Not that long ago I recall another country lamenting their excess deaths and making a comparison with New Zealand's exceptional performance, but now I cannot remember where I saw it. Can anyone help?
You could google it…and you will find our death rate in the pre-vaccine period is (from memory)..right down there.. especially when compared with the likes of denier-trump america..
The reason I remember this is that for me it underlined what can never be taken away from jacinda ardern..
That is the large number of nz lives that were saved ('cos of her lockdowns)…
Wonder what impact they will make? How long before they are labelled Nazis?
[We’re all trying hard to lift the debate here on TS, especially around women’s issues, and then you come along with this unnecessary needling and misogynist provocation that could easily start flame wars. I consider it inciting violence and this site has a strong Policy against violence. Do it again and you won’t be commenting here till sometime after the General Election – Incognito]
[We’re all trying hard to lift the debate here on TS, especially around women’s issues, and then you come along with this unnecessary needling and misogynist provocation that could easily start flame wars. I consider it inciting violence and this site has a strong Policy against violence. Do it again and you won’t be commenting here till sometime after the General Election – Incognito]
Wondering aloud when (not if) others might resort to verbal violence against (some) women lowers the threshold to do exactly that. It was utterly unnecessary to open the door (or trap, rather) for others to go through. Instead, you could have initiated a mature and constructive political conversation about a new political party on a political blog site. Don’t waste my time!
Why then stomp on it when it is already down and going down further? Why not try lifting the bar instead?
You and I have no control over the Twitter sphere but we can influence the tone & content here on this blog site and we can call out others if/when required (and ban them if/when necessary). We can try steering things towards constructive & respectful discourse.
You don’t invite verbal violence by speculating about it the way you did without reason or cause.
Your Mod note stays firmly in place!
PS you have wasted enough of my time on this, so move on.
The rise of animal suffering free/small environmental footprint lab-grown meats is going to decimate the animal exploitation industries our economy seems to rely upon..
If there is no control of the feral pig, deer, possum, mustelid and rodent population (control, being a euphemism for killing) – then we will have very little native wildlife left in NZ.
Is it more moral to kill off those animals and leave them to rot; or to kill them off and use their meat and skin?
That's a nice philosophical statement. Although, you might want to extend the 'couple of hundred years' to the arrival of humans to the islands which would become NZ.
In practical terms what do you propose to do about it? Reduce population growth (Chinese 1 child policy)?
The possible alternatives go downhill from there. Are you proposing widescale euthanasia?
Personally, regardless of decisions which were made in the past (and, which actually my personal ancestors had no voice in) – I prefer to make the attempt to retain as much of NZ's native flora and fauna as possible. And, in utterly practical terms, that requires reduction and elimination (if possible) of a wide range of animal pests.
You brought up the devastation that humanity has caused. But somehow think that increasing the population would be a good thing.
More people = less space for wildlife. Or do you think that Japan (since that's the example you chose) is a shining example of retention of native wildlife.
Fencing off areas (cf Zealandia, and offshore islands) only works with a very heavy trapping elimination programme. Certainly in Auckland, DoC swings into urgent action every time there is evidence of rats/possums, etc. on the sanctuary islands. Predators are *highly* motivated to get through fences, and, in the absence of active management, that's exactly what they do.
Way forward?
Control of introduced pest animals. Heavy culling, 1080, genetic engineering – whatever it takes for the native wildlife to have a chance at regenerating (and we can see from where that has worked successfully, that it will do so, if given space).
Agricultural exports (beef, milk, lamb, etc.) are a very significant component of our trade balance with the rest of the world.
If you are envisaging these disappearing, what do you propose to replace them with?
Because, I can guarantee that the rest of NZ doesn't want to do without the overseas products that we trade for them (all the medical equipment in our hospitals, all of the tech that we are using to connect with each other and the rest of the world, large elements of our basic food supply, etc.)
My pick, is as I said above – real meat will become a luxury item, with a luxury price tag – and NZ will switch to supplying that market. Which we can do very effectively (open spaces, mild climate, year-round growing conditions, etc.).
That may well result in a reduction of the amount of land which is taken up by farming. The question is what (high-end, added value) product/s we can utilize this space for?
Our track record in this has currently been abysmal. All of those conversions to forestry for the purpose of shipping raw logs off to China (the lowest possible income stream).
I'm, personally, not in favour of turning it into mega-cities to house a vastly increased population because we have "heaps of room".
It is possible that though shifting to supply of high-end, rather than mid-price agricultural products, that we'll be able to afford to return more marginal or ecologically sensitive areas, currently in farmland, back into native parks (bush, wetlands, tussock). Which will, of course, require not just fencing, but active management as above. I'd love to be seeing takahe and kakapo (for example) in significant mainland areas.
More people..living much more sustainably than we do.. wouldn't be a problem.
There is middle ground between empty islands and megacities..
And I must repeat that the decimation of our animal flesh export industries will happen because of outside forces..
And just saying you don't want it to happen.. won't stop it happening..
Our meat industries can be compared to the owners of the infrastructure for a horse based transport industries..just before the arrival of their great disrupter..the motor car..
They didn't want that to happen either..it didn't stop it tho'..
And of course current animal fatteners can see the writing on the wall..and change to being farmers… growing real food…
Those who just stick their heads in the sand..will be swept away by these winds of change…
And/but of course this discussion of the infrastructure of these vile/cruel industries ignores the philosophical imperatives..
A very smart person..einstein..said that in the future humanity will view how we currently treat/exploit animals with the same abhorrence that we now regard human slavery..
Well, you think our animal export industries will be decimated. I think that they'll pivot to luxury trade. After all, the trade in breeding racehorses, went right on – completely unaffected by the switch from horse-drawn carriages to automobiles.
