Duterte’s people signalled before APEC that he’d be coming to NZ so there’s certainly a sanctioning of the visit gone on, by McCully I presume – he’s that stupid.
I’d be interested how you intend to defend John Key’s government hosting Duterte and paying for his visit with our money…
Not sure what you are getting at. I’m just an ordinary punter and don’t know too much about the Hong Kong situation. What I do know is that Blinglish cancelled his meeting with Anson and Lee at 11:00pm the night before after being pressured by Beijing. The same Beijing which doesn’t allow its 1 Billion plus citizens the right to vote.
However you used Martin Lee and Anson Chan as way to somehow illustrate the current govt were ignoring ‘democracy seekers’ while “sucking up” to Durterte, who in your opinion is a [what]?
Then you say you don’t know much about the HK ‘situation’, yet you had used it anyway..
The HK ‘situation’ and primary actors are likely not what they sell themselves as
As far as I’m aware Anson and Lee haven’t carried out extra-judicial killings, and commanded a megalomaniacal breakdown in justice, in the name of a war on drugs like Duterte has.
Perhaps you have more information on this than I do?
Here’s a piece on Duterte, who you didn’t like me referring to when I contrasted the way the current government treated him and Anson and Lee.
In it he talks of admiring New Zealanders for following the law, which is surprising because he does not.
Without elaborating much you claimed dark forces were behind Anson and Lee and Blinglish presumably was warranted in snubbing them at the request of the Chinese Embassy.
I know about as much of Phillipines history as I do Hong Kong’s, but I know a bit and was interested in Duterte’s backers – the family of the late, brutal, and overthrown former president Ferdinand Marcos.
I do hope you will let the forum know what similar dark forces are behind Anson and Lee.
You asked what my opinion of Duterte was and I think he’s a dangerous man who will do a lot of damage to his country before being overthrown by popular uprising.
Yep all the dictators have been wonderful people, very misunderstood – sure they were selfish small handed idiots but hey at least they patted dogs and made the trains run on time //sarc
some actually believe that and guess what? They ain’t from the LEFT.
One day back, one more day of divisive misdirection and predictable antagonism.
I appreciate the notion of a melting pot of ideas and conversation, but clearly the situation with CV has reached an impasse and there can be no positive outcome. Someone has to make the call and stick by it. [deleted] is now just a troll, offering nothing but disunity and loaded, fractured soundbites, with even a moderator openly criticizing the exporting of ” lazily embraced ‘vile’” as a modus operandi.
Someone, for sanity’s sake, make the fucking call. Either CV goes forever or you ban every one else. There is no third way here. The way I see it, these are the only choices.
Fingers crossed for the sake of the site and it’s diminishing reputation the call gets made either way. This is nuts at the best of times, and suicide leading up to an election
Nothing to do with party lines, it’s all about why you are here and what you hope to achieve by doing so, and CV clearly has nothing to offer anyone but the shittiest end of the ugly stick. You feel free to dab yourself with it, but I’m expecting, hoping, someone somewhere will take the long term view and be brave in making the correct decision.
The half dozen suck ups and sycophants will just have to suck it up, get with the program or take the righteous way and fall on their +100 fuckwit swords.
You can lick and slurp ’til your hearts content, but it doesn’t mean I’m not 100% spot on.
All it really shows is your lips are accustomed to kissing that which I keep under wraps. 😀
hi peter, unless i have missed something, i haven’t seen you author a post.
do you do behind the scenes work?
do you contribute meaningfully, beyond commenting?
i get you may not like what cv posts, however that ain’t good enough for you to get your wish of a ban.
offence is only ever offered, it is up to you to accept it or not.
i am surprised that there wasn’t a big metaphorical uppercut coming at you, with telling the moderators what to do, how to run the site and attacking an author.
perhaps we all follow recent urgings and be a little kinder to each other.
The irony there is that while CV himself has authored posts (and done that well in the not-recent past), this year he has been one of the biggest net drains on the site. Rather than helping do the behind the scenes work, he’s been on various crusades of his own making that have not only obviously disrupted the front end, but have resulted in people leaving, created a huge amount of stress for the other authors, and created a large amount of extra work for moderators (which equates to posts not written).
As someone who writes posts, is active in the behind the scenes work and who has done the bulk of the moderating in the past month, I can state categorically that CV has a large negative influence on what happens here and that I am now at the point of seriously wondering wtf we are even doing here. More and more I see this as the point of what CV is doing.
This is not about not ‘liking’ what someone posts. Nor is it about taking offence. It’s about to what degree a community or website remains viable in the presence of someone who is hellbent on ignoring the wellbeing of the place and instead is incessantly destructive. Here I am talking about behaviour, although obviously CV’s recent politics contribute to that. I’ve been in enough groups (online and offline) to recognise what is going on here, the dynamics at play, and it’s a cluster fuck. Yes, the site will carry on (unless Lynn gets sick of the drama and pulls the plug), but it won’t be the vibrant, intellectually stimulating, progressive place it could be. Worse, it may well end up contributing to the demise of the left.
And yes, there is the huge problem of having had an author promote fascism on this site. Now that CV’s authoring rights have been dropped to Contributor (his posts will be vetted, but I don’t know by who), it leaves us with a complex problem in that people are actively avoiding the site because it is now perceived as supporting not robust debate but alt-right ideology, and see the same person is still spamming the site with his proto-fascist views. Why would progressives and lefties want to be here? Why would we want to write? Why would be try and get new authors or moderators?
Look at how many posts going up at the moment are Notices and Features. Look at who is not writing. Look at which commenters are no longer here. What do you think is going to happen here next year in the lead up to the election? It’s a hard enough place to be at the best of times. Currently I see it as untenable for many, and while I will continue to be an author I am seriously considering whether there is any point in putting effort into the running of the site when at the same time it’s being destroyed. No single person is worth that.
Note: Response to Weka but is not aimed at you specifically where it could be read as such…this is a general observation sent to you as a moderator
Without knowing the levels of awareness or content involved in backend conversation it’s not possible to gauge the veracity of your comment
If the drip drip of perception forming tid bits is going to continue to filter into the front end then there is unlikely to be ‘improvement’ and will continue to read like personal vendettas all round
I see no problem with CVs commentary, it is ‘no better or worse’ than any other here, yet in recent times has attracted a shameful amount of abuse from multiple handles, which have veered into negative relms far surpassing claims of CV being ‘responsible’ for degrading and denerating the site
The forked tongues and hypocrisy have stooped to levels which should have been contained instead of tacitly encouraged and cheered on (by the general audience)
Is there a way the back end opinions can be translated into appropriate front end response by way of enabling CV to share and clarify his position? I don’t see why he should need to, but as he has become such a ‘targetted focus’ on the blog, it seems like he should be given that option (if not already offered)
There are only a small number of outcomes and solutions available, and the current approach is blatantly not working, because the drip drip is still active and the insults are still flying in a unilateral direction (overwhelmingly) by commentators
like a few others here, i haven’t read anything too outrageous written by cv. sure i get that others have been mightily upset, i also think a lot of those were looking for upset.
t.b.h. many times i read a lot of provocation, which i don’t think was meritted.
in respect to front/back end goings-on, i have to plead ignorance and just once again thank-you for your labours.
this ‘cv scenario’ typifies for me a big problem for the left.
you and i, i assume, would stand shoulder to shoulder on many issues, however bring up cats and the protection of native birds, geckos, skinks etc and we would be on opposite sides of the battle lines.
rather than focus on where we are divided, what are our common causes, how do we bring change?, when do we bring change?
i enjoy having my beliefs, attitudes and opinions challenged, some of the rwnj can do this but not many.
the bigger threat to this site is having a homogenised, centre-left only dialogue occuring.
once again, thanks for your mahi, when not off grid, i am here most days.
“i am surprised that there wasn’t a big metaphorical uppercut coming at you, with telling the moderators what to do, how to run the site and attacking an author.”
