NZ: Home of Rugby, Raping and Beer

Written By: - Date published: 3:30 pm, September 8th, 2016 - 103 comments
Categories: Abuse of power, alcohol, animal welfare, boycott, crime, discrimination, health and safety, Social issues, sport, unemployment, workers' rights, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags: , , ,

Rugby NZ’s entirely predictably whitewash of the Chief’s rugby team’s abuse of a sex worker at a post season party means that the game’s culture of violence prevails. The rugby hierarchy have exonerated the players involved in the abuse, but bizarrely censured players who weren’t even there.

Rather than get an outside investigator, who might have come up with some inconvenient facts, the NZRFU used the services of one of their own staff. The un-named person, is, we are told, a proven lawyer. So that’s alright then. No doubt they came up with the right result for their grateful employers.

Victim’s advocate Louise Nicholas is scathing about the lack of an independent investigation by the NZRFU. But no doubt she knows all too well that the men who run NZ are used to avoiding awkward questions.

NZRFU chief Steve Tew made a total fool of himself on Radio NZ’s Morning Report, arguing that the only problem was hiring the woman. Funnily enough, that’s perfectly legal, and I’ve heard that the NZRFU held an All Blacks piss up at a brothel as recently as last year. Assaulting the woman is not legal, but that’s no bother to Tew.

Here’s what we should be told:

  • Why weren’t the players involved re-interviewed after the victim’s evidence was heard?
  • Why hasn’t the hotel video of the incident been released?
  • Why wasn’t cellphone footage released?
  • Were the so called ‘independent witnesses’ paid by the Chiefs before, during or after the piss up?
  • Who were the players involved and how many of them would be in the All Blacks squad?
  • Who’s idea was it to get a sex worker?
  • Why wasn’t the investigation independent?
  • Why haven’t the Chiefs apologised to the woman?

In the meantime, until we get some real answers, I think the government should immediately break off all contact with NZ rugby and suspend all funding to the game and divert the money to Women’s Refuge instead. John Key should apologise for publicly associating with sex offenders and reiterate that his commitment to the White Ribbon campaign is more important to him that drinking beer with boofheads.

In addition, Steve Tew, Chiefs CEO Andrew Flexman and every professional rugby player in NZ should attend anti-violence classes until they understand what the Waikato players did wrong.

And, no, the the thing they got wrong wasn’t hiring the woman. It was abusing her, then shaming her that’s the problem.

It’s beating the crap out their partners that’s the problem.

It’s living and working in a culture of violence that’s the problem.

Just as an aside, how hypocritical are My Food Bag? The company has dropped its partnership with the Chiefs. Not because of the abuse of the woman, but because the Chiefs hired her in the first place. My Food Bag have a moral objection to the legal hiring of sex workers.

Ironically, the meals at home company source some of their product from the Talley’s group, who regularly break NZ employment law and maim and kill their workers. But that’s not an ethical issue for My Food Bag, apparently.

 

tereoputake@gmail.com

https://tereoputake.wordpress.com/

 

 

 

103 comments on “NZ: Home of Rugby, Raping and Beer ”

  1. b waghorn 1

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/84036784/nz-rugby-investigation-into-chiefs-stripper-scandal-bogus-politicians-say

    the minimiser of women’s affairs thinks it’s got nothing to do with her, but i guess when he boss is a known abuser of women it’s hardly surprising.

  2. vto 2

    .
    still all men are rapists
    .

  3. Scott 3

    They referred to the investigation being undertaken by NZRFU’s Senior Counsel. I did a bit of searching but cannot discover who that is, only who it was back in 2014. I agree is seems strange not to name that person.

    Some of her claims were the sort of things you’d not fail to notice if your there, like being pushed to the ground to have her anus licked against her will (by someone who had not paid her required fee for that activity).

    24 players, some sober but all far from independent, say they didn’t see that (or the other things she alleged that were not properly paid for). 9 people not in the team say they didn’t see that. The police declined to investigate it.

    How much evidence is enough? I get the feeling that some would believe her accusations no matter how much evidence there was to the contrary. Fair enough, but be honest about it.

    Oh, and it is all Key’s fault… sure, yeh, of course it is.

  4. Repateet 4

    We are being metaphorically raped daily by the politicians who are pilloried on here. There is ample evidence for me to make both those claims.

    “In the meantime, until we get some real answers”?
    “Here’s what we should be told”?
    “It’s beating the crap out their partners that’s the problem.”

