Lone nutters and suicide by cop

Written By: - Date published: 8:27 am, December 16th, 2014 - 89 comments
Categories: Andrew Little, australian politics, International, making shit up, police, Politics - Tags: , ,

The cafe siege in Sydney is over. The lone nutter there was apparently killed by police after he’d killed a hostage.

The details of the nutter are revealing. See “Profile of Haron Monis, the man behind Sydney cafe siege“. A writer of obnoxious letters. Currently facing charges related to the killing of his ex-wife. With multiple current charges against him for decade old sexual offenses whilst operating as a “spiritual healer” involved in black magic.

It is a picture of a person wrapping their own anger, mental and sexual issues with some rationalisation. The kind of person that MPs and their staffs across the country know only too well in their role as the final resource in the social systems. Some of them go on to commit suicide by cop.

Meanwhile over here, we have our own lone nutters. Some are more dangerous that others. For instance an idiot National MP, Mark Mitchell, talking to Audrey Young. “Country is not immune from extremist actions, says former security specialist”

The MP who chaired the anti-terrorist legislation rushed through Parliament last week, Mark Mitchell, says the bill was “100 per cent” justified.

And he said he had had messages yesterday thanking him for the bill in light of the Sydney hostage crisis.

“It becomes a lot more real for people when it’s three hours across the ditch.”

Huh? This jerkoff MP doesn’t appear to have considered the most likely explanation was always the lone nutter. Instead he joins the hysterical fools in the kiwiblog sewer with urine dribbling down their legs quaking at the prospect of iman invasion and sharia law. In their usual dumbarse response, some of the tools that live there start muttering about mob violence.

How exactly does recent legislation in any way help against lone nutters grabbing a cafe full of people and committing suicide by cop? That was always the most likely explanation.

He doesn’t explain that. However what Mark Mitchell did was make himself look like a unrestrained idiot. Mind you that isn’t hard. Generally anyone so admired by Cameron Slater (as shown in Dirty Politics and the rawshark dumps) is likely to be complete jerk off. It was confirmed that Mark Mitchell is an publicity seeking fool back in August when he claimed that a theft was related to Dirty Politics.

What is a bit irritating is that Andrew Little covered his bets with this pathetic fantasy, albeit in a more restrained way.

Mr Little said last night that it was not yet known whether the Sydney crisis involved somebody connected to a network, or was a lone person or whether it was someone with mental health issues. “But the reality is that the sort of risks that the legislation is designed to deal with are real.

I remain quite unconvinced. To me this legislation looks more like the kind of thing that our rather paranoid security people like to have in hand, not for the ostensible targets, but for their more general surveillance of people inside NZ who push for change.

It has very few safeguards simply because the security forces only have to lay a claim of terrorism without any substantive evidence to use it. As the operation 8 fiasco of 2007 showed, the time and effort involved in the state funded  5 year legal retreat do not provide any effective recourse against such fantasies by security forces.

Somehow I doubt that they will use the powers given to them to track individual lone nutters like Haron Monis or the Aramoana killer David Gray or any of the other similar situations over the years. They have killed and continue to kill more people here than the fantasy terrorist groups. Sadly they appear to not be sexy enough for fear mongering politicians like Mark Mitchell who instead push through legislation that appears pretty useless against the ostensible threats.

That all being said. It looks like the Sydney police did a very good job in containing and minimizing the damage from their lone nutter

89 comments on “Lone nutters and suicide by cop ”

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  1. One Anonymous Bloke 1
    16 December 2014 at 8:31 am

    Haron Monis’ biography is more reminiscent of Titford than bin Laden.

    • lprent 1.1
      16 December 2014 at 8:34 am

      Indeed.

      Titford is actually quite a good comparison.

      This is the guy who according to his ex-wife and kids, burnt down his house so he could blame it on local iwi.

      • One Anonymous Bloke 1.1.1
        16 December 2014 at 8:53 am

        Extreme misogyny, extreme paranoia and bigotry, hatred and fear of government…just another rwnj 😈

  2. dv 2
    16 December 2014 at 8:35 am

    AND Key saying that it would be naive to think such a siege couldn’t happen here.

    To Late already has

    Aramoana
    Raumati

    • Wonderpup 2.1
      16 December 2014 at 9:04 am

      David Grey was my first thought as well. Its shameful that politicians are using this as a way to defend their anti-democratic impulses. I saw Tau Henare testing the line for National on twitter – I assume it worked well for them, so Key was able to wheel it out.

      On a side note I was really impressed by the Guardian’s live feed of events. I felt updated and in touch without being soiled by sensationalism. Their Australian edition is coming along nicely, it would seem.

    • Tracey 2.2
      16 December 2014 at 10:18 am

      He probably doesnt remember them…

      “…Mr Key admitted there was always the risk that a lone wolf could stage a similar attack in New Zealand.

      “There’s the risk that there’s a person that is somehow attracted to the teachings and the kind of message and propaganda that these people [Islamic State] are peddling,” he told TV3’s Firstline.

      “We know that that risk is here in New Zealand, but of course we do everything we can to try and combat that.”

      Mr Key was confident the police could respond appropriately to an attack in New Zealand.

      Australia has contributed military help to the fight against IS, but Mr Key didn’t think the attack was necessarily a result of Australia’s involvement.

