Daily review 30/08/2019
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5:30 pm, August 30th, 2019 - 59 comments
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- The PM gets some extremely valuable legal advice for free
You can pay a great deal of money for the services of a KC. So just what would some peerless legal writing from 40 or so of them be worth, do you reckon?Priceless, that’s what. It’s not even the half of it, but this is my favourite part of the ...2 hours ago - D-day for the government
The government's Treaty Principles Bill is up for its first reading today - bought forward in a rush in a desperate effort to avoid the hikoi which is currently marching on Wellington. But the Prime Minister won’t be there for it – he’s literally running away to Peru! But he ...4 hours ago - 97% of submissions did not want no-cause evictions, Trump chooses a Russian spy for US Intelligence ...
Good morning, and I’m sorry I’ve been away for a couple of days.I’ve been focusing on the Hikoi, and also testing out sentiment on the Treaty Principles Bill. It’s complicated, and the Treaty Principles Bill will be debated in the House today. The Government’s own lawyers have told them the ...6 hours ago - Government must vote down ACT Members Bill that would undermine workers’ rights
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff is calling on the Government to vote down an ACT Party Members Bill that would undermine workers’ rights by making it easier for employers to fire workers. Last week ACT MP Laura Trask’s Employment Relations (Termination of Employment by Agreement) Amendment Bill was ...7 hours ago - Seymour causes thousands of unjustified absences by forcing kids to fight for their rights instead o...
The State would like to remind you that they are in control. They manage your employment prospects, and can destroy the job market you and yours rely on by mass-cancelling construction projects, cutting funding, and firing a good chunk of our public servants. They wield the mechanisms that provide scrutiny ...8 hours ago - The Weight of the World
As the weight of the world Hangs on your shoulders The weight of the world Starts to take over again And over again All that you once loved, now you hate So slowly relearn how to meditate To have and to hold And never let go Can you feel it ...8 hours ago - Thursday 14 November 2024
The Treaty Principles Bill is set to have its First Reading in the House today, as the Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti continues. More than 40 KCs have written to the Prime Minister and Attorney-General outlining their “grave concerns” about the substance of the Treaty Principles Bill, while an academic and ...9 hours ago
- Trump’s return to White House brings the climate’s ‘find out’ phase closer
As we absorb the news of Trump's victory in the US Presidential election, here’s a wrap compiled just before the result of what it might mean for climate action: The UN Secretary General says the prospective departure of the United States would cripple the Paris Agreement, likening it to the ...9 hours ago - Time and Space in the City Centre
Patrick Reynolds is deputy chair of the City Centre Advisory Panel. The header image is from Walthamstow, London The city centre now has a few stretches of street where the space has been repurposed to a people and place focused design from full time traffic use. These are a great ...10 hours ago - An opportunity for a pro-growth tax switch
As the Hikoi against it swells into the tens of thousands, KCs call on National to kill off ACT’s divisive Treaty Principles Bill. Photo: Getty ImagesKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, November 14: The ...11 hours ago - Dealing to the big Aussie banks
The big question hovering over the Select Committee Inquiry into banking is what the Government will do with its findings. If yesterday’s hearing is anything to go by there is a tidal wave of discontent about the four big Australian Banks crashing through the Committee which may force it to ...13 hours ago - 20 fact briefs published in collaboration with Gigafact!
In April 2024 we announced the (renewed) collaboration between Gigafact and Skeptical Science to create fact briefs, short but credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. Our initial plan had been to publish one fact brief per week on Saturdays but - as happens ...23 hours ago - Instead of axing the HRC, ACT corruptly installed a racist, transphobic “Gay Human Rights Commissi...
On November 5th, the Spinoff published a very interesting article on Stephen Rainbow, the Human Rights Commission’s latest recruitment, and how he came to get the controversial appointment. Naturally because of the excitement of the US election, it’s flown a little below the radar. https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/05-11-2024/i-didnt-get-the-hrc-job-stephen-rainbows-human-rights-commission-appointment-just-got-weirderThe article details evidence of the ...1 day ago - Injustice for torture
Between 1950 and 1993 the New Zealand government tortured and abused up to 250,000 children in residential care facilities. Yesterday, following formal findings from a royal commission, it finally apologised for that abuse. The next step is redress and restitution - compensating the surviving victims for the appalling harm they ...1 day ago
- Voices echo
1 day ago - Hīkoi over the Harbour
Kia mau ra, kia mau raKi te mana motuhakeMe te arohaHold fast, hold fastTo your sovereigntyAnd to love and compassionLyrics: Hīrini Melbourne. “Ngā Iwi E passionately calls for unity among the peoples of the Pacific, a cause deeply cherished by Melbourne himself.”I sat at my desk this morning and thought ...1 day ago - Western Express turns one in style
The Western Express, the precursor to a proper busway, and other changes to West Auckland bus services are now a year old and Auckland Transport says they’ve been a smashing success, with ridership up 45 per cent higher than what was expected. Auckland Transport’s (AT) new North West bus network ...1 day ago
- Victims of abuse want Una Jagose to go
Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, November 13: The Lead: The Government and Opposition apologised yesterday for the abuse of hundreds of thousands of children in state care over decades. But PM Christopher ...1 day ago - Sabin 33 #2 – Are toxic heavy metals from solar panels posing a threat to human health?
