The tourism thing is good. I was in New York last year. Chatting to this dude at a bar told mr how he’s coming to nz this Feb yo check out all the hobbit spots. Blew my mind.
The Brit bruiser wanted to go and see the Hobbit spots. Probably they wanted to unload some of their litter there. We have to watch what sort of tourist gets attracted here by the films.
No, I don’t think we can. Key’s failure to protect local interests can be seen in everything he touched, from SCF to Christchurch – his influence has been an irredeemable blight on our country in every instance.
The Hobbit was a disgrace – it took one of the most popular works in English fiction and made it into unrecognizable soup. Certainly the fans paid plenty of money, but Jackson destroyed his reputation with it.
The studios may well have made the movies here without the Hobbit law, the scenery had become part of the LOTR franchise – their attack of the vapors was strategic, designed to squeeze as much as possible out of weak and credulous governments – which was Key in a nutshell. He rolled over because he never gave a toss about New Zealanders anyway.
I think you give him too much credit – that was only one of his changes. Radagast was a mess. The elf love interest was not unforgiveable but the crudity of it was. Orcs with Morghul arrows though? Right up there with bringing the undead to Pelenor fields – playing fast and loose with stuff he clearly didn’t understand. The gold trap, and the battle of five armies – pitiful chaotic nonsense. Had as much collapsing masonry in it as 2012 (the film) I gave my Korean friends rings about D War – I had to apologize to them – the Hobbit was as bad or worse.
Three (films) for LOTR and one to rule them all, The Hobbit. A lot more integrity and probably much less Peter Jackson would have helped all these films. It was a lot of people bowing to the (strong) wind of money. Not least the government. If we had a better 4th estate , less a promotional device and more an arm of understanding, we’d know about the side deals.
‘If I were in government’ I’d fund investigative journalism, because democracy needs it. And, by the way, also ban caterwauling, sorry, opera, from Concert FM.
If you like to scratch about online there is a “Tolkien Edit” of the Hobbit, which removes many of the more egregious changes – and brings viewing time down to a mere 41/2 hours. One would expect, in this multimedia age, that such things would become de rigueur somewhat after the theatrical releases, for those who want the authorial vision of the original story as far as possible.
The Lord of the Rings was made in the early 2000s. What hitherto-unknown contribution did John Key make to it that we should thank him for? Was he one of the orcs?
The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy (2001, 2002, 2003), was nominated for 30 Academy awards, and won 17. Most of the filming for the first movie, and all of the filming for the second and third movies, took place in NZ during the term of the fifth Labour government (1999-2008).
No, your post waz about tge proposed changes to industry wide fair pay bargaining. Mine was related to the review of the Hobbit law changes. They are different things.
“The idea of fairness has been promoted in our schools for a very long time”
The idea of fairness is actually innate in humans – especially children. It takes a pretty massive propaganda effort to drive the idea of fairness out of people’s heads. Or to distort it into its opposite. And to be fair – that propaganda has been wildly successful for the past 35 years or so. But it is an uphill battle and eventually ideas of fairness re-surface in some form or another. The interesting thing is how elites respond when the propaganda fails – do they concede some ground, or go full repressive/fascist in response?
This article was re-published from Elizabeth White’s blog Love, Elizabeth
Welcome to the little space I call my blog. It’s a place I come to write about my experiences in a context that others can also relate to. I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason
I really don’t think that there are many people who are dying because of a co-payment on prescriptions.
It is limited to a total of $100/year/family, no matter how large the family.
There is no charge at all for children under 13.
It can be totally avoided if you live in Auckland and go to the Chemist Warehouse, or some Countdown shops.
It is nothing at all like the $60,000/year that the linked article talks about.
You are, frankly, talking utter rubbish.
you are right, they did not die because of co-payments.
they died because they got kicked of waiting lists, because surgery was not available, because the budget for public healthcare was gutted, because on their min wage tey could not afford private healthcare, because NZ health care staff is underpaid compared to elsehwer thus once educated they leave, or because the nurses, doctors and other health care staff can’t actually afford rent/buying a house where their hospital is located.
and all that happened under National, the party without mates, conscience and morals.
Oh dear.
Where were you living during the period 2009 – 2017?
If you experienced the things you listed it clearly wasn’t New Zealand where you resided.
I don’t think that I can be bothered trying to explain all the things that are wrong with your statements. You are clearly delusional and probably wouldn’t be able to read my responses anyway.
It is irrelevant anyway. Still, at least you agree that millsy was talking rubbish in his claim about people dying because there was a $5 charge on some prescriptions. That is better than nothing I suppose.
And it isn’t what I said.
I know someone who was taken of the waiting list for a knee replacement.
They had a major heart attack and it wasn’t safe to do the knee Op.
That doesn’t mean it was the normal thing.
Under the Clark Government everyone was put on the waiting list for Ops such as hip or knee replacement. They promised that no-one would be on the list for more than 6 months. If you got to the 6 months they simply removed you from the list and sent you back to your GP where the whole thing started again.
Under National you would get the Op if you were on the waiting list. However if you didn’t qualify they wouldn’t put you on the waiting list. At least you knew whether or not the Op would happen within 6 months and you weren’t just treated like a yo-yo.
I know which system was better.
I have little internal bets sometimes and so I saw on the side-bar James had commented. Having swept the news sites and having seen the Elizabeth White letter I bet myself that James’ comment this morning would be about this letter.
That’s how easy James is to read.
Elizabeth cites other developed countries such as Australia and Britain as having much better outcomes for these types of cancer but both countries have a top tax rate of 45%. Britain is 40% above 70K sterling and Australia 37% above $80K. Both countries also have a CGT.
Would James and the other RWNJs like to make a correlation between the two?
“Dear Jacinda Ardern, my mother could die because of you”
Your mother’s dying of cancer. Jacinda Ardern didn’t cause it and can’t cure it, so that’s the most unfair headline I’ve seen in a well-contested field of anti-Ardern headlines. If you weren’t upset because your mother’s dying of an Ardern-unrelated cancer, I’d offer some thoughts on your character while I’m at it.
I agree PM, but sadly grief is often not rational. I feel for this mother and family and understand the daughter writing what she did in the grips of grief. What is not acceptable IMO is media (looking at Newshub) picking this up and running it in the way they have.
Thanks for pressing me to read the blog. I missed the link you posted earlier. Uuummm. What crossed my mind after doing so is best left unsaid.
I found the little bits of revelation re her way of thinking and ambitions in her Twenty-one or a death sentence? post re her 21st birthday in Sept 2017 interesting.
At the very least, it would be appropriate to add an editor’s note explaining the role Pharmac has in working out how best to allocate the finite dollars we have for pharmaceuticals.
I agree with that Newsroom should have provided some appropriate notes on such things as the differences in the systems between the countries’ medical systems that have been compared in the letter.
Having read this young woman’s blog, I decided to google her as she has been upfront on the blog and in the Newshub article as to her real identity.
Well, well, well. Having expected that there would lots of people in NZ with the same name, the very first entry that came up was to Linked In with a photo identifying it was for the same person and it turns out that she appears to be none other than:
“Summary
Foreign News Producer for TVNZ’s Breakfast show. Skilled in Microsoft Excel, Management, Broadcasting, Customer Service, and Television.
Strong professional with a Bachelor of Broadcasting Communications focused in Broadcast Journalism from New Zealand Broadcasting School.
—————-
News Reporter
MediaWorks NZ
November 2018 – Present 4 months
Auckland, New Zealand
Auckland reporter for the AM Show on TV3
TVNZ – 2 years 2 months
Foreign News Producer TVNZ
October 2017 – Present 1 year 5 months
Auckland, New Zealand
Assignments Desk Coordinator TVNZ
January 2017 – September 2017 9 months
Auckland, New Zealand … “
So, as well as not providing anything re the differences in systems between the various countries etc, Newshub also failed to provide any disclosure that the writer is in fact one of their employees, a news reporter.
Now, just to be clear, I still feel very sorry for her and her family having been through the same with my own mother who died of incurable cancer; but I find the tone of the letter (ie the blame) and the above information that was not disclosed questionable to say the least.
I’m trying to decide whether Mediaworks’ failure to disclose the opinion piece was by one of its employees is worse than its failure to provide an editor’s note that Pharmac rather than the PM makes decisions about what treatments to fund. On reflection, the failure to disclose the employee status is worse, because it effectively makes the OP an attack on the government by Mediaworks.
Pharmac rather than the PM makes decisions about what treatments to fund.
I hope someone on behalf of PM, Jacinda Ardern replies to her and corrects her assumptions. To imagine it was Ardern’s job to make such decisions is evidence she has a lot to learn.
Dear Jacinda Ardern, my mother could die because of you
Assuming this young woman was writing the letter to JA in her capacity as Prime Minister and she doesn’t even have the courtesy to address her as such is ignorant and lacking the courtesy usually accorded the position. She blames Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern for the health woes when much of the blame lies on the shoulders of the previous govt. That is her level of rationality?
She’s just turned 21 and Newshub have employed her as a reporter? The standard of reporting has reached an all time low on that TV net-work and I no longer waste time watching it.
A typically shrewish comment from an old never was directed at any female younger than Anne who is even slightly critical of The Prime Minister.
Get off your high horse you old wind bag. Plenty of crappy articles directed at politicians on both sides have appeared in both the herald and the awful stuff user generated sections.
[Righto. Your next comment needs to include an apology and a commitment to refraining from pointless abuse. No discussion, no other warning. TRP]
It seems you have no argument whatsoever and are resorting to an ad hominem attack. Shame on yo1 The description seems to say a lot more about you, you cheap, sickly biscuit.
Anne demanding people bow and scrape to the prime ministers position? In New Zealand? I stand by my comment.
I’ve watched for too long as Anne denegrates any female who dares not be in adoration of any labour leader. First it was Cunliffe, then Little and now Adern.
Women should only speak up if they are on the same side as Anne, otherwise she thinks they should know their place. It’s so offensive and puerile
TS every post you abuse some one
Last time I was in la la land.
I don’t know you, I do know Jacinda.
She is everything you are not.
To make out Anne attacks others compared to your history of personal attacks lays a path of pain for yourself.
Anne makes thoughtful contributions, and her comments are pertinent and considered . Quote right back at you “You old wind bag”.
What generalisations you use Tuppence as an excuse to have a go at Anne in a particularly vulgar way. Psychopathic really. And we have been watching you for a long time too.
Tuppenny bit… he not like strong women who speak their minds. He think strong women scary. He think only men – like him – are allowed to speak minds. Woomen should stay in kitchen and cook da meals.
Hilarious! Your privileged silencing of a young women for not showing deference to those in power shows how little respect you have strong women speaking out.
The standard of reporting has reached an all time low on that TV net-work and I no longer waste time watching it.
You did your usual didn’t you Tupenny bit. You thought I was referring to the “very young woman”. That was a generalisation about the standard of reporting on Newshub. Its abysmal.
Once upon a time it was by far the better of the two main TV channels, TV1 and TV3. Now its just third rate clickbait stuff and on occasion so inaccurate I’m surprised they haven’t been taken to court for defamation or slander. They come perilously close to it sometimes.
The personal emotive tone casts a biased shadow over the whole item. The RW cast themselves as being in the light and thinking right, but in fact they are self-centred, with wizened minds, and authoritarian controlling in nature.
As for the Prof. he has obviously led a right wing household. A comment below the article contradicts someone who says that being part of the Maxim Institute shows his bias, and quite rightly. His son is said to be in that right wing think tank, but his upbringing connects him to the father.
It is known that the dedicated groups of people against euthanasia unite to flood letters and submissions into the authority canvassing citizens’ wishes which in theory is a democratic process. This professor is just using an aspect of that technique. It is unheard of for people to have freedom of choice over their own lives and bodies.
The Climate Change deniers did it too. Even though 97% of the world’s scientists (it’s probably 100% now with a handful of ideological nutbars on the side) knew it was happening… the media for years, here and overseas, gave the deniers equal billing. They did untold damage in the process and have to take their share of the blame for the many delays which could turn out to be catastrophic for the planet.
Then there are the anti-fluoride and anti-vaccination campaigners… both of whom rely on pseudo scientific nonsense just like the CC deniers.
All of them come from often irrational ideological perspectives, and I suspect you would find if they’re part of one anti group, they’re also part of all the others.
We already do – It is those middle classes with a few $ pay medical insurance. Until they find out, as in many insurance policies. What cover they thought they had was limited and requires top ups to complete any treatment.
Those at the top end have comprehensive cover as part of their remuneration packages.
Those not covered “roll” the dice, and are at the mercy of our health system 🤧
And our govts continue to increase the stress on our infrastructure/health system by increasing the demand/pop.
Only from YOUR experience, which is not the same as everyone else.
And once you have any medical history it is almost impossible to change coys and still be covered with existing or past conditions-and that is were we the public are then captured by an insurance coy. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10352802
I hope you don’t think that people wanting euthanasia are just being neglected by our health system. This is about people who want to decide when to die, and not having to wait for death with increasing stress, boredom or pain. Committing suicide is a poor quality death and is problematical.
Good to see the Trolls haven’t succumbed to devastating fires or floods yet. I too am deeply concerned about the economy:
Can I perform comedy shows in blackened ruins? A man deserves to make a living. Under Labour there’d probably be some ninny workplace safety issues; but under National, I could be a private contractor, fully responsible for death and misadventure like the rest of them.
What happens during a rebuild? If I score some corrugated iron and masonry to build a shanty out of, Labour would stop me with pesky regulations and rules of construction; but National would let it fly no worries.
National have a plan. Predator Free NZ. They made the words so we know they care. As food chains break down, we can all eat dead rats.
WtB
Thinking factually. Are there trees that we could plant instead of pinus radiata that would be less flammable? Pinus R are very resiny aren’t they? Could we have less of them, and grow some longer maturing trees that might be exotics, plus natives as well. Perhaps we could grow greener natives that would be less flammable in amongst the pinus R which of course are good for longs being very fast growing here.
Suggesting what should have been done might seem a bit off considering the circumstances. The above post was in response to about 8 trolling comments in a row starting the day, I just forgot to link it to the rot posts so it’s kinda out of context.
Was just me firing back.
The forestry service would be the people to ask the questions re: flammability of their crops and any alternatives in the pipeline.
While some plants are a lot less flammable than others, there comes a point where plants lose so much water they’re all tinder, though burn rate and heat will differ.
There are a few things we might consider. Soil carbon (organic matter) holds on to soil water increasing the water holding capacity of soils. Retention and increasing of soil carbon in forestry will hold off the point at which trees become highly volatile. Ploughing, fertilisers and fungicides are all processes/products that may severely impact soil life and deplete soil carbon. Mulching of prunings on the spot (lay litter out in contact with the ground – not in piles), inoculation of stumps with fungi (crops and animal food), productive crop diversity, and biochar application are all practices that can increase soil carbon in forestry.
Retaining water in the soil using earthworks is the most important thing that can be done. We’ve looked at how those systems work. Swale systems, keyline systems, small dams, plantings, retain not drain… When one farm has plenty of water, surrounded by neighbors in drought, you know something special has occurred. Not paying attention may lose the farm as weather gets worse and folk are denied water.
What is what so far as these systems go: Swales vs Yeomans??
When all the land is rehydrating via earthworks and plantings, rain becomes more steady for the local climate. I can’t recall offhand but x amount of contiguous forest is sufficient to make rain. The trees take excess and siphon it back to the atmosphere so less flood issues too, not to mention the land covered in earthworks will catch rather than dispatch (to the poor bastards below) most water.
It’s not about rainfall, so much as rain penetration.
The maple family (including sycamores and plane trees) are hard to set ablaze – they will make decent firewood if dried though. They’re popular for decorative flooring in some countries,.
On the upside… if there is one, at least the weather is so much cooler today, hopefully making it easier for crews on the ground.
And… there is a block where the forest had been cleared a little while back, hoping that will slow it down. Marty, you’ll know where I mean, the big forestry block on the inland highway between Redwoods Valley and Upper Moutere, where you can turn off to Mahana.
Open Letter by Over 70 Scholars and Experts Condemns US-Backed Coup Attempt in Venezuela
-chomsky/open-letter-by-over-70-scholars-and-experts-condemns-us-backed-coup-a
Thanks Adrian, reality and the mainstream media at odds again as they attempt to manufacture consent, summed up by the great Glenn Greenwald: ‘I’d have more respect for the foreign policy decrees of US officials if they’d just admit what everyone knows – “we want to change this country’s government to make it better serve our interests” – rather than pretending they give the slightest shit about Freedom & Democracy.’
@ TootingPopularFront, yes the manufacture consent doctrine has really been operating at 110% over the past few years…the only up side is that the more overt it gets, the more obvious it becomes..even to the casual observer.
You would have to say that anyone who is interested in politics and/or global news, and pretend not to see the actual mechanics of the manufacture consent doctrine operating in pretty much full view, are in fact purposely not acknowledging it only to suit their own world view.
Did you catch The Listening Post on Al Jazeera in the weekend?
“The (media) coverage also mostly stayed away from the role successive American administrations – through economic sanctions – have played in handicapping the Venezuelan economy.
As Iraqis, Iranians, Libyans and others would tell you, this isn’t the first time the US has taken a disproportionate interest in the governance of a country loaded with oil.
Washington has a playbook for this kind of thing. And so, apparently, do the US media.
@cinny, yes I did catch that Listening Post piece, it is really quite depressing watching a full scale illegal international capitalist intervention, (purely for resources of course) happening in real time, right out in the open…while all our media, and so many (supposedly) good people either support it or say nothing.
Also interesting watching Liberal media like the Guardian etc attack Trump relentlessly for months on end, but suddenly support his position over this…shows you who their paymasters really are.
I had the jarring experience of hearing that weasel Justin “Blair” Trudeau parroting Mike Pompeo’s anti-Venezuela rhetoric on the radio yesterday. Nearly drove the Breenmobile into a tree.
11 months ago, the PM and Civil Defence minister were roundly critised for their apathy and sluggish response to the damage caused by cyclone Gita in Golden Bay.
I’ll be interested to see what lessons have been learnt in the response to the wildfire state of emergency in rural Nelson.
It’ll be a really interesting exercise to see if a rural mainly white South Island farming community is afforded similar priority and attention as a rural north island mainly Maori community has enjoyed from this government over the past few days.
It will be interesting to see if the rural mainly white community in Nelson Marlborough receive the same massive financial subsidies all white dairy, sheep + fruit farmers have received from the Government these past 150 years.
Kris Fafoi has been brilliant. He has declared a Civil Emergency, which gives extra powers. This is a large fire which is very dangerous in high winds.
At this very moment, a small army of White House aides is scrambling, circled around a computer in an office in the West Wing pecking out a State of the Shitshow speech they hope will “capture the voice” of a president more given to grunts and verbal excrescences than the lofty rhetoric of presidents. Here’s a spoiler; their work won’t matter.