      And he said the siege wouldn’t make any difference to New Zealand’s approach to IS, otherwise known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

      “In the end we have to confront a terrorist group like ISIS.” …”

      • felix 2.2.1
        16 December 2014 at 10:44 am

        I remember Aramoana and Raumati, but I can’t recall having any opinions about them one way way or the other.

        It was so long ago, and it just wasn’t something I was focused on at the time.

        I didn’t go to any of the shootings myself, but I probably would have if I could have afforded to.

        • Tracey 2.2.1.1
          16 December 2014 at 10:48 am

          STOP IT!!!!

          Although I wanted to be PM since I was a boy and first started having “dreams” it never occurred to me to take note of things like Aramoana or the Springbok Tour of 1981 because I thought becoming PM was about how much money you could bring with you, and THATs when I decided to be a currency trader.

    • Roflcopter 2.3
      16 December 2014 at 11:03 am

      Raumati? Do you mean Raurimu?

  3. TeWhareWhero 3
    16 December 2014 at 8:39 am

    In the current climate, the actions of any mentally unstable person who happens to be Muslim will be used to justify the repressive and anti-democratic laws that have been passed under the guise of controlling terrorism.

    • RedLogix 4.1
      16 December 2014 at 8:50 am

      A quick interview on ABC News this morning with Monis’ lawyer described the man as a ‘political refugee’ who had suffered very badly in detention. But that his ideology had led him to abandon ‘common sense’ and that he was a ‘damaged individual’.

      Paul Buchanan makes some very good points. While my point elsewhere that the bail process will never be perfect still stands – I’m beginning to wonder exactly how the hell this guy was ever allowed to be released.

      • minnie 4.1.1
        16 December 2014 at 10:18 am

        I think “ideology” is the keyword above!!!

        • Crashcart 4.1.1.1
          16 December 2014 at 10:40 am

          Just as it applies when a pro gun nut case in America goes mad and shoots the place up. Unstable person using an extreemist ideology to try and legitamise their actions.

    • Chooky 4.2
      16 December 2014 at 9:04 am

      +100…thanks karol…very good analysis by Paul Buchanan…ie it was a deranged individual and NOT ISIS…..and one wonders why this obviously unstable guy ( Shi’ite not Sunni )with a criminal record and who had killed his wife was let out of prison!….and even then did not have a close police watch put on him to prevent what happened!

      ….the whole thing plays into the hands of those who are trying to frighten the population into increased surveillance ….and which obviously did NOT work in this case…even when there was a guy who obviously should have been watched

      ….also great Post thanks Lprent

      • travellerev 4.2.1
        16 December 2014 at 9:21 am

        He was a deranged person and very likely set up to be a patsy

        • tinfoilhat 4.2.1.1
          16 December 2014 at 9:56 am

          🙄

          Eve believe or not, almost all of the time acts such of these are not the work of some nefarious hidden government or religious group.

          • The Murphey 4.2.1.1.1
            16 December 2014 at 10:04 am

            Q. Are the departments responsible for letting individuals with records of serious violent offending and mental issues out on bail or parole the work of hidden groups?

            Q. Is letting individuals with records of violent offending and mental issues out into the public a tactic which could used to ensure a ‘climate of fear’ to suit political agendas?

            • Tracey 4.2.1.1.1.1
              16 December 2014 at 10:13 am

              Q. Has Australia just been a victim of a society that simply refuses to take alleged sexual crimes seriously enough?

              If yes, THAT is the real warning for NZ which alse has an ambivalent attitude to sexual offending, not some terrorist threat.

            • RedLogix 4.2.1.1.1.2
              16 December 2014 at 10:22 am

              Answer. Given this mans well-known criminal record and obvious derangement (how often does a man’s own lawyer describe someone in such terms?) – AND the fact that he had already suffered badly in detention before, AND the fact that he was on bail – I think we can categorically throw out the window the idea that he was any kind of ‘lone wold’ unknown to the authorities.

        • Tracey 4.2.1.2
          16 December 2014 at 10:11 am

          For whom was he allegedly the patsy?

          Sometimes people do stuff cos they are mentally ill and or criminally narcassistic and despite the hand wringing of politicians and the vacuous ejacultation of media all milking it for their own means, it remains a single act of violence unrelated to any evil cause.

          • felix 4.2.1.2.1
            16 December 2014 at 10:50 am

            Yep.

            On the other hand, what did I do when I let my dog off the leash in a paddock full of rabbits on the weekend?

            Dogs will be dogs, you know?

            And we live in a world where Cameron Slater can get prisoners moved around the country at will.

            • Tracey 4.2.1.2.1.1
              16 December 2014 at 10:53 am

              Agree and see my other comments about he “only” allegedly killed his wife and sexually abused some folks, nothing really serious

    • marty mars 4.3
      16 December 2014 at 9:28 am

      “is this effectively using something inaccurately for political gain”

      This ‘outreach’ line is outrageous – good that this spin is unspun by Paul and the interviewer.

    • Tracey 4.4
      16 December 2014 at 10:00 am

      heard it. Colour me impressed in recent weeks by buchanans calm and fact based analysis.

    • MrSmith 4.5
      16 December 2014 at 11:32 am

      Agreed Karol

      To put things in context you need to listen to Key first.

