From the archives: who said it?

Written By: - Date published: 1:07 pm, December 7th, 2007 - 48 comments
Categories: brethren - Tags:

In my work as a constituent MP, I have often been emotionally shocked at the dilemmas that some constituents get trapped in. However, none have matched the trauma and plight of a young married couple in my electorate who have been fighting for over two years without success for the return of their children…

At the heart of this case is the Exclusive Brethren Church. The public face of the church is a group of hard working, honest people who keep very much to themselves and do no harm. But there is a more sinister side of the church which is involved in extreme forms of psychological blackmail that is used to rip families apart in the name of Christianity.

The couple I speak of were both born and bred in the Exclusive Brethren Church, were married at a young age and had three beautiful children. The trouble began for the family when the wife strayed from the strict doctrine of the church and dared dress her children in bright colours and, shock horror, denim. The husband was put under tremendous emotional pressure to control his wife and mend her “Godless ways.” The church ostracised the couple and the resulting stress caused marital problems…

…I wish to expose the Exclusive Brethren Church for destroying families… Many relationships between parents, children, brothers and sisters have also been jettisoned by the Exclusive Brethren Church. The church’s obsession in keeping these children from their parents is on the surface driven by the desire to raise them in the Exclusive Brethren faith. But there is also a more sinister underlying agenda. This case is very well known in the sect, both here and abroad, and the threat of losing one’s family is a very powerful force that can be used to maintain discipline in the church.

(Hat tip: Matthew Pilott)

48 comments on “From the archives: who said it? ”

  1. the sprout 2

    the excitable dim one from the top of the south

  2. The Double Standard 3

    Nick Smith I guess.

    What’s your point?

    I don’t recall anyone from the Nats praising the EB either..

    CYFS does much more damage to families in NZ than the EB ever could.

  3. Matthew Pilott 4

    TDS if you’re a cynical half-wit whose only source of information is what the media (or d4j) spoon-feeds you then you might believe what you wrote about CYFS.

    Have some respect for the thousands of workers putting themselves in harm’s way to save children. They are not perfect, but the work they do is pretty amazing. You only hear about the bad cases.

    what’s your point“? doesn’t wash. It’s good to remember who your allies are, don’t you think? The National Party is only too happy to collude with them, if the price is right. Guess it was in 2005.

  4. The Double Standard 5

    CYFSwatch anyone?

    At least you admit there are bad cases.

    Do think that Teh Party only interacts with those that are pure and virtuous? Wot a larf.

    Keep up the EB broken record boys – its sure to get Helen back in again.

  5. rjs131 6

    Who said ” Erin leigh is sad and incompetent”

    What abotu “All taito philip field is guilty of is helping people”

  6. Long time listener 7

    TDS you great big fool. This post is obviously a follow-on from discussion in the previous thread where PhilBest tried to present the Brethren as all motherhood and apple pie. You’re slow dude, even for a National party researcher. Do you come here to contribute or just to disrupt on Teh Party’s orders?

  7. Historian 8

    Quote: “CYFS does much more damage to families in NZ than the EB ever could.”

    http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/brethren-bid-to-hide-sex-assaults/2006/12/29/1166895479254.html

  8. The Double Standard 9

    OMFG

    Look what the catholics did! quick we must find them and burn them!

    http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/06/13/1023864324376.html

    Get some perspective dude.

  9. Matthew Pilott 10

    TDS, unfortunately child molestation isn’t part of the Catholic Church’s agenda. Destroying families is, for the EB.

    At least you admit there are bad cases.” yeah, everyone does. It’s unfortunate in the extreme but it’s great they are there to save lives and prevent abuse in so many other cases. Do you know what would make CYFS even better? Tax Cuts!

    RJS how is that blog about workers’ rights going, can you post a link for me?

    cap: the poser. I feel insulted. 🙁

  10. Matthew Pilott 11

    Cocked it

    TDS, unfortunately child molestation isn’t part of the Catholic Church’s agenda. Destroying families is, for the EB.