    How about in the meantime until we get some real answers putting the hanging rope down, jumping down off the high horse and give us the real answers of what happened?

    “Here’s what else we should be told – which of the people involved are beating the crap out their partners?” That’s the implication.

    This emotive over-the-top reaction diminishes the cause of stopping domestic and sexual violence.

    Let Tew and the rugby people go to anti-violence classes. While they’re there maybe the author of this rant could take some calm down pills and attend classes on being rational and reasonable.

    We think being done over by Key and co. is bad enough but why acting as ignorantly as him?

  5. vto 5

    Why have you attacked the rugby racing and beer generation? You’re about by about two generations

    • I’m making the obvious point that fuck all has changed since the days of the six o’clock swill in rugby circles. They might like to pretend they’ve moved on, but as this case shows, they’ve learned nothing.

      It’s particular obvious that it’s not the offensive behaviour that they see as the problem, but the fact that it made the media.

      • Scott 5.1.1

        But what was the offensive behavior?

        I think hiring her was bad idea, but the post seems to suggest you don’t: “And, no, the the thing they got wrong wasn’t hiring the woman.”

        Look, I’m okay with the idea that you may choose to believe her accusations regardless, but in light of what we learned yesterday you have to accept it is at least possible that she made it up.

        If she has, and you’re okay with them hiring her in the first place, then who are really the victims, and who are really the perpetrators.

        • mauī 5.1.1.1

          Yeah and a squad full of 30+ rugby players became strangely silent and couldn’t come up with an alternate view of events, while two seperate women came up with believable stories at considerable risk to themselves.

          The witnesses who we don’t even know if they were present haven’t been able to conjure up a counter story either.

          • Repateet 5.1.1.1.1

            We don’t need anyone to conjure up a story or come up with the “real” story.

            We will believe the bits we want to, made up or whatever. Like the bit about a squad of “30+ rugby players.” One account has 24 in the group.

            Like saying they couldn’t come up with an alternate view of events. Do you know that?

            And intimating there may not have been other witnesses. And suggesting if they were there they made up stories.

            So any independent witnesses made up their stories but the complainant didn’t make up or embellish hers?

            • One Anonymous Bloke 5.1.1.1.1.1

              Not the point. The NZRFU, and The Chiefs, have a massive conflict of interest and handled it extremely poorly, to say the least.

              Stripping and prostitution are legal activities, Any moral issues that attach to them apply equally to service providers and clients alike.

              The allegation is (at the very least), that a sexual assault occurred. At this point it might be that various individuals are accessories after the fact.

              Uncomfortable, eh. Do your principles apply when the going gets tough, or are they just rank Tory lip-service?

              • The lost sheep

                The allegation is (at the very least), that a sexual assault occurred

                Well, no, Scarlett made no allegation of sexual assault.
                She was perfectly happy to have her anus licked by strangers, and was in fact retailing this product on the night.
                Her complaint centered around the theft of said product, in that ONE individual made off with said lick without paying.
                So the crime was financial rather than sexual in nature.

                • One Anonymous Bloke

                  Lip service it is then.

                  • The lost sheep

                    Ah, that i had lips that tasted so sweet that punters were willing to pay 50 bucks for a single lick.

                • reason

                  I find it outrageous that Tls is saying the cheifs are thieving arse lickers …..

                  If this is indeed normal New Zealand rugby player behavior …. then it becomes clear just how but not who poisoned the all blacks in south africa when they lost the 1995 world rugby cup final ……

                  The All Blacks had just licked the wrong butts ……….

                  But more seriously ….. Drunk rugby players acting like pack animals towards women has a long tradition …… stretching back to and before our new zealand rugby union with their team mates national ruined the Montreal Olympics by supporting racial Apartheid ………http://montrealgazette.com/sports/montreal-olympics-african-boycott-of-1976-games-changed-the-world

                  Rugby has a history of dragging New Zealand morals through the mud ….

                  No wonder our national team have a pony tail perv for a mascot …….

                  • Repateet

                    Rugby has a history of dragging New Zealand morals through the mud in contrast to our politicians who have been and are always moral. As well as the mass of the public who in their fits of moral outrage morally call for the hanging top at the hint of an allegation.

                    • reason

                      The Lost Sheep seemed to be so certain about New Zealand super 15 rugby players licking Anus …. it sounded like a fact.