On November 1, 2024 we announced the publication of 33 rebuttals based on the report "Rebutting 33 False Claims About Solar, Wind, and Electric Vehicles" written by Matthew Eisenson, Jacob Elkin, Andy Fitch, Matthew Ard, Kaya Sittinger & Samuel Lavine and published by the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia ...2 days ago
- Peaceful Māori Hikoi Advances – In Pictures
Today the Hikoi moves from Whangarei and makes its way to AucklandFlag: McKinley Rd CreativesShareFor official updates and information, including schedules, go to:https://toitutetiriti.co.nz/The Waitangi Tribunal Cheat Sheet:When asked what the Treaty Principles Bill contravenes these are some of the points highlighted by our judiciary:The Crown's process to develop the Bill ...2 days ago - Media Link: “A View from Afar” on the US elections.
The latest “A View from Afar” with Selwyn Manning and I follows the lines drawn in my most recent post here at KP. Because the podcast is basically a dialogue between Selwyn and I on the subject of the day, … Continue reading ...2 days ago - Jagose doesn’t get it
The government held a formal apology ceremony this morning to victims of child torture and abuse-in-care. One of those "apologising" was Solicitor-General Una Jagose, who had played a key role in devising and implementing the government's legal strategy of aggressively minimising its liabilities, slandering its victims, and waiting for them ...2 days ago
- Oranga Tamariki is beyond saving, and always has been
How do you continue an organisation widely known for the abuse and torture of children, for wrongfully separating them from their parents, for the neglect and death of actually vulnerable children they failed to support and uplift, and for creating a cycle of trauma that has led to multi-generational state ...2 days ago - The Majority is Wrong
Freak outAnd give inDoesn't matter what you believe inStay coolAnd be somebody's fool this year'Cause they knowWho is righteous, what is boldSo I'm toldWho wants honey?As long as there's some moneyWho wants that, honey?Lyrics: Billy CorganJust because the majority support something doesn’t make it right. Yes, in a democracy, the ...2 days ago - Tuesday 12 November 2024
Today Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will formally apologise to those who experienced abuse in state and faith-based care at Parliament. The apology is long overdue, and many are saying it’s not enough and are still waiting on the details of redress. There are also criticisms about the decision to give ...2 days ago
- 3 Takeaways from Christopher Luxon’s Press Conference
Highlights of Chris Luxon press conference yesterday (video at end):1. Christopher Luxon maligns Newsroom’s investigative journalist Aaron Smale for what he called behavioural issues. Yesterday, it was revealed Speaker Gary Brownlee had withdrew Smale’s accreditation, preventing Smale from attending the Abuse in Care apology at Parliament today. Smale is an ...2 days ago - The 30/30 fiscal rule that rules us all
Fonterra is selling off brands made up of decades of R&D and marketing spend. Why? Because farmers need to repay debt so banks can increase mortgage lending. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, ...2 days ago - 2024 will be the first year above 1.5°C
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink, and an excerpt from a much more detailed State of the Climate Q3 2024 report that I published over at Carbon Brief today. See that for more details on climate model/observation comparisons, sea ice extent, and other climate variables. The warmest year on record In my ...2 days ago
- 150 days of rail disruption to come
Kiwirail and Auckland Transport have revealed that the rail network will be closed or partially closed for nearly 149 days between Christmas this year and the end of January 2026, almost 38% of the time, as part of what they’re calling the final push to get the rail network ready ...2 days ago
- How Netflix Got Cold Feet
Hi,I’m not sure if you’ve noticed recently, but discovering stuff on Netflix can be kind of hard.Sure — you’re presented with a bunch of categories like “Top 10” when you login, but outside of those initial lists, finding things that are compelling and worth your time seems close to impossible. ...3 days ago
- Seymour is only beginning
ACT Leader David Seymour is undeterred by the likelihood that his Treaty Principles Bill will die in the House when it returns from the Select Committee sometime in the first half of next year. He believes the debate has only just begun and will continue to eventual success even though ...3 days ago
- Gordon Campbell on the Crown’s sorry excuse for an apology
The world over, politicians are finding “sorry” to be the easiest word. Without disclosing the size and formula of the monetary compensation that the government is prepared to offer to those abused while in state care, a mere apology verges on being another form of abuse. It’s not as if ...3 days ago - Let Aaron Smale take his rightful seat, you dismal dismal people
This is Aaron Smale.Journalist Aaron Smale appearing as a witness at the Royal Commission. Newsroom Screenshot.For eight years he has covered the abuse of children and others in state institutions.For eight years he has helped to bring to light the many lies and coverups by the Crown.He has written some ...3 days ago - Monday 11 November 2024
Today the Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti set off from Te Rerenga Wairua and is making its way through the North, stopping in Whangārei for the night. In union news, it has been announced that plastic factory Sistema is likely to cut up to 100 jobs. A new report written by ...3 days ago