    At least you admit there are bad cases.“ yeah, everyone does. It’s unfortunate in the extreme but it’s great they are there to save lives and prevent abuse in so many other cases. Do you know what would make CYFS even better? Tax Cuts!

    RJS how is that blog about workers’ rights going, can you post a link for me?

    cap: the poser. I feel insulted. 🙁

  11. Historian 12

    TDS

    I think you need the perspective. Who’s burning?

    Your statement was demonstrably false. A simple “I was wrong” will suffice.

    Unless you do have evidence that the head of CYFS has:

    – covered up decades of sexual assaults against women and children by CYFS staff
    – punished and ostracised CYFS staff who brought such crimes to public attention
    – treated the traumatised victims of these crimes as if they were the problem
    – denied CYFS workers any right to question any of this, or to exercise even the most basic personal freedom
    – and refused to answer media questions about any of this, or indeed anything at all, ever.

    The EBs are led by the Elect Vessel, and his word is law. If his word is to cover up serious crime, that is what they do. Secrecy first, justice second. And if that’s OK by you, then I hope Santa gives you a moral compass for Christmas, because yours is broken beyond repair.

  12. PhilBest 13

    These people “break up families”? They claim on their website that their rate of family breakdown is LESS THAN ONE TWENTIETH of that of the general community. Who’s right?

    Historian, there is a wide gap between what you’ve just claimed, and the “Age” article you provided a link to.

    What we’re seeing here is the Left, exposed, in all its most extreme ugliness. The brethren haters in the media spend inordinate amounts of time digging into the affairs of this group, and find ONE case – ONE case, of abuse, for which, as usual, it is the word of one person against another. The fact that the person concerned has been removed from membership of the group means something, or not? But off go the Left’s inheritors of Goebbells’ mantle, with this filth – “The Exclusive Brethren” do this, “The Exclusive Brethren” do that. Now where have we encountered that sort of thing before in modern political history?

  13. The Double Standard 14

    Historian

    Try reading what I wrote instead of making shit up.

    I hope santa gives you a course in reading comprehension for xmas.

    http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,1020400,00.html

    I’m waiting for you to denounce Catholics with the same vehemence you seem to have for the EB.

    Cap: afternoon futile (well it would have been, except for getting my kitchen painted)

  14. the sprout 15

    “They claim on their website that their rate of family breakdown is LESS THAN ONE TWENTIETH of that of the general community. Who’s right?”

    oh gee whiz, well if the EB said it on their website it must be true, we all know what straight=up out in the open types they are after all.

    “the Left’s inheritors of Goebbells’ [sic] mantle”

    ah Phil, if you did actually read modern history i think you will find the reds’ invasion of Berlin caused Goebbels to top himself (and wife and kids). wasn’t a lot of mantle inheriting going on.

  15. The Double Standard 16

    “wasn’t a lot of mantle inheriting going on”

    Well, who knows what happened to his fireplace!

    This guy might know

    http://www.thirdreichruins.com/
    de

  16. Santi 17

    “Destroying families is, for the EB.” Disingenous at worst, openly mendacious at best.

    Matthew, you can do better than the lame statement above. Provide the evidence for those bold accusations or shut up.

    Can’t you accept that are people prepared to live their lives in a different way? Is it too much to ask of a socialist like you?

  17. Pascal's bookie 18

    Santi, You could try scrolling to the top of the page and reading the fncking post mate.

    Or are you calling Nick Smith’s sources a pack of liars.

    The EB’s can do whatever the hell they like, for all I care. Am I allowed to comment on what they do and believe, if I choose to do so?

    Or are authoritarian cults such precious little flowers that they must not be criticised, no matter what they do or believe?

  18. the sprout 19

    “authoritarian cults… precious little flowers that they must not be criticised”

    i think you got his number there pb.

