McClay accused of supporting China’s mass detention of muslims

Written By: - Date published: 8:26 am, January 17th, 2020 - 51 comments
Categories: China, human rights, International, national, political parties, same old national, United Nations - Tags: , , ,

There has this week been the release of an interesting report by Freedom House, an independent US watchdog that provides reports on trends and changes in freedom and democracy throughout the world.

From Zane Small at Stuff:

National MP Todd McClay has been accused of “echoing” the Chinese government to “justify mass detentions” in Xinjiang, in a damning new report about China’s growing global influence. 

McClay is criticised in the report for how he has characterised facilities in China’s Xinjiang region – often described as “detention camps” – where it’s understood millions of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities are detained.  

“New Zealand lawmaker Todd McClay recently referred to the forced indoctrination camps for Muslim minorities in Xinjiang as ‘vocational training centers,’ echoing the terminology used by the Chinese government and state media to justify the mass detentions.”

China says its ‘vocational training centres’ provide counter-terrorism training and psychological counselling for those affected by “extremist thoughts”, but former detainees have spoken of torture and brainwashing.

The new report, by US government-funded Freedom House, also mentions McClay’s attendance in December 2017 at a dialogue in Beijing organised by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s International Liaison Department. 

McClay has denied the allegations and said that the report had linked two discrete events and that his full response which was referred to was that abuses of human rights are a concern wherever they occur and that if credible evidence of human rights abuses came to light, National would expect the Government to make representations to China through formal channels.

Talk about having a bob each way.  Of course the forced imprisonment of a million people is vocational retraining but if it is proved that it is not then it is wrong?  And how about the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination as a credible source?

McClay’s pro China stance has also attracted the attention of erstwhile National supporters.  Michael Reddell posted in Newsroom how in his view National had “binned any sense of decency, integrity, or values when it comes to Chinese Communist Party-ruled China”.

He also said this:

A few months ago we had the egregious former Minister of Trade, and foreign affairs spokesperson, Todd McClay plumbing new depths. In an interview with Stuff, he championed the PRC regime interpretation of the mass internment of Uighurs in Xinjiang, noting that “the existence and purpose of vocational training centres is a domestic matter for the Chinese government.”

If he’d just kept quiet at least there might have been some doubt about his decency, but he opened his mouth and left no doubt. He was spinning for the CCP regime in Beijing.

Since then even the regime in Beijing has more or less admitted that, of course, that line isn’t true. But we’ve heard nothing more – and certainly no apology – from Mr McClay or his leaders.

McClay was also heavily involved in at least one donation from a Chinese Businessman to the National Party, that of Lang Lin who made the donation via the interestingly named Inner Mongolia Rider Horse Industry (NZ) Ltd and by using a locally incorporated company neatly sidestepped the restrictions of foreign funding of local political parties.

There is also the ongoing issue of Jian Yang whose links to the Chinese Communist Party are significant, whose last interview to mainstream local media was two years ago, and who is apparently a significant organiser of donations for the party.  To be fair to Yang he has not really hidden his background.  He was recently in Beijing for the Communist Party’s 70th anniversary as a special guest.  He was travelling with Zhang Yikun, he who parceled up a $100,000 donation to the party into neat parcels that avoided the need for National to disclose his identity.

It is extraordinary that the National Party which has been so vehemently anti communist for so much of its existence should be so friendly and deferential to the Chinese Communist Party.  It makes you wonder if this conversation where it is claimed that National President Peter Goodfellow remarked that the Chinese were more important than the farms, because they don’t complain and they pay up is actually true.

 

51 comments on “McClay accused of supporting China’s mass detention of muslims ”

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  1. Mark 1
    17 January 2020 at 9:41 am

    an independent US watchdog that provides reports on trends and changes in freedom and democracy throughout the world.

    A US watchdog called Freedom House is 'independent'????

    Pull the other one. It is a US govt proxy that promotes an agenda of foreign interference and regime change around the world.

    • Brigid 1.1
      17 January 2020 at 1:16 pm

      "Numerous major media outlets, from Reuters to The Intercept, have claimed that the United Nations has reports that the Chinese government is holding as many as 1 million Uighur Muslims in “internment camps.” But a close examination of these news stories, and of the evidence behind them — or the lack thereof — demonstrates that the extraordinary claim is simply not true."

      https://geopoliticsalert.com/china-muslim-concentration-camps

      • Mark 1.1.1
        17 January 2020 at 2:39 pm

        Good point. The million figure comes from one dubious source, and then it bounces around Western news outlets like in an echo chamber and these various news sources mutually quote one another.

      • Cinny 1.1.2
        17 January 2020 at 3:01 pm

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOb5oRv2xog

        1 Dec 2019 – The China Cables 🇨🇳 and the disruption of Beijing's Xinjiang narrative

        First story up on above episode of The Listening Post, around 12 mins long, very informative.

        Leaked documents via a communist party insider were obtained leading to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists 👁️ putting together the China Cables 📰. Beijing won't be able to bury reality with propaganda for too much longer.

        • Mark 1.1.2.1
          17 January 2020 at 4:43 pm

          Oh yeah….New York Times etc……anyone can string a narrative from cherry picked facts and pseudo facts here and there.

          Here is a fact though. Those who condemn China: US and its Western allies. No Muslim countries

          Those who support China: The rest of the world, including Muslim countries.

          The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation: commended China on "safeguarding the rights of Muslim communities and minorities in non-OIC member states,” which included a positive reference to China."

          So Muslim countries around the world says China safeguards the rights of Muslim communities. While the US and its allies, who have killed millions of Muslims in recent decades, suddenly gets all concerned about the 'human rights' of Muslims, and cries crocodile tears.

          I'd trust Muslim countries themselves on what is going on in China. And not the US and its allies.

          • Cinny 1.1.2.1.1
            18 January 2020 at 8:41 am

            Extremely disappointing that

            @OIC_OCI

            again failed to raise the mass arbitrary detention of millions of #Uyghurs in internment camps at #HRC40. Instead standing up for millions of Uyghur Muslims being persecuted for their religion & ethnicity, the OIC commended #China's efforts.

            https://twitter.com/UyghurCongress/status/1105762717246332935?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1105762717246332935&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hongkongfp.com%2F2019%2F03%2F14%2Forganisation-islamic-cooperation-commends-china-treatment-muslims%2F

            Last month, Turkey became the first Muslim nation to publicly criticise China over its policies in Xinjiang. The Turkish foreign ministry spokesperson said: “The systematic assimilation policy of Chinese authorities towards Uighur Turks is a great embarrassment for humanity.”

            https://www.hongkongfp.com/2019/03/14/organisation-islamic-cooperation-commends-china-treatment-muslims/

            This all happened back in March 2019, things have changed since then…. JS

            • Cinny 1.1.2.1.1.1
              18 January 2020 at 9:18 am

              The letter by members of the OIC came as a direct response of the condemnation of other nations against China and their treatment of the Uyghur. Why would the OIC react how it did?

