Mountain Tui: Trump’s shooting reveals a hidden danger for New Zealand too
Written By:
- Date published:
10:00 am, July 15th, 2024 - 73 comments
Categories: corruption, Donald Trump, spin, taxpayers union -
Tags: dirty politics, Misinformation, national, USA
Today’s video footage and news of Trump’s shooting has shaken the world. Writ large, it has taken over headlines, captivated audiences, and become an overpowering talking point for many.
Trump, a professional strongman to his core, pumped his fists in the air multiple times as a show of defiance and strength, as Secret Service swarmed, and whisked him to safety. Allies of Trump heralded this as a great opportunity that showed Trump’s strength.
Everyone else, including New Zealand Prime Minister Luxon, condemned the violent act.
The gunman was about 137 metres away, on a flat roof of a nearby building, when he took the shots. It was a clear, straight line to Trump in what has been described as a serious security oversight.
Witnesses reported calling to police and Secret Service for a few minutes before the shooting.
Mr Smith said he tried to alert the police and secret service for three to four minutes, but thought they probably could not see the gunman because of the slope of the roof.
“Why is there not Secret Service on all of these roofs here?” he asked. “This is not a big place. “[It’s a] security failure, 100% security failure.”
“I’m thinking to myself ‘Why is Trump still speaking, why have they not pulled him off the stage’… the next thing you know, five shots ring out.”
Now that in itself makes for some interesting analysis, if only for pure incompetence.
But the world media is full of information and live updates on the matter, and my intention isn’t to replicate or speculate.
Instead, I want to use this opportunity to reflect on some history, and re-consider what this might mean for our own country, Aotearoa New Zealand.
America’s past and present
In 1838, the 16th President Abraham Lincoln reflected:
At what point is the approach of danger to be expected for our country? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad.
These words of Lincoln are prescient.
For a long time, it felt like the USA was a formidable country of strength and unity.
It wasn’t too long ago that Americans danced together to the chant of “U.S.A,” spoke proudly of their nation, and the phrase “My fellow American” seemed to be heartfelt and deeply cherished. They were never perfect.
But that unity has more than flailed. That sense of commonality has more than frayed.
Today, we see discourse coloured with shades of potential aggression – America vs America.
A combination of culture wars, corruption, and intentional mis- and dis-information, have well and truly split the American people.
It’s not about the division between left vs right, liberal vs conservative, or woke vs unempathetic – it’s the radicalization that is the real danger here. As one side veers, the other is automatically carried into that space too.
Radicalisation refers to making someone become more extreme in their political or religious beliefs, often seeing opponents as enemies.
Fanned by corporate right wing media, leaders, and politicians, some Americans started to buy deeply into the narrative that the country was overrun by illegal immigrants, the economy was free-falling with little hope in sight, and ‘corrupt, useless, woke, left wing politics and politicians’ were largely to blame for all of their problems.
They started to believe that one side was useless, actively contributed to their ill fortunes, and were working against the good of America.
Any contrary points are ignored, sidestepped, or re-cast as malicious or useless.
Discourse was now no longer about policies, understanding, or working together to find the best solution for unified prosperity, cohesion, and harmony.
For some, it had shifted to seeing the other side of the aisle as the root cause of all their problems. An enemy even.
I’m not talking about fringe fanatics here, but the spreading of fanaticism into the mainstream. i.e. making people more extreme – using fear, misinformation, and anger – to change an entire country’s culture.
So as those tendencies grew on the right, and the aversion towards e.g. “woke liberals.” intensified, Trump became the perfect mirror and vessel.
Once highly respected Republicans like Mitt Romney and Liz Cheney, were now labeled as fake Republicans, and jeered and driven out by those devoted to Trump.
In truth, these are extraordinary developments, and the primary source of all that is the poisoned chalice of misinformation wars, created by people with agendas of their own.
The real genius of it all is that, on the surface, the logic can be applied to different sides, as the left started seeing more risks and moved more resolutely in opposition too. The truth as always lies in history, in nuance, in the facts, the details. And that is why some parties will actively promote ignorance, misinformation and populist slogans, while others try their best to educate, inform and fact check.
That is the great paradigm shift we are seeing.
And what was willed, is what may come to be.
Trump’s ‘Project 2025,’ a plan to autocrat America and bring it under unilateral Trump rule if he wins, would fundamentally change what America even is.
Trump appears big on trickle down economics and anti-environment policies. He’s big on military power and punishing those who oppose him. He also appears big on billionaire interests, corporations and sovereign countries like Saudi Arabia and Russia.
It’s almost impossible to work with people who are not there to work with you. If they exist only to score political points, or serve the interests of corporate donors, billionaire interests, or even other countries with deep pockets, then there is no working political system.
It’s going to be ugly in America now no matter who wins because fanaticism, disinformation and wrong beliefs were allowed to perpetuate for far too long.
How this impacts New Zealand
New Zealand has its own issues to contend with. We are the most immature in terms of going down that path of culture wars and disinformation. However, we are not immune.
Misinformation is defined as incorrect or misleading information, with or without malicious intent.
The “Stop 3 Waters” campaign, for example, led by the New Zealand Taxpayers Union, appears to have had quite a few populist slogans e.g. Less Democracy / Higher Water Costs.
I recall many around them would chant and repeat “3 Waters is theft,” which is frankly baffling when the infrastructure all remained under government ownership.
I assume “less democracy” refers to Councils forfeiting governance to a more centralised, regional model.
One, do ratepayers currently direct Councils how to manage water assets? Second, is that their job, and third, is the risk that ratepayers are unhappy one of reasons we are at risk of broken pipes, mind-blowing infrastructure debt, and non-safe drinking water in the first place?
If so, what does “less democracy” truly mean, in context?
A closer look about why that was in play could also be gleaned from the Royal Commission into Havelock North water. The Commission found that after 5000 Kiwis were poisoned, four died and others, disabled, it was clear NZ “local” councils’ water infrastructure management had significant deficiencies.
Could that be a reason, I wonder, too?
Then the National Party themselves – while still in Government in 2017 – issued this Cabinet memo and highlighted why central oversight was valuable:
In contrast to other infrastructure sectors, the three waters sector has minimal central oversight to provide transparency, address challenges and actively encourage service improvements. There is is little consistent, reliable information.. which potentially creates unforeseen risks that there will be sudden infrastructure failures and/or declines… Smaller local authorities may also lack the specialist capability and capacity to deliver.
Last but not least, council credit ratings, which are invariably lower than central government, would have meant higher costs, so direct council control was removed for that reason i.e. keeping rates affordable for everyday Kiwis while addressing the significant infrastructure debt that has risen to estimates of between ~$185bn-$200bn today.
Did “Taxpayers Union” – the organisation that Jordan Williams and David Farrar create – advertise these points within the context of their attack ads? I’m not sure, myself, but I do recall see large ‘3 Waters is theft‘ and ‘Stop 3 Waters‘ signs all over New Zealand.
Interestingly, NZ TPU have been linked to big tobacco and overseas right wing affiliated money.
In Dirty Politics, Hager wrote the Taxpayers’ Union “operates, in effect, as an arm’s-length ally of the National Party” and called it a “political tool”. The following year, political scientist Bryce Edwards described the Taxpayers’ Union to the NZ Herald as “the Act Party in drag”.
TPU spearheaded successful attack ads on Labour and Greens, spending record amounts during the last election. In 2018, reports said they already had $3 million in its coffers from unnamed donations, and they appear resourceful and busy.
And last year, on the right wing think tank ‘Atlas Network’ website, Jordan Williams boasted about how soon, New Zealand could become another libertarian “laboratory” as Taxpayers Union would work closely with the incoming Coalition Government.
They are also an unaccountable entity.
So when NZ Taxpayers Union promised rates would be higher under Labour’s 3 Waters model, who is holding them to account?
S&P – a global ratings agency – has consistently called out that under National’s water model, water rates will probably be higher. In February 2024, Kieran McNulty re-iterated: “You can’t have direct council control and balance sheet separation. It’s councils that are going to cop higher rates
The evidence seems to suggest this is true, despite National’s assurances last year that rates under their model would be the same or cheaper than Labour’s.
This is the problem with any misinformation – intentional or otherwise – it is effective and can be weaponized for political wins, as we’ve seen in the US and other places.
Now will National, aided by Taxpayers Union press releases, manouvere things to set our water assets up for privatisation to avoid the truth of higher costs? (Wait, who whispered Kiwrail just now?)
That’s for another day.
We still have an opportunity to course correct
Our relative, newer inception into the world of bold, unabashed, reckless misinformation means we still have one strong advantage.
And that is the gift of foresight.
We’ve seen how this story plays out overseas in the UK and the US.
