No. No evidence. None that I have seen/heard/read. Kate 'Out damned spot!' Hannah's reckons aren't evidence.
Show me the evidence that there was a higher proportion of protestors in Wellington with actual intent to inflict physical harm on MPs than there were in Auckland in 2012 who wished the guillotine and the blood was real.
Show me the magic window your disinformation researchers have into peoples hearts and minds. And get them to cast the same lens over the assembled in Auckland in 2012.
You only accept research when it suits your narrative, as your comment @ 7.1.1.1.1 and the one above @ 7.1.1 clearly show.
You reject the research by a group of NZ scientists because you don’t like their conclusions.
How did they get “the magic window [… ]into peoples hearts and minds” [sic], you ask.
Here is the answer:
In line with the increasing spread of mis- and disinformation, the number of product and platform surfaces studied by TDP [The Disinformation Project] has continued to expand. We currently focus on, in no particular order, Telegram, Facebook Pages, Groups, public posts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and any sign-posted content on the.nz ccTLD, other websites, or on platforms like Rumble, Odysee, Gab, and Gettr. The study of mis- and disinformation provenance, production and propagation across these platform and product ecologies is conducted daily, since September 2021.
You constructed a strawman and fake equivalence with 2012 protests and demand impossible evidence. You make absurd requests for evidence and selectively accept and reject evidence based on your bias and prejudice. You are acting as a diversion troll.
Is putting together a selection of mainstream media articles and oldish academic texts 'research'? I read that particular piece of 'work' when it first came out and failed to find much in the way of actual evidence that proves that the anti mandate protestors in Wellington were almost universally weak-minded victims of of mis/dis or mal information promulgated by far right, fascist, misogynist, racist anti- Semites.
These 'scientists' completely failed to address any of the claims by many of the Wellington protestors that the Pfizer product had caused serious injuries and in some cases deaths.
Any fuckwit, (stepping away from the propaganda machine for a minute or two) would see that there is something not quite adding up when amidst the piled up corpses and the horrorshow that was the hospitals in mid 2021 health authorities and governments in many western countries had to bribe or coerce the population to take the life saving shiny new 'vaccines'.
Yes…many rushed to roll up their sleeves initially…but the enthusiasm waned….as did the efficacy of these shiny new products. And when there is active censorship of doctors speaking publicly of side effects…
…one really needs to listen to the whole piece.
[one week starter ban, full moderation note below – weka]
And when there is active censorship of doctors speaking publicly of side effects…
yeah nah
//
because of the statement made by AHPRA that doctors shouldn't say anything that was going to impede the government's vaccine roll out and they took that to mean not to publicly raise their concerns
Ah. So. The silly doctors misunderstood the instructions from their governing body?
It can be difficult. I get that. Acknowledging that there are serious side effects from a product without actually putting folks off risking said serious side effects from that product.
Informed consent…a balancing act for sure.
A pity about the mandates that forced folk to risk the product despite knowing the risks of serious adverse effects. Or to have another shot after suffering adverse effects from the first.
Why is this stuff worthy of being relitigated please?
Trying again now is not going to change hearts and minds for the majority about the efficacy of the vaccine, the need to have acted in ways we had never envisaged because of the pandemic, the frightening impact of disinformation largely emanating from the USA and eagerly grabbed by VFF and Counterspin and promulgated, the sad, in more ways than one, misguided occupation at Parliament.
Now we are in a reflecting or learning mode not a relitigating mode.
Learning means that are there things we could/should have done better and a number were canvassed on TS after the occupation had ended and from my recollection ranged from 'following the money' for VFF and Counterspin to see the sources so as to be able to track these should a similar occurrence arise, better comms from NZ Govt/Police, better education for our children particularly in learning how to critique information, civics etc.
If you go back to that time you will see any number of thoughtful suggestions.
As writers and readers we are better placed now to reflect and move forward. I am sure there will be any number of studies on aspects such as policing, awareness by our general populace on what is mis- or dis- information while preserving an ability to question.
My biggest takeaway from the sign, along with others, used to introduce the year past is the egregious and painful grammar. If anything summed up, in a sign for a pedant like me, the strange nature of protest and some of the beliefs (magnets, tracking devices etc) it is this sign. Complete with mixed up tenses and 'poop' (in my circles still a US word)
'We didn't fling any……..
What we don't need is a re-run of the same arguments from that time, with no reflection.
Thanks Rosemary McDonald for a reasoned response. It's sad that a post well reference by MSM links gets dismissed as "conspiracy theory" in these parts
it doesn't bode well for 2023
[Oh dear, the first day on the NY and you have already broken your own resolution. Remember that you left the site of your own volition (https://thestandard.org.nz/daily-review-08-12-2022/#comment-1925201)? I fully expected you would renege on your promise. You have a bad history of too many Mod notes and bans. You are now officially banned until further notice – Incognito]
And again, you are moving the goal posts to suit your wider conspiracy narrative. Health workers are not immune to conspiracy theories, as the recent unbelievably sad story about the blood transfusion of a baby because of major surgery has shown.
In the spirit of starting the year as I mean to go on, I’m putting a stop to your pattern of behaviour, which I will explain below. Indefinite ban, with no warning because I don’t want my holiday time wasted on chasing you up.
I disagree that you are trolling (in the sense of intentionally winding people up), but I can see why it comes across that way. I think the problem here is partly your argument style, but also your unwillingness to slow down and learn what is needed in terms of argument, evidence and linking.