      “However what Mark Mitchell did was make himself look like a unrestrained idiot.”

      Not to be outdone though key makes an even Bigger idiot of himself.

      Key here.
      http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/20161221/prime-minister-john-key-on-sydney-siege

      Then listen Karol’s link with Dr Paul Buchanan basically call Key a hysterical liar here.
      http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/20161223/could-australia's-involvement-in-fight-against-is-be-to-blame-for-seige

  5. les 5
    16 December 2014 at 8:42 am

    ‘Authorities outside Philadelphia say six people are dead and one is wounded in multiple homes and the suspect remains on the loose.

    Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman identified the suspect in the Monday morning shootings as 35-year-old Bradley William Stone. She says all of the victims have a “familial relationship” to Stone.

    Police officers have converged on a home in Pennsburg, about 30 miles northwest of Philadelphia. They are using a megaphone to compel an end to their daylong pursuit of Stone.’

  6. travellerev 6
    16 December 2014 at 9:17 am

    Iprent you’re getting there. Little by little!

    Thing is Australia’s anti terror squad did an anti terror drill one year before this happened on Martin place and another on how to go about solving a hostage situation in a downtown cafe. And the “lone nutter” has been on the radar for a long time. In fact Muslim leaders had called for the police to investigate him as early as 2008!!!!

  7. millsy 7
    16 December 2014 at 9:17 am

    Tasmania. 1996. Martin Bryant.

    No Islam there. Just a loner with a low IQ and mental illness who was able to access firearms. He walked into a cafe and killed 36 people. No amount of antI-terror law would have stopped him (though making it harder to purchase a gun would have.)

  8. Skinny 8
    16 December 2014 at 9:23 am

    What a sorry saga and very sad outcome. A handful of hostage’s left, and 2 of them are dead. With this oppotunist nutcase carrying a criminal sheet a mile long, it was always going to turn out badly the longer the siege went on. So much for the boasting of the Worlds finest armed offenders squad. They should have took this ‘nothing to lose’ attention seeker down early on when he was prancing around by the front window. You would have to say this lunatic should have been in custody pending trial for 47 indecent assault charges.

    Watching Key on First Line this morning spinning events around to justify sending troops to combat ISIS was simply peddling war propaganda. Trying to say categorically “this had nothing to do with Australian troops in the middle east” is total crap! This halfwit is captured on the news protesting their involvement.

    • Paul 8.1
      16 December 2014 at 9:25 am

      Why is Key so keen to get troops to Iraq?

      • Skinny 8.1.1
        16 December 2014 at 9:49 am

        Key is under instructions to close this deal out, like a good trader does. He will be flying home to America this weekend to give an update. While there he will be debriefed and handed a script (to take to Hawaii to learn) tutoring up on the latest snake oil speak since he has suffered credibility issues i.e. caught out talking crap.

    • vto 8.2
      16 December 2014 at 9:38 am

      John Key is the most dishonest Prime Minister we have ever had to suffer.

    • Colonial Rawshark 8.3
      16 December 2014 at 9:41 am

      As I said beneath the other post, things went down hill the moment Australian authorities started treating this like a militarised “anti-terrorism” operation instead of a standard armed hostage negotiation.

      • Skinny 8.3.1
        16 December 2014 at 10:03 am

        Yes CR I agree totally. To me it appears a failing Abbott’s regime couldn’t help but use the seige as a PR stunt to lift themselves out of the mire. Nothing like a bit of nationalism for a Government polling poorly.

    • Manuka AOR 8.4
      16 December 2014 at 10:23 am

      “should have been in custody pending trial for 47 indecent assault charges. “

      Multiple sexual assault charges, accessory to murder, increasingly deranged comments on facebook, prior requests from within his own community for police to investigate – Why was he out running free? (And why are the msm not asking that question?)

  9. Shona 9
    16 December 2014 at 9:24 am

    Thanks Lprent, a voice of reason and sanity amongst a sea of rabid right wing loonies. These situations always seem like yet another version of Dog Day Afternoon.

  10. batweka 10
    16 December 2014 at 9:51 am

    “David Grey was my first thought as well.”

    Mine was John Tully. I see stargazer has a post up today about beneficiaries not being able to access emergency food grants because in the wake of Ashburton some offices won’t let clients in without ID, or even with ID (plus a bunch of other bureaucratic idiocies). So here we have another situation where the solution to a single, context specific act of violence is to see danger everywhere and to try and control everything but in the process of doing so, the people most at risk of going over the edge are being put under even more pressure than usual.

    It’s not fucking rocket science WINZ (and here I’m talking about senior managers and the decision makers in Wellington). Start treating your clients as human beings, put systems in place that reduce stress and enable dignity, and see an improvement in your relationship with the wider world.

  11. saveNZ 11
    16 December 2014 at 10:21 am

    Love the way Mark Mitchell ‘bribed’ his way into the National Party. Just takes about $10k to a slime ball for ‘blog services’ – what a bargain. Not sure how the more deserving Nat members feel about that, who were undermined in the process. No surprises there that Mark was behind that stupid bill. Obviously can’t wait to start a religious war against anyone not on the 1% hard right of center and mentally ill to boot. My God after cleaning up Security in this country how about Social Welfare. The next bill might be concentration camps for Beneficiaries – he’s such a wizard for policy and democracy for the Nats.