We’ve learned how populist campaigns do their work to divide and conquer, and how divisive rhetoric can damage not only the people it is targetting e.g. Maori as one example, but also an entire country.
I believe that the people behind such antics do not care about the welfare or prosperity of New Zealanders, but instead are playing for other purposes.
As we’ve seen in the UK and the USA, a country’s self-destruction is the least of concerns for people who would play in this space.
I wrote on my Substack that the CEO of Warner Bros Discovery (WBD), which runs over 100 media entities including CNN, said that he didn’t really care who won the US Presidential election, so long as they were M&A and business friendly. That’s all that mattered to him: who would be best for business.
We live in a world influenced by those who are most moneyed up.
And if any side starts to play misinformation wars on a people, the other side is put on notice that the rules of engagement have changed.
And in that regard, everyone loses. i.e Aotearoa New Zealand is not immune from this risk.
So let’s use this opportunity not only to fixate our eyes and attention on the US, but also look within, and see how our people can rise to the challenge of those who would divide us too.
New Zealand is worth it.
73 comments on “Mountain Tui: Trump’s shooting reveals a hidden danger for New Zealand too ”
- Comments are now closed
- Comments are now closed
CommentsOpinions
Recent Comments
FeedsPartyGovtMedia
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #33 2024
Open access notables The ocean losing its breath under the heatwaves, Li et al., Nature Communications: Here, we find that heatwaves can trigger low-oxygen extreme events, thereby amplifying the signal of deoxygenation. By utilizing in situ observations and state-of-the-art climate model simulations, we provide a global assessment of the relationship between ...2 hours ago - Stranded assets are not the answer
The power cartel's systematic underinvestment in generation has given us another electricity crisis, and the climate-denying government is using this to push its dirty solutions: new fossil generation, with an LNG import terminal to ensure there is enough gas. Which probably looks very attractive as a temporary stopgap measure. The ...4 hours ago - And Another Rings of Power Trailer
A fortnight before Rings of Power season two starts, we get ourselves another trailer: This one is going for darkness – both literal and figurative – and paranoia. Gone are the “we fight with our friends” and hackneyed homilies to hope, and in their place ...9 hours ago - Gordon Campbell On ACT’s Takeover Of The Government Agenda
The ACT Party won only 8.6% of the vote last year, so how come it seems to be driving about 75% of the government’s agenda? It helps ACT’s cause that Christopher Luxon is so incompetent, and such a pushover. Earlier this week, Luxon just couldn’t keep in his head the ...11 hours ago - The longer recession the RBNZ and the Govt decided we had to have
12 hours ago - Welcome To Cost Of Living Relief
Said 'ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies'Can you see, it's not about hope,it's not about truth, don't be naiveSo come dance with me, I'll keep you safegive you all you can take, I'll make you happySong by Wendy McNeill.Hallelujah brothers and sisters, I have great news to ...12 hours ago - Offshore wind farms connected by an underwater power grid for transmission could revolutionize how t...
This article by Tyler Hansen, Research Associate in Environmental Studies, Dartmouth College; Abraham Silverman, Research Scholar, Ralph O’Connor Sustainable Energy Institute, Johns Hopkins University; Elizabeth J. Wilson, Professor of Environmental Studies, Dartmouth College, and Erin Baker, Professor of Industrial Engineering Applied to Energy Policy, UMass Amherst is republished from The Conversation under ...14 hours ago
- Curia Found In Breach Of Industry Standards, Lester Levy Is Not A Happy Man, & Other Updates
Some updates:Curia Research found to be in breach of professional industry standardsDavid Farrar, a co-founder of Taxpayers Union, who he remains in lock-step with, has “resigned” his research firm, Curia, from The Research Association of New Zealand (RANZ). For those of you who don’t know, RANZ is NZ’s only professional ...14 hours ago - Let your city flourish: mixing it up with mixed-use
This is a guest post by Malcolm McCracken. It previously appeared on his blog Better Things Are Possible and is shared by kind permission. Do you get excited when a new business comes to your neighbourhood? Perhaps it’s a new coffee shop, a takeaway restaurant, a dairy (“convenience store”, ...14 hours ago - Success has many fathers
The Prime Minister and his finance minister yesterday more or less claimed victory and job done with the news that the Reserve Bank was finally lowering the Official Cash Rate. Within minutes of the Bank’s announcement, trading banks began to lower mortgage rates, and the Prime Minister, whose party derives ...18 hours ago
- Cheating their victims
Last month, the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care delivered its report, detailing a horrific litany of abuse for which the government was ultimately responsible. One of its key recommendations was for redress, for the government to compensate its 250,000 victims, with a priority on those tortured at ...1 day ago
- Despair is free. But so is a smile.
1 day ago - Is That All There Is?
Is that all there isIs that all there is?If that's all there is my friendsThen let's keep dancingLet's break out the booze and have a ballIf that's all there isSongwriters: Jerry Leiber / Mike StollerDid you ever feel great anticipation only to have your excitement crushed by something seriously underwhelming?You ...2 days ago - House buyers ready to pounce on OCR cut
2 days ago - Auckland’s Frequent Transit Network hits 40 routes
… now we need to tell people about it! This guest post by Pete Moth (Head of PT development, Auckland Transport) originally appeared on LinkedIn, and is republished here with kind permission. Cast your mind back to late 2016. Auckland has just electrified its rail network, and the 2024 ...2 days ago
- Apology and induction
This newsletter has not had much good to say about Christopher Luxon, because it really seemed there was very little to mention.Wherever he went and whatever empty meaningless jargon he uttered, there seemed to be hardly any substance to the man at all: no flair; no charisma, no spark, no ...2 days ago - Why Is My TV Saying It Hates Me?
2 days ago - Why Luxon and Collins want to relax the GE ban
The Government yesterday moved on the key remaining plank in Federated Farmers’ conditions before agreeing to have farmers pay for methane emissions. Science and Technology Minister Judith Collins’s announcement that legislation to overturn the current ban will be introduced before the end of the year honours an election campaign promise ...2 days ago
- Just giving this a push along
A group of lawyers, legal academics and organisations aligned to or affiliated with the legal profession has spoken out against the front page Hobson's Pledge Ad placed last week in the NZ Herald. Here's the text of the statement (with very minor edits to fit character limits):The Hobson’s Pledge ad ...2 days ago - Climate Adam: Kamala Harris and Climate Change – Hope or Hype?
In common with climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy's purpose and in keeping with Skeptical Science's philosophy and role as a US 501(c)(3) non-profit, we present this video to our readers as a perspective informed by verifiable facts, not as an endorsement or recommendation. Please see video description for references. Before it's even ...2 days ago
- National’s self-serving secrecy protects corruption
One of the many problems with National's corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law is that the entire process is designed to cut the public out of decision-making and prevent us from having a say. The bill was rammed through its first reading under urgency, its time for submissions was ludicrously short given ...2 days ago
- Gordon Campbell On The Crackdown On The Beneficiary Poor
For the past 50 years, the centre-right has been using beneficiaries as a political punching bag. This was (slightly) more forgivable during the Muldoon era, when unemployment in New Zealand was still something of a post war novelty, and could readily be blamed on the handful of people on the ...2 days ago
- Beneficiary sanctions don’t add up
It’s not an easy job making yourself look more rigid than Christopher Luxon when it comes to talking about “responsibilities”, but Minister for Social Development & Employment Louise Upton, did a pretty good job of it. Read more ...2 days ago - Doubting Need
Ain't too high to touchAnd it ain't that deep to fallSee faith won't pay the bills (Oh yeah)But doubt won't save us allWe alrightShe alright, he alright, we alrightDoubt - by Samm Henshaw and Wretch 32What do you do if you’re at the heart of a centre right wing coalition ...3 days ago - Congestion Pricing to move forward
Yesterday Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced some progress on congestion pricing and it’s a mix of good, bad and ugly. The Government will introduce legislation this year to enable time of use schemes to be developed to reduce travel times on our busiest roads and boost economic growth, Transport Minister ...3 days ago
- The ceaseless and stunningly awful production of Have We Got Bad News For You
3 days ago - How not to win friends and tax people
Simeon Brown has spent the first nine months as minister defunding public transport and planning to build new roads. And totally predictably, the backlash to his congestion charging plan started within minutes. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMorena. Long stories short: Simeon Brown is pushing ahead with a congestion charging ...3 days ago - Climate change is making us sick, literally
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Kait Parker Although raw sewage and gastrointestinal illnesses are rarely topics broached in polite conversation, they’re having a glaring impact in hundreds of towns and cities in the United States. The risk of acute gastrointestinal illness increases by up to 62% after ...3 days ago
- Minister slows down moves to speed up traffic
An Auckland traffic jam would seem to move faster than successive governments’ willingness to introduce road charging on the city’s roads. Yesterday there was another Government promise to introduce a charging system — possibly by 2026. That would be over 10 years since the then Key Government first discussed the ...3 days ago
- Finally
When National announced the re-introduction of its corrupt charter schools back in May, Labour "leader" Chris Hipkins impressed nobody by refusing to commit to their immediate abolition. But now, finally, Labour seems to have discovered some principles: Fixed-term contracts being signed for the schools are 10 years long, but ...3 days ago
- Why The Left Has Been Stupid – The Right Has Been Busy
Good Monday afternoon, this article is a long read and open for all subscribers. There are embedded audio and video files. Please consider sharing. ☀️It’s hard not to do itIt’s easy to become another rage baiter. The actions of the government have been very poor in my view i.e. wasteful, ...3 days ago - Keir Starmer’s “Standing Army”.
