Laura norda rides again

Written By: - Date published: 9:47 am, July 22nd, 2023 - 57 comments
Categories: chris hipkins, Christopher Luxon, crime, law, law and "order", Social issues, uncategorized - Tags:

This week Labour announced a proposal to change the law.  There would be a new offence of what is colloquially known as ram raiding and the law would be tweaked so that 12 and 13 year olds charged with this new offence would have to appear in court.

And also this week they announced there would be two new youth justice prisons built.  I won’t go into detail about their third announcement that did not go so well.

I have some experience in the area.  I have worked as a lawyer representing young people in the current system since 1989.  I am well aware of the intricacies.

The announcement would mean that more twelve and thirteen year olds could appear in the Youth Court and be subject to Youth Court sanctions, like being subject to electronically monitored bail or Supervision with Residence, which can be a six month incarceration sentence in a youth detention facility.

The justification is that there are some really tough twelve and thirteen year olds and that stronger responses are needed.  Like the ability to put them on EM bail and if necessary detain them.

The problem with the analysis is that it is a bit simplistic.  Twelve and thirteen year olds charged with aggravated robbery or aggravated burglary can appear in Youth Court now.  An aggravated burglary involves committing a burglary while in possession of a weapon, something that often happens during ram raids.

And the really tough youths that Hipkins talked about often already have care and protection status with Oranga Tamariki.  If there is an existing Family Court custody order then they can be placed in an appropriate youth detention centre without the need for Youth Court proceedings.

Hipkins was right to talk about how for 80% of young people recent Government’s reforms are working.  The wrap around service is having a meaningful effect.  From the Beehive this press release from April this year has the details:

“Of the 147 children engaged in the Government’s Kotahi te Whakaaro programme only 27 have reoffended,” Minister for Social Development and Employment Carmel Sepuloni said.

“The programme has also supported 373 siblings and wider family members, ensuring we are turning the lives around of some of our most vulnerable young people.

“Alongside these actions we have seen a drop in the number of reported ram raid incidents.  In August 2022, there were 116 reported ram raids.  Six months after the expansion of Kotahi te Whakaaro there were 40.

And Kelvin Davis is quoted as saying this:

“Locking up children under the age of 15 does not work in the overwhelming number of cases, it just creates more hardened criminals who will reoffend once they are released from custody.  We need intensive interventions that address the causes of offending and what we are doing is working,”

The kids for who the reforms did not work are a tough bunch.  But for this group my view is that existing laws may provide sufficient power.  Having to contemplate the jailing of twelve and thirteen year olds for burglary is a really hard proposition for me to accept.  Because essentially they are still kids.

There are many common features of this group.  The effects of the generational poverty caused by Ruth Richardson’s mother of all budgets and Rogernomics is still clear.  These kids live in substandard homes, their health and their ability to learn is too often severely compromised, there are drug issues and mental health issues the family is too often grappling with, and diagnoses of ADHD or FASD are very common.

If you want to do something for them then focus on their needs when they are two.  Waiting until they are twelve before doing something is too late.

No doubt Sunny Kaushal, who for years wanted to be a Labour MP but more recently has become really retrograde with his commentary about youth crime and dairy owners will disagree.  I would not be surprised in the slightest if he pops up on National’s list in a prominent position.

But Hipkins’ tack to the centre looking for a political solution that ignores the social and humanitarian reality causes me some concern.

If Hipkins could be accused of applying a political lens to issues involving crime National this week has unashamedly chose to use the recent Auckland’s mass shooting incident to politicise law and order in an egregious manner.

On the day of the Auckland shooting Christopher Luxon declared that it was not a day for politics, then in the same breath rolled out National’s law and order policies.  I am sure you know what they are, backing the police, tackling gangs, making sure there are serious consequences and ensuring we have stronger sentences.  His pledge to not politicise the day lasted about five seconds.

And yesterday he asked why the shooter was not in prison.  I doubt that he bothered to learn of the background of the shooter.  This Stuff article provides some detail.

The shooter did not have a long list of previous convictions but there were questions about his mental health.  The offending was bad but the complainant wanted him treated mercifully.  A cultural report prepared for his earlier sentencing said that he suffered from systemic deprivation, a disconnection from his culture, a history of family instability and hardship and he had been exposed to domestic violence and abuse as a young person.  He had spent time living in the street.  As the Judge said many young men with that sort of background appear in court.

This reinforces the need to deal with poverty.  Sure it is easy to get upset with offending and demand retribution but if as a society we want to improve things then long term fundamental change is required.

Unfortunately meaningful discussion about laura norda gets drowned out by the need to be tough on crime.  It looks like this is not going to change soon, especially during this election campaign.

57 comments on “Laura norda rides again ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. arkie 1
    22 July 2023 at 10:16 am

    I think it is appropriate to quote from the executive summary of Chief Science Officer Peter Gluckman's 2018 report; Using evidence to build a better justice system: The challenge of rising prison costs:

    1. Crime, especially violent crime, hurts individuals and society. Both direct and indirect victims of crime may suffer untold consequences that can endure for years and can even affect next generations. Those who do not suffer personally may nonetheless acquire negative perceptions of people or places because of criminal activity. The net effect of such perceptions can change societal attitudes creating a more negative environment. This is a loss for everyone. These perceptions can be disproportionately magnified by advocacy groups, media and political agendas.