                      The allegations themselves seem to be growing … “New Zealand Rugby investigators never spoke to one of the two women who claim to have been abused by Waikato Chiefs players while performing at their end of season functions.

                      The stripper, known as Laura, says players groped her inappropriately and spat beer on her in 2015.

                      Her allegations came to light after another stripper complained of the same thing happening at this year’s event.” http://www.newshub.co.nz/nznews/chiefs-investigators-never-spoke-to-me—victim-2016090817

                      Politicians partner up with rugby as the example of when we (New Zealand) ruined the Montreal Olympic games shows …… rugby union needed Nationals help to put us on the world stage like that.

                      “A 1973 tour to NZ was blocked by PM Kirk, in 76 the All Blacks went to South Africa ……. Twenty eight African countries led by Congo, boycott the Montreal Olympics because of New Zealand’s participation.” http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/july/17/newsid_3555000/3555450.stm

                      Being one of the last countries in the world supporting Apartheid and the violence it was using were very bad morals ……………. just not to rugby union and their national party political enablers who put rugby above things like right and wrong …..

                      But back to the present with our drunken rugby players and the standards of behavior presently on display from them …. and the rape culture excuses from sober apologists .. ..

                      Both players and their fans often display the morals of sexual predators and violent thugs …… http://www.vice.com/en_au/read/why-i-hate-working-my-strip-job-on-big-rugby-game-nights

                      They need to clean up their act, get of their addiction to Alcohol industry money and stop advertising that drug to our children and the young…….I expect them to do zero out of the three.

                • framu

                  “Well, no, Scarlett made no allegation of sexual assault.
                  She was perfectly happy to have her anus licked by strangers, and was in fact retailing this product on the night.”

                  so by this logic raping a prostitute isnt rape

                  well done

            • mauī 5.1.1.1.1.2

              I heard 40 players when the news broke, but hey why are we arguing over numbers when noone really knows.

              Have you heard any Chiefs player talk about the incident since it happened? I haven’t, nor have I have heard any good explanations from management about what really happened.

              I used the term story because one side usually has the correct story of what happened. The absence of a story in court can mean guilt, you’re hiding something, making it damn hard to defend yourself .

              • Repateet

                The absence of a story can mean guilt. The absence of a story could mean innocence. The absence of a story mainly means the absence of a story.

                An idiot hack host on radiosport said the rugby people “swept it under the carpet.” The same idiot hack host on radiosport said there’d been “no consequences” for the rugby players involved. Consequences for what? And no consequences?

                In his hysteria he did not explain why all matters in his business with personnel are not carried out in full public view. Every damn statement, every damn question, every damn person involved out in public in front of cameras. He expects that of the rugby people, you know, people in the same business as him, entertainment .

        • One Anonymous Bloke 5.1.1.2

          But what was the violent behavior[sic]? FIFY

      • vto 5.1.2

        trp “I’m making the obvious point that fuck all has changed since the days of the six o’clock swill in rugby circles.”

        So what the fuck used to go on in th days of the six o’clock swill? And try some facts, for once in this post, not just assumptions and prejudices.

        That generation had more manners and good behaviour in one finger bone than someone like you would appear to have in your entire body. It certainly had better behaviour and manners than this current young generation of rugby players and people in general.

        You are way and miles off the mark, letting your bitter prejudices override common sense and facts, and firing off without knowing what went on anywhere really… not in the 50’s, not at the strip with the Chiefs..

        Keep that hatred of men strong trp… it’s a great look

        • te reo putake 5.1.2.1

          Get a grip, vto. Your rose tinted idea of what life was like back then is ridiculous. We were a sullenly violent country, with wife beating perfectly acceptable. Where do you think the concept of ‘just a domestic’ grew from? Politeness was beaten into our kids and it was considered polite for adults to turn a blind eye to violence. It’s not man hating to want this shit to end. It’s in men’s interest’s that it does.

          • vto 5.1.2.1.1

            Perhaps you have a point and you occupy one end of the spectrum and me the other….

            I don’t think such broad all-encompassing generalisations are helpful at all though, in fact they are unhelpful in that they demonise an entire generation and everyone in it, making them all out to be drunken violent bastards. It divides and hardens. Just like people who scream generalisations about cannibals roaming these islands before the civilised Europeans arrived…

          • Repateet 5.1.2.1.2

            We may have been a sullenly violent country. Now we are hysteria driven with a pack hanging mentality. NZ Rugby were dumb to not use some outsider to carry out the investigation but even more dumb to not expect irrational responses.

