Ghahraman goes

Written By: - Date published: 12:49 pm, January 16th, 2024 - 77 comments
Categories: greens, Parliament, Politics - Tags:

Green MP Golriz Ghahraman has resigned from Parliament.

From the Herald:

“It is a great honour to serve as a Member of Parliament. I am proud of my advocacy work on human rights and foreign affairs, and particularly proud of campaigns that resulted in practical improvements to the electoral laws governing donations and overseas voting,” Ghahraman said.

The Green MP said that her mental health had been “badly affected” by the stress of her work as an MP.

“This has led me to act in ways that are completely out of character. I am not trying to excuse my actions, but I do want to explain them,” she said.

”People should, rightly, expect the highest standards of behaviour from their elected representatives. I fell short. I’m sorry. It’s not a behaviour I can explain because it’s not rational in any way, and after medical evaluation, I understand I’m not well,” Ghahraman said.

”The mental health professional I see says my recent behaviour is consistent with recent events giving rise to extreme stress response, and relating to previously unrecognised trauma,” she said.

Green Party co-leaders Marama Davidson and James Shaw said it was clear Ghahraman was in a “state of extreme distress” and supported her decision to resign.

“Green MPs are expected to maintain high standards of public behaviour,” they said in a joint statement.

“It is clear to us that Ms Ghahraman is in a state of extreme distress. She has taken responsibility and apologised.

“We support the decision she has made to resign.”

Former Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown is the next person on the Green Party list.

She came to New Zealand as an asylum seeker.  Dealing with childhood trauma can have devastating effects on later life.

Go well Golriz.  Take time out to mend yourself.

77 comments on “Ghahraman goes ”

  • Comments are now closed

  2. Ad 2
    16 January 2024 at 12:57 pm

    No other call to make.

    Wish her full recovery.

  3. observer 3
    16 January 2024 at 1:12 pm

    It has been a sad story, poorly handled by attention-seeking commentators and their media enablers.

    On the other hand, respect for Shaw and Davidson goes up. They knew their first priority was a human being, not the headlines. PR "experts" (so-called) urged them to spin it better. A classic case of being lost in the game.

  4. Kay 4
    16 January 2024 at 1:13 pm

    She came to New Zealand as an asylum seeker. Dealing with childhood trauma can have devastating effects on later life.

    Thank you for acknowledging that, Mickeysavage

  5. Sanctuary 5
    16 January 2024 at 1:28 pm

    Does all this mean the venerable ex-mayor of Wellington Celia Wade-Brown is now a Green MP?

  6. mary_a 6
    16 January 2024 at 1:37 pm

    Thanks MS.

    I thank Golriz for her contribution to politics and service to the people of NZ. She will be missed.

    Go well Golriz. Take good care of your health.

    • mickysavage 6.1
      16 January 2024 at 2:08 pm

      This is one of the reasons I cannot understand Israel’s behaviour. Having tens of thousands of traumatised kids will ensure a never ending supply of adults wanting to be martyrs.

  7. observer 7
    16 January 2024 at 1:48 pm

    But of course a resignation is not enough. Vultures need a corpse.

    Note the phrasing here: "Footage emerges …". But footage does not emerge. It is not a chick from an egg. It is provided. By somebody.

    The job of journalism is to ask who and why, not just say "more, please".

    Scotties security camera footage emerges of ex-Green Golriz Gharaham | Stuff.co.nz

    • Ghostwhowalks 7.1
      16 January 2024 at 2:26 pm

      I would say the boutique provided the footage to the Police when requested .

      I guess we know the rest , how national party ministers get inside information under the no surprises rule ( ROFL)

      Not that Mark Mitchell would do anything like that

      • weka 7.1.1
        16 January 2024 at 2:53 pm

        Are you suggesting that the police supplied the National government with video from an ongoing investigation?

        • Anne 7.1.1.1
          16 January 2024 at 3:45 pm

          weka, its not unheard of for rogue police officers to spill the beans. Not suggesting it happened in this case because I don't know. Gww though makes a valid point.