I want to be very clear here that in moderating I don’t care about the content of your argument. I’m ok with people arguing all sorts of things, so long as 1) they can back up claims of fact and 2) they can make an actual argument. In fact, I want you to up your game, so that the counter culture argument here can be coherent and useful to the debate.
I also care that these conversations tie everyone up in knots and don’t go anywhere.
The problems I see and am moderating you for are:
1. Not defending your argument or providing evidence when asked.
Specifically, as an example, you compared a 2012 left wing protest against Nact policies, that used political theatre that included mock guillotines, with the Feb 2022 occupation of parliament grounds that included people making death threats to MPs. The argument appears to be that the 2012 protests were similar to the 2022 ones. You don't explain but the implication is that the 2012 protestors made death threats.
I’m not going to let you comment further on this site until you back that up with evidence (you’ve been asked once in a comment, and you didn’t, now it’s mandatory). Or you can retract it, apologise for wasting my moderator time and misleading the commentariat.
If you didn’t mean to imply that, then you can restate, clearly, why you are comparing the two protests. By clear I mean explain it so everyone will understand (your usual rhetorical style won’t work).
I will likewise find the evidence of death threats made by the freedom protestors in 2022.
I read that particular piece of 'work' when it first came out and failed to find much in the way of actual evidence that proves that the anti mandate protestors in Wellingtonwere almost universally weak-minded victims of of mis/dis or mal information promulgated by far right, fascist, misogynist, racist anti- Semites.
My emphasis
But no-one that I’ve seen has claimed that the freedom protestors were “almost universally weak-minded victims of of mis/dis or mal information promulgated by far right, fascist, misogynist, racist anti- Semites.”
That you have said this makes me realise you have a profound lack of understanding of what the argument is here. You misrepresent the argument, wilfully imo (this is the hyperbole), and it breaks the debate because then people have to stop and correct you and you usually don't respond to that.
3. info flooding with youtubes and links instead of using them to support the argument you are making in your own words.
I've explained this to you too many times to go into again here, but the gist is:
make your argument
back up specific points with quotes AND links
if linking to audio or video, provide a timestamp AND make it clear how it is relevant.
I'm putting you on the ban list for a week, because I honestly cannot be bothered with the aggravation. When you come back I will need to see a response to the first point before you can comment here again. If you are unclear on anything, please ask.
[Edit: I’d written the following reply to Rosemary McDonald before weka jumped in and while I was making lunch. Although it is not fair to reply to a commenter who cannot reply because of a ban I’m not deleting my reply and post it anyway as is, mainly for future (moderation) reference – Incognito]
And again, your narrative is full of BS assertions. SSDD.
… [the research] failed to find much in the way of actual evidence that proves that the anti mandate protestors in Wellington werealmost universally weak-minded victims of of mis/dis or mal information promulgated by far right, fascist, misogynist, racist anti- Semites. [my emphasis]
A typical BS misrepresentation of the aims, methods, and conclusions of the research project. QED.
… the Pfizer product had caused serious injuries and in some cases deaths.
More than 64 million vaccine doses have been administered across the country, as of November 16, and since December 2021 people injured by one have been able to make a claim for compensation through the vaccine claims scheme.
A Services Australia spokesperson said as of November 23, the department has received 3100 applications, and 79 have been approved for claims totalling $3.9 million.
That is 0.0048 % and 0.00012 %, respectively.
Scare quotes don’t add any weight or value to your BS narrative. On the other hand, they just say much about you and your motivations.
Vaccine efficacy waned for a number of reasons and a crucial one was the spread of new variants.
There was no bribery in NZ to take up the vaccine unless you’re referring to free lollies at some vaccination places.
The alleged censorship of doctors and other health practitioners is another favourite conspiracy theory parroted by folks in rabbit holes. AFAIK, in NZ none was censored for speaking publically about side effects as such. This is, of course, absurd nonsense because doctors are expected to warn people about potential side effects, it is part of their job & duty. However, professional bodies such as the Medical Council of New Zealand did take action against a few of their peers for spreading mis- and dis-information about the Covid-19 vaccine(s). In addition, NZ Health (MoH) did officially warn people about potential side effects and warning signs – you can still find that information on the official websites, of course. Your accusations are untenable, as usual.
You have again successfully derailed a Post and discussion thread with your ignorant and misleading conspiracy nonsense, which is why I’ve moved this sub-thread to OM.
My irony meter went off the scale. Who is it that promotes soundbites, cheap shots, and populism. Why, journalists of course. Ms Watkins needs to look much closer to home.
That we have a serious conversation about this country’s future,
Any 'serious' conversation about this country's future would, by definition, exclude the Natz and probably Act as well, for both these parties think short term.
Whether you like it or not roughly 50% of this country are center right voters. You need to understand why that is and ensure that you're speaking to these kiwis too. That's how you make progress, you take as many people with you as possible.
"Long term thinking does not necessarily equate with better outcomes, or superiority over short term goals and aspirations."
That depends on what you're trying to achieve, and how well it is implemented.
3Waters was a dog from the beginning. But even if it was the greatest idea in history, it has been so poorly executed (from the infantile advertising to the tawdry attempt by the Minister to entrench public ownership) that public confidence has well and truly evaporated.
Centrists understand that ideally left and right learn from the other and grow together. While the fringe accuse them of mediocrity, centrism is the solution to to and fro.
We also need effective centrists. Social democrats not bloody neo-liberals. Nothing wrong with capitalism but not at the expense of others or the environment.
