazis were supporters of KJK. There is evidence online (happy to get it tomorrow) that the Nazis don't support KJK, LWS or feminists (statements they have made). To me it looks like they used the LWS event to have a go at the TRAs.

          I've seen no evidence to suggest that the neo Nazis were invited, or that KJK even knew what they were when they arrived. Their dress is very similar to TRA antifa that she is used to in the UK. Other women from the event report that when the Nazis turned up they thought they were TRAs that had been let in by the police and that the women would have to get away. That's because the TRAs routinely threaten GC women. There were reports of them punching the bellies of horses to try and get passed the police, and of the police telling LWS women that if the line broke they should run.

          https://twitter.com/radionz/status/1637536919235219457

          That's not zealous defence of KJK, that's me saying the lies are harming women.

          • tWiggle 2.6.2.1.1
            21 March 2023 at 1:37 pm

            Hi weka. Thanks for unpacking your thinking for me, that was really helpful. I went to today's 21 post without checking 20th yesterday's, which I posted nearly at midnight, which is why I expanded my post there. My mistake, and I'll keep that in mind another time.

  3. Belladonna 3
    20 March 2023 at 8:12 pm

    I'm with Hipkins on this one. Why on earth are ministries paying hundreds of thousands to lobby firms? And for what? [story broken by Guyon Espiner]

    The work includes SOEs paying lobbying firms to gather political intelligence on MPs and ministers – providing them with information about their attributes, vulnerabilities and personal and work lives.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/lobbying-firms-earning-hundreds-of-thousands-from-contracts-with-government-agencies/434LIPCGVRHGPFSZBMFTHQKSUQ/

    Hipkins was disturbed by revelations on Monday morning that Government agencies are spending hundreds of thousands hiring external crisis comms to deal with day-to-day media queries.

    He's ordered his ministers to make it clear to their agencies that this should not be happening.

    [2nd half of the article, after the announcement of the new police minister]

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2023/03/who-is-new-police-minister-ginny-andersen-not-even-prime-minister-chris-hipkins-seems-to-know-her-cops-credentials.html

  4. Anker 4
    20 March 2023 at 9:26 pm

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/oranga-tamariki-moana-custody-case-foster-parents-give-girl-back-to-state-amid-unviable-situation/M6OV5FQAXBEYTL7LKXZUGKM6AU/

    More about the Moana case

    “Their main concern is, and has always been, the cultural and emotional wellbeing of their tamariki – a responsibility that has been denied them by the state and its various arms. They are now focused on picking up the pieces of this colonial experiment and ensuring Moana is safe and cared for. The state has obviously failed her”

    Oh please spare me the rhetoric about colonisation . This mother had Moana taken off her three times due to abuse and neglect. The Smiths were the best thing that ever happened to this unfortunate child

    • Molly 4.1
      20 March 2023 at 9:47 pm

      This story outlines one of the major problems with Oranga Tamariki. The failure to prioritise the wellbeing of the child over all other considerations.

      A close friend had the same issues with Oranga Tamariki. After several years with her daughter (permanent placement!), and continual attempts to get them to honour their care order attached to the placement order, Oranga Tamariki told her and her partner that they could not provide the appropriate services UNTIL they signed guardianship back to Oranga Tamariki.

      Then – they said – all counselling services and support would be provided.

      It was not. What was provided was a next day follow-up meeting where they were told the biological father had been contacted (no contact in 11 years) and the child with severe attachment disorder, FASD and PTSD would have to go from Auckland to Christchurch to live with the father, as Oranga Tamariki was transferring their care to him, (before the ink dried). This was against their own family meeting policy.

      One of the later reasons given for the fraudulent removal was the fact that although my friend had similar ethnicity to the daughter – Cook Island – her skin was too white to be recognised as such.

      Rosemary McDonald has similar heartbreaking stories of the failures of our child safeguarding organisation.