          It was a former National PM who revealed the Colin Moyle police investigation under parliamentary privilege in 1976. The information came from someone in the force. The ins and outs of it were hushed up, but it much later transpired Moyle had been the victim of a nasty hoax. He also had to resign from parliament but later returned to become one of the best Agriculture Ministers the country has had.

          • weka 7.1.1.1.1
            16 January 2024 at 3:56 pm

            yes, but GWW was implying not leaking but an actual pipeline from police to the National government in 2024. Which is a different thing.

            • Anne 7.1.1.1.1.1
              16 January 2024 at 4:27 pm

              The historic case I referred to was about a police pipeline to the PM of the day, Robert Muldoon. Colin Moyle was being touted as the next leader of the LP and Muldoon used privileged information about Moyle he was not entitled to have. The allegation inherent within the information proved to be false yet Moyle's career (at that stage) ended in tatters.

              Over the years, there have been a few other instances of official info. getting into the hands of Nat. politicians or their lackeys who then used them for political gain.

              • weka …
                16 January 2024 at 4:31 pm

                Over the years, there have been a few other instances of official info. getting into the hands of Nat. politicians or their lackeys who then used them for political gain.

                instances such as?

                • Anne …
                  16 January 2024 at 4:52 pm

                  Having been involved in politics on and off for nearly 60 years I recall them. The details have become misty with time but that doesn't mean they didn't happen. None of them reached the same level of hysteria as the Moyle Affair.

                  John Key had a top drawer full of them but he was smart enough not to talk about them – at least not to us peasantry. One or two of the more recent public examples involved former minister, Labour leader and Auckland mayor, Phil Goff… and some fellow by the name of Cameron Slater. Goff eventually received a public apology from the appropriate government entity.

                  • Robin The Goodfellow …
                    16 January 2024 at 5:29 pm

                    Its not a left or right thing, its a power thing.

                    Politicians will do a lot of morally questionable actions for "the greater good"

                    Ask Peter Doone

            • Ghostwhowalks 7.1.1.1.1.2
              16 January 2024 at 5:48 pm

              There is an actual 'pipeline '.

              It says so in the BIM when Hipkins became Police Minister in 2022

              "The Media and Communications team maintains direct links with your Press Secretary about upcoming press releases and responds to requests for support around media enquiries and emerging issues. This includes keeping your office informed whenever there is a high profile or significant national event involving a Police response, such as the recent New Lynn Mall attack."

              • weka …
                17 January 2024 at 8:19 am

                There is no equivalence between an MP getting caught on CCTV in a shop and a terrorist attack.

                The latter is a matter of national security. The former is a routine crime. Governments don't get involved in day to day policing at that level. The reason for this is to prevent political interference in policing eg a government Minister instructing police to not investigate an MP in the said government accused of shoplifting.

                https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_Police

                While the New Zealand Police is a government department with a minister responsible for it, the Commissioner and sworn members swear allegiance directly to the Sovereign and, by convention, have constabulary independence from the government of the day.

                The New Zealand Police is perceived to have a minimal level of institutional corruption.[5][6]

                That convention is why Stuart Nash is no longer in parliament,

                In mid–March 2023, Nash resigned as Minister of Police following revelations he asked the Police Commissioner Andrew Coster to appeal a decision Nash felt was too light, a breach of the expectation that the Government remains neutral in regards to operational Police matters.[21] On 16 March, Nash faced further calls from the opposition National and ACT parties to resign from his remaining portfolios after revelations that the Attorney-General David Parker had reprimanded Nash for making remarks during a 2020 Newstalk ZB interview calling for murder suspect Eli Epiha to be imprisoned for his actions during the murder of Matthew Hunt. At the time, Epiha was facing trial and had not yet been convicted for murdering Hunt.[22] Nash subsequently admitted to a third incident of misconduct where he contacted the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) to advocate for a migrant health professional in Napier in September 2022. In response, Hipkins demoted Nash to the bottom of the Cabinet rankings as a "final warning" but declined to strip him of his remaining cabinet portfolios.[23]

                https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart_Nash#2023_ministerial_indiscretions_and_resignation

                This is also why Shaw and Davidson are at pains to make it really clear that they can't talk about the shoplifting charge. They're not in government, but technically one of the GP caucus could be Police Minister in the future.