              Quite a few OIC members are part of China's mega-project, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Where business interests are concerned, these Muslim countries have their economic future tied up with China, the second global superpower.

              Let's unpack that a little bit…..

              Egypt, is heavily dependent on Chinese aid, investments, and tourists. China has invested more than $20 billion in Egypt in recent years. The China State Engineering Corporation has been contracted to build 20 towers in New Cairo, including what is billed as the tallest tower in Africa, in a separate contract. The Chinese conglomerate TEDA-Suez is expanding its industrial zone near the Red Sea port of Ain Sokhna. – They won't criticise China.

              As it is China is the biggest importer of oil on the planet, I doubt that any Muslim countries exporting oil would criticise China for fear of missing out on $$$$

              China now calls Pakistan its “iron brother”; China is its main weapons supplier, as well as Pakistan’s preferred training partner for complex military exercises, including the use of modern technology for air battle. If Pakistan had dared to criticise the treatment of the Uyghurs, it could have lost its most important arms supplier, and military ally.

              All of this happened around March 2019, things have changed since then.

        • Brigid 1.1.2.2
          17 January 2020 at 7:19 pm

          The 'China Cables', if you'd care to read them don't declare intentional abuse of members of these camps.

          It shows that even the ICIJ is into propagandising, which is unfortunate.

          • Cinny 1.1.2.2.1
            18 January 2020 at 9:39 am

            The 'China Cables', if you'd care to read them don't declare intentional abuse of members of these camps.

            What a load of rubbish. In fact, the China Cables exposes the extent of brainwashing and manipulation carried out by the Chinese Government towards the Uyghur's.

            More over Brigid you say that the ICIJ are propagandising the situation… dang, the propaganda comes from Beijing not the ICIJ.

            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrTln_0Xw4w

  2. Mark 2
    17 January 2020 at 9:46 am

    Just googled them:

    Freedom House is a U.S.-based 501 U.S. government-funded non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom, and human rights.

    It is these sort of fuckers who provide the ideological grist for immense suffering around the world, from Iraq, Libya, Vietnam, Ukraine etc…..and now trying it on with China through their ISIS mates.
    https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-mideast-crisis-syria-china/syria-says-up-to-5000-chinese-uighurs-fighting-in-militant-groups-idUSKBN1840UP

    Remember: the US killed a million Muslims in Iraq alone.

    • mickysavage 2.1
      17 January 2020 at 10:50 am

      I would not be so hard on them. They say this about the US political system:

      "US FREEDOM IN DECLINE

      The great challenges facing US democracy did not commence with the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Intensifying political polarization, declining economic mobility, the outsized influence of special interests, and the diminished influence of fact-based reporting in favor of bellicose partisan media were all problems afflicting the health of American democracy well before 2017. Previous presidents have contributed to the pressure on our system by infringing on the rights of American citizens. Surveillance programs such as the bulk collection of communications metadata, initially undertaken by the George W. Bush administration, and the Obama administration’s overzealous crackdown on press leaks are two cases in point.

      At the midpoint of his term, however, there remains little question that President Trump exerts an influence on American politics that is straining our core values and testing the stability of our constitutional system. No president in living memory has shown less respect for its tenets, norms, and principles. Trump has assailed essential institutions and traditions including the separation of powers, a free press, an independent judiciary, the impartial delivery of justice, safeguards against corruption, and most disturbingly, the legitimacy of elections. Congress, a coequal branch of government, has too frequently failed to push back against these attacks with meaningful oversight and other defenses."

      https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/freedom-world-2019/democracy-in-retreat

    • mickysavage 2.2
      17 January 2020 at 10:51 am

      They also say this about Australia:

      "Similarly, punitive approaches to immigration are resulting in human rights abuses by democracies—such as Australia’s indefinite confinement of seaborne migrants in squalid camps on the remote island of Nauru, the separation of migrant children from their detained parents by the United States, or the detention of migrants by Libyan militias at the behest of Italy—that in turn offer excuses for more aggressive policies towards migrants and refugees elsewhere in the world. Populist politicians’ appeals to “unique” or “traditional” national values in democracies threaten the protection of individual rights as a universal value, which allows authoritarian states to justify much more egregious human rights violations. And by unilaterally assailing international institutions like the United Nations or the International Criminal Court without putting forward serious alternatives, antiliberal governments weaken the capacity of the international system to constrain the behavior of China and other authoritarian powers."

    • Enough is Enough 2.3
      17 January 2020 at 12:10 pm

      Yes. Its distressing how some people promote US government funded reports if that report is critical of their political opponent.

      The US is the biggest exporter of death and destruction. They have no standing to be critical of New Zealanders

      • RedLogix 2.3.1
        17 January 2020 at 1:04 pm

        The US is the biggest exporter of death and destruction.

        Yet oddly enough the era since WW2 in which the USA has been 'exporting death and destruction' has seen the most dramatic expansion of prosperity and reduction in war in all of human history.

        Quite the little paradox really.

        • Mark 2.3.1.1
          17 January 2020 at 2:29 pm

          A lot of things are paradoxical. Life is like that.

          I'd say the decolonisation process, the Soviet Union, and the success of the Chinese revolution contributed enormously to this process.

          Yes, US and Western inventions and science have been a great boon for humanity. The average life expectancy of even the poorest countries is at least as high as what it was in the West only a little more than a century ago. But it was the October revolution which allowed these gains to flow on to non-Western humanity.

          All of this does not gainsay the fact as expressed by the contributor above: "The US is the biggest exporter of death and destruction. "

          • RedLogix 2.3.1.1.1
            17 January 2020 at 2:37 pm

            But it was the October revolution which allowed these gains to flow on to non-Western humanity

            Sighs … you really believe that don't you. As an apologist for greatest mass murderer in all of modern history, you have no standing to be critical of anything. Period.

            • Mark 2.3.1.1.1.1
              17 January 2020 at 2:47 pm

              Mao: hugely popular in China https://bit.ly/2TCRN8e

              Stalin: hugely popular in Russia https://bit.ly/2TvsUeM

              Case closed.