That’s not merely because when the Trump administration sends us their speechwriters, they’re not sending their best. They are sending the indifferently educated, culturally buffoonish, shiftier dregs of authoritarian nationalist fanboys Donald Trump manages to recruit from random bus stations, hobo squats, and TPUSA Trump Young Pioneers camps.
Some, I assume are good people, but I’m almost certainly wrong.
“With potentially three referendums proposed for New Zealand in 2020 – on cannabis, euthanasia, and MMP thresholds – the Brexit referendum offers crucial lessons on how not to run a modern referendum.”
He reckons Brexit’s lead-time of four months was too short. People just can’t figure stuff out that fast. Should I stay or should I go? Questions that hard take six months to suss out, apparently. “Post-truth politics is the idea that arguments are not won on the basis of objective facts but on emotional appeal and by reinforcing pre-existing beliefs.”
“The cannabis and euthanasia referendums provide fertile ground for post-truth politics. The debates for both easily lend themselves to personal anecdotes and emotional appeal. This is not to say that such appeals are a new or a bad thing. People often vote with their hearts rather than their heads. The difference is that in the past it was much easier to sift the truth from the lies.”
What’s changed? Social media has everyone enmeshed in such a toxic stew they can no longer think straight. And “this toxic dialogue has emerged into the real world and is increasingly apparent in political discourse. Likewise, it’s becoming a cliché that we are living in a polarised world where one must stick to his or her party line, where compromise is a dirty word, and where the opposition’s views are not only wrong but morally repugnant.”
You see that banality & polarisation here often enough to agree with the diagnosis. But must we allow inadequate commentators to spoil it for everyone? No. He advises “let’s try to keep it civil… because there are valid points on both sides. One of the sad facts about Brexit was that people were so quick to decry and brand those who disagreed with them that they didn’t take the time to understand the reasons behind their point of view.”
He thinks having the other two referenda simultaneously with the cannabis referendum “would be absurd. The suggestion that in the lead up to the general election next year we will also be able to have a thorough, engaged debate about what are three relatively serious issues is ridiculous. It’s never been done before in New Zealand.”
Kiwis just cannot multitask. Too thick, apparently. Is he right? The question is really about the extent. What percentage of voters can form their opinions on three or more social issues over a six-month time frame? Most, I reckon.
Whereas Christian is currently only at #49 in popularity, it was in the mid to low 20s about 20+ years ago. Always been a very popular name in Catholic Europe – eg France, Germany etc. https://www.babycenter.com/baby-names-christian-1008.htm
[With the latter site, would have to provide links to a whole range of spellings of Mohammed, Muhammed etc.]
Those names just give me a feeling of scraping a bit below the surface and coming up with a religious illiberal type. Having met someone like that who had a persona of a friendly guy then finding he had a ‘sting’ now I watch out.
Perhaps they just named him after Christian Cullen?
If this chap is still a student he may have been born about the time Cullen came to the fore and they got the idea there.
Who knows why parents pick names. Or perhaps you think that Cullen’s parents had an agenda as well?
And possibly you think Israel Dagg has strongly Zionist parents?
What fun we could have with our wild suppositions. Is there anyone else you have suspicions about?
Most of the commentary I have read implies that the question will be about legalising weed – handing the whole shooting box to the corporations.
I am keen on the law changing, as I believe the most damaging aspect of pot is its status in law.
I would prefer decriminilising as it allows help to be sought if a habit causes issues.
It would also take money away from gangs and other n’erdowells.
I will most probably vote no if the question is around legalisation.
Stuff’s Editorial: Let’s go back to the future considers “the New Zealand Curriculum. It’s the blueprint for how we teach our children and future leaders, from year 1 all the way to year 13. On the contents page you’ll find references to “learning areas”. The usual subjects are there: English, maths and science; there’s also mention of the arts, physical education and technology. But not one reference to history.”
Interesting, I thought. History was one of the five standard subjects when I went to school. When was it eliminated?? Whodunnit? National or Labour? Both??
“Further on, each learning area is explored in a little more depth; there’s even a reference to social sciences. But again, not one mention of history. As expected, there are plenty of pedagogical nods to the Treaty of Waitangi, our founding document, but nothing in the framework – “important for a broad, general education” – that would provide context to the historic meeting of two great cultures on February 6, 179 years ago.”
Ah, that would be because ritualised acknowledgement of the ToW is politically-correct. If there’s one thing teachers and bureaucrats know they must do, it’s exhibit a convincing performance of being a pc-drone. Actually teaching students about it would be a can of worms. Students might start thinking for themselves! That would create an intolerable situation.
Looks like a cabal of bureaucrats and teachers are entrenched in the citadel of the education establishment, cowering under their desks with hands over their ears to block out the baying of the barbarians at the gate. Leader of those barbarians: “Graeme Ball, who chairs the History Teachers’ Association, is a passionate educator”. His grievance is “the national curriculum. The ministry describes it as a flexible “framework” in which teachers are given resources to teach some elements of history but are not necessarily required to do so. History as a subject does not even make an appearance until year 11, when it is merely an option.”
Stuff warns that the establishment cabal may “find itself on the wrong side of history.” That won’t scare them! They’ll all be safely retired on a pension.
My recollection of schooling in NZ was that ‘History; per se was never a subject until the fifth form (year 11 in contemporary schooling) and was generally covered under projects and social studies (60s and 70s)…so if the deed was done it was before then
My memory is dim with age, but I suspect you are right, and history was included under the label social studies rather than separately. Probably blurred for me due to reading my grandad’s 500-page History of the British Empire at age 7 as a formative experience (I still own it).
I noticed Barry Soper in the Herald writing that kids ought to be educated about the ToW – perhaps evidence that it could get bipartisan support. However I doubt teachers have sufficient intellectual capacity to teach it. The concept of sovereignty is hard enough for most adults. Trying to explain the additional dimension of local sovereignty, which Te Tiriti grants to chiefs, would be harder still. Evasion of the topic by all other commentators here proves that!
If there was some form of civics taught in schopol, perhaps from around year 8/9 then it may well be a suitable area to include NZ history….then the only problem would be which version
I’d apply both/and logic: include both sides. Students then get the opportunity to integrate. All a teacher need to do is explain that zero-sum thinking suggests that one side is right and the other wrong. Holism requires acknowledging merit in both perspectives. Ask the kids to brainstorm what seems worthwhile nowadays, so they can form a view of how relevant the history actually is.
Absolutely vital, NZ history, and how democracy works and critical thinking and evolutionary biology, especially male/female relations . The people are the leaders in a democracy, we’ve tried different since 84 so we know.
Better real teachers than stand-in ones. There are a mixed group of older people who would teach their version of everything historical, all their pet theories, and the kids would be worse off. It seems that sex eduation and religion might be the same. It is amazing what the school board decision-makers can think is satisfactory. I find that opinionated confident figures from the neighbourhood come a poor second to a more informed and objective figure in the Education Department setting reasonable standards that schools must apply for these specialist teaching roles.
Xi Jinping “who, at age 65, remains healthy and vigorous – could remain president for perhaps another 20 years. His eponymous doctrine will therefore shape China’s development and global engagement for decades to come, and perhaps longer.” Thus opines Steve Tsang, Director of the SOAS China Institute at the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies. https://www.interest.co.nz/business/97995/xis-goal-shore-authority-party-state-within-his-country-including-ensuring-chinese
“Xi sees no place for political experimentation or liberal values in China, and regards democratisation, civil society, and universal human rights as anathema. Deepening reform means solidifying control over the CPC, via his “anti-corruption campaign,” and over the population, including through the use of advanced technologies enabled by artificial intelligence. Such digital authoritarianism will, Xi hopes, prevent liberal or democratic ideas from taking root and spreading, even as China remains connected to the rest of the world. Chinese citizens may enjoy freedom as consumers and investors, but not as participants in civil society or civic discourse.”
This exercise of social control by the regime will succeed if the Chinese hive mind permits. Has evolution really made them a different type of human? Can freedom of choice as consumers operate concurrently with none as citizens? Too much of a paradox? Communist theory suggests not, if culture is sufficiently conformist. A matrix is formed in the psyche, in which the official version of social reality shapes the perception of participants. As long as all evidence of the surrounding world is filtered out, the scenario in the movie Matrix plays out – only a few dissidents see through the sham. When their behaviour becomes evident they can be eliminated.
So it seems. I like the hive mind theory though, and wonder how long I have to wait until someone calls it racist. Nothing lasts forever, and perhaps Xi will prosper only until the critical mass of those become affluent in China is overwhelmed by the increasing resentment of those who haven’t. Slowing growth will increase a general perception of missing out, so their me-too expectations will evaporate…
It seems to me that this concept can be applied to the USA. They are not thought of as authoritarian, motions are gone through to give the appearance of a democracy. The dropping of this or that precept is excused, there is a line in the sand but it gets washed away, and then it is democracy in tatters. USA has used propaganda for ages, the hand on heart when the USA is invoked in public meetings.
Yes, I’ve long felt that way. I did hope that Jimmy Carter would be a good president, but he had merely good intentions – no competence as a political leader.
I do see a qualitative difference in regard to China however. The American sham isn’t blatant enough to be a valid comparison. It’s sufficiently sophisticated to ensure that most Americans believe they live in a democracy.
There should be no surprise that the elitist New Zealand cricket organisation treats Waitangi day like a token exercise. I mean really your best effort is to print “Aotearoa” on the bottom of the existing players shirts where it’s barely visible.
“Put that another way, there’s a fan base for Collins out there, but it’s not nearly a majority and there’s nobody in the middle. You love her or hate her, and that’s that.”
You either worship her or you’re a big, dumb stupid head is what I think he meant to say
Dick Blumenthal, after meeting with Bill Barr, said Barr declined to say if Bob Mueller would be allowed to testify when the probe is done. Barr declined to say he would comply w subpoena to release the report
Blumenthal warned there could be a “cover up” of the Mueller report
Get over yourself newshub played the same game on national govt re Keytruda and labour was happy to play along, take your eye patches off Newsub are equal opportunity trolls
Did John Key or Dr Coleman receive letters similar to the one James linked to @3?
I can’t recall any – or at least none that made it into the media. Now why might that be – after all Key was PM for 8 years whereas Ardern has been PM barely 15 months.
A daughter’s grief/anger is understandable, but any ‘Tory’ trying to make political capital out of the situation deserves the ‘sick and filthy Tory scum‘ epithet.
To be clear, I’m not calling James and Bewildered ‘sick and filthy Tory scum’, at least not by name. And neither did OT or ‘rod’.
Today recap: Trump heaps insults upon prominent Democrats; Trump makes annual call for unity using his once-a-year words; Trump asks Democrats to give in to him on immigration; Trump warns Democrats not to investigate him: https://t.co/IZXAanLGGE
You mean, he’s got her number. This little show aside, she’s caved in and endorsed his aggression against the democratically elected government of Venezuela.
She can screw her face up in a gesture of distaste, and mockingly clap her hands together like in that picture, but it’s worse than nothing when she’s already conceded on the really important stuff.
How would the American people respond, for example, to the Speaker of the US House of Representatives declaring herself the new president against the backdrop of the government shutdown? But when it happens somewhere else, this is viewed as common practice #Venezuela
I have watched the whole thing. I recommend everyone do the same.
It is extremely well crafted. Hidden behind calls for unity are thinly veiled threats against the Democrats and the Mueller Investigation. Donald Trump demands that the Democrats give up their “resistance” to him, claiming that it is fueled by, “the politics of revenge”, and “retribution.”
Painting the Democrats this way, will play well to his support base.
In the same vein the President labeled the Mueller investigation “ridiculous” and “partisan”.
Under his call for unity the President gives his version of George Bush’s maxim, “If you are not with us, you are against us.”
“If there is going to be peace and legislation, there cannot be war and investigation,”
I believe that the choice of the word “war” is not an accident, neither is conflating war with the investigation into his affairs.
With this statement Donald Trump has virtually declared war against the Democrats, the Mueller Investigation, and even the rule of law itself.
Newshub ran a British report on 3News tonight, but haven’t put it on their website. The Maduro regime’s death squads are still just doing selective targeting of protestors. I saw the video of the young guy recorded yesterday as he danced in the street wrapped in a Venezuelan flag before heading off to the protest.
The video went viral, according to the reporter. He was recognised by regime supporters and someone told the death squad where he lived. Later they showed up at his home. The reporter did not give further details about what happened after that, but the report showed his body lying in a street, covered with a blood-stained cloth.
“Faes – the special action force – has earned notoriety since the uprising against Maduro began last month. Graffiti artists have daubed Caracas’ walls with messages denouncing its operatives as “murderers of the people”… Venezuelan human rights group Provea said Faes was created by Maduro in 2017 to fight “organized crime and terrorism” and was part of Venezuela’s national police force, although some stories in state-run media outlets describe it as being under the command of the Venezuelan military. By last year it boasted almost 1,300 agents.”
Further plausible deniability is provided to the regime by use of other “pro-government paramilitary groups known as colectivos.” Practical stalinism: operate the sham as long as possible to defer mass rebellion. “Asked about alleged killings by the group on Venezuelan television last week, the attorney general, Tarek William Saab, said the criminal responsibility for such acts was “individual. Those who commit violations … will be prosecuted, whichever part of the police they are from.”
I doubt the stalinist expects any viewer to believe him, but the method requires continued use of the charade regardless. Sad to see some commentators here still try to blame Trump instead of the perpetrators. Such delusional thinking need not become a permanent affliction.
Sorry Dennis, but I think you may be placing an awful lot of confidence in the impartiality of Western news media. I remain unconvinced by the Guardian and Newshub. I remember how we were similarly conned over the Tonkin Gulf Incident.
Yeah, LBJ got away with that easily. Different world now tho. Folks are less easily conned by a sham. I take your point that it is still possible, but doubt that attempts will succeed. Think the Newshub story came from ITV but was unable to confirm.
I share scepticism re Guardian, but only in respect of their editorialising and spin. I believe the journalistic ethos still prevails in regard to reporting the facts. The Venezuelan human rights group Provea told them 43 protestors had been selectively eliminated. We can’t verify that, obviously. I choose to believe them.
Maduro’s behaviour could be compared to that of Sisi in Egypt, especially in regards to media or anyone that speaks out. Or Erdogan in Turkey for that matter.
USA appears to pay a disproportionate amount of attention to any country that has oil reserves, especially when such countries governments become unstable.
Will the USA military intervene and if they do will they ever leave once peace has been restored? If USA send military….. will China and Russia come to the aid of Maduro?
Must be terrifying for those living there at present.
And with Maduro shutting down the net whenever it suits him to try and curb the uprising, it makes it hard for the real stories from the people on the ground to reach the rest of the world.
Edit…
Maduro has said he would be happy to go to elections early (next election was supposed to be in 2020). Will the USA support a new election, or will they send in their military to assist the opposition instead ?
Just by the way, is Ahmet Ertegun, godfather of much bloody good Black music in America, a relative of Tayib Recife Erdogan, dictatorish type in Turkey ?
The third world is a hell, more distinguishable by goodish or baddish warlords. Though Turkey is better than that. Having Read a bio of Duterte of the 100,000,000 of The Phillippines. 70-80 % approval rating of a crass, murderous git, yet Filipinos strangely sometimes still do the right thing.
Yes Cinny, I agree re Sisi & Erdogan. Trump’s grandstanding need not be a basis for concern. Any direct military intervention by the USA would need a Security Council mandate, eh? The problem with regard to another election is that it would not be credible while Maduro’s agents still control the electoral commission. They’d just do the same thing they did when he got defeated – declare sufficient opposition winners invalid to overturn his defeat.
Droughts and fear of wildfires would have a killing effect on activity on farms and on outdoor sports. We can’t afford to have people haring around tinder dry areas and end up with emergencies as in Nelson region.
I found it a bit hard to see how old mate ploughing a field could start the fire? But if he was using slasher I would understand, but also I’ll be saying WTF was he thinking as well.
More likely it the firies would have been old mate to plough in fire break as they are the next best thing to dozer or graders for putting in a emergency fire break especially in cases like the fire in Pigeon Valley.
Does anyone know the vintage steam and engine museum in Pigeon Valley coped with the fire?
As far as I know Exkiwiforces, the Steam Museum is ok, hope it is because it’s a fantastic place to visit.
Re the contractor ploughing, disc plough on stoney/rocky land can create sparks. All the grass around here is brown, wouldn’t have taken much for it to go up.
If that’s what happened, I really feel for the person who was ploughing, they will be devastated.
Kia ora The AM Show its about time the topic is on one that is in reality the most important topic of OUR TIME . Climate change is the biggest challenge this generation and the rest of humanity will ever face.
That
Of course it is logical to support the regions I wonder why the last government did not support all the rural regions. The rural economy is what Aotearoa was built on. Drive around NZ and see all the big flash cars and boats in some suburbs and in the rural East Coast and North land one see 20 years old cars and rundown house. Transport is the most important tool to produce $$$$ in any civilisation that’s a fact Its good to see that the fools that have been running our NZTA New Zealand transport agency have been sacked as there has been some sculldugery going on in that agency and who was in charge of it.
Lloyd Tusk is correct with his words brexit is a big mess and a big distraction from the EUROPEAN UNION and the World from combating the real threat to humanity Green House Warming.
The education reform are a big topic to we need to grasp the new technologies and train our tamariki on how to get the best out of the technology. We also need to use the information technology to teach the tamariki about our true historical facts and not just the facts that suit the 00.1 %. A computer and projector does not cost much. You know what they say a picture is worth more than a thousand so video is a very good teaching tool and one can choose the factual one off the 21 century communications device and you have 30 tamariki learning OUR HISTORY or any topic with minimal cost and management needs to be streamlined .
duncan promoting alcohol and gambling at this time of day gome on.
There you go it’s cool to be a nice person Chris that is. neanderthal are uncool.
No one can not turn climate change around but we can minimise the bad effects that green house warming has on our future generations by cutting the use of green gas producing fuels off as soon as possible.
That was a good move investergating the hotel booking sites on the Internet and finding the ways that they are cheating and booking the hotels that give them the biggest commissions instead of giving one the cheaper options like the sites are sold on. I say all Internet sites need to be regulated so they are fair and provide a un minupulated service. I seen a good opinion on the speach ACTION COUNTs words don’t and the rules that have been put in place to protect OUR future generations
well-being have been scrapped all for $$$$$$$$$$ by that administration . That’s all I’m saying because nothing nice will come from my next words while I get our Mokopunas ready for school. Ka kite ano P.S what’s the poll at climbing I guess
Here you go te tangata te tangata te tangata rings true hundreds of years after our tipuna made this GREAT statement. The tipping point on Green House warming human caused climate change is now. The truth is getting out passed the oil barrons cloak of $$$$ that flogges there lies about climate change. Just a couple of years ago ALOT in the media were deniers.
It gives ECO MAORI A sore face to see we have reached the tipping point on this subject. But that doesn’t mean that we can relax. I no the oil barron won’t give up so easily and we need to push REAL hard to get all the change in the World society so everything can have a healthy happy life KIA KAHA.