Long term thinking requires the place still functions long term, ideally.
Tony, it's now 2023. Take your Right eye patch off and get a full take on what's happening.
What's happening?
An underwhelming political Right, apart from ACT, is consigning the Left to the knackers yard later on this year. Because like you, Labour refuses to look at the full picture. All Labour sees is the Calvary Hill they are prepared to die on. You may be right about National not being long term thinkers. But the way Labour is going about things doesn't amount to anything better in my opinion.
And with that, will come the greatest reduction in wages, conditions and general living standards in history.
National and ACT belive that wages are too high, and that workers in this country have had it too good for too long. For starters, ACT want to freeze the minium wage for 3 years, while allowing landlords to up their rent bascially when they like. Seymour sees public holidays as fascist, and wants to get rid of them, etc.
Well, Millsy, if that's the case, Labour better pull finger this year if they want a chance at election time. That's what many people can't get their heads around. The public has sent Labour a clear message of what they don't want. Labour isn't listening ( as of present). You need to ask yourself why. Labour's actions go against any political instincts aimed at survival.
I believe I've worked out why Labour appears hamstrung. And will be voting ACT accordingly, as I'd guess many swing voters are.
I'm voting ACT for one reason only – they support our present democratic process. A country divided along racial lines using a reinterpretation of what democracy entails in a new nationhood order is not for most New Zealanders I would like to believe? If you can't learn for South Africa, the Gaza Strip, Rhodesia, Mauritius and other countries divided, then what Labour has been promoting will eventually come to pass regardless of who is in power.
Which Treaty? What Interpretation? The treaty needs to go. It's not signed by all tribes. Some Maori don't recognise the Treaty. And others adhere to the ''Confederation of Chiefs of the United Tribes of New Zealand.'' That was annexed by the TOW.
Best we have a new constitution that's not race based. If not that, then next best thing by far is the status quo.
One of the problems with democracy is the phenomenon known as "the tyranny of the majority". Because of this I think the views of minority groups – perhaps racial, cultural or religious – where they are in conflict with the majority should perhaps given more weight than mere numbers might suggest.
The context is clear and well explained by Mikesh.
The tyranny of the majority can mean that minorities get overlooked, as Mikesh says but the flipside is that the rights of the minorities are more likely to be addressed by the same 'tyrannical' majority once attention is drawn to them.
which minorities specifically in NZ do you believe dominate, tyranise, or terrorise the majority?
Staub is wrong btw, democracy isn’t defined as majority rules.
Prevalent day-to-day decision making of democracies is the majority rule,[3][4] though other decision making approaches like supermajority and consensus have also been integral to democracies
Consensus democracy, consensus politics or consensualism is the application of consensus decision-making to the process of legislation in a democracy. It is characterized by a decision-making structure that involves and takes into account as broad a range of opinions as possible, as opposed to systems where minority opinions can potentially be ignored by vote-winning majorities
For me yes, it's a flaw in the Mmp system that a party holding 5 percent of the vote can hold a vastly disproportionate influence when the conditions are right.
Which minorities specifically in NZ do you believe dominate, tyranise, or terrorise the majority?
Maori.
''Staub is wrong btw, democracy isn’t defined as majority rules.''
I don't think he is. He may be defining democracy as the average man understands it- a simplistic overall view. But I understand your point. To repeat one of your definitions.
''A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.''
Therefore by that definition Maori should have a say in our democracy and they do. Maori only council seats. Special funding. Priority in our medical system over other races in some cases, and special cultural reports for Maori criminals. All permissible given the definitions you and others have provided.
The question is: When do we cross that invisible line into minority tyranny under the guise of democracy? When Maori just demand, demand and demand? I believe we have crossed that line and Labour hasn't the guts to say ''enough is enough, you are affecting other members of society with your behaviour and demands. I'm hoping ACT will say that to their faces ( good luck with that David)
Then we have the Maori elites attitude towards democracy. They love it when it's working in their favour. In fact they have made tremendous strides in recent years. But they know nothing beats outright control. That's why Willie Jackson is tearing the last of his hair out. He's stuck in the middle between extreme Maori demands, and knowing what his majority European caucus will accept.
If we go back to one of your definitions regarding democracy we have this part:
''typically through elected representatives.''
Maori can bypass that. They don't have to be elected to council in a general vote. Seats are guaranteed around the council table for Maori wards.
Maori can bypass that. They don't have to be elected to council in a general vote. Seats are guaranteed around the council table for Maori wards.
who choose which Māori take the Māori ward positions?
what process was used to decide to have a Māori ward?
I will answer that. The process used is the majority rules democracy you espouse. Democratically elected councils vote to have a Māori ward. People on the Māori roll can then vote in democratic elections for candidates in that Māori ward. If they are on the Māori roll they can’t vote in the general ward.
Really can’t see the problem here (and you certainly haven’t explained how it’s a problem), sounds democratic to me.
Yes, I get you. Probably the best example of minority tyranny. But it's legal. That's the problem. It allows a minorities to sway the fate of a country to varying degrees. But sometimes it works out.
I recently attended a Winston rally. A heckler called out: '' what did you do for the country when you went with Labour? You were just a handbrake on what Labour wanted to do.
Winston replied: ''And what happened when the handbrake came off? ''
Which minorities specifically in NZ do you believe dominate, tyranise, or terrorise the majority?
Maori. (x Socialist @7:21 pm)
Are Māorireally over-represented in the tyrannising and terrorising stakes? I'm sorry if that's been your experience – it's not mine.