Only time will tell who is right.
If I'm right, then NZ will be able to continue to pay for our first world lifestyle. If you're right (since you haven't been able to come up with even one alternative export idea) – NZ will rapidly have a substantial drop in living standards (the current cost-of-living crisis will be peanuts by comparison).
Note that the current switch away from dairy (encouraged by Government incentives) has been to forestry – the lowest added value trade there is.
Housing intensity is one of those things that many people feel is good in abstract, but turn into NIMBYs the moment they, personally, are affected.
Are you going to put your hand up to have a medium-rise (only 5 floors) block of flats put up on your side boundary? It will only take away the sun from your house for 6 hours a day.
I talk on this subject because I want the animal suffering to end…but also to try to alert others to these upcoming massive changes we will face..
And I have no prescription for seeing off this disruption..what to pivot to..
I understand james cameron has been doing this on his wairarapa farms…experimenting with different crops to confirm which are best for the animal fatteners to convert to..
And I think his intention is/was to make the results of these experiments availabile to the animal 'farmers'..
And I want the government to pull their heads out of the sand..and to get cracking/put their thinking caps on..
The rise of animal suffering free/small environmental footprint lab-grown meats
Or not.
Recent sales of The Alternative Meat Co. products in Australia have not been at a level that allows for continued production at an affordable price for consumers.
Unfortunately as it is not possible to make these products here, from July 2022 we have withdrawn the range from the New Zealand market.
The challenges in the marketplace in the UK and overseas are reflected in values of the leading specialist vegan food manufacturers, which in some cases have plummeted. Shares in meat-free brand Beyond Meat have crashed, down from more than $230 after it went public on the Nasdaq stock exchange in May 2019 to about $11. The meat-free market in the US is described by experts as “stagnating”.
[…]
“There has been a gold rush followed by a cull. There were too many products on the shelf for the volume of sales.”
In fact, industrial-scale cell-culture is an art and not a science. AI may change this, but this process needs bioengineers with green-thumbs, someone working at Callaghan Innovation told me.
When a big 20,000 L batch goes bad, through insterility, the fact that the cell line is getting past its use-by date, or because the manufactured hormones used to direct growth are substandard, that's a huge capital loss. Add the cost of reconditioning the equipment. Which is why cell-culture at this scale is limited to high-value pharma to date.
There may also be 5-10 years' research before this step from your ref is achieved: " assuming huge technological advances in the cell-culture medium." It's even possible that vat-grown 'meat' will be a hybrid of plant and animal materials, with muscle fibres grown on a pre-made soy protein scaffold.
Our body is hardwired to feed itself essentials. I remember the first thing I did on getting home after a 10-day freeze-dry meal tramp was cook up a bit of liver in the fridge. I hate liver, but my body went EAT IT! NOW! Peasant recipes all throw a bit of meat in the legume stew, to get enough B12, and add some protein-dense nutrition, and use cheese and eggs where they can.
Many in the UK, the epicentre of faked meat products, recently went vegan for animal welfare reasons. To be a healthy vegan requires careful nutrition, and manufactured non-meat sausages and rissoles are not enough. Two years on, and the tiredness brought on by nutritional imbalance or lack of something essential has made a lot of recent vegans rethink their diet choices.
I have to say that I'm struggling to understand how a highly processed meat-alternative (requiring a significant investment in equipment and infrastruction, and ongoing operating costs) can be a solution which is better for the planet.
That may be the case in areas like Singapore (one of the front-runners, I understand), where they have no land on which to grow anything. But much of the overseas coverage on this topic talks about the high-intensity farming (feedlots, routine antibiotics, etc.) which are rare in NZ.
From the ethical perspective, I can understand the attraction of 'cruelty-free' meat. However, it seems that at least some of the more …. extreme vegetarians/vegans (as evidenced by the comments here), wouldn't accept this, anyway.
My pick would be that 'real' meat will become a luxury item (with luxury pricing), and that the vat-grown meat will become the staple.
Lab grown has a very small environmental footprint.. compared with the animal stuff…
Also.. especially relevant for nz..it can be made locally in a warehouse.. doesn't need to be transported to the other side of the world..
When the industry matures economies of scale and market forces will drive prices further down.. and I agree with your prediction of animal based becoming a high end product..and lab for most..
And of course the fast food industries will be the early adopters..driven by low cost..and to be able to boast of being green..
You seem to think that vegans not that keen on lab meat..is somehow strange..
Lab grown meat is not for the likes of me..and most other vegans I know..we all go 'yuck..!'
It is for carnivores addicted to the sensation of eating animal-flesh..
So no ideas, then, on what would work to plug the hole that this transition might make in our balance of payments?
Or do you agree that NZ farmers will just shift to the high-end luxury supply for 'real' meat? [That has its own risks – but the truly wealthy are prepared to pay almost anything – as we see from the ridiculous prices paid in Japan for 'perfect' fruit, or large tuna]
The articles I've read have been around lab-based meat fulfilling the mass-market needs (for chicken and pork) in Asian countries – with their expanding middle-class. But I agree that it will be an easy greenwashing win for the fast-food chains. Although it's anything but low-cost ATM – I can see prices will fall.
Mind you – I'd be pretty concerned over quality and possibility of contamination – but that's the case with many products imported from countries without a solid food quality supply chain checking system now (Hepatitis A in frozen fruit from Serbia is just one of the latest).
The 'yuck' factor is interesting. Many omnivores I know also go 'yuck' at the thought of eating lab-grown meat. Sounds like an uphill battle for the marketers :-). Although, I know several vegetarians who have made that choice over ethical concerns over animal welfare – they'd be ecstatic to be able to ethically eat bacon again!
Just to clarify something..lab meat is real meat..it is grown from cells taken from animals…and will be indistinguishable from the dead animal one in flavour/taste..