A leader in climate change action needs the guts to stand out and be ridiculed, says Z Energy boss Mike Bennetts.
DAVID WHITE/STUFF
A leader in climate change action needs the guts to stand out and be ridiculed, says Z Energy boss Mike Bennetts.
OPINION: There’s an old TED Talk from 2010 about how to start a movement, illustrated by a video of a “lone nut” dancing at a music festival.
It stuck with me, not just because of the lone nut’s unique sense of rhythm, but because it’s much the same way I view the movement of business leaders taking voluntary action on climate change.
Like the lone nut, a leader needs the guts to stand out and be ridiculed. And a lone nut remains a lone nut unless there are other leaders who show how to follow. Those first followers are also showing guts and are at risk of being ridiculed.
I recognise that as a chief executive of a company that sells fossil fuels, taking a public stand on climate change invokes scepticism about greenwashing and PR stunts.
I welcome that, but six months on from the launch of the Climate Leaders Coalition – now a group of 76 organisations that contribute about half of New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions – it’s clear that momentum is growing around business taking climate change seriously.
* The year in which climate change gained momentum
* KiwiRail: We can’t be complacent on climate change
* Businesses band together to tackle climate change
There are a few different reasons behind this.
First, there is growing recognition that the consequences of climate change are one of the biggest long-term risks facing business.
Secondly, businesses are increasingly seeing the opportunities associated with climate action. Mitigating and adapting to climate change doesn’t automatically mean costing jobs and money. There are genuine opportunities for businesses to respond to changing consumer preferences, at the same time as making their businesses run more efficiently. There will be challenges, especially at the start, but the risk of inaction is greater risk because the old saying is if one doesn’t keep up with the new times AGE you will go broke. Ka kite ano P.S The new age also includes being respectful to mother nature and all humans link below.
Kia ora the Am Show You full of —– whom ever made that statement capital gains tax is need so wealth people like you 2 who use your accountants to cheat out of paying .
Will be paying your fare shear of taxes that you have made from NZ.
Most other country’s have a capital gains tax.
So what brilliance policy did national implement in the last 9 years that made Aotearoa great was it I WILL NOT RAISE GST was it billions splashed on bills M8.
I think the refugees being sent to the small towns is a good move to help the small community’s grow.
I wonder who advised Laim Neeson to tell that stupid story .
How did yesterday’s poll go on climate change I see you did not give the final results. The only green thing you like is money flowing into your pockets the bribes from the wealthy manipulators of our society to try and Conn us into believing that’s it ok for the 00.1 % to have more money than they need.
Let hope the fire in Nelson is not going to get to big .
Hope just said that the majority wants a capital gains tax .
judy that’s what your lot did funnel all the money wealthy and starved the poor.
It was the land stolen off maori that made the wealthy in this country so rich that’s a fact follow the money and these wealthy family’s money will go back to huge land holders of the past. That’s all ways you’re way kick Maori anytime you can duncan the land has heaps of value just fools like you and your rich M8 can not see it the land will be easy to turn into a organics farming operations with no poisons been poured on it in the last few years .
I could give a analysis of your last pat on the back but this is not personal you would turn red again Ka kite ano P.S I have figure out another phenomenon I will use it to my advantage. Don,t bring God into this Mark who is coaching you
Here you go tangata this is what some of the greedy people did to Maori .
The lieing stealing and cheating the minuplation of the public still is going on TODAY
For well over 25 years, Vincent O’Malley, a Pākehā historian, has been uncovering and recounting many of the rich and often discomforting stories about how Māori and Pākehā have got along since they began sharing Aotearoa 200 or so years ago.
His most substantial book has been The Great War for New Zealand, where he explains what went on in the Waikato, especially in the wake of the New Zealand Settlements Act in 1863.
But here he focuses on the significance of that legislation — and the need for us to understand and remember it.
When dates were being considered for the first Rā Maumahara commemorating the New Zealand Wars, one suggestion was December 3. That day doesn’t mark the anniversary of any particular battle or conflict. Instead, it’s the day in 1863 that Governor George Grey signed into law the New Zealand Settlements Act.
It’s an innocuous-sounding piece of legislation but it had devastating consequences for many Māori communities. The Settlements Act provided the primary legislative mechanism for raupatu — sweeping land confiscations that were supposedly intended to punish acts of “rebellion” while also recouping the costs of fighting the wars.
{It declared that where “any Native Tribe or Section of a Tribe or any considerable number thereof” had committed acts of “rebellion against Her Majesty’s authority” since January 1, 1863, their lands could be declared subject to the Act and seized for the purposes of settlement.
It was part of a package of measures passed by the all-Pākehā parliament to crush Māori independence.}
Governor George Grey
Grey and his ministers had drawn up these confiscation plans before invading Waikato in July 1863 and, by August, had begun recruiting military settlers who were to be offered a portion of the seized lands in return for their services.
Confiscation wasn’t an afterthought or a response to Māori actions, but an integral part of the overall invasion plans
{The presence of military settlers on a portion of the seized lands would ensure the conquest of these was made permanent, while the sale of the remainder on the open market would pay for the whole scheme. Māori would effectively underwrite the costs of their own suppression.}
Victims of imperialism in this way became its perpetrators.
Former Chief Justice Sir William Martin also pointed to the example of Ireland in predicting that “a brooding sense of wrong” passed down from one generation to the next would be exactly the same outcome if confiscation was employed in New Zealand.
That,{ Henry Sewell privately thought, was exactly what the architects of the policy wanted. It was to drive even more Māori to offer resistance so that their lands could also be seized and sold as punishment for these acts of “rebellion”.}
Within parliament itself, James FitzGerald was one of few MPs to offer anything like unequivocal opposition to the Settlements Act, which he described as an “enormous crime” and “contrary to the Treaty of Waitangi”.
As Native Minister two years later, FitzGerald was personally responsible for some of the largest land confiscations under the Act. In another case of poacher turned gamekeeper, Sewell underwent a similar conversion. Few Pākehā in positions of power came out of the story unsullied.
{In all, more than 3.4 million acres of land was confiscated under the Settlements Act across many districts — in Waikato, Taranaki, Tauranga, eastern Bay of Plenty, and Mohaka-Waikare.}
Further lands were “ceded” to the Crown at Tūranga, Wairoa, and Waikaremoana under a distinct confiscation regime covering the East Coast region.
Despite repeated and unambiguous promises that Māori who didn’t take up arms against the Crown would have their lands guaranteed to them in full, confiscation was applied
{indiscriminately. And it even took in areas owned by those who had fought on the government side}.
The New Zealand Settlements Act 1863.
“Loyal” Māori could apply for compensation for their losses — initially in money but later including lands. But the Compensation Court process that followed returned only a fraction of what was lost, often in completely different areas and always under a new legal form of title that meant many of these lands were quickly lost to their owners.
Māori deemed to have rebelled, or even to have aided or abetted others who had done so, were ineligible to receive compensation at all. In one case, officials tried (but failed) to block compensation being given to an Anglican priest of Tainui ancestry who had conducted burial services for those slain during the Waikato invasion.
Fearing that sweeping and excessive confiscations would prolong Māori resistance and thereby increase the military and financial burdens on British taxpayers, the British government sought to impose a range of restrictions on how the Settlements Act would be implemented.
Most of these were ignored. Rather than intervening to stop what they knew was a gross injustice, ministers in London washed their hands of the matter, concerned only with how soon they could withdraw their troops from New Zealand.
Many of those soldiers, including their commander, Lieutenant-General Duncan Cameron, had become increasingly disillusioned with what they were being asked to do, and began to query why they should fight a war of conquest and dispossession for the exclusive benefit of New Zealand
{A few Pākehā got very rich and many of the lands later became lynchpins of New Zealand’s booming pastoral economy. But, for Māori on the receiving end, the results were shattering.}
{Through the two decades after 1840, Māori were in many ways the leading drivers of New Zealand’s economy, producing much of its export income, while also feeding hungry settlers in Auckland and other towns.}
{{{{{{That economic infrastructure was destroyed almost literally overnight as cattle and crops were seized or destroyed, flour mills and homes in many cases torched, and the lands that had been key to this wealth confiscated. The Māori economy was delivered a near fatal blow.}}}}}}}
That was not something that could be easily or quickly overcome. Generations of Māori were condemned to lives of landlessness and poverty. In many ways, we still live with the legacy of the New Zealand Settlements Act today. It is there in the negative socio-economic statistics of many Māori communities in those regions subject to raupatu.
Treaty settlements have helped to recapitalise many iwi, and allowed them to again become major players in the New Zealand economy. But, given that these settlements typically represent no more than about one or two percent of the unimproved value of the lands that were taken, they are never going to fully compensate for all that was lost.
Many Pākehā have little idea of this history or how it continues to reverberate. That’s hardly surprising, given how few people learn anything about it at school.
It’s time to do something about that. It’s time we as a nation owned up to our past. Ka kite ano links below
I see some is using this person tech to attack other people names .
Thats the STONE number one rule book Lie Lie ATTACK
Peter Thiel’s secretive spook outfit Palantir has financials leaked
A rare light has been shone on the finances of Peter Thiel’s secretive data-mining firm Palantir – which makes software used by US intelligence agencies and corporates trying to sniff out threats.
The German-born, US entrepreneur received a fast-tracked NZ citizenship in 2011, despite spending just 11 days in the country.
A 2018 Herald investigation uncovered that the NZ Defence Force has spent around $7.2m with Palantir since 2012.
There are also strong indications that the GCSB and SIS (who won’t officially comment) are customers.
Citing sources familiar with the figures, the Wall Street Journal says the privately-held Palantir’s revenue jumped from US$600 million to US$880m ($1.3 billion) last year, well ahead of the US$750m that investors had been told to expect.
Central to the revenue lift was a US$42m contract signed with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the controversial US government border protection agency.
Thiel has been a financial supporter and advisor to President Trump and, the Journal reports, “Some Palantir staffers and civil rights advocates have criticised Palantir’s ICE ties.” Links below
Kia ora Newshub if a billionaire like Jeff Bazo can have his personal data mined well known ones privacy is safe.
There you go national dirty tactics leaks about their planed attack on The Hounreable Winston Peters. They are crying in their big box of tissue blaming Winston for there loss not the dumb moves they had made before the election Ana to kai I say simon is just trying the cast nationals hurting and focus off him and onto Winston.
I Back 100 % The Green Party for advocateing sugary drinks to be banned from SCHOOLS. I have read reviews that sugar is one of the most addictive substance on Papatuanukue its in the top 5 Substances for addiction. Put it in the gas tanks.
I read it was a one and 2000 years event the flooding in Queensland Townsville.
When you have neanderthals in charge that are denying climate change we’ll a lot of people believe them and don’t have the correct plans in place to minimise and mitergate the extreme weather conditions that have been forecast by our scientists. I also read that 350000 cattle have died as well condolences to the poor farmers and other who have been badly affected by the flooding in Australia.
Restrictions are need for the Ngaruroro river the farmers and the council don’t care about the AWA river they just want to bleed all the money they can get from the river even if they stuff it up turn to organic farming and the soil will hold the water longer that is dropped from Tawhirirmate Eco has had many good times swimming in that river in Hawkesbay. Ka kite ano
Traffic going to and from Napier Port is set to increase 187 per cent over the next eight years, prompting residents to threaten to take it to the Environment Court….
“We asked them [Napier Port] what are you doing to mitigate for all the people who live on affected roads.
“The port said, in their report, they don’t have to care, it’s not their responsibility.
Who said that we don’t need a working, decision-making Government providing
‘governance’?
Actually isn’t that a breach of the Treaty of Waitangi? It was agreed that NZ Government should be in governance with Maori, not sub-contract their role to some KPMG, ABCD or XYZ. I seem to remember kawanatanga being referred to.
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We've known about climate change for over forty years now,and it has been a major political issue for twenty. And yet fossil fuel companies have kept polluting with impunity, while government have looked the other way and twiddled their thumbs and refused to do anything because "the economy", or just ...
Sheer Loopiness: Many of those expressing bemusement at the antics of these #turnardern effacers, were convinced that they were yet another expression of the National Party’s increasingly spiteful anti-government propaganda campaign. They marvelled at the oddness of the perpetrators’ mindset and questioned the common-sense of allowing the rest of New Zealand ...
Brad Scott, GNS Science VolcanologistThis post was originally published by GeoNet.Following the 9 December devastating eruption at Whakaari/White Island we have put together some information about the island. New Zealand’s most active volcano Whakaari/White Island is currently New Zealand’s most active volcano, it has been since an eruptive episode ...
The Justice Committee has reported back on its Inquiry into the 2017 General Election and 2016 Local Elections, with a host of recommendations about how to improve our electoral systems. Some of their recommendations are already incorporate din the Electoral Amendment Bill currently before Parliament, but there's also a recommendation ...
Back in 2017, in order to make themselves "electable" in the eyes of rich people who oppose everything they stand for, the Greens signed up for NeoLiberalism, adopting a restrictive set of "Budget Responsibility Rules" which basicly prevented them from using government to make things better. Now, they're finally abandoning ...
Since invading in 2001, the US has consistently claimed that their war in Afghanistan has been going well, even when it continued year after year after year. Of course, they were lying, and thanks to the Washington Post and the US Freedom of Information Act, we get to see just ...
How should we think about artificial intelligence and the implications that it has for our work and leisure? There are many articles on artificial intelligence and its potential impacts on jobs, and the ethics of applications. These are important topics, but I want to focus on some less discussed aspects, ...
I love data. It’s amazing the sort of “discoveries” I can make given a data set and computer statistical package. It’s just so easy to search for relationships and test their statistical significance. Maybe relationships which ...
The other big story concerning Leeds Hospital is Boris Johnson's bizzare behaviour at Leeds Hospital, where he was confronted by a journalist and challenged about a four year old boy with suspected pneumonia who was left sleeping on the floor, rather than getting abed like a sick kid would in ...
So, for a brief period of history, it was alleged that a protester had punched Matt Hancock's SPAD (not a euphemism; special adviser) when Hancock visited Leeds Hospital.This was reported by the likes of Robert Peston and Laura Keunssberg, as well as the less credible Guido Fawkes. It also quickly ...
by Daphna Whitmore Last week France passed a law that equates anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism. It is based on a definition of anti-Semitism that includes criticism of Israel such as: “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist ...
Over the past year we've seen major bus problems in Hamilton and Wellington, as drivers have sought better wages and an end to the bullshit of split shifts, which basicly see them "married to the job". And now its Auckland's turn. When NZBus's drivers planned low-level strike action of not ...
The government has been congratulating itself over the passage of the Zero Carbon Act, which sets out long-term emissions targets. But those targets are insufficient. Meanwhile, Denmark is showing us how its done:Denmark’s parliament adopted a new climate law on Friday, committing to reach 70% below its 1990 emissions in ...
Another day, another piece of legislation with a secrecy clause. This time its the innocuous-seeming Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission Bill, which (after establishing a new body and making it subject to the OIA in three different ways) includes the rapidly-becoming-standard clauses enabling it to request information from other public ...
The state of the United Kingdom is fractured, torn up, shredded. The Empire is gone, it died a long time ago. And yet, the country is still tracking with a lead in favour of the ones who play to the ingrained, class-bound division for political gain. It is a disgrace ...
On 27 September, Greta Thunberg addressed a crowd of 500,000 at the School Strike for Climate in Montreal, saying: “You are a nation that is allegedly a climate leader. And Sweden is also a nation that is allegedly a climate leader. And in both cases, it means absolutely nothing. Because ...
It should be obvious by now but let’s be clear: The same folk who regularly traffic in disinformation, misinformation and “fake news” are also those who most strongly claim that their freedom of expression rights are being violated when moves are made to curb hate speech (as opposed to protected ...
Michael SchulsonWhen Shane Burcaw flies on an airplane, he brings along a customized gel cushion, a car seat, and about 10 pieces of memory foam. The whole arsenal costs around $1,000, but for Burcaw it’s a necessity. The 27-year-old author and speaker — who, alongside his fiancée, Hannah ...
We are very pleased to publish this submission is from Lucinda Stoan. She is a social justice activist, mother, and educator, based in Washington State in the US. This detailed and comprehensive source-linked overview of trans issues and what is at stake will be useful for many people, especially in ...
New Zealand's Underarm Banker: It bears recalling that the “independence” of the Reserve Bank Governor was for decades held up by neoliberal capitalists as the most compelling justification for passing the Reserve Bank Act. Interesting, is it not, how the ruling class’s support for the Bank’s independence lasted no longer than ...
Rubbish In, Rubbish Out: Put all this together, and it’s difficult to avoid the conclusion that anyone who responds positively to a pollster’s request to “answer a few questions” is just ever-so-slightly weird. Desperately lonely? Some sort of psephological train-spotter? Political party member primed to skew the poll for or against ...
“Free at last, Free at last, Thank God almighty we are free at last.” ― Martin Luther King Jr. A long and bitter court feud between former Conservative Party leader Colin Craig and Jordan Williams has been settled, with an apology and compensation from Williams. On Tuesday, Craig sent out ...
Samuel Becher, Victoria University of Wellington and Jessica C Lai, Victoria University of WellingtonEarlier this year, the New Zealand-based pizza chain Hell Pizza offered a limited-edition “Burger Pizza”. Its customers weren’t told that the “meat” was plant-based. Some customers complained to the Commerce Commission, which enforces consumer law in ...
Some people seem to want to close down any critical discussion of the current research into the relationship between water fluoride and child IQ. They appear to argue that claims made by researchers should not be open to critical review and that the claims be accepted without proper consideration ...
The government has been congratulating itself over the passage of the Zero Carbon Act, which sets out long-term emissions targets. Meanwhile, Climate Action Tracker has the shameful reality: those targets are insufficient:While New Zealand is showing leadership by having passed the world’s second-ever Zero Carbon Act in November 2019, under ...
The government introduced a Racing Industry Bill today. As an urban who horse racing as pointless-to-cruel, and gambling as a tax on stupidity and/or hope, this isn't normally a bill which would interest me in the slightest, beyond grumpiness at more government money for a dying industry. But there is ...
Check. Check. One, two, three, four. Is this thing ON? Hello readers, I logged in last night (yeah, it’s been a while) to mark THE END of the landmark legal case, Jordan Williams v Colin Craig, which (gulp) reached The Supreme Court, in which New Zealand’s most-defamed man was suing the politician he ...
Before The Birth: Israel’s most fervent supporters set their clocks ticking in Biblical times. They cite the kingdoms of David and Solomon as proof that, in the words of the Exodus movie’s theme-song: “This land is mine.” The majority of Israel’s backers, however, start their clocks in 1933 – the year Adolf ...
In an unreliable, strange and confusing world, Public Address is proud to present a measure of comfort and stability by annually asking everyone what words or phrases sum up the year that's been – and then giving some of them consumer goods as prizes for being clever or simply lucky.Well, ...
Both my parents are pretty handy – and they seem to have the right tools for most jobs in the garage and they know how to fix practically anything. A similar story could be told about their generation’s experience in the workforce – being a generalist was not unusual and ...