Defending England From Itself: Those dismissed as “far right thugs” don’t hate the refugees holed-up in hotels because they’re Muslims, or because their skins are a different colour, they hate them because they are changing a lifeworld Englishmen like themselves no longer feel able to defend, and which no one – least of ...3 days ago - Nicole ‘Guns’ McKee
“Do you know what's worth fightin' forWhen it's not worth dyin' for?Does it take your breath awayAnd you feel yourself suffocatin'?Does the pain weigh out the prideAnd you look for a place to hide?Did someone break your heart inside?You're in ruins”Lyrics: Billie Joe Armstrong.If the NZ Police Association says that ...3 days ago - Default Settings.
3 days ago
- Te Ara Tukutuku Concept Plans
The concept plans for Te Ara Tukutuku, the peninsula at the northern end of Wynyard Quarter once known as Tank Farm, are out for consultation and they look fantastic. Te Ara Tukutuku project is regenerating the northern end of Wynyard Point to create a beautiful new waterfront destination for the ...4 days ago
- Deficits are not the constraint we think they are
TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Monday, August 12:1. Thinking differently about what mattersI attended a two-day seminar in Auckland over the weekend called Economics for Sustainable Prosperity that was run by Steven Hail, a professor at Torrens University ...4 days ago - 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #32
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, August 4, 2024 thru Sat, August 10, 2024. Story of the week What's our Story of the Week? Is it the AMOC being more likely than not to collapse by ...4 days ago
- The Song of Saqua: Volume IX
It has been ages since I have posted an update on Saqua’s misadventures. May, I think. Well, time to catch up on our Dhampir Sorcerer, then…
Session XIX: Much to Saqua’s ... 4 days ago - Bernard’s Sunday Soliloquy for the week to August 11
TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to August 11 were:Photo by Luis Tosta on Unsplash1. LGFA to open borrowing taps for councils Govt-backed borrower to allow 500% debt for water units Rightly, the Government has finally pivoted ...4 days ago - A Quick Note
Good morning all, this is just a quick note to say that there is no newsletter from me today. So, bye. 😂Oh there is a reason. My eldest boy Alex, and his fiancée Eleanor, arrived late last night, not out of the blue but a day earlier than expected. So ...5 days ago
- Rising rents continue to inflict hardship on households
Statistics released today show that rents have increased at 4.3 per cent compared to the same period last year. This comes after last month’s 4.8 per cent hike compared to July last year. ...7 hours ago - Release: National takes the knife to Nelson hospital
The Government is leaving one of New Zealand’s fastest growing regions without the medical facility it desperately needs. ...8 hours ago - Add your voice: Save Whaikaha, the Ministry for Disabled People
Disabled people deserve to lead meaningful and dignified lives. They deserve a fully-fledged ministry that serves and advocates for them. ...11 hours ago
- Govt fails disabled communities again
The Government’s move to limit the role of Whaikaha is a major setback for disabled people. ...11 hours ago
- Release: Govt delivers its biggest blow to disability communities
After months of targeting disabled people, the Government has dealt its harshest blow yet by slashing Whaikaha, the Ministry of Disabled People. ...13 hours ago
- Release: Boot camps experiment drags on
The Government’s half-hearted report card on their boot camps experiment just highlights again why they are a waste of time and money. ...1 day ago
- RBNZ lowers OCR, Govt continues ‘let them eat cake’ strategy
While the Reserve Bank lowers the Official Cash Rate, it’s this Government’s policies driving poverty in our communities. ...1 day ago
- Govt deals another blow to Maori-Crown relations
The cuts to Te Arawhiti will worsen relations between Māori and the Crown. ...2 days ago
- Govt more interested in punishing beneficiaries than ending poverty
The expansion of compulsory money management and introduction of mandatory community service for beneficiaries reheats failed policies that have not supported people into work both here and in Australia. ...3 days ago
- Release: Aucklanders want better transport not tax
A damning report on Auckland’s future is an ugly cloud over Simeon Brown’s head as he announces yet another cost for our largest city. ...3 days ago
- Release: Consultation farce as agenda is set on firearms changes
The Government appears to have made its decision on the direction of firearms changes, promising the public would be able to have their say but then hand-picking a list of groups to talk to instead. ...4 days ago
- Release: Emergency housing changes will see more people on streets
The Government is cutting support for those who need somewhere to live, but not building anymore homes so they have somewhere to go. ...6 days ago
- Kaipara Council Feast Off Anti-Māori Govt Agenda
Member of Parliament for Te Tai Tokerau, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, and Te Pāti Māori have come out in full support for the action against the racially fuelled decision to get rid of the Te Moananui o Kaipara Māori ward in the Kaipara. “What we have witnessed in Kaipara is a group ...1 week ago
- Greens launch petition against speed limit increases
The Green Party has launched a petition urging the Government not to push ahead with blanket speed limit increases that will come at an incredible cost to our communities. ...1 week ago
- Release: Funding cuts will hurt community mental health
Community mental health groups are on the precipice of folding due to Government cuts to frontline funding. ...1 week ago
- Release: Government confirms rates to go up
Rates are about to go up even further now with the Government pushing local councils under a borrowing bus. ...1 week ago
- Release: More Māori and Pasifika people jobless under National
Unemployment figures released today show 11,100 more Māori and Pasifika people are without jobs compared to this time last year, bringing the total number to 54,400. ...1 week ago
- Release: 9000 more Kiwis out of jobs under National
New figures released by Statistics New Zealand today show how government policies that stop progress, work and jobs affects real New Zealanders. ...1 week ago
- Govt setting poverty trap with punitive policies
Rising unemployment confirmed by the latest labour market figures, along with the Government’s job cuts and punitive policies for beneficiaries, will place great strain on struggling households. ...1 week ago
- Release: Labour calls for ban on procurement from illegal settlements
The Labour Party is calling on the Government to support the recent International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling by using its procurement rules to ban government agencies from purchasing goods or services from Israel’s illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. ...1 week ago
- Open Letter to the Green Party of Germany
We are writing to you on behalf of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand. ...1 week ago
- Release: Cancer drug delay is the cruel result of Govt’s bad decisions
The Government’s decision to delay the free availability of life-saving cancer drug Keytruda means more waiting for patients who have already been hurt by National’s bad decisions. ...1 week ago
- Release: National away with the ferries in botched deal
Almost eight months on from scrapping new Cook Strait ferries, National still has no solution. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Document dump still doesn’t make the case for AUKUS
The Government continues its pretence that its promotion of Aukus Pillar 2 is what Labour did previously, which is just not correct, released papers show. ...2 weeks ago
- Govt failing to keep communities safe from extremism
The Government’s decision not to implement eight of the 44 recommendations of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the March 15th attacks is an affront to those affected by this atrocity and communities at risk of hate crimes. ...2 weeks ago
- Labour leader statement on cancellation of March 15 Royal Commission of Inquiry recommendations
“Almost five years on, there should be no better time to complete the 44 recommendations the Royal Commission of Inquiry made after March 15,” said Labour Leader Chris Hipkins. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: National have their heads in the sand over climate
The National Government is living in la-la land if it thinks it can achieve New Zealand’s climate goals with its current lack of policies to tackle the problem. ...2 weeks ago
- Govt undermines OT frontline services, breaks pledge
The Minister for Children Karen Chhour’s pledge that cuts to Oranga Tamariki would not impact frontline services has been broken. ...2 weeks ago
- Trickle-down tax cuts, at what cost?