Two things. One is that most authors probably agree with Peter’s assessment. Certainly in the backend most authors see CV as a huge problem.
Two, it’s fine to talk about the site and how people want it to be. Yes, there is a line re not telling authors what to do, or how the site should be run, but personally I welcome people talking about what the problems are, because that’s how we know.
I agree with your assessment above and appreciate there are now many here with a finger on the pulse of the CV situation and what it could mean long term for the standard.
It saddens me to say it but here’s my penny’s worth:
I have come to the conclusion that CV is deliberately trying to destroy this site. Once upon a time I held him in high regard but in recent times he has lost much of his credibility. A lot of regulars seem to have walked in the past six months or so, and it includes some of our best contributors. I refer to people like Pascal’s bookie, Felix, Gobsmacked and Puddleglum. BLiP is also conspicuous by his absence. It doesn’t follow they have all dropped out because of CV, but the very negative atmosphere that has been created is (imo) taking its toll.
All this butt hurt is irrelevant because Trump fucken won. That means every one failed. Short term winners will be short bond sellers, medium term manufacturing, long term those that can dominate the content wars will be the owners of the new world.
Thatcherism is official dead now that the 30 year bond which neoliberalism was financed on, has exploded.
Keep up love. It’s a brave new world. The factories are coming
You do realise that your comment was completely irrelevant to what Anne actually wrote? Did you mean to reply to another comment, maybe?
clue: the comment was about the the recent nature of TS (especially CV’s contributions) and the corresponding disappearance of long term contributors, and had nothing to do with trump.
The meme wars are over because trump won. Stop trying to breath life into a dead corps. Every one but the 50 million Americans got it all wrong, every ones well laid out globalism plans have been smashed. It’s no wonder people are hiding from this market, you just have to live and learn my boy
Go outside.
Look up.
If it’s a clear day, with very few clouds, you might see a small speck far up in the sky.
That’s the point going way over your head because you still seem to think the conversation is about Trump.
Back to the conversation. What Trump has done is pushed the left back over to the left. We use to say trade is bad, Trump literally destroyed the old rulz based idea of global trade. Another traditional left idea Trump took off the left is anti war, by anti war I mean anti Russian sentiment no longer exists. So the left is getting pushed over to issues of identity ie sexual behaviour, Trans/gay, workers rights as opposed to worker subsidies.
You just have to have a good honest look at the state of things my boy, rather than trying to deny the existance of trump.
I have a certain morbid fascination with just what depths CV will plumb – he’s currently writing off extrajudicial killings along the lines of some sort of cultural relativism, in a couple of years will he be excusing concentration camps or nuclear war?
Lord, save us from everyone who thinks they receive personal messages from the universe…
He’s a gone burger. A flame grilled whopper with extra cheese. Tasty, but full of nasty sh1t hidden on the inside.
When the pickle is the sweetener, it shows how bad it’s got.
A Muck nasty with sweet and sour sauce, hold the sweet. lol
Is that the best you can muster now Peter Swift? Gawd I hope Labour has a better chance next year. But I don’t think so. 4 to 1 against, verging on a guaranteed GR2020.
Intellectually moribund disguised as clever and witty. Just like you.
I hope CV sticks around to keep things lively. He’s a lot smarter than the predictable RW trolls, I will go to sleep if this place becomes an echo chamber like TDB or boringly mediocre like PublicAddress
Peter Swift – what do you want this site to be? An echo chamber for the neolib National lite Party? Surely we need the variety of ideas and opinions to flourish and not be stomped on? If you are going to ban CV why not ban the likes of Peter George and PR?
I don’t know if it’s deliberate, but you’re ignoring what’s being written. It’s a diversion tactic, but never mind, I have it covered.
Simple reply is that it’s not about what I want the site to be, but rather what it already is. CV offers nothing with his contributions, unless getting a reaction is the goal, in which case my view of him being nothing more than a troll figure is accurate enough.
I don’t take your point about echo chambers, especially about the neo lib lite party, especially when you’re supporting someone who is self proclaimed non left, so don’t make me laugh, slogan boy.
As for banning, the way I look at it is that it will happen sooner or later. There’s been enough negative examples to expose the trend. I say just bite the bullet and put us out of his misery.
And the funny thing about your last point is that PR is much less offensive to read that [deleted] is, and when the right wing trolls make less of an impact than he does, it’s sort of highlighting the narrative for us all.
[please don’t use someone’s RL name here if they themselves don’t. That’s a general principle designed to protect us all. If you have instances of behaviour or posts that definitely need a moderator’s attention, drop a note in front of an author/moderator. thanks – weka]
Sorry, I disagree. The rightwing trolls are more of a problem here than CV .Sure CV has ramped things up a lot, but that is mainly because of deliberate baiting. He used to be a real breath of fresh air, however I take your point of him heading into a ban if he doesn’t cool it considerably. Thanks for replying Peter.
@Weka I wouldn’t have used his name, wouldn’t have even known it, if he hadn’t have shared it with us all in the first place, but sure, I’ll put his genie back in the bottle and won’t ever do it again.
[deleted]
[he is posting under a pseudonym and that needs to be respected, not least because none of us can know the reasons for that at any given time – some pseudonyms aren’t absolutely private, but people still have a right to them. Otherwise anyone with a pseudonym becomes fair game. This isn’t about CV, it’s about the general principle as I already said. – weka]
Peter Swift – you apparently cannot stomach anything written by Chris Trotter, and now CV is in the same category? What is it about your nature that makes it so Stalinist?
I agree with Garibaldi that PR, Chuck, James, etc are a far worse distraction to debate on this site.
Just about any time Trotter posts on Daily Blog, you take to him with a cleaver. Not here on the Standard – but you have impressed me as a Lefty with a mind so narrow it could pass through the eye of a needle.
(You may make it to heaven!)
I request you link to those cleaver comments please. I’ve made less that a handful of comments there over the years, and from memory, none about Trotter and more importantly none under this handle.
Shouldn’t be as hard to do as the apology I’m expecting you’ll have to make.
You are right- on checking those TDB posts, I find that the guy I objected to was a Peter Wheeler, not you at all. Apology freely given – I must make doubly sure about surnames in future. This may increase your chances of getting to heaven..
Well yeah, obviously, but even so, it’s in the standard archive and all. It’s hardly a a secret, especially when posted by the person in question in the first place.
But I’m not questioning the ruling. Voldermort it is from now on. lol
Yes God forbid people post something peter swift disagrees with. All deserting post and comments must be purged to make the standard a safe place for him.
With that or ban every other person.
Really there is no possible option that you just ignore what you don’t like? Or perhaps attack his argument as opposed to the person.
Also – isn’t there some rule about naming people on this blog – I understand he is known by many – but is it right to put his name into this ??
You gotta admire the guy’s use of adjectives. Think he must’ve just started a creative writing course, or perhaps he’s just finished one. Either way it’s pretty damn funny.
What’s with you three monkeys? Up thread you have a moderator clearly outlining the present troubles on this site, writing about boycotts, contributors not submitting topics and you post like the stereotypical don’t see, hear or speak trio. And I’m having my capabilities questioned 🙄
We’re so lucky to have such astute chumps like you around to save the day lol
is CV really as annoying / destructive to this community as someone like the despicable dirty politics merchant Matthew Hooten? Or a boring threadjacker like Pete George?
CV obviously has issues with the current form of the political Left, his criticism can be cutting, but I haven’t seen him personally attack anyone, or indulge in Hooten like trolling.
Yes, he’s quite the spoiler, and by the looks of it, an increasing number of people view him not only as an agenda driven malcontent on a revenge mission, but a genuine threat to the long term well being and effectiveness of the standard.
That makes him much worse than a tory tool and a silly old man.
A Tai Rāwhiti mill that ran for 30 years before it was shut down in late 2023 is set to re-open in the coming months, which will eventually see nearly 300 new jobs in the region. A new report from Massey University shows that pensioners are struggling with rising costs. ...