When it was revealed that NZ First had tried to enrich itself from public office via the Provoncial Growth Fund, the Prime Minister assured us that everything was OK as Shane Jones, the Minister responsible for the fund, had recused himself. Except it seems that that recusal came very late ...
Today is a Member's Day, and probably the last one of the year. After the marathon of the End of Life Choice Act, most of the bills up for debate today are uncontentious. First up is the second reading of Chlöe Swarbrick's Election Access Fund Bill. This will be followed ...
The Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee has reported back on the government's odious and tyrannical control orders bill. As expected, the fraudulent select committee process has made no significant changes (partly because they couldn't agree, but mostly because it was a stitch-up from the start, with no intention of ...
Yesterday, the government released its draft Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill, which will be put to a non-binding referendum at the next election. I'm not a drug policy expert, but Russell Brown is, and he thinks its pretty good. And pretty obviously, it will be a massive improvement on the ...
As you're probably aware, the draft bill outlining the proposed legal cannabis regime to be put to a referendum late next year was published yesterday, and has already attracted a flurry of comment. It's notable that a good deal of the comment is about proposals that aren't actually new.A minimum ...
One of the big problems in New Zealand climate change policy is the government working at cross-purposes with itself. It wants to reduce fossil fuel use, but encourages oil and gas exploration. It wants to reduce transport emissions, but then builds enormous new roads. The problem could be avoided if ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzAccording to the United Nations, food shortages are a threat ...
Last year, the government announced it was ending offshore oil exploration by no longer issuing new permits. The idea was that the industry would then die off as permits expired. Except almost immediately the government revealed its bad faith, by saying they would extend permits and alter conditions to keep ...
The government introduced the Education and Training Bill to Parliament yesterday. Its a massive bill, which replaces both existing Education Acts, as well as various other bits of legislation (including some which are still proceeding through the House). I'll leave the serious analysis to teachers and people who actually know ...
Amelia SharmanThere’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to micro-credentials, those bits of bite-sized learning that can help workers stay on top of technological change. What’s a micro-credential? While definitions vary, micro-credentials can be understood as short courses that allow people to learn new skills or have an existing competency recognised. ...
All Smiles Now: Claire Szabo is taking up her presidential role after serving as the CEO of Habitat For Humanity. Which is absolutely perfect! After KiwiBuild was so comprehensively mismanaged by Phil Twyford, the party has not only elected a new president from a thoroughly respectable not-for-profit, but one who ...
While much of the NZ left has transitioned to postmodern and identity politics in relation to transgender ideology, there are some very good articles about that deploy Marxist methodology in relation to this subject. The one below is from the British marxist group Counterfire and appeared on their site here ...
by Daphna Whitmore At Golden Oaks, a luxurious country retreat in the Hudson Valley, pregnant women have the best care money can buy. From the organic food, personalised exercise programmes, private yoga instruction and daily massages Golden Oaks looks like a country lodge for the upper class. Set some time ...
When Labour was running for election in 2017, it felt it needed to demonstrate "fiscal responsibility" and signed itself up to masochistic "budget responsibility rules". It was a fool's errand: the sorts of voters who demand fiscal responsibility are also the sorts of voters who believe that labour can never ...
Writing in Stuff, Joel MacManus looks at what we need to do to meet the Zero Carbon Act's targets. The core of it:1. Convert 85 per cent of vehicles on the road to electric. 2. Eliminate fossil fuels from all industrial heating up to 300 degrees Celsius. 3. Double our ...
Paramedics have reiterated their support for New Zealand First MP Darroch Ball's bill to impose mandatory prison sentences on those who assault our first responders and prison officers. There are more than 50 cases of abuse and assault against New Zealand paramedics each week. The figure has remained largely unchanged ...
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has revealed the Party’s stance on a proposed single public broadcaster. He said it had been the NZ First policy to support and strengthen public sector media. "For this reason, we welcome the initiative of Minister Faafoi to progress work in this area. Both ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First Introduction Good morning, and thank you for your attendance here today. Let us start by acknowledging the work of all the media outlets and reporters, particularly the regional reporters, who have been covering this week’s tragedy at Whakaari White Island. It ...
New Zealand First MP Darroch Ball’s bill introducing a six-month minimum sentence for assaults on first responders has passed its first reading in Parliament. Mr Ball said the new offence of "injuring a first responder or prison officer with intent" would target people who attacked paramedics, police, firefighters, and corrections ...
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters gave his final interview for 2019 on The Country to tell farmers they have never had it better under the current coalition Government. “Here you've got these record returns [for farmers]. These returns would be nothing like a record if the currency under the ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters said that New Zealand's Cook Islands High Commissioner, Tessa Temata, has died over the weekend. Ms Temata, 52, died in Palmerston North and had returned to New Zealand for medical treatment. She was the first New Zealand High Commissioner to the Cook Islands of Cook Island ...
A new defence report has mapped out how New Zealand's soldiers will navigate rising seas, and a year after the Defence Force announced its need to prepare for climate change. In the “Responding to the Climate Crisis” report, the Force restates its operational plan and sets goals to tackle climate ...
We're rebuilding New Zealand - our transport network, our hospitals, our schools and more... After nine years of neglect there's a lot to fix - but we're getting on with the job. ...
We're rebuilding New Zealand - our transport network, our hospitals, our schools and more... After nine years of neglect there's a lot to fix - but we're getting on with the job. ...
Mark Patterson, Spokesperson for Primary Industries New Zealand First spokesperson for Primary Industries, Mark Patterson, has called for awareness to be raised and more stringent biosecurity checks to be put in place for African Swine Fever (ASF), a widespread virus that is uncontrolled in most of Asia and a serious ...
Jenny Marcroft MP, Spokesperson for Human Rights A critical step has been taken to end gender based violence against women and girls in Parliament this evening. New Zealand First Spokesperson for Human Rights Jenny Marcroft MP has welcomed the passing of the first reading of the Crimes (Definition of Female ...
New Zealand First MP Shane Jones says it's time to recognise market forces haven't led to the expected reduction in Māori smoking rates and try a new approach. The Party had recently invoked the agree to disagree clause in their Coalition Agreement with the Labour Party, and will not support ...
Live from the Whanganui Opera House, on the final day of the 2019 Labour Party Conference, Jacinda Ardern announced the largest investment in school property in 25 years. ...
The Coalition Government will be banning foreign donations to political parties and candidates, ahead of next year’s general elections. Legislation will be introduced to Parliament and passed under urgency – emphasising the need for such restrictions to safeguard our democracy. The bill introduces a new requirement that party secretaries and ...
Associate Transport Minister Shane Jones opened Taipā's $19 million bridge recently, improving transport infrastructure in the Northland region. The two-lane bridge is 107m long with a 2.5m-wide shared walking and cycling path, and will reduce the congestion that the old one-lane bridge was notorious for. The project had also included ...
The Overseas Investment Office have rejected the application of Mercury Agriculture LP, which is 92 per cent controlled by Canadian interests, to purchase more than 2000 hectares of South Canterbury and Otago land. Mercury wanted to buy 2000ha at Rangitata, 1494ha near Ashburton, 816ha near Cromwell and 212ha near Temuka. ...
This weekend was Labour's 103rd Party Conference! We welcomed over 500 of our Labour whānau in red to Whanganui, where we reflected on the last two years in Government, and looked ahead to 2020 and beyond. We know the long-term challenges facing New Zealand won't be tackled overnight, but we're making ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced that the Provincial Growth Fund will invest $9.6 million to seal the final unsealed section of State Highway 43 from Stratford to Taumarunui. The Minister said sealing the 12-kilometre gravel section of the highway – also called the “Forgotten World Highway” - through ...
Former Finance Minister and former chair of the Tax Working Group, Sir Michael Cullen, has voiced his support for New Zealand First’s decision to oppose the planned increase in tobacco excise tax. In an interview with The Weekend Collective, he said that increasing the price was no longer effective in ...
Māori are natural storytellers. On the marae we use stories to tell our history, to teach the next generation life lessons and to let people know, in our most creative of ways, who we are and where we have come from. ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, New Zealand First Leader New Zealand First has invoked the ‘Agree to Disagree’ provisions of the Coalition Agreement because it cannot support the announced 11.46 percent increase in the tobacco excise from 1 January 2020. “Studies show that the automatic tobacco excise increases are having less effect ...
Taupō-based company Geo40 has made a breakthrough in extracting near battery-grade lithium from geothermal fluid which its says could be a gamechanger. Its chief executive John Worth said the earth mineral was highly prized, with battery-grade lithium selling for US$10,000 (NZ$15,600) a tonne. Geo40 was founded in 2010 to find ...
Crown research institute AgResearch Ltd, as part of its Future Footprint plan, had intended to relocate top scientists and support staff — particularly those focused on sheep genetics and genomics — from Invermay to Lincoln. However, those plans seem to have been shelved at the request of the Coalition Government. ...
Ten engineering firms in Southland are receiving a total of $2.13 million in Provincial Growth Fund funding to lift productivity and create new jobs. Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced in Invercargill that the 10 engineering and manufacturing firms would receive funding to assist them with buying equipment that ...
The number of new residents to New Zealand is the lowest it has been in nearly two decades and it has earned the ire of the immigration industry. The industry alleges that 'Trump-style extreme vetting' is being put in place aimed at keeping a lid on immigration numbers. June Ranson, ...
The Royal New Zealand Air Force is one step closer to modernising its fleet after the United States State Department recently approved the sale of five new C-130J Hercules aircraft to New Zealand. Arms manufacturer Lockheed Martin, in Fort Worth, Texas, will provide the aircraft, but as a "foreign military ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development A $261,000 loan from the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) has helped a family-run business in Manawatū to scale up manufacturing capacity, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced at its opening today. Ashhurst-based skin-care business The Herb Farm is on track to ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development The Regional Freight Hub near Palmerston North has taken a step forward with the completion of the master plan, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones said. Shane Jones unveiled the high-level design of the new Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) backed rail-road hub ...
Hon Ron Mark, Minister of DefenceTērā te haeata takiri ana mai i runga o Pukaha!Ara tai uru, whai uru, whai uru!Ara whai ato, whai ato, whai ato!Ara rā tini, ara rā tini, ara ri!The rays of the morning sun strike a new dawn upon Pukaha ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic DevelopmentThe Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing $772,000 in opportunities for growth in Manawatū-Whanganui, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today.NZ Bio-Forestry Limited will receive a $380,000 boost for game-changing research which could unlock significant growth in the wood processing sector, ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced today the appointment of diplomat Sarah Lee as New Zealand’s High Commissioner to South Africa. She will be the first female Head of Mission to represent New Zealand in Africa. “New Zealand’s relationship with South ...
Sustained high growth in primary industry exports looks set to continue over the next two years with strong prices predicted for farmers, fishers, growers and rural communities. Minister of Agriculture and Minister of State for Trade and Export Growth Damien O’Connor today released the latest Situation and Outlook report for ...
Auckland’s growing screen sector is the catalyst for a new partnership between the Ministry of Social Development and Auckland’s economic development agency Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED). The launch today at FilmFX in Henderson, is to celebrate the partnership which looks to capitalise on the social and economic development opportunities ...
A minute’s silence will be observed at 2.11pm on Monday 16 December in honour of the victims of the Whakaari White Island eruption, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has confirmed. “Wherever you are in New Zealand, or around the world, this is a moment we can stand alongside those who have ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced New Zealand will contribute NZ$1 million of funding towards the joint United Nations Fund for Children (UNICEF) and World Health Organisation (WHO) Pacific Regional Action Plan for Measles. “Prevention through vaccination is the most effective way of avoiding illness and a costly health emergency. ...
New Zealand is today remembering one of our true sporting heroes, triple Olympic gold medal winner Sir Peter Snell. “He was a legend, here and around the world,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. “Our thoughts are with Sir Peter’s wife Miki and their family.” “Sir Peter is recognised as New ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has congratulated United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson on his election victory. “New Zealand and the United Kingdom are close friends and despite our distance we are strongly connected by our history and people,” Jacinda Ardern said. “I look forward to continuing to work with Prime ...
The Government has released its long term vision for a sustainable 21st Century rail network that gets our cities moving, connects our regions and gets more freight off the roads. Deputy Prime Minister and State Owned Enterprises Minister Winston Peters said the Government is committed to rebuilding New Zealand’s ...
I want to start by acknowledging the families who have experienced such grief and such loss since the extraordinary tragedy on Monday. Today was all about reuniting them with their loved ones. We've just come from the airport where many of them were gathered and in amongst what you can ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters today announced further support for Samoa’s longer term needs as it continues to respond to a devastating measles epidemic. “Samoa’s health system has experienced massive strain in the wake of the measles epidemic. The volume of patients needing care during this outbreak, and the number of ...
Discounted electric bikes will be offered up to public sector staff across the country as part of the Government’s work to reduce transport emissions and support healthier transport options. Associate Minister of Transport Julie Anne Genter officially launched the new initiative at Wellington Hospital today. “The Government has negotiated bulk-purchase ...
The Australian and New Zealand Governments today launch an historic joint bid to bring the FIFA Women’s World Cup to the Southern Hemisphere for the first time. Australian Minister for Youth and Sport, Richard Colbeck and New Zealand Minister for Sport and Recreation Grant Robertson will announce the bold campaign, ...
The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) has approved a $15 million loan to help re-establish a gold mining operation at Blackwater Gold Mine, near Reefton, Rural Communities Minister and local MP Damien O’Connor announced at an event on the West Coast today. “This is great news for the Coast that could ...
Papakāinga model inspires whānau well-being A housing project by Kohupātiki whānau in Hastings is an outstanding example of a Māori-led housing initiative that can reduce financial pressure and reconnect whānau to their whakapapa says the Minister for Māori Development Hon Nanaia Mahuta. Minister Mahuta officially opened the Aroha Te Rangi ...
Restoration efforts for a significant wetland in the Hawke’s Bay are getting more support announced Associate Minister for the Environment Eugenie Sage. “Wetlands are vital to healthy landscapes and ecosystems. They function as nature’s ‘kidneys’, filtering and protecting water quality, acting as nature’s sponges after rain and are home to ...
Nelson has today seen the launch of Housing First Nelson Tasman. Today’s launch marks the expansion of the Government’s homelessness programme, Housing First, to the top of the South Island. “Housing First is a proven programme that puts people who are experiencing homelessness and multiple, high and complex needs into ...
New Government funding announced today will help communities make a difference in tackling environmental issues Associate Minister for the Environment Eugenie Sage announced in Hawkes Bay today. The Ministry for the Environment’s Community Environment Fund is dedicating $243,101 to growing the capacity and capability of the Environment Hubs Aotearoa’s (EHA) ...
The days of vulnerable consumers falling victim to loan sharks, truck shops and other predatory lenders are numbered, following the Credit Contracts Legislation Amendment Bill passing its third reading tonight. “Too many Kiwis are being given loans that are unaffordable and unsuitable, trapping them in debt and leaving their families ...
A Bill that prevents terrorism and supports the de-radicalisation of New Zealanders returning from overseas has passed its third reading, Justice Minister Andrew Little says. The Terrorism Suppression (Control Orders) Bill is a carefully targeted response to manage the risk posed by a small number of New Zealanders who have ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio will travel to Samoa on Friday, where New Zealand medical teams are helping Samoa respond to an outbreak of measles. “New Zealand has been working closely with the Government of Samoa and offering our assistance from the ...
The Government has changed the law to improve student safety and welfare in university halls of residence and other student accommodation. The Education (Pastoral Care) Amendment Bill passed its third reading this afternoon and details of an interim Code of Practice setting out the Government’s expectations of tertiary providers have also been released. ...
A new tool to help councils fund and finance infrastructure could mean some housing developments happen a decade earlier than currently planned, Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford said today. “This new tool, developed by the Government in partnership with industry and high-growth councils, will allow councils to access private debt ...
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor has welcomed the release of a bold new vision for the country’s vital food and fibre sector. “I’m delighted that New Zealand’s major farmer and grower organisations are today supporting the Primary Sector Council’s vision – Fit for a Better World,” he said. “The international consumers ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has congratulated the Government of Papua New Guinea and the Autonomous Bougainville Government for completing a well-conducted referendum on the future political status of Bougainville. “New Zealand supported the referendum process by providing technical advice through the New Zealand Electoral Commission and leading a Regional Police ...
In light of Cabinet’s position that freight operations on prime land in downtown Auckland are no longer viable, the Government will now embark on a short work programme to enable decision-making in the first half of next year, Associate Transport Minister Shane Jones says. Minister Jones is today releasing the ...
Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter has received the report back from a surgical mesh restorative justice process undertaken by Victoria University. The process heard stories, either in person or online submission, from more than 600 people affected by surgical mesh. “The report made for heart-breaking and confronting reading,” says ...
The Water Services Regulator Bill – Taumata Arowai , introduced to Parliament today, is a milestone for drinking water safety in New Zealand and will help improve environmental outcomes for urban waterways, rivers and lakes. “This is a breakthrough for New Zealanders in terms of providing safe drinking water throughout ...
Kia ora koutouE ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā matā wakaTēnā koutou katoaHaere ngā, moe maiKoutou ma ngā Rangatira Ko Anaru ahauKo au te Minita mo ngā TureHe Honore tino nui kei roto I ahau No reira tena koutou katoa Today, we are releasing two reports that are the ...
The Government is looking to turn around the long-term challenges of criminal justice by taking a new approach to break the cycle of offending to ensure there are fewer victims of crime. Justice Minister Andrew Little released two reports today, Turuki! Turuki! from Te Uepū Hāpai I te Ora, and ...
New Zealand firms expanding beyond the start-up phase are set for more support after today’s passage of the Venture Capital Fund Bill, Associate Finance Minister David Parker said. The Bill, which establishes a $300 million Venture Capital Fund, puts in place a key initiative of the Wellbeing Budget’s economic package. ...
E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā iwi, e ngā rau rangatira mā. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Señora Presidenta, Excellencies, Delegates. International action A common thread that runs through the Paris Agreement is the commitment we have made to each other to do what we can to ...
The Government is lifting capital investment to the highest level in more than 20 years as it takes the next step to future-proof New Zealand. Finance Minister Grant Robertson has announced $12 billion of new investment, with $8 billion for specific capital projects and $4 billion to be added to ...
The Government is forecast to run $12 billion worth of surpluses across the four years to 2023/24 as the economy continues to grow. The surpluses will help fund day-to-day capital requirements each year. These include fixing leaky hospitals, building new classrooms to cover population growth and take pressure off class ...
Budget 2020 will continue the Coalition Government’s focus on tackling the long-term challenges facing New Zealand while also investing to future-proof the economy. When the Government took office in 2017 it was left with crumbling infrastructure, severe underinvestment in public services, degraded rivers and lakes, a housing crisis and rising ...
The Minister responsible for the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011 (te Takutai Moana Act 2011), Andrew Little has welcomed the launch of an online geospatial tool that provides data-rich, dynamic coastline maps that will significantly boost research and evidence-gathering under the Act. Te Kete Kōrero a Te ...