So unsure why those people you know go 'yuck..!'..
And tell those vegetarians you know who are jonesing for bacon..that I've been told some of the current fake ones are getting pretty close to the real thing..
And yes..I see many vegetarians using lab-meat..more so than vegans..
Vegetarian is closer to carnivore than to vegan..
And animal fatteners relying on that high end of the market..will find that is a very crowded market..
Guess the 'yuck' factor is over the highly processed part. Sourced from a factory. Most 'foodies' are into food tracking – knowing where the ingredients come from. Black Angus cattle on XYZ farm just outside Cambridge is a much better selling point than Digestor no. 9 in an anonymous warehouse in South Auckland.
[Yes, of course this isn't applicable to McDonalds – though I did have the tour guide to Hobbiton tell us that the cattle we were driving past were McDonalds beef]
ATM, it's all theoretical – none of us have actually seen or tasted the product, so have no idea over whether it really will be indistinguishable from 'real' meat.
If you're talking about chicken nuggets – then it probably doesn't matter – they're already highly processed – but top-end eye-fillet is a different story.
Having ethical-vegetarians as a possible market is a good thing – there are a lot more of them, than there are vegans. None of the ones I know would give tuppence for any of the current fake bacon substitutes.
NZ already has a pretty good success story with premium pricing our wines in a crowded luxury market – I don't see why we wouldn't be equally as successful with meat.
BTW – it's 'omnivore' rather than 'carnivore'. Very, very few people eat nothing but meat.
Whew! That's a cold dose of reality on the 'ethical' side.
It won't matter for the current Asian market – where animal welfare is not a significant factor. But would have a very chilling effect on many Western potential consumers.
It also reinforces the concerns I had over contamination issues. The GIGO principle at work. If your inputs aren't high quality then your output is likely to be rubbish.
The welfare of calves during slaughter of pregnant animals should be safeguarded.
If uterine, placental or foetal tissues, including foetal blood, are not to be collected as part of the post-slaughter processing of pregnant animals, the foetus should be left inside the unopened uterus.
When uterine, placental or foetal tissues (not foetal blood) are to be collected, the foetus should not be removed from the uterus until at least 15–20 minutes after the cow is slaughtered.
When foetal blood is to be collected, the foetus should not be removed from the uterus until at least 5 minutes after the cow is slaughtered. At this stage, the foetus should be unconscious. A foetal heartbeat will usually still be present and foetal movements may occur. These are only a cause for concern if the exposed foetus begins to breathe air.
If a live mature foetus is removed from the uterus, it should be prevented from breathing air and inflating its lungs — for example, by clamping the trachea.
If there is any doubt about consciousness of the foetus, it should be killed with a captive bolt or a blow to the head with a suitable blunt instrument.
Labour & National are both the same these days, promise plenty and deliver 5/8th's of Fck All. We do not have the people with intelligence or foresight in Government or our Business Communities who can deliver results to the Country which will benefit the Whole Country and the General Public. We keep enriching the top 10% of the people in this country who already have more than a Bull can Sht. Time to start looking after the Country's People rather than pandering to Off Shore Corporates and New Immigrants.
Is that part of an OECD initiative to inhibit 'a tax rate' race to the bottom', which seems to be when you shift profits off-shore to a tax haven to avoid tax in country of origin?
NZ appears to have legislation updated for this OECD initiative in this years' annual Tax Bill.
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The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Photo by Jari Hytönen on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Next week the government will again next try to get its legislation through to deal with non-citizens who won’t cooperate with efforts to deport them. The bill, which the opposition and crossbench refused to rush ...
A long-term project that will set out an alternative vision for Aotearoa that looks beyond the narrow confines of the policy straight jacket adopted by successive governments. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bree Hurst, Associate Professor, Faculty of Business and Law, QUT, Queensland University of Technology TK Kurikawa/Shutterstock A much-awaited report into Coles and Woolworths has found what many customers have long believed – Australia’s big supermarkets engage in price gouging. What started ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniel Ghezelbash, Associate Professor and Deputy Director, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW Law & Justice, UNSW Sydney The Albanese government wanted to avoid an inquiry into its migration amendment bill. The report, handed down yesterday by a senate committee that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joo-Cheong Tham, Professor, Melbourne Law School, The University of Melbourne Lobbying is at the heart of government. Who has access to and influence over key government officials shapes the decisions governments make – and how they make them. The ability to influence ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Myfany Turpin, Associate Professor, Ethnomusicology, Linguistics and Ethnobiology, University of Sydney The act representing Australia at this year’s Eurovision contest has sadly not qualified for the grand final. Yet for Zaachariaha Fielding and Michael Ross, the duo that makes up Electric Fields, ...
In announcing changes to the school lunches programme, David Seymour said kids would no longer be served ‘woke’ foods. To clear up any confusion, The Spinoff has compiled a guide to the wokeness levels of some common food items. Apple = NOT WOKE Avocado = WOKE Avocado, smashed = EVEN ...
The Minister Responsible for GCSB and the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security have been notified of this review, and have been provided a finalised Terms of Reference. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Minglu Chen, Senior Lecturer, Government and International Relations, University of Sydney Robert Way/Shutterstock As the past few years have illustrated so clearly, the Australia-China relationship is complicated. As such, it is crucial for Australians to develop a more nuanced understanding of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mariana Campbell, Research Lecturer, Conservation, Charles Darwin University Marilyn Connell Australian freshwater turtles are facing an alarming trend. Almost half of these species are listed as vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered. The Mary River turtle (Elusor macrurus) is one of Australia’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Debbie Passey, Digital Health Research Fellow, The University of Melbourne Algorithms have become integral to our lives. From social media apps to Netflix, algorithms learn your preferences and prioritise the content you are shown. Google Maps and artificial intelligence are nothing without ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Josephine Barbaro, Associate Professor, Principal Research Fellow, Psychologist, La Trobe University Unsplash We’ve come a long way in terms of understanding that everyone thinks, interacts and experiences the world differently. In the past, autistic people, people with attention deficit hyperactive disorder ...