As support continues to fall, Luxon also now faces his biggest internal ructions within the coalition since the election, with David Seymour reacting badly to being criticised by the PM. File photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Not since 1988 when Richard Prebble openly criticised David Lange have we seen such a challenge to a Prime Minister as that of David Seymour to Christopher Luxon last night. Prebble suggested Lange had mental health issues during a TV interview and was almost immediately fired. Seymour hasn’t gone quite ...
This video includes personal musings and conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Wherever you look, you'll hear headlines claiming we've passed 1.5 degrees of global warming. And while 2024 saw ...
Photo by Heather M. Edwards on UnsplashHere’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s politics and economy in the week to Feb 10 below. That’s ahead of live chats on the Substack App and The Kākā’s front page on Substack at 5pm with: on his column in The ...
Is there anyone in the world the National Party loves more than a campaign donor? Why yes, there is! They will always have the warmest hello and would you like to slip into something more comfortable for that great god of our age, the High Net Worth Individual.The words the ...
Waste and fraud certainly exist in foreign aid programs, but rightwing celebration of USAID’s dismantling shows profound ignorance of the value of soft power (as opposed to hard power) in projecting US influence and interests abroad by non-military/coercive means (think of “hearts and minds,” “hugs, not bullets,” “honey versus vinegar,” ...
Health New Zealand is proposing to cut almost half of its data and digital positions – more than 1000 of them. The PSA has called on the Privacy Commissioner to urgently investigate the cuts due to the potential for serious consequences for patients. NZNO is calling for an urgent increase ...
We may see a few more luxury cars on Queen Street, but a loosening of rules to entice rich foreigners to invest more here is unlikely to “turbocharge our economic growth”. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Let us not dance daintily around the elephant in the room. Our politicians who serve us in the present are not honest, certainly not as honest as they should be, and while the right are taking out most of the trophies for warping narratives and literally redefining “facts”, the kiwi ...
A few weeks ago I took a look at public transport ridership in 2024. In today’s post I’m going to be looking a bit deeper at bus ridership. Buses make up the vast majority of ridership in Auckland with 70 million boardings last year out of a total of 89.4 ...
Oh, you know I did itIt's over and I feel fineNothing you could say is gonna change my mindWaited and I waited the longest nightNothing like the taste of sweet declineSongwriters: Chris Shiflett / David Eric Grohl / Nate Mendel / Taylor Hawkins.Hindsight is good, eh?The clarity when the pieces ...
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashHere’s what we’re watching in the week to February 16 and beyond in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty:Monday, February 10The Kākā’s weekly wrap-up of news about politics and the economy is due at midday, followed by webinar for paying subscribers in Substack’s ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, February 2, 2025 thru Sat, February 8, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
Today, I stumbled across a Twitter Meme: the ending of The Lord of the Rings as a Chess scenario: https://x.com/mellon_heads/status/1887983845917564991 It gets across the basic gist. Aragorn and Gandalf offering up ‘material’ at the Morannon allows Frodo and Samwise to catch Sauron unawares – fair enough. But there are a ...
Last week, Kieran McAnulty called out Chris Bishop and Nicola Willis for their claims that Kāinga Ora’s costs were too high.They had claimed Kāinga Ora’s cost were 12% higher than market i.e. private devlopersBut Kāinga Ora’s Chair had already explained why last year:"We're not building to sell, so we'll be ...
Stuff’s Political Editor Luke Malpass - A Fellow at New Zealand IniativeLast week I half-joked that Stuff / The Post’s Luke Malpass1 always sounded like he was auditioning for a job at the New Zealand Initiative.Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. For a limited time, subscriptions are 20% off. Thanks ...
At a funeral on Friday, there were A4-sized photos covering every wall of the Dil’s reception lounge. There must have been 200 of them, telling the story in the usual way of the video reel but also, by enlargement, making it more possible to linger and step in.Our friend Nicky ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is methane the ...
The Government’s idea is that the private sector and Community Housing Providers will fund, build and operate new affordable housing to address our housing crisis. Meanwhile, the Government does not know where almost half of the 1,700 children who left emergency housing actually went. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong ...
Oh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youOh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youSongwriters: Alexander Ebert / Jade Allyson CastrinosMorena,I’m on a tight time frame this morning. In about an hour and a half, I’ll need to pack up and hit the road ...
This is a post about the Mountain Tui substack, and small tweaks - further to the poll and request post the other day. Please don’t read if you aren’t interested in my personal matters. Thank you all.After oohing-and-aahing about how to structure the Substack model since November, including obtaining ...
This transcript of a recent conversation between the Prime Minister and his chief economic adviser has not been verified.We’ve announced we are the ‘Yes Government’. Do you like it?Yes, Prime Minister.Dreamed up by the PR team. It’s about being committed to growth. Not that the PR team know anything about ...
The other day, Australian Senator Nick McKim issued a warning in the Australian Parliement about the US’s descent into fascim.And of course it’s true, but I lament - that was true as soon as Trump won.What we see is now simply the reification of the intention, planning, and forces behind ...
Among the many other problems associated with Musk/DOGE sending a fleet of teenage and twenty-something cultists to remove, copy and appropriate federal records like social security, medicaid and other supposedly protected data is the fact that the youngsters doing the data-removal, copying and security protocol and filter code over-writing have ...
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tuneBird fly high by the light of the moonOh, oh, oh, JokermanSong by Bob Dylan.Morena folks, I hope this fine morning of the 7th of February finds you well. We're still close to Paihia, just a short drive out of town. Below is the view ...
It’s been an eventful week as always, so here’s a few things that we have found interesting. We also hope everyone had a happy and relaxing Waitangi Day! This week in Greater Auckland We’re still running on summer time, but provided two chewy posts: On Tuesday, a guest ...
Queuing on Queen St: the Government is set to announce another apparently splashy growth policy on Sunday of offering residence visas to wealthy migrants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, February 7:PM Christopher ...
The fact that Waitangi ended up being such a low-key affair may mark it out as one of the most significant Waitangi Days in recent years. A group of women draped in “Toitu Te Tiriti” banners who turned their backs on the politicians’ powhiri was about as rough as it ...
Hi,This week’s Flightless Bird episode was about “fake seizure guy” — a Melbourne man who fakes seizures in order to get members of the public to sit on him.The audio documentary (which I have included in this newsletter in case you don’t listen to Flightless Bird) built on reporting first ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk The 119th Congress comes with a price tag. The oil and gas industry gave about $24 million in campaign contributions to the members of the U.S. House and Senate expected to be sworn in January 3, 2025, according to a ...
Early morning, the shadows still long, but you can already feel the warmth building. Our motel was across the road from the historic homestead where Henry Williams' family lived. The evening before, we wandered around the gardens, reading the plaques and enjoying the close proximity to the history of the ...
Thanks folks for your feedback, votes and comments this week. I’ll be making the changes soon. Appreciate all your emails, comments and subscriptions too. I know your time is valuable - muchas gracias.A lot is happening both here and around the world - so I want to provide a snippets ...
Data released today by Statistics NZ shows that unemployment rose to 5.1%, with 33,000 more people out of work than last year said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. “The latest data shows that employment fell in Aotearoa at its fastest rate since the GFC. Unemployment rose in 8 ...
The December labour market statistics have been released, showing yet another increase in unemployment. There are now 156,000 unemployed - 34,000 more than when National took office. And having thrown all these people out of work, National is doubling down on cruelty. Because being vicious will somehow magically create the ...
Boarded up homes in Kilbirnie, where work on a planned development was halted. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 5 are;Housing Minister Chris Bishop yesterday announcedKāinga Ora would be stripped of ...
This week Kiwirail and Auckland Transport were celebrating the completion of the summer rail works that had the network shut or for over a month and the start of electric trains to Pukekohe. First up, here’s parts of the press release about the shutdown works. Passengers boarding trains in Auckland ...