- National suppresses the media
The government is doing its formal apology to victims of abuse-in-care at Parliament tomorrow, along with introducing a (still secret) bill addressing restitution. It will obviously be a big media event. But Newsroom's Aaron Smale, a journalist who has played a key role in exposing crown failure and wrongdoing in ...3 days ago
- Speeding toward a lethal legacy
A few weeks ago I wrote on how the Minister of Transport Simeon Brown had misrepresented cities overseas in his crusade to make our streets and roads more dangerous. Since then, his speed rule has been finalised and signed. Also, the summary of public feedback has been released after many ...3 days ago
- Dawn Chorus for Monday, November 11
Diabetes rates are rising, yet the government remains hyper-focused on short-term cost reduction and is not considering wider prevention measures. Photo: Getty ImagesKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday, November 11: Diabetes rates are ...3 days ago - New Zealand was the training ground for the 2024 US election
Much of the internet is bots.There are more bots every day. Every site that's in any way bot-trainable has bots scraping posts and chats.We have AI. It can auto-recognise voices. It can mine text for information which it can categorise and file, but cannot process it or use to further ...4 days ago - 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #45
A listing of 33 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, November 3, 2024 thru Sat, November 9, 2024. Summary of this week's topics We asked Google's Gemini again for help categorizing the articles we shared during the week, but ...4 days ago
- The Enemy Within – Maire Leadbeater & Nicky Hager
Like so many others involved in social justice movements, Maire Leadbeater was subjected to state surveillance during a long life of activism. With the help of archival material, released SIS files, and other formerly secret material, she has been able to examine the depth of stateintrusion into the lives of ...4 days ago - Sympathy of Distraction
You take a mortal manAnd put him in controlWatch him become a GodWatch people's heads a-rollJust like the pied piperLed rats through the streetsWe dance like marionettesSwaying to the symphony of destructionSong: Dave Mustaine.Look over there, not here.The problem is, I told myself this morning as I contemplated that Q&A ...4 days ago - Nicola Deflects As National Spend Big on Roads
Nicola Willis says the multi-generation i-Rex ferries were too expensive for her - and has reportedly thrown away ~$1bn of taxpayers money in the process, and offended NZ's sixth largest trading partner.But Willis and National have now committed a minimum of $3bn to build:"less than 2km of one car lane ...5 days ago
- You have to do something
A jolting moment in a movie a can stay with you for the longest, longest time. Those Hitchcock birds; human remains in Cambodia’s Killing Fields; what remains of the Statue of Liberty on the beach; Thelma, Louise, their Thunderbird.Sometimes we’re simply taking our imagination for a ride into a dark ...5 days ago - Fact brief – Is there an expert consensus on human-caused global warming?
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 there an ...5 days ago
- Hatching (Pahanhautoja)
2022, directed by Hanna Bergholm Hatching is a movie that I can genuinely imagine being used to teach film analysis in high school English. I know it’s not actually in English, but unless the rules have changed that doesn’t disqualify it – after the comparatively insipid The Sixth Sense in ...5 days ago - Making It Make Sense – What Happened, and What We Need To Look Out For With Media
Until Nicola Willis used the phrase to describe her 2024 Budget, this phrase “It’s Always Darkest Before The Dawn” was one of comfort - and often - truth.“It’s Always Darkest Before the Dawn”I think ultimately, it stands true - even if we don’t know how long a period of upheaval ...5 days ago - We Need The Journalists & Newsrooms That Remain
This is a repost of an article I wrote on social media. It was published before this week’s announcement of TVNZ cuts.I often reflect on how much hysteria there was around Golriz Ghahraman - journalists parked outside her home for a week after she admitted fault.The hyper-attention and headlines they ...5 days ago - Pelosi turns on Harris, low key
Like everyone else, Nancy Pelosi is looking for reasons for why the Democrats lost the election. Her preferred candidate seems to be Kamala Harris, though she disguises this by making it look like she is swiping at Joe Biden:“We live with what happened,” Pelosi said.Pelosi was speaking to the Interview, ...5 days ago - Happy Freedom Day
Wastee little weaselWants cheap tricksLiberty bell cracked in halfA bacon steakA perfect matchFreedom of '76Song: Ween, Ed WilsonToday is World Freedom Day, an American commemoration that began in 2001 to recognise the fall of the Berlin Wall, some 12 years earlier. Seems odd timing to start acknowledging something in late ...5 days ago - Dawn Chorus for weekend of Nov 9/10
Here’s my top six news and other links on Saturday, November 9 for your weekend reading pleasure:Scoop: 'The risk of death is higher': What Cabinet knew when it raised speed limits on our roads NZ Herald-$$$’s Simon WilsonScoop: Five firms to review retrofit of Dunedin hospital, rather than new build ...5 days ago - The End of Austerianism?