PNG Post-Courier Papua New Guinea’s deputy opposition leader James Nomane has accused the government of “reckless economic management” that has forced devaluation to manage loan repayments in foreign currency and placate the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Prime Minister James Marape “must stop lying to the people of Papua New Guinea”, ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Bookseller Confessional, in which we get to know Aotearoa’s booksellers. This week: Jane Arthur, author of Brown Bird, and former bookseller at Good Books.The book I wish I’d writtenI have been working on not comparing myself to others. On accepting that what I can ...
The final decision on the Wellington District Plan makes it official: High-density housing is legal across most of Wellington. Housing minister Chris Bishop has announced his decision on the Wellington District Plan, approving a series of amendments to radically upzone most of Wellington, allowing tens of thousands of new townhouses ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. “Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to ...
RNZ News As Israel presses ahead with strikes in Rafah and seizing the Rafah crossing from Egypt, aid agencies are sounding the alarm of a “catastrophic humanitarian situation”. Rafah was “significant” because it was the only part in Gaza that had not been terribly damaged by the conflict, United Nations ...
With funding set to be scrapped for the Hamilton-Auckland commuter train, Te Huia enthusiast Georgie Dansey argues for it to be thrown a lifeline. It’s 5.45am and the chain of my crappy old bike falls off slugging up the one hill in Hamilton. I contemplate yeeting the bike into the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Cooke, Honorary Fellow, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland We feel ecological grief when we lose places, species or ecosystems we value and love. These losses are a growing threat to mental health and wellbeing globally. We all see ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shauna Brail, Associate Professor, Institute for Management & Innovation, University of Toronto A shift to hybrid and remote work continues to affect worker presence in Toronto’s downtown.(Shutterstock) Downtown Toronto, the core of Canada’s largest city, continues to reel from the lingering ...
Responding to an Auditor-General's report slamming failures in the administration of the 2023 General Election, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said: ...
Productivity apps now make up a big chunk of the software market. But do they work? And why do they all have AI integrations?Despite being firmly on the record as a physical planner fan, I sometimes dream of something better than my pretty diary and its scrawled, ugly, interior ...
The Taxpayers’ Union says the Beehive need to lead by example, following reports of more than $50,000 spent upgrading video conferencing equipment and furniture in the Prime Minister’s office. Taxpayers’ Union Campaign Manager, Connor Molloy, ...
An objective list of the 50 most powerful people in New Zealand, as judged by the Spinoff Editorial Board. It’s power list season, baby, and we want in on the action. Sure, there’s the rich list and the powerful “c-suite” list and the young people with power (hmmm) but here, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thalia Anthony, Professor of Law, University of Technology Sydney ShutterstockThis article contains information on deaths in custody and the names of deceased people, and describes ongoing colonial violence towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. First Nations people in Australia ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alex Simpson, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Macquarie University Netflix Baby Reindeer’s phenomenal success has much to do with its writer and lead, Richard Gadd, who plays Donny in a tender semi-autobiographical account of sexual abuse, harassment and stalking. Gadd’s story has ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Collins, Laureate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Newcastle KarolinaGrabowska/Pexels If you didn’t have food allergies as a child, is it possible to develop them as an adult? The short answer is yes. But the reasons why are much ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Moon, Professor of History, Auckland University of Technology Ans Westra, self-portrait, c. 1963. National Library ref AWM-0705-F They try but invariably fail – those writers who believe they are capable of encapsulating in prose or verse the essence of ...
Stewart Sowman-Lund looks at the growing concern around the world in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. What’s all this? When Covid-19 arrived on our shores in early 2020, some argued we were too slow, or crucially, ill-prepared for a pandemic. So ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Franco Montalto, Professor of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering and Director, Sustainable Water Resource Engineering Laboratory, Drexel University Water runs into a storm drain in a Los Angeles alley on Aug. 19, 2023, during Tropical Storm Hilary.Citizen of the Planet/Universal Images ...
The inquest into the death of Gore toddler Lachlan Jones has turned up a new witness who says he saw two teenagers and a small child in a high vis vest in the area where the boy’s body was found the day he died. Lachie’s body was discovered face up ...
Stories from the tenancy trenches, featuring spider infestations, cupboard rats and same-sex discrimination. Lucy’s brother was living in a damp 1930s building in Mt Eden where “he had to tie the cupboard doors closed so the rats didn’t get in”. Although he shared custody of his six-year-old son, his property ...
Simeon Brown, Chris Luxon, and Wayne Brown climbed into a hole and announced a plan to solve Auckland’s water woes. This is how it’ll work. New Zealand’s pipes are munted. They’re cracked and leaking, and struggling to handle all the extra poos excreted by our rising population. It’s a big, ...
I knew Taika Waititi quite well when he was a kid. His mother lived in a tall narrow house in Aro St, and my youngest sister had a similar house two doors along. They were both single mums, they each had a son aged seven. Taika and my nephew Stepan ...
Opinion: “As time passes, knowledge of the circumstances of the August 2016 outbreak will fade and its immediate impact will be lost.” This statement is from the 2017 report of the Official Inquiry into the Havelock North campylobacteriosis outbreak. The then National-led government established the inquiry after the outbreak left ...
Opinion: Nicholas Khoo looks at two key points in the high-stakes foreign policy pact debate – and asks if NZ can engage with as little drama as possible. The post Where to next for the Aukus ruckus? appeared first on Newsroom. ...