  19. More from Nick Smith, back when he had the courage of his convictions …

    “The public face of the church is a group of hard working, honest people who keep very much to themselves and do no harm. But there is a more sinister side of the church which is involved in extreme forms of psychological blackmail that is used to rip families apart in the name of Christianity . The church organised a mass turnout of cars and church people to intimidate the couple and prevent them from taking back their children . even more upsetting was the knowledge that their children had been brainwashed . a sinister underlying agenda . Ex-members refer to it as the three F’s – family, fear and finance – and these three weapons are used with brutal force . commercial blackmail and people being driven to suicide . the huge financial resources that the church will put in to ruin anybody who dares to speak out . I suggest that we should not become so tolerant that we condone, by our silence, extreme intolerance . I believe it is time Parliament revisited key aspects of our family law to provide greater protection against sects of this type.”

  20. PhilBest 21

    “back when he had the courage of his convictions….” You mean he has changed his position now? Just curious. And why?

    And Historian, it occurs to me that if the Klark regime was trying to legalise the sort of abuse that the “Age” article refers to, all the usual posters on this blog would be defending it to the death. Phil Goff? Lowering the age of sexual consent to 12? Remember?

    H-Y-P-O-C-R-I-T-E-S.

  21. Robinsod 22

    Um Phil – the right want to lower the age of adult criminal responsibility to 12. Are they saying children are able to make conscious and accountable decisions about criminal behaviour but not sexual behaviour.

    Oh and Goff was talking about consent being lowered in circumstances where the sexual partner was 14 or younger not for grown men/women.

    You’re dissembling.

  22. You’re spoiling his bullshit with your annoying facts, Robinsod – show some compassion.

    Tangential to this discussion, but from Nick Smith’s quote: “…three beautiful children…” Why are they always “beautiful” children? Am I the only man on the planet to have fathered perfectly ordinary-looking children? For that matter, I see plenty of ugly children around the place – where do they all come from then?

  23. PhilBest 24

    OK, let’s not divert off thread. For the record, I oppose lowering the age of either of the above to 12. Not everyone on “the right” wants to lower the age of criminal responsibility, just as not everybody on “the left” agrees with the objectives of Man-Boy-Love associations and the “research” of Albert (“Dr Mengele”) Quinsey. (Although it seems that a disturbing lot of contributors on the Left of the blogosphere DO).

    As “Long Time Listener” says above, this thread was created in response to my comments elsewhere about the EB being set up on the basis of information that is obviously untrue, as a scapegoat by which the Left will advance their totalitarian agenda. Classic ploy of you guys, of course, change the argument, and drag out dirt that you are more comfortable attacking.

    Just as of course, it is a classic ploy to set up a little understood minority as a whipping boy, so that you can rally the ignorant thug classes behind you AGAINST SOMETHING, the fairness of the accusations involved being irrelevant.

    I posted some stuff on another thread that, interestingly, claimed that the EB actually stand for the egalitarian ideal, but Tane and Co dismiss it on the grounds that of course, if it comes from the EB, it must be lies. (And anything from the Left of the political spectrum must be “Truth”. Even the advancers of this “truth” themselves KNOW, like O’Brien in “1984” holding up 3 fingers, and maiking Winston Smith say “4 fingers” under torture, that what they are doing is in the service of a higher ideal, so that “truth” always is a highly manipulable thing where they are concerned).

    Here’s what I THINK honest observers have to admit, irrespective of whether you despise OTHER aspects of what the EB stand for:

    They do NOT stand for “the super rich” or any plot to “exploit the proletariat”

    There is NO EVIDENCE that any of them indulge in “Fay Richwhite” dodgy behaviour with speculation, tax havens, forex deals, buyouts and assett stripping and the like. We have seen a whole lot of beat-ups of such frivolous stuff by the media, that it is obvious that there is none of the REAL serious stuff that might make people like Hager look even the slightest bit correct in his assessments.