  12. Scott 12
    16 December 2014 at 10:49 am

    There are some interesting parallels, as well as differences, between the tragedy in Sydney and the ‘battle of White Rocks’ which saw a couple of supporters of the Ottoman Empire try to bring World War One to the Australian Outback almost exactly a century ago: http://readingthemaps.blogspot.co.nz/2009/11/from-fort-hood-to-broken-hill.html

  13. Paul Campbell 13
    16 December 2014 at 1:28 pm

    So the plan is to stop all our “Muslim Terrorists” from going overseas ….. John Key just hasn’t thought this through, if you stop them from going overseas (and they really exist) where does he think they are going to do their terror … in cafes in Ponsonby of course, and it will be John Key’s fault

  14. Mike 14
    16 December 2014 at 2:45 pm

    It’s true that it’s very difficult to stop lone nutters, but this case differs from an Aromoana case in that it’s clearly linked to a political beef with Western involvement in the Middle East. His demands included:

    1. An ISIL flag.

    2. To speak to the Prime Minister.

    Note that in September ISIL called for lone wolf attacks in Australia, so it’s not something occuring in a vacuum. Similarly, there have been numerous arrests of people who had been planning be-headings, so the demand for surveillance powers seems a sad requirement at the moment.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 14.1
      16 December 2014 at 3:44 pm

      It’s also “very clearly linked” to impending protracted loss of liberty for murder and rape. I’m picking loss of liberty weighs heavier on the mind than recently boarded political bandwagons.

      Just a wild guess.

    • BLiP 14.2
      16 December 2014 at 5:00 pm

      ‘

      It wasn’t an ISIS flag . . . if you are taking your information from what John Key said on RNZ this morning, be advised: its another of his lies.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 14.3
      16 December 2014 at 5:02 pm

      RWNJ duped by lying Prime Minister. Ho hum.

      • Paul 14.3.1
        16 December 2014 at 7:04 pm

        You should feel sorry for members of cults like Mike.
        There is hope, but they need our help.

        • One Anonymous Bloke 14.3.1.1
          16 December 2014 at 8:30 pm

          Charity is overrated. I suggest we maintain strict rules of evidence and extend them into all public decisions, then provide income assistance to destitute public relations executives and wingnuts.

    • Tracey 14.4
      16 December 2014 at 6:02 pm

      Do you get that wide surveillance power didnt prevent two innocent folks dying in a cafe in sydney this morning?

    • Tracey 14.5
      16 December 2014 at 6:05 pm

      I guess you missed the bit about the australian police not yet convinced it is terrorism, but what would they know, compared to “i dont recall” John Key.

    • McFlock 14.6
      16 December 2014 at 6:59 pm

      This sad fellow sounds more like Samuel Byck than Abu Nidal.

      Amazing how your comments on behalf of demonstrably-ineffective mass surveillance aren’t matched by your [absent] calls for better mental health care, or even a review of bail risk criteria.

    • Murray Rawshark 14.7
      17 December 2014 at 1:25 am

      There were not numerous arrests of people planning beheadings. One that was reported was because a guy had a plastic sword. There have been very few charges from an operation involving more than 800 police. One arrest was apparently based on an incorrectly translated phone call.

      There is something sad in your comment, but it’s not a requirement. It’s a Kiwi who believes anything.

  15. vto 15
    16 December 2014 at 7:05 pm

    So Tony Abbot reckons this gunman committed an act of political violence.

    How does Tony Abbot square that away with Australia’s acts of political violence in the middle east for the last dozen years?

    • One Anonymous Bloke 15.1
      16 December 2014 at 8:20 pm

      “reckons”

      It’s a sliding scale I guess: from the top:

      1. Publishes in a peer-reviewed journal.
      2. Has evidence for.
      3. Believes as a result of direct personal experience.
      4. Thinks.
      5. Reckons.
      6. Spins.
      7. The shit wingnuts do.

  16. barry 16
    16 December 2014 at 8:11 pm

    The one thing that the siege has shown us is that no matter what powers they give themselves the security apparatus is incapable of stopping random acts by nutters. It does not in any way make a case for increasing surveillance powers.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 16.1
      16 December 2014 at 8:26 pm

      Nope, it hasn’t even shown us that: we already knew that. In that sense it’s yet another banal illustration of just how shite “conservative” “opinion” is these days.

      The good news is that #illridewithyou

      • Paul 16.1.1
        16 December 2014 at 8:30 pm

        I’ll ride with you was a wonderful show of solidarity amongst people.
        Generous empathetic and societal.

        • One Anonymous Bloke 16.1.1.1
          16 December 2014 at 8:36 pm

          Human values are independent of human rights, thankfully, Lao Tzu wrote that when the government is lazy and blunt, the people are kind and honest.

          Our government struggles to match ethics that were ascendant, if not ubiquitous, six thousand years ago.

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    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Three.