Through its austerity measures, the coalition government has engineered a rise in unemployment in order to reduce inflation while – simultaneously – cracking down harder and harder on the people thrown out of work by its own policies. To that end, Social Development Minister Louise Upston this week added two ...
This year, we've seen a radical, white supremacist government ignoring its Tiriti obligations, refusing to consult with Māori, and even trying to legislatively abrogate te Tiriti o Waitangi. When it was criticised by the Waitangi Tribunal, the government sabotaged that body, replacing its legal and historical experts with corporate shills, ...
Poor old democracy, it really is in a sorry state. It would be easy to put all the blame on the vandals and tyrants presently trashing the White House, but this has been years in the making. It begins with Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan and the spirit of Gordon ...
The new school lunches came in this week, and they were absolutely scrumptious.I had some, and even though Connor said his tasted like “stodge” and gave him a sore tummy, I myself loved it!Look at the photos - I knew Mr Seymour wouldn’t lie when he told us last year:"It ...
The tighter sanctions are modelled on ones used in Britain, which did push people off ‘the dole’, but didn’t increase the number of workers, and which evidence has repeatedly shown don’t work. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, ...
Catching you up on the morning’s global news and a quick look at the parallels -GLOBALTariffs are backSharemarkets in the US, UK and Europe have “plunged” in response to Trump’s tariffs. And while Mexico has won a one month reprieve, Canada and China will see their respective 25% and 10% ...
This post by Nicolas Reid was originally published on Linked in. It is republished here with permission. Gondolas are often in the news, with manufacturers of ropeway systems proposing them as a modern option for mass transit systems in New Zealand. However, like every next big thing in transport, it’s hard ...
This is a re-post from The Climate BrinkBoth 2023 and 2024 were exceptionally warm years, at just below and above 1.5C relative to preindustrial in the WMO composite of surface temperature records, respectively. While we are still working to assess the full set of drivers of this warmth, it is clear that ...
Hi,I woke up feeling nervous this morning, realising that this weekend Flightless Bird is going to do it’s first ever live show. We’re heading to a sold out (!) show in Seattle to test the format out in front of an audience. If it works, we’ll do more. I want ...
From the United-For-Now States of America comes the thrilling news that a New Zealander may be at the very heart of the current coup. Punching above our weight on the world stage once more! Wait, you may be asking, what New Zealander? I speak of Peter Thiel, made street legal ...
Even Stevens: Over the 33 years between 1990 and 2023 (and allowing for the aberrant 2020 result) the average level of support enjoyed by the Left and Right blocs, at roughly 44.5 percent each, turns out to be, as near as dammit, identical.WORLDWIDE, THE PARTIES of the Left are presented ...
Back in 2023, a "prominent political figure" went on trial for historic sex offences. But we weren't allowed to know who they were or what political party they were "prominent" in, because it might affect the way we voted. At the time, I said that this was untenable; it was ...
I'm going, I'm goingWhere the water tastes like wineI'm going where the water tastes like wineWe can jump in the waterStay drunk all the timeI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayAll this fussing and fighting, man, you know I sure ...
Waitangi Day is a time to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and stand together for a just and fair Aotearoa. Across the motu, communities are gathering to reflect, kōrero, and take action for a future built on equity and tino rangatiratanga. From dawn ceremonies to whānau-friendly events, there are ...
Subscribe to Mountain Tūī ! Where you too can learn about exciting things from a flying bird! Tweet.Yes - I absolutely suck at marketing. It’s a fact.But first -My question to all readers is:How should I set up the Substack model?It’s been something I’ve been meaning to ask since November ...
Here’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s political economy on politics and in the week to Feb 3:PM Christopher Luxon began 2025’s first day of Parliament last Tuesday by carrying on where left off in 2024, letting National’s junior coalition partner set the political agenda and dragging ...
The PSA have released a survey of 4000 public service workers showing that budget cuts are taking a toll on the wellbeing of public servants and risking the delivery of essential services to New Zealanders. Economists predict that figures released this week will show continued increases in unemployment, potentially reaching ...
The Prime Minister’s speech 10 days or so ago kicked off a flurry of commentary. No one much anywhere near the mainstream (ie excluding Greens supporters) questioned the rhetoric. New Zealand has done woefully poorly on productivity for a long time and we really need better outcomes, and the sorts ...
President Trump on the day he announced tariffs against Mexico, Canada and China, unleashing a shock to supply chains globally that is expected to slow economic growth and increase inflation for most large economies. Photo: Getty ImagesLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate ...
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashHere’s what we’re watching in the week to February 9 and beyond in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty:Monday, February 3Politics: New Zealand Government cabinet meeting usually held early afternoon with post-cabinet news conference possible at 4 pm, although they have not been ...
Trump being Trump, it won’t come as a shock to find that he regards a strong US currency (bolstered by high tariffs on everything made by foreigners) as a sign of America’s virility, and its ability to kick sand in the face of the world. Reality is a tad more ...
A listing of 24 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, January 26, 2025 thru Sat, February 1, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
What seems to be the common theme in the US, NZ, Argentina and places like Italy under their respective rightwing governments is what I think of as “the politics of cruelty.” Hate-mongering, callous indifference in social policy-making, corporate toadying, political bullying, intimidation and punching down on the most vulnerable with ...
If you are confused, check with the sunCarry a compass to help you alongYour feet are going to be on the groundYour head is there to move you aroundSo, stand in the place where you liveSongwriters: Bill Berry / Michael Mills / Michael Stipe / Peter Buck.Hot in the CityYesterday, ...
Shane Jones announced today he would be contracting out his thinking to a smarter younger person.Reclining on his chaise longue with a mouth full of oysters and Kina he told reporters:Clearly I have become a has-been, a palimpsest, an epigone, a bloviating fossil. I find myself saying such things as: ...
Warning: This post contains references to sexual assaultOn Saturday, I spent far too long editing a video on Tim Jago, the ACT Party President and criminal, who has given up his fight for name suppression after 2 years. He voluntarily gave up just in time for what will be a ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is global warming ...
Our low-investment, low-wage, migration-led and housing-market-driven political economy has delivered poorer productivity growth than the rest of the OECD, and our performance since Covid has been particularly poor. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty this ...
..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.As far as major government announcements go, a Three Ministers Event is Big. It can signify a major policy development or something has gone Very Well, or an absolute Clusterf**k. When Three Ministers assemble ...
One of those blasts from the past. Peter Dunne – originally neoliberal Labour, then leader of various parties that sought to work with both big parties (generally National) – has taken to calling ...
Completed reads for January: I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson The Black Spider, by Jeremias Gotthelf The Spider and the Fly (poem), by Mary Howitt A Noiseless Patient Spider (poem), by Walt Whitman August Heat, by W.F. Harvey Charlotte’s Web, by E.B. White The Shrinking Man, by Richard Matheson ...
Do its Property Right Provisions Make Sense?Last week I pointed out that it is uninformed to argue that the New Zealand’s apparently poor economic performance can be traced only to poor regulations. Even were there evidence they had some impact, there are other factors. Of course, we should seek to ...
Richard Wagstaff It was incredibly jarring to hear the hubris from the Prime Minister during his recent state of the nation address. I had just spent close to a week working though the stories and thoughts shared with us by nearly 2000 working people as part of our annual Mood ...
Odd fact about the Broadcasting Standards Authority: for the last few years, they’ve only been upholding about 5% of complaints. Why? I think there’s a range of reasons. Generally responsible broadcasters. Dumb complaints. Complaints brought under the wrong standard. Greater adherence to broadcasters’ rights to freedom of expression in the ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill aimed at preventing banks from refusing their services to businesses because of the current “Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Framework”. “This Bill ensures fairness and prevents ESG standards from perpetuating woke ideology in the banking sector being driven by unelected, globalist, climate ...
Erica Stanford has reached peak shortsightedness if today’s announcement is anything to go by, picking apart immigration settings piece by piece to the detriment of the New Zealand economy. ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...