Does the Autumn 2024 British budget point to a change in fiscal strategies?Many countries found their fiscal position was unsustainable, following the 2008 Global Financial Crash. Their public spending was well in excess of their public revenue and they had to borrow more heavily than lenders thought prudent. Almost unanimously, ...6 days ago - The Trump victory – do people accept democracy?
Image Credit: Council of Europe. Manual for Human Rights Education with Young People I didn’t have a dog in the fight—if I were a US ... 6 days ago- Sifting through the wreckage.
Although I shared some thoughts about the US election on other social media platforms, here are some items that emerged from the wreckage: Campaigns based on hope do not always defeat campaigns based on fear. Having dozens of retired high … Continue reading ...6 days ago- Sissy
2022, directed by Hannah Barlow and Kane Senes You know that thing where a character just keeps on making bad decision after bad decision as everything goes to shit around them? I can’t stand that thing. Snowballing consequences can be done really well when all of a character’s choices make ...6 days ago- Friday 8 November 2024
The Treaty Principles Bill has been introduced to Parliament, with its First Reading set down for next week. A large hīkoi is set to depart from Te Rerenga Wairua on Monday, with events planned as they head down the motu to Parliament. In employment news, NZDF staff have escalated strike ...6 days ago- Just Let Them Walk All Over You
Just let them walk all over youLaugh through the punches and the painLet the life-blood drain away from youThey're right, you're wrongAnd you can see it in the way they look at youFeel it in the way they treat youAlways the last to knowAlways the first to leaveBetween Two Points ...6 days ago- Economic Bulletin November 2024
The post Economic Bulletin November 2024 appeared first on NZCTU. ...6 days ago- Weekly Roundup 7-November-2024
Happy Friday, there’s been some significant world events this week but welcome to another round-up of interesting stories about what’s happening in Auckland and other cities. Feel free to add your links in the comments! This post, like all our work, is brought to you by a largely volunteer crew ...6 days ago- The Hoon around the week to November 8
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate news, including how Donald Trump’s re-election and sweep of the Congress changes the equations; on the US ...7 days ago- It’s OK To Feel Shitty
Hi,For any of you panicking, Webworm is not going to become a newsletter endlessly ranting about the results of this week’s US election.We’ll get back to Luka Magnotta sending me letters from prison and Hare Krishna’s calling me “c**t face” eventually, but just bare with me as I wrap my ...7 days ago- Curbing the power of the Beehive
The Constitutional Lw Professor and former Prime Minister, Sir Geoffrey Palmer, yesterday pointed out an anomaly in what is supposed to be Parliament’s gold-standard legislation to empower itself.The Parliament Bill is currently before a special Select Committee chaired by the former Speaker, Adrian Ruawhe and aims to simplify the legislation ...7 days ago- Geoffrey Miller: Trump victory could spark New Zealand rethink at APEC in Peru
Donald Trump’s sweeping election victory has set the stage for this year’s APEC summit in Peru. At least 14 leaders have so far confirmed their attendance at the leaders’ summit in Lima from November 15-16. China’s Xi Jinping, Japan’s new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Canada’s Justin Trudeau will all ...7 days ago- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #45 2024
Open access notables Anthropogenic warming has ushered in an era of temperature-dominated droughts in the western United States, Zhuang et al., Science Advances: Historically, meteorological drought in the western United States (WUS) has been driven primarily by precipitation deficits. However, our observational analysis shows that, since around 2000, rising surface ...7 days ago- Cheap distracting games
Sometimes it’s hard to stop doomscrolling. One thing that can help is having something else to focus on, like video games! I’m not exactly the most tuned in to the industry, but I follow enough variety content creators to know of a pretty decent range of games that are easy ...1 week ago- Climate Change: Raising the bar
One of the obligations of the Paris Climate Change Agreement is for every country to set a "Nationally Determined Contribution" - an NDC - of emissions cuts. The Key government initially set an unambitious NDC of a 30% cut (from 2005 levels) by 2030. The Ardern government later increased this ...1 week ago- Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live at 5pm
Photo by Julian Zwengel on UnsplashWe’re back. Come and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with special guests:5.00 pm - 5.10 pm - ...1 week ago- Don’t think I’ve ever moved through the stages of grief so swiftly
I spent yesterday afternoon watching the New York Times election dashboard needle steadily move towards the worst possible result. It was more or less the same dashboard they had in 2016, and it was telling more or less the same tale. You end up hating the NYT and its damn ...1 week ago- This One’s Just For You, Martyn.