The Chief Victims Advisor to Government Dr Kim McGregor, QSO, has been reappointed in her role for a further two years. Dr McGregor has held the role since it was established in November 2015. She provides independent advice to government on how to improve the criminal justice system for victims. ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Civil Defence Minister Peeni Henare have today announced the deployment of a network of DART (Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunami) buoys. “New Zealand and the Pacific region are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters. It is vital we have adequate warning systems in place,” ...
DART Buoys Announcement Aotea Wharf, 9.30am 11 December 2019 Acknowledgements Acknowledgements to Minister for Civil Defence Hon Peeni Henare also here today. White Island It is with regret that this event shadows the tragic natural disaster two days ago. The volcanic eruptions on White Island have claimed 5 lives, ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has welcomed the first reading of the Racing Industry Bill in parliament today. This is the second of two Bills that have been introduced this year to revitalise New Zealand’s racing industry. “Our domestic racing industry has been in serious decline. The Government is committed to ...
Minister for Disability Issues, Carmel Sepuloni, is pleased to announce that $291,321 is to be awarded to national and local community initiatives to maintain and promote the use of New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL). “New Zealand is one of the few countries in the world where Sign Language is an ...
Minister for Veterans Ron Mark has announced today the Coalition Government’s initial response to work completed by the independent statutory body, the Veterans’ Advisory Board. “When Professor Ron Paterson completed his review of the Veterans’ Support Act in 2018, he made a number of recommendations, including one which I referred ...
The Provincial Growth Fund giving $13 million to a gold mining project under DOC land on the West Coast is a disgraceful waste of public money says Coromandel Watchdog, a group fighting gold mining in Hauraki. ...
CEAC reviewed the NZTA National Land Transport Programme “2021–24 NLTP development” plan to see the support for rail funding was there, and NZTA is now seen as ‘anti-rail’ in their NLTP plans, contrary to Government policy to use rail - heads must roll. ...
Kiwi startup founder Jenene Crossan has spent two years enduring jetlag and heinous London Airbnb prices as she builds her latest business.Jenene Crossan, co-founder and CEO of beauty booking service Flossie, has spent most of the past two years sitting in airport lounges and living out of suitcases in a bid ...
From New Zealand’s biggest band selling out Western Springs to a landmark moment for Pasifika women onstage, these are the live events that shaped New Zealand this decade.An anchor in the middle of the deep blue sea: Daffodils, 2014 Todd Emerson and Colleen Davis in Daffodils, on stage at the Traverse ...
Is there something to be learned from TVNZ’s Wild West-meets-WWE-meets-19th-century-New Zealand web series? After all, writes Sharon Mazer, colonisation, like professional wrestling, is a fixed match.The premise underlying TVNZ’s new web series Colonial Combat is anachronistic and preposterous, even by WWE standards. It’s also fascinating.Transported from American popular culture to ...
For a lot of people, there’s not much joy to be found at Christmas. Emily Writes spoke to Dr Sarah Bell-Booth and Gwendoline Smith about how to deal with the hard stuff in the face of all that relentless holiday cheer.Despite my anxiety, I generally enjoy Christmas now that I ...
This contained incorrect information regarding the remuneration of Alexandra Allan. The item has now been deleted and Scoop unreservedly apologises to Ms Allan for the distress caused due to this publication. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Melbourne At the December 12 UK election, the Conservatives won 365 of the 650 House of Commons seats (up 48 since the 2017 election), Labour 202 (down 60), the Scottish National ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Tormey, Professor of Politics, University of Bristol So for all the talk of narrowing polls, tactical voting, and possible shocks leading to a hung parliament, Boris Johnson achieved a crushing victory over Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party in the UK’s ...
Sir Peter Snell has died, aged 80, at his home in Dallas, Texas. James McOnie remembers arguably New Zealand’s greatest ever athlete.Sir Peter Snell was so great that small towns still engage in custody battles over the legendary runner.His birthplace Opunake (where he spent his first 11 years) claims him, ...
Māori Injustice Issues Will Have More Visibility Thanks to New Panel Advising Ombudsman A prominent Māori leader, Lady Tureiti Moxon believes Māori injustice issues will be seen much more now thanks to Pūhara Mana Tangata, a first-time Māori panel appointed ...
“It was right there in the waiting room that Jack first told me he was finding it hard to separate his fingers”: a parent’s nightmare, by Dunedin writer Emma Neale. ...
We started picking a top 10 ourselves and puttered out at about #3, sick of the sound of our own voice. Bugger it, we thought, and sent for assistance. It’s been like Christmas ever since, an inbox flowing over with gorgeous, sincere little gifts. Here’s the nonfiction selection, in no ...
The leadership shown by tangata whenua at every national disaster and tragedy should be recognised and honoured by all of us, writes Catherine Delahunty.I do appreciate having a prime minister who is capable of expressing decent, human emotions when tragedies descend on us. It’s a sadly low bar that she ...
From the pockmarked rugby paddock of Apiti, to the smooth, iridescent-blue turf of Albany, Black Sticks defender Steph Dickins' hockey journey has come a long way. ...
If you want to shock and amaze your friends and family this Christmas, look no further than the deep recesses of $1 reserve Trade Me. Folks, I’m going to let you in on a huge Christmas secret here: you can get all your presents for $1 if you know where to ...
To celebrate the 50th birthday of the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery/Len Lye Centre in New Plymouth, Walters Prize-winning artist Ruth Buchanan has rehung their collection, bringing previously unseen works and skeletons out of the closet. Her new exhibition The scene in which I find myself/Or, where does my body belong examines ...
It is hard to remember a year in which New Zealand was so repeatedly in global headlines, writes Kamahl Santamaria, a Kiwi journalist based in Doha.Time zones are a strange thing. You go to sleep, and then for eight hours or so, you miss out on everything happening on the ...
Napoleon demanded that his generals be lucky. Conservative PM Boris Johnson, as he surveys a thumping victory in the British general election, would meet that criterion.His luck bears a resemblance to that of Margaret Thatcher. Like her, he has made a decisive break with orthodox establishment thinking. That presents ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Scott Morrison has rejected or sidelined a number of recommendations from the long-awaited Thodey review of the public service that might have constrained his and his government’s power. Not surprisingly, a proposal to ensure changes ...
Analysis - The "do nothing" government announces a big spend-up on infrastructure, moving the Port of Auckland, and Winston Peters throws his weight behind NZME's bid to buy Stuff. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra [embedded content]For their last video for the year, University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor Deep Saini and Michelle Grattan look backwards to the big issues which have shaped political discourse. They discuss the surprise election results, and ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has acknowledged Ngāti Awa for their role as tangata whenua (people of the land) in leading and caring for affected whānau (family members), following the Whakaari / White Island eruption and recovery operation earlier today. ...
The Environment Committee has opened for public submissions on the Urban Development Bill. The bill follows on from the Kāinga Ora–Homes and Communities bill, which disestablished Housing New Zealand and set up a Crown entity in the same name. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By William Loader, Emeritus Professor of New Testament at Murdoch University, Murdoch University This article is part of our Gender and Christianity series. To understand contemporary Christian ideas about gender, and specifically masculinity, we need to go all the way back to the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Gissing, General Manager, Risk Frontiers, Adjunct Fellow, Macquarie University Calls are growing for a national bushfire plan, including from former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, who says they are an issue of national security and the federal government must provide hands-on leadership. ...
Pro-democracy lobby group Democracy Action welcome New Zealand First’s commitment to hold firm rejecting the Te Tai Tonga MP Rino Tirikatene’s bill to entrench the Māori seats. The Bill, which would require any changes to the seats to require the ...
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in reality television and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s.Sometimes you are just doing a podcast as usual and then Colin Mathura-Jeffree gives you a call and throws your world off its axis. In a very special edition of Colin’s Cranny: Live, ...
We get a handle on the artists and artworks that shaped this decade in Aotearoa.As 2019 draws to a close, the four nominees for this year’s Turner Prize subverted the competition – they asked to receive the award as a collective. Meanwhile, at Art Basel Miami Beach, a banana taped ...
The second and final report of Te Uepū Hāpai i te Ora, the Safe and Effective Justice Advisory Group, contains nothing we didn’t know 30 years ago. Yet generations of politicians have ignored the same advice, writes Laura O’Connell Rapira.Between the 1950s and 1990s, New Zealand experienced seismic social, economic ...
Fuel company Z Energy has cut its earnings forecast for the year by 10 percent because of tougher competition and falling margins, and is forecasting a big cut in dividends. ...
Liquidators of the hacked cryptocurrency exchange Cryptopia have travelled to the United States, to retrieve customers' information and certain crypto-assets. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kath Albury, Professor of Media and Communication, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, Swinburne University of Technology Popular commentary on dating apps often associates their use with “risky” sex, harassment and poor mental health. But anyone who has used a dating app ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Louise Grimmer, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, Tasmanian School of Business and Economics, University of Tasmania Australian shoppers are set to spend $52.7 billion this Christmas. In the words of the retail industry, we are “stampeding” to empty our wallets, both online and ...
NZ Herald and many other media outlets ran a story on a man whose farts could repel mosquitos, despite the story coming from a satire news site and not being verified in any way, writes Dan Satherly for Newshub.“Man’s farts so deadly he kills mosquitoes in a 6m radius” is ...
Timing right to borrow our way to a stronger economy in 2020 The Government’s announcement of its intent to invest significantly in the county’s infrastructure could turbo charge an economic recovery that was already showing positive signs for ...
A poem by writer, journalist, and former Manus Island refugee Behrouz Boochani.Forgive me my loveTranslated by Moones Mansoubi, Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, 2018 Forgive me my bird as I am not able to embrace you.But here,in this corner,I know some migrating birds that I smile to at dawn.I embrace them ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Powles, Senior Lecturer in Security Studies, Massey University The Autonomous Region of Bougainville, a chain of islands that lie 959 kilometres northwest of Papua New Guinea’s capital, Port Moresby, has voted unequivocally for independence. The referendum saw 85% voter turnout during ...
Fisheries New Zealand starts consultation today on proposed changes to catch settings for rock lobster and scallops for the new fishing year beginning 1 April 2020. ...
All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others. This was the declaration of the pigs who control the government in George Orwell’s novel, Animal Farm– a tart comment on the hypocrisy of governments that proclaim the absolute equality of their citizens but gives power and privileges ...
SPCA has been working flat out to desex more than 80 animals a day over the last year, which is the most desexing SPCA has done since recording the figures. ...
“The fact so many families are struggling to pay the rent and put food on the table must be addressed urgently if we’re to provide the foundations for a good life for the next generation of New Zealanders,” says Scott Figenshow, Chief Executive ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo (Hamish Hamilton, $40)Winner of the 2019 Booker Prize.2The Body: ...
This holiday season Te Tari Taiwhenua, Department of Internal Affairs wants to offer parents and caregivers some advice on how to help keep your family safe online. ...
A report released by the Chief Victims advisor Kim McGregor advising there needs to be an Independent Victims body is being welcomed by Victim Rights lobby group Sensible Sentencing Trust. National spokesperson Jess McVicar says the trust have ...
For the third time in five years, the United Kingdom has gone to the polls today. From the summer islands of New Zealand, join The Spinoff as we follow the results rolling in.9.30am: So, with polls about 90 minutes away from closing, the top line is this – we’ve got ...
Winston Peters will back an NZME proposal to buy Stuff with a 'Kiwishare' guarantee the merged news company will keep regional news and separate websites for at least two years. ...
The Executive Director of Dapaanz (Addiction Practitioners’ Association Aotearoa New Zealand), Sue Paton says the announcement that Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment court would become permanent immediately, following successful pilots in Auckland ...
Online marketplace Sidekicker is taking advantage of people who have little choice but to juggle multiple low-paying jobs to make ends meet, writes artist and freelancer Ben Markley.After graduating early this year with one of the least vocational degrees, I didn’t expect the largest array of job prospects. Nevertheless, I ...
National is vowing to bring back and expand health sector targets dropped by the current Government and mulling whether to scrap elected District Health Boards. ...
More than 10,000 people have signed a petition launched a week ago, calling for better support and funding for community midwives. The 10k figure was reached after the first four days. Chief executive of the College of Midwives, Alison Eddy, said last ...
Information obtained by animal rights organisation SAFE has revealed rodeo organisers are refusing to halt calf-roping events in rodeo, despite the Government’s animal welfare advisors’ recommendation that they do so. ...
Subject; Deputy PM said quote; “New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has challenged his Cabinet colleagues for the delay over a Northport decision, criticising it as "paralysis by analysis". https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/405385/paralysis-by-analysis-winston-peters-assessment-of-the-delay-over-northport ...
If the Productivity Commission's report on local government funding, released yesterday, had been relied on by NASA as the basis for getting astronauts to the moon, its greatest achievement by now would have been launching a $2 skyrocket 40 feet into the air ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Benjamin Mayne, Molecular biologist and bioinformatician, CSIRO Humans have a “natural” lifespan of around 38 years, according to a new method we have developed for estimating the lifespans of different species by analysing their DNA. Extrapolating from genetic studies of species with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Evans, Professor of Governance and Director of Democracy 2025 – bridging the trust divide at Old Parliament House, University of Canberra A new, ongoing survey on how young Australians understand and imagine their democracy is already challenging long-held stereotypes. The survey ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Francesco Paolucci, Associate Professor; Head of Health Policy Program, Sir Walter Murdoch School of Public Policy and International Affairs, University of Newcastle Private health insurance has come under intense scrutiny in recent months, as it becomes clear health insurers are failing to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Zaphir, Researcher for the University of Queensland Critical Thinking Project; and Online Teacher at Education Queensland’s IMPACT Centre, The University of Queensland This is the second of two essays exploring key theories – cognitive load theory and constructivism – underlying teaching ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, UNSW On Monday the Australian government will release the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO). This will – as required by the Charter of Budget Honesty – provide an update on the key assumptions made in this ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ari Mattes, Lecturer in Communications and Media, University of Notre Dame Australia It seems like every time we switch on the idiot box we are confronted with news footage of another disaster. Bushfires in Australia. A hurricane in North America. A tsunami ...
Open Mike 06/02/2019 
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Interestingly there has been little attention on this.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.rnz.co.nz/article/93c93fe3-9cdf-4d7e-baf7-bb7c0454fe20
I wonder why?😁
Just like the tppa and loads of other shit.
The tourism thing is good. I was in New York last year. Chatting to this dude at a bar told mr how he’s coming to nz this Feb yo check out all the hobbit spots. Blew my mind.
You can thank Key and Jackson for that.
The movies would never have been made under this government. Perhaps in another country
‘ Chatting to this dude at a bar told mr how he’s coming to nz this Feb yo check out all the hobbit spots.
Thank you John Key and Peter Jackson for inspiring one dude James met at a bar to come to NZ.
They both should be …knighted for..that. 🤦♂️
The Brit bruiser wanted to go and see the Hobbit spots. Probably they wanted to unload some of their litter there. We have to watch what sort of tourist gets attracted here by the films.
No, I don’t think we can. Key’s failure to protect local interests can be seen in everything he touched, from SCF to Christchurch – his influence has been an irredeemable blight on our country in every instance.
The Hobbit was a disgrace – it took one of the most popular works in English fiction and made it into unrecognizable soup. Certainly the fans paid plenty of money, but Jackson destroyed his reputation with it.
The studios may well have made the movies here without the Hobbit law, the scenery had become part of the LOTR franchise – their attack of the vapors was strategic, designed to squeeze as much as possible out of weak and credulous governments – which was Key in a nutshell. He rolled over because he never gave a toss about New Zealanders anyway.
I think Jackson was more focused on trying to link the Hobbit into LOTR and it distracted from the plot.
Those 6 movies make good background noise to fall asleep to though.
I think you give him too much credit – that was only one of his changes. Radagast was a mess. The elf love interest was not unforgiveable but the crudity of it was. Orcs with Morghul arrows though? Right up there with bringing the undead to Pelenor fields – playing fast and loose with stuff he clearly didn’t understand. The gold trap, and the battle of five armies – pitiful chaotic nonsense. Had as much collapsing masonry in it as 2012 (the film) I gave my Korean friends rings about D War – I had to apologize to them – the Hobbit was as bad or worse.
Three (films) for LOTR and one to rule them all, The Hobbit. A lot more integrity and probably much less Peter Jackson would have helped all these films. It was a lot of people bowing to the (strong) wind of money. Not least the government. If we had a better 4th estate , less a promotional device and more an arm of understanding, we’d know about the side deals.
‘If I were in government’ I’d fund investigative journalism, because democracy needs it. And, by the way, also ban caterwauling, sorry, opera, from Concert FM.
If you like to scratch about online there is a “Tolkien Edit” of the Hobbit, which removes many of the more egregious changes – and brings viewing time down to a mere 41/2 hours. One would expect, in this multimedia age, that such things would become de rigueur somewhat after the theatrical releases, for those who want the authorial vision of the original story as far as possible.
You can thank Key and Jackson for that.
The Lord of the Rings was made in the early 2000s. What hitherto-unknown contribution did John Key make to it that we should thank him for? Was he one of the orcs?
Yes, apparently we must thank Key, because the movies were ALL made while Clark’s Labour (99-2008) were in government.. 😆
He was hair length checker for the elf maidens milty.
!!
Bullshit. they got underway during a Labour government.
It’s about keeping movies here and the tourism going
I think there was a sarc somewhere there Adrian. I like the bit about the hair length checker. The beautiful elf maiden’s hair would be a turn-on.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lord_of_the_Rings_(film_series)
The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy (2001, 2002, 2003), was nominated for 30 Academy awards, and won 17. Most of the filming for the first movie, and all of the filming for the second and third movies, took place in NZ during the term of the fifth Labour government (1999-2008).
https://www.vox.com/2015/9/10/9188517/political-bias
“The first step is simply acknowledging the possibility that you might not be as objective as you’d like to think“
Had a bit to drink yo?
Seems like the last government had it right.
Nah it was definitely an Aussie union supporting only the most highly paid cast members that had it right
Hey Gossy, that link was from 2017.
Do you need an update?
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/381350/businesses-and-unions-clash-over-new-fair-pay-guidelines
Parliament is back soon…..
No. That link was from October 2018.
Did you even read what it stated?
Why yes, yes I did read it. My bad was looking at the date wrong, 17 Oct 2018
No solution has been found as of yet, recommendations sure, but nothing in concrete.
Not sure what the issue about this is today, is there new news about it?
Because I couldn’t find any, apart from the link I posted, which appeared to be a condensed version of the one you first posted.
No, your post waz about tge proposed changes to industry wide fair pay bargaining. Mine was related to the review of the Hobbit law changes. They are different things.
Apologies.
Aww…
“The idea of fairness has been promoted in our schools for a very long time”
The idea of fairness is actually innate in humans – especially children. It takes a pretty massive propaganda effort to drive the idea of fairness out of people’s heads. Or to distort it into its opposite. And to be fair – that propaganda has been wildly successful for the past 35 years or so. But it is an uphill battle and eventually ideas of fairness re-surface in some form or another. The interesting thing is how elites respond when the propaganda fails – do they concede some ground, or go full repressive/fascist in response?