Labour is relieved to see Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her government’s terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers – temporarily. ...
It is the first week of David Seymour’s school lunch programme and already social media reports are circulating of revolting meals, late deliveries, and mislabelled packaging. ...
The Green Party says that with no-cause evictions returning from today, the move to allow landlords to end tenancies without reason plunges renters, and particularly families who rent, into insecurity and stress. ...
The Government’s move to increase speed limits substantially on dozens of stretches of rural and often undivided highways will result in more serious harm. ...
In her first announcement as Economic Growth Minister, Nicola Willis chose to loosen restrictions for digital nomads from other countries, rather than focus on everyday Kiwis. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. “As schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamariki’s review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 What’s Up hotline. “When I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...
A bill to make revenue collection on imported and exported goods fairer and more effective had its first reading in Parliament, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. “The Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill modernises the way in which Customs can recover the costs of services that are needed ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has achieved significant progress in completing applications for New Zealand citizenship. “December 2024 saw the Department complete 5,661 citizenship applications, the most for any month in 2024. This is a 54 per cent increase compared ...
Reversals to Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions begin tonight and will be in place by 1 July, says Minister of Transport Chris Bishop. “The previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads. “National campaigned on ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced Budget 2025 – the Growth Budget - will be delivered on Thursday 22 May. “This year’s Budget will drive forward the Government’s plan to grow our economy to improve the incomes of New Zealanders now and in the years ahead. “Budget 2025 will build ...
For the Government, 2025 will bring a relentless focus on unleashing the growth we need to lift incomes, strengthen local businesses and create opportunity. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today laid out the Government’s growth agenda in his Statement to Parliament. “Just over a year ago this Government was elected by ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour welcomes students back to school with a call to raise attendance from last year. “The Government encourages all students to attend school every day because there is a clear connection between being present at school and setting yourself up for a bright future,” says Mr ...
The Government is relaxing visitor visa requirements to allow tourists to work remotely while visiting New Zealand, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and Tourism Minister Louise Upston say. “The change is part of the Government’s plan to unlock New Zealand’s potential by shifting the country onto ...
The opening of Kāinga Ora’s development of 134 homes in Epuni, Lower Hutt will provide much-needed social housing for Hutt families, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I’ve been a strong advocate for social housing on Kāinga Ora’s Epuni site ever since the old earthquake-prone housing was demolished in 2015. I ...
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay will travel to Australia today for meetings with Australian Trade Minister, Senator Don Farrell, and the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF). Mr McClay recently hosted Minister Farrell in Rotorua for the annual Closer Economic Relations (CER) Trade Ministers’ meeting, where ANZLF presented on ...
A new monthly podiatry clinic has been launched today in Wairoa and will bring a much-needed service closer to home for the Wairoa community, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.“Health New Zealand has been successful in securing a podiatrist until the end of June this year to meet the needs of ...
The Judicial Conduct Commissioner has recommended a Judicial Conduct Panel be established to inquire into and report on the alleged conduct of acting District Court Judge Ema Aitken in an incident last November, Attorney-General Judith Collins said today. “I referred the matter of Judge Aitken’s alleged conduct during an incident ...
Students who need extra help with maths are set to benefit from a targeted acceleration programme that will give them more confidence in the classroom, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Last year, significant numbers of students did not meet the foundational literacy and numeracy level required to gain NCEA. To ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced three new diplomatic appointments. “Our diplomats play an important role in ensuring New Zealand’s interests are maintained and enhanced across the world,” Mr Peters says. “It is a pleasure to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ...
Ki te kahore he whakakitenga, ka ngaro te Iwi – without a vision, the people will perish. The Government has achieved its target to reduce the number of households in emergency housing motels by 75 per cent five years early, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. The number of households ...
The opening of Palmerston North’s biggest social housing development will have a significant impact for whānau in need of safe, warm, dry housing, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. The minister visited the development today at North Street where a total of 50 two, three, and four-bedroom homes plus a ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced the new membership of the Public Advisory Committee on Disarmament and Arms Control (PACDAC), who will serve for a three-year term. “The Committee brings together wide-ranging expertise relevant to disarmament. We have made six new appointments to the Committee and reappointed two existing members ...
Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora, good morning, talofa, malo e lelei, bula vinaka, da jia hao, namaste, sat sri akal, assalamu alaikum. It’s so great to be here and I’m ready and pumped for 2025. Can I start by acknowledging: Simon Bridges – CEO of the Auckland ...
The Government has unveiled a bold new initiative to position New Zealand as a premier destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) that will create higher paying jobs and grow the economy. “Invest New Zealand will streamline the investment process and provide tailored support to foreign investors, to increase capital investment ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced the largest reset of the New Zealand science system in more than 30 years with reforms which will boost the economy and benefit the sector. “The reforms will maximise the value of the $1.2 billion in government funding that goes into ...
Turbocharging New Zealand’s economic growth is the key to brighter days ahead for all Kiwis, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. In the Prime Minister’s State of the Nation Speech in Auckland today, Christopher Luxon laid out the path to the prosperity that will affect all aspects of New Zealanders’ lives. ...
The latest set of accounts show the Government has successfully checked the runaway growth of public spending, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. “In the previous government’s final five months in office, public spending was almost 10 per cent higher than for the same period the previous year. “That is completely ...
The Government’s welfare reforms are delivering results with the number of people moving off benefits into work increasing year-on-year for six straight months. “There are positive signs that our welfare reset and the return consequences for job seekers who don't fulfil their obligations to prepare for or find a job ...
Jon Kroll and Aimee McCammon have been appointed to the New Zealand Film Commission Board, Arts Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “I am delighted to appoint these two new board members who will bring a wealth of industry, governance, and commercial experience to the Film Commission. “Jon Kroll has been an ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Ogden, Associate Professor in Global Studies, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Donald Trump is moving rapidly to change the contours of contemporary international affairs, with the old US-dominated world order breaking down into a multipolar one with many centres of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ronnie Das, Associate Professor in Data Analytics, The University of Western Australia In the recent Border-Gavaskar series against India, Steve Smith agonisingly missed out reaching 10,000 Test runs in front of his home crowd at the Sydney Cricket Ground, falling short by ...
In a brand new documentary series for The Spinoff, comedians and best friends Brynley Stent and Kura Forrester embark on a cross-country quest to find love. Bryn & Ku’s Singles Club is a brand new documentary series for The Spinoff following award-winning comedians and friends Brynley Stent and ...
🚐 Bryn and Ku pack their bags and swap the bleak dating scene of Tāmaki Makaurau for some meet and mingle events in Ōtautahi that will take them out of their comfort zone. ❣️ Bryn & Ku’s Singles Club follows comedians Brynley Stent and Kura Forrester as they head out ...
"The relationship between China and the Cook Islands does not target any third party," the Chinese Foreign Ministry says, as opposition leaders in Rarotonga plan protest. ...