Today’s tax cuts will come at the expense of our tomorrow. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Anti-scam bill to help protect people’s money
A new Member’s Bill to increase protections from scams, including for vulnerable customers, is being introduced to the Ballot today. ...2 weeks ago
- Tākuta Ferris enters Member’s Bill to empower Waitangi Tribunal
Today MP for Te Tai Tonga and Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Tākuta Ferris has submitted his Member’s Bill into the ballot. The Treaty of Waitangi (Empowerment of Waitangi Tribunal) Amendment Bill will make Waitangi Tribunal recommendations binding on the Crown. This bill will also allow ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Majority say no to Govt’s Maōri wards bill
The National-led government has taken away the choice of councils with the passing of Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Bill. ...2 weeks ago
- The woke agenda of the left
Labour Leader Chris Hipkins’ comments on the weekend that the government’s coalition agreements are ‘racist and anti-Māori’ shows not only how myopic and out of touch his thinking is, but it puts in neon lights just how siloed his party is in their obsessive echo-chamber. Labour ...2 weeks ago - Te Pāti Māori will establish a Kura Kaupapa Māori Education Authority
I tērā Paraire, i whakatairangahia e te Te Roopu Whakamana i te Tiriti o Waitangi tō rātou pūrongo, ko Kei Ahotea Te Aho Matua – Pre-publication Version, mō te kerēme ohotata i kawea e Te Rūnanga Nui o ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori (Te Rūnanga Nui). Ko tā te pūrongo i ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Kiwis lose more than they get under National
This week billions of dollars are going out the door that should’ve been spent on health, education and keeping costs down for people on public transport, homes, prescriptions, and school lunches. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour calls for Health NZ books to be opened
Government spin about Health New Zealand deficits can’t be trusted. ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party sends open letter to PM on renters’ rights
The Greens have launched an open letter calling on the Prime Minister to respond to the rental crisis. ...3 weeks ago
- Greens urge people to come together for transformational change
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has urged the party membership to reach out and bring more people into their movement. ...3 weeks ago
- Speech: Chris Hipkins’ Auckland hui address
Te Rangi e tu nei (The sky above us) Te Papa e takoto nei (The land beneath us) Tatou katoa te hunga ora (To us all the living) Tena koutou katoa (Greetings) ...3 weeks ago
- Foreign Policy Speech to the Lowy Institute
Kia ora and good afternoon everyone, and thank you for the warm welcome. It’s always great to be back in Sydney, a city in which I spent five years of my professional career and have some wonderful family memories with my son having been born here. Before beginning I would ...3 hours ago - Overwhelming demand to open charter schools
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says the Charter Schools Agency (CSA) has received 78 applications to open new charter schools, or to convert existing state schools to charter schools. “This shows the demand from educators to free themselves from the shackles of the state system and meet the needs of ...10 hours ago
- Good governance a focus of North Pacific tour
New Zealand will support good governance and quality audit activities in the North Pacific, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says. “Promoting good governance and strong institutions is an important part of our development programme in the Pacific. We are pleased to be providing $16.4 million in support to the Pacific ...10 hours ago
- Improving fairness and ease of doing business
A raft of reforms to modernise and simplify company law will make New Zealand an easier and safer place to do business Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “To rebuild the economy and increase the value of our exports, we need to ensure our companies are not hamstrung ...13 hours ago
- Government acts on disability review findings
Immediate action will be taken to stabilise the disability support system after an independent review found the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha was ‘ill-prepared’ to deliver these services when it was established in 2022. “This Government is committed to supporting disabled people, which is why we provided a record ...13 hours ago
- RSE Scheme revitalised and cap increased
The coalition Government is supporting the growth of New Zealand’s horticulture and viticulture industries, by revitalising the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) Scheme and increasing the cap for the coming season. “We are making changes that can be delivered quickly, reduce costs and compliance for employers, and improve flexibility for RSE workers,” ...1 day ago
- NZ to cooperate on marine resources in Palau
New Zealand and Palau will cooperate more closely on oceans and marine resources, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says. “Marine resources are a critical source of food and economic security in the Pacific and are closely intertwined with the well-being and identity of Pacific communities,” says Minister Peters during a ...1 day ago
- Cost of living relief welcome
Today’s cut in the Official Cash Rate (OCR) to 5.25 per cent is welcome relief for families and businesses, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. “New Zealand has been suffering an acute cost-of-living crisis since the middle of 2021, with weekly food budgets stretched thin, mortgage repayments high and confidence in ...1 day ago
- Drought support increased for North Canterbury farmers
The government is boosting support for farmers impacted by the ongoing drought in North Canterbury, Rural Communities Minister Mark Patterson announced today. A lack of rain has left farms short of feed, with pasture and crops failing to grow. “Prolonged dry weather and challenging financial conditions have made circumstances extremely ...1 day ago
- Progress continues with Military-Style Academy Pilot
Children’s Minister Karen Chhour is mostly satisfied with the progress in the first two weeks of the Military-Style Academy Pilot at Palmerston North. It has involved the young people meeting the academy staff and understanding the elements of the programme, including physical education and military-style drills. “The physical activities have ...1 day ago
- Rapid payments for terminally ill Lake Alice survivors
The coalition Government is urgently making financial assistance available for survivors of the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit (the Lake Alice Unit) who are terminally ill. On 24 July, the Government formally acknowledged some children and young people at the Hospital experienced torture. The Royal Commission of Inquiry ...2 days ago
- New Zealanders welcome tax relief
For Kiwis who get paid fortnightly, tax relief will be a welcome sight in pay packets, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. “A fortnight has passed since our tax relief package came into effect. Most Kiwis would have had at least one pay since then. “People can check and compare their ...2 days ago
- Government agrees approach for accelerating Māori development
Tōia mai te waka, ki te urunga te waka, ki te moenga te waka, ki te takotoranga i takoto ai te waka! The Government will modernise its approach to Māori development and accelerate opportunities for the Māori economy through improving Māori GDP per capita, reducing regulatory burdens, and activating opportunities ...2 days ago
- NZ supporting wellbeing of children in the Pacific
Improving the well-being of children across the Pacific is an important development focus area for New Zealand, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says. “This focus is underpinned by a commitment to longer-term economic development for the benefit of current and future generations,” Mr Peters says, during a visit to Pohnpei ...2 days ago
- Minister meets Stop Smoking providers to drive Smokefree
Associate Health Minister Casey Costello is meeting with all of the country’s frontline stop smoking service providers this week to ensure New Zealand reaches the Smokefree 2025 goal. The regional meetings start in Wellington today and will then be held in, Christchurch (Wednesday), Rotorua (Thursday) and Auckland (Friday). “The forums will ...2 days ago
- New Zealand to benefit from end to gene tech ban
The Government is ending New Zealand’s nearly 30-year ban on gene technology outside the lab in a move which will bring health, productivity and climate gains for New Zealanders. Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced legislation ending the ban and implementing a dedicated regulator to oversee applications ...3 days ago
- Sport Minister congratulates NZ’s Olympians
New Zealand’s Olympic Team in Paris has delivered our country’s best-ever result at an Olympic Games with heart-stopping performances that will go down in NZ sporting history and a record medal tally, Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop says. “The NZ team’s success in Paris has been off the charts. ...3 days ago
- Speech at the Launch of the 2024 State of the City Report
Introduction Thank you for inviting me here today to address you all as Minister for Auckland and Minister of Transport. Let me start by thanking the Committee for Auckland and Deloitte for hosting this event and inviting me to speak. I’d like to acknowledge the Mayor of Auckland, Wayne Brown. The Importance ...3 days ago
- Green light for Welfare that Works
A comprehensive package of reforms to the benefit system unveiled today will shift more people off Jobseeker Support into employment and introduce tougher consequences for those who repeatedly do not meet their benefit obligations. Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says a new Traffic Light System comes into effect ...3 days ago
- PM heads to Australia for annual Leaders’ Meeting
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will visit Australia on 15 and 16 August for a series of top-level political and business engagements. “My visit is an opportunity to build on our already close relationship and further strengthen our security and economic connections”, Mr Luxon says. In Sydney on Thursday, Mr Luxon’s ...3 days ago
- ACC regulatory changes will improve access to treatment
ACC Minister Matt Doocey says more paramedic and audiometrist treatment will soon be available to treat ACC clients, as part of a set of regulatory changes. “One of my key priorities is to ensure ACC regulations are efficient, effective and current, and approving more types of medical professionals to provide ...3 days ago
- Growing our regions – inaugural Regional Growth Summit speech
It’s a privilege to be here today to welcome you all to our inaugural Regional Growth Summit – the first of 15 to be held across the country over the next eight months. We are starting strong in Te Tauihu today, a region that contributes around 3 percent of New ...3 days ago
- Funding for regional flood resilience confirmed
Flood resilience projects protecting communities across the regions could get started as early as this year, with funding from the Regional infrastructure Fund now confirmed, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones made the announcement today at the regional growth summit in Nelson, the first in a series of ...3 days ago