Hard Hat & A HammerAlan JacksonVideo courtesy of YouTubePosted on Bowalley Road on Thursday, 7 November 2024. ...1 week ago- The Age of (Dis)Information
Don’t want to be an American idiotOne nation controlled by the mediaInformation age of hysteriaIs calling out to idiot America—Greenday, American IdiotSapphi’s Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.What just happened?Nothing. Yesterday was a momentous election. The ...1 week ago- Drawn
A ballot for two Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Employment Relations (Termination of Employment by Agreement) Amendment Bill (Laura Trask) Copyright (Parody and Satire) Amendment Bill (Kahurangi Carter) The first is ACT bullshit aimed at undermining basic employment rights. The ...1 week ago- The planet is ‘on the brink of an irreversible climate disaster,’ scientists warn
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections A person rides past a destroyed church in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene flooding on October 6, 2024, in Swannanoa, North Carolina. Scientists say that climate change increased the storm’s deadly rainfall by about 10%. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) Earth’s ...1 week ago- Making America Gross Again
I should be crying, but I just can't let it showI should be hoping, but I can't stop thinkingOf all the things I should've saidThat I never saidAll the things we should've doneThat we never didAll the things I should've givenBut I didn'tOh, darling, make it goMake it go awaySongwriter: ...1 week ago- The Day After
This morning, there will be plenty of reflections on why and how Donald J. Trump won the US election for a second time.Melania agrees to hold her husband’s hand after his historic victoryThere will be pithy lines, astute observations, and anger and disbelief from some. And for others, celebration - ...1 week ago- Throwback Thursday: 10 Years
At the start of 2018, Patrick penned this post thinking about how Auckland might look in 10 years. We are almost 7 years through that, and so we thought it might be interesting to think about what came true, and what was unforeseen? What has changed in Auckland and does ...1 week ago- What Donald Trump’s second Presidency means for us financially
Trump busts out his signature move at a celebratory election night party. Photo: Getty ImagesKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, November 7: Donald Trump’s re-election as US President overnight has already driven global ...1 week ago - Sifting through the wreckage.
- Green Party condemns the passage of Treaty Principles Bill
The Green Party condemns the passing of the Treaty Principles Bill at first reading, and is clear that the fight is not over. ...1 hour ago - Stand Up for Te Tiriti
Te Tiriti o Waitangi is our country’s founding document. It forms the basis of the relationship between Māori and the Crown – and the Aotearoa New Zealand we live in today. ...5 hours ago - Release: Over 15,000 sign Labour’s open letter to Luxon
As the hīkoi to Parliament continues, Labour has sent an open letter to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in a last-ditch attempt to get him to kill the Treaty Principles Bill. ...6 hours ago
- Fast Track Bill threatens environment, climate and reputation
The fast-track legislation passing its second reading in Parliament is another step towards environmental ruin. ...22 hours ago
- Greens join King’s Counsel in calling for Treaty Principles Bill to be abandoned
The Prime Minister must answer the call from a group of senior lawyers of the King’s Counsel to abandon the divisive Treaty Principles Bill. ...24 hours ago
- Chris Hipkins’ apology statement to state and faith-based care survivors
...2 days ago
- Release: Labour formally apologises to state and faith-based care survivors
Labour joins with the Government in unreservedly apologising for the abuse, neglect and trauma including torture in state and faith-based care and for ignoring the voices of survivors for too long. ...2 days ago
- Green Party stands in support of survivors of abuse in care
Today, the Green Party stands alongside the survivors of abuse in state care and faith-based care as the Government issues an historic apology. ...2 days ago
- Green Party calls for conscience vote on Treaty Principles Bill
The Green Party has written to the Speaker of the House requesting he enable a personal vote on the Treaty Principles Bill. ...3 days ago
- Govt move to exclude journalist risks chilling effect
The Green Party is alarmed by the Government’s move to exclude a journalist from covering this week’s apology for the survivors of abuse in state and faith-based care. ...3 days ago
- Without action, an apology will be empty air
For tomorrow’s apology to survivors of abuse in state and faith-based care to hold any water, the Government must not pursue the same policies that drove the abuse in the first place. ...3 days ago
- Release: Concerns remain over tobacco interference
Concerns about the tobacco industry’s ability to interfere in government policy making remain, despite the inability of the Office of the Auditor-General to investigate the Government’s decision to halve the excise tax on heated tobacco products. ...6 days ago
- Urgent wake-up call on climate
The Climate Change Commission’s latest advice indicates Aotearoa needs to be stepping up on climate action. ...6 days ago
- Green MP’s Meme-ber’s Bill set to save the world
Break out the punchlines and dust off your meme folder: Green Party MP Kahurangi Carter’s Copyright (Parody and Satire) Amendment Bill was pulled from the Ballot yesterday. ...6 days ago
- Release: Poroporoaki: Ta Robert (Bom) Gillies
Kua hinga te manawa kairākau o Te Rua Tekau Ma Waru Tiwhatiwha te po! Kakarauru i te po! Ka rapuhia kei hea koe kua riro! Haere e te Ika a Whiro ki o tini hoa kua ngaro atu ki te Pō ...6 days ago
- Labour, Greens and Te Pāti Māori call on the Prime Minister to block the Treaty Principles Bill
The opposition parties stand united for an Aotearoa that honours Te Tiriti, rather than seeking to rewrite it. Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori are working together against the Government’s divisive Treaty Principles Bill. ...1 week ago
- Release: Labour, Greens and Te Pāti Māori call on the Prime Minister to block the Treaty Principle...