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Opinion: ‘Reference-class forecasting’ is at the heart of improving pricing a project and identifying the expected timeframe but it doesn’t appear to be in use here The post ‘Think fast and act slowly’ is failing big projects appeared first on Newsroom. ...
What do a sombrero in Argentina and cognitive driving tests have in common? Don’t worry, we’re not setting up a bad joke. Hinengaro Clinic dementia clinician Gregory Winkelman has the answer on today’s episode of The Detail. “We ask a patient’s spouse or son or daughter: If you went to ...
Wellington long jumper Phoebe Edwards is back and she’s having fun again. Until this year, Edwards, a top athlete in her teens, had never competed as a senior athlete in New Zealand. In March, the 26-year-old won a national long jump title in a lifetime best of 6.28m after ...
After replacing a fifth of their caucus in just four months, the Greens’ opportunity to reset, reshuffle and refocus on the Government is quickly slipping away The post Persistent Green Party scandals delay caucus reset appeared first on Newsroom. ...
ANALYSIS:By Olli Hellmann, University of Waikato When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day today on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also to mark a defining event for national identity. The battle of Gallipoli against ...
By Robin Martin, RNZ News reporter A New Zealand local authority, Whanganui District Council, has passed a motion calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, condemnation of all acts of violence and terror against civilians on both sides of the conflict and the immediate return of hostages. It comes as ...
Asia Pacific Report The Aotearoa chapter of the Women’s International league for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) has appealed to the New Zealand government to call out Israel over the “cruel and barbaric use of force” in Gaza and demand a permanent ceasefire. The league’s open letter was sent to Prime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government will invest $566 million over a decade on data, maps and other tools to promote exploration and development in Australia’s resources industry. The project will fund “the first comprehensive map of what’s ...
Asia Pacific Report Following an open letter by Auckland University academics speaking out in support of their students’ right to protest against the genocidal Israeli war on Gaza, a group of academics at Otago University have today also called on New Zealand academic institutions to “repair colonial violence” and end ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Linda J. Graham, Professor and Director of the Centre for Inclusive Education, Queensland University of Technology Ryan Tauss/ Unsplash, CC BY Two male students have been expelled from a Melbourne private school for their involvement in a list ranking female students. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The Reserve Bank is now assuming Australians will see no interest rate cuts this year – and quite possibly none before the next federal election, due next May. That’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Hayward, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy, RMIT University The Victorian budget offered more of the same on Tuesday, with the only change being how the budget papers were packaged. The usual shrink wrap was gone, hinting at savings in the pages ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Coalition is demanding extensive amendments to the government’s legislation targeting non-citizens who refuse to co-operate with their removal. In a dissenting report to the senate inquiry into the legislation, the Coalition says it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vanita Yadav, Senior Research Fellow, Urban Transformations Research Centre, Western Sydney University Brett Boardman/Belvoir The complex and grappling issue of violence against women takes centre stage in the soul-stirring solo dance drama Nayika: A Dancing Girl. During a dinner conversation ...
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Not that long ago I recall another country lamenting their excess deaths and making a comparison with New Zealand's exceptional performance, but now I cannot remember where I saw it. Can anyone help?
You could google it…and you will find our death rate in the pre-vaccine period is (from memory)..right down there.. especially when compared with the likes of denier-trump america..
The reason I remember this is that for me it underlined what can never be taken away from jacinda ardern..
That is the large number of nz lives that were saved ('cos of her lockdowns)…
That was down to her..
A former union leader and Labour Party activist is establishing a Women’s Rights Party.
https://womensrightsparty.nz/putting-womens-rights-on-the-ballot-in-october/
Wonder what impact they will make? How long before they are labelled Nazis?
[We’re all trying hard to lift the debate here on TS, especially around women’s issues, and then you come along with this unnecessary needling and misogynist provocation that could easily start flame wars. I consider it inciting violence and this site has a strong Policy against violence. Do it again and you won’t be commenting here till sometime after the General Election – Incognito]
Not nazis..but definitely trans-bashers..
[We’re all trying hard to lift the debate here on TS, especially around women’s issues, and then you come along with this unnecessary needling and misogynist provocation that could easily start flame wars. I consider it inciting violence and this site has a strong Policy against violence. Do it again and you won’t be commenting here till sometime after the General Election – Incognito]
Mod note
Mod note
I shall comment on that issue never again..
A bit radical but works for me.
Misogynist and inciting violence?????
I’m not calling them Nazis nor am I calling for any violence.
Wondering aloud when (not if) others might resort to verbal violence against (some) women lowers the threshold to do exactly that. It was utterly unnecessary to open the door (or trap, rather) for others to go through. Instead, you could have initiated a mature and constructive political conversation about a new political party on a political blog site. Don’t waste my time!
Bit late mate. That lower threshold is already upon us.
Sadly, in the current political environment the bar has become that low.
The link below is an example of where we are already at. Not to mention the real physical violence that also took place against women at the event.
Remember the Let Women Speak event? Here is a response to that. No less, from one of our MPs. Note the heading above the picture in the tweet.
https://twitter.com/golrizghahraman/status/1639380952131715072
Therefore, in this current environment (where the bar is already that low) the question is extremely valid.
Why then stomp on it when it is already down and going down further? Why not try lifting the bar instead?
You and I have no control over the Twitter sphere but we can influence the tone & content here on this blog site and we can call out others if/when required (and ban them if/when necessary). We can try steering things towards constructive & respectful discourse.
You don’t invite verbal violence by speculating about it the way you did without reason or cause.
Your Mod note stays firmly in place!
PS you have wasted enough of my time on this, so move on.
Rnz doing a moral panic number on the cocaine flooding into australia..