- NZ, Marshall Islands boost cooperation on disaster and climate resilience
New Zealand and the Republic of Marshall Islands will cooperate more closely, including on making island communities more resilient in the face of disasters and the impacts of climate change, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand is committed to addressing the ‘Blue Continent’ challenges, including those in the ...3 days ago
- Time of use schemes to reduce travel times
The Government will introduce legislation this year to enable time of use schemes to be developed to reduce travel times on our busiest roads and boost economic growth, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Congestion is a tax on time and productivity. It means that we are away from home for longer, ...4 days ago
- Over 1000 children no longer growing up in motels
Tē tōia, tē haumatia – Nothing can be achieved without a plan and way of doing things. The Government’s plan to end the large-scale use of emergency housing is working, with new figures showing a 32 per cent reduction in the number of households living in motels, Associate Housing Minister ...4 days ago
- Former Hastings Mayor appointed as Crown Manager
Lawrence Yule has been appointed Crown Manager to Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced.“I am pleased to appoint Mr Yule, whose extensive governance experience and ability to manage strong relationships with Ministers, Members of Parliament, and local government, will be invaluable to ...5 days ago
- NZTA Board appointments announced
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today announced three new appointments and one reappointment to the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) Board. Warwick Isaacs, Rob Gilmore and Pat Dougherty have been appointed as board members for a three-year term ending 31 July 2027, while David Smol, who has served as a Board ...6 days ago
- NZ, Australia to establish humanitarian warehouses with partners across the Pacific
New Zealand and Australia have joined a range of other partners in supporting the establishment of humanitarian relief warehouses across the Pacific, Foreign Ministers Winston Peters and Penny Wong say. “As we know all too well, the Pacific is exposed to a wide range of natural hazards and other risks ...6 days ago
- Graeme Mason to chair NZ Film Commission
Graeme Mason has been appointed chair of the New Zealand Film Commission, Arts Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Graeme brings a wealth of leadership skills as well as local and international industry experience that will be invaluable to the role. “He has been the chief executive of Screen Australia for a ...6 days ago
- Government to clarify discharge consenting
Clarifications to discharge consenting provisions in the Resource Management Act will provide certainty for agricultural and horticultural producers, making sure councils continue to manage discharge consents in a practical way, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “Recent High Court decisions on sections 70 and 107 of the Resource Management Act (RMA) threaten to ...6 days ago
- Creating a sustainable immigration system
The coalition Government is creating a more sustainable immigration system by adjusting international visa costs, says Immigration Minister Erica Stanford. “Until now, our immigration system has been heavily subsidised by taxpayers. The changes we’re making are shifting the cost to those benefitting from the system. We’re ensuring it is self-funding ...7 days ago
- Construction sector productivity the same as 1985
A new report highlights major and widespread productivity challenges facing the construction sector, underlining the importance of the government’s plan to make it easier and more affordable to build, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The New Zealand Chinese Building Industry Association has today released a report investigating the ...7 days ago
- More certainty around earthquake-prone buildings
The Government is moving at pace to provide greater certainty about the seismic risk system, by progressing a Bill that extends the remediation deadline for earthquake-prone buildings, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “There are over five thousand earthquake-prone buildings up and down the country and in many instances ...1 week ago
- New intake of Peer Support Specialists in training
Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey says contracts for his $1million peer workforce fund are in place and training has begun for some of the Peer Support Specialists, an important step in growing the peer support workforce. “The peer support workforce already plays a vital role in providing and supporting ...1 week ago
- Minister McClay to take agriculture and trade visit to India
Agriculture and Trade, Minister Todd McClay will undertake an agriculture, forestry and trade visit to India next week to strengthen relationships, unlock opportunities and promote New Zealand businesses. This follows the State visit of Indian President, Her Excellency Droupadi Murmu, this week. “India is an important partner for New Zealand, and ...1 week ago
- New performance measures for Oranga Tamariki
Public reporting on key performance indicators for Oranga Tamariki will ensure greater transparency and accountability for the organisation, says Children’s Minister Karen Chhour. “My first and most important priority is to ensure Oranga Tamariki is relentlessly focused on the safety of children and young people in its care. “New Zealanders ...1 week ago
- Unlocking Local Water Done Well: New water service delivery models
New water service delivery models that will drive crucial infrastructure investment have been approved by Cabinet, immediately providing improved access to finance for water council-controlled organisations (CCOs), Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly have announced. “The Government has today set out the enduring ...1 week ago
- New direction for Public Service
The Government has issued a new Workforce Policy Statement outlining expectations and priorities for employment relations across the Public Sector, with a strong emphasis on fiscal sustainability and performance, Minister for the Public Service Nicola Willis says. The workforce policy statement is a blueprint for how public sector agencies, including ...1 week ago
- Governance of education sector boosted
The coalition Government is strengthening the education sector’s governance and management, says Education Minister Erica Stanford. The Regulatory Systems (Education) Amendment Bill passed its third reading in Parliament and will improve the effectiveness of education regulatory systems. “It makes changes to the Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Fund ...1 week ago
-
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Sussex, Associate Professor (Adj), Griffith Asia Institute; and Fellow, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University Ukrainians have long become used to grim news reports from their besieged lands. But that’s suddenly changed. Following its remarkably successful incursion of Russia’s ...2 hours ago - Christopher Luxon’s Lowy Institute address: ‘Deliberately deepening our relationships...
The PM warned kiwis to be more than just an "interested bystander" in an increasingly complex and difficult world. ...2 hours ago - Big alcohol and tobacco are the aces of strategic marketing. The gambling industry has adopted the p...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ross Gordon, Professor of Behaviour & Social Change, University of Technology Sydney Shutterstock The federal government has been under significant pressure all week as it works to finalise proposed regulation to restrict gambling advertising. Currently, a partial ban is on the ...3 hours ago
- Watch: Christopher Luxon addresses Lowy Institute in Sydney
Live: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is addressing the Australian think tank in Sydney. ...3 hours ago
- Classical music is not isolated from politics. Melbourne Symphony Orchestra should know this
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Tregear, Principal Fellow and Professor of Music, The University of Melbourne Pianist Jayson Gillham. Supplied/Rémi Chauvin This morning, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) announced it was an error to cancel a scheduled concerto performance by British-Australian pianist Jayson Gillham. Its decision, ...5 hours ago
- Government introduces seasonal work visa sub-category
The minister says it will address demand for workers for upcoming seasonal peaks. ...5 hours ago
- Satellites are making the night sky brighter – as a launch site, NZ has a duty to combat light pol...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By William Grant, Lecturer in Law, University of Canterbury Wikimedia Commons/Yourong F. Wang, CC BY-SA New Zealand’s space sector has been developing rapidly since the first rocket lifted off in 2017. It now contributes about NZ$1.7 billion in revenue, with plans to ...5 hours ago
- What is the abortion drug Donald Trump has been talking about? How is it used in Australia?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danielle Mazza, Director, SPHERE NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health in Primary Care and Professor and Head of the Department of General Practice, Monash University Donald Trump suggested he was open to revoking access to the abortion ...5 hours ago
- WHO has declared mpox a global health emergency. What happens next?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By C Raina MacIntyre, Professor of Global Biosecurity, NHMRC L3 Research Fellow, Head, Biosecurity Program, Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney Inkoly/Shutterstock The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern, after rising cases in the Democratic Republic ...5 hours ago
- South Australia plans to offer pregnant women an RSV vaccine next year. Here’s what you need to kn...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Giles, Professor, Department of Infectious Diseases, The University of Melbourne MilanMarkovic78/Shutterstock Last week, South Australia announced it would offer pregnant women a vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) from next year for free. It’s the first Australian state or territory ...5 hours ago
- Is Chappell Roan coming to New Zealand in February? A Spinoff investigation
And if so, what festival or venue could possibly contain her stratospheric star power? The Spinoff understands that Chappell Roan is coming to New Zealand in February, after Chappell Roan revealed that she is coming to New Zealand in February. First reported on The Boiler Room, by way of this ...6 hours ago - Farewell Gena Rowlands, the formidable actress whose characters always seemed to be tipping into mad...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben McCann, Associate Professor of French Studies, University of Adelaide Gena Rowlands, who has died at the age of 94, was a highly respected actor, with a fierce, edgy, often emotionally unstable on screen presence. She often played traumatised mothers or mother ...6 hours ago
- Watch: Minister Erica Stanford outlines high-level immigration priorities
Last week Minister Erica Stanford unveiled substantially increased visa fees starting from 1 October. ...6 hours ago
- Public sector job cuts: 268 more jobs axed from Te Whatu Ora
The Public Service Association says "savage" cuts in Te Whatu Ora's commissioning team will be felt for years to come. ...6 hours ago