The opposition parties stand united for an Aotearoa that honours Te Tiriti, rather than seeking to rewrite it. Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori are working together against the Government’s divisive Treaty Principles Bill. ...1 week ago
- NZ must pursue independent foreign policy
The Green Party says the need is greater than ever for Aotearoa New Zealand to pursue an independent foreign policy. ...1 week ago
- Release: Winston Peters must apologise
The Deputy Prime Minister should apologise to the public servant he named and blamed for something they did not do, and for misusing the rules of Parliament. ...1 week ago
- Release: Government continues to fail small business
The Government is leaving small businesses high and dry in difficult economic times, by letting big business get away with not paying their bills. ...1 week ago
- Release: Unemployment rising under National
Nicola Willis’ policies continue to slow the economy with more Kiwis out of work as a result. ...1 week ago
- Near four-year high unemployment reveals dire need for new direction
Today, Statistics New Zealand’s latest labour market report revealed that unemployment has reached 4.8 per cent, the highest rate since late 2020, during the COVID pandemic. ...1 week ago
- Release: Shovels in the ground this term unlikely
National looks set to break another election promise, this time by not beginning construction on a second Mt Victoria tunnel this term, Labour transport spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...1 week ago
- Not too late to abandon the Bill, Christopher
The Green Party is urgently calling on Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to abandon the Treaty Principles Bill following reports it will be introduced on Thursday. ...1 week ago
- Coalition Govt’s expensive tunnel vision for Wellington comes at the expense of the regions
A second Mount Victoria tunnel, a duplicate Terrace tunnel alongside highway widening will dump more traffic in the centre of Wellington and result in more pollution. ...1 week ago
- Release: Government’s disgrace for Christchurch homeowners
The Government is backtracking on existing commitments to do the right thing by homeowners let down by EQC (now the Natural Hazards Commission). ...1 week ago
- Release: National’s FamilyBoost a colossal flop
Nicola Willis continues to over promise and under deliver, with most families receiving only $30 a week from National’s flagship FamilyBoost flop. ...1 week ago
- Ngarewa-Packer Demands Support for Palestine Ceasefire from New Plymouth Mayor
Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader and MP for Te Tai Hauāuru, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer is calling on the Mayor for New Plymouth, Neil Holdom, to do the right thing. “I am shocked at his decision to disregard the petition presented by Palestine Solidarity Taranaki calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire”, said ...1 week ago
- Release: Trade deal with Gulf states welcomed
Labour welcomes the conclusion of a trade deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) that was restarted under a Labour government after languishing for many years. ...1 week ago
- Release: Labour welcomes OAG fast track inquiry
The Government should consider the outcome of an Auditor-General report into conflicts of interest before progressing the Fast track Approvals Bill through Parliament. ...1 week ago
- Greens reignite call for free dental
A new report detailing the enormous social and economic costs of our dental system has reignited the Greens' call for free dental care. ...1 week ago
- Greens call for bottom trawling ban and call out Minister for lacklustre response
The Green Party is urgently calling on the Government to ban bottom trawling, following news a New Zealand bottom trawler caught 37kg of coral in international waters, prompting the suspension of all fishing in the area until 2026. ...2 weeks ago
- Mark Patterson: Farmers understand we have their backs
Spring is here which means the start of the A&P show season. Those treasured community days where town meets country. There's no rural-urban divide here, just a chance to meet up with family and old friends and celebrate all things that make rural New Zealand so special. I'm embarking on ...2 weeks ago - Release: Funding for Gumboot Friday should pause
The National Government should review its support for Gumboot Friday after unacceptable comments by its leader and champion Mike King. ...2 weeks ago
- Louise Upston cherry-picks data to punch down on the poor
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is it controversial to note that trump has invaded no other country – yet..
whereas by this stage in his presidency obama was full tilt into turning the most progressive country in the arab world – libya – into a fundamentalist hellhole..
not to mention all the libyan men/women/children he killed..
i repeat – so far trump has killed nobody/bombed nobody..
Trump Drops the Mother of All Bombs on Afghanistan
Eight-year-old American girl 'killed in Yemen raid approved by Trump'
American woman in Syria posts emotional video pleading with Trump to stop civilian deaths
You repeat – mistruths
the point is that trump has not invaded anyone..(syria is a proxy-war..)
yet obama – viewed by so many as some sort of saint – is a fucken war-criminal…
the point is that trump has not invaded anyone..
As rhetorical sleight-of-hand goes, that's a pathetic effort. Obama didn't invade Libya (or anywhere else, from memory). Certainly dropped bombs on people, although not "the mother of all bombs" like Trump did, as pointed out above. This peddling of Trump as some kind of pacifist is just obnoxious.
'Obama didn't invade Libya'..(!)
heh..!..w.t.f. are you smoking..?
can i have the number of yr dealer..?
Very convincing.
using yr criterea – i guess we cd also claim the shrub didn't invade iraq – it was 'the coalition of the willing'…that dun it..