    The notion of geopolitical  “periphery.” The concept of periphery used here refers strictly to what can be called the geopolitical periphery. Being on the geopolitical periphery is an analytic virtue because it makes for more visible policy reform in response … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    3 days ago
  • Venus Hum

    Fill me up with soundThe world sings with me a million smiles an hourI can see me dancing on my radioI can hear you singing in the blades of grassYellow dandelions on my way to schoolBig Beautiful Sky!Song: Venus Hum.Good morning, all you lovely people, and welcome to the 700th ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • I Went to a Creed Concert

    Note: The audio attached to this Webworm compliments today’s newsletter. I collected it as I met people attending a Creed concert. Their opinions may differ to mine. Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago
  • Government migration policy backfires; thousands of unemployed nurses

    The country has imported literally thousands of nurses over the past few months yet whether they are being employed as nurses is another matter. Just what is going on with HealthNZ and it nurses is, at best, opaque, in that it will not release anything but broad general statistics and ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A Time For Unity.

    Emotional Response: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon addresses mourners at the tangi of King Tuheitia on Turangawaewae Marae on Saturday, 31 August 2024.THE DEATH OF KING TUHEITIA could hardly have come at a worse time for Maoridom. The power of the Kingitanga to unify te iwi Māori was demonstrated powerfully at January’s ...
    Bowalley Road
    3 days ago
  • Climate Change: Failed again

    National's tax cut policies relied on stealing revenue from the ETS (previously used to fund emissions reduction) to fund tax cuts to landlords. So how's that going? Badly. Today's auction failed again, with zero units (of a possible 7.6 million) sold. Which means they have a $456 million hole in ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Two.

    A question of size. Small size generally means large vulnerability. The perception of threat is broader and often more immediate for small countries. The feeling of comparative weakness, of exposure to risk, and of potential intimidation by larger powers often … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Nicola Willis’s Very Unserious Bungling of the Kiwirail Interislander Cancellation

    Open to all with kind thanks to all subscribers and supporters.Today, RNZ revealed that despite MFAT advice to Nicola Willis to be very “careful and deliberate” in her communications with the South Korean government, prior to any public announcement on cancelling Kiwirail’s i-Rex, Willis instead told South Korea 26 minutes ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Satisfying the Minister’s Speed Obsession

    The Minister of Transport’s speed obsession has this week resulted in two new consultations for 110km/h speed limits, one in Auckland and one in Christchurch. There has also been final approval of the Kapiti Expressway to move to 110km/h following an earlier consultation. While the changes will almost certainly see ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    4 days ago
  • What if we freed up our streets, again?

    This guest post is by Tommy de Silva, a local rangatahi and freelance writer who is passionate about making the urban fabric of Tāmaki Makaurau-Auckland more people-focused and sustainable. New Zealand’s March-April 2020 Level 4 Covid response (aka “lockdown”) was somehow both the best and worst six weeks of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    4 days ago
  • No Alarms And No Surprises

    A heart that's full up like a landfillA job that slowly kills youBruises that won't healYou look so tired, unhappyBring down the governmentThey don't, they don't speak for usI'll take a quiet lifeA handshake of carbon monoxideAnd no alarms and no surprisesThe fabulous English comedian Stewart Lee once wrote a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Five ingenious ways people could beat the heat without cranking the AC

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Daisy Simmons Every summer brings a new spate of headlines about record-breaking heat – for good reason: 2023 was the hottest year on record, in keeping with the upward trend scientists have been clocking for decades. With climate forecasts suggesting that heat waves ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • No new funding for cycling & walking

    Studies show each $1 of spending on walking and cycling infrastructure produces $13 to $35 of economic benefits from higher productivity, lower healthcare costs, less congestion, lower emissions and lower fossil fuel import costs. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • 99

    Dad turned 99 today.Hell of a lot of candles, eh?He won't be alone for his birthday. He will have the warm attention of my brother, and my sister, and everyone at the rest home, the most thoughtful attentive and considerate people you could ever know. On Saturday there will be ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Open Government: National reneges on beneficial ownership

    One of the achievements of the New Zealand’s Open Government Partnership Fourth National Action Plan was a formal commitment from the government to establish a public beneficial ownership register. Such a register would allow the ultimate owners of companies to be identified - a vital measure in preventing corruption, money ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt One.

    This project analyzes security politics in three peripheral democracies (Chile, New Zealand, Portugal) during the 30 years after the end of the Cold War. It argues that changes in the geopolitical landscape and geo-strategic context are interpreted differently by small … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • Tea and Toast

    When the skies are looking bad my dearAnd your heart's lost all its hopeAfter dawn there will be sunshineAnd all the dust will goThe skies will clear my darlingNow it's time for you to let goOur girl will wake you up in the mornin'With some tea and toastLyrics: Lucy Spraggan.Good ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • NLTP 2024 released – destroying pipeline of shovel ready local projects

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Waka Kotahi yesterday released the latest National Land Transport Plan (NLTP) for 2024-27. The NLTP sets out what transport projects will be funded for the next three years, including both central and local government projects. As expected given the government’s extremely ideological transport policy, it’s ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    5 days ago
  • Can Brown deliver his roads

    The Government’s unveiling of its road-building programme yesterday was ambitious and, many would say, long overdue. But the question will be whether it is too ambitious, whether it is affordable, and, if not, what might be dropped. The big ticket items will be the 17 so-called Roads of National Significance. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • New paper about detecting climate misinformation on Twitter/X

    Together with Cristian Rojas, Frank Algra-Maschio, Mark Andrejevic, Travis Coan, and Yuan-Fang Li, I just published a paper in Nature Communications Earth & Environment where we use the Computer Assisted Recognition of Denial and Skepticism (CARDS) machine learning model to detect climate misinformation in 5 million climate tweets. We find over half ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago
  • Excerpting “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies.”