            The likelihood of an outsider coming to the same conclusions as whoever did the investigation is probably good. The likelihood of the same conclusions being greeted by the response there has been, great. An independent coming to the same conclusion as those reached would have drawn criticism of a cover up. That’s how we roll.

            • te reo putake 5.1.2.1.2.1

              I don’t think the response to the cover up is either hysterical or irrational. I think it’s entirely reasonable to call bullshit on the internal ‘investigation’. There has been outrage from many, many kiwis who think that these behavioural failings, both by the chiefs and by the rugby union, are unacceptable in this day and age. I think that’s a really good thing and look forward to incidents like this never happening again. But then, I’m an incorrigible optimist.

  6. Macro 6

    “In the meantime, until we get some real answers, I think the government should immediately break off all contact with NZ rugby and suspend all funding to the game and divert the money to Women’s Refuge instead. John Key should apologise for publicly associating with sex offenders and reiterate that his commitment to the White Ribbon campaign is more important to him that drinking beer with boofheads”

    Quoted for Truth.

    However I won’t be holding my breath.

  7. The Real Matthew 7

    The strippers elaborate story was found to have little substance when compared with the versions of independent witnesses. In other words the strippers version of events was nothing more than a fabrication. A nobody trying to gain fame by falsely accusing successful rugby players of something they didn’t do.

    But hey let’s not bother with the truth, lets just bash a culture we don’t like and drag John Key into it because….. ummmm…………

    • Siobhan 7.1

      So, say you had a complaint against a large and powerful organization, and your claim was investigated by their Lawyer, their employee, a person paid good money to protect their reputation….who found that you had no complaint to be answered…you would think that fair enough??

      • Scott 7.1.1

        Add in that the police declined to investigate.

        I know what you’re saying, but they had an employment issue to deal with, and undertook an investigation that was quite normal in those circumstances.

        I also think the NZRFU actually wanted to know the truth. Actually, I think they would have been surprised by the outcome and would have expected some of the accusations to be made out (I did, I expected some truth and some exaggeration). And I’m sure that they would have rather found out the truth and dealt with it than risk having is come out later (say cellphone footage or something emerges next week).

        No, I think the idea that there would have been pressure on their investigation person to sweep this under the rug is a bit conspiratorial, and ignores all modern advice on how an organisation should manage such things: Find it all out, own it, address it, move on.

        • mauī 7.1.1.1

          Ha, I wouldn’t want you investigating anything if you think doing an in house investigation that doesn’t speak to the complainant is getting to the truth of the matter.

          • Scott 7.1.1.1.1

            As I understand it they did speak to her.

            • Ross 7.1.1.1.1.1

              Police said they spoke to the stripper.

              • Scott

                Yes, and so did the NZFRU investigator (although people complain on her behalf that was not until late in his investigation but I fail to see how that matters).

            • mauī 7.1.1.1.1.2

              Steve Tew said on RNZ they couldnt contact her and didn’t interview her until very late in the piece. Do we take Tew at his word? That’s his side of the story. We have no idea what was said in an “interview”.

              Tew went on to say that everyone knew the woman’s side of the story from the media reports, which hardly gives much confidence in the interview process.

        • Siobhan 7.1.1.2

          Add in that the police declined to investigate. Hmm. Ever heard of Roast Busters??
          My thoughts on this whole case are probably not quite what you think, but I’m a big fan of Justice not only being done, but being seen to be done.
          And I’m just not that convinced that is the case here.

        • b waghorn 7.1.1.3

          ”Add in that the police declined to investigate.”
          The police not investigating means little. they tend avoid cases they are unlikely to get a conviction in, now what’s the odds of a stripper with a legal aid lawyer beating a rugby club with with the sort of doe the chiefs have do you think.

        • The police chose not to investigate out of respect for the wishes of the woman involved – who from day 1 of this had said she didn’t have much faith in the police process.

          Spinning this into “so obviously nothing happened” only shows that you have a deliberate agenda of minimising violence against women.

          As for NZ Rugby wanting the truth? If they had, they would have spoken to BOTH women who made allegations against the Chiefs, and wouldn’t have had their pet in-house lawyer run the investigation.

          By any objective measure, this whole thing stinks, and only the people who desperately, desperately don’t want to confront the reality of violence against women cry otherwise.