I would just like to note that of all the drugs I gave up.. cocaine was the easiest to kick…
Compared to tobacco/alcohol/heroin/crack cocaine/barbiturates etc… it's a breeze..
And on a slightly different tack..I actually think that with the gold card should come the access to pharmaceutical cocaine..
It would put a spring into the step and a sparkle into the eyes of those officially retired…
And why not..?… where's the harm..?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/country/490413/ratio-of-sheep-to-people-drops-below-five-to-one-for-first-time-in-170-years
2%drop in sheep in 1 year, but over 40%in 30 years.
8%drop in dairy cows in 5 years.
Hope this is being noticed by the powers that be .
You ain't seen nothing yet…
The rise of animal suffering free/small environmental footprint lab-grown meats is going to decimate the animal exploitation industries our economy seems to rely upon..
I also hope our powers that be are taking notice…
And planning for this upcoming seachange..
I'm all for lab meat , it's theory way we can colonise space,.
Can you answer my favorite? For people such as your self in a nz context.
If we stopped all meat eating what would we do to control the rampant wild pig,deer and goat populations that would explode?
The reality is that there will always be people who get off on killing..
It would likely be done under the umbrella of pest control..
I find it difficult..as a member of the apex predators..man/woman to pass judgement on animal 'pests'..
I would just let it roll,.and see what happens..
With all the animal exploitation 'farms' closing down…there will be plenty of room for all..
Live and let live..
If there is no control of the feral pig, deer, possum, mustelid and rodent population (control, being a euphemism for killing) – then we will have very little native wildlife left in NZ.
Is it more moral to kill off those animals and leave them to rot; or to kill them off and use their meat and skin?
Humans are the biggest pest…we have wiped out the native species…not possums..not cats..
Us…
In just a couple of hundred years..we have fucken decimated what was an iteration of paradise..
Any finger pointing should be straight back at ourselves..
That's a nice philosophical statement. Although, you might want to extend the 'couple of hundred years' to the arrival of humans to the islands which would become NZ.
In practical terms what do you propose to do about it? Reduce population growth (Chinese 1 child policy)?
The possible alternatives go downhill from there. Are you proposing widescale euthanasia?
Personally, regardless of decisions which were made in the past (and, which actually my personal ancestors had no voice in) – I prefer to make the attempt to retain as much of NZ's native flora and fauna as possible. And, in utterly practical terms, that requires reduction and elimination (if possible) of a wide range of animal pests.
It seems that you don't.
No…I don't support'widespread euthanasia..
And I think the only way to restore native flora/is to do what has already been shown to work..
Namely approaching it like one would eating an elephant ..one bite at a time..fencing off areas…and letting them come back..piece by piece..
Unsure why you dived down the one child policy rabbit hole..
There is plenty of room in this country for more people..
(Did you know the Japanese call nz the empty islands..same size as japan..and largely empty…we have heaps of room..)
And yes maori burnt off/extinguished some species..
But seriously..it has been pakeha who have so fucked the place over..
Most of the country has been turned into an animal fattening yard…
That all has to change..and some of those changes will be forced upon us (ie..lab-meat killing our killing floors..)
And just out of interest…your thoughts on the way forward..?
Just more of the same..?
You brought up the devastation that humanity has caused. But somehow think that increasing the population would be a good thing.
More people = less space for wildlife. Or do you think that Japan (since that's the example you chose) is a shining example of retention of native wildlife.
Fencing off areas (cf Zealandia, and offshore islands) only works with a very heavy trapping elimination programme. Certainly in Auckland, DoC swings into urgent action every time there is evidence of rats/possums, etc. on the sanctuary islands. Predators are *highly* motivated to get through fences, and, in the absence of active management, that's exactly what they do.
Way forward?
Control of introduced pest animals. Heavy culling, 1080, genetic engineering – whatever it takes for the native wildlife to have a chance at regenerating (and we can see from where that has worked successfully, that it will do so, if given space).
Agricultural exports (beef, milk, lamb, etc.) are a very significant component of our trade balance with the rest of the world.
If you are envisaging these disappearing, what do you propose to replace them with?
Because, I can guarantee that the rest of NZ doesn't want to do without the overseas products that we trade for them (all the medical equipment in our hospitals, all of the tech that we are using to connect with each other and the rest of the world, large elements of our basic food supply, etc.)
My pick, is as I said above – real meat will become a luxury item, with a luxury price tag – and NZ will switch to supplying that market. Which we can do very effectively (open spaces, mild climate, year-round growing conditions, etc.).
That may well result in a reduction of the amount of land which is taken up by farming. The question is what (high-end, added value) product/s we can utilize this space for?
Our track record in this has currently been abysmal. All of those conversions to forestry for the purpose of shipping raw logs off to China (the lowest possible income stream).
I'm, personally, not in favour of turning it into mega-cities to house a vastly increased population because we have "heaps of room".
It is possible that though shifting to supply of high-end, rather than mid-price agricultural products, that we'll be able to afford to return more marginal or ecologically sensitive areas, currently in farmland, back into native parks (bush, wetlands, tussock). Which will, of course, require not just fencing, but active management as above. I'd love to be seeing takahe and kakapo (for example) in significant mainland areas.
More people..living much more sustainably than we do.. wouldn't be a problem.
There is middle ground between empty islands and megacities..
And I must repeat that the decimation of our animal flesh export industries will happen because of outside forces..
And just saying you don't want it to happen.. won't stop it happening..
Our meat industries can be compared to the owners of the infrastructure for a horse based transport industries..just before the arrival of their great disrupter..the motor car..
They didn't want that to happen either..it didn't stop it tho'..
And of course current animal fatteners can see the writing on the wall..and change to being farmers… growing real food…
Those who just stick their heads in the sand..will be swept away by these winds of change…
And/but of course this discussion of the infrastructure of these vile/cruel industries ignores the philosophical imperatives..