              • RedLogix …
                17 January 2020 at 2:54 pm

                If Stalin and Mao's 'achievements outweigh their mistakes' then logically you'll have no problem embracing the USA and the wider Western world with an even greater warmth and enthusiasm.

                • Mark …
                  17 January 2020 at 4:31 pm

                  Yup, sure. No problem. After all Marx, Engels, and Lenin, and Marxism Leninism are a product of the West. As are Newton, Beethoven, Brahms, and Edison.

                  Having an issue with Western imperialism is not the same as being anti-Western civilization. For example you obviously have an issue with what you would call Chinese ‘imperialism’ (although I would argue there really is no such thing). Yet you may well not hate Chinese culture and people in a wider sense. There is no inconsistency in that

              • OnceWasTim …
                17 January 2020 at 6:07 pm

                "Case closed."

                End of story then eh? No more discussion to be had! You're right, Red Logix's wrong!, that's it – no more to be said!

                TTFN then. Stand down

              • Andre …
                17 January 2020 at 6:18 pm

                Survivorship bias is a fascinating thing.

                • Mark …
                  17 January 2020 at 6:39 pm

                  Yeah, you are in fact correct….cause more people survived (proportionally speaking) under Mao than at any other time before in Chinese history, and in any other developing country of his time.

                  So if you were to choose any developing country to be born back in 1950, your best bet to survive to adulthood would be China.

                  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4331212/

  3. Mark 3
    17 January 2020 at 11:09 am

    Of course they have to appear fair and balanced. They are not dumb. They will offer mild criticism of Western countries in order to strengthen their credibility when it comes to attacking countries they really don’t like, like China and Russia and Iran.

    They obviously promote an agenda that is targetted at states that have different political systems from the US and are thereby less compliant. Eg. And by unilaterally assailing international institutions like the United Nations or the International Criminal Court without putting forward serious alternatives, antiliberal governments weaken the capacity of the international system to constrain the behavior of China and other authoritarian powers."

    Obviously they critique Western powers in the same way that many communists critique countries like China for not being communist enough, or how some pro-China individuals critique China for being too soft on the HK rioters.

    In the end Freedom House provides the ideological architecture for neo-conservatism. In the end they are funded by the US government

    • gsays 3.1
      17 January 2020 at 12:11 pm

      So that is about the messenger, what do you make of the message?

      A National party polly, repeating the CCP line about 'vocational training centres'.

      The National party leader meeting with, amongst others, the head of secret police. A trip that was not organised by the relevant department. Meetings which have no notes available.

      All this adds credence to JLR's accusation of dodgy practices in regards to big donations being 'handled'.

      Yes Uncle Sam has killed millions, does that mean it's OK?

  4. Sanctuary 4
    17 January 2020 at 11:43 am

    The Soviet Union funded communist parties in order to try and further their influence.

    The Chinese Communist Party simply bribes the greediest and least principled political party. And that party is inevitably on the right.

  5. Cinny 5
    17 January 2020 at 2:28 pm

    Excellent post Micky.

    With all the morning news shows starting this week, surely they will ask simon some serious questions about nationals relationship with china.

  6. Mark 6
    17 January 2020 at 2:34 pm

    There is nothing to it. Otherwise NZ First, the Greens, and Labour would be making a huge noise about it.

    Rich people make donations to political parties all the time. Not something I like. But nothing illegal has happened. There is no evidence of bribery. And Western leaders meet with opposition figures from other countries all the time.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9Modr_sVr0

    And with NZs active involvement in 5 eyes, mainly designed to contain China, is China really so evil to want to maximise ‘influence’ whatever that means?

  7. Dennis Frank 7
    17 January 2020 at 7:08 pm

    Todd ought to get more serious about the meaning of vocational training. Xi has broadened his mind by doing on location research into the meaning of literary sources used in American education. "To better grasp the meaning of The Old Man and the Sea, Xi traveled to Ernest Hemingway’s favorite bar in Havana."

    Such dedication to meaning is rather impressive, and it has informed Xi's foreign policy. https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/11/21/xi-jinping-china-communist-party-francois-bougon/

    So Todd ought to form an acolyte relationship to his guru and emulate his method. Could make him the Nat leader. Spraying literary references around would bamboozle and therefore seriously impress his caucus colleagues. Vocational training!

    "Xi Jinping is a Chinese renaissance man. Self-assured, self-possessed, and utterly unflappable, Xi is equally at home on the hearths of struggling farmers and in the greeting halls of foreign capitals. State media likes to juxtapose the years he spent in the caves of Shaanxi with the days he spent governing Shanghai’s glittering towers. Here is a man as men should be: a leader who can grasp both the plow and the bond market!"

    Being able to function as a bridge between working man and trading man like Xi would also enhance Todd's standing. Not many can bring capitalists and workers together.

    "But Xi is also eager to present himself as a man of the future. He revels in touring laboratories and centers of scientific innovation. He dabbles in complexity science and has tried to integrate its findings into Chinese Communist Party policies."

    Mastering the science of complexity and demonstrating how it enables folks to comprehend climate change would make Todd so much of a front-runner as leadership contender that competitors would give up in collective funk, retreating to the back of the room to chew their fingernails. Simon would be bewildered (as usual) but he now knows that grinning whenever possible is an effective cover. Fun times ahead.

  8. mosa 8
    17 January 2020 at 7:20 pm

    McClay is nothing more than a chinese mouthpiece and front for donated dirty money too the Waitemata trust too ensure Chinese influence is kept under the radar.

    The Nasty Natz threw away any affiliation with the country they claim too be working for and its best interests of real kiwis when they put out their hand and accepted foreign funds and the consequences that come with the acceptance of that money.

    They i am sure did not give it a second thought.

  9. Fireblade 9
    17 January 2020 at 8:48 pm

    Chairman Bridges and the Nats love the Communist Party of China and their money.

    Here's Simon on state-owned CGTN television whoring himself to the Chinese government.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tFiaz4A9Ys

  10. Mark 10
    17 January 2020 at 10:33 pm

    FREEDOM HOUSE SUPPORTED THE INVASION OF IRAQ

    Here is there statement on the invasion, from March 2003

    https://freedomhouse.org/article/freedom-house-statement-iraq-war

    So an organisation that supported a war that resulted in the deaths of at least 1 million Muslims, now sheds crocodile tears over the apparent impact of China's anti-terror efforts on Xinjiang muslims?

    The 'Freedom House' report has less worth and credibility than a piece of used bog paper.

    • Incognito 10.1
      17 January 2020 at 11:13 pm

      Let’s try comparing apples with apples, shall we?