In what areas might Māori "dominate" the majority, i.e. non-Māori Kiwis? Certainly not in health and wealth statistics. Māori do contribute disproportionately to the success of the All Blacks, but personally I'd opt for the significant hike in longevity and wealth that non-Māori enjoy. Are there any ACT policies acknowledging and designed to address these significant real-life disparities?
Tbh, given their health/wealth disadvantages, the idea that we are under the heel a dominant Māori minority makes no sense.
Or do you/ACT perhaps think that Māori are exploiting their disadvantages unfairly? To paraphrase Eric Blair, all Kiwis are equal, but some Kiwis are more equal than others.
Growth in life expectancy slows [20 April 2021]
The gap between Māori and non-Māori life expectancy at birth was 7.5 years for males and 7.3 years for females in 2017–2019.
For me yes, it's a flaw in the Mmp system that a party holding 5 percent of the vote can hold a vastly disproportionate influence when the conditions are right.
It wasn't just 5% of the vote. I'm pretty sure the National MPs would also have voted against CGT.
You are voting ACT because you have been voting ACT. This is not a change in your behaviour, as you pretend, but more of the same. Question: have you stood as an ACT candidate in the past?
The Great Nostradamus delves into my past. I'm a swing voter who hasn't voted for many years. I'm voting this year in what I consider the most important election in NZs history. But apparently according to the great one I have been voting ACT all along. It must be true, we live in a matrix construct that is powered by Robert's reality. Well I never. A food forester and matrix master mixed into one.
I'm a swing voter who hasn't voted for many years.
!!!!!!
How does one be a swing voter and not vote? Surely a contradiction in terms if ever there was one. You can't be a non voter and a swing voter at the same time. Either you vote or you don't vote, you can't do both.
And then you have the effrontery to call yourself an x Socialist – but then say you are a swing voter!
Obviously everything you say is just BS because you don't know what you are, or why you vote – if you ever do.
Ok, Marco, let's have a look. Put you right where you are wrong.
''How does one be a swing voter and not vote? Surely a contradiction in terms if ever there was one. You can't be a non voter and a swing voter at the same time. Either you vote or you don't vote, you can't do both.''
Linear time is of the essence my friend. I said I hadn't voted for some years, that doesn't mean I haven't voted regularly in the past as a swing voter before not voting for a while.
''And then you have the effrontery to call yourself an x Socialist – but then say you are a swing voter!''
x = a value that is not yet known in maths.
You may remember I stated a while back that all our political parties are socialist to one degree or another. So having in reality voted socialism all my life ( if you accept my definition) the unknown is what socialist party would I be voting for this time around after my hiatus.
''Obviously everything you say is just BS because you don't know what you are, or why you vote – if you ever do.''
That's a little hurtful. However, its Jan 1 and I predict it's going to be a shit year for you. So, you get a free pass. Happy New Year Marco.
[There we go again:
x = a value that is not yet known in maths.
Two weeks ago, I pulled you up for the exact same BS lie and sucking up too much oxygen here and giving Mods and commenters heaps of BS to shovel aside (https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-18-12-2022/#comment-1926967). To allow others to have genuine constructive debate here you are moved aside again for one week only, but expect much longer times in the near (!) future – Incognito]
Again, have you stood as an ACT candidate in the past?
No, Robert. I have never been an ACT candidate in the past. Unlike you, I have no desire for public office. The thought mortifies me. Too much hui, not enough doey, and too much crawling.
"Tis you who exaggerates by using the word Socialist in such a cavalier fashion." If you really believed in community good, you would not vote Act. But you will do what you deem "Right" because it appears you don't like some having a say in things. We are no longer “First past the post Democracy” having opted for MMP.
Act is here courtesy of MMP and a “Cup of Tea”. lol which was a rort on your precious Democracy.
The trouble with you and many others of your liberal ilk, is you take your life for granted. I must admit I had a similar attitude until I went overseas. Talk about a shock to the system.
Now, I can understand you not caring about democracy -most Kiwis don't. What I can't forgive is the liberal left trying to destroy our Western life style through education, gender/ feminism, indigenous rights and the promotion of tribalism, skewered journalism, anti Christianity…you name it. Anything but Western traditions.
This upcoming election is going to become very nasty. It may make the Springbok tour protests look like a kids event.
When you become scared to go out your front door – don't forget – you helped NZ ( whoops, Aotearoa) along this path to anarchy.
"Any serious conversation about this country's future would,by definition , exclude the. Natz and probably Act as well"
Are you joking Tony V? You do know that current polling shows that a near majority of voters (pretty sure that is a fact, but its from my memory) support these two parties. You want to exclude these democratically elected representatives from the debate? Really?
Historian Timothy Snyder on Trump and The Big Lie.
What did Trump know, and when did he lie about it? How did his Big Lie lead to specific actions to overturn and election and bring down the American system? What did the coup attempt of 2020-2021 look like from within the Trump administration itself?
Thanks to the excellent "Final Report of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol," we now know the answers to these and many other questions. I provide here just the briefest of summaries of the report’s recounting of the events of November 2020-January 2021.
"The unselect committee [sic] did not produce a single shred of evidence that I in any way intended or wanted violence at our Capitol," Trump said of the voluminous report in a video posted to Truth Social. "The evidence does not exist because the claim is baseless and a monstrous lie."
How can anyone can believe anything that man says? And yet 1/3 of Repugnants seem to continue to do so.