    In the late 2000s-early 2010s I was researching and writing a book titled “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Chile, New Zealand and Portugal.” The book was a cross-regional Small-N qualitative comparison of the security strategies and postures of three small … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • Hating for the Wrong Reasons: Of Rings of Power, Orcs and Evil

    A few months ago, my fellow countryman, HelloFutureMe, put out a giant YouTube video, dissecting what went wrong with the first season of Rings of Power (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ6FRUO0ui0&t=8376s). It’s an exceptionally good video, and though it spans some two and a half hours, it is well worth your time. But ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Climate Change: “Least cost” to who?

    On Friday the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment released their submission on National's second Emissions Reduction Plan, ripping the shit out of it as a massive gamble based on wishful thinking. One of the specific issues he focused on was National's idea of "least cost" emissions reduction, pointing out that ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Israeli Lives Matter

    There is no monopoly on common senseOn either side of the political fenceWe share the same biology, regardless of ideologyBelieve me when I say to youI hope the Russians love their children tooLyrics: Sting. Read more ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Luxon Cries

    Over the weekend, I found myself rather irritably reading up about the Treaty of Waitangi. “Do I need to do this?” It’s not my jurisdiction. In any other world, would this be something I choose to do?My answer - no.The Waitangi Tribunal, headed by some of our best legal minds, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • Just one Wellington home being consented for every 10 in Auckland

    A decade of under-building is coming home to roost in Wellington. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday September 2:Wellington’s leaders are wringing their hands over an exodus of skilled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Container trucks on local streets: why take the risk?

    This is a guest post by Charmaine Vaughan, who came to transport advocacy via her local Residents Association and a comms role at Bike Auckland. Her enthusiasm to make local streets safer for all is shared by her son Dylan Vaughan, a budding “urban nerd” who provided much of the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    6 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #35

    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, August 25, 2024 thru Sat, August 31, 2024. Story of the week After another crammed week of climate news including updates on climate tipping points, increasing threats from rising ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • An Uncanny Valley of Improvement: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power, Episodes 1-3 (Season ...

    And thus we come to the second instalment of Amazon’s Rings of Power. The first season, in 2022, was underwhelming, even for someone like myself, who is by nature inclined to approach Tolkien adaptations with charity. The writing was poor, the plot made no sense on its own terms, and ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    7 days ago
  • Alcohol debris and Crocodile Tears

    I write to you this morning from scenes of carnage. Around the floor lie young men who only hours earlier were full of life, and cocktails, and now lie silent. Read more ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago
  • When Do We Look Away?

    Hi,The first time I saw something that made me recoil on the internet was a visit to Rotten.com. The clue was in the name — but the internet was a new thing to me in the 90s, and no-one really knew what the hell was going on. But somehow I ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    7 days ago
  • The decades just fly by

    You turn your back for a moment and a city can completely transform itself. It was, oh, just the other day I was tripping up to Kuala Lumpur every few months to teach workshops and luxuriate in the tropical warmth and fill my face with Char Kway Teow.It has to ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 days ago
  • 2024 Reading Summary: August

    Completed reads for August: Aesop’s Fables (collection), by Aesop Berserk: Volume XXV (manga), by Kentaro Miura Benighted, by J.B. Priestly Berserk: Volume XXVI (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVIII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXIX (manga), by Kentaro Miura ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Is recent global warming part of a natural cycle?

    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with John Mason. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is recent global warming part ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • White Noise

    Now here we standWith our hearts in our handsSqueezing out the liesAll that I hearIs a message, unclearWhat else is there to decide?All that I'm hearing from youIs White NoiseLyrics: Christopher John CheneyIs the tide turning?Have we reached the high point of the racist hate and lies from Hobson’s Pledge, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • The Death Of “Big Norm” – Exactly 50 Years Ago Today.

    Norman KirkPrime Minister of New Zealand 1972-1974Born: 6 January 1923 - Died: 31 August 1974Of the working-class, by the working-class, for the working-class.Video courtesy of YouTubeThese elements were posted on Bowalley Road on Saturday, 31 August 2024. ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • Claims and Counter-Claims.

    Whose Foreshore? Whose Seabed? When the Marine and Coastal Area Act was originally passed back in 2011, fears about the coastline becoming off-limits to Pakeha were routinely allayed by National Party politicians pointing out that the tests imposed were so stringent  that only a modest percentage of claims (the then treaty ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago

  • New Zealand Honours Maori King ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • The Principles of the Treaty

    Hardly anyone says what are ‘the principles of the treaty’. The courts’ interpretation restrain the New Zealand Government. While they about protecting a particular community, those restraints apply equally to all community in a liberal democracy – including a single person.Treaty principles were introduced into the governance of New Zealand ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • The Only Other Reliable Vehicle.