From tradwives to ‘petite blonde’ preferences, this season feels like a throwback for all the wrong reasons, writes Alex Casey. First of all: I know. Complaining about bad stuff on Married at First Sight Australia is like complaining that water is wet. But I’ve been bobbing around in these waters ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a public servant who’s ‘trying to get better’ explains her approach to spending and saving. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here.Gender: Female. Age: 24. Ethnicity: Pākehā and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zena Assaad, Senior Lecturer, School of Engineering, Australian National University Ziv Lavi/Shutterstock Last week, Google quietly abandoned a long-standing commitment to not use artificial intelligence (AI) technology in weapons or surveillance. In an update to its AI principles, which were first ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brenainn Simpson, PhD Candidate, The University of Queensland Florian Nimsdorf / Shutterstock About 400 kilometres northwest of Sydney, just south of Dubbo, lies a large and interesting body of rock formed around 215 million years ago by erupting volcanoes. Known as ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mareike Riedel, Senior lecturer in law, Macquarie University The dramatic rise in antisemitic incidents has dominated headlines in Australia in recent months, with calls for urgent action to address what many are calling a crisis. The Executive Council of Australian Jewry ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane McAdam, Scientia Professor and ARC Laureate Fellow, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW Sydney For a long time, it seemed refugee law had little relevance to people fleeing the impacts of climate change and disasters. Nearly 30 years ago, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maggie Kirkman, Senior Research Fellow, Global and Women’s Health, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University Krakenimages.com/Shutterstock You’ve heard of the gender pay gap. What about the gap in medical care? Cardiovascular diseases – which can lead to heart ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Iain White, Professor of Environmental Planning, University of Waikato Getty Images Urban planning has a long history of promoting visionary ideas that advocate for particular futures. The most recent is the concept of the 15-minute city, which has gained traction globally. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew King, Associate Professor in Climate Science, ARC Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather, The University of Melbourne Earth is crossing the threshold of 1.5°C of global warming, according to two major global studies which together suggest the planet’s climate has ...
As support for the coalition dips, the PM and his soon-to-be-deputy have engaged in a public war of words. Stewart Sowman-Lund has the details in today’s edition of The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Support slips If there was ever a political honeymoon, or ...
Failure by successive governments has left the South Island’s freshwater in a near disastrous state, the High Court has been told, in a case that could force the Crown to jointly manage water bodies with Ngāi Tahu.Individual Ngāi Tahu leaders, and the collective group Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, are ...
Nearing the end of his career, the world’s greatest unicycle racer chases the sport’s most elusive record. There’s something different about world-class athletes. Even if you know nothing about their sport, you can see it. It’s the way they move – precise, powerful. It’s how they carry themselves – focused, ...
Migrants with money are the focus of new visa settings that the government hopes will boost the economy. Alice Neville explains.What’s all this then? On Sunday, as part of the government’s big plan to kickstart economic growth, changes were announced to the Active Investor Plus visa category, with the ...
Comment: The next four years are going to bring a terrible information environment, with absurd claims bubbling up from fever swamps overseas The post Paranoia and politics appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Swirly World Sails South, by Andrew Fagan (2012)I feel Andrew is totally under-rated as an author. Alongside his latest book, Swirly World: Lost at Sea, his earlier sailing book is among my favourites. It tells of his trip around New Zealand – via the Auckland Islands. When he set out, ...
A lineup of prominent figures have joined the call to halt the deportation of a mother convicted of inflicting injuries on her baby, as fears grow she could be another victim of a ...
Comment: Saturday February 1 was the grim fourth anniversary of the military coup in Myanmar. The date seems to have gone unnoticed back here in New Zealand. Even before war in Ukraine and then Gaza, Myanmar got little attention. Yet it is the most destructive conflict in our region. The ...
We’re on the brink of a ‘tidal wave’ of misinformation.No one knows the size of it, but there’s a warning that leaving it to the government to sort out won’t work.In the year of local government elections, expect computer-generated content where the sources and authenticity are murky; more complaints about ...
Yasser Abdulaal, who has lived in Ōtautahi Christchurch for five years, said his two sisters had lost their homes in the 15-month-long war. “Toxic wasteland” . . . Palestinians take shelter in tents set up amid heavily damaged buildings in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip. Image: Al Jazeera screenshot ...
RNZ PacificMarshall Islands Journal editor Giff Johnson says US President Donald Trump’s decision on aid “is an opening for anybody else who wants to fill the gap” in the Pacific. Trump froze all USAID for 90 days on his first day in office and is now looking to significantly ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danielle Mazza, Director, SPHERE NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health in Primary Care and Professor and Head of the Department of General Practice, Monash University PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock Ahead of the government’s response this week ...
COMMENTARY:By Eugene Doyle It generally ends badly. An old tyrant embarks on an ill-considered project that involves redrawing maps. They are heedless to wise counsel and indifferent to indigenous interests or experience. Before they fail, are killed, deposed or otherwise disposed of, these vicious old men can cause immense ...
The Cook Islands PM is in Beijing to sign an agreement with China - but the government says he failed to consult with NZ on the matter, as is required. ...
Love the image
With respect, but I think today is the 22nd. Easily done though and I have done similar things many a time.
Jeepers, Culverden had another quake an hour ago, shout out to all those in Canterbury, thinking of you’s. Cool photo and text on DR, timing huh? Dang
Intensity severe
Region intensity strong
NZDT Tue, Nov 22 2016, 6:13:34 pm
Depth 7 km
Magnitude 5.7
Location 15 km south-east of Culverden
Wonder if they could extend the Kaikoura airfield runway to take say 20 seater aircraft?
Great image. Hope its okay that I copied it to share with some friends !
We never mind…
Ug, it gets worse. We are now paying to have Duterte stay here.
Where McCully comes from, Hitler would be charming.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11752972
Hitler was charming. How do you think he sucked so many people in? More so than McCully, I would think.
Can see why they are running to his hotel and sucking up to this guy yet won’t meet Hong Kong democracy leaders.
These idiots Key and McCully are strengthening Duterte’s megalomania by inviting him here. Perhaps Key admires him for his actions.
Invited him here ??? I call bullshit on that.
Making shit up again.
What, he turned up here unannounced and McCully just happened to drop by to see if he was ok? Righto.
Since we hard-working Kiwi taxpayers are paying for this monster’s buffet, I’m sure some half decent journalist will OIA the relevant information.
You said it as a statement of fact – you cannot because he wasn’t invited and you are just pushing a bullshit lie.
How about a citation on you claim – or admit your bullshit.
Calm down, petal. The information will come out eventually.
So nothing – nothing at all.
So you lied.
Jaysus, you are more naive than I thought.
Yeah – You posted a comment – it was a bullshit lie.
Yet you say “it will come out”, or someone could do an OIA and that will prove what you said was fact, without anything to prove it.
So my questioning unsubstainated comments presented as fact is “naive”
I think that your tin foil hat is a little tight.
We’ll see.
Duterte’s people signalled before APEC that he’d be coming to NZ so there’s certainly a sanctioning of the visit gone on, by McCully I presume – he’s that stupid.
I’d be interested how you intend to defend John Key’s government hosting Duterte and paying for his visit with our money…
Which Hong Kong ‘democracy leaders’ are you referring to?
Former colonial chief secretary Anson Chan and Democratic Party founder Martin Lee.
Martin Lee is linked with Joshua Wong and Benny Tai
Still they use the word ‘democracy’
Must be all above board then!
Not sure what you are getting at. I’m just an ordinary punter and don’t know too much about the Hong Kong situation. What I do know is that Blinglish cancelled his meeting with Anson and Lee at 11:00pm the night before after being pressured by Beijing. The same Beijing which doesn’t allow its 1 Billion plus citizens the right to vote.
Yes, sure
However you used Martin Lee and Anson Chan as way to somehow illustrate the current govt were ignoring ‘democracy seekers’ while “sucking up” to Durterte, who in your opinion is a [what]?
Then you say you don’t know much about the HK ‘situation’, yet you had used it anyway..
The HK ‘situation’ and primary actors are likely not what they sell themselves as
Funding sources are ‘well known’
As far as I’m aware Anson and Lee haven’t carried out extra-judicial killings, and commanded a megalomaniacal breakdown in justice, in the name of a war on drugs like Duterte has.
Perhaps you have more information on this than I do?
Here’s a piece on Duterte, who you didn’t like me referring to when I contrasted the way the current government treated him and Anson and Lee.
In it he talks of admiring New Zealanders for following the law, which is surprising because he does not.
Without elaborating much you claimed dark forces were behind Anson and Lee and Blinglish presumably was warranted in snubbing them at the request of the Chinese Embassy.
I know about as much of Phillipines history as I do Hong Kong’s, but I know a bit and was interested in Duterte’s backers – the family of the late, brutal, and overthrown former president Ferdinand Marcos.