An extremely sobering read.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2019/02/opinion-dear-jacinda-ardern-my-mother-could-die-because-of-you.html
“Dear Jacinda Ardern, my mother could die because of you”
Posted without further comment so you can debate the link not my initial comments.
https://lizziewhite96.wixsite.com/loveelizabeth/about
Dang
Good God, have I strayed onto Kiwiblog or WhaleOil by mistake – or is this a trolls-only day on The Standard?
All the community minded people are only getting back from the Waitangi Day celebrations now. Had a great time at the Manukau ones.
I wonder how many people died because they couldn’t afford their meds when National hiked prescription charges to $5.
But you seem more concerned about middle class National voting cancer sufferers.
I really don’t think that there are many people who are dying because of a co-payment on prescriptions.
It is limited to a total of $100/year/family, no matter how large the family.
There is no charge at all for children under 13.
It can be totally avoided if you live in Auckland and go to the Chemist Warehouse, or some Countdown shops.
It is nothing at all like the $60,000/year that the linked article talks about.
You are, frankly, talking utter rubbish.
you are right, they did not die because of co-payments.
they died because they got kicked of waiting lists, because surgery was not available, because the budget for public healthcare was gutted, because on their min wage tey could not afford private healthcare, because NZ health care staff is underpaid compared to elsehwer thus once educated they leave, or because the nurses, doctors and other health care staff can’t actually afford rent/buying a house where their hospital is located.
and all that happened under National, the party without mates, conscience and morals.
Oh dear.
Where were you living during the period 2009 – 2017?
If you experienced the things you listed it clearly wasn’t New Zealand where you resided.
I don’t think that I can be bothered trying to explain all the things that are wrong with your statements. You are clearly delusional and probably wouldn’t be able to read my responses anyway.
It is irrelevant anyway. Still, at least you agree that millsy was talking rubbish in his claim about people dying because there was a $5 charge on some prescriptions. That is better than nothing I suppose.
You saying nobody was moved off a waiting list between 09 and 17 wally? That’s a mighty bold claim there.
And it isn’t what I said.
I know someone who was taken of the waiting list for a knee replacement.
They had a major heart attack and it wasn’t safe to do the knee Op.
That doesn’t mean it was the normal thing.
Under the Clark Government everyone was put on the waiting list for Ops such as hip or knee replacement. They promised that no-one would be on the list for more than 6 months. If you got to the 6 months they simply removed you from the list and sent you back to your GP where the whole thing started again.
Under National you would get the Op if you were on the waiting list. However if you didn’t qualify they wouldn’t put you on the waiting list. At least you knew whether or not the Op would happen within 6 months and you weren’t just treated like a yo-yo.
I know which system was better.
I made a comment about this a few years ago regarding Intrasurgery Cancer treatment as an alternative. Form the patients/family perspective the experience and reduced stress of this treatment was far superior that the weeks of radiotherapy and what that entails.
If nothing else think of the “thru put” of patients 1 surgery vs 3-5 weeks of radiotherapy ??
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/305412/fund-alternative-breast-cancer-treatment,-surgeon-urges
https://www.breastcancer.org.nz/news/bcac-news-intrabeam-public
I have little internal bets sometimes and so I saw on the side-bar James had commented. Having swept the news sites and having seen the Elizabeth White letter I bet myself that James’ comment this morning would be about this letter.
That’s how easy James is to read.
Elizabeth cites other developed countries such as Australia and Britain as having much better outcomes for these types of cancer but both countries have a top tax rate of 45%. Britain is 40% above 70K sterling and Australia 37% above $80K. Both countries also have a CGT.
Would James and the other RWNJs like to make a correlation between the two?
Sounds like the cancer might beat Jacinda to it jimbo.
“Dear Jacinda Ardern, my mother could die because of you”
Your mother’s dying of cancer. Jacinda Ardern didn’t cause it and can’t cure it, so that’s the most unfair headline I’ve seen in a well-contested field of anti-Ardern headlines. If you weren’t upset because your mother’s dying of an Ardern-unrelated cancer, I’d offer some thoughts on your character while I’m at it.
I agree PM, but sadly grief is often not rational. I feel for this mother and family and understand the daughter writing what she did in the grips of grief. What is not acceptable IMO is media (looking at Newshub) picking this up and running it in the way they have.
https://lizziewhite96.wixsite.com/loveelizabeth/about
Thanks for pressing me to read the blog. I missed the link you posted earlier. Uuummm. What crossed my mind after doing so is best left unsaid.
I found the little bits of revelation re her way of thinking and ambitions in her Twenty-one or a death sentence? post re her 21st birthday in Sept 2017 interesting.
At least she had the good sense to purge her blog of any controversial posts before posting the open letter.
At the very least, it would be appropriate to add an editor’s note explaining the role Pharmac has in working out how best to allocate the finite dollars we have for pharmaceuticals.
I agree with that Newsroom should have provided some appropriate notes on such things as the differences in the systems between the countries’ medical systems that have been compared in the letter.
Having read this young woman’s blog, I decided to google her as she has been upfront on the blog and in the Newshub article as to her real identity.
Well, well, well. Having expected that there would lots of people in NZ with the same name, the very first entry that came up was to Linked In with a photo identifying it was for the same person and it turns out that she appears to be none other than:
“Summary
Foreign News Producer for TVNZ’s Breakfast show. Skilled in Microsoft Excel, Management, Broadcasting, Customer Service, and Television.
Strong professional with a Bachelor of Broadcasting Communications focused in Broadcast Journalism from New Zealand Broadcasting School.
—————-
News Reporter
MediaWorks NZ
November 2018 – Present 4 months
Auckland, New Zealand
Auckland reporter for the AM Show on TV3
TVNZ – 2 years 2 months
Foreign News Producer TVNZ
October 2017 – Present 1 year 5 months
Auckland, New Zealand
Assignments Desk Coordinator TVNZ
January 2017 – September 2017 9 months
Auckland, New Zealand … “
So, as well as not providing anything re the differences in systems between the various countries etc, Newshub also failed to provide any disclosure that the writer is in fact one of their employees, a news reporter.
Now, just to be clear, I still feel very sorry for her and her family having been through the same with my own mother who died of incurable cancer; but I find the tone of the letter (ie the blame) and the above information that was not disclosed questionable to say the least.
I’m trying to decide whether Mediaworks’ failure to disclose the opinion piece was by one of its employees is worse than its failure to provide an editor’s note that Pharmac rather than the PM makes decisions about what treatments to fund. On reflection, the failure to disclose the employee status is worse, because it effectively makes the OP an attack on the government by Mediaworks.
Exactly. I really don’t want to think about it today on Waitangi Day, but might check out the journalist ethics etc of this later today or tomorrow.
Pharmac rather than the PM makes decisions about what treatments to fund.
I hope someone on behalf of PM, Jacinda Ardern replies to her and corrects her assumptions. To imagine it was Ardern’s job to make such decisions is evidence she has a lot to learn.
Forgot link
https://nz.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-white-643212123
And here is the link for the generic google search for “Elizabeth White NZ” showing the above as the first entry.
https://www.google.com/search?q=elizabeth+white+nz&rlz=1C1LDJZ_enNZ499&oq=Elisabeth+White+NZ&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l3.11049j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Did Mediaworks/Newshub really think someone would not check out who this person is?
Some don’t even think about full disclosure of name, background and/or affiliation while others justify partial or non-disclosure.
Seen this?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/euthanasia-debate/110351661/university-of-auckland-professor-caught-using-false-name-to-publicly-lobby-against-euthanasia-bill
WOW!!!!!!!!
This needs to be given headline news. Rushing out right now, but perhaps a headliner comment etc for OM tomorrow? Or a post?
Dear Jacinda Ardern, my mother could die because of you
Assuming this young woman was writing the letter to JA in her capacity as Prime Minister and she doesn’t even have the courtesy to address her as such is ignorant and lacking the courtesy usually accorded the position. She blames Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern for the health woes when much of the blame lies on the shoulders of the previous govt. That is her level of rationality?
She’s just turned 21 and Newshub have employed her as a reporter? The standard of reporting has reached an all time low on that TV net-work and I no longer waste time watching it.
A typically shrewish comment from an old never was directed at any female younger than Anne who is even slightly critical of The Prime Minister.
Get off your high horse you old wind bag. Plenty of crappy articles directed at politicians on both sides have appeared in both the herald and the awful stuff user generated sections.
[Righto. Your next comment needs to include an apology and a commitment to refraining from pointless abuse. No discussion, no other warning. TRP]
that should get you banned
A nasty, pointless abusive comment that adds nothing
But fun to read. TS knows this which is why they left it in. Back to the Daily Mail ….
It seems you have no argument whatsoever and are resorting to an ad hominem attack. Shame on yo1 The description seems to say a lot more about you, you cheap, sickly biscuit.
Anne demanding people bow and scrape to the prime ministers position? In New Zealand? I stand by my comment.
I’ve watched for too long as Anne denegrates any female who dares not be in adoration of any labour leader. First it was Cunliffe, then Little and now Adern.
Women should only speak up if they are on the same side as Anne, otherwise she thinks they should know their place. It’s so offensive and puerile
TS every post you abuse some one
Last time I was in la la land.
I don’t know you, I do know Jacinda.
She is everything you are not.
To make out Anne attacks others compared to your history of personal attacks lays a path of pain for yourself.
Anne makes thoughtful contributions, and her comments are pertinent and considered . Quote right back at you “You old wind bag”.
What generalisations you use Tuppence as an excuse to have a go at Anne in a particularly vulgar way. Psychopathic really. And we have been watching you for a long time too.
Typical tuppy strewthberry griping about how wethers don’t get no fun no more. That’s not your knackers you’re sitting on tuppee, they’re long gone.
Tuppenny bit… he not like strong women who speak their minds. He think strong women scary. He think only men – like him – are allowed to speak minds. Woomen should stay in kitchen and cook da meals.
Btw, TB its Ardern not Adern.
Hilarious! Your privileged silencing of a young women for not showing deference to those in power shows how little respect you have strong women speaking out.
From my comment @ 3.8.2:
The standard of reporting has reached an all time low on that TV net-work and I no longer waste time watching it.
You did your usual didn’t you Tupenny bit. You thought I was referring to the “very young woman”. That was a generalisation about the standard of reporting on Newshub. Its abysmal.
Once upon a time it was by far the better of the two main TV channels, TV1 and TV3. Now its just third rate clickbait stuff and on occasion so inaccurate I’m surprised they haven’t been taken to court for defamation or slander. They come perilously close to it sometimes.
Apologies for the abuse.
Apologies for the abusive tone. It raises my hackles when journalists get abused for doing their job speaking truth, but that’s no excuse
The personal emotive tone casts a biased shadow over the whole item. The RW cast themselves as being in the light and thinking right, but in fact they are self-centred, with wizened minds, and authoritarian controlling in nature.
As for the Prof. he has obviously led a right wing household. A comment below the article contradicts someone who says that being part of the Maxim Institute shows his bias, and quite rightly. His son is said to be in that right wing think tank, but his upbringing connects him to the father.
It is known that the dedicated groups of people against euthanasia unite to flood letters and submissions into the authority canvassing citizens’ wishes which in theory is a democratic process. This professor is just using an aspect of that technique. It is unheard of for people to have freedom of choice over their own lives and bodies.
The Climate Change deniers did it too. Even though 97% of the world’s scientists (it’s probably 100% now with a handful of ideological nutbars on the side) knew it was happening… the media for years, here and overseas, gave the deniers equal billing. They did untold damage in the process and have to take their share of the blame for the many delays which could turn out to be catastrophic for the planet.
Then there are the anti-fluoride and anti-vaccination campaigners… both of whom rely on pseudo scientific nonsense just like the CC deniers.
All of them come from often irrational ideological perspectives, and I suspect you would find if they’re part of one anti group, they’re also part of all the others.
We obviously need to gather more tax so we can afford a medical system that can supply everyone’s needs.
We already do – It is those middle classes with a few $ pay medical insurance. Until they find out, as in many insurance policies. What cover they thought they had was limited and requires top ups to complete any treatment.
Those at the top end have comprehensive cover as part of their remuneration packages.
Those not covered “roll” the dice, and are at the mercy of our health system 🤧
And our govts continue to increase the stress on our infrastructure/health system by increasing the demand/pop.
As someone who has claimed alot on medical you’re very wrong
Only from YOUR experience, which is not the same as everyone else.
And once you have any medical history it is almost impossible to change coys and still be covered with existing or past conditions-and that is were we the public are then captured by an insurance coy.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10352802
I hope you don’t think that people wanting euthanasia are just being neglected by our health system. This is about people who want to decide when to die, and not having to wait for death with increasing stress, boredom or pain. Committing suicide is a poor quality death and is problematical.
Time to put immigration controls on Australians?
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/brutal-australian-summer-heat-spurs-climate-research/
Time to watch (and participate with) the Australian research. Think about Mulloon Natural Farms too.
Happy Waitangi Day everyone…
Rod Derrett I haven’t forgotten you. Thanks millsy.
The video from 1968.
https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/puha-and-pakeha-1968
https://www.discogs.com/Rod-Derrett-Puha-And-Pakeha/release/982555
More on Rod Derrett.
https://www.audioculture.co.nz/people/rod-derrett
Good to see the Trolls haven’t succumbed to devastating fires or floods yet. I too am deeply concerned about the economy:
Can I perform comedy shows in blackened ruins? A man deserves to make a living. Under Labour there’d probably be some ninny workplace safety issues; but under National, I could be a private contractor, fully responsible for death and misadventure like the rest of them.
What happens during a rebuild? If I score some corrugated iron and masonry to build a shanty out of, Labour would stop me with pesky regulations and rules of construction; but National would let it fly no worries.
National have a plan. Predator Free NZ. They made the words so we know they care. As food chains break down, we can all eat dead rats.
WtB
Thinking factually. Are there trees that we could plant instead of pinus radiata that would be less flammable? Pinus R are very resiny aren’t they? Could we have less of them, and grow some longer maturing trees that might be exotics, plus natives as well. Perhaps we could grow greener natives that would be less flammable in amongst the pinus R which of course are good for longs being very fast growing here.
Suggesting what should have been done might seem a bit off considering the circumstances. The above post was in response to about 8 trolling comments in a row starting the day, I just forgot to link it to the rot posts so it’s kinda out of context.
Was just me firing back.
The forestry service would be the people to ask the questions re: flammability of their crops and any alternatives in the pipeline.
While some plants are a lot less flammable than others, there comes a point where plants lose so much water they’re all tinder, though burn rate and heat will differ.
There are a few things we might consider. Soil carbon (organic matter) holds on to soil water increasing the water holding capacity of soils. Retention and increasing of soil carbon in forestry will hold off the point at which trees become highly volatile. Ploughing, fertilisers and fungicides are all processes/products that may severely impact soil life and deplete soil carbon. Mulching of prunings on the spot (lay litter out in contact with the ground – not in piles), inoculation of stumps with fungi (crops and animal food), productive crop diversity, and biochar application are all practices that can increase soil carbon in forestry.
Retaining water in the soil using earthworks is the most important thing that can be done. We’ve looked at how those systems work. Swale systems, keyline systems, small dams, plantings, retain not drain… When one farm has plenty of water, surrounded by neighbors in drought, you know something special has occurred. Not paying attention may lose the farm as weather gets worse and folk are denied water.
What is what so far as these systems go: Swales vs Yeomans??
When all the land is rehydrating via earthworks and plantings, rain becomes more steady for the local climate. I can’t recall offhand but x amount of contiguous forest is sufficient to make rain. The trees take excess and siphon it back to the atmosphere so less flood issues too, not to mention the land covered in earthworks will catch rather than dispatch (to the poor bastards below) most water.
It’s not about rainfall, so much as rain penetration.
The maple family (including sycamores and plane trees) are hard to set ablaze – they will make decent firewood if dried though. They’re popular for decorative flooring in some countries,.
This thread off to How to get there for archiving.
Kia kaha to all affected by this fire near wakefield. Stay safe.
Lots of massive pine forests around Nelson and boy it hasn’t rained for ages and very high temps.
Still got lots to go on this one…
+1 Marty.
On the upside… if there is one, at least the weather is so much cooler today, hopefully making it easier for crews on the ground.
And… there is a block where the forest had been cleared a little while back, hoping that will slow it down. Marty, you’ll know where I mean, the big forestry block on the inland highway between Redwoods Valley and Upper Moutere, where you can turn off to Mahana.
Yep I do. It is cooler today and the wind has moved i think .
Hope you guys are all good. That smoke probably not the best.
Not too smokey here. Take care Marty.
While we celebrate Waitangi an unrelenting propaganda war on the national sovereignty of Venezuela is being waged.
Here is a little balance to the imperialist media..
Venezuela Blitz – Part 1: Tyrants Don’t Have Free Elections
http://medialens.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=892:venezuela-blitz-part-1-tyrants-don-t-have-free-elections&catid=57:alerts-2019&Itemid=252
Open Letter by Over 70 Scholars and Experts Condemns US-Backed Coup Attempt in Venezuela
-chomsky/open-letter-by-over-70-scholars-and-experts-condemns-us-backed-coup-a
Thanks Adrian, reality and the mainstream media at odds again as they attempt to manufacture consent, summed up by the great Glenn Greenwald: ‘I’d have more respect for the foreign policy decrees of US officials if they’d just admit what everyone knows – “we want to change this country’s government to make it better serve our interests” – rather than pretending they give the slightest shit about Freedom & Democracy.’
@ TootingPopularFront, yes the manufacture consent doctrine has really been operating at 110% over the past few years…the only up side is that the more overt it gets, the more obvious it becomes..even to the casual observer.
You would have to say that anyone who is interested in politics and/or global news, and pretend not to see the actual mechanics of the manufacture consent doctrine operating in pretty much full view, are in fact purposely not acknowledging it only to suit their own world view.
Excellent link, thanks for sharing Adrian.
Did you catch The Listening Post on Al Jazeera in the weekend?
“The (media) coverage also mostly stayed away from the role successive American administrations – through economic sanctions – have played in handicapping the Venezuelan economy.
As Iraqis, Iranians, Libyans and others would tell you, this isn’t the first time the US has taken a disproportionate interest in the governance of a country loaded with oil.
Washington has a playbook for this kind of thing. And so, apparently, do the US media.
https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/listeningpost/2019/02/venezuela-crisis-geopolitics-news-narratives-190202064958794.html
@cinny, yes I did catch that Listening Post piece, it is really quite depressing watching a full scale illegal international capitalist intervention, (purely for resources of course) happening in real time, right out in the open…while all our media, and so many (supposedly) good people either support it or say nothing.
Also interesting watching Liberal media like the Guardian etc attack Trump relentlessly for months on end, but suddenly support his position over this…shows you who their paymasters really are.