- The making of Australia’s first Dark Sky Community at Carrickalinga
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharolyn Anderson, Research scientist and Adjunct Associate Professor, University of South Australia The Backyard Universe In a world increasingly illuminated by artificial light, the beautiful night skies of a small coastal town in South Australia have attracted international recognition. Carrickalinga on ...7 hours ago
- Disability advocates, opposition slam slimmed-down version of Whaikaha
The coalition is treating disabled people with callous disregard, critics say. ...7 hours ago
- Watch: Luxon seeks Australian help to make progress on critical infrastructure
The Australians have found "a much quicker, lower cost way" of completing their projects, the prime minister says. ...7 hours ago
- Seymour Needs To Get On Top Of Ministry For Regulation Spin Doctors
This Government, but particularly ACT, was elected to slash waste, but recruiting five communications staff at what should be our leanest Ministry tells another story. ...7 hours ago - Islands in the sky: could steep-sided hilltops offer safe haven to our threatened species?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Finnerty, Postdoctoral research fellow in conservation, University of Sydney New South Wales has dozens of mesas, including Byangee Walls in Morton National Park ambo kangaro/Wikimedia, CC BY-NC-ND Species are disappearing at an alarming rate around the world. But Australia’s extinction ...8 hours ago
- Following a vision-impaired surfer, The Blind Sea is far from a hero portrait. This is what makes it...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ari Mattes, Lecturer in Communications and Media, University of Notre Dame Australia Bonsai Films For a documentary to be successful, it needs to be proficiently made and, more importantly, focus on a subject of interest to the viewer. Let’s face ...8 hours ago
- Watch: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon faces questions in Sydney
The Prime Minister is speaking to media as he lands for this third visit to Australia since taking office. ...8 hours ago
- Commission Delivers First Adaptation Monitoring Report
The impacts of climate change are affecting the lives and livelihoods of New Zealanders around the motu. As a country, we already have a pretty good idea of what needs to be done to avoid and minimise harm and damage from climate change. ...8 hours ago
- The ‘good old days’ of our education system weren’t actually good
Education’s not what it used to be in Aotearoa. That’s something to be glad about, argues David Hill, who taught high school in the 60s. Our schools are a mess. At least, that’s what The New Zealand Initiative (especially its “Senior Fellow’” Michael Johnston), Family First, various business leaders, and ...8 hours ago
- Climate Change Commission Delivers First National Adaptation Plan Progress Assessment
The key finding of this report is that currently, adaptation is not happening on the scale, or at the pace, that is needed. The status quo is unsustainable. ...9 hours ago
- 3 years after the Taliban’s return, Afghanistan is a broken country swarming with terrorists again
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, Australian National University This week marks the third year since America’s retreat from Afghanistan and the Taliban’s return to power. The United States had intervened in Afghanistan in response to ...9 hours ago
- Elite athletes are generally smarter than us – cognitive sciences can explain why
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alberto Filgueiras, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, CQUniversity Australia The year was 1920. It was George “Babe” Ruth’s first season playing for the New York Yankees. During that season, he scored an amazing 54 home runs. He alone scored more home runs ...9 hours ago
- 79 applications to set up charter schools, David Seymour says
Some would be new schools, others would be existing ones converting, and David Seymour says it's a sign there's plenty of interest. ...9 hours ago
- 78 applications to set up charter schools, David Seymour says
Some would be new schools, others would be existing ones converting, and David Seymour says it's a sign there's plenty of interest. ...10 hours ago
- Government Cost-Cutting Exercise Shows Lack Of Respect For Disabled People, Their Families And Suppo...
Disability support providers, who employ the hardworking New Zealanders who devote their lives to helping disabled people, were given just 15 minutes’ notice of the cuts from Minister Upston this morning, who did not take questions. ...10 hours ago
- Government Ignores Voice Of Disabled Community And Downsizes Whaikaha
Officials told the last government a single agency was ‘the best organisational structure to lead the realisation of a true partnership between the disability community and government to achieve ongoing transformation of the disability system.’ ...10 hours ago
- Up To The Public: Referendum Required If Council Merger Proceeds
Mayor Rob Scott claims the amalgamation could see savings of $10m each year by improving cost efficiencies and reducing duplication across neighbouring councils. ...10 hours ago
- Online abusers ‘shaming, silencing’ Fiji women journalists, say researchers
By Brooklyn Self, Queensland University of Technology Gendered online violence is silencing women journalists in Fiji, says Pacific media scholar Dr Shailendra Singh. The harmful trend involves unwanted private messages, hateful language and threats to reputation, often from anonymous sources. The visibility of women journalists has made them frequent targets, ...10 hours ago
- A postcard from the Paris Olympics
Brannavan Gnanalingam on the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to combine his two favourite things: mooching around Paris and watching the Olympics. At the end of the most successful Olympics ever for New Zealand athletes, it’s probably the safest time to say that I’m a massive Olympics nerd. In fact, Aotearoa’s performance at ...10 hours ago
- Minister unable to provide evidence NZDF would help on boot camp front line
Police Minister Mark Mitchell has been unable to provide any communications or evidence for his assertions the Defence Force would help on the front line at boot camps. ...11 hours ago
- Whaikaha stripped of support services role after review reveals it was set up to fail
Juts two years after its establishment the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha is being massively scaled back following the findings of an independent review. The review, lead by Sir Maarten Wevers, found the delivery of support services was inconsistent and hampered by the way Whaikaha had been set up. “Recent ...12 hours ago - Bay of Islands Hospital unable to take new admissions amid doctor shortage
A slash in locum rates is to blame and it's not a "sudden crisis", angry doctors have told RNZ. ...12 hours ago
- Multi-talented artist Cadence Chung on emerging into the light
Cadence Chung is a poet, writer, classical vocalist and musician who blends all of these art forms for her interdisciplinary practice. Her debut poetry collection anomalisa was published in 2022, and she is a co-founder of the literary magazine Symposia. Her music has been performed at BATS Theatre, and she ...12 hours ago
- Hear me out: Divorce deserves its own ceremony
If we mark our weddings with elaborate rituals, why can’t we do the same when marriages end? Last month would have been my ten-year wedding anniversary. According to brides.com, the traditional gift for a decade of marriage is tin or aluminium, which symbolise the “strength and resilience of your marriage”. ...12 hours ago
- Reforms to make business safer and easier announced
Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says the Companies Act had not been substantially updated in 30 years and does not reflect the modern business environment. ...12 hours ago
- Watch: Disability services to shift from Whaikaha to MSD after budget
The Ministry of Disabled People will lose responsibility for support services, after a critical review found inadequate budget controls. ...13 hours ago
Great article.
This was about all we saw from the right of politics in the last 6 years
.. and the right saw from the left. All seen from the view point and perceptions of the observer.
Start being "inclusive" and learn to love those in the Right!
Very important to be inclusive and recognise our common humanity and kinship, but very, very important to know what motivations and values are driving others too. Discretion is required.
Example, one aspect, from the article –
"It’s almost impossible to work with people who are not there to work with you. If they exist only to score political points, or serve the interests of corporate donors, billionaire interests, or even other countries with deep pockets, then there is no working political system.:
Thanks aj.
M&A = Mergers & Acquisitions? Or some other variety of alphabet soup? (There seem to be several.)
Yes, M&A = mergers and acquisitions in this case. Cheers.
A member of the "ruling class" gets winged and everybody is pontificating on how terrible it is.
How many ordinary peoples lives have they blighted or ended?
Little concern about the deaths in the USA from those who cannot afford medical care or shootings of school children, but endless angst about the injury to a clown who is on record advocating political violence.
Chickens and roost, come to mind.
That’s why policies – and intent of those in the “ruling class” – matter.
I reckon a close look at fed farmers would reveal the same outcome.
And the right would say that Greenpeace is the Green Party in drag.
Of course advocacy organizations have similar positions (and even personnel overlap) to the political parties they identify with.
The difference is fed farmers havnt always been far right, not long ago one of the heads men was very progressive!
"see how our people can rise to the challenge of those who would divide us too"
Those who would divide us? That's newspeak for "those who disagree with contemporary woke orthodoxy".
Yes Trump's rhetoric is often divisive. But it's frankly dishonest to suggest that "divisiveness" belongs to any particular political shade. What could be more divisive than some of the recent antics of The Maaori Party. For example:
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2024/05/te-p-ti-m-ori-refuses-to-back-down-after-its-mp-accuses-govt-of-trying-to-exterminate-m-ori.html
[if you had bothered to explain your thinking, instead of making a belief declaration and expecting people to read an article and try and makes sense of your point, you probably wouldn’t be moderated. But from your comments in the past few days, it looks like you are doing the same pattern that you’ve been moderated for in the past. And there are quite a number of moderations. 2 month ban, double the last one, for basically trolling a new author’s post and not reading the room. For future reference, it’s rude to derail posts with your own agenda, and we value authors here – weka]
[I was going to write a second explanatory mod note off the back of your Trash comment, but honestly, I can’t be bothered. No-one owes you anything when you’ve had this many chances. If you want to comment here, learn how it works. First rule is don’t waste moderator time or piss us off. Ban extended to 4 months – weka]
So the destruction of the foreshore and sea bed in Taranaki – Thus removing the ability to gather food and have an income is not extermination of culture and a people?