    ALL the EB businesses beat up by the media are VERY SMALL but tidy and efficiently run by honest, thrifty, enterprising, and hardworking people. There is NO EVIDENCE WHATEVER to suggest that they have bottomless pockets and that they could even afford to keep up the sort of big-money campaigning that they have been accused of wanting to do. What they did in the US was but a drop in the bucket compared to hundreds if not thousands of lobby groups including strongly leftwing ones. The beatup of the EB in this country is illustrative of the sheer immaturity and lack of proportion that characterises NZ politics.

    “Immaturity” and “lack of proportion” does not go far enough in describing the Electoral Finance Bill. This is the “hammer and sickle” being used to crack a walnut. It is revealing that the main thing that no-one would have disagreed with, reviewing the anonymity laws, is the one thing that ISN’T being done.

    There is every likelihood that there were NOT “links between Don Brash and the EB”, that Don Brash’s surprise and clumsiness were genuine, and that this aspect is a disturbing illustration of the power of the media to put a lie accross.

    What the EB got was a media slander campaign against them, lies about “links with Don Brash/ business roundtable/ the super rich”, ongoing media witchhunting that blew up ridiculous nothings into “evidence” of this or that, and a government and its supporters using them as scapegoats to advance their program of creeping totalitarianism.

    But no, we can’t have sensible arguments about the facts and the available evidence and what it supports or fails to support, we must just drag up anything we can to smear the bullied minority, irrelevance to the argument notwithstanding.

  24. Draco TB 25

    Quoting PhilBest:
    “”The Exclusive Brethren” do this, “The Exclusive Brethren” do that. Now where have we encountered that sort of thing before in modern political history?”

    I think the most recent example I’ve seen is GWB about Al Qaeda, Iraq, the Taliban, Iran, with his brethren of brown noses (including the national party) all nodding happily in agreement.

  25. hinamanu 26

    I am a member of the Exclusive Brethren so watch your step mates .

  26. Dean 27

    Why am I not suprised Russell Brown wishes to rage against the Exclusive Brethren machine?

    Especially when he mentions “courage of convictions” in his post.

    Honestly, Russell. If you’re going to use phrases like that you’re just asking for your own parade to be rained on. I honestly would have thought that you would have been, well, more astute than that.

  27. Dean 28

    Psycho Milt said:

    “Am I the only man on the planet to have fathered perfectly ordinary-looking children? For that matter, I see plenty of ugly children around the place – where do they all come from then?”

    You’re absolutely correct. It’s a stupid statement.

    Much the same as “haters and wreckers”.

  28. Kent 29

    There is every likelihood that there were NOT “links between Don Brash and the EB”, that Don Brash’s surprise and clumsiness were genuine, and that this aspect is a disturbing illustration of the power of the media to put a lie accross.

    Very good repartee, Phil. But I am having problems with this paragraph. Surely part of Brash’s genuine clumsiness was that he got mixed up with the EB? How do you define “links between Don Brash and the EB”. If someone is confused and mixed up as Brash was, then you cannot define complete separation between his activities and that of the EB. It was this clumsiness and confusion that lost Brash the election. It was further confirmed afterwards with Hager’s book that the separation between Brash’s executive cerebral unit and a whole list of possible puppeteers (eg Ruth R) was not sufficiently well defined.

    With this overwhelming lack of definition it is not possible for the media to put across something that is a lie. (ie the ‘truth’ is too murky)

  29. hinamanu 30

    Since when does the truth matter in religion or politics ?

  30. the sprout 31

    certainly doesn’t matter much to the msm

  31. Pascal's bookie 32

    hinamanu, you seem to have picked up d4j’s habit with your punctuation.

    As a member of the EB’s perhaps you could explain to me why, given that the EB don’t vote because G_d is supposed to raise up governments, it is permissable to fund large electoral campaigns?

    I’m also interested in how it is that given the EB are prohibited from serving in the armed forces, they were/are so upset about our foreign policy vis-a-vis the US/Iraq and NZ’s military posture in general?
    Thanks.

  32. “hinamanu, you seem to have picked up d4j’s habit with your punctuation.”

    Surely you jest my good man ?