                I haven't followed Anne's comments, but it's why I have asked both of you to be clear. Because it's a serious allegation to say that the government is being supplied information by the police about the details of a specific crime like shoplifting.

                • weka …
                  17 January 2024 at 8:20 am

                  from your link,

                  1. The Commissioner is not responsible to, and is required to act independently of, any Minister of the Crown (including any person acting on the instruction of a Minister of the Crown) regarding:

                    • – the maintenance of order or enforcement of the law in relation to any individual or group of individuals
                    • – the investigation and prosecution of offences
                    • – decisions about individual Police employees.
                • Incognito …
                  17 January 2024 at 8:48 am

                  @ 7.1 GWW clearly insinuated that the video footage found its way to the media through the Police and/or Minister of Police. He provided no evidence at all for this and he dodged answering your question.

    • newsense 7.2
      16 January 2024 at 10:26 pm

      Ms Gharaham has caused the obsessed right no end of gnashing of teeth since forever.

      Someone observed somewhere else that involvement of dirty politics era figures.

      The way footage has come out deserves to be answered by the website and the shop. It is basic harassment that deserves people fronting up and being accountable for.

      What was the journalistic reason for obtaining and showing that? Was the footage offered and by whom? Or did you approach the shop?

      There policies are to kill 5000 people who smoke to allow a tax cut. Why should anything else they do show a higher level of humanity than that?

  8. tsmithfield 8
    16 January 2024 at 2:04 pm

    Very sad. Not the way I would like to see anyone leave parliament.

    I also hope that the police now apply the same standard they do to other instances of shoplifitng which is to completely ignore it.

    • Tiger Mountain 8.1
      16 January 2024 at 4:17 pm

      Well done TS, you got a rueful smile if not full Lol from me with that observation.

    • Johnr 8.2
      16 January 2024 at 7:19 pm

      Bin driving most afternoon. Only reliable radio was 'red neck radio' (zb) .

      All afternoon Golriz was debated, I cannot believe the nasty venal crucifixion. Think Jesus had an easier trip to the cross.

      Sure she seems to have messed up . But do we have to become an awful vindictive nation.

      • Robert Guyton 8.2.1
        16 January 2024 at 7:52 pm

        Kiwiblog is seething, writhing, pulsating, heaving with pustular blue & yellow bile; it's a dam bursting, a boil lanced, a can of intestinal worms, unscrewed and poured into the gaping maws of the malnourished sycophants who cower there …

        it's not very nice.

        • joe90 8.2.1.1
          16 January 2024 at 8:06 pm

          Will no one think of KB's marginalized status-seekers…

        • Tricledrown 8.2.1.2
          17 January 2024 at 10:17 am

          Why haven't the Police prosecuted any of the thousand s of mongrels who have continuously made death threats rape and violent threat s against this MP .

          Far more serious crimes than shoplifting which she no doubt plead guilty with mitigating circumstances.None if the real lowlife would even have the balls to come forward and admit their crimes.

  9. ianmac 9
    16 January 2024 at 2:10 pm

    Saddened for Golriz. People like her are needed to help reform our world. Best wishes for her recovery.

  10. Tiger Mountain 10
    16 January 2024 at 2:27 pm

    Lest anyone be tempted to look too kindly on Scotties…wage theft by an employer is also theft, and Scotties sought various subsidies from us taxpayers to boot…

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/126663561/highend-boutique-ordered-to-pay-nearly-28000-after-unjust-dismissal-of-worker

    Very sad Golriz had to leave in these circumstances. A friend of mine, experienced senior School Principal, having cancer treatment including Steroids was in a very small % that suffered psychosis as a side effect, really went AWOL and was sectioned for self protection until the medical people got on top of the issue.