It looks like you don't know what the word 'invasion' means. As usual, Wikipedia can help you with that, but the tl:dr version is there's a bit more to it than dropping some bombs or firing some missiles.
i am not peddling that orange p.o.s. trump as a pacifist – i am shining a light on obama – as an unindicted war-criminal..
and going: 'ironic – eh..?'…
and tho' the orange ball of pus is not (yet) a war-criminal…
he sure as hell is indicted…
i was reminded the other day that new york state has sealed grand jury indictments for trump..
on ricoh charges (which is racketeering – which is trump as gangster..which is big sentences..)
i understand they are to do with his laundering of russian mob money – using real estate – since the 1990's..
i think donnie's going down..
how sweet that will be..
and funny story..!
trump had russian mobsters scattered thruout trump tower..
(his in-house coke dealer lived on the 24th floor..)
and helen clark used to live in the trump tower..
it’s a small world – isn’t it..?
Did Trump tell you that?
no – the facts of the matter told me that…
… most progressive country in the arab world – libya …
I s'pose you could somehow define progressive in a way that made that true, but it would still be an extremely low bar.
If you value the idea of a people's right to self-determination, then the way that a people's uprising was well underway to rid themselves of that POS Gaddafi long before the UN, european forces and then the US got involved should give you a clue that the simple "Obama blew Libyans up" picture you've tried to paint is a smear.
But if you're of a mindset to go all gooey-eyed over nasty authoritarian dictators, then I wouldn't expect you to understand why people oppressed by them aren't quite so enthusiastic.
the citizens of libya had free education to post-graduate level
free healthcare for all..
women free to work etc..total equality in education..
subsidised housing..
free state-provided childcare..
when a couple married – they received u.s. fifty thousand dollars from the govt – to help them get started in life..
obama turned all of this into a fundamentalist hellhole..
Funny how the wonderful progressive lifestyle that Gaddafi enforced in Libya led to a mass uprising, huh? Some people just got no gratitude.
drank and swallowed the kool-ade….didya..?
that 'mass-uprising' was the army of mercenaries funded/set up by cia..
you really believed all their war-propaganda/bullshit..at the time – did you..?
i didn't…
You ever visit Libya during the Gaddafi years? Or Syria during Bashar's reign? If you had, you might have some understanding of why the natives were restless.
and you clearly believed all the pre-invasion bullshit you were fed..eh..?
are you saying those rights i cited citizens as having were not happening..?
I have direct personal experience of Syria under Bashar, and have had conversations with people I trust that visited Libya during the noughties.
I fully understand why people of those nations wanted to rid themselves of those dictators, and believe a people's right to self-determination means they deserved support. That their efforts to free themselves devolved into a horrible free-for-all with all kinds of vicious opportunists making a bad situation worse doesn't change what the starting situations were.
All the gifts in the world don't make up for them being delivered by a nasty authoritarian dictator that brutally crushes dissent.
a potted history lesson for ya..
gaddaffi was overthrown because he was financing/setting up a new pan-arab/pan-african banking system/hub..
aimed at snaring all the bucks going to the u.s./european banksters..
and they were having none of that..
as always..follow the money..
and of course – they got to carve up all those luverly libyan oilfields..
y'know..!..what gaddaffi used to give his citizens so much – in a material sense..
A potty history lesson, prehaps. Did you even read what Andre said?
@ sacha..
yeah..that was all the pre-invasion black-propaganda..
he was clearly an enthusiastic customer/consumer at the time..
i wasn't…
i think i was maybe paying a bit more attention..
with bullshit-detectors on full-alert..
and – did you even read what i said..?
"I have direct personal experience"
of syria….yes..?..
i have direct experience of nz..
that is as bloody relevant..
Since the obvious relevance escapes you, I'll spell it out:
The same collection of fuckwits that tell us how wonderful Gaddafi was also tell us how wonderful Assad is, and spin the same stories about how the CIA stirred up unrest out of nothing in those countries.
I know from direct personal experience of Syria that's not accurate, that people in Syria had very good reason to take up arms to rid themselves of Assad. I have had direct reports, from sources known to me to be reliable, that the same was true in Libya.
Therefore, from sources independent of competing media voices, I can reliably conclude that those spinning stories like you're doing here have fully bought into one side's propaganda and are completely unable to see aspects of the situation that don't align with a predetermined worldview..
i have experience in nz – shall i tell you all about australia..?
(and from what i can garner about assad – he is a total p.o.s..)
you are talking apples and oranges..
and thus making no sense at all..
libya and syria both have short names that end in ‘a’..
that is about the only valid comparison of the two…
"I have direct personal experience of Syria under Bashar"
Could you be more specific? Where were you living, why were you there – work or holiday? What event that involved you personally, caused you to form your opinion of the Syrian government?
UN Security Council Resolution 1973 was passed in March 17 2011 authorising member nations to use necessary force to protect civilians. The vote was 10 – 0, with 5 abstentions. NATO got militarily involved 19 March.
But Obama is the only one responsible?
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-12782972
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libya#2011_Civil_War
would you believe obama..?
he has said his biggest mistake was no plan for after overthrowing gaddaffi..
(c.f…’fundamentalist hellhole’.).