A very smart person..einstein..said that in the future humanity will view how we currently treat/exploit animals with the same abhorrence that we now regard human slavery..
Well, you think our animal export industries will be decimated. I think that they'll pivot to luxury trade. After all, the trade in breeding racehorses, went right on – completely unaffected by the switch from horse-drawn carriages to automobiles.
Only time will tell who is right.
If I'm right, then NZ will be able to continue to pay for our first world lifestyle. If you're right (since you haven't been able to come up with even one alternative export idea) – NZ will rapidly have a substantial drop in living standards (the current cost-of-living crisis will be peanuts by comparison).
Note that the current switch away from dairy (encouraged by Government incentives) has been to forestry – the lowest added value trade there is.
Housing intensity is one of those things that many people feel is good in abstract, but turn into NIMBYs the moment they, personally, are affected.
Are you going to put your hand up to have a medium-rise (only 5 floors) block of flats put up on your side boundary? It will only take away the sun from your house for 6 hours a day.
I talk on this subject because I want the animal suffering to end…but also to try to alert others to these upcoming massive changes we will face..
And I have no prescription for seeing off this disruption..what to pivot to..
I understand james cameron has been doing this on his wairarapa farms…experimenting with different crops to confirm which are best for the animal fatteners to convert to..
And I think his intention is/was to make the results of these experiments availabile to the animal 'farmers'..
And I want the government to pull their heads out of the sand..and to get cracking/put their thinking caps on..
To prepare for these changes..
Do you mean this James Cameron
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/hollywood-director-james-camerons-enviro-farm-turns-to-dairy-cow-grazing/VJQQYXRUUJKTPOBTG7GUQCETEA/
Yep.. that's him…he must need the money..
That report is from over two years ago..
Any featherston readers able to give us an update..?
Ta
Or not.
Recent sales of The Alternative Meat Co. products in Australia have not been at a level that allows for continued production at an affordable price for consumers.
Unfortunately as it is not possible to make these products here, from July 2022 we have withdrawn the range from the New Zealand market.
https://lifehealthfoods.co.nz/goodbye-amc/
The challenges in the marketplace in the UK and overseas are reflected in values of the leading specialist vegan food manufacturers, which in some cases have plummeted. Shares in meat-free brand Beyond Meat have crashed, down from more than $230 after it went public on the Nasdaq stock exchange in May 2019 to about $11. The meat-free market in the US is described by experts as “stagnating”.
[…]
“There has been a gold rush followed by a cull. There were too many products on the shelf for the volume of sales.”
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2023/may/20/has-the-vegan-bubble-burst-sales-stagnate-in-uk-as-brands-withdraw-plant-based-products?
Text book use of links to mislead..
Beyond meat is not lab grown meat..for starters..
That industry is just in it's infancy…
Give it five years..and your much cheaper animal suffering free kobe beef will be in yr supermarket..
I haven't eaten animal flesh for about 45 yrs..
And i don't eat the fake meats myself..
Have no desire for a near meat culinary experience…
And the explosion of plant based options in my local supermarket puts yr last rites in the wrong basket..
A snip. And then there's the yuck factor.
The cost to produce cell-cultured meat is projected for a large-scale plant.
[…]
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154322000916
You really are on a bender with those misleading links..eh..?
Your yuck link claims 35% of carnivores are disgusted by the idea of lab grown meat..
Of course that would also mean 65% of carnivores aren't disgusted by the concept..eh..?
Which means yr link supports what I am saying..
Eh..?.
Heh..!
In fact, industrial-scale cell-culture is an art and not a science. AI may change this, but this process needs bioengineers with green-thumbs, someone working at Callaghan Innovation told me.
When a big 20,000 L batch goes bad, through insterility, the fact that the cell line is getting past its use-by date, or because the manufactured hormones used to direct growth are substandard, that's a huge capital loss. Add the cost of reconditioning the equipment. Which is why cell-culture at this scale is limited to high-value pharma to date.
There may also be 5-10 years' research before this step from your ref is achieved: " assuming huge technological advances in the cell-culture medium." It's even possible that vat-grown 'meat' will be a hybrid of plant and animal materials, with muscle fibres grown on a pre-made soy protein scaffold.
Our body is hardwired to feed itself essentials. I remember the first thing I did on getting home after a 10-day freeze-dry meal tramp was cook up a bit of liver in the fridge. I hate liver, but my body went EAT IT! NOW! Peasant recipes all throw a bit of meat in the legume stew, to get enough B12, and add some protein-dense nutrition, and use cheese and eggs where they can.
Many in the UK, the epicentre of faked meat products, recently went vegan for animal welfare reasons. To be a healthy vegan requires careful nutrition, and manufactured non-meat sausages and rissoles are not enough. Two years on, and the tiredness brought on by nutritional imbalance or lack of something essential has made a lot of recent vegans rethink their diet choices.
Who are these pussy 'recent vegans..?
Like I said I don't go for fake meats…have been vegan for 20 + yrs..
I am old..like really old..heh..!..and today I did four hours hard physical labour..(just having a after work coffee + joint ..)
So…y'know…!
I have to say that I'm struggling to understand how a highly processed meat-alternative (requiring a significant investment in equipment and infrastruction, and ongoing operating costs) can be a solution which is better for the planet.
That may be the case in areas like Singapore (one of the front-runners, I understand), where they have no land on which to grow anything. But much of the overseas coverage on this topic talks about the high-intensity farming (feedlots, routine antibiotics, etc.) which are rare in NZ.
From the ethical perspective, I can understand the attraction of 'cruelty-free' meat. However, it seems that at least some of the more …. extreme vegetarians/vegans (as evidenced by the comments here), wouldn't accept this, anyway.