      May 20, 2004

      Members of the Board of Trustees of Freedom House sent a letter to President Bush today urging him to take action to make "immediate systemic changes" to prevent any future abuse of detainees under U.S. authority. The Administration should expedite investigations and should do so with an "openness that will demonstrate anew America's commitment to the rule of law and democracy." A copy of the letter and list of signatories is listed below.

      https://freedomhouse.org/article/president-bush-urged-prevent-future-abuse-detainees

      And while I have your attention, you are doing a great job creating diversions and downplaying China’s attempt to gain influence in politics in NZ through the National Party, among many other avenues that they are actively pursuing, but you might want to address the other points raised in the OP and in comment 3.1.

  11. Mark 11
    17 January 2020 at 11:59 pm

    Apples with Apples? Ok the US has killed a million Muslims in the past two decades. China most emphatically has not. The fact that Freedom House after outright supporting the invasion, makes a statement that they could not avoid making means jack shit. Oh, its OK to invade and bomb the shit out of a sovereign country – just don’t torture the prisoners. What a pathetically low and easy bar for Western powers to clear. FFS in China there is open criticism of abuse by police etc.

    The fact is the US is the most egregious abuser of human rights in the world today, with an imprisonment rate for example, that is about 6 or 7 times that of China's

    Now about the Chinese attempt to gain influence in politics etc in NZ, neither you nor I know whats going on. We have the security services and the government who we trust to do a good job in protecting NZs interests.

    But whatever China is doing in terms of influence peddling, it is what all countries do. Why single out the Chinese for their attempts at influence, when the US influence is about 100 times more – we are part of 5 eyes for heavens sake – surely that makes us a target for those targetted by 5 eyes and the 'pivot to Asia'

    Of course the worst peacetime act against NZ by a foreign power was the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior – by a fellow 'democracy'.

    So based on history and the current facts, we should be looking at US influence and French influence with far greater scrutiny. But of course it is the uppity Chinese everyone focuses their attention on —-because they are Chinese.

    Now again, Freedom House is US govt funded. You got that through your head yet?

    • Incognito 11.1
      18 January 2020 at 12:31 am

      OMG, you forgot to mention her e-mails.

      Of course, Freedom House is a covert black-ops by the US Government to undermine the Dems but so are Fox News and Cambridge Analytica, not to mention Twitter. FFS!

      Look, it’s crystal clear that you’re rooting for the PRC and that you won’t make a genuine attempt to address the points raised in the OP.

      Did anybody say that we’re happy with the US influence here? Strawman.

      Gulf War and 2003 invasion of Iraq. Both strawmen.

      Rainbow Warrior. Strawman.

      French influence (you mean the RWC or hors d'oeuvres?). Strawman.

      Et cetera. More strawmen.

      You’re heading for the nearest Exit if you keep walking straight ahead, Mark. In fact, you have already called your taxi.

  12. adam 12
    18 January 2020 at 12:26 am

    The irony of Inner Mongolia Rider Horse Industry (NZ) Ltd – is the way the CCP teats Mongolians born in China.

    Stealing land, messing up water, killing grazing land, forcing them into cities. You know, the usual from statist authoritarian muppets.

    https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/chinese-police-hold-another-ethnic-mongolian-writer-04162019113037.html

  13. Mark 13
    18 January 2020 at 12:35 am

    Why does the NZ left like you Adam, seem to treat US propaganda outlets as being the authoritative version of everything that happens in non-Western countries:

    "Radio Free Asia (RFA) is a United States government-funded, nonprofit international broadcasting corporation that broadcasts and publishes"

    Do you think they are ever going to write something positive about non-Western countries that don't toe the line of Uncle Sam?

    You are so brainwashed, Adam, that you automatically assume anything put out by Uncle Sam must be true….time you grew up

    • Incognito 13.1
      18 January 2020 at 12:48 am

      You are so brainwashed, Adam, that you automatically assume anything put out by Uncle Sam must be true….time you grew up

      Keep walking, Mark, your taxi is pulling up outside.

  14. Mark 14
    18 January 2020 at 12:57 am

    hahahah…Adam, do you ever read anything that is not pre-approved by your american masters? Quoting Radio Free Asia as gospel ffs!

    Perhaps Chinese influence has an upside,….countering US lies and numnuts like you who fall for those lies.

    [Bye, Mark. I hope you enjoyed our hospitality on this site and appreciated the freedom to express your opinions. Unfortunately, you could not handle that freedom and created diversions galore, downplayed issues raised in the OP, and started mocking and insulting another commenter and accusing him of being a puppet. Banned for two months – Incognito]

  15. Andre 15
    18 January 2020 at 5:59 am

    Early strong front-runner for TS irony of the decade in these comments from Mark bashing adam.

  16. corodale 16
    18 January 2020 at 10:27 am

    Exoterically speaking China are repressive, and it´s not worth arguing with the MSM.

    Esoterically speaking, China are being pragmatic, the muslim counties (where welcomed to inspect it) didn´t support the witch hunt, because China´s policy was more humane that the western policy of driving marginal muslim populations into the middle east, so they can be shot at like rats in an empty oil barrel.

    Interesting to see National with such strong hedging on China, but Nats will be comfortable with 3 more years in opposition, watching the middle class shrink and pretending Labour are to blame.

    Expect the random neck and bowel movements from National MPs to remain the norm.

  17. Incognito 17
    18 January 2020 at 11:42 am

    Nothing is coincidental in (geo-)politics.

    Safe and sound? China launches propaganda blitz to discredit Uyghur #StillNoInfo campaign

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-18/safe-and-sound-china-propaganda-undercuts-xinjiang-uyghur/11865648

    • Dennis Frank 17.1
      18 January 2020 at 12:47 pm

      "Senior analyst Sarah Cook, who authored a report, told the ABC that a key tactic of the CCP was to sprinkle in elements of truth to add a hint of authenticity."

      Binary folk get baffled. "Hey, I thought it was either truth or fake news! What's going on??" To the white, grey is black. To the black, grey is white.

      Devil in the details, & the regime is using a devilish method of propaganda. Since binary folk are the majority, it could work. Like spicing up food. Scatter elements of truth on top of the compulsory meal.

      • Incognito 17.1.1
        18 January 2020 at 1:05 pm

        The binary is both implicit and explicit: do you believe the propaganda or the counter-propaganda?

        • Dennis Frank 17.1.1.1
          18 January 2020 at 1:20 pm

          A very good question if rhetorical! Tests the capacity for transcendence and self-transformation. I dealt with that (mid-'80s) by acquiring the integral view.