‘I won’t be remembered as a traitor’: Maduro to RT (EXCLUSIVE)
Cheers Adrian, for the RT link, will have a watch later on.
Am very pleased that NZ isn’t buying in to it, considering everyone else is picking sides.
Thanks Adrian appreciated.
Thanks Adrian.
I had the jarring experience of hearing that weasel Justin “Blair” Trudeau parroting Mike Pompeo’s anti-Venezuela rhetoric on the radio yesterday. Nearly drove the Breenmobile into a tree.
11 months ago, the PM and Civil Defence minister were roundly critised for their apathy and sluggish response to the damage caused by cyclone Gita in Golden Bay.
I’ll be interested to see what lessons have been learnt in the response to the wildfire state of emergency in rural Nelson.
It’ll be a really interesting exercise to see if a rural mainly white South Island farming community is afforded similar priority and attention as a rural north island mainly Maori community has enjoyed from this government over the past few days.
Wtf ? Are you attempting to inject racism into an emergency?
If you are that’s fucken low.
Which group do you think would have insurance and an sympathetic ear on the Council Rutalguy?
It will be interesting to see if the rural mainly white community in Nelson Marlborough receive the same massive financial subsidies all white dairy, sheep + fruit farmers have received from the Government these past 150 years.
I see what your doing .your fighting stupidity with stupidity.
Fighting fire with fire. Works though as your answer proves.
Kris Fafoi has been brilliant. He has declared a Civil Emergency, which gives extra powers. This is a large fire which is very dangerous in high winds.
Fafoi came across well on the news. A good speaker who seems to have his eye on what’s needed.
Don’t worry. No rich people’s houses were damaged.
Dude has a way with words.
At this very moment, a small army of White House aides is scrambling, circled around a computer in an office in the West Wing pecking out a State of the Shitshow speech they hope will “capture the voice” of a president more given to grunts and verbal excrescences than the lofty rhetoric of presidents. Here’s a spoiler; their work won’t matter.
That’s not merely because when the Trump administration sends us their speechwriters, they’re not sending their best. They are sending the indifferently educated, culturally buffoonish, shiftier dregs of authoritarian nationalist fanboys Donald Trump manages to recruit from random bus stations, hobo squats, and TPUSA Trump Young Pioneers camps.
Some, I assume are good people, but I’m almost certainly wrong.
https://thebulwark.com/your-guide-to-tonights-trumpian-word-vomit/
Progressive politics can only proceed at a snail’s pace because multi-tasking is too hard. That seems to be the premise advanced by this clever young man: “Christian Smith is a New Zealand lawyer, student radio host and graduate student in International Relations at King’s College London.” https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/05-02-2019/what-can-new-zealand-learn-from-the-brexit-omnishambles/
“With potentially three referendums proposed for New Zealand in 2020 – on cannabis, euthanasia, and MMP thresholds – the Brexit referendum offers crucial lessons on how not to run a modern referendum.”
He reckons Brexit’s lead-time of four months was too short. People just can’t figure stuff out that fast. Should I stay or should I go? Questions that hard take six months to suss out, apparently. “Post-truth politics is the idea that arguments are not won on the basis of objective facts but on emotional appeal and by reinforcing pre-existing beliefs.”
“The cannabis and euthanasia referendums provide fertile ground for post-truth politics. The debates for both easily lend themselves to personal anecdotes and emotional appeal. This is not to say that such appeals are a new or a bad thing. People often vote with their hearts rather than their heads. The difference is that in the past it was much easier to sift the truth from the lies.”
What’s changed? Social media has everyone enmeshed in such a toxic stew they can no longer think straight. And “this toxic dialogue has emerged into the real world and is increasingly apparent in political discourse. Likewise, it’s becoming a cliché that we are living in a polarised world where one must stick to his or her party line, where compromise is a dirty word, and where the opposition’s views are not only wrong but morally repugnant.”
You see that banality & polarisation here often enough to agree with the diagnosis. But must we allow inadequate commentators to spoil it for everyone? No. He advises “let’s try to keep it civil… because there are valid points on both sides. One of the sad facts about Brexit was that people were so quick to decry and brand those who disagreed with them that they didn’t take the time to understand the reasons behind their point of view.”
He thinks having the other two referenda simultaneously with the cannabis referendum “would be absurd. The suggestion that in the lead up to the general election next year we will also be able to have a thorough, engaged debate about what are three relatively serious issues is ridiculous. It’s never been done before in New Zealand.”
Kiwis just cannot multitask. Too thick, apparently. Is he right? The question is really about the extent. What percentage of voters can form their opinions on three or more social issues over a six-month time frame? Most, I reckon.
the problem with referenda (as they are usually presented) is the lack of detail…whence the devil is.
And on buses driving round the country spouting bullshit.
Christian Smith – that’s heavily-laden name to give to a baby? The parents had a definite agenda.
Mohammed would’ve been less labelly greysy.
Exactly, Gabby. LOL.
For example:
https://qz.com/1082778/popular-baby-names-muhammad-is-actually-the-most-boys-name-in-england-and-wales-not-oliver/
Whereas Christian is currently only at #49 in popularity, it was in the mid to low 20s about 20+ years ago. Always been a very popular name in Catholic Europe – eg France, Germany etc.
https://www.babycenter.com/baby-names-christian-1008.htm
[With the latter site, would have to provide links to a whole range of spellings of Mohammed, Muhammed etc.]
Those names just give me a feeling of scraping a bit below the surface and coming up with a religious illiberal type. Having met someone like that who had a persona of a friendly guy then finding he had a ‘sting’ now I watch out.
Perhaps they just named him after Christian Cullen?
If this chap is still a student he may have been born about the time Cullen came to the fore and they got the idea there.
Who knows why parents pick names. Or perhaps you think that Cullen’s parents had an agenda as well?
And possibly you think Israel Dagg has strongly Zionist parents?
What fun we could have with our wild suppositions. Is there anyone else you have suspicions about?
What were Clarke Gaylord’s parents thinking? Perhaps they were part of some evil shoe cult!
I agree Pat, the lack of detail is a bugger.
Most of the commentary I have read implies that the question will be about legalising weed – handing the whole shooting box to the corporations.
I am keen on the law changing, as I believe the most damaging aspect of pot is its status in law.
I would prefer decriminilising as it allows help to be sought if a habit causes issues.
It would also take money away from gangs and other n’erdowells.
I will most probably vote no if the question is around legalisation.
Compressed Air Foam Fire Protection System could be the go in future perhaps to keep in mind:
Now that’s very cool, I heard there are aircraft at the fire today using a fire suppressant, wonder if it’s the same stuff as in the clip you posted.
Stuff’s Editorial: Let’s go back to the future considers “the New Zealand Curriculum. It’s the blueprint for how we teach our children and future leaders, from year 1 all the way to year 13. On the contents page you’ll find references to “learning areas”. The usual subjects are there: English, maths and science; there’s also mention of the arts, physical education and technology. But not one reference to history.”
Interesting, I thought. History was one of the five standard subjects when I went to school. When was it eliminated?? Whodunnit? National or Labour? Both??
“Further on, each learning area is explored in a little more depth; there’s even a reference to social sciences. But again, not one mention of history. As expected, there are plenty of pedagogical nods to the Treaty of Waitangi, our founding document, but nothing in the framework – “important for a broad, general education” – that would provide context to the historic meeting of two great cultures on February 6, 179 years ago.”
Ah, that would be because ritualised acknowledgement of the ToW is politically-correct. If there’s one thing teachers and bureaucrats know they must do, it’s exhibit a convincing performance of being a pc-drone. Actually teaching students about it would be a can of worms. Students might start thinking for themselves! That would create an intolerable situation.
Looks like a cabal of bureaucrats and teachers are entrenched in the citadel of the education establishment, cowering under their desks with hands over their ears to block out the baying of the barbarians at the gate. Leader of those barbarians: “Graeme Ball, who chairs the History Teachers’ Association, is a passionate educator”. His grievance is “the national curriculum. The ministry describes it as a flexible “framework” in which teachers are given resources to teach some elements of history but are not necessarily required to do so. History as a subject does not even make an appearance until year 11, when it is merely an option.”
Stuff warns that the establishment cabal may “find itself on the wrong side of history.” That won’t scare them! They’ll all be safely retired on a pension.
My recollection of schooling in NZ was that ‘History; per se was never a subject until the fifth form (year 11 in contemporary schooling) and was generally covered under projects and social studies (60s and 70s)…so if the deed was done it was before then
My memory is dim with age, but I suspect you are right, and history was included under the label social studies rather than separately. Probably blurred for me due to reading my grandad’s 500-page History of the British Empire at age 7 as a formative experience (I still own it).
I noticed Barry Soper in the Herald writing that kids ought to be educated about the ToW – perhaps evidence that it could get bipartisan support. However I doubt teachers have sufficient intellectual capacity to teach it. The concept of sovereignty is hard enough for most adults. Trying to explain the additional dimension of local sovereignty, which Te Tiriti grants to chiefs, would be harder still. Evasion of the topic by all other commentators here proves that!
If there was some form of civics taught in schopol, perhaps from around year 8/9 then it may well be a suitable area to include NZ history….then the only problem would be which version
I’d apply both/and logic: include both sides. Students then get the opportunity to integrate. All a teacher need to do is explain that zero-sum thinking suggests that one side is right and the other wrong. Holism requires acknowledging merit in both perspectives. Ask the kids to brainstorm what seems worthwhile nowadays, so they can form a view of how relevant the history actually is.
except there are more than two versions …and differ by time and place
Minds are flexible, particularly kids’.
yes they are….but it wont be kids deciding which is the appropriate version….nor call out the correctness of that which selected.
It should be taught but be prepared for a moveable feast….and dissent
Absolutely vital, NZ history, and how democracy works and critical thinking and evolutionary biology, especially male/female relations . The people are the leaders in a democracy, we’ve tried different since 84 so we know.
Better real teachers than stand-in ones. There are a mixed group of older people who would teach their version of everything historical, all their pet theories, and the kids would be worse off. It seems that sex eduation and religion might be the same. It is amazing what the school board decision-makers can think is satisfactory. I find that opinionated confident figures from the neighbourhood come a poor second to a more informed and objective figure in the Education Department setting reasonable standards that schools must apply for these specialist teaching roles.
Xi Jinping “who, at age 65, remains healthy and vigorous – could remain president for perhaps another 20 years. His eponymous doctrine will therefore shape China’s development and global engagement for decades to come, and perhaps longer.” Thus opines Steve Tsang, Director of the SOAS China Institute at the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies.
https://www.interest.co.nz/business/97995/xis-goal-shore-authority-party-state-within-his-country-including-ensuring-chinese
“Xi sees no place for political experimentation or liberal values in China, and regards democratisation, civil society, and universal human rights as anathema. Deepening reform means solidifying control over the CPC, via his “anti-corruption campaign,” and over the population, including through the use of advanced technologies enabled by artificial intelligence. Such digital authoritarianism will, Xi hopes, prevent liberal or democratic ideas from taking root and spreading, even as China remains connected to the rest of the world. Chinese citizens may enjoy freedom as consumers and investors, but not as participants in civil society or civic discourse.”
This exercise of social control by the regime will succeed if the Chinese hive mind permits. Has evolution really made them a different type of human? Can freedom of choice as consumers operate concurrently with none as citizens? Too much of a paradox? Communist theory suggests not, if culture is sufficiently conformist. A matrix is formed in the psyche, in which the official version of social reality shapes the perception of participants. As long as all evidence of the surrounding world is filtered out, the scenario in the movie Matrix plays out – only a few dissidents see through the sham. When their behaviour becomes evident they can be eliminated.
They’ve been beaten into submission by the praxis of totalitarian government franxie.
So it seems. I like the hive mind theory though, and wonder how long I have to wait until someone calls it racist. Nothing lasts forever, and perhaps Xi will prosper only until the critical mass of those become affluent in China is overwhelmed by the increasing resentment of those who haven’t. Slowing growth will increase a general perception of missing out, so their me-too expectations will evaporate…
XI is working on the idea that Praxis makes Perfix and that His ideological cleanliness is nexus to Godliness
It seems to me that this concept can be applied to the USA. They are not thought of as authoritarian, motions are gone through to give the appearance of a democracy. The dropping of this or that precept is excused, there is a line in the sand but it gets washed away, and then it is democracy in tatters. USA has used propaganda for ages, the hand on heart when the USA is invoked in public meetings.
Yes, I’ve long felt that way. I did hope that Jimmy Carter would be a good president, but he had merely good intentions – no competence as a political leader.
I do see a qualitative difference in regard to China however. The American sham isn’t blatant enough to be a valid comparison. It’s sufficiently sophisticated to ensure that most Americans believe they live in a democracy.
The Chinese have no dogma, just energetic disbelief. If Xi Jinpeng wants to try to build something on that good luck to him. Super-observe all, y’tit.
He’s basing it on Singapore. If he doesn’t produce like Lee Kuan Yew he’ll fall. No one is going to worship his carbuncled arse like Mao ever again.
There should be no surprise that the elitist New Zealand cricket organisation treats Waitangi day like a token exercise. I mean really your best effort is to print “Aotearoa” on the bottom of the existing players shirts where it’s barely visible.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/110389159/black-caps-white-ferns-to-wear-aotearoa-shirts-for-t20s
No pleasing some !!!!
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12180373
‘He says he now also enjoys “working with a high-performing team who have each other’s backs”.’
Wonder what that’s a reference to… 😉
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12178750
“Put that another way, there’s a fan base for Collins out there, but it’s not nearly a majority and there’s nobody in the middle. You love her or hate her, and that’s that.”
You either worship her or you’re a big, dumb stupid head is what I think he meant to say
Oddly enough, I ran it through my between-the-lines translator and got: You worship her and you’re a big, dumb stupid head.
Hope you kept the receipt because it sounds like it’s a bit defective
You could be right. It is a bit anodyne and wishy-washy in the wording it chooses. Definitely needs to express itself more strongly and clearly.
The fix is in.
Troll Incitement
I notice that one of our sick and filthy Trolls has been promoting the idea that our Prime Minister is causing a particular person death by Cancer.
I feel that is allowing Right Wing pro National media far too much leeway.
It is true that Australia has some Cancer Radiation treatments that may ease but do not cure Cancer. The Treatments are expensive.
It is also true that Cancer may at times go into remission, whether here in New Zealand or in Australia.
But for Radio Programs via dodgy TV3 personnel to blame the Prime Minister for a Cancer death that has not occurred is not credible or excusable.
Spot on OT. 100%. they are utter tory scum.
Says the leftie scum.
See – not nice is it ?
Get over yourself newshub played the same game on national govt re Keytruda and labour was happy to play along, take your eye patches off Newsub are equal opportunity trolls
Oh really? Who and where.
Or is your comprehension so limited that we need to explain it to you ?
Did John Key or Dr Coleman receive letters similar to the one James linked to @3?
I can’t recall any – or at least none that made it into the media. Now why might that be – after all Key was PM for 8 years whereas Ardern has been PM barely 15 months.
A daughter’s grief/anger is understandable, but any ‘Tory’ trying to make political capital out of the situation deserves the ‘sick and filthy Tory scum‘ epithet.
To be clear, I’m not calling James and Bewildered ‘sick and filthy Tory scum’, at least not by name. And neither did OT or ‘rod’.
SOTU tl:dr version.
https://www.thestar.com/news/world/us/2019/02/05/trump-squabbles-with-democrats-before-state-of-the-union-speech-on-unity.html
#SOTU.
Nancy’s got your number, sport.
You mean, he’s got her number. This little show aside, she’s caved in and endorsed his aggression against the democratically elected government of Venezuela.
She can screw her face up in a gesture of distaste, and mockingly clap her hands together like in that picture, but it’s worse than nothing when she’s already conceded on the really important stuff.
🙄
she got an idea from Dimitry
Germany, Germany, Germany…..
Now you know how it was done.
I can’t believe that I spent a good part of my Waitangi day listening to Donald Trump….
So what was my take-away?
Donald Trump will not allow an investigation into his affairs that (according to him), will derail his (alleged) economic miracle.
Donald Trump will get his wall built.
The Democrats will buckle and agree to fund his wall.
The Democrats will call off the investigations into the President’s links to Russia.
Or Else….
The President will declare a State o National Emergency
still waiting on the last time he did declare his emergency.
Oh, yeah, right, he did not.
President Trump’s State Of The Union address.
I have watched the whole thing. I recommend everyone do the same.
It is extremely well crafted. Hidden behind calls for unity are thinly veiled threats against the Democrats and the Mueller Investigation. Donald Trump demands that the Democrats give up their “resistance” to him, claiming that it is fueled by, “the politics of revenge”, and “retribution.”
Painting the Democrats this way, will play well to his support base.
In the same vein the President labeled the Mueller investigation “ridiculous” and “partisan”.
Under his call for unity the President gives his version of George Bush’s maxim, “If you are not with us, you are against us.”
“If there is going to be peace and legislation, there cannot be war and investigation,”
I believe that the choice of the word “war” is not an accident, neither is conflating war with the investigation into his affairs.
With this statement Donald Trump has virtually declared war against the Democrats, the Mueller Investigation, and even the rule of law itself.
Newshub ran a British report on 3News tonight, but haven’t put it on their website. The Maduro regime’s death squads are still just doing selective targeting of protestors. I saw the video of the young guy recorded yesterday as he danced in the street wrapped in a Venezuelan flag before heading off to the protest.
The video went viral, according to the reporter. He was recognised by regime supporters and someone told the death squad where he lived. Later they showed up at his home. The reporter did not give further details about what happened after that, but the report showed his body lying in a street, covered with a blood-stained cloth.
This Guardian report describes another selective targeting of a protestor, and a local group has counted 43 such instances thus far: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/06/venezuela-faes-special-forces-nicolas-maduro-barrios
“Faes – the special action force – has earned notoriety since the uprising against Maduro began last month. Graffiti artists have daubed Caracas’ walls with messages denouncing its operatives as “murderers of the people”… Venezuelan human rights group Provea said Faes was created by Maduro in 2017 to fight “organized crime and terrorism” and was part of Venezuela’s national police force, although some stories in state-run media outlets describe it as being under the command of the Venezuelan military. By last year it boasted almost 1,300 agents.”
Further plausible deniability is provided to the regime by use of other “pro-government paramilitary groups known as colectivos.” Practical stalinism: operate the sham as long as possible to defer mass rebellion. “Asked about alleged killings by the group on Venezuelan television last week, the attorney general, Tarek William Saab, said the criminal responsibility for such acts was “individual. Those who commit violations … will be prosecuted, whichever part of the police they are from.”
I doubt the stalinist expects any viewer to believe him, but the method requires continued use of the charade regardless. Sad to see some commentators here still try to blame Trump instead of the perpetrators. Such delusional thinking need not become a permanent affliction.
Sorry Dennis, but I think you may be placing an awful lot of confidence in the impartiality of Western news media. I remain unconvinced by the Guardian and Newshub. I remember how we were similarly conned over the Tonkin Gulf Incident.