Poots decrees personnel involved in the invasion of Ukraine will pay no income tax.
He's legalised looting, too.
Soldiers, police, members of the security services and other state employees serving in the four regions no longer had to supply information on “their income, their expenditure, their assets”, the decree said.
The decree also granted them the right to receive “rewards and gifts” if they were of “a humanitarian character” and received as part of the military operation in Ukraine.
It applies to the partners and children of those serving, and is back-dated to February 24 2022 – the date Russia invaded Ukraine.
I wouldnt trust the pages of The Guardian to wrap my fish an chips in !! All too obviously at the behest of the UK state security apparatus its the 'poor Ukraine ' evil Russians from start to finish totally biased reporting , the sort of reporting you'd expect from a country at war with another country , is the UK at war with Russia ?
Key is a money man, it's driven his success his whole life. From that perspective his comments make a huge amount of sense. We don't have free trade with the USA or Europe and it seems unlikely we'll ever hit a deal done. Hence China is integral to NZs economic success.
If the USA or Europe really wanted to walk the talk we would have had an equivalent free trade deal years ago.
I thought it was interesting – given his business perspective – and the understanding that China is a hugely important market to NZ.
He's far less alarmist about the potential for China to invade Taiwan than many other commentators (and specifically ties this 'China attack risk' to Trump)
"New Zealand needs to judge for itself how credible Trump’s and others’ views of China’s military ambitions are, and how much of Trump’s rhetoric rests in his domestic political imperatives and reluctance to accept the club of superpowers may be about to have more than one member."
He's realistic about the internal direction China (aka Xi) is taking – into social control, and greater party control over the economy. China has no interest in becoming like the West.
From the ecological perspective – this seems to be the greatest risk to me.
For starters, China still has hundreds of millions of people it needs to move from the rural countryside to cities and towns and with this urbanisation will come massive economic stimulation.
China is only a tiny way through the infrastructure deficit it needs to complete from roads to energy, and airports to railways.
That’s before the trillion-plus dollars to be spent on the Belt and Road programme which looks to connect China with Europe, like a modern version of the old Silk Road.
I don't think that Key is wrong. But, how is any of this compatible with ambitions to reign in climate-change emissions?
China’s middle class is nascent. In time they will become the largest source of tourists in the world, the biggest buyers of luxury goods, and the largest consumers of commodities anywhere.
I'm more interested in why are these articles being written? Every time JK pops up in public lately it seems to involve excessive fawning over China. It isn't something he did a lot during his time in politics, so why is he getting on the wagon now? Is he on somebody's payroll, and if so who?
Well, we have no proof, but I bet China would pay a pretty penny for high status Western PR people. If Jacinda goes down a similar route after leaving office, we will have a fire to attach to the smoke.
Here's the link – Premium Herald – but you should be able to see it via Press Reader through your local library (yay libraries – breaking down the information barriers!)
you're lucky Incog got to this before I saw it, because I modded you for exactly this a mere 12 days ago and I explained why. Expect a ban if you do it again. Both Incog and I are sick of our time being sucked up by people who know better.
Given that last phrase, he has no knowledge of Chinese history. The Middle Kingdom is the land between heaven and earth. The Han are born to rule over us all.
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Hi,Webworm can report that various health professionals involved in gender affirming care in New Zealand have received a threatening legal letter from Wellington law firm Franks Ogilvie.The law firm who sent the letter.The letter was sent on behalf of Inflection Point NZ, an anti-trans lobby group that boasts speakers including ...
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The Way We Were - And Hoped To Remain: The iconic photograph of Prime Minister Norman Kirk holding the hand of a little Māori boy at Waitangi on 6 February 1973 held out the promise of a future founded upon the uncomplicated and uncontested acceptance of racial equality.WAITANGI DAY commentary ...
Over the weekend, David Seymour announced the government’s plans to “overhaul” the Overseas Investment Act.The Act looks after overseas investments in sensitive assets in New Zealand. Its main purpose is balancing foreign money in our sensitive assets/lands/fisheries/forestries with the risks associated with that.This includes considering New Zealand’s national and economic ...
Last month, David Seymour’s press release on school lunches said:“The [school lunch] programme was reformed to deliver the same outcomes while costing taxpayers less. This was achieved by embracing commercial expertise, using government buying power, and generating supply chain efficiencies…”And while that all sounded fair, the end result is - ...
Here are some thoughts about the hysteria surrounding a Chinese Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) flotilla conducting freedom of navigation exercises in the Tasman Sea, including live fire drills. 1) The flotilla has been tracked for over a week by New Zealand and Australian forces. The tracking began when the ...
Insurance premia are already sky high, especially in Wellington and other places deemed high risk, and now another cost of living shock is set to be delivered by a Government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things that stood out to me in our political ...
On Friday, Chris Bishop, the Minister of Housing, Transport, Infrastructure and RMA Reform, gave an absolutely fantastic speech to the Committee for Auckland. As a starter, he really sums up well why we need better cities with this line. I make no apologies for being an urbanist. Well-functioning urban environments ...
You can be amazingYou can turn a phrase into a weapon or a drugYou can be the outcastOr be the backlash of somebody's lack of loveOr you can start speaking upNothing's gonna hurt you the way that words doWhen they settle 'neath your skinKept on the inside and no sunlightSometimes, ...
The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Simon Upton, wagged a metaphorical finger at the National Party on Saturday, and RMA Minister Chris Bishop wagged straight back. A former National Party Environment Minister, Upton was a keynote speaker at the party’s Blue Greens Forum in Methven. His speech went right to ...