  33. Oliver 34

    Precisely why is it that the Labour Party, its members and affiliates feel that it is acceptable to demonise and persecute a religious minority at every opportunity?

  34. Phil 35

    It’s a good question Oliver – one that has been answered not with reasoned debate or statistical evidence, but with grandstanding, politicised outrage from both side of the house.

    We’ve heard it all before, about how the EB nearly ‘bought’ the election for National, but that is absolute garbage. If anything, they served as a distraction which LOST them critical votes in the final run-up.

    It’s already been shown, beyond any reasonable doubt, that money DOES NOT have a significant impact on election outcomes (a good explanation, which I will not bother to paraphrase here, comes from Levitt and Dubner in “freakonomics”). I stumbled across a 700 page reasearch paper on the subject proving the same point recently, but if I find anything more ‘digestible’ in the next few day’s I’ll send it through to a few blogs to see if they’re willing to post it.

  35. PhilBest 36

    Kent, my main argument is that if you read the “Hollow Men”, you will find that Hager had a staggering amount of detail about who Don Brash was seeing and when, and who he was communicating with and what he was saying. I don’t deny Don Brash’s links with Ruth Richardson or the Business Roundtable – Hager presents ample evidence of this, not that it needed proving.

    Anyone with a modicum of intelligence can see that 1) There was one helluva successful espionage job done on Don Brash by SOMEONE (and NZ’s fine non-partisan cops are doing a WONDERFUL job investigating, yeah, right) and 2) Hager had NOTHING that proved “links between Don Brash and the EB”. He had 1 e-mail FROM the EB TO the Nats, but NO REPLY, no other communications, and no meetings apart from “someone THINKS they saw some EB bump into Don Brash in a marketplace or something”. How did they set up the big plot to do leaflets “on behalf of the Nats” to circumvent the spending laws? Carrier pigeon?

    Do you see my point? If there HAD been ANY evidence, Hager would have had it. You can bet your boots that whoever was behind this did their darndest to get some BEFORE the book was published. But they found they couldn’t, because there was none, but they went ahead and printed the book anyway, fudging the point re the EB, and relying on a highly compliant, brethren-hating media to do the rest for them, and a gullible NZ public to swallow the lie uncritically.

    The time we’re in in NZ is akin to the era of the Reichstag fire in Germany in the mid 1930’s. We’ve got a government taking dictatorial powers to itself based on lies about minorities who can’t defend themselves, because the MEDIA has helped to whip up public odium against them. It is NOT a good look for the direction of the country.

  36. Matthew Pilott 37

    ALL the EB businesses beat up by the media are VERY SMALL but tidy and efficiently run by honest, thrifty, enterprising, and hardworking people. There is NO EVIDENCE WHATEVER to suggest that they have bottomless pockets and that they could even afford to keep up the sort of big-money campaigning that they have been accused of wanting to do.

    Aren’t one of NZ’s largest construction companies, and a large producer of preserves, EB companies. Not to mention a large supplier of office furniture? I can’t name them for certain and have no intention to investigate, but PhilBest’s assertion about them doesn’t wash with the seven wealthy businessmen who fronted after their secretive campaign.

    PhilBest, how could some VERY SMALL businesses afford to spare $1.25 mil for anti-government advertising in 2005.

    I’m afraid you are completely lying about the EB.

  37. The Double Standard 38

    “I’m afraid you are completely lying about the EB.”

    So, you post a completely unsupported statement that you won’t investigate, and then call Phil a liar?

    Well, congrats on joining the Standardistas Hypocrisy Club.

  38. Matthew Pilott 39

    Completely unsupported – right, so you’ll be naming some small businesses with $1.25 mil in spare change?

    Come to think of it, I found a few hundred thousand in my drawrer just the other day, maybe it does happen. I take it back, good work TDS.