    2. Policy responses are often viewed in binary terms: tough or soft on crime. This simplistic duality has long had political resonance, but its impact on our prison system is a major concern. The New Zealand prison population is increasing and is one of the highest in the OECD at a time when crime rates are actually decreasing. This can only be explained by the systemic and cumulative impact of successive policy decisions over time, often in response to public demand and political positioning.

    …

    6. Other countries, such as Finland, have significantly reduced their incarceration rates without crime rates rising. There is strong scientific evidence for putting resources into crime prevention, early intervention (identifying and mitigating risk), and a smarter approach to rehabilitation and subsequent social inclusion for those already in the criminal-justice system – not for building more prisons.

    7. To assist in such an approach, there must be adequate investment in piloting and evaluating early intervention and prevention initiatives. With leadership and knowledge, we can fundamentally transform the justice system, reduce victimisation and recidivism and make prisons only a part of a much more proactive and effective systemic response to a complex problem.

    https://www.dpmc.govt.nz/sites/default/files/2021-10/pmcsa-Using-evidence-to-build-a-better-justice-system.pdf

  2. Kat 2
    22 July 2023 at 10:25 am

    As Norm Kirk once commented:

    "There are four things that matter to people: they have to have somewhere to live, they have to have food to eat, they have to have clothing to wear, and they have to have something to hope for…………."

    They also need love, sadly this is not happening in the money driven society that we live in where poor and disadvantaged people are regarded as "bottom feeders" and houses are no longer homes but financial investments. We all know that charity begins at home.

    Hopelessness, unfairness, inequality…….ingredients for crime.

  3. pat 3
    22 July 2023 at 10:28 am

    "If you want to do something for them then focus on their needs when they are two. Waiting until they are twelve before doing something is too late."

    And how do we identify them when they are so young?…and assuming identification what action should be taken?

    As is frequently noted such interventions are presumptuous and invasive, not to mention unwanted.

    As an aside there appears a typo in your piece…"and diagnoses of ADHD or FLAS (FAS?) are very common."

    [Thanks will correct – MS]

    • mickysavage 3.1
      22 July 2023 at 10:39 am

      The depressing thing is that these kids can be spotted pretty easily at the age of two. The Otago Longitudinal Study indicates that if you have a combination of problems in a household, poverty, mental health issues, and drug and alcohol issues then the outcomes are not good and depressingly predictable.

      • pat 3.1.1
        22 July 2023 at 10:45 am

        Agreed…but the questions remain…what (acceptable) method of addressing these depressingly predictable outcomes is to be implemented….that is where the debate is.

        All the political parties agree upon this, where they differ is how to address it

        • miravox 3.1.1.1
          22 July 2023 at 11:43 am

          "All the political parties agree upon this, where they differ is how to address it"

          I don't think all political parties agree. I think the NACT and other conservative parties believe parents should just be better and the state has no role in interfering in the family life of a young child i.e. parental responsibility and ignore the plight of the 2-year-old kid.

          Placing blame on the young teens however fits with the narrative of 'good' middle class homes that are rewarded and shitty homelife of poor people who need to be punished.

          It also removes the idea that there is a social ladder to be climbed – except for the exceptional who they use to 'prove the point' that for people who grew up in the rough end of town, your fate is yours to make – make bad 'choices' and you will be punished and thrown back to where you came from.

          Weird how middle class kids who 'make a mistake' aren't judged in the same way by these political parties.

          • pat 3.1.1.1.1
            22 July 2023 at 12:02 pm

            The political parties all agree upon the (research backed evidence) of the predominant causes of youth offending (and ultimately adult offending)

            What you describe is the difference in how such offending should be addressed…and I would suggest described inaccurately…i.e".and the state has no role in interfering in the family life of a young child i.e. parental responsibility and ignore the plight of the 2-year-old kid."…on the contrary, suggestions from NACT have often suggested state intervention in 'family life' including fining parents, removal of welfare rights, removal of children from families etc.

            The problem ALL political parties have in applying the established evidence mentioned by MS is the 'assumptions' required to be made to attempt to prevent something yet to occur….and that in many instances may not.

            • miravox 3.1.1.1.1.1
              22 July 2023 at 12:35 pm

              " suggestions from NACT have often suggested state intervention in 'family life' including fining parents, removal of welfare rights, removal of children from families etc."

              None of those are interventions to improve the life of a child. Again – it's punishment of useless people (in their minds). I truly don't believe they agree with the research – the only reason they mention it at all is it allows them to treat people who don't (in their view) succeed in life. it's all about 'lifestyle' to them e.g:

              "We have got to call parents to account. It is not good enough that you just can’t wake up at seven o’clock and get your kids to school." Luxon

              If you want to have a go, and you want to make something of yourself — we don't just do bottom feeding and just focus on the bottom. We focus on people who want to be positive and ambitious.' Luxon

              I'm sure the only reason they support free preschool hours is because an influential donor is making massive profits, not because it might expand the world of a child living in financial and emotional deprivation. They couldn't give a toss about what the research says if it makes them a profit (imo). I expect military academies will be private ones as well.