My pick would be that 'real' meat will become a luxury item (with luxury pricing), and that the vat-grown meat will become the staple.
Lab grown vs animal flesh..
Lab grown has a very small environmental footprint.. compared with the animal stuff…
Also.. especially relevant for nz..it can be made locally in a warehouse.. doesn't need to be transported to the other side of the world..
When the industry matures economies of scale and market forces will drive prices further down.. and I agree with your prediction of animal based becoming a high end product..and lab for most..
And of course the fast food industries will be the early adopters..driven by low cost..and to be able to boast of being green..
You seem to think that vegans not that keen on lab meat..is somehow strange..
Lab grown meat is not for the likes of me..and most other vegans I know..we all go 'yuck..!'
It is for carnivores addicted to the sensation of eating animal-flesh..
So no ideas, then, on what would work to plug the hole that this transition might make in our balance of payments?
Or do you agree that NZ farmers will just shift to the high-end luxury supply for 'real' meat? [That has its own risks – but the truly wealthy are prepared to pay almost anything – as we see from the ridiculous prices paid in Japan for 'perfect' fruit, or large tuna]
The articles I've read have been around lab-based meat fulfilling the mass-market needs (for chicken and pork) in Asian countries – with their expanding middle-class. But I agree that it will be an easy greenwashing win for the fast-food chains. Although it's anything but low-cost ATM – I can see prices will fall.
Mind you – I'd be pretty concerned over quality and possibility of contamination – but that's the case with many products imported from countries without a solid food quality supply chain checking system now (Hepatitis A in frozen fruit from Serbia is just one of the latest).
The 'yuck' factor is interesting. Many omnivores I know also go 'yuck' at the thought of eating lab-grown meat. Sounds like an uphill battle for the marketers :-). Although, I know several vegetarians who have made that choice over ethical concerns over animal welfare – they'd be ecstatic to be able to ethically eat bacon again!
Just to clarify something..lab meat is real meat..it is grown from cells taken from animals…and will be indistinguishable from the dead animal one in flavour/taste..
So unsure why those people you know go 'yuck..!'..
And tell those vegetarians you know who are jonesing for bacon..that I've been told some of the current fake ones are getting pretty close to the real thing..
And yes..I see many vegetarians using lab-meat..more so than vegans..
Vegetarian is closer to carnivore than to vegan..
And animal fatteners relying on that high end of the market..will find that is a very crowded market..
Guess the 'yuck' factor is over the highly processed part. Sourced from a factory. Most 'foodies' are into food tracking – knowing where the ingredients come from. Black Angus cattle on XYZ farm just outside Cambridge is a much better selling point than Digestor no. 9 in an anonymous warehouse in South Auckland.
[Yes, of course this isn't applicable to McDonalds – though I did have the tour guide to Hobbiton tell us that the cattle we were driving past were McDonalds beef]
ATM, it's all theoretical – none of us have actually seen or tasted the product, so have no idea over whether it really will be indistinguishable from 'real' meat.
If you're talking about chicken nuggets – then it probably doesn't matter – they're already highly processed – but top-end eye-fillet is a different story.
Having ethical-vegetarians as a possible market is a good thing – there are a lot more of them, than there are vegans. None of the ones I know would give tuppence for any of the current fake bacon substitutes.
NZ already has a pretty good success story with premium pricing our wines in a crowded luxury market – I don't see why we wouldn't be equally as successful with meat.
BTW – it's 'omnivore' rather than 'carnivore'. Very, very few people eat nothing but meat.
And the techniques/mediums currently in use.
https://archive.li/BkRsv#selection-4055.0-4055.5 (goodfoodinstitute)
Whew! That's a cold dose of reality on the 'ethical' side.
It won't matter for the current Asian market – where animal welfare is not a significant factor. But would have a very chilling effect on many Western potential consumers.
It also reinforces the concerns I had over contamination issues. The GIGO principle at work. If your inputs aren't high quality then your output is likely to be rubbish.
But welfare is paramount.
/
Guidelines
The welfare of calves during slaughter of pregnant animals should be safeguarded.
https://www.ava.com.au/policy-advocacy/policies/cattle-health-and-welfare/foetal-bovine-serum-collection/
I just googled carnivore..the definition is 'an animal that eats other animals'..
That is the flesh-eating human.. surely..?
And sourced from a factory..or sourced from a charnal house..?
I think the latter has the higher yuck factor..
And this is all no longer theoretical…we are way past there
Different groups..with serious money behind them are in an arms race..to get this to market…in a big way..
They know how high the stakes are here..
WOW, just wow. How good are the Australian labour party with fixing up tax loop hole for corporations. Bloody awesome is the only answer.
Just one more reason not to vote for the Tories, we need this here. And face reality folks only a labour led government can deliver on it.
https://cictar.org/news/cictar-welcomes-australia-cbcr
And this link for fun
"And face reality folks only a labour led government can deliver on it."
But they won't though. Neoliberals through and through. Your hope is sadly misplaced IMO.
Labour & National are both the same these days, promise plenty and deliver 5/8th's of Fck All. We do not have the people with intelligence or foresight in Government or our Business Communities who can deliver results to the Country which will benefit the Whole Country and the General Public. We keep enriching the top 10% of the people in this country who already have more than a Bull can Sht. Time to start looking after the Country's People rather than pandering to Off Shore Corporates and New Immigrants.
Is that part of an OECD initiative to inhibit 'a tax rate' race to the bottom', which seems to be when you shift profits off-shore to a tax haven to avoid tax in country of origin?
NZ appears to have legislation updated for this OECD initiative in this years' annual Tax Bill.
https://legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2023/0255/latest/LMS844398.html