Yeah, LBJ got away with that easily. Different world now tho. Folks are less easily conned by a sham. I take your point that it is still possible, but doubt that attempts will succeed. Think the Newshub story came from ITV but was unable to confirm.
I share scepticism re Guardian, but only in respect of their editorialising and spin. I believe the journalistic ethos still prevails in regard to reporting the facts. The Venezuelan human rights group Provea told them 43 protestors had been selectively eliminated. We can’t verify that, obviously. I choose to believe them.
Thanks for that info Dennis.
Maduro’s behaviour could be compared to that of Sisi in Egypt, especially in regards to media or anyone that speaks out. Or Erdogan in Turkey for that matter.
USA appears to pay a disproportionate amount of attention to any country that has oil reserves, especially when such countries governments become unstable.
Will the USA military intervene and if they do will they ever leave once peace has been restored? If USA send military….. will China and Russia come to the aid of Maduro?
Must be terrifying for those living there at present.
And with Maduro shutting down the net whenever it suits him to try and curb the uprising, it makes it hard for the real stories from the people on the ground to reach the rest of the world.
Edit…
Maduro has said he would be happy to go to elections early (next election was supposed to be in 2020). Will the USA support a new election, or will they send in their military to assist the opposition instead ?
Just by the way, is Ahmet Ertegun, godfather of much bloody good Black music in America, a relative of Tayib Recife Erdogan, dictatorish type in Turkey ?
The third world is a hell, more distinguishable by goodish or baddish warlords. Though Turkey is better than that. Having Read a bio of Duterte of the 100,000,000 of The Phillippines. 70-80 % approval rating of a crass, murderous git, yet Filipinos strangely sometimes still do the right thing.
Yes Cinny, I agree re Sisi & Erdogan. Trump’s grandstanding need not be a basis for concern. Any direct military intervention by the USA would need a Security Council mandate, eh? The problem with regard to another election is that it would not be credible while Maduro’s agents still control the electoral commission. They’d just do the same thing they did when he got defeated – declare sufficient opposition winners invalid to overturn his defeat.
Droughts and fear of wildfires would have a killing effect on activity on farms and on outdoor sports. We can’t afford to have people haring around tinder dry areas and end up with emergencies as in Nelson region.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/110411175/nelson-bush-fire-farming-equipment-believed-to-have-sparked-fire
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/110408577/international-mountainbike-race-called-due-nelson-bush-fire?rm=a
And other stuff headlines.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/110402408/never-mind-don-brashs-views-on-maoridom-here-are-5-maori-thinkers-to-listen-to-this-waitangi-day
stuff has chosen:
Dr David Tipene-Leach
Myles Ferriss
Katie Paul
Sir Kim Workman
Khylee Quince
This seems malicious poke at Ardern:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/110405894/jacinda-ardern-has-pulled-off-a-second-successful-waitangi-a-third-will-be-much-harder
(Henry Cooke)
They’re malicious about females in Australia too:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/world/110405911/working-70-hours-a-week-australian-surgeon-was-called-emotional-female
I found it a bit hard to see how old mate ploughing a field could start the fire? But if he was using slasher I would understand, but also I’ll be saying WTF was he thinking as well.
More likely it the firies would have been old mate to plough in fire break as they are the next best thing to dozer or graders for putting in a emergency fire break especially in cases like the fire in Pigeon Valley.
Does anyone know the vintage steam and engine museum in Pigeon Valley coped with the fire?
As far as I know Exkiwiforces, the Steam Museum is ok, hope it is because it’s a fantastic place to visit.
Re the contractor ploughing, disc plough on stoney/rocky land can create sparks. All the grass around here is brown, wouldn’t have taken much for it to go up.
If that’s what happened, I really feel for the person who was ploughing, they will be devastated.
Can’t see any mention of Steam Museum but maybe it is near Wakefield and
didn’t get caught.
first map
https://www.wakefield.org.nz/destination-wakefield/
222 Pigeon Road Steam Museum
second map
https://www.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=93331eb73d1d40ee97071238e6c350d5&extent=19231890.7343%2C-5079648.783%2C19308174.8886%2C-5048309.6014%2C102100
Kia ora The AM Show its about time the topic is on one that is in reality the most important topic of OUR TIME . Climate change is the biggest challenge this generation and the rest of humanity will ever face.
That
Of course it is logical to support the regions I wonder why the last government did not support all the rural regions. The rural economy is what Aotearoa was built on. Drive around NZ and see all the big flash cars and boats in some suburbs and in the rural East Coast and North land one see 20 years old cars and rundown house. Transport is the most important tool to produce $$$$ in any civilisation that’s a fact Its good to see that the fools that have been running our NZTA New Zealand transport agency have been sacked as there has been some sculldugery going on in that agency and who was in charge of it.
Lloyd Tusk is correct with his words brexit is a big mess and a big distraction from the EUROPEAN UNION and the World from combating the real threat to humanity Green House Warming.
The education reform are a big topic to we need to grasp the new technologies and train our tamariki on how to get the best out of the technology. We also need to use the information technology to teach the tamariki about our true historical facts and not just the facts that suit the 00.1 %. A computer and projector does not cost much. You know what they say a picture is worth more than a thousand so video is a very good teaching tool and one can choose the factual one off the 21 century communications device and you have 30 tamariki learning OUR HISTORY or any topic with minimal cost and management needs to be streamlined .
duncan promoting alcohol and gambling at this time of day gome on.
There you go it’s cool to be a nice person Chris that is. neanderthal are uncool.
No one can not turn climate change around but we can minimise the bad effects that green house warming has on our future generations by cutting the use of green gas producing fuels off as soon as possible.
That was a good move investergating the hotel booking sites on the Internet and finding the ways that they are cheating and booking the hotels that give them the biggest commissions instead of giving one the cheaper options like the sites are sold on. I say all Internet sites need to be regulated so they are fair and provide a un minupulated service. I seen a good opinion on the speach ACTION COUNTs words don’t and the rules that have been put in place to protect OUR future generations
well-being have been scrapped all for $$$$$$$$$$ by that administration . That’s all I’m saying because nothing nice will come from my next words while I get our Mokopunas ready for school. Ka kite ano P.S what’s the poll at climbing I guess
Typical duncan neanderthal grab a minority subject and KICK the shit out of it just to lift your profile Ana to kai Ka kite ano
Here you go te tangata te tangata te tangata rings true hundreds of years after our tipuna made this GREAT statement. The tipping point on Green House warming human caused climate change is now. The truth is getting out passed the oil barrons cloak of $$$$ that flogges there lies about climate change. Just a couple of years ago ALOT in the media were deniers.
It gives ECO MAORI A sore face to see we have reached the tipping point on this subject. But that doesn’t mean that we can relax. I no the oil barron won’t give up so easily and we need to push REAL hard to get all the change in the World society so everything can have a healthy happy life KIA KAHA.
A leader in climate change action needs the guts to stand out and be ridiculed, says Z Energy boss Mike Bennetts.
DAVID WHITE/STUFF
A leader in climate change action needs the guts to stand out and be ridiculed, says Z Energy boss Mike Bennetts.
OPINION: There’s an old TED Talk from 2010 about how to start a movement, illustrated by a video of a “lone nut” dancing at a music festival.
It stuck with me, not just because of the lone nut’s unique sense of rhythm, but because it’s much the same way I view the movement of business leaders taking voluntary action on climate change.
Like the lone nut, a leader needs the guts to stand out and be ridiculed. And a lone nut remains a lone nut unless there are other leaders who show how to follow. Those first followers are also showing guts and are at risk of being ridiculed.
I recognise that as a chief executive of a company that sells fossil fuels, taking a public stand on climate change invokes scepticism about greenwashing and PR stunts.
I welcome that, but six months on from the launch of the Climate Leaders Coalition – now a group of 76 organisations that contribute about half of New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions – it’s clear that momentum is growing around business taking climate change seriously.
* The year in which climate change gained momentum
* KiwiRail: We can’t be complacent on climate change
* Businesses band together to tackle climate change
There are a few different reasons behind this.
First, there is growing recognition that the consequences of climate change are one of the biggest long-term risks facing business.
Secondly, businesses are increasingly seeing the opportunities associated with climate action. Mitigating and adapting to climate change doesn’t automatically mean costing jobs and money. There are genuine opportunities for businesses to respond to changing consumer preferences, at the same time as making their businesses run more efficiently. There will be challenges, especially at the start, but the risk of inaction is greater risk because the old saying is if one doesn’t keep up with the new times AGE you will go broke. Ka kite ano P.S The new age also includes being respectful to mother nature and all humans link below.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion-analysis/110402311/how-to-start-a-climate-change-movement
Kia ora the Am Show You full of —– whom ever made that statement capital gains tax is need so wealth people like you 2 who use your accountants to cheat out of paying .
Will be paying your fare shear of taxes that you have made from NZ.
Most other country’s have a capital gains tax.
So what brilliance policy did national implement in the last 9 years that made Aotearoa great was it I WILL NOT RAISE GST was it billions splashed on bills M8.
I think the refugees being sent to the small towns is a good move to help the small community’s grow.
I wonder who advised Laim Neeson to tell that stupid story .
How did yesterday’s poll go on climate change I see you did not give the final results. The only green thing you like is money flowing into your pockets the bribes from the wealthy manipulators of our society to try and Conn us into believing that’s it ok for the 00.1 % to have more money than they need.
Let hope the fire in Nelson is not going to get to big .
Hope just said that the majority wants a capital gains tax .
judy that’s what your lot did funnel all the money wealthy and starved the poor.
It was the land stolen off maori that made the wealthy in this country so rich that’s a fact follow the money and these wealthy family’s money will go back to huge land holders of the past. That’s all ways you’re way kick Maori anytime you can duncan the land has heaps of value just fools like you and your rich M8 can not see it the land will be easy to turn into a organics farming operations with no poisons been poured on it in the last few years .
I could give a analysis of your last pat on the back but this is not personal you would turn red again Ka kite ano P.S I have figure out another phenomenon I will use it to my advantage. Don,t bring God into this Mark who is coaching you
Here you go tangata this is what some of the greedy people did to Maori .
The lieing stealing and cheating the minuplation of the public still is going on TODAY
For well over 25 years, Vincent O’Malley, a Pākehā historian, has been uncovering and recounting many of the rich and often discomforting stories about how Māori and Pākehā have got along since they began sharing Aotearoa 200 or so years ago.
His most substantial book has been The Great War for New Zealand, where he explains what went on in the Waikato, especially in the wake of the New Zealand Settlements Act in 1863.
But here he focuses on the significance of that legislation — and the need for us to understand and remember it.
When dates were being considered for the first Rā Maumahara commemorating the New Zealand Wars, one suggestion was December 3. That day doesn’t mark the anniversary of any particular battle or conflict. Instead, it’s the day in 1863 that Governor George Grey signed into law the New Zealand Settlements Act.
It’s an innocuous-sounding piece of legislation but it had devastating consequences for many Māori communities. The Settlements Act provided the primary legislative mechanism for raupatu — sweeping land confiscations that were supposedly intended to punish acts of “rebellion” while also recouping the costs of fighting the wars.
{It declared that where “any Native Tribe or Section of a Tribe or any considerable number thereof” had committed acts of “rebellion against Her Majesty’s authority” since January 1, 1863, their lands could be declared subject to the Act and seized for the purposes of settlement.
It was part of a package of measures passed by the all-Pākehā parliament to crush Māori independence.}
Governor George Grey
Grey and his ministers had drawn up these confiscation plans before invading Waikato in July 1863 and, by August, had begun recruiting military settlers who were to be offered a portion of the seized lands in return for their services.
Confiscation wasn’t an afterthought or a response to Māori actions, but an integral part of the overall invasion plans
{The presence of military settlers on a portion of the seized lands would ensure the conquest of these was made permanent, while the sale of the remainder on the open market would pay for the whole scheme. Māori would effectively underwrite the costs of their own suppression.}
Victims of imperialism in this way became its perpetrators.
Former Chief Justice Sir William Martin also pointed to the example of Ireland in predicting that “a brooding sense of wrong” passed down from one generation to the next would be exactly the same outcome if confiscation was employed in New Zealand.
That,{ Henry Sewell privately thought, was exactly what the architects of the policy wanted. It was to drive even more Māori to offer resistance so that their lands could also be seized and sold as punishment for these acts of “rebellion”.}
Within parliament itself, James FitzGerald was one of few MPs to offer anything like unequivocal opposition to the Settlements Act, which he described as an “enormous crime” and “contrary to the Treaty of Waitangi”.
As Native Minister two years later, FitzGerald was personally responsible for some of the largest land confiscations under the Act. In another case of poacher turned gamekeeper, Sewell underwent a similar conversion. Few Pākehā in positions of power came out of the story unsullied.
{In all, more than 3.4 million acres of land was confiscated under the Settlements Act across many districts — in Waikato, Taranaki, Tauranga, eastern Bay of Plenty, and Mohaka-Waikare.}
Further lands were “ceded” to the Crown at Tūranga, Wairoa, and Waikaremoana under a distinct confiscation regime covering the East Coast region.
Despite repeated and unambiguous promises that Māori who didn’t take up arms against the Crown would have their lands guaranteed to them in full, confiscation was applied
{indiscriminately. And it even took in areas owned by those who had fought on the government side}.
The New Zealand Settlements Act 1863.
“Loyal” Māori could apply for compensation for their losses — initially in money but later including lands. But the Compensation Court process that followed returned only a fraction of what was lost, often in completely different areas and always under a new legal form of title that meant many of these lands were quickly lost to their owners.
Māori deemed to have rebelled, or even to have aided or abetted others who had done so, were ineligible to receive compensation at all. In one case, officials tried (but failed) to block compensation being given to an Anglican priest of Tainui ancestry who had conducted burial services for those slain during the Waikato invasion.
Fearing that sweeping and excessive confiscations would prolong Māori resistance and thereby increase the military and financial burdens on British taxpayers, the British government sought to impose a range of restrictions on how the Settlements Act would be implemented.
Most of these were ignored. Rather than intervening to stop what they knew was a gross injustice, ministers in London washed their hands of the matter, concerned only with how soon they could withdraw their troops from New Zealand.
Many of those soldiers, including their commander, Lieutenant-General Duncan Cameron, had become increasingly disillusioned with what they were being asked to do, and began to query why they should fight a war of conquest and dispossession for the exclusive benefit of New Zealand
{A few Pākehā got very rich and many of the lands later became lynchpins of New Zealand’s booming pastoral economy. But, for Māori on the receiving end, the results were shattering.}
{Through the two decades after 1840, Māori were in many ways the leading drivers of New Zealand’s economy, producing much of its export income, while also feeding hungry settlers in Auckland and other towns.}
{{{{{{That economic infrastructure was destroyed almost literally overnight as cattle and crops were seized or destroyed, flour mills and homes in many cases torched, and the lands that had been key to this wealth confiscated. The Māori economy was delivered a near fatal blow.}}}}}}}
That was not something that could be easily or quickly overcome. Generations of Māori were condemned to lives of landlessness and poverty. In many ways, we still live with the legacy of the New Zealand Settlements Act today. It is there in the negative socio-economic statistics of many Māori communities in those regions subject to raupatu.
Treaty settlements have helped to recapitalise many iwi, and allowed them to again become major players in the New Zealand economy. But, given that these settlements typically represent no more than about one or two percent of the unimproved value of the lands that were taken, they are never going to fully compensate for all that was lost.
Many Pākehā have little idea of this history or how it continues to reverberate. That’s hardly surprising, given how few people learn anything about it at school.
It’s time to do something about that. It’s time we as a nation owned up to our past. Ka kite ano links below
https://e-tangata.co.nz/history/a-dark-tale-of-dispossession-and-greed/
I see some is using this person tech to attack other people names .
Thats the STONE number one rule book Lie Lie ATTACK
Peter Thiel’s secretive spook outfit Palantir has financials leaked
A rare light has been shone on the finances of Peter Thiel’s secretive data-mining firm Palantir – which makes software used by US intelligence agencies and corporates trying to sniff out threats.
The German-born, US entrepreneur received a fast-tracked NZ citizenship in 2011, despite spending just 11 days in the country.
A 2018 Herald investigation uncovered that the NZ Defence Force has spent around $7.2m with Palantir since 2012.
There are also strong indications that the GCSB and SIS (who won’t officially comment) are customers.
Citing sources familiar with the figures, the Wall Street Journal says the privately-held Palantir’s revenue jumped from US$600 million to US$880m ($1.3 billion) last year, well ahead of the US$750m that investors had been told to expect.
Central to the revenue lift was a US$42m contract signed with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the controversial US government border protection agency.
Thiel has been a financial supporter and advisor to President Trump and, the Journal reports, “Some Palantir staffers and civil rights advocates have criticised Palantir’s ICE ties.” Links below
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12201876
https://www.theguardian.com/news/series/cambridge-analytica-files
Some Eco Maori Music for the minute
Here’s Tangata a good video that gives the facts on global warming and climate change
Kia ora Newshub if a billionaire like Jeff Bazo can have his personal data mined well known ones privacy is safe.
There you go national dirty tactics leaks about their planed attack on The Hounreable Winston Peters. They are crying in their big box of tissue blaming Winston for there loss not the dumb moves they had made before the election Ana to kai I say simon is just trying the cast nationals hurting and focus off him and onto Winston.
I Back 100 % The Green Party for advocateing sugary drinks to be banned from SCHOOLS. I have read reviews that sugar is one of the most addictive substance on Papatuanukue its in the top 5 Substances for addiction. Put it in the gas tanks.
I read it was a one and 2000 years event the flooding in Queensland Townsville.
When you have neanderthals in charge that are denying climate change we’ll a lot of people believe them and don’t have the correct plans in place to minimise and mitergate the extreme weather conditions that have been forecast by our scientists. I also read that 350000 cattle have died as well condolences to the poor farmers and other who have been badly affected by the flooding in Australia.
Restrictions are need for the Ngaruroro river the farmers and the council don’t care about the AWA river they just want to bleed all the money they can get from the river even if they stuff it up turn to organic farming and the soil will hold the water longer that is dropped from Tawhirirmate Eco has had many good times swimming in that river in Hawkesbay. Ka kite ano
cleangreen
Ports; this time its Napier feeling the brunt. Perhaps you can get together with them and jointly put pressure on the government to do their job.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/the-country/news/article.cfm?c_id=16&objectid=12201629
Traffic going to and from Napier Port is set to increase 187 per cent over the next eight years, prompting residents to threaten to take it to the Environment Court….
“We asked them [Napier Port] what are you doing to mitigate for all the people who live on affected roads.
“The port said, in their report, they don’t have to care, it’s not their responsibility.
Who said that we don’t need a working, decision-making Government providing
‘governance’?
Actually isn’t that a breach of the Treaty of Waitangi? It was agreed that NZ Government should be in governance with Maori, not sub-contract their role to some KPMG, ABCD or XYZ. I seem to remember kawanatanga being referred to.