  11. Gosman 11
    16 January 2024 at 2:54 pm

    It is rather sad as even though I disagreed (and often times disliked) her political viewpoint she did add to the vibrancy and diversity of the NZ Parliament and made a good show of promoting the political views and people she represented. I hope she gets the support and help she needs now.

    I would like to add that I don't think it is helpful to speculate on any trauma that may have contributed to this. This is best left to Ms Ghahraman and the people she chooses to help her through this time.

  12. Corey 12
    16 January 2024 at 2:59 pm

    The Justice portfolio is the NZ politics equivalent of teaching defense against the dark arts at Hogwarts.

    I wish her well and think there needs to be more mental health awareness in parliament, I think maybe all mp's should have regular counselling session or something to deal with the pressure of parliament and the public.

    I do wish mp's would have the courage to ask to have their portfolios stripped from them temporarily when they are struggling and can't handle the pressure.

    Hopefully this and the way Kiri's ended will encourage parties and mp's to take their mental health seriously

    However, as a class lefty I hope she is held accountable for her actions and treated like any working class kiwi and if she's found guilty I hope she gets the same level of punishment a working class kiwi would get if they stole thousands of dollars worth of gear on multiple occasions.

    • weka 12.1
      16 January 2024 at 3:33 pm

      on that last note, my hope is that working class kiwis get treat more fairly in the courts. In this case (whether Ghahraman or a working class person), don't send people to prison for retail theft, that's madness.

      • JerJer 12.1.1
        16 January 2024 at 3:40 pm

        Three strikes is coming back. Lucky for her it is not in place currently. There are three known offences here already.

        [I can’t in good conscience let this degree of stupid into the Standard commentariat. 1 month ban. If you come back, read the site Policy and bring some actual political argument to the table. – weka]

      • tsmithfield 12.1.2
        16 January 2024 at 4:18 pm

        I think the Police pretty much ignore retail theft now given reports of people just wheeling out trolleys full of groceries from Supermarkets without paying for them etc.

        In the current case, I think Golriz, due to her profile, has probably suffered a lot more than the average shoplifter that probably carries on with little consequence. Hence, why I think the police should just drop the matter and treat her the same as the others.

        • weka 12.1.2.1
          16 January 2024 at 4:27 pm

          I don't think the police let people off who steal trolleys full of groceries, it's more than they don't catch them.

          If someone shoplifts and the shop has CCTV footage and make a complaint to the police, I'm not sure the police can or should ignore that if it's clear and repeated.

          I'm sure the value of the goods is a factor too.

        • Foreign waka 12.1.2.2
          17 January 2024 at 9:59 am

          This is not true at all. It would imply that police is nonchalantly ignoring retail theft. Fact is that in many cases the perpetrators have planned their get away very well and only if they are caught on camera can some actions be taken. Could be that gangs are involved, especially sending under aged into the "field".

          No one should see theft as a cavaliers delict as the costs of retail theft, a staggering 2.6 billion dollars per year will be recovered by increasing pricing to you and me. Not to forget to mention, there are those incredible ghastly instances where a shop employee is killed, another persons fingers hacked off with a machete.

          There are always victims and it seems no one is spending one syllable about what they endure.

          • Incognito 12.1.2.2.1
            17 January 2024 at 11:26 am

            You are conflating theft and robbery.

            Can you provide examples (with links) of instances [plural] in which “a shop employee is killed, another persons [sic; singular or plural?] fingers [plural] hacked off with a machete”?

            There’s a lot of RW ‘mission-creep’ when discussing hot topics such as crime, alleged or proven, here on TS.

  13. Phillip ure 13
    16 January 2024 at 3:06 pm

    A shame she has gone..

    She was a very effective mp/spokesperson..