  39. the sprout 40

    exactly MP, i mean what corner dairy, or any thrifty homemaker for that matter, doesn’t have a few hundred thousand dollars to throw into a political campaign?

    the anti-EFB campaign isn’t about protecting the rights of the wealthy to interfere in elections, it’s about protecting the rights of everyday mums and dads to spend a few 100k on lobbying

  40. Matthew Pilott 41

    Indeed, Sprout, not to mention having a few thouand bux or whatever it takes to hire a Private Investigator to tail the PM’s husband. What sort of small, thrifty, honest hardworking business doesn’t do that!?

  41. The Double Standard 42

    “Completely unsupported – right”

    Good to see you agree that you’re the one making up the lies.

    As usual a complete failure to anything worthwhile. Very disappointing.

    It’s really quite sad how you think that, just because you don’t have two pennies to rub together, everyone else in NZ is the same. Still, I suppose it highlights your rather pathetic socialist worldview.

  42. Matthew Pilott 43

    TDS, try playing the ball, as youu righties so frequently moan about.

    Philbest’s portrayal of the EB was a belevolent collection of honest little employers. Probably making knitted sweaters and rearing kittens or something, who knows. I pointed out that they had over a million dollars to spend on the 2005 election, and also that they hired a private investigator to stalk someone.

    Those two views do not reconcile.

    I don’t see you hassling PhilBest for the lack of detail about his views of the EB, but I doubt you think anyone who posts here would be intelligent enough to notice that. Says more about you than anyone else here.

    You don’t know anyting about my worldview, so please spare the personal attacks and keep it civil. I am going to assume (I may be incorrect, apologies if I am wrong) that you are over an age (say, 15) where you have the maturity to treat people with respect. Try and excercise it here.

    Now, do you want to

    A: harrass PhilBest about his unsubstantiated claims (which would be a waste of his time),
    b: continue to hassle me about what I have said (surely you agree that the actiities I have mentioned do not reconcile with a friendly collestion of small businesses),
    C: make a worthwhile contribution,
    D: continue acting with a strange combination of a bitter old man with the manners of an angsty child, or
    E: perhaps admit that you have nothing useful to contribute, apologise for making personal comments and pledge to act like an adult in future.

    Judging by your standard of comments I can guess which option you will go for, and that will be an indictment of your character, bearing and maturity.

    Prove my assumption wrong!

  43. PhilBest 44

    I did a post yesterday responding to Matthew Pilott and now it’s gone. Smells.

    These nameless EB “big businesses” you refer to, why hasn’t the media named them? Don’t kid me they wouldn’t have if they existed. “Investigative journalism” might as well not exist in NZ, that’s how governments like the Clark one gets away with what they do, but one thing the media has obviously devoted huge amounts of effort and scrutiny to, is the EB. And they’ve come up with nothing that means more than jack to anyone with half a brain who is awake, and actually thinks with it.

    Whether you regard someone as “rich” or their business as a “big” business says more about the size of your mind than it does about the reality of the situation. 7 businessmen stumping up 1 million between them, yeah, they could be VERY SMALL businessmen who care very deeply about the direction of their country.

    50 years ago it meant something to be a millionaire. Now probably every little business you walk past in an industrial area is worth at least this much, even the smallest ones, even ones with only 3 or 4 staff.

    For your information, in the US, a business with less than 5000 staff is officially a SMALL business.

    Small-mindedness and envy, and the politics that go with it, are the main ruination of NZ today.

    Actually, the REAL “big businessmen” are out there quite happily playing the sharemarket, doing buyouts, assett-stripping, forex speculating, using tax havens, all unmolested by our current government and its supporters like matthew pilott, while they’re obsessing about a lawnmower and chainsaw shop owner and his political opinions.

    SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD.

  44. r0b 45

    “I did a post yesterday responding to Matthew Pilott and now it’s gone. Smells.”

    Well, either (1) your post was so overwhelmingly brilliant and damaging to Labour that The Standard editors were forced to ignore their own “no censorship policy” and delete it, proving both the existence of the vast left wing conspiracy and just how durned significant you are, or (2) you got the captcha wrong.