    An Elite Leader Awaiting Rotation? Hipkins’ give-National-nothing-to-aim-at strategy will only succeed if the Coalition becomes as unpopular in three years as the British Tories became in fourteen.THE SHAPE OF CHRIS HIPKINS’ THINKING on Labour’s optimum pathway to re-election is emerging steadily. At the core of his strategy is Hipkins’ view ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • A Big F U to this Right Wing Government

    Open to all - deep thanks to those who support and subscribe.One of the things that has got me interested recently is updates about Māori wards.In April, Stuff’s Karanama Ruru reported that ~ 2/3 of our 78 councils had adopted Māori wards in NZ.That meant that under the Coalition repeal ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Climate Change: James Shaw’s legacy keeps paying off

    One of the central planks of the previous Labour-Green government's emissions reduction policy was GIDI (Government Investment in Decarbonising Industry). This was basically using ETS revenue to pay polluters to clean up production, reducing emissions while protecting jobs. Corporate welfare, but it got the job done, and was often a ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Gravity

    Oh twice as much ain't twice as goodAnd can't sustain like one half couldIt's wanting moreThat's gonna send me to my kneesSong: John MayerSome ups and downs from the last week of August ‘24. The good and bad, happy and sad, funny and mad, heroes and cads. The week that ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Ditch the climate double speak and get real

    Long stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:The Government announced changes to the Fast-Track Approvals Bill on Sunday, backing off from the contentious proposal to give ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to August 30

    The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts and talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest science of changing sea temperatures and which emissions policies actually work; on the latest from Ukraine, Gaza and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • This Govt’s infrastructure strategy depends on capital gains taxes & new road taxes

    Billions of dollars in value uplift was identified around the Transmission Gully project, but that was captured 100% by landowners and not shared to pay for the project. Now National is saying value capture should be used for similar projects. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/ Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 30-August-2024

    Kia ora and welcome to the end of another week. Here’s our regular Friday roundup of things that caught our eye, in the realm of cities and transport. If you enjoy these roundups, feel free to join our growing ranks of supporters by making a recurring donation to keep the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Table Talk: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.

    “That’s the sort of constitutional reform he favours: conceived in secret; revolutionary in intent; implemented incrementally without fanfare; and under no circumstances to be placed before the electorate for democratic ratification.”TO SAY IT WAS RAINING would have understated seriously the meteorological conditions. Simply put, it was pissing down. One of ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • Big Norm and Chris Hipkins

    It’s 50 years ago today that “Big Norm” Kirk died of a heart attack in Wellington’s Home of Compassion. Home of Compassion. Although he was Prime Minister for only 623 days, he has an iconic place in New Zealand history, particularly Labour history. When Labour leaders like Jacinda Ardern recite ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #35 2024

    Open access notables Arctic glacier snowline altitudes rise 150 m over the last 4 decades, Larocca et al., The Cryosphere: We mapped the snowline (SL) on a subset of 269 land-terminating glaciers above 60° N latitude in the latest available summer, clear-sky Landsat satellite image between 1984 and 2022. The mean SLA was extracted ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • Unravelling the String of State: New Zealand Sovereignty and the Treaty of Waitangi

    Oh dear. Sometimes people just need to prod the sleeping dog. We currently have a parliamentary dispute over the nature of the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, as signed between the British Crown and New Zealand Maori: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/526451/sovereignty-debate-split-on-party-lines Specifically, the National Government takes the traditional view that Maori ceded sovereignty ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Rigour, PLEASE

    You may have noticed I have been taking my time getting home. You may have wondered if that might have anything to do with our brave little nation being constitutionally and morally abused by this woeful excuse for a government. It does. I have enjoyed being able to turn the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • Making A Difference.

    The Jacinda and Ashley Show: Before the neoliberals could come up with a plausible reason for letting thousands of their fellow citizens perish, the Ardern-led government, backed by the almost forgotten power of an unapologetically interventionist state, was producing changes in the real world – changes that were, very obviously, saving ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago

  • Government progresses response to Abuse in Care recommendations

    A Crown Response Office is being established within the Public Service Commission to drive the Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care. “The creation of an Office within a central Government agency was a key recommendation by the Royal Commission’s final report.  “It will have the mandate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Passport wait times back on-track

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says passport processing has returned to normal, and the Department of Internal Affairs [Department] is now advising customers to allow up to two weeks to receive their passport. “I am pleased that passport processing is back at target service levels and the Department ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • New appointments to the FMA board

    Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister has today announced three new appointments and one reappointment to the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) board. Tracey Berry, Nicholas Hegan and Mariette van Ryn have been appointed for a five-year term ending in August 2029, while Chris Swasbrook, who has served as a board member ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • District Court judges appointed

    Attorney-General Hon Judith Collins today announced the appointment of two new District Court judges. The appointees, who will take up their roles at the Manukau Court and the Auckland Court in the Accident Compensation Appeal Jurisdiction, are: Jacqui Clark Judge Clark was admitted to the bar in 1988 after graduating ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government makes it faster and easier to invest in New Zealand

    Associate Minister of Finance David Seymour is encouraged by significant improvements to overseas investment decision timeframes, and the enhanced interest from investors as the Government continues to reform overseas investment. “There were about as many foreign direct investment applications in July and August as there was across the six months ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • New Zealand to join Operation Olympic Defender

    New Zealand has accepted an invitation to join US-led multi-national space initiative Operation Olympic Defender, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. Operation Olympic Defender is designed to coordinate the space capabilities of member nations, enhance the resilience of space-based systems, deter hostile actions in space and reduce the spread of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government commits to ‘stamping out’ foot and mouth disease

    Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says that a new economic impact analysis report reinforces this government’s commitment to ‘stamp out’ any New Zealand foot and mouth disease incursion. “The new analysis, produced by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, shows an incursion of the disease in New Zealand would have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Improving access to finance for Kiwis

    5 September 2024  The Government is progressing further reforms to financial services to make it easier for Kiwis to access finance when they need it, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.  “Financial services are foundational for economic success and are woven throughout our lives. Without access to finance our ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Prime Minister pays tribute to Kiingi Tuheitia

    As Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII is laid to rest today, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has paid tribute to a leader whose commitment to Kotahitanga will have a lasting impact on our country. “Kiingi Tuheitia was a humble leader who served his people with wisdom, mana and an unwavering ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Resource Management reform to make forestry rules clearer

    Forestry Minister Todd McClay today announced proposals to reform the resource management system that will provide greater certainty for the forestry sector and help them meet environmental obligations.   “The Government has committed to restoring confidence and certainty across the sector by removing unworkable regulatory burden created by the previous ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • More choice and competition in building products

    A major shake-up of building products which will make it easier and more affordable to build is on the way, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Today we have introduced legislation that will improve access to a wider variety of quality building products from overseas, giving Kiwis more choice and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Joint Statement between the Republic of Korea and New Zealand 4 September 2024, Seoul

    On the occasion of the official visit by the Right Honourable Prime Minister Christopher Luxon of New Zealand to the Republic of Korea from 4 to 5 September 2024, a summit meeting was held between His Excellency President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea (hereinafter referred to as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Comprehensive Strategic Partnership the goal for New Zealand and Korea

    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Republic of Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol. “Korea and New Zealand are likeminded democracies and natural partners in the Indo Pacific. As such, we have decided to advance discussions on elevating the bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • International tourism continuing to bounce back

    Results released today from the International Visitor Survey (IVS) confirm international tourism is continuing to bounce back, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Matt Doocey says. The IVS results show that in the June quarter, international tourism contributed $2.6 billion to New Zealand’s economy, an increase of 17 per cent on last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government confirms RMA reforms to drive primary sector efficiency

    The Government is moving to review and update national level policy directives that impact the primary sector, as part of its work to get Wellington out of farming. “The primary sector has been weighed down by unworkable and costly regulation for too long,” Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.  “That is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Weak grocery competition underscores importance of cutting red tape

    The first annual grocery report underscores the need for reforms to cut red tape and promote competition, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “The report paints a concerning picture of the $25 billion grocery sector and reinforces the need for stronger regulatory action, coupled with an ambitious, economy-wide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government moves to lessen burden of reliever costs on ECE services

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says the Government has listened to the early childhood education sector’s calls to simplify paying ECE relief teachers. Today two simple changes that will reduce red tape for ECEs are being announced, in the run-up to larger changes that will come in time from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Over 2,320 people engage with first sector regulatory review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says there has been a strong response to the Ministry for Regulation’s public consultation on the early childhood education regulatory review, affirming the need for action in reducing regulatory burden. “Over 2,320 submissions have been received from parents, teachers, centre owners, child advocacy groups, unions, research ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government backs women in horticulture

    “The Government is empowering women in the horticulture industry by funding an initiative that will support networking and career progression,” Associate Minister of Agriculture, Nicola Grigg says.  “Women currently make up around half of the horticulture workforce, but only 20 per cent of leadership roles which is why initiatives like this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government to pause freshwater farm plan rollout

    The Government will pause the rollout of freshwater farm plans until system improvements are finalised, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard announced today. “Improving the freshwater farm plan system to make it more cost-effective and practical for farmers is a priority for this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Milestone reached for fixing the Holidays Act 2003

    Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden says yesterday Cabinet reached another milestone on fixing the Holidays Act with approval of the consultation exposure draft of the Bill ready for release next week to participants.  “This Government will improve the Holidays Act with the help of businesses, workers, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • New priorities to protect future of conservation

    Toitū te marae a Tāne Mahuta me Hineahuone, toitū te marae a Tangaroa me Hinemoana, toitū te taiao, toitū te tangata. The Government has introduced clear priorities to modernise Te Papa Atawhai - The Department of Conservation’s protection of our natural taonga. “Te Papa Atawhai manages nearly a third of our ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Faster 110km/h speed limit to accelerate Kāpiti

    A new 110km/h speed limit for the Kāpiti Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS) has been approved to reduce travel times for Kiwis travelling in and out of Wellington, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • IVL increase to ensure visitors contribute more to New Zealand

    The International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) will be raised to $100 to ensure visitors contribute to public services and high-quality experiences while visiting New Zealand, Minister for Tourism and Hospitality Matt Doocey and Minister of Conservation Tama Potaka say. “The Government is serious about enabling the tourism sector ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Delivering priority connections for the West Coast

    A record $255 million for transport investment on the West Coast through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will strengthen the region’s road and rail links to keep people connected and support the region’s economy, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “The Government is committed to making sure that every ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Road and rail reliability a focus for Wellington

    A record $3.3 billion of transport investment in Greater Wellington through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will increase productivity and reduce travel times, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Delivering infrastructure to increase productivity and economic growth is a priority for our Government. We're focused on delivering transport projects ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Record investment to boost economic and housing growth in the Waikato

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