              • pat …
                22 July 2023 at 12:45 pm

                Whether it "improves the life of the child" was not your claim….you stated NACT had no interest in intervening in family life which is contradicted by your subsequent post.

                What remains unaddressed in this debate is 'how' we intervene without 'profiling' as Belladonna said…I would suggest we cannot, so we (the left?) therefore need to accept that fact, or we continue to fail.

                Unless someone can demonstrate a workable alternative?….but this question has been posed often to no avail.

                • miravox …
                  22 July 2023 at 1:06 pm

                  The rest of my sentence you quoted was "….i.e. parental responsibility and ignore the plight of the 2-year-old kid."

                  Which explains the first part of the sentence (which I could have written more clearly, I agree). The interventions you describe are nothing to do with addressing the plight of the child. They are, as I said, based on the concept of parental resposibility and probably run counter to the evidence-based research you stated they agree with.

                  • pat …
                    22 July 2023 at 1:24 pm

                    The evidence shows that it is the family environment that is the greatest predeterminant for wayward youth, so if the responsibility is not predominantly parental then what is it?

                    The question , still unanswered, is how these are addressed….especially when unwanted?

                    • miravox …
                      22 July 2023 at 2:04 pm

                      "so if the responsibility is not predominantly parental then what is it?"

                      Mickey has spelled it out in the post you’re commenting on.

                      I think the environment part of your "family environment" has a great deal to offer in improving kids lives.

                      Over the years, communties have become more and more distant from each other in their social and built environments and children are defined by their neighbourhoods, social contacts and influences – and treated accordingly. And that's on all of us.

                      Treating kids well and addressing their needs in a variety of settings can make up for an awful lot of less that ideal parenting.

                  • pat …
                    22 July 2023 at 2:50 pm

                    "Mickey has spelled it out in the post you’re commenting on."

                    Then you must be reading a different post than that which I read…There is no attempt to apportion responsibility (or solutions) for the failings in the piece I read.

                    Perhaps you can point to the specific areas within the piece you think does so?

                    • Drowsy M. Kram …
                      22 July 2023 at 9:23 pm

                      https://www.greens.org.nz/ending_poverty_together

                      Parenting (bad and good) doesn't happen in a vacuum.

                      Why poverty in New Zealand is everyone's concern
                      Liang describes poverty as a "heritable condition" that perpetuates and amplifies through generations: "It is also not hard to see how individual poverty flows into communities and society, with downstream effects on economics, crime and health, as well as many other systems. Loosen one strand and everything else unravels."

                      A Kete Half Empty
                      Poverty is your problem, it is everyone's problem, not just those who are in poverty. – Rebecca, a child from Te Puru

                      Our competitive ('winners and losers') society, increasing inequality, and the scourge of intergenerational poverty, all contribute to parenting challenges. Still, not my problem – "Let them eat cake!"

                      Profiles of Children and Young Persons Who Commit Serious Offences [2022]
                      Considering the social and economic impact of serious offending, and the effectiveness and cost-saving potential of early intervention programmes, it is baffling that policymakers worldwide are yet to fully embrace evidence-based crime prevention policies.

                      Not so baffling – easy to hold 'loser' children and/or their parents responsible – nothing to do with me. As for "evidence-based crime prevention" – sounds expensive. Best kick that can down the road – we will have bigger fish to fry soon enough.

                    • pat …
                      22 July 2023 at 9:42 pm

                      This is an exemplar of why 'the left' have to keep fighting this issue every election

                      What everyone here is doing is offering explanations as to why the problem exists…some more valid than others…however even if we somehow managed to correct all those causes into the future we are still left with the legacy to address, and there 'the left' are unable to detail a solution(s)…something 'the right" arre not short of (effective or not)

                      We can blame inequality. the competitive nature of modern society or claim a dearth of empathy compared to the past…a past we also criticize for being too rigid, rascist and homogenous….but after all that the problem remains.

                      If 'the left' have no solutions to offer, it is unsurprising that the public will gravitate to' the rights' rhetoric…as they well understand.

                    • Drowsy M. Kram …
                      22 July 2023 at 10:59 pm

                      https://www.greens.org.nz/ending_poverty_together

                      Decreasing the incidence of financial poverty would be a partial remedy for many ills – more effective/enduring than 'laura norda' approaches that kick the can down the road and solve nothing, imho.

                      This is an exemplar of why 'the left' have to keep fighting this issue every election

                      This is an examplar of why no progress is made on addressing poverty – no proposed solution will ever be good enough, because it can't "correct all those causes into the future", and even if it could other problems would remain. Some Kiwis will forever resist increased redistribution of wealth with every fibre of their being.

                      Still, recent polls found a small majority of Kiwis favoured tax reform – a hopeful sign?