          • Ross 7.1.1.4.1

            Similarly anyone who spins this story by saying that something must have happened would be gilding the lily.

            • miravox 7.1.1.4.1.1

              Strangely an investigation to find out what ‘something’ happened came out with results that are as clear as the winter mud on a rugby field.

              Btw TRP, a pertinent post.

          • The Real Matthew 7.1.1.4.2

            I have no such agenda of minimising violence against women.

            I believe in an evidence based judicial system. In this instance the evidence presented by the stripper differs markedly to the evidence provided by everyone else.

            The people making a big deal about this are the sort of people who instantly think a man is guilty every time a women makes an accusation.

            • mauī 7.1.1.4.2.1

              Yup, the evidence presented by the rugby crowd was a big large zero. Even with dozens of friendly witnesses present and all sorts of video tech available. Your evidence ain’t worth shit.

            • framu 7.1.1.4.2.2

              by pretending that using an in house lawyer running a private investigation is the same as using the judicial system you are minimising the issue

              FFS – the mere possibility of group sexual assault (because thats what it technically is) should be enough for those investigating to take it seriously and do the job properly without opening doors for claims of a whitewash to arise. Thats how you remove any doubt from your side of the story

              the fact they did it in house means the dont see it as a serious enough issue to warrant conducting a water tight investigation

      • Scott 7.1.2

        In the context on a complaint against at employee that may impact on their employment it is normal for the investigation to be undertaken by senior management. I guess by getting the lawyer to do it that hoped that would be one better But I agree, an independent person would have been still. But whomever they hired for the task would have been on their payroll, and I suspect an unsatisfactory choice in the eyes of some if they reached this conclusion.

        • framu 7.1.2.1

          “In the context on a complaint against at employee that may impact on their employment”

          you might want to try “a complaint against multiple employees that may impact on their criminal record and liberty”

          its a little more than an employment matter scott

          • Scott 7.1.2.1.1

            The investigation had no impact on their liberty. That is the police’s job and they did not think there was reason to investigate it further than they did (which seems to be been just the initial assessment).

            As far as the NZRFU were concerns they had an employment issue to investigate.

            • framu 7.1.2.1.1.1

              “The investigation had no impact on their liberty.”

              of FFS scott – the CLAIM, if true, has the POTENTIAL to impact on their liberty

              you can be pretty certain that the police might have another look if new evidence came to light or people started saying that they saw the assault happen. Drop the dumb red herrings

              edit – seems the police are having a second look. You still think its just an employment issue scott?

              • Scott

                I realize that, but the investigation I was talking about was by their employer – last time I checked by boss didn’t have the power to chuck me in jail.

                I don’t understand why the police didn’t investigate it more seriously, I wish they had (or will). But that is not the NZRFU’s fault, and it is the NZRFU’s investigation I was talking about. Read before you abuse.

                As to your edit: Yes, but I never said it was “just” an employment issue. Regardless of anything the police did or do, the NZRFU still had and have an employment issue to resolve – they are the employer of these men, and that is what they were doing.

                [you’ve had multiple warnings, and been told already why the police didn’t take the issue further. Banned for 1 week for running rape apology lines and for repeatedly lying about the police investigation in a way that implies no assault tool place – weka]

                • framu

                  “Yes, but I never said it was “just” an employment issue” – whatever, spin it how ever you want to over as many comments as you can muster

                  your continual semantic minimisation and trying to have a bob each way on this issue is a load of cobblers.

                  its as bad as your cries of faux abuse.

                • Scott

                  to Weka

                  You told me the other post was not the place to discuss this. Fine, despite you not making the same point to others on there that were towing the party line I came back here, your the boss. You did not explain that I must agree with the consensus or stop.

                  As to the Police, with respect, we have not been told why the police didn’t take it further. I understand the Police have said that they took into account the evidence and the wishes of the complainant. That is a complete non-explanation. It doesn’t even say that the complainant didn’t want it taken further. But if that was the reason then I hope she changes her mind and the police do investigate it.

                  [the reason for your ban here is because of the insistence that the police chose not to investigate and didn’t say why, with the implication originally that there was no case. If you think that taking rape apology arguments to another thread about rape culture is acceptable then you’ve just discovered that it’s not. I have given moderator notes to other commenters not just you. You don’t have to agree with the consensus at all, you just have to understand that running rape apology lines is not acceptable in threads where women should be able to feel encouraged and safe. If you don’t know how to behave in that context, stop and listen. Read the Policy esp about wasting moderators time – weka]

      • Lanthanide 7.1.3

        Depends on whether I knew the grounds for the complaint were genuine or not.