I do hope you will let the forum know what similar dark forces are behind Anson and Lee.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11753819
You asked what my opinion of Duterte was and I think he’s a dangerous man who will do a lot of damage to his country before being overthrown by popular uprising.
In short he is Marcos 2.0.
Psychopaths are. Despite not understanding social relations they can fake them very well.
Yep all the dictators have been wonderful people, very misunderstood – sure they were selfish small handed idiots but hey at least they patted dogs and made the trains run on time //sarc
some actually believe that and guess what? They ain’t from the LEFT.
One day back, one more day of divisive misdirection and predictable antagonism.
I appreciate the notion of a melting pot of ideas and conversation, but clearly the situation with CV has reached an impasse and there can be no positive outcome. Someone has to make the call and stick by it.
[deleted] is now just a troll, offering nothing but disunity and loaded, fractured soundbites, with even a moderator openly criticizing the exporting of ” lazily embraced ‘vile’” as a modus operandi.
Someone, for sanity’s sake, make the fucking call. Either CV goes forever or you ban every one else. There is no third way here. The way I see it, these are the only choices.
Fingers crossed for the sake of the site and it’s diminishing reputation the call gets made either way. This is nuts at the best of times, and suicide leading up to an election
[see moderator note below]
You’ll be sure to mark clearly the party line that is to be toed? Wouldn’t want to get toes trodden on.
Nothing to do with party lines, it’s all about why you are here and what you hope to achieve by doing so, and CV clearly has nothing to offer anyone but the shittiest end of the ugly stick. You feel free to dab yourself with it, but I’m expecting, hoping, someone somewhere will take the long term view and be brave in making the correct decision.
The half dozen suck ups and sycophants will just have to suck it up, get with the program or take the righteous way and fall on their +100 fuckwit swords.
Meh, if you don’t like being here Peter Swift, just remember that you can frak off with your literary talent somewhere else.
Nah time for you to go not Peter.
As your comments appear to be tolerated…..
Example being the repetitive projection tactics you seem incapable of developing any further
A sure sign of an internet juvenile pushing a trolley of arrested development
Were you attempting to be ironic?
Leaving aside you have replied to the wrong comment…
Why are you here spouting nothing but vitriol to the same few commentators?
Clearly you have an axe to grind, which given your comment would make you a hypocrite
One of the very worst traits a human being can have!
You can lick and slurp ’til your hearts content, but it doesn’t mean I’m not 100% spot on.
All it really shows is your lips are accustomed to kissing that which I keep under wraps. 😀
I enjoy your posts. Keep them coming! (BTW, are you on P?)
Probably on E (ego trip)
hi peter, unless i have missed something, i haven’t seen you author a post.
do you do behind the scenes work?
do you contribute meaningfully, beyond commenting?
i get you may not like what cv posts, however that ain’t good enough for you to get your wish of a ban.
offence is only ever offered, it is up to you to accept it or not.
i am surprised that there wasn’t a big metaphorical uppercut coming at you, with telling the moderators what to do, how to run the site and attacking an author.
perhaps we all follow recent urgings and be a little kinder to each other.
The irony there is that while CV himself has authored posts (and done that well in the not-recent past), this year he has been one of the biggest net drains on the site. Rather than helping do the behind the scenes work, he’s been on various crusades of his own making that have not only obviously disrupted the front end, but have resulted in people leaving, created a huge amount of stress for the other authors, and created a large amount of extra work for moderators (which equates to posts not written).
As someone who writes posts, is active in the behind the scenes work and who has done the bulk of the moderating in the past month, I can state categorically that CV has a large negative influence on what happens here and that I am now at the point of seriously wondering wtf we are even doing here. More and more I see this as the point of what CV is doing.
This is not about not ‘liking’ what someone posts. Nor is it about taking offence. It’s about to what degree a community or website remains viable in the presence of someone who is hellbent on ignoring the wellbeing of the place and instead is incessantly destructive. Here I am talking about behaviour, although obviously CV’s recent politics contribute to that. I’ve been in enough groups (online and offline) to recognise what is going on here, the dynamics at play, and it’s a cluster fuck. Yes, the site will carry on (unless Lynn gets sick of the drama and pulls the plug), but it won’t be the vibrant, intellectually stimulating, progressive place it could be. Worse, it may well end up contributing to the demise of the left.
And yes, there is the huge problem of having had an author promote fascism on this site. Now that CV’s authoring rights have been dropped to Contributor (his posts will be vetted, but I don’t know by who), it leaves us with a complex problem in that people are actively avoiding the site because it is now perceived as supporting not robust debate but alt-right ideology, and see the same person is still spamming the site with his proto-fascist views. Why would progressives and lefties want to be here? Why would we want to write? Why would be try and get new authors or moderators?
Look at how many posts going up at the moment are Notices and Features. Look at who is not writing. Look at which commenters are no longer here. What do you think is going to happen here next year in the lead up to the election? It’s a hard enough place to be at the best of times. Currently I see it as untenable for many, and while I will continue to be an author I am seriously considering whether there is any point in putting effort into the running of the site when at the same time it’s being destroyed. No single person is worth that.
Kia kaha.
What marty said.
Note: Response to Weka but is not aimed at you specifically where it could be read as such…this is a general observation sent to you as a moderator
Without knowing the levels of awareness or content involved in backend conversation it’s not possible to gauge the veracity of your comment
If the drip drip of perception forming tid bits is going to continue to filter into the front end then there is unlikely to be ‘improvement’ and will continue to read like personal vendettas all round
I see no problem with CVs commentary, it is ‘no better or worse’ than any other here, yet in recent times has attracted a shameful amount of abuse from multiple handles, which have veered into negative relms far surpassing claims of CV being ‘responsible’ for degrading and denerating the site
The forked tongues and hypocrisy have stooped to levels which should have been contained instead of tacitly encouraged and cheered on (by the general audience)
Is there a way the back end opinions can be translated into appropriate front end response by way of enabling CV to share and clarify his position? I don’t see why he should need to, but as he has become such a ‘targetted focus’ on the blog, it seems like he should be given that option (if not already offered)
There are only a small number of outcomes and solutions available, and the current approach is blatantly not working, because the drip drip is still active and the insults are still flying in a unilateral direction (overwhelmingly) by commentators
hi weka, thanks for your considered response.
like a few others here, i haven’t read anything too outrageous written by cv. sure i get that others have been mightily upset, i also think a lot of those were looking for upset.
t.b.h. many times i read a lot of provocation, which i don’t think was meritted.
in respect to front/back end goings-on, i have to plead ignorance and just once again thank-you for your labours.
this ‘cv scenario’ typifies for me a big problem for the left.
you and i, i assume, would stand shoulder to shoulder on many issues, however bring up cats and the protection of native birds, geckos, skinks etc and we would be on opposite sides of the battle lines.
rather than focus on where we are divided, what are our common causes, how do we bring change?, when do we bring change?
i enjoy having my beliefs, attitudes and opinions challenged, some of the rwnj can do this but not many.
the bigger threat to this site is having a homogenised, centre-left only dialogue occuring.
once again, thanks for your mahi, when not off grid, i am here most days.
“i am surprised that there wasn’t a big metaphorical uppercut coming at you, with telling the moderators what to do, how to run the site and attacking an author.”
Two things. One is that most authors probably agree with Peter’s assessment. Certainly in the backend most authors see CV as a huge problem.
Two, it’s fine to talk about the site and how people want it to be. Yes, there is a line re not telling authors what to do, or how the site should be run, but personally I welcome people talking about what the problems are, because that’s how we know.
I agree with your assessment above and appreciate there are now many here with a finger on the pulse of the CV situation and what it could mean long term for the standard.