                      Poll Shows Clear Appetite For Tax Reform [19 July 2023]
                      Better taxes for a Better Future is a Fair Tax Coalition initiative supported by:
                      Oxfam Aotearoa; Amnesty International; ActionStation NZ; Council of Trade Unions; The Salvation Army; Climate Club; Public Service Association; Council of Christian Social Services; NZ Nurses Organisation; Anglican Advocacy; Child Poverty Action Group; Post Primary Teachers’ Association; Closing the Gap; Renters United; EcuAction Canterbury; Tax Justice Aotearoa; First Union; Wellbeing Alliance for All Aotearoa.

                      Bloody do-gooders eh! I'm pessimistic about the outlook for this iteration of civilisation, but might be misjudging collective responses to increasing adversity – "United we stand, divided we fall"?

                    • pat …
                      23 July 2023 at 6:51 pm

                      and the self deception continues…

                      even if we somehow managed to correct all those causes into the future we are still left with the legacy to address, and there 'the left' are unable to detail a solution(s)

                    • miravox …
                      23 July 2023 at 7:47 pm

                      I think you should go read it yourself again… slowly, and follow links, but I imagine it still won't match your preconceptions about what you think it should say.

                    • Drowsy M. Kram …
                      23 July 2023 at 8:33 pm

                      and the self deception continues…

                      ??

                      even if we somehow managed to correct all those causes into the future we are still left with the legacy to address, and there 'the left' are unable to detail a solution(s)

                      It's not possible "to correct all those causes into the future", let alone address the entire legacy – I’m just observing that many child welfare experts advocate for partial solutions based on alleviating poverty.

                      https://www.greens.org.nz/ending_poverty_together

                      https://www.greens.org.nz/ending_poverty_together_james_shaw_speech

                      The means for such solutions are anathema to our usual suspects.

                      Is the Big Problem Facing Kiwi Kids Poverty Or Parenting? [20 June 2013]
                      What we need to understand, the real issue for us here tonight is that if we keep saying it’s bad parenting, it allows us to sanctimoniously pat ourselves on the back and say that’s nothing to do with us and it’s everything to do with us because they’re our children. – Celia Lashlie

                    • pat …
                      23 July 2023 at 8:43 pm

                      You both continue to avoid the natures of the issue…perhaps deliberately or perhaps not…you persist in only addressing part of the issue and ignoring (wilfully) the rest.

                      And so we will be having this conversation again in 3 years.

                    • Drowsy M. Kram …
                      23 July 2023 at 9:17 pm

                      And so we will be having this conversation again in 3 years.

                      Perhaps not Pat, if you can but bring yourself to articulate "the natures of the issue", as you see them – in particular that "part of the issue" I'm "ignoring (wilfully)" – and maybe favour us with solutions.

          • Belladonna 3.1.1.1.2
            22 July 2023 at 12:26 pm

            Whether or not you think it will work, or is good policy, National has had a strong theme of social investment in their policy for some time.

            https://www.national.org.nz/doing_good_better_a_new_approach_for_new_zealanders_in_the_greatest_need

            I think that all political parties (unless you can find an actual one with a policy which doesn't support this) – agree that early intervention is better.

            Even ACT – which does have an emphasis on smaller government – acknowledges that OT is still needed (and proposes reorganizing it, rather than disestablishing it)

            https://www.act.org.nz/oranga-tamariki

            The devil-in-the-detail is how to accomplish this.

            The 'markers' identified in the Otago study – look a lot like 'profiling' to many groups.

            • miravox 3.1.1.1.2.1
              22 July 2023 at 1:28 pm

              I do agree Bill English had a srong theme of social investment, not that he had time to do much about it. Nicola Willis was his researcher – I think she should go talk to her current leader if she wants the party to have another go at this if they're in govt again because he is signalling a morality-based opposite, rather than a researched based strategy.

              Of course ACT agrees kids from 'bad' families need to be locked away. It doesn't mean they agree with the research from the Otago study.

              And yes, I agree many groups will see the markers identified by the Otago study are 'profiling'. The problem with listing behaviours and people by characteristics is there's not a lot of context and meaning around why those characteristics are associated with the outcome. Bigots fill in the gaps to suit their worldview.

  4. observer 4
    22 July 2023 at 11:20 am

    One man walked into a crowded building in Christchurch in 2019, and killed 51 people.

    Another man walked into a crowded building in Auckland in 2023 and killed 2 people.

    Nobody in the media seems the slightest bit interested in pointing out why there is such a big difference. Or, asking who opposes the law that made that difference possible.

    The eyewitness accounts are clear. Reloading a shotgun is not a minor detail … it saved lives.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kahu/auckland-shootings-gunmans-words-as-he-opened-fire/IXFA3GKQEZBQXKUKRSQZUNLDTA/

    • Belladonna 4.1
      22 July 2023 at 12:33 pm

      Witnesses have also been clear that this was (at least in part) a targeted shooting – he walked past people he could have shot – in an attempt to find those he wished to target.

      The motivation of the killer was quite different to the Christchurch incident.

      https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/auckland-shooting-construction-workers-describe-confusion-and-fear

      • observer 4.1.1
        22 July 2023 at 12:59 pm

        He shot at police. His shots hit and injured them.

        But he did not have a semi-automatic.