Obama is the only one responsible for the outcome of UN and NATO actions?
now that's a knee-slapper…!
once again – will you believe obama..?
Correct yet again Phil, thank you. The neoliberals don't like you telling it like it is….
chrs..
what is mildly amusing is that they are defending what obama no longer does..
It's true that Trump doesn't invade (except Somalia, which apparently doesn't count) but the most liberal Arab nation was surely Tunisia, which started the whole Arab spring thing without external prompting.
in the sense of universal support for citizens – i dunno if tunisia matched up to libya..
and i agree there are the somalias's going on..but nothing that comes near to what obama did..
Still over a year to go in Trump's first term – give it time.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/apr/12/barack-obama-says-libya-was-worst-mistake-of-his-presidency
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_military_intervention_in_Libya
Good God!
🙄
In the meantime: "Defying Congress, Trump sets $8 billion-plus in weapons sales to Saudi Arabia, UAE"
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-saudi-arms/defying-congress-trump-sets-8-billion-plus-in-weapons-sales-to-saudi-arabia-uae-idUSKCN1SU25R
He may not be sending troops – just helping his buddies cash in on killing a few million people in Yemen.
obama also sold bulk arms to despots..
yr point..?
So what philip, it still doesn't make it right.
What is your point philip?
have you read the thread – ?
i am unable to make sense of yr question..
feel free to try again..
but my overall ‘point’..
is that obama – viewed as a saint by so many – is a war-criminal..
and what he did to libys – underlines that..
If you have a close look at the number sequence above…..
Macro commented @ 1.5
You replied to Marco's comment @ 1.5.1
I replied to your reply to Macro's comment @ 1.5.1.1.1
And it appears that your overall point is to point the finger at what happened in the past, which can’t be changed. Rather than what is happening now and in the possible future, which can be changed.
Should you be confused again about one of my comments, please let me know, I’m very helpful and happy to explain when required.
fine – (am still no clearer) – but carry on..!
Sweet as, if you are still having difficulties with comprehending the above, this time tomorrow, please let me know and I shall go through it slowly with you.
i'll note that in my diary..
Good thinking batman
Beautiful day out there, have a good one.
will do – you too..
A measles outbreak in NZ in 2019…
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12263572
Please please please vaccinate.
Yes, its always great advice.
Of course , catching measles will then give give you immunity. So eventually if nothing is done, after 5,000, 25,000 or what ever the number is, people have had measles the epidemic will abate.
And if, in this latest outbreak, only 25,000 NZers become infected with the measles virus, it's unlikely that the death toll would exceed 25; ~5 deaths much more likely.
I thought the death rate was 1 in 10,000, therefore in 25,000 folk that would be 2.5 deaths.
Google is saying 1 in 1,000. Which seems high.
It's a worse disease than we have come to believe.
The annual death rate from measles in developed countries jumps around fair bit now that the incidence of infection is so low, due to vaccination programmes.
I did a little research in response to a suggestion from Rosemary McDonald – seems like 1 death in 5000 cases is about right, although it was 1 in 1000 during NZ's last measles epidemic (7 deaths from 7000 cases, in 1991), and was almost 1 in 800 in the UK in 1999 (3 deaths from 2438 cases).
There have been no deaths attributed to measles in NZ since the 1991 epidemic – long may that continue.
Measles was declared eradicated from NZ in 2012 – given the number of cases so far this year, it’s probably back 🙁
http://www.thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-10-08-2019/#comment-1645175
Its an eye opener to what it could be like if another deadly flu epidemic strikes- hundreds of serious cases and a far higher death rate.
However I believe the deaths from flu every year is far higher , but because more catch flu the death rate is lower.
Simon and Gerry have departed for India and China.
In India they will be accompanied by MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi. In China they will be with MP Jian Yang.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1908/S00288/bridges-and-brownlee-to-visit-india-and-china.htm
Donations are welcome and appreciated. Shell companies and multiple cheques can be arranged. List MP nominations will be considered ($).
Indians will have to donate twice as much!
"Why comparisons between Boris Johnson and Charles 1 are not empty rhetoric"
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/aug/29/boris-johnson-charles-i-king
Forgot to mention this today, 20yrs ago today the people of Timor-Leste voted for its independence from Indonesia, in which the people of Timor-Leste voted yes for independence. But it took the pollies and the UN to get their act together for another 19 days in which give the TNI and it’s militia forces another 19days of killing, rape etc and, adopt a scorch earth policy that would’ve made Herr Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot smile with envy before the first of the INTERFET Troops arrived sometime of the early hrs of the 19th of September.
I arrived in Timor-Leste in the early hrs of the 20 Sept with No2 Airfield Defence SQN of the RAAF, where I had just joined the SQN some 2wks prior after graduating from ADG basic cse which was 3 and a bit mths of hell, but it never really prepared me for what I was about to encounter.
If you think War is hell and waste time and money? Then Peacekeeping is at whole different level/ ball game and far worse than War (done to 2 tours to the Greater Middle East Region).
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Force_East_Timor
It was eerily quiet in '73. Too quiet ..