It saddens me to say it but here’s my penny’s worth:
I have come to the conclusion that CV is deliberately trying to destroy this site. Once upon a time I held him in high regard but in recent times he has lost much of his credibility. A lot of regulars seem to have walked in the past six months or so, and it includes some of our best contributors. I refer to people like Pascal’s bookie, Felix, Gobsmacked and Puddleglum. BLiP is also conspicuous by his absence. It doesn’t follow they have all dropped out because of CV, but the very negative atmosphere that has been created is (imo) taking its toll.
All this butt hurt is irrelevant because Trump fucken won. That means every one failed. Short term winners will be short bond sellers, medium term manufacturing, long term those that can dominate the content wars will be the owners of the new world.
Thatcherism is official dead now that the 30 year bond which neoliberalism was financed on, has exploded.
Keep up love. It’s a brave new world. The factories are coming
You do realise that your comment was completely irrelevant to what Anne actually wrote? Did you mean to reply to another comment, maybe?
clue: the comment was about the the recent nature of TS (especially CV’s contributions) and the corresponding disappearance of long term contributors, and had nothing to do with trump.
The meme wars are over because trump won. Stop trying to breath life into a dead corps. Every one but the 50 million Americans got it all wrong, every ones well laid out globalism plans have been smashed. It’s no wonder people are hiding from this market, you just have to live and learn my boy
Go outside.
Look up.
If it’s a clear day, with very few clouds, you might see a small speck far up in the sky.
That’s the point going way over your head because you still seem to think the conversation is about Trump.
Grow up boy
plank from your own eye, and all that
Back to the conversation. What Trump has done is pushed the left back over to the left. We use to say trade is bad, Trump literally destroyed the old rulz based idea of global trade. Another traditional left idea Trump took off the left is anti war, by anti war I mean anti Russian sentiment no longer exists. So the left is getting pushed over to issues of identity ie sexual behaviour, Trans/gay, workers rights as opposed to worker subsidies.
You just have to have a good honest look at the state of things my boy, rather than trying to deny the existance of trump.
lol
It was worth a try, I suppose.
I have a certain morbid fascination with just what depths CV will plumb – he’s currently writing off extrajudicial killings along the lines of some sort of cultural relativism, in a couple of years will he be excusing concentration camps or nuclear war?
Lord, save us from everyone who thinks they receive personal messages from the universe…
He’s a gone burger. A flame grilled whopper with extra cheese. Tasty, but full of nasty sh1t hidden on the inside.
When the pickle is the sweetener, it shows how bad it’s got.
A Muck nasty with sweet and sour sauce, hold the sweet. lol
Personal attacks disguised as humour?
Really?
Is that the best you can muster now Peter Swift? Gawd I hope Labour has a better chance next year. But I don’t think so. 4 to 1 against, verging on a guaranteed GR2020.
Intellectually moribund disguised as clever and witty. Just like you.
good one Peter – yep the mouthpiece is foul – needs a bloody good rinse with disinfectant because, my gods, it is infected all right!
But like that elusive last dag it might take a few passes of the comb to get it off.
I hope CV sticks around to keep things lively. He’s a lot smarter than the predictable RW trolls, I will go to sleep if this place becomes an echo chamber like TDB or boringly mediocre like PublicAddress
Peter Swift – what do you want this site to be? An echo chamber for the neolib National lite Party? Surely we need the variety of ideas and opinions to flourish and not be stomped on? If you are going to ban CV why not ban the likes of Peter George and PR?
I don’t know if it’s deliberate, but you’re ignoring what’s being written. It’s a diversion tactic, but never mind, I have it covered.
Simple reply is that it’s not about what I want the site to be, but rather what it already is. CV offers nothing with his contributions, unless getting a reaction is the goal, in which case my view of him being nothing more than a troll figure is accurate enough.
I don’t take your point about echo chambers, especially about the neo lib lite party, especially when you’re supporting someone who is self proclaimed non left, so don’t make me laugh, slogan boy.
As for banning, the way I look at it is that it will happen sooner or later. There’s been enough negative examples to expose the trend. I say just bite the bullet and put us out of his misery.
And the funny thing about your last point is that PR is much less offensive to read that [deleted] is, and when the right wing trolls make less of an impact than he does, it’s sort of highlighting the narrative for us all.
[please don’t use someone’s RL name here if they themselves don’t. That’s a general principle designed to protect us all. If you have instances of behaviour or posts that definitely need a moderator’s attention, drop a note in front of an author/moderator. thanks – weka]
Sorry, I disagree. The rightwing trolls are more of a problem here than CV .Sure CV has ramped things up a lot, but that is mainly because of deliberate baiting. He used to be a real breath of fresh air, however I take your point of him heading into a ban if he doesn’t cool it considerably. Thanks for replying Peter.
@Weka I wouldn’t have used his name, wouldn’t have even known it, if he hadn’t have shared it with us all in the first place, but sure, I’ll put his genie back in the bottle and won’t ever do it again.
[deleted]
[he is posting under a pseudonym and that needs to be respected, not least because none of us can know the reasons for that at any given time – some pseudonyms aren’t absolutely private, but people still have a right to them. Otherwise anyone with a pseudonym becomes fair game. This isn’t about CV, it’s about the general principle as I already said. – weka]
Peter Swift – you apparently cannot stomach anything written by Chris Trotter, and now CV is in the same category? What is it about your nature that makes it so Stalinist?
I agree with Garibaldi that PR, Chuck, James, etc are a far worse distraction to debate on this site.
What’s that about Trotter? That’s not an opinion I’ve expressed, though of course, like most pundits, he’s written his fair share of sh1t.
And I wouldn’t put CV anywhere close to Trotters level of integrity and professionalism.
Just about any time Trotter posts on Daily Blog, you take to him with a cleaver. Not here on the Standard – but you have impressed me as a Lefty with a mind so narrow it could pass through the eye of a needle.
(You may make it to heaven!)
I request you link to those cleaver comments please. I’ve made less that a handful of comments there over the years, and from memory, none about Trotter and more importantly none under this handle.
Shouldn’t be as hard to do as the apology I’m expecting you’ll have to make.
You are right- on checking those TDB posts, I find that the guy I objected to was a Peter Wheeler, not you at all. Apology freely given – I must make doubly sure about surnames in future. This may increase your chances of getting to heaven..
I imagined there was no heaven. It’s easy if you try.
Apology accepted with almost 100% good grace. :polished halo:
First time I’ve seen a link to an actual ‘The Standard’ topic censored. Interesting times.
I’m sure you can figure out why it was deleted.
Well yeah, obviously, but even so, it’s in the standard archive and all. It’s hardly a a secret, especially when posted by the person in question in the first place.
But I’m not questioning the ruling. Voldermort it is from now on. lol
Yes God forbid people post something peter swift disagrees with. All deserting post and comments must be purged to make the standard a safe place for him.
With that or ban every other person.
Really there is no possible option that you just ignore what you don’t like? Or perhaps attack his argument as opposed to the person.
Also – isn’t there some rule about naming people on this blog – I understand he is known by many – but is it right to put his name into this ??
Hell’s bells, James wrote a comment I agree with!
Something weird is going on around here…
You gotta admire the guy’s use of adjectives. Think he must’ve just started a creative writing course, or perhaps he’s just finished one. Either way it’s pretty damn funny.
What’s with you three monkeys? Up thread you have a moderator clearly outlining the present troubles on this site, writing about boycotts, contributors not submitting topics and you post like the stereotypical don’t see, hear or speak trio. And I’m having my capabilities questioned 🙄
We’re so lucky to have such astute chumps like you around to save the day lol
is CV really as annoying / destructive to this community as someone like the despicable dirty politics merchant Matthew Hooten? Or a boring threadjacker like Pete George?
CV obviously has issues with the current form of the political Left, his criticism can be cutting, but I haven’t seen him personally attack anyone, or indulge in Hooten like trolling.
Yes, he’s quite the spoiler, and by the looks of it, an increasing number of people view him not only as an agenda driven malcontent on a revenge mission, but a genuine threat to the long term well being and effectiveness of the standard.
That makes him much worse than a tory tool and a silly old man.