        • Belladonna 4.1.1.1
          22 July 2023 at 4:34 pm

          I don't believe any police were injured in the Christchurch case….

          Does that mean that shotguns are more dangerous than rifles?

          [Rhetorical question]

          The two incidents are not parallel. Different motivations. Different environments. Different outcomes.

          • observer 4.1.1.1.1
            22 July 2023 at 6:20 pm

            Different outcomes, because different weapons.

            Next you'll be resorting to "Guns don't kill people, people do".

            • Belladonna 4.1.1.1.1.1
              22 July 2023 at 7:10 pm

              Different outcomes because of different motivations and environments.

              Really – you don't need to beat this political drum.

              It's just as distasteful for you to do so, as for the political parties which have been castigated for doing so on TS.

  5. Mike the Lefty 5
    22 July 2023 at 12:42 pm

    I thought some of the media coverage of the shooting was quite despicable. You had Lisa Owens on Checkpoint virtually accusing the Police Minister of murder, ranting about how the new firearms registration system had "failed" the victims, despite that it has been operating less than a few months.

    And then ACT's leader David Seymour relishing the situation with all the regret of a ghoul who has found another victim's brains to snack on.

    So much for respect for the dead and their relatives.

  6. Peter Kelly 6
    22 July 2023 at 2:23 pm

    Until a majority of the electorate accepts that youth crime is a direct result of free market reforms and is prepared to support a political party that will address that damage, nothing will improve. Expecting tweaks to OT, Corrections, or Police to solve the ever increasing problem is as useless as expecting hospitals to cope with the ever increasing obesity and its consequences.

    • Stephen D 6.1
      22 July 2023 at 4:59 pm

      QFT

    • Phillip ure 6.2
      22 July 2023 at 5:59 pm

      Wot peter kelly said..

      (I also prefer lawn-order..to Laura norder…

      ..it opens the door to garden-metaphors..)..

    • pat 6.3
      22 July 2023 at 6:08 pm

      Surely you are not suggesting there was no youth crime pre the 80s reforms?

      It may be fair to attribute the increase to such, but it is simply too convenient to state such, especially when there is (again) no practical solution(s) offered.

      • Peter Kelly 6.3.1
        22 July 2023 at 8:44 pm

        Pat, of course we have, and always will have youth crime, but not of this intensity or number. Many factors appear to contribute to this. I would list the apparent on-going need for our economy to have significant levels of unemoyment to function as a large contributor; along with, even with 2 parents working, home ownership is unachievable for many families. The sale of our banks off-shore has created a huge drain on our economy allowing foreign economies to profit obscenely from the efforts of NZ/AO farmers and workers. The competition between capital and labour is as real today as it has always been, but even after the lessons (during covid) of who is an 'essential worker' many companies have not seen fit to raise wages to the 'living wage' level – we even have political parties campaigning against the living wage. Alongside these (and I am sure many more factors) we have the intense peer pressure applied through social media.

    • Ad 6.4
      22 July 2023 at 6:49 pm

      Tiresome fact free wussy pinko namby pamby bullshit.

      It's been going down consistently since 2015.

      https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/youth-crime-big-increases-in-south-auckland-and-canterbury-rife-in-bay-of-plenty/MJOGNQ2CKJDGNHSBZZTCCWX5IU/

      It was going down even faster from 2009 to 2013.

      https://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/research/child-and-youth-offending-patterns/index.html

      Let's go back further.

      "Apprehensions of young offenders declined in the 1980s and early 1990s. They increased until 1996, but in the early 21st century declined to 1980s levels. Further significant declines occurred in the 2010s."

      https://teara.govt.nz/en/youth-offenders/page-1

      But under Labour in 2022 and 2023 it is starting to trend upwards.

    • SPC 6.5
      22 July 2023 at 9:07 pm

      True in the general context, crime is low when the necessities of life – social and physical well-being – are catered to and more so when this is somewhat egalitarian, an in it together community.

      And one can see evidence of this when crime is higher (with the urbanisation of Maori youth back in the 70's without community support networks – thus gangs) and in the late 80's/to mid 90's impact of rising unemployment (only diminished by the migration to Oz in the 90's and the 1999 Labour-Alliance government).

      And of late, the dislocation to youth normality with the lockdowns, motel housing, and rising family stress due to rising costs – creating a younger form of the 70’s sub-culture (truancy) gang associated and connected to wider economic deprivation.

    • DS 6.6
      23 July 2023 at 10:27 pm

      Not just youth crime either. There's a substantial (and ongoing) spike in New Zealand's prison population from the mid-1980s onwards. Turns out that when you tell people there's no such thing as society, people take you at your word.

  7. Ad 7
    22 July 2023 at 6:55 pm

    How is it possible that Labour can do so much on gun crime, increase Police numbers, strengthen the system after multiple major tests, see crime go down in multiple categories, and still only look like the are 'waking up' to crime with less than 3 months before an election?

    No, it's not the media's fault.

    Labour have had so many opportunities to make this a political positive.

    This is purely down to woeful political management from successive Labour Ministers of Police.