    • Scott 7.2

      I thought the NZRFU people were good in how they worded it. They did not say she made it up, and indeed we cannot rule out all of the other people including the independent witnesses are in fact lying just as TRP gallantly assumes and the police are incompetent for not taking action – but that all just becomes pretty damn unlikely.

      The NZRFU stuck to the line that her version of events was not corroborated by the other witnesses. And that is a statement of fact.

      But if she has made it up, the real victims are the players (absent any blame you see in them hiring her in the first place), their families, the team organisation that has lost sponsors and maybe the NZRFU itself. If that is the case the then real perpetrators are the accuser, but I’d say more so the media that feasted on this as if her every word was fact and anyone that doubted her a blasphemer.

      • mpledger 7.2.1

        And wasn’t she on to a winner by making these complaints.

        The fame, the fortune…

        • Scott 7.2.1.1

          I’d have thought the police were the right people for her to go to, and if she was dissatisfied with their response then maybe a letter to the NZRFU.

          But whatever her reasons were, she is the one that chose to make this a media frenzy and it is the media and the keyboard warriors that have made it the talking point it is. You cannot blame the players, the Chiefs, or the NZRFU for that outcome.

          A winner? Not in my eyes anyway, but I suspect many out there would say she is.

          Financially? I don’t know, maybe, they say any publicity is good publicity and she got her name, photos, and services well publicized. I don’t know if she was paid for her interviews (I doubt it but you never know). There may well be a women’s mag story to be paid for in the next few months…

          • Psycho Milt 7.2.1.1.1

            I’d have thought the police were the right people for her to go to…

            Go read today’s General Debate thread on Kiwiblog and you should be able to figure out why a stripper might be reluctant to take a complaint of sexual assault by local heroes to the Police.

            But whatever her reasons were, she is the one that chose to make this a media frenzy…

            She did? How? Ordinary proletarians don’t get to choose what the media run with, they only get to be the willing or unwilling objects of those choices.

            You cannot blame the players, the Chiefs, or the NZRFU for that outcome.

            We can’t blame the players for putting themselves in this situation, quite possibly by actually committing the crimes they’ve been accused of? Oh, fuck yes we fucking can.

            • Scott 7.2.1.1.1.1

              re (1) I will have a read at some point.

              re (2) She went to the media – that was her choice. If you tell me she didn’t realize they would think it a great story then I call porkies. But I put most blame for the frenzy on the media who exploited her and the situation for all its worth.

              re (3) I was talking about the media frenzy, I expect it has not been much fun at all for her, regardless of what her expectations were when she went to the media in the first place. But she sought out the media, not the players, the Chiefs, or the NZRFU. If that choice has impacted her badly (as it may have), it was nevertheless her choice.

          • mpledger 7.2.1.1.2

            I can imagine the women’s mag story – it’ll be product placement for the NZR – because they’ll pay for it rather than the mag having to fork out to pay Scarlett.

            “AB wives and gfs overcome heartache after stripper attempted to ruin their lives.”

            And I’ll guess we’ll get variations of this meme too…
            http://www.theonion.com/video/college-basketball-star-heroically-overcomes-tragi-19097

  8. Guerilla Surgeon 8

    “In the meantime, until we get some real answers, I think the government should immediately break off all contact with NZ rugby and suspend all funding to the game and divert the money to Women’s Refuge instead. John Key should apologise for publicly associating with sex offenders and reiterate that his commitment to the White Ribbon campaign is more important to him that drinking beer with boofheads.”

    Never. In. A. Million. Years. Never apologise, never explain is their mantra.

  9. Ross 9

    I would’ve thought the most obvious question is: why didn’t police lay charges? Presumably the answer is that there was no realistic chance of a conviction due to a lack of evidence. If that’s the case, it seems a little off to hang, draw and quote the players. Having said that, rugby and league players have a history of doing dumb things, typically after consuming booze.

  10. Colonial Viper 10

    Expecting Chiefs ticket sales to plummet now.

  11. One Anonymous Bloke 11

    Question. You have two choices: paying to rim a stripper or paying for a table at Cabinet Club. For all practical purposes, the transactions are identical.

    Which do you choose?