  5. weka 5
    20 March 2023 at 10:16 pm

    Ok, Standardistas, there's a fight on twitter about what the answer to this equation is.

    6/2(1+2)

    What say you?

    I think it's 9. Other people say 1.

    • SPC 5.1
      20 March 2023 at 10:32 pm

      6/2 is 3. 3 * (2+1) is 9.

      • weka 5.1.1
        20 March 2023 at 10:38 pm

        that's how I did it. Other people are going backwards. 1+2 = 3 *2 = 6, 6/6 = 1. Weird.

        • arkie 5.1.1.1
          20 March 2023 at 10:58 pm

          The order of operations is BEDMAS, Brackets, Exponents, Division, Multiplication, Addition, Subtraction.

          https://www.learninghub.ac.nz/maths/calculations/order-of-operations/

          • weka 5.1.1.1.1
            20 March 2023 at 11:09 pm

            so me going left to right, but doing the brackets first isn't always going to work?

            • arkie 5.1.1.1.1.1
              20 March 2023 at 11:14 pm

              No, for instance 3 + 5 * 2 = 13 and ( 3 + 5 ) * 2 = 16

              • weka …
                20 March 2023 at 11:20 pm

                I think I would have gotten that but am having to dig deep into my memory.

              • Mac1 …
                21 March 2023 at 9:52 am

                Good stuff, Arkie. In my day, maths used a horizontal line which showed what was divided by what. Without that horizontal line, how would a maths problem be written that goes 6 divided by a number 2 which is first multiplied by ( 1+2 ) also sitting under the horizontal division line that would end up with an answer of 1? I the old way it would have been thus-

                6

                2(2+1)

                I see below that muttonbird addresses the same issue.

            • SPC 5.1.1.1.1.2
              20 March 2023 at 11:17 pm

              Outside the brackets, left to right with division and multiplication before addition and subtraction.

          • tc 5.1.1.1.2
            21 March 2023 at 7:12 am

            Good old BODMAS back in the day where O is To the order of i.e. an exponent.

            My grandkids aren't being taught the fundamentals of arithmetic as we were.

            IMO they’re hardly taught at all these days

            • phillb 5.1.1.1.2.1
              22 March 2023 at 11:01 am

              divided by BODMAS is a bit misleading as divison and multiplication have the same precedence (as do subtraction and addition). These are done left to right.

              So: a*b/c the multiplication is done first.

              In a/b*c, the divsion is done first.

              Addition and subtraction are the same.

              Wikipedia

  6. tWiggle 6
    20 March 2023 at 10:21 pm

    Great backgrounder on Oranga Tamariki and child removal from Māori families.

    https://northandsouth.co.nz/2022/08/13/oranga-tamariki-baby-uplifts-abuse-state-care-new-zealand/

  7. SPC 7
    20 March 2023 at 10:57 pm

    Posie (conscious rebel) Parker.

    It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma; but perhaps there is a key.

    Keys to the kingdom. After the suffragette WSPU victory Christobel Pankhurst was beaten to the first (Tory) women MP status by Ms Nancy Astor who was born in the USA. She retaliated by touring the USA and preached adventism (coming judgment against men for their immorality).

    A Cambridge graduate, trained in libel/defamation law and amateur historian reminds us of those times.

    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/h/l-b-hathaway/posie-parker-mystery/

    Winston: “I find a woman's intrusion into the House of Commons as embarrassing as if she burst into my bathroom when I had nothing to defend myself with, not even a sponge.”

    Nancy: “You are not handsome enough to have worries of that kind.”

    In 1924, J Edgar Hoover was appointed Director of the Bureau of Investigation and then in 1940 came the Smith Act (to criminalise those who conspired to fulfill prophecy of the end of the USA).

    Welcome to the pink/red or blue pill matrix.

    • Molly 7.1
      21 March 2023 at 12:34 am

      What?

      • SPC 7.1.1
        21 March 2023 at 1:35 am

        Don't worry, I'll explain the sophia of it all/everything everywhere, all at once.