    • ianmac 13.1
      16 January 2024 at 3:35 pm

      A terrible consequence from this may be that the miserable bastards who attacked her might feel emboldened so turn will turn to – who next?

      I think also that some MPs don't give a toss about what people think of them because they are un-empathetic people. These are not at risk.

      If you care about people you might be more vulnerable. Jacinda? Golriz?

  14. roblogic 14
    16 January 2024 at 3:50 pm

    As a refugee from Iran, the misogyny of the reactionary right in NZ must have wearyingly familiar to GG. Go well Golriz.

    James Shaw said Ghahraman had been subject to continuous threats of sexual violence, physical violence and death threats “since the day she was elected to Parliament”.

    https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350146185/live-greens-co-leaders-speak-after-golriz-ghahraram-quits

  15. Darien Fenton 15
    16 January 2024 at 4:27 pm

    I feel incredibly sad about Golriz today. She has done the only thing a politician can do by resigning. I feel for her, James and Marama and the Greens who are left doing their best to support her. Life is not equal for all politicians. Sometimes we make the mistake of believing you can stand up for injustice, you can protest, you can shout when no-one listens. Many MPs come into parliament genuinely believing they are there to make a difference. It takes courage to stand up to the vitriol. Death threats, the name calling, the personal attacks, (which last years), the never ending critique. And if and when someone falls, we are in like robber's dogs. I want to see difference in our Parliament. I want people to be human, and different, and vulnerable. I want people with different pasts, from different backgrounds and experiences. Being an MP is no picnic, believe me. I wish everything good for Golriz, and the Greens. and send my solidarity.

  16. weka 16
    16 January 2024 at 4:29 pm

    Press conference with Shaw and Davidson. Lots of good explanation of complex issues (and as always, listen to the Greens if you want to understand them).

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/506833/watch-greens-leaders-respond-as-mp-golriz-ghahraman-resigns

  17. observer 17
    16 January 2024 at 5:10 pm

    And now we have the media staking out her home.

    Golriz Ghahraman: Police visit home of former Green MP amid shoplifting investigation – NZ Herald

    FFS. She has resigned. She has given a full apology, accepted responsibility and the consequences. Her party leaders have fronted and answered more questions than Luxon ever does.

    This is now an entirely unjustified hounding and bullying, nothing more.

    • Pat 17.1
      16 January 2024 at 5:42 pm

      Agreed….the media should take a good hard look at themselves…..if they do they may discover why they rate so lowly with the general public.

    • observer 17.2
      16 January 2024 at 5:44 pm

      The pack hunts as one …

      Watch: Police visit ex-Green MP Golriz Ghahraman's home | Newshub

      "Watch"? There is nothing to watch. When can she go to her home, unmolested?

      • Robert Guyton 17.2.1
        16 January 2024 at 6:43 pm

        "Two officers doorknocked the property around 4.30pm, it was reported, but there was no answer."

        Riveting viewing!

      • newsense 17.2.2
        16 January 2024 at 11:48 pm

        There was the anger against Ardern and Golriz, but now the right wing media landscape is growing in place where it was missing before to do the damage.

        NZ is not immune or special to the murderous misinformation and attacks of the pandemic and against democracy.

        Chris’s mob? The Lux pack on the attack. A warning to others the Brexit boys and Trumpettes of NZ are on top. Proper two track in a way Hipkin’s will never be able to do after his career to date. Luxon will be serene.

  18. Robin 18
    16 January 2024 at 5:37 pm

    MPs need to not only behave according to the law, but be seen to be do so.

    Ghahraman did neither. She wrecked her own career. Sad but correct.

    To the extent that anyone believes she made any positive contribution, and that is a matter of opinion, she surely undermined most if not all through her actions.

    Many people have stressful jobs. Some very much more stressful than being an MP.

    It was not one event, but at least two and maybe three or more incidents. That is a pattern of behaviour. If she was under particular and undue pressure, anyone involved in NZ politics knows there are many avenues to obtain support and assistance. But she didn't.