    • Colonial Viper 11.1

      Technically, not an either/or

      • One Anonymous Bloke 11.1.1

        For the purposes of this thought experiment, you are not allowed to choose both options.

        Edit: nah what the hey, pick both if you like.

    • McFlock 11.2

      Semantically, if you’re paying to rim someone then I suggest that they’ve moved on a bit beyond stripping…

      Anyway, unless the stripper was quite my cup of tea, I’d probably go with the cabinet club. One should always be courteous to “strippers”, but with tory ministers you can call them fuckwits and announce that any money you paid to CC will be trebled to go to Labour.

      • One Anonymous Bloke 11.2.1

        Tory Ministers, strippers, whatever: no matter how much you pay them they never stay bought. (Dubious metaphors aside) The only way to win is not to play.

        • McFlock 11.2.1.1

          Hey strippers work hard for their honestly earned money.
          Tory ministers do the exact opposite.

        • The lost sheep 11.2.1.2

          And there’s the rub eh?
          You can get your jollies off where ever you choose or not choose.

          Ain’t modern democratic secular societies a miraculous thing!!!!!

          • One Anonymous Bloke 11.2.1.2.1

            I realise that paying for access to ministers seems completely natural to you.

            • The lost sheep 11.2.1.2.1.1

              About as natural as charging strangers $50 for tongue access to your arse.

              But why pay for something you can get for free? I’ve never been asked to pay.

              • One Anonymous Bloke

                natural

                Your moral judgements apply to clients and providers alike. The allegation is that one or more of the johns committed a crime.

              • I’ve never been asked to pay.

                No doubt, but we’re not discussing the initiation rites of Tory clubs here.

  12. There’s nothing wrong with hiring a stripper to strip or a sex worker to sex. What’s wrong is expecting/demanding duties that fall outside of the agreed terms. What’s wrong is forcing that worker to do so against their will. Innit?

    Sure, the woman who performed as “Scarlette” overstepped professional expectations by accepting a proposition from a single customer. Does that mean she deserves to be mauled by the entire group? That she be forced to perform other duties or acts outside of her job description. Yeah nah eh. Both parties have contributed to the mess but I think the lion’s share of responsibility is rightfully with the Chiefs organisation.

    There’s nothing wrong with a bunch of people taking pleasure from a stripping performance. There’s something mighty wrong when instead the entertainment is derived by abusing the performer. Unfortunately that attitude is not limited to boozy rugby heads.

  13. Colonial Viper 13

    So what’s the conclusion then? Organise a boycott of next years Super Rugby?

  14. stunned mullet 14

    What’s your sport of choice TRP ?

  15. corokia 15

    “Here’s what we should be told:………Who’s idea was it to get a sex worker?”

    Is it fair to call a stripper a ”sex worker”?

    What I remember from comments made by her when this first came out in the media, was that she is a stripper, there to perform a striptease. Not a sex worker aka prostitute. They paid to look, not touch.

    It looks like these guys don’t understand boundaries unless they are painted with white paint on grass.

  16. James 16

    The tag stripper was always a media beat up. She took money to allow people to lick her ***hole. She’s a prostitute.

    She should be called as much in the papers.

    By not doing so just shows bias in the article.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 16.1

      Any moral issues that attach to prostitution apply to providers and clients alike.

      There is more than a hint of violence in your attitude.

    • framu 16.2

      whoop dee friggity doo – none of that changes the issue of consent does it

      cmon guys – your letting the side down with this kind of bullshit

  17. James 17

    Nope not violence in my attitude.

    And no moral judgements.

    I’m just saying if she’s a prositute – she should be referred to as a prostitute not a stripper.

    No moral judgements or violence of attitude. Just honesty.

    What’s your objection to calling a woman who takes money for sex acts to be called a prositute ?

    Does the word make you uncomfortable?

    • Same reason Key’s referred to as a money changer, James.
      Does that tag make you uncomfortable?

      • James 17.1.1

        It didn’t offend me. It makes me laugh that people harp back to that as opposed to saying he is the PM.

        If you are going to call him a money changer (not the proper title) at least be smart enough to use the past tense.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 17.2

      Do you need English comprehension lessons? If I ‘objected’ to something it’s the violence in your attitude.

      • James 17.2.1

        So you are happy that we call her for what she is – a prositute- it’s just that you see violence in my comment? What part of my original comment indicates a violent attitude to you ?