A listing of 33 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, February 16, 2025 thru Sat, February 22, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
Several years ago, as an intellectual exercise, I had the fun of ranking the worst Emperors of the Western Roman Empire (https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2020/09/04/the-five-worst-western-roman-emperors/). I even followed it up with a look at Honorius historiography. But there was still a missing piece of the puzzle. I was limiting myself to Emperors from ...
Prof Jane Kelsey examines what the ACT party and the NZ Initiative are up to as they seek to impose on the country their hardline, right wing, neoliberal ideology. A progressive government elected in 2026 would have a huge job putting Humpty Dumpty together again and rebuilding a state that ...
Kia Ora,I was reading about the history New Zealand Timekeeping and I think I may have identified a factual error on this page from 2006:Page 1. Time past - Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand[The rest of the Te Ara article is included for substack readers]In Europe other markers ...
None of the official measures of child poverty improved in the year to June, 2024. Photo: Lynn GrievesonLong stories short, the top six things that stood out to me in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty in the week to Sunday, February 23 were:Stats NZreported on Thursday ...
1/ Join community / common cause organisations Find organisations you resonate with. Join them and/or donate. In the fight against the state, it’s critical we pool together in all cases. If you don’t have the financial resources, sign up for information & updates. Knowledge is power. These groups, and the ...
Long story short: Aotearoa-NZ now has to make some difficult and probably expensive decisions about how we work and trade with China and the United States, our two largest trading partners. That’s because Donald Trump just overturned 80 years of certainty about how the US deals with and protects the ...
People killin', people dyin'Children hurt, and you hear them cryin'Can you practice what you preach?And would you turn the other cheek?Father, father, father, help usSend some guidance from above'Cause people got me, got me questioningWhere is the love?Songwriters: will.i.am, Justin Timberlake, Taboo, apl.de.ap, Printz Board, Michael Fratantuno, George Pajon, Jr.Where ...
A Bully in a China Shop?It is a mystery what Donald Trump learned when he did his BA in economics at the University of Pennsylvania in the mid-1960s. The Ivy League college has a good economics reputation, but even had Trump been a top student – unlikely or he would ...
The conflict we can see echoing across the world is being imported directly into New Zealand by outside powers and monetary influences that we don't want in our politics. It makes our politics messy and confusing, but untangling the puppet strings can help make sense of how we got here.This ...
Questions1. The poem that offers the immortal words The boy stood on the burning deck is about what?a. Eskimo Nell’s younger brotherb. The Reichstag firec. One of Napoleon’s shipsd. Christopher Luxon’s first year as Prime Minister2. What happens to the boy in the poem?a. Goes on an absolute bender in ...
I decided not to bother listening to the Reserve Bank’s appearance at FEC yesterday morning. After all, the OCR decision had been much as expected and foreshadowed, the forecast tracks etc hadn’t changed much, and – with all due respect to some new FEC members – how searching was any ...
Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedQuote of the day:Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published“Our primary duty, I believe, is to maintain our water, our lakes, our rivers in a form in nature that supports life, ecosystems, communities, and, indeed, it ...
NZ’s peaceful and historic Hikoi for Maori rights and bottom, London police arrest environmental protestorsPeaceful protesters around the world are being jailed for years for nothing more than turning up or planning a protestAusralian climate change protesters To continue to receive posts like this, consider becoming a free or paid ...
And mama said mmmmh, mmmmhWhy don't the newscasters cryWhen they read about people who dieAt least they could be decent enoughTo put just a tear in their eyesAnd mama saidIt's just make-believeYou can't believe everything you seeSo baby, close your eyes to the lullabiesOn the news tonightSongwriters: Jack Hody Johnson.The ...
Hi,With the United States of America currently going down in a giant ball of flames like the Hindenburg disaster, it seemed like a good idea to get on a blimp. That line is basically meaningless, but it sounded good in my head so I went with it as an opener. ...
(My apologies. The version sent earlier this morning had the audio of last week’s podcast attached. It was good, but not that good. I have now updated with this week’s podcast. This is my error and please accept my apologies.)The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including:, Helen Clark and on the week in geopolitics, including Donald Trump’s wrecking of the post-WW II politicial landscape; and, ...
Open access notables Long-lasting intense cut-off lows to become more frequent in the Northern Hemisphere, Mishra et al., Communications Earth & Environment:Cut-off Lows are slow-moving mid-latitude storms that are detached from the main westerly flow and are often harbingers of heavy and persistent rainfall. The assessment of Cut-off Lows ...
On Tuesday, the "Independent" Police Conduct Authority issued an extraordinary report, proposing a complete rewrite of protest law to enable the police to restrict public protests and ban them at a whim. While packaged with several complaints in an appendix, the focus of the "thematic review" was clearly the provision ...
Data released today by Statistics New Zealand showed the urgent problem facing Aotearoa New Zealand in tackling child poverty, said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. “Child poverty is estimated by Stats NZ on three measures – before housing costs, after housing costs, and material poverty. All three central ...
It is almost never an (unconditionally) good thing if an official policy interest rate (in our case the OCR) is being adjusted in large bites, whether that is (for example) 175 basis points of cuts in the last six months or 375 basis points of increases in just twelve months ...
Here are your morning catch ups in health, workplace, environment and politics.And then later, amust read critical piece from No Right Turn on the government’s attempt to expand police powers follows. ENVIRONMENTNew Zealand's glaciers have shrunk by 29% since 2000: The grim news - published in scientific journal Nature ...