What planet are you on Dolomedes III?
The quote was in reference to repeal of a section of the Oranga tamariki act – nothing to do with the foreshore and seabed in Taranaki (or elsewhere)
But your comment is a brilliant illustration of the divisiveness of the far left, as well as the far right.
The quote was clearly in reference to the wider subset of actions taken by this Government, hence the phrase "This government will not stop…."
On a debate on the OT section repeal bill. Nothing about Taranaki mentioned.
But a perfect example of extremist rhetoric from the hard left (even disavowed by Willie Jackson, the leader of the Labour Maori caucus).
You should be embracing this as an example of the way that extremist language ratchets up on both the right and the left. It fits right into the thesis of your article.
I didn't mention Taranaki.
Didn't say you did.
Adam, however, to whom I was responding, did.
And the moderates sit in the middle complaining about a powerless far left, whilst those in power destroy society.
Plus I'm quite aware of the speech of my local MP. And when/where it was delivered.
In the face of business as usual from the hard right, Māori know the game is on. This Tory love in have their dicks out to kill culture and thus a people. Struggle Without End if your missed the memo. And you not being an ally, says more about you.
I love how you proudly never watch Māori Media Belladonna.
So I'll do this link because well you might just find it a bit more palatable for your so called moderate/centrist sensibilities.
Comes with a trigger warning to all the snowflakes.
"Yes, but what about them?" is a type of deflection
But still, you have to look at whether that type of approach is part of the core approach and ethos. That's a huge difference here.
And also it's important to note that the right didn't used to be like this. McCain, Romney etc had different ways of looking but not this type of dirty lies and disinformation to manipulate a people.
Very different stuff.
About TPM, their rhetoric has to be examined within this Government's very clear and present disrespecting and roll back of Maori rights and voices.
As I said in the article, context, facts and nuance matters
It sounds like special pleading. Right wing extremist rhetoric is bad, divisive and an example of dirty politics; left wing extremist rhetoric is entirely excusable by circumstances.
I didn't excuse. I gave you context.
So, for balance, can you give an example of left wing rhetoric which you do think is damaging and divisive?
Gender Activists and their antics.
Do only gender activists have antics, or can any critic of the left or right also have antics?
Can you? You're the one vacuously clsiming equivalence without evidence.
+1
The term "contemporary woke orthodoxy' is itself both a pejorative term and an attempt to divide those on the left.
"Those", can be shown to include yourself.
mod note.
2nd mod note.
Slightly off topic, but the Taxpayers Union’s polling is more than likely to be a bunch of made up bullshit!
Dirty politics has no boundaries.
They use polling as an effective strategy to get their name in the media, over and over again, to gain trust with public perception.
It's smart.
The only question is why our news media is so complicit with potential dark money organisations.
It is cheap headline news. Someone else pays for a poll and the media use it to sell advertising.
Sounds right. Thanks. Sometimes I think I should have taken the blue pill.
Evidence?
If your suspicion was correct, the Curia/TU polling would be markedly and consistently different to all other political polls. Newsflash. It's not.
Any more than the Talbot-Mills (which also does polling for Labour) ones are. [Although given that these are 'leaked' rather than released, we never know exactly what the polling parameters are. Perhaps that's dirty politics at work, as well]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_next_New_Zealand_general_election
Stephen said more than likely, but the reality is much more nuanced.
They often run polls that are designed in a way to solicit the response they want e.g. on Fast Track and the tax cuts National borrowed $12 billion more for.
On general popularity polling, they follow a similar methodology to others.
It's all about increasing their profile and reputation so when they need to use their tricks, they are well positioned, in my view.
Then, as Stephen has provided no evidence for his claim, likely or otherwise, we're all free to conclude he's wrong.
Claiming that polls are 'biased' because they don't give you the answer you want (or the answer that your echo chamber comes up with), is a fast track way to political isolation and irrelevance.
I'm sure that the TU *is* benefiting from the publicity boost that they gain from their polling (and the reporting on it). Which begs the question why the 'corporate client' that Talbot Mills polls for, doesn't do the same thing…..
If you want to argue that advocacy organizations (which is what the TU is) shouldn't be allowed to have any publicity – why wouldn't other advocacy groups, such as Greenpeace or Forest and Bird, or (overseas) XR – be treated the same?
A lot of strawmans.
But to make this quick, here's an example,
"Do you want free money in your pocket"
Yes or no
Or
"Do you want tax cuts that will be paid with an extra $12bn in borrowings that will have to be repaid with interest in future?"
Let's not insult everyone's intelligence here, even if Taxpayers Union love to do it.
In what way is this a straw-man argument? Unless, of course, you embrace the right=bad, left=good paradigm.
In which case there is no point in debating.
[lprent: You are right, but looking at it in the wrong way. There is no point debating with you because you didn’t treat the response as being important.
You asked for examples, and then got some. You didn’t explain why you found them insufficient. You may disagree with them. In which case you need to show why disagree that these valid examples. You haven’t. Instead you want to just run away.
I prefer authors to write posts rather than dealing with your damn issues. If you ask and get answered, especially by an author – then treat it as being important.
Let me encourage you, banned for 2 weeks. Essentially for making me take the time to explain this to you again. Don’t play fuckwit troll games with authors. ]
See mod note.
Are you sure they were strawmen? I hope you haven't misgendered any hypothetical straw people.
[lprent: Bad idea trying to get a troll rise off an author. It irritates me becasue it wastes my time. Count yourself warned. ]
See mod note.
Another clear effort to divide the left, again identifying as one of "those" people. The term strawman was developed prior to the contemporary era, but is still in common usage.
No, just a test to see if the contemporary left has a sense of humour. The test is clearly negative.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_Taxpayers%27_Union#Use_of_false_identities
The NZTU is what it is – self-interest rules on a Spaceship of Fools.
Imho, Forest & Bird's advocacy is admirable; the NZTU's less so – ymmv
Well, yes, that's the whole point – the list of 'radical' organizations differs depending on your political stance.
Which is why, IMO, that defending extremist rhetoric from any organization is dangerous. What's sauce for the goose….
Seems to me that F&B has advocated consistently for the well-being of Aotearoa's (seriously degraded) natural environments and native species. From what "political stance" might F&B be viewed as a 'radical' organisation?
Not seeing any "extremist rhetoric" in this thread (@6); ymmv
"Stop the war on nature"
https://www.forestandbird.org.nz/campaigns/stop-the-war-on-nature
Pretty sure no one is bombing geckos, or machine-gunning kakapo.
How about you give an example of an organization, that you politically disagree with, which is doing their advocacy well.
Salvation Army. Has a lot of pretty obnoxious people in the organisation, and a rather weird philosophy. But does good and has effective political advocacy.
Environmental Defence Society. Personally I find that straight conservationists are a pain. They tend to try to create a stasis and concentrate on defending existing conserved territories. I find most of their efforts quixotic because everything always changes and if you don't target at root causes, the you'll get another shock – as they're finding out at present where blue-green doesn't mean that this government listens to them.
There are many…..
I see you have used Forest and Bird as an example of "extremist rhetoric."
Yet the context of their call to help prevent environmental degradation was on the very site you linked.
"On 7 March 2024 the Government introduced a new Bill to Parliament (under urgency) called the Fast-track Approvals Bill.
The Fast-track Approvals Bill is an omnibus bill. It proposes to establish a permanent fast track approvals regime for a range of infrastructure, housing and development projects that are considered to have significant regional or national benefits. Read more here.arrow_outward
Forest & Bird believes this new bill is anti-nature, anti-democracy, and will leave a mess for future governments to clean up.
The Bill will override the Conservation Act, Reserves Act, and Wildlife Act, as well as the RMA and law governing the Exclusive Economic Zone. It would also allow Ministers to refer developments – ranging from aquaculture, dams and mining as well as roading and housing – to an expert panel which only has the ability to make recommendations to the Minister. Ministers have the power to greenlight projects and ignore the panel as they see fit."
For example, this Govt has indicated they will approve an Australian company TTR to do seabed mining in NZ after failing to succeed in our courts for over 10 years.
TTR plans to extract up 50 million tonnes of the seabed EACH year for 35 years in shallow water between 22km and 36km off Pātea.
AFTER extracting iron, titanium and vanadium the mining ship would discharge 45 million tonnes of sediment.
____
Important to note Chris Bishop did not deny it would hurt the environment, and potentially badly, but he put that down to a price and his party were willing to pay.
https://www.reddit.com/r/NewZealandWildlife/comments/1dj4qr9/chris_bishop_fast_track_bill_will_facilitate/
_____
There is no reasonable comparison here to the misinformation perpetuated by Taxpayers Union, and cherrypicking words and context to present your argument, is proving my point.