    My guess is that if she hadn't have gone, even Shaw and Davidson are by now aware that Ghahraman's position was untenable. They couldn't have "spun it". It's unclear whether they knew all the way along and hoped they could keep it hidden and under control, which is what would have happened under the previous governments, or whether Ghahraman lied or omitted to inform them of additional offending.

    Bottom line: don't break the law, and if you don't know where the line is then stay well away from it. Do the right thing.

    [permanent ban for a subsequent comment that contained a potentially defamatory claim about an MP with zero evidence presented – weka]

    • observer 18.1
      16 January 2024 at 6:16 pm

      It's unclear whether they knew all the way along and hoped they could keep it hidden and under control,

      Wrong. It's very clear if you bothered to follow the story. The co-leaders were communicating with and sensitive to the wishes of the Scotties owners. They could have ignored those wishes, and perhaps politically they should have, but they are decent human beings, if you can grasp such a concept.

      It is fascinating that the victims of the crime mean nothing to people like you who only want to stir the pot. So much for the Right’s faux concern for victims.

    • roblogic 18.2
      16 January 2024 at 6:23 pm

      So, zero curiosity as to why people do self-destructive things? Just write people off when they make a mistake?

      That is judgemental and small minded. Of a piece with RW trolls who love to punch down on the unfortunate

    • Robert Guyton 18.3
      16 January 2024 at 6:37 pm

      *wags finger, sucks air through teeth.

      • Barfly 18.3.1
        16 January 2024 at 10:27 pm

        Hey genius –

        One effect of MS can be mania

        Google MS drugs mental side effects and the first thing you read is that they can cause psychotic episodes

        Arriving in NZ as a child refugee – would you like a side of of ptsd with that?

        A history of receiving death threats and threats of sexual violence from the wonderfully racist and mysognostic RW loons of NZ

        Being a 'punisher' is a known dysfunctional personality type I suggest you research it and have a good look in a mirror.

        • Foreign waka 18.3.1.1
          17 January 2024 at 8:41 am

          To point the finger at RW is a bit vague, NZ has its own breed of people with a racist tint to their character. And belief me, they come in all shapes and colors. Motto is to just don't be the "other" and try to match the wall paper as a requirement to "assimilate". Either way, theft is a failure of judgement in the face of temptation. It also has a faceless victim, the shop owner who is paying for it not just money but also psychological. We seem to forget that there is a victim that through the politicising will not see justice. This is the true tragedy of it all.
          On a separate note, if a person is to represent the people, exceptional character is required. How else can you argue in disputes to speak the truth.

    • weka 18.4
      17 January 2024 at 8:52 am

      mod note.

  19. Mike the Lefty 19
    16 January 2024 at 6:28 pm

    Terds like Hosking gleefully celebrating the fall of a Green MP.

    You can hide your money in Cayman Islands bank accounts to evade millions of dollars of tax but don't steal a $300 item from a shop.

    No No no!

    • roblogic 19.1
      16 January 2024 at 7:24 pm

      You can steal the future of Aotearoa, throwing away a trillion dollars of assets, and enrich all your mates, and wallpaper over a sordid history of land thefts, that's all good, because the "right" people did it

  20. Rolling-on-Gravel 20
    16 January 2024 at 8:17 pm

    My thought:

    I think Golriz has done all she could have done as far as she could. She will have to have a think about her actions. Her part is done, more or less.

    What I want to critique is the constant media attempts to controversialise left-wing/left-leaning female politicians from Metiria Turei to Jacinda Ardern through to Golriz Ghahraman whenever they have stumbled or committed crimes. We have enacted harsher consequences in terms of controversy and condemnation upon them than we have done to right-wing/right leaning male politicians like David Garrett, Ben Uffinell and John Key whenever they have done such things despite their allegations/crimes generally being measurably worse in terms of morality and severity than whatever most of these LW/left-leaning female politicians may have done.