And when we first came hereWe were cold, and we were clearWith no colours in our skinUntil we let the spectrum inSay my nameAnd every colour illuminatesWe are shiningAnd we will never be afraid againSongwriters: Florence Leontine Mary Welch / Paul Epworth.“What did Gerry say?”To be honest, with multiple people ...
Long story short, I spoke to Core Logic Head of Research Nick Goodall & Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ) CEO Jen Baird for a 15 minute mini-Hoon last night after the Reserve Bank of New Zealandannounced it had cut the Official Cash Rate 50 bps to 3.75% ...
There is a widening fear in Wellington that the Cook Islands – China deal is in danger of becoming a foreign policy crisis. Foreign Minister Winston Peters yesterday delivered a blunt assessment of the situation saying that New Zealand wanted to reset and restate the formal parameters of the relationship ...
Good to see that this year, the New Zealand film societies are celebrating what would have been Sam Peckinpah’s 100th birthday with what they are calling “Peckinpah’s West” – a tribute consisting of screenings of The Wild Bunch and Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. That’s where the good part ...
Tomorrow afternoon, if things go really really badly, I may find myself down to one eye. People who used to sneer at me on Twitter will no doubt say So what's changed? Nothing, that's what, you one-eyed lefty.I don’t mean to be dramatic, it’s just a routine bit of cataract ...
A few weeks ago an invitation dropped into my email inbox to attend a joint Treasury/Motu seminar on recent, rather major, changes that had apparently been made to the discount rates used by The Treasury to evaluate proposals from government agencies. It was all news to me, but when ...
All your life is Time magazineI read it tooWhat does it mean?PressureI'm sure you'll have some cosmic rationaleBut here you are with your faithAnd your Peter Pan adviceYou have no scars on your faceAnd you cannot handle pressureSongwriter: Billy Joel.Christopher Luxon is under pressure from all sides. The reviews are ...
After seeing yet-more-months of political debate and policy decisions to ‘go for growth’ by pulling the same old cheap migration and cheap tourism levers without nearly-enough infrastructure, or any attempt to address the same old lack of globally conventional tax incentives for investment, I thought it would be worth issuing ...
The plans for the buildings that will replace the downtown carpark have been publicly notified giving us the first detailed glance at what is proposed for one of the biggest and best development sites in the city centre. The council agreed to sell the site to Precinct Properties for $122 ...
With the Reserve Bank expected today to return the Official Cash Rate to where it was in mid-2022 comes a measure of how much of a psychological impact the rate has. Federated Farmers has published its latest six-monthly farm confidence survey, which shows that profit expectations have fallen and risen ...
Kiwis Disallowed From Waiting Lists Based on Arbitrary MeasuresWellington hospital are now rejecting patients from specialist waiting lists due to BMI (body mass index).This article from Rachel Thomas for The Post says it all (emphasis mine):A group of Porirua GPs are sounding alarm bells after patients with body mass indexes ...
The Prime Minister says he's really comfortable with us not knowing the reoffending rate for his boot camp programme.They asked him for it at yesterday’s press conference, and he said, nah, not telling, have to respect people's privacy.Okay I'll bite. Let's say they release this information to us:The rate of ...
Warning 1: There is a Nazi theme at the end of this article related to the disabled community. Warning 2: This article could be boring!One day, last year, I excitedly opened up a Substack post that was about how to fight back, and the answer at the end was disappointing ...
This may be rhetorical but here goes: did any of you invest in the $Libra memecoin endorsed and backed by Argentine president and darling of the global Right Javier Milei (who admitted to being paid a fee for his promotion of the token)? You know, the one that soared above ...
Last week various of the great and good of New Zealand economics and public policy trooped off to Hamilton (of all places) for the annual Waikato Economics Forum, one of the successful marketing drives of university’s Vice-Chancellor. My interest was in the speeches delivered by the Minister of Finance and ...
The Prime Minister says the Government would be open to sending peacekeepers to Ukraine if a ceasefire was reached. The government has announced a $30 million spend on tourism infrastructure and biodiversity projects, including $11m spent to improve popular visitor sites and further $19m towards biodiversity efforts. A New Zealand-born ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler “But what about when the sun doesn't shine?!” Ah yes, the energy debate’s equivalent of “The Earth is flat!” Every time someone mentions solar or wind power, some self-proclaimed energy expert emerges from the woodwork to drop this supposedly devastating truth bomb: ...
This post by Nicolas Reid was originally published on Linked in. It is republished here with permission.In this article I look into data on how well the rail network serve New Zealanders, and how many people might be able to travel by train… if we ran more than a ...
Hi,Before we get into Hayden Donnell’s new column about how yes, Donald Trump is definitely the Antichrist, I wanted to touch on something feral that happened in New Zealand last week.Members of Destiny Church pushed and punched their way into an Auckland library, apparently angry it was part of Pride ...
Despite delays, logjams and overcrowding in our emergency departments, funding constraints are limiting the numbers of nurses and doctors being trained. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, February 18 are:A NZ Herald investigation ...
Now that the US has ripped up the Atlantic alliance, Europe is more vulnerable now than at any time since the mid-1930s. Apparently, Europe and Ukraine itself will not have a seat at the table in the talks between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin that will ...
Olivia and Noah and Hana are going to the library!It is fun to go to the library. It has books and songs and mat time and people who smile at you and say, Hello Olivia, what have you been doing this morning?The library is more fun than the mall. At ...