    Why we have a policy wonk like Ginny Anderson in there and not Simon O'Connor is unfathomable.

  8. SPC 8
    22 July 2023 at 8:50 pm

    There are periodic/episodic concerns about youth crime.

    Here it began with loss of normal routine – lockdowns and for some constant home moves, so as to lose contact with a school.

    And with this came the lord of the flies youth community — social media connected, then exploited for criminal gain by others (in part the 501 sourced rise in gang numbers).

    Deterrence

    Getting those under 17 access to a vehicle for ramraiding should be an offence.

    Celebrating a crime on social media should result in cancellation of an account (suspension from)

    Having those age 11-13 subject to home detention, except for required school attendance (with the risk of youth facility attendance if lack of compliance) – they provide visible testimony of consequences.

    Youth Facilities

    smaller 11-14 ones (those who bully others being sent to larger under 17 facilities, with separate ones for Maori) as close to the community as possible.

    Big Boy discipline

    Any gang associated with supplying drugs to those under 17, or association with criminal activity by youth to face consequences.

    Wider Policy

    ban the gang patch of any Oz based organisation (stamp on the 501's as a conduit for international crime).

  9. SPC 9
    22 July 2023 at 9:30 pm

    Of course the National Party and ACT (the party led by the good Maori boy, the new Winston, who favours assimilation of everyone into white settler society), will pose the Twin Peaks threat and of course one part the religious solution (faith based providers to the penal, and welfare systems – see USA mid 1990's) and one part tougher on the crime of the underclass to keep the good people safe.

    Law and Order/Laura Palmer and the threat posed to decent society/the virtue of young women from dangerous one armed bandits (those profiting from gambling, alcohol, drugs, pornography and prostitution).

    One wonders if Kaushal really wants a crackdown on the retailing of alcohol, pokies in lower income areas, or the elimination of vaping sales from cubicles within dairies. Of course neither National nor ACT is proposing any of this, in fact it wants to reduce the impost of Labour's run down of tobacco sale outlets.

    So how much is SERCO donating to NACT to profit from building prisons?

  10. Drowsy M. Kram 10
    22 July 2023 at 10:11 pm

    Of course the National Party and ACT (the party led by the good Maori boy, the new Winston, who favours assimilation of everyone into white settler society)…

    I have a vague memory (from ~1970) of a high school history class discussion session in which I was given 'the evils' (justifiably so) after advocating for assimilation as the best approach to challenges facing Māori. More than 50 years later, look how far we've come!

    • Molly 10.1
      23 July 2023 at 9:42 am

      What is "white settler" society, as you see it?

      • Patricia Bremner 10.1.1
        23 July 2023 at 10:30 am

        Ok Molly… The settlers were mainly caucasian. From Ireland Scotland England with a few from other areas.

        A large group of Chinese for the gold, and a few European whalers who settled but they did not own or control land.

        The Chinese were badly treated, as were Maori having to accept new laws and cultural expectations and losing large tracts of land during and after the land wars.

        Two thirds of Maori died of the 1918/19 influenza outbreak, so the first 60 years were pretty rough after the treaty. imo

        "White settler society" were those who were given or bought land. imo.

        One of my family’s English settlers came as a shilling a day Fencible. He was given land in Howick, where his family still live.

      • Drowsy M. Kram 10.1.2
        23 July 2023 at 12:06 pm

        I prefer the terms "European settler" and "British settler".

        Another short story, this one from <20 years ago. My stepsister's family had joined our wider family for a Christmas get-together. For some reason, my six-year-old nephew referred to my stepsister's two pre-school children (on sight) as "poo-poos" – how 'we' laughed.

        And one more (sad) little tale, from nearly 60 years ago. While walking along Silverdale Rd to my (brand) new primary school in Hamilton, the children in one particular house often called out loudly (and repeatedly) "hey e hoa", and that frightened me enough to cross the road (against the instructions of my parents) before I got to that house. Over 50 years later the penny finally dropped, thanks to RNZ, and yet I have such doubts.

        Because its power remains naturalized: introducing the settler colonial determinants of health [11 July 2023]

        https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1137428/full

        • Molly 10.1.2.1
          23 July 2023 at 1:27 pm

          Wow, Drowsy. M Kram, supposedly powerful (yet actually trivial) stories from ages ago.

          Give a go at defining present day "European" or "British settler" society in terms of political discourse, instead of relating anecdotes.

          (Because many can also relate equivalent jocularity(?) from Māori towards non-Māori. Unless you don't actually hang out with such Māori jokers…)

          • Drowsy M. Kram 10.1.2.1.1
            23 July 2023 at 2:49 pm

            Wow, Molly – just wow. Thanks (for your "give a go" invitation), but no thanks.

        • Patricia Bremner 10.1.2.2
          23 July 2023 at 1:50 pm

          Drowsy M Kram. Thank you, and the final piece was very enlightening imo. and Molly…

          We still practice Law and most British holidays, have a Governor General as stand in for the King as final control on our Parliament? That is the current truth of political position, which ever party wins. British model with no upper house. smiley

          • Molly 10.1.2.2.1
            23 July 2023 at 2:00 pm

            Law and public holidays are accepted by many Māori as acceptable aspects of modern society, although improvements should always be in the table in terms of laws.