          Applied holism facilitates the integration of world views or belief systems & postmodernism helps. Once you conceive that polarised groups or communities contain elements of good on both sides, you have a sound basis upon which to proceed. A facilitator would set up a dialogue by asking each how they propose to produce peaceful coexistence as a win/win outcome.

          Xi is already on record as supporting win/win design in foreign policy, so cite him! Thus drawing both sides out of their comfort zone, detaching them from their respective entrenched positions, require them to acknowledge the needs of the opposition. From that point (if both do) it's just negotiation.

  18. Bob James 18
    18 January 2020 at 4:07 pm

    What is particularly troubling to me is why the Labour Party (and the Greens and NZ First) are doing hardly anything about this. There is a deafening silence.

    Why the heck are they not raising a huge public clamour, particularly around Jian Yang, and making political hay out of it, as they would with any other issue. Most New Zealanders would utterly oppose undue influence from the totalitarian Chinese dictatorship, and any party who wanted to, could get political mileage out of making it a big issue. But no one seems willing to pick up the ball.

    In fact the duty to point this out belongs not so much to National (who can only be expected to protect their own), but to the other political parties.

    So it comes down it, either:

    *all NZ political parties, and the intelligence services, and NZ Immigration are equally compromised and utterly corrupted by the CCP, or

    *there is nothing really to it all, and the danger from the CCP is being over-cooked

    I’d go with the first.

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    Brian’s god spoke to him. He, for of course the Lord in Tamaki’s mind was a male god, with a mighty rod, and probably some black leathers. He, told Brian - “you must put a stop to all this love, hope, and kindness”. And it did please the Brian.He said ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 hours ago

  • Labour cuts $50m from cycleway spending
    Labour is cutting spending on cycling infrastructure while still trying to claim the higher ground on climate. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Labour Government released a climate manifesto this week to try to claim the high ground against National, despite having ignored the Climate Commission’s advice to toughen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 hours ago

  • The Greater Of Two Evils.
    Not Labour: If you’re out to punish the government you once loved, then the last thing you need is to be shown evidence that the opposition parties are much, much worse.THE GREATEST VIRTUE of being the Opposition is not being the Government. Only very rarely is an opposition party elected ...
    Bowalley Road
    4 hours ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #39 2023
    Open access notables "Net zero is only a distraction— we just have to end fossil fuel emissions." The latter is true but the former isn't, or  not in the real world as it's likely to be in the immediate future. And "just" just doesn't enter into it; we don't have ...
    Skeptical Science
    14 hours ago

  • Chris Trotter: Losing the Left
    IN THE CURRENT MIX of electoral alternatives, there is no longer a credible left-wing party. Not when “a credible left-wing party” is defined as: a class-oriented, mass-based, democratically-structured political organisation; dedicated to promoting ideas sharply critical of laissez-faire capitalism; and committed to advancing democratic, egalitarian and emancipatory ideals across the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    16 hours ago

  • Road rage at Kia Kaha Primary School
    It is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha Primary School!It can be any time when you are telling a story.Telling stories about things that happened in the past is how we learn from our mistakes.If we want to.Anyway, it is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    18 hours ago

  • Road rage at Kia Kaha Primary School
    It is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha Primary School!It can be any time when you are telling a story.Telling stories about things that happened in the past is how we learn from our mistakes.If we want to.Anyway, it is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    18 hours ago

  • Road rage at Kia Kaha Primary School
    It is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha Primary School!It can be any time when you are telling a story.Telling stories about things that happened in the past is how we learn from our mistakes.If we want to.Anyway, it is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha ...
    More than a fieldingBy David Slack
    18 hours ago

  • Hipkins fires up in leaders’ debate, but has the curtain already fallen on the Labour-led coalitio...
    Labour’s  Chris Hipkins came out firing, in the  leaders’ debate  on Newshub’s evening programme, and most of  the pundits  rated  him the winner against National’s  Christopher Luxon. But will this make any difference when New  Zealanders  start casting their ballots? The problem  for  Hipkins is  that  voters are  all too ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    19 hours ago

  • Govt is energising housing projects with solar power – and fuelling the public’s concept of a di...
    Buzz from the Beehive  Not long after Point of Order published data which show the substantial number of New Zealanders (77%) who believe NZ is becoming more divided, government ministers were braying about a programme which distributes some money to “the public” and some to “Maori”. The ministers were dishing ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    19 hours ago

  • MIKE GRIMSHAW: Election 2023 – a totemic & charisma failure?
    The D&W analysis Michael Grimshaw writes –  Given the apathy, disengagement, disillusionment, and all-round ennui of this year’s general election, it was considered time to bring in those noted political operatives and spin doctors D&W, the long-established consultancy firm run by Emile Durkheim and Max Weber. Known for ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    21 hours ago

  • FROM BFD: Will Winston be the spectre we think?
    Kissy kissy. Cartoon credit BoomSlang. The BFD. JC writes-  Allow me to preface this contribution with the following statement: If I were asked to express a preference between a National/ACT coalition or a National/ACT/NZF coalition then it would be the former. This week Luxon declared his position, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    22 hours ago

  • California’s climate disclosure bill could have a huge impact across the U.S.
    This re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Andy Furillo was originally published by Capital & Main and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The California Legislature took a step last week that has the potential to accelerate the fight against climate ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 day ago

  • Untangling South East Queensland’s Public Transport
    This is a cross post Adventures in Transitland by Darren Davis. I recently visited Brisbane and South East Queensland and came away both impressed while also pondering some key changes to make public transport even better in the region. Here goes with my take on things. A bit of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    1 day ago

  • Try A Little Kindness.
    My daughter arrived home from the supermarket yesterday and she seemed a bit worried about something. It turned out she wanted to know if someone could get her bank number from a receipt.We wound the story back.She was in the store and there was a man there who was distressed, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago

  • What makes NZFirst tick
    New Zealand’s longest-running political roadshow rolled into Opotiki yesterday, with New Zealand First leader Winston Peters knowing another poll last night showed he would make it back to Parliament and National would need him and his party if they wanted to form a government. The Newshub Reid Research poll ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago

  • September AMA
    Hi,As September draws to a close — I feel it’s probably time to do an Ask Me Anything. You know how it goes: If you have any burning questions, fire away in the comments and I will do my best to answer. You might have questions about Webworm, or podcast ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 day ago