        Always curious how precious people are and would love to understand your thought process

        • One Anonymous Bloke 17.2.1.1

          The allegation is that one or more of her johns assaulted her. Bullies need their toadies, and then you came along.

    • mpledger 17.3

      Given they hired her as a stripper than that should be how she should be referred to.

      If you want to also add that she is a prostitute than I don’t think anyone minds, except perhaps some of wives and girlfriends of the rugby johns, who might be a tad unhappy to know their boyfriends and husbands used the services of a prostitute.

      Anyway, given your comment, it makes me think they should change the chief’s name to the Waikato Punters.

    • Does the word make you uncomfortable?

      No, but the malicious intent behind this particular example of pedantry does disgust me.

  18. Brigid 19

    “We are pleased the allegations are unsubstantiated”
    but
    “…what happened at both events and the fact others didn’t step in to stop it, is something as a club we have had to deal with the consequences of”

    http://d3nd7i493f0o21.cloudfront.net/assets/upload/366108/1878066951/ChiefsRugby_2016-Sep-07.jpg

    So I think the Chiefs CEO Andrew Flexman has a little cognitive dissonance going on.

  19. rhinocrates 20

    Apologies if this is doubling, but The Spinoff shows just how much bullshit has been heaped up by the NZRFU: http://thespinoff.co.nz/media/09-09-2016/some-awkward-questions-about-nz-rugbys-report-into-abuse-claims/

  20. Philj 21

    Oddly when interviewed by John Campbell on RNZ, and asked if there were all blacks at the function, Rugby Union boss Steve Tew said Sam cane was not present although he could not or did not name any of the All Blacks that were present as he could not remember. It is notable that during this sorry episode there has not been a mention of the All Blacks involved in this incident. mum’s the word. Ruby culture is an oxymoron.

  21. NZJester 22

    The notification for this and another story only just arrived in my inbox last night.
    Was the notification part of the server down for a couple of weeks?
    Thuby is what I call it. They are becoming thugs even on the field. I see so many people spitting in the street these days too. All following the example of rugby players on the field.
    There seam to be one rule for the rich and famous and another for everyone else.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Relentlessly negative
    Negative yesterday, negative today. Negative all year, according to one departing reader telling me I’ve grown strident and predictable. Fair enough. If it’s any help, every time I go to write about a certain topic that begins with C and ends with arrrrs, I do brace myself and ask: Again? Are ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 hour ago
  • Scoring 4.6 out of 10, the new Government is struggling in the polls
    Bryce Edwards writes –  It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 hour ago
  • Promiscuous Empathy: Chris Trotter Replies To His Critics.
    Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played. “Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
    2 hours ago
  • Don’t run your business like a criminal enterprise
    The Detail this morning highlights the police's asset forfeiture case against convicted business criminal Ron Salter, who stands to have his business confiscated for systemic violations of health and safety law. Business are crying foul - but not for the reason you'd think. Instead of opposing the post-conviction punishment and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 hours ago
  • Misremembering Justinian’s Taxes.
    Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I - Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
    2 hours ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Scoring 4.6 out of 10, the new Government is struggling in the polls
    It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 hours ago
  • Bishop scores headlines with crackdown on unwelcome tenants – but Peters scores, too, as tub-thump...
    Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 hours ago
  • Will it make the boat go faster?
    Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 hours ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi The fact that a ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    7 hours ago
  • Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 hours ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' at 10:10am on Tuesday, March 19
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st Century The SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims Stuff Steve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    8 hours ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things on Tuesday, March 19
    It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    9 hours ago
  • New Life for Light Rail
    This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail  Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    10 hours ago
  • Why Are Bosses Nearly All Buffoons?
    Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    12 hours ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on March 18
    TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    24 hours ago
  • Peters holds his ground on co-governance, but Willis wriggles on those tax cuts and SNA suspension l...
    Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Labour’s final report card
    David Farrar writes –  We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how  went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promise The result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • “Drunk Uncle at a Wedding”
    I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Dune 2, and images of Islam
    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    1 day ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    1 day ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things at 6.36am on Monday, March 18
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    1 day ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • There’s a name for this
    Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Echoes of 1968 in 2024?  Pocock on the repetitive problems of the New Left
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
    Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
    Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.  It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
    Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
    Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity
    This year’s Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity and the contribution of Pacific communities to New Zealand culture, says Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti.  Dr Reti announced dates for the 2024 Pacific Language Weeks during a visit to the Pasifika festival in Auckland today and says there’s so ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-19T04:50:16+00:00