    We put these women through more fire than we do these men. Whenever these men's scandals are done, we rarely look back to them to condemn the current direction of a given political party like we do with the Green or Labour etc parties and these women.

    It's like the media is licking at the bits to bring down these women more than anything else in a way.

    Ultimately, it's not just left-wing female politicians they want to bring down, it's left-wing politicians of all genders. However, there's always an extra bit of an ulterior dimension to their condemnation when it comes to people in groups that has been historically targets of bigotry and fear.

    And that's what I see in all of this. And it's not an aspect of our 4th Estate that we should encourage or praise. The media needs to change and we need to give whatever of the political moment we are in an un-excitable and truthful yet human sort of media reporting. That is what we need to aim for imo.

  21. No-Skates 21
    17 January 2024 at 9:25 am

    The glimmers of hope I see for our futures in otherwise miserable circumstances around Golriz and Kiri Alan is the humanity that's been shown towards them, by their leadership and by the less callous and attention desperate members of the media.

    They've highlighted their past successes, assured others that they're fundamentally good people that have unfortunately fallen into a dark place, and now they need to focus on self-care and for those around them to respect that.

    Ten years ago, I had a mental meltdown. I lost my job, lost friends, got in trouble with the police. I felt discarded, irredeemable, finished. I was treated like a leper that had to be avoided like the plague, or a minefield you had to tread carefully around. It led to drinking myself into a hole I thought I could never escape, and people who knew me from the era believed it too. I wasted a lot of years believing I could never be rehabilitated.

    And of course the underfunded public mental health services, in spite of the genuinely good people on the front lines trying, could only give me a friendly but firm pat on the back in the direction of the door. A jobless alcoholic wasn’t going to be able to afford private either.

    Somehow I got out of it, though still scarred by the experience and well behind my peers in regards to career, home ownership and starting a family. But I feel that was more luck with the good people I did have around me pulling me through rather than my own effort and willpower. I'd have been on the street if it weren't for my parents.

    But I’m seeing real change to how mental health is treated, from workplaces to popular culture. Glacially slow, and I’m somewhat bitter it wasn’t there for me then, but I’m glad progress is being made.

    Also shows our politicians are still real people, mostly… They’re trying their best to make sense of the world too.

    • ianmac 21.1
      17 January 2024 at 9:39 am

      No-Skates. You describe the realities of being human so well. Thankyou.

      • No-Skates 21.1.1
        17 January 2024 at 9:53 am

        Cheers. I've practiced being human most of my life 😛

        It's just "do unto others." I ain't a god-fearing man, but I'd like more people following that lesson. We're all capable of falling on hard times, that's what a social safety net is meant to save us from.

    • Ad 21.2
      17 January 2024 at 9:56 am

      Powerful and real mental health crisis story there No Skates. Thankyou.

      Great to hear you came through all of that.

  22. Reality 22
    17 January 2024 at 9:59 am

    The Post's cruel headline today "from political scrapper…to scrapheap". The blood sport glee indulged in by media has been appalling. Bad enough we have the Neanderthals who can't cope with women in public roles, especially young(ish), coloured, attractive, forthright. I despair.

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    New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    18 hours ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: The unravelling of the offsets

    The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    23 hours ago
  • What makes us tick

    This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    24 hours ago
  • Foreshore and seabed 2.0

    In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the Royal Commission report into abuse in care

    Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Weekly Roundup 26-July-2024

    Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 day ago
  • God what a relief

    1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Trust In Me

    Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 26

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Care report released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced $802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Radical law changes needed to build road

    The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30 2024

    Open access notables Could an extremely cold central European winter such as 1963 happen again despite climate change?, Sippel et al., Weather and Climate Dynamics: Here, we first show based on multiple attribution methods that a winter of similar circulation conditions to 1963 would still lead to an extreme seasonal ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • First they came for the Māori

    Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live

    Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Will the real PM Luxon please stand up?

    Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Will debt reduction trump abuse in care redress?

    Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Care report in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

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

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

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

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

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