        Kellie-Jay Keen chose the fictitious name "Posie (conscious rebel) Parker" for her twitter account.

        Why …it is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma; but perhaps there is a key.

        It's the name of a character, in a book series set in the 1920's …

        Following a trail of clues.

        Winston Churchill son of an American woman Jenny Jerome (supposedly of Red Indian ancestry) and Nancy Astor an American born woman (who took over her husband's electorate seat of Plymouth in 1919).

        Their banter about her (first woman MP) use of the Commons bathroom.

        Meanwhile the daughter of WSPU royalty, Christabel daughter of Emmaline, left the UK to make the name Pankhurst known in the USA through her tours promoting end-time adventism (and condemning the immorality of men).

        You may, or may not be aware of it, but the Smith Act, criminalising conspiracy to fulfill prophecy to bring down the USA, was one of the reasons why the Smiths (look a likes in the FBI dress code) were a feature of the Matrix.

        Born blue or born red, registered blue or registered red, classic identity politics.

        Or just ask KJK when you meet.

        • Molly 7.1.1.1
          21 March 2023 at 9:43 am

          "Kellie-Jay Keen chose the fictitious name "Posie (conscious rebel) Parker" for her twitter account."

          Apparently, she chose it from a mother's group, where everyone had non-de-plumes. It also rhymed with Nosey Parker, so that appealed as well. She then opted to use it again when opening her Twitter account.

          I'd find the video where she speaks of it, but both you and I know that would be time wasted, and it doesn't add to any politic analysis discussion…

  8. tWiggle 8
    21 March 2023 at 1:01 am

    This feminist opinion piece classes Posy Parker and her organisation as a "cult of personality". Think I'm getting the gist of why her defenders here are so zealous.

    https://womensliberationaotearoa.org.nz/hyperbole-waives-the-rules/

    • weka 8.1
      21 March 2023 at 1:16 am

      you know that WLA are a left wing gender critical feminist organisation right?

      https://twitter.com/wekatweets/status/1634772498750537728

      • ianmac 8.1.1
        21 March 2023 at 10:58 am

        Seems to me like a standard Trump-like approach. Pick an "issue" clothe it in a slogan, MAGA or Transgender or Womens rights, and agitate and challenge and collect donations. A fraud in my eyes.

        Has anyone identified any specific womanly success Posie has achieved?

        • weka 8.1.1.1
          21 March 2023 at 12:55 pm

          she's definitely a charismatic populist. As for what she has achieved for women, off the top of my head:

          • coined the meme Woman: adult human female, which has been taken up and used by women and men across the GC movements. It's a very effective cut through on the TWAW slogan that makes people stop and think about what a woman is. It's been led on to the phrase 'what is a woman?' (also used by KJK), which has been asked of MPs who make the laws that impact on women and everyone else. Many MPs were unable to answer this which led to
          • runs LWS. Do I really need to explain the value in this?

          (have to go do some stuff, will come back to this)

  9. Thinker 9
    21 March 2023 at 1:13 pm
    • "Sapphire Blue"… Is that the same shade as in the National Party logo?
    • Where do the community leaders National appoints as its MPs go after a career in politics?

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/ex-national-mp-jami-lee-ross-running-escort-agency-accused-of-not-providing-women-safe-working-environment/QFVMVSI2WJAVFJWWJMNE35GOIY/?dicbo=v2-2QusuUY&ref=nzmenewstalkZB

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    About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson Those who’ve trawled social media during heat waves have likely encountered a tidbit frequently used to brush aside human-caused climate change: Many U.S. states and cities had their single hottest temperature on record during the 1930s, setting incredible heat marks ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • Throwback Thursday – Thinking about Expressways

    Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Thursday, July 25

    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 Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    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 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    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 ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    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 ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    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 ...
    Bowalley Road
    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
    18 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
    21 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
    22 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
    24 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
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  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

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