  • Bludgers lying in the scratcher making fools of us all
    The mediocrity who stands to be a Prime Minister has a litany.He uses it a bit like a Koru Lounge card. He will brandish it to say: these people are eligible. And more than that, too: These people are deserving. They have earned this policy.They have a right to this policy. What ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • More “partnerships” (by the look of it) and redress of over $30 million in Treaty settlement wit...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point of Order has waited until now – 3.45pm – for today’s officially posted government announcements.  There have been none. The only addition to the news on the Beehive’s website was posted later yesterday, after we had published our September 26 Buzz report. It came from ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • ALEX HOLLAND: Labour’s spending
    Alex Holland writes –  In 2017 when Labour came to power, crown spending was $76 billion per year. Now in 2023 it is $139 billion per year, which equates to a $63 billion annual increase (over $1 billion extra spend every week!) In 2017, New Zealand’s government debt ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • If not now, then when?
    Labour released its fiscal plan today, promising the same old, same old: "responsibility", balanced books, and of course no new taxes: "Labour will maintain income tax settings to provide consistency and certainty in these volatile times. Now is not the time for additional taxes or to promise billions of ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • THE FACTS:  77% of Kiwis believe NZ is becoming more divided
    The Facts has posted –        KEY INSIGHTSOf New Zealander’s polled: Social unity/division 77%believe NZ is becoming more divided (42% ‘much more’ + 35% ‘a little more’) 3%believe NZ is becoming less divided (1% ‘much less’ + 2% ‘a little less’) ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the cynical brutality of the centre-right’s welfare policies
    The centre-right’s enthusiasm for forcing people off the benefit and into paid work is matched only by the enthusiasm (shared by Treasury and the Reserve Bank) for throwing people out of paid work to curb inflation, and achieve the optimal balance of workers to job seekers deemed to be desirable ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    2 days ago

  • Wednesday’s Chorus: Arthur Grimes on why building many, many more social houses is so critical
    New research shows that tenants in social housing - such as these Wellington apartments - are just as happy as home owners and much happier than private tenants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The election campaign took an ugly turn yesterday, and in completely the wrong direction. All three ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Old habits
    Media awareness about global warming and climate change has grown fairly steadily since 2004. My impression is that journalists today tend to possess a higher climate literacy than before. This increasing awareness and improved knowledge is encouraging, but there are also some common interpretations which could be more nuanced. ...
    Real ClimateBy rasmus
    2 days ago

  • Bennie Bashing.
    If there’s one thing the mob loves more than keeping Māori in their place, more than getting tough on the gangs, maybe even more than tax cuts. It’s a good old round of beneficiary bashing.Are those meanies in the ACT party stealing your votes because they think David Seymour is ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • The kindest cuts
    Labour kicks off the fiscal credibility battle today with the release of its fiscal plan. National is expected to follow, possibly as soon as Thursday, with its own plan, which may (or may not) address the large hole that the problems with its foreign buyers’ ban might open up. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • Green right turn in Britain? Well, a start
    While it may be unlikely to register in New Zealand’s general election, Britain’s PM Rishi Sunak has done something which might just be important in the long run. He’s announced a far-reaching change in his Conservative government’s approach to environmental, and particularly net zero, policy. The starting point – ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    2 days ago

  • At a glance – How do human CO2 emissions compare to natural CO2 emissions?
    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
    3 days ago

  • How could this happen?
    Canada is in uproar after the exposure that its parliament on September 22 provided a standing ovation to a Nazi veteran who had been invited into the chamber to participate in the parliamentary welcome to Ukrainian President Zelensky. Yaroslav Hunka, 98, a Ukrainian man who volunteered for service in ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    3 days ago

  • Always Be Campaigning
    The big screen is a great place to lay out the ways of the salesman. He comes ready-made for Panto, ripe for lampooning.This is not to disparage that life. I have known many good people of that kind. But there is a type, brazen as all get out. The camera ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • STEPHEN FRANKS: Press seek to publicly shame doctor – we must push back
    The following is a message sent yesterday from lawyer Stephen Franks on behalf of the Free Speech Union. I don’t like to interrupt first thing Monday morning, but we’ve just become aware of a case where we think immediate and overwhelming attention could help turn the tide. It involves someone ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Competing on cruelty
    The right-wing message calendar is clearly reading "cruelty" today, because both National and NZ First have released beneficiary-bashing policies. National is promising a "traffic light" system to police and kick beneficiaries, which will no doubt be accompanied by arbitrary internal targets to classify people as "orange" or "red" to keep ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • Further funding for Pharmac (forgotten in the Budget?) looks like a $1bn appeal from a PM in need of...
    Buzz from the Beehive One Labour plan  – for 3000 more public homes by 2025 – is the most recent to be posted on the government’s official website. Another – a prime ministerial promise of more funding for Pharmac – has been released as a Labour Party press statement. Who ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: The Vested interests shaping National Party policies
    As the National Party gets closer to government, lobbyists and business interests will be lining up for influence and to get policies adopted. It’s therefore in the public interest to have much more scrutiny and transparency about potential conflicts of interests that might arise. One of the key individuals of ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Labour may be on way out of power and NZ First back in – but will Peters go into coalition with Na...
    Voters  are deserting Labour in droves, despite Chris  Hipkins’  valiant  rearguard  action.  So  where  are they  heading?  Clearly  not all of them are going to vote National, which concedes that  the  outcome  will be “close”. To the Right of National, the ACT party just a  few weeks  ago  was ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    3 days ago

  • GRAHAM ADAMS: Will the racists please stand up?
    Accusations of racism by journalists and MPs are being called out. Graham Adams writes –    With the election less than three weeks away, what co-governance means in practice — including in water management, education, planning law and local government — remains largely obscure. Which is hardly ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on whether Winston Peters can be a moderating influence
    As the centre-right has (finally!) been subjected to media interrogation, the polls are indicating that some voters may be starting to have second thoughts about the wisdom of giving National and ACT the power to govern alone. That’s why yesterday’s Newshub/Reid Research poll had the National/ACT combo dropping to 60 ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    3 days ago

  • Tuesday’s Chorus: RBNZ set to rain on National's victory parade
    ANZ has increased its forecast for house inflation later this year on signs of growing momentum in the market ahead of the election. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: National has campaigned against the Labour Government’s record on inflation and mortgage rates, but there’s now a growing chance the Reserve ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • After a Pittsburgh coal processing plant closed, ER visits plummeted
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Katie Myers. This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. Pittsburgh, in its founding, was blessed and cursed with two abundant natural resources: free-flowing rivers and a nearby coal seam. ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • September-23 AT Board Meeting
    Today the AT board meet again and once again I’ve taken a look at what’s on the agenda to find the most interesting items. Closed Agenda Interestingly when I first looked at the agendas this paper was there but at the time of writing this post it had been ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Electorate Watch: West Coast-Tasman
    Continuing my series on interesting electorates, today it’s West Coast-Tasman.A long thin electorate running down the northern half of the west coast of the South Island. Think sand flies, beautiful landscapes, lots of rain, Pike River, alternative lifestylers, whitebaiting, and the spiritual home of the Labour Party. A brief word ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Big money brings Winston back
    National leader Christopher Luxon yesterday morning conceded it and last night’s Newshub poll confirmed it; Winston Peters and NZ First are not only back but highly likely to be part of the next government. It is a remarkable comeback for a party that was tossed out of Parliament in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago

  • 20 days until Election Day, 7 until early voting begins… but what changes will we really see here?
    As this blogger, alongside many others, has already posited in another forum: we all know the National Party’s “budget” (meaning this concept of even adding up numbers properly is doing a lot of heavy, heavy lifting right now) is utter and complete bunk (read hung, drawn and quartered and ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    4 days ago

  • A night out
    Everyone was asking, Are you nervous? and my response was various forms of God, yes.I've written more speeches than I can count; not much surprises me when the speaker gets to their feet and the room goes quiet.But a play? Never.YOU CAME! THANK YOU! Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • A pallid shade of Green III
    Clearly Labour's focus groups are telling it that it needs to pay more attention to climate change - because hot on the heels of their weaksauce energy efficiency pilot programme and not-great-but-better-than-nothing solar grants, they've released a full climate manifesto. Unfortunately, the core policies in it - a second Emissions ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago

  • A coalition of racism, cruelty, and chaos
    Today's big political news is that after months of wibbling, National's Chris Luxon has finally confirmed that he is willing to work with Winston Peters to become Prime Minister. Which is expected, but I guess it tells us something about which way the polls are going. Which raises the question: ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago

  • More migrant workers should help generate the tax income needed to provide benefits for job seekers
    Buzz from the Beehive Under something described as a “rebalance” of its immigration rules, the Government has adopted four of five recommendations made in an independent review released in July, The fifth, which called on the government to specify criteria for out-of-hours compliance visits similar to those used during ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • Letter To Luxon.
    Some of you might know Gerard Otto (G), and his G News platform. This morning he wrote a letter to Christopher Luxon which I particularly enjoyed, and with his agreement I’m sharing it with you in this guest newsletter.If you’d like to make a contribution to support Gerard’s work you ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • LINDSAY MITCHELL: Alarming trend in benefit numbers
    Lindsay Mitchell writes –  While there will not be another quarterly release of benefit numbers prior to the election, limited weekly reporting continues and is showing an alarming trend. Because there is a seasonal component to benefit number fluctuations it is crucial to compare like with like. In ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • BRIAN EASTON: Has there been external structural change?
    A close analysis of the Treasury assessment of the Medium Term in its PREFU 2023 suggests the economy may be entering a new phase.   Brian Easton writes –  Last week I explained that the forecasts in the just published Treasury Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU 2023) was ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • CRL Progress – Sep-23
    It’s been a while since we looked at the latest with the City Rail Link and there’s been some fantastic milestones recently. To start with, and most recently, CRL have released an awesome video showing a full fly-through of one of the tunnels. Come fly with us! You asked for ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    4 days ago

  • Monday’s Chorus: Not building nearly enough
    We are heading into another period of fast population growth without matching increased home building or infrastructure investment.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Labour and National detailed their house building and migration approaches over the weekend, with both pledging fast population growth policies without enough house building or infrastructure investment ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • Game on; Hipkins comes out punching
    Labour leader Chris Hipkins yesterday took the gloves off and laid into National and its leader Christopher Luxon. For many in Labour – and particularly for some at the top of the caucus and the party — it would not have been a moment too soon. POLITIK is aware ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago

  • Tax Cut Austerity Blues.
    The leaders have had their go, they’ve told us the “what?” and the “why?” of their promises. Now it’s the turn of the would be Finance Ministers to tell us the “how?”, the “how much?”, and the “when?”A chance for those competing for the second most powerful job in the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • MIKE GRIMSHAW:  It’s the economy – and the spirit – Stupid…
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Over the past 30-odd years it’s become almost an orthodoxy to blame or invoke neoliberalism for the failures of New Zealand society. On the left the usual response goes something like, neoliberalism is the cause of everything that’s gone wrong and the answer ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #38
    A chronological listing of news and opinion articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Sep 17, 2023 thru Sat, Sep 23, 2023. Story of the Week  Opinion: Let’s free ourselves from the story of economic growth A relentless focus on economic growth has ushered in ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • The End Of The World.
    Have you been looking out of your window for signs of the apocalypse? Don’t worry, you haven’t been door knocked by a representative of the Brian Tamaki party. They’re probably a bit busy this morning spruiking salvation, or getting ready to march on our parliament, which is closed. No, I’ve ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • Climate Town: The Brainwashing Of America's Children
    Climate Town is the YouTube channel of Rollie Williams and a ragtag team of climate communicators, creatives and comedians. They examine climate change in a way that doesn’t make you want to eat a cyanide pill. Get informed about the climate crisis before the weather does it for you. The latest ...
    Skeptical Science
    7 days ago

  • Has There Been External Structural Change?
    A close analysis of the Treasury assessment of the Medium Term in its PREFU 2023 suggests the economy may be entering a new phase. Last week I explained that the forecasts in the just published Treasury Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU 2023) was similar to the May Budget BEFU, ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    7 days ago

  • Another Labour bully
    Back in June, we learned that Kiri Allan was a Parliamentary bully. And now there's another one: Labour MP Shanan Halbert: The Labour Party was alerted to concerns about [Halbert's] alleged behaviour a year ago but because staffers wanted to remain anonymous, no formal process was undertaken [...] The ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago

  • Climate Change: Ignoring our biggest problem
    Its that time in the election season where the status quo parties are busy accusing each other of having fiscal holes in a desperate effort to appear more "responsible" (but not, you understand, by promising to tax wealth or land to give the government the revenue it needs to do ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago

  • JERRY COYNE: A good summary of the mess that is science education in New Zealand
    JERRY COYNE writes –  If you want to see what the government of New Zealand is up to with respect to science education, you can’t do better than listening to this video/slideshow by two exponents of the “we-need-two-knowledge-systems” view. I’ve gotten a lot of scary stuff from Kiwi ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 days ago