The rate of non-human species extinction (now far above natural levels, and accelerating) has little to do with bombs and machine guns, their chief purpose being to facilitate the killing of humans.
Humans kill many things in many ways – I can only speculate about how anyone else might feel if they found themselves on the receiving end of extinction-level killing, but I wouldn't like it.
'Human exceptionalism' finds itself increasingly at odds with the health and well-being of the natural world – we (some more than others) are despoiling/soiling spaceship Earth in a truly desperate struggle to, if not "get ahead", then at least cling to fragile achievements.
Will Homo sapiens be an evolutionary success? I believe 'yes', but, like a petulant and entitled teenager, we have a lot of maturing to do, with many hard lessons still to learn.
ACT's advocacy has been politically effective of late, resulting in their best electoral successes to date, exceeding 96 / 99 / 02 results.
The tobacco lobby has also been effective of late – only months ago the industry in NZ was apparently "on it's knees", and look at it now.
The questions I have been asked by TU/Curia polls in the last couple of years were pretty slanted in the political questions dropped in amongst a pile of how is the world going for other non-political polls. Have I listened to…, have I watched…, have I seen.., and then the loaded political question that is pretty much what do you feel about – only giving one side of the argument. ie What do you feel about Maori on 3 Waters – not How do you feel about 3 waters funding model..
Haven't had calls to me since I killed the landline. all but one elderly person had figured out how to use a cellphone and stopped treating calls to Auckland like a toll call. Must be bloody hard to get a sample these days.
My partner now gets regular polling on her cellphone, probably once every two months. Must be one of the few people who answers the cellphone to unknown and unsolicited numbers (I usually don't – if it is important they can txt) and responds to surveys.
It's been un-hidden for a while.
The occupation of Parliament grounds for 2 months in 2022 has disabused everyone of the existence of a permanent radicalised underclass.
The only thing novel is that Nicole McKee is now an actual Minister preparing a wholesale rollback of firearms controls, and all Coalition parties are rolling back Maori cultural support.
The result is honestly there's far less civic dissent under this government than under the previous one, and their polling is fantastic, so maybe you might want to accept that they're at last partially right before fanning yourself with some minor US drama.
Insightful:
Our culture and our communities are under attack and splintering by the manoeuvres of an elite class that has abandoned its loyalty to nation and people. At least monarchs tried to make their kingdoms stronger, not destroy them from within.
The 'unity' that Ad claims is merely a hiatus. National is turning NZ into a corrupt property ponzi and destroying the frayed remnants of the public sector. The police and skilled workers and the whole younger generation are exiting en masse.
It's the revenge of the boomers and fuckwit macho men who think they own Aotearoa, but we are all about to be royally screwed as the incompetent Nats implement Trussonomics.
The pandemic is not over. The next outbreak is a pandemic of stupidity and an attempt by the far right to overthrow democracy (which will ultimately fail but will cause everyone immense pain and hardship)
Apologies for the bleak comment, I've been re-watching "Mr Robot"
I'm afraid I agree with your pessimism, roblogic.
But the big question is: having spent the better part of 150 painful years clawing our way to a society that at least acknowledges the ills of the past, and has the potential to forge a fairer, more just future; how do we defend it from the siren song of rage?
Because if we want to have even the slimmest chance of that future coming to pass, we must fight for it. Tooth and nail. History is littered with examples of tolerant societies that collapsed under their own weight when it came to defending liberal ideals from reactionaries.
The only answer that springs to mind is a metaphor.
Pounamu is formed under immense pressure and heat. Its fibres and imperfect materials are all crushed together, and come out strong and beautiful when held up to the light.
There have been two New Zealands living side by side for the last 40+ years – and inequality is driving us further apart. But as more and more of the workers and middle class join the the precariat, solidarity against a rapacious and irresponsible elite will become the only way forward.
No apologies needed. Our future is bleak.
What concerns me now is whether many of us are going numb to the incessant anti-democracy, racist, transphobic, anti-environment, anti climate change action moves of our current coalition government.
I was hoping for the rage to continue to build but it appears it's not, and I include myself in that.
What exactly is "racist" or "transphobic" about the current government?
Transphobia might be a stretch apart from Peters’ toiket crusade, but you can't hear the racist, as in anti-treaty, anti-Maori tone of this government, particularly from ACT?
What exactly is racist about wanting equality of all NZers before the law, or about wanting to stop distortion of the treaty by activist judges? I support certain special rights for Maaori, like rights to practice traditional harvesting. But in most things we should all be equal before the law.
There is nothing remotely anti-Maaori about this government.
you are either a liar or a complete fool to try and cover for this racist government
" There is nothing remotely anti-Maaori about this government."
I'll have two of what you are on.
The disestablishing of Te Reo public service department names.
Seymour's selective picking of phrases from Te Tiriti for 'relitigating'. With the help of an advisory panel that didn't have an expert of Te Reo involved.
The scrapping of the Maori Health Authority.
Then there is the enthusiasm from my bigotted relation who is looking forward to this new government "sorting out them Marrys".
Why does Seymour need an "expert in Te Reo"? All too often, "expert" turns out to mean an activist. And judges and politicians have been redefining the treaty for decades, so why single out Seymour's initiative?
What on earth is "racist" about insisting on prioritizing English names of government departments? About 96 % of people born in NZ can speak and understand English, but the corresponding figure for the Maaori language is 5%. So English first makes sense if you want the public to understand. https://www.ethniccommunities.govt.nz/resources/our-languages-o-tatou-reo/language-spoken-by-birthplace/
Scrapping the Maaori Health Authority wasn't racist, it was a surprisingly sensible policy coming from the Nats. Where exactly was the evidence for establishing a separate health authority for Maaori? What is the evidence that it would have accomplished anything apart from wasting buckets of money? The Maaori Health Authority would have been infested with activists and ideology, and unscientific practices lacking a proper evidential basis.
I can't help you with the "bigotted relation", sorry.
Try again but with "nothing remotely anti-Maaori" lens rather than a "racist" one.
To help you with my bigotted relation, he picked up on the coalition's dog whistling even if you didn't.
It's a purge of Māori culture and language and an attempt at whitewashing history. Because Mâori claims stand in the way of massive land grabs and privatisation (plunder) that NACT1 want to perpetrate.
This government came to power on an unprecedented campaign of racist fear and lies about 3 waters/ co-governance, as if a Māori elite was somehow going to run away with our water supplies
There has been a long campaign of resentment simmering away by right wing bloggers and lunatics on The Platform, against Matariki, Matauranga Māori, Te Reo names for places and government departments, against accurate history in the school curriculum, against the Māori Health Authority, against Kainga Ora, and for a Fast Track Bill which is in violation of Te Tiriti
Colonial NZ wants to sideline Māori when there is money to be made, but trot them out as good little native mascots for rugby games.
That shit ain't gonna fly no more
FFS, you disingenuous troll. Let’s just pick one turd out of your swamp.
A 7-year lower life expectancy for Māori.
We keep getting into debates about what is racist and the equality of all NZ'ers. This will continue until we arrive at a definitive answer as a nation as to whether Maori ceded sovereignty – or not – according to the Treaty.
Te Pati Maori and the Greens stand firmly in agreement that Maori never did cede sovereignty. Act and NZ First are in the opposite corner.
The two main parties seem to want a bob each way and this is what is causing the divide and confusion.
We won't move forward as a nation until we address this.
The comments of chiefs at the signing make it clear they knew the treaty meant recognizing the authority of the British monarch over them. Some of them were uncomfortable with the idea, but signed anyway. And Sir Apirana Ngata was in no doubt that the chiefs ceded sovereignty. And what did Hobson say? "We are now one people".
But let's try a thought experiment. What if it were eventually "agreed" that Maaori did not cede sovereignty. What exactly would the implications be? We hear a lot about "tino rangatiratanga", but what did that expression mean in 1840? And how would we implement it now in the 21st century?
Deja vu – I refer you back to our previous interaction, where you appear to have learned nothing.
https://thestandard.org.nz/get-ready-for-your-water-to-be-privatised/#comment-1989682
Au contrary, this is a made up situation that deserves exactly zero attention.
The class war being engaged in will become more obvious when they move to change the the rules for foreign investment.
This elite live here because we have no CGT or estate tax. This is what foreign investors would find attractive.
The do not care if citizens move to Oz (hold down the MW, remove Fair Pay Agreement legislation and worse), they can replace them with migrants (easier to exploit in the workplace).
And migrants are easier to mobilise against the "indigenous people" of the Treaty.
How the fuck is Peter Thiel a citizen. He's a danger to democracy and fails the good character test.
Thiel is of his class.
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=Does+Theil+think+democracy+is+a+threeat+to+liberty