  45. Tane 46

    Sorry to disappoint, but it’s number 2.

  46. the sprout 47

    but but, how could such a brilliant intellect get such a simple mundane procedure wrong?

  47. Matthew Pilott 48

    God now I feel like looking into it just to show that they are not just small businesses at all, except that if I told PhilBest that they were any organisation apart from GM he’d say it proves his point.

    For your information, in Nauru, a huge business is probably on that empoloys two people. Do you feel that is a relevant fact? Any other irrelevancies you want to toss in the mix?

    I am not a fan of big business, but it’s also nice to hear you admit what the joys of your beloved capitalism consitutes, remember what “big Business” is up to next time you jump to the defence of capitalism.

    http://www.thestandard.org.nz/?p=779#comment-6793 (and I note in that post you had a real problem with captcha as well – are you actually some form of republican-party funded blog-posting machine?)

    As we haven’t yet spelled out here the extent of the larger EB, your ranting about the relative sizes of businesses makes no sense.

    IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT (is that the COOL THING to do these days mate? Aren’t you yet old enough to hold a reasonalbe debate without decending into baseless vitriol and petty abuse?)

    7 businessmen stumping up 1 million between them, yeah, they could be VERY SMALL businessmen who care very deeply about the direction of their country. ” Sure, you believe that. Given your propensity to bat for these “VERY SMALL but tidy and efficiently run by honest, thrifty, enterprising, and hardworking people.” businesses speaks more about your naivety that my perspective of NZ business – especially when you use the US as a comparison…

    And in general, it is only the arrogant, obnoxious right-wing that talks of “Small-mindedness and envy, and the politics that go with it“. This is because these people (hopefully not representative of the majority of the right) are by and large a group of selfish and egocentric people who can’t believe that anyone would want something for the betterment of society, even at some personal cost.

    They therefore have to assume that left-wing policies are some form of envy, because humanity and charity isn’t in their vocabulary.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • EV road user charges bill passes
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April.  “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Bill targets illegal, unregulated fishing in international waters
    New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Reserve Bank appointments
    Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates.  Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Stronger protections for apartment owners
    Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Travel focused on traditional partners and Middle East
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend.    “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says.   Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Keep safe on our roads this Easter
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Cost of living support for over 1.4 million Kiwis
    About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Tenancy reviews for social housing restart
    Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary plan halted
    The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Cutting all that dam red tape
    Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track.  “Dam safety regulations ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Drought support extended to parts of North Island
    The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Passage of major tax bill welcomed
    The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Lifting economy through science, tertiary sectors
    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government announces Budget priorities
    The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.  The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government to consider accommodation solution
    The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government approves extension to Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care
    Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says.                                         “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • $18m boost for Kiwis travelling to health treatment
    The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says.   “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM’s Prizes for Space to showcase sector’s talent
    The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Concerns conveyed to China over cyber activity
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government.     “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry
    Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function.  The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Brynderwyns open for Easter
    State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Speech to the Infrastructure Funding & Financing Conference
    Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Parliamentary network breached by the PRC
    New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • NZ to provide support for Solomon Islands election
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ-EU FTA gains Royal Assent for 1 May entry to force
    The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union.    “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • COVID-19 inquiry attracts 11,000 submissions
    Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says.  “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Families to receive up to $75 a week help with ECE fees
    Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Unlocking a sustainable, low-emissions future
    A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Chief of Army thanked for his service
    Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders
    25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government commits nearly $3 million for period products in schools
    Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Speech – Making it easier to build.
    Good morning, it’s great to be here.   First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning.  I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Pacific youth to shine from boost to Polyfest
    Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • 2024 Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships announced
    ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Breast Cancer Foundation – Insights Conference
    Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Kiwi research soars to International Space Station
    New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to the New Zealand Planning Institute
    Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Support for Northland emergency response centre
    The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed.  “Northland has faced a number ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Celebrating 20 years of Whakaata Māori
    New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Some commercial fishery catch limits increased
    Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-29T07:40:57+00:00