  • Good news on the GDP front is accompanied by news of a $5m govt boost for Supercars (but what about ...
    Buzz from the Beehive First, we were treated to the news (from Finance Minister Grant Robertson) that the economy has turned a corner and New Zealand never was in recession.  This was triggered by statistics which showed the economy expanded 0.9 per cent in the June quarter, twice as much as ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  • The Scafetta Saga
    It has taken 17 months to get a comment published pointing out the obvious errors in the Scafetta (2022) paper in GRL. Back in March 2022, Nicola Scafetta published a short paper in Geophysical Research Letters (GRL) purporting to show through ‘advanced’ means that ‘all models with ECS > ...
    Real ClimateBy Gavin
    7 days ago

  • Friday's Chorus: Penny wise and pound foolish
    TL;DR: In the middle of a climate emergency and in a city prone to earthquakes, Victoria University of Wellington announced yesterday it would stop teaching geophysics, geographic information science and physical geography to save $22 million a year and repay debt. Climate change damage in Aotearoa this year is already ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    7 days ago

  • CHRIS TROTTER: Calling the big dog’s bluff
      For nearly thirty years the pundits have been telling the minor parties that they must be good little puppies and let the big dogs decide. The parties with a plurality of the votes cast must be allowed to govern – even if that means ignoring the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 days ago

  • The electorate swing, Labour limbo and Luxon-Hipkins two-step
     Another poll, another 27 for Labour. It was July the last time one of the reputable TV company polls had Labour's poll percentage starting with a three, so the limbo question is now being asked: how low can you go?It seems such an unlikely question because this doesn't feel like the kind ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    1 week ago

  • A Womance, and a Nomance.
    After the trench warfare of Tuesday night, when the two major parties went head to head, last night was the turn of the minor parties. Hosts Newshub termed it “the Powerbrokers' Debate”.Based on the latest polls the four parties taking part - ACT, the Greens, New Zealand First, and Te ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago

  • When The Internet Rushes To Your Defense
    Hi,You can’t make this stuff up.People involved with Sound of Freedom, the QAnon-infused movie about anti-child trafficker Tim Ballard, are dropping like flies. I won’t ruin your day by describing it here, but Vice reports that footage has emerged of executive producer Paul Hutchinson being inappropriate with a 16-year-old trafficking ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago

  • Doubts about Robertson’s good news day
    The trading banks yesterday concluded that though GDP figures released yesterday show the economy is not in recession, it may well soon be. Nevertheless, the fact that GDP has gone up 0.8 per cent in the latest quarter and that StatsNZ revised the previous quarter’s figure to show a ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 week ago

  • The Votes That Media Dare Not Speak Its Name
    .Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work..A recent political opinion poll (20 September) on TV1 presented what could only be called bleak news for the Left Bloc:National: 37%, down two points equating to 46 seatsLabour: 27%, down one point (34 ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    1 week ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #38 2023
    Open access notables At our roots Skeptical Science is about cognition of the results of climate science research in the minds of the entire human population. Ideally we'd be perfectly communicating understanding of Earth's climate, and perfectly understood. We can only approximate that, but hopefully converging closer to perfection. With ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • Failing To Hold Back The Flood: The Edgy Politics of the Twenty-First Century.
    Coming Over The Top: Rory Stewart's memoir, Politics On The Edge, lays bare the dangerous inadequacies of the Western World's current political model.VERY FEW NEW ZEALANDERS will have heard of Rory Stewart. Those with a keen eye for the absurdities of politics may recognise the name as that of the ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago

  • New community-level energy projects to support more than 800 Māori households
    Seven more innovative community-scale energy projects will receive government funding through the Māori and Public Housing Renewable Energy Fund to bring more affordable, locally generated clean energy to more than 800 Māori households, Energy and Resources Minister Dr Megan Woods says. “We’ve already funded 42 small-scale clean energy projects that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago

  • Huge boost to Te Tai Tokerau flood resilience
    The Government has approved new funding that will boost resilience and greatly reduce the risk of major flood damage across Te Tai Tokerau. Significant weather events this year caused severe flooding and damage across the region. The $8.9m will be used to provide some of the smaller communities and maraes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Napier’s largest public housing development comes with solar
    The largest public housing development in Napier for many years has been recently completed and has the added benefit of innovative solar technology, thanks to Government programmes, says Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods. The 24 warm, dry homes are in Seddon Crescent, Marewa and Megan Woods says the whanau living ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Te Whānau a Apanui and the Crown initial Deed of Settlement I Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me...
    Māori: Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me te Karauna te Whakaaetanga Whakataunga Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me te Karauna i tētahi Whakaaetanga Whakataunga hei whakamihi i ō rātou tāhuhu kerēme Tiriti o Waitangi. E tekau mā rua ngā hapū o roto mai o Te Whānau ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Plan for 3,000 more public homes by 2025 – regions set to benefit
    Regions around the country will get significant boosts of public housing in the next two years, as outlined in the latest public housing plan update, released by the Housing Minister, Dr Megan Woods. “We’re delivering the most public homes each year since the Nash government of the 1950s with one ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Immigration settings updates
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    6 days ago

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    7 days ago

  • Renewable energy fund to support community resilience
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  • COVID-19 funding returned to Government
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  • Appointment of District Court Judge
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    7 days ago

  • Government invests further in Central Hawke’s Bay resilience
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  • Highest legal protection for New Zealand’s largest freshwater springs
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  • More support for victims of migrant exploitation
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    1 week ago

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    1 week ago

  • Funding approved for flood resilience work in Te Karaka
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  • Further business support for cyclone-affected regions
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  • New maintenance facility at Burnham Military Camp underway
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    1 week ago

  • Foreign Minister to attend United Nations General Assembly
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    1 week ago

  • Midwives’ pay equity offer reached
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    2 weeks ago

  • New Zealand provides support to Morocco
    Aotearoa New Zealand will provide humanitarian support to those affected by last week’s earthquake in Morocco, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. “We are making a contribution of $1 million to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to help meet humanitarian needs,” Nanaia Mahuta said. ...
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    2 weeks ago

  • Government invests in West Coast’s roading resilience
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    2 weeks ago

  • Government invests in Greymouth’s future
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  • Nanaia Mahuta to attend PIF Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
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    2 weeks ago

  • PREFU shows no recession, growing economy, more jobs and wages ahead of inflation
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    2 weeks ago

  • New cancer centre opens in Christchurch
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    2 weeks ago

  • Government invests in top of the south’s roading resilience
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  • New Zealanders continue to support the revitalisation of te reo as we celebrate Te Wiki o te Reo Mā...
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  • New Wildlife Act to better protect native species
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    3 weeks ago

  • Further safety initiatives for Auckland City Centre
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    3 weeks ago

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