            The issue regarding being a republic, has both Māori and non-Māori supporters.

            Do you as – I assume here – non-Māori support all legislation that existed 100 years ago as just, or are you permitted to have a changing view of your place in the world as a modern member of society?

            That is – if we assume all Māori hold static supposed traditional methods of governance and justice, shouldn't that same assumption be made about non-Māori? What does that look like?

            • Belladonna 10.1.2.2.1.1
              23 July 2023 at 10:33 pm

              And, what place in this "Settler/British/White people" vs Maori dichotomy do those Kiwis who belong to neither 'tribe' inhabit?
              My teen's besties include Kiwis of Indonesian, Han Chinese, Korean, Hindi Indian, Kenyan, Argentinian and Samoan heritage. They are all New Zealanders, too. Some of 2 or 3 generations.

              New Zealand is a nation of immigrants. Our founding myths, for heavens sake, are all about migrating! Some of us migrated a long time ago (many generations), others are new immigrants. But all of us are Kiwis.

    • SPC 10.2
      23 July 2023 at 11:08 pm

      The current fashion is to refer to assimilation in terms of democracy, and to question any Treaty/UNDRIP context as an affront to "Kiwi democracy". This revivalism of assimilation politics (pre Bastion Point) began with the Orewa speech of Don Brash.

      Then one Kiwi New Zealand, now democracy vs co-governance.

      ACT's policy line on this, is to champion universal human rights (while ending the HRC which speaks to credibility) in "New Zealand’s laws, public affairs, and constitutional settings:

      1. Legislating that the principles of the Treaty are based on the actual Treaty, in contrast with the recent interpretation of obscure Treaty principles, and inviting the people to ratify it.

      They want to decide/determine the actual Treaty.

      2. Repealing recent laws, such as the Three Waters legislation, local government representation legislation, and elements of the Pae Ora legislation, that give different rights based on identity.

      Undermine plans for improved health service delivery to Maori.

      3. Reorienting the public service towards a focus on equal opportunity according to robust statistical evidence instead of racial targeting, along with devolution and choice for all, as achieved with the recent Equity Index and Isolation Index policy for school funding, and charter schools among other devolutions.

      Devolution being fine, unless services to Maori.

      https://www.act.org.nz/democracy

      One could go onto to look at their immigration policy, undermine our local labour market conditions to service the interest of business capital (from any source).

      Their policy is to reduce the role of government, which is to change the nature of our society to centralise organisation around free markets – that is assimilate New Zealand into the global market (diminishing the function of government in the formation of society and culture – which means the subordination of not just the indigenous people but all).

      https://www.act.org.nz/principles

      Then there is the National component of the said assimilation revivalist programme.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Jones has made plain he isn’t fond of frogs (not the dim-witted ones, at least) – and now we lea...
    This article was prepared for publication yesterday.  More ministerial announcements have been posted on the government’s official website since it was written.  We will report on these later today ….    Buzz from the Beehive  There we were, thinking the environment is in trouble, when along came Jones. Shane Jones. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    44 mins ago

  • Infrastructure & home building slumping on Govt funding freeze
    New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 hours ago

  • Brainwashed People Think Everyone Else is Brainwashed
    Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 hours ago

  • Peters’ real foreign policy threat is Helen Clark
    Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 hours ago

  • NZ’s trans lobby is fighting a rearguard action
    Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
    Point of OrderBy gadams1000
    14 hours ago

  • Your mandate is imaginary
    This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    19 hours ago

  • 14,000 unemployed under National
    The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    21 hours ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Discontent and gloom dominate NZ’s political mood
    Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    21 hours ago

  • Taking Tea with 42 & 38.
    National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    22 hours ago

  • Beware political propaganda: statistics are pointing to Grant Robertson never protecting “Lives an...
    Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”. As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    23 hours ago

  • Winding back the hands of history’s clock
    Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    23 hours ago

  • Paula Bennett’s political appointment will challenge public confidence
     Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    23 hours ago

  • Business confidence sliding into winter of discontent
    TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the coalition’s awful, not good, very bad poll results
    Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    1 day ago

  • New HOP readers for future payment options
    Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    1 day ago

  • 2024 Reading Summary: April (+ Writing Update)
    Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    2 days ago

  • At a glance – Clearing up misconceptions regarding 'hide the decline'
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Road photos
    Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Paula Bennett’s political appointment will challenge public confidence
    The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    2 days ago

  • NZDF is still hostile to oversight
    Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • Winding Back The Hands Of History’s Clock.
    Holding On To The Present: The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Sweet Moderation? What Christopher Luxon Could Learn From The Germans.
    Stuck In The Middle With You: As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • A clear warning
    The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • Poll results and Waitangi Tribunal report go unmentioned on the Beehive website – where racing tru...
    Buzz  from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example.  This shows National down ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Listening To The Traffic.
    It Takes A Train To Cry: Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Comity Be Damned! The State’s Legislative Arm Is Flexing Its Constitutional Muscles.
    Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Ending The Quest.
    Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Will political polarisation intensify to the point where ‘normal’ government becomes impossible,...
    Chris Trotter writes –  New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Tuesday, April 30
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:30am on Tuesday, May 30:Scoop: NZ 'close to the tipping point' of measles epidemic, health experts warn NZ Herald Benjamin PlummerHealth: 'Absurd and totally unacceptable': Man has to wait a year for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Worst poll result for a new Government in MMP history
    Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Pinning down climate change's role in extreme weather
    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Serving at Seymour's pleasure.
    Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Webworm LA Pop-Up
    Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago

  • “Feel good” school is out
    Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • 6 Months in, surely our Report Card is “Ignored all warnings: recommend dismissal ASAP”?
    Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy. Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    3 days ago

  • Bread, and how it gets buttered
    Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Justice for Gaza?
    The New York Times reports that the International Criminal Court is about to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over their genocide in Gaza: Israeli officials increasingly believe that the International Criminal Court is preparing to issue arrest warrants for senior government officials on ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • If there has been any fiddling with Pharmac’s funding, we can count on Paula to figure out the fis...
    Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • FastTrackWatch – The case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Monday, April 29
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on Iran killing its rappers, and searching for the invisible Dr. Reti
    span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    3 days ago

  • Auckland Rail Electrification 10 years old
    Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Coalition's dirge of austerity and uncertainty is driving the economy into a deeper recession
    Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Disability Funding or Tax Cuts.
    You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Of the Goodness of Tolkien’s Eru
    April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    4 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #17
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Pastor Who Abused People, Blames People
    Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago

  • Vic Uni shows how under threat free speech is
    The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Winston remembers Gettysburg.
    Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • 25
    She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8.  The universe was ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Is Antarctica gaining land ice?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Policing protests.
    Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago

  • Open letter to Hon Paul Goldsmith
    Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: FastTrackWatch – The Case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    5 days ago

  • Luxon gets out his butcher’s knife – briefly
    Peter Dunne writes –  The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • More tax for less
    Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Real News vs Fake News.
    We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Another way to roll
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Simon Clark: The climate lies you'll hear this year
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Cutting the Public Service
    It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    6 days ago

  • Luxon’s demoted ministers might take comfort from the British politician who bounced back after th...
    Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious:  we live in a troubled ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • This is how I roll over
    1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • The Waitangi Tribunal is not “a roving Commission”…
    …it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisition   NOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes –  The High Court ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Is Oranga Tamariki guilty of neglect?
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same? Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Three Strikes saw lower reoffending
    David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Luxon’s ruthless show of strength is perfect for our angry era
    Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • 'Lacks attention to detail and is creating double-standards.'
    TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • One Night Only!
    Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago

  • What did Melissa Lee do?
    It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #17 2024
    Open access notables Ice acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment: In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
    Skeptical Science
    7 days ago

  • Maori Party (with “disgust”) draws attention to Chhour’s race after the High Court rules on Wa...
    Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  • Who’s Going Up The Media Mountain?
    Mr Bombastic: Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
    Bowalley Road
    7 days ago

  • “That's how I roll”
    It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago

  • Stronger oversight for our most vulnerable children
    The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    53 mins ago

  • Streamlining Building Consent Changes
    The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says.      “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago

  • Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)
    New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago

  • Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...
    Good evening –   Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago

  • Accelerating airport security lines
    From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago

  • Community hui to talk about kina barrens
    People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Kiwi exporters win as NZ-EU FTA enters into force
    Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Mining resurgence a welcome sign
    There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passes first reading
    The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government to boost public EV charging network
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure.  The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Residential Property Managers Bill to not progress
    The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Independent review into disability support services
    The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Justice Minister updates UN on law & order plan
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Ending emergency housing motels in Rotorua
    The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Trade Minister travels to Riyadh, OECD, and Dubai
    Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Education priorities focused on lifting achievement
    Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • NZTA App first step towards digital driver licence
    The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say.  “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Supporting whānau out of emergency housing
    Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Tribute to Dave O'Sullivan
    Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Speech – Eid al-Fitr
    Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government saves access to medicines
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff.    “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Pharmac Chair appointed
    Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Taking action on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
    Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says.  “Every day, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • New sports complex opens in Kaikohe
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Diplomacy needed more than ever
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges.    “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address, Buttes New British Cemetery Belgium
    Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service.  It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address – NZ National Service, Chunuk Bair
    Distinguished guests -   It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders.   Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address – Dawn Service, Gallipoli, Türkiye
    Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia.   Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • PM announces changes to portfolios
    Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New catch limits for unique fishery areas
    Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Minister welcomes hydrogen milestone
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Urgent changes to system through first RMA Amendment Bill
    The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Overseas decommissioning models considered
    Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Release of North Island Severe Weather Event Inquiry
    Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Justice Minister to attend Human Rights Council
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order.  “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Patterson reopens world’s largest wool scouring facility
    Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Speech to the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective Summit, 18 April 2024
    Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing  At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin    Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho    Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today.    I am delighted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government to introduce revised Three Strikes law
    The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New diplomatic appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions.   “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says.    “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Humanitarian support for Ethiopia and Somalia
    New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today.   “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-05-01T23:07:33+00:00