New World Orders: The challenge facing Christopher Luxon and Chris Hipkins is how to keep their small and vulnerable nation safe and stable in a world whose economic and political climate the forty-seventh American president is changing so profoundly.IT IS, SURELY, the ultimate Millennial revenge fantasy. Calling senior Baby-Boomer and Gen-X ...
“This might surprise you, Laurie, but I reckon Trump’s putting on a bloody impressive performance.”“GOODNESS ME, HANNAH, just look at all those Valentine’s Day cards!”“Occupational hazard, Laurie, the more beer I serve, the more my customers declare their undying love!”“Crikey! I had no idea business was so good.” Laurie squinted ...
The Government has spent $3.6 million dollars on a retail crime advisory group, including paying its chair $920 a day, to come up with ideas already dismissed as dangerous by police. ...
The Green Party supports the peaceful occupation at Lake Rotokākahi and are calling for the controversial sewerage project on the lake to be stopped until the Environment Court has made a decision. ...
ActionStation’s Oral Healthcare report, released today, paints a dire picture of unmet need and inequality across the country, highlighting the urgency of free dental care for all New Zealanders. ...
The Golden Age There has been long-standing recognition that New Zealand First has an unrivalled reputation for delivering for our older New Zealanders. This remains true, and is reflected in our coalition agreement. While we know there is much that we can and will do in this space, it is ...
Labour Te Atatū MP Phil Twyford has written to the charities regulator asking that Destiny Church charities be struck off in the wake of last weekend’s violence by Destiny followers in his electorate. ...
Bills by Labour MPs to remove rules around sale of alcohol on public holidays, and for Crown entities to adopt Māori names have been drawn from the Members’ Bill Ballot. ...
The Government is falling even further behind its promised target of 500 new police officers, now with 72 fewer police officers than when National took office. ...
This morning’s Stats NZ child poverty statistics should act as a wake-up call for the government: with no movement in child poverty rates since June 2023, it’s time to make the wellbeing of our tamariki a political priority. ...
Green Party Co-Leader Marama Davidson’s Consumer Guarantees Right to Repair Amendment Bill has passed its first reading in Parliament this evening. ...
“The ACT Party can’t be bothered putting an MP on one of the Justice subcommittees hearing submissions on their own Treaty Principles Bill,” Labour Justice Spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
The Government’s newly announced funding for biodiversity and tourism of $30-million over three years is a small fraction of what is required for conservation in this country. ...
The Government's sudden cancellation of the tertiary education funding increase is a reckless move that risks widespread job losses and service reductions across New Zealand's universities. ...
National’s cuts to disability support funding and freezing of new residential placements has resulted in significant mental health decline for intellectually disabled people. ...
The hundreds of jobs lost needlessly as a result of the Kinleith Mill paper production closure will have a devastating impact on the Tokoroa community - something that could have easily been avoided. ...
Today Te Pāti Māori MP for Te Tai Tokerau, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, released her members bill that will see the return of tamariki and mokopuna Māori from state care back to te iwi Māori. This bill will establish an independent authority that asserts and protects the rights promised in He Whakaputanga ...
The Whangarei District Council being forced to fluoridate their local water supply is facing a despotic Soviet-era disgrace. This is not a matter of being pro-fluoride or anti-fluoride. It is a matter of what New Zealanders see and value as democracy in our country. Individual democratically elected Councillors are not ...
Nicola Willis’ latest supermarket announcement is painfully weak with no new ideas, no real plan, and no relief for Kiwis struggling with rising grocery costs. ...
Half of Pacific children sometimes going without food is just one of many heartbreaking lowlights in the Salvation Army’s annual State of the Nation report. ...
The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation report is a bleak indictment on the failure of Government to take steps to end poverty, with those on benefits, including their children, hit hardest. ...
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill which would restore decision-making power to local communities regarding the fluoridation of drinking water. The ‘Fluoridation (Referendum) Legislation Bill’ seeks to repeal the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 that granted centralised authority to the Direct General of Health ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill aimed at preventing banks from refusing their services to businesses because of the current “Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Framework”. “This Bill ensures fairness and prevents ESG standards from perpetuating woke ideology in the banking sector being driven by unelected, globalist, climate ...
Erica Stanford has reached peak shortsightedness if today’s announcement is anything to go by, picking apart immigration settings piece by piece to the detriment of the New Zealand economy. ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
As the world marks three years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced additional sanctions on Russian entities and support for Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction. “Russia’s illegal invasion has brought three years of devastation to Ukraine’s people, environment, and infrastructure,” Mr Peters says. “These additional sanctions target 52 ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced the Government’s plan to reform the Overseas Investment Act and make it easier for New Zealand businesses to receive new investment, grow and pay higher wages. “New Zealand is one of the hardest countries in the developed world for overseas people to ...
Associate Health Minister Hon Casey Costello is traveling to Australia for meetings with the aged care sector in Melbourne, Canberra, and Sydney next week. “Australia is our closest partner, so as we consider the changes necessary to make our system more effective and sustainable it makes sense to learn from ...
The Government is boosting investment in the QEII National Trust to reinforce the protection of Aotearoa New Zealand's biodiversity on private land, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says. The Government today announced an additional $4.5 million for conservation body QEII National Trust over three years. QEII Trust works with farmers and ...
The closure of the Ava Bridge walkway will be delayed so Hutt City Council have more time to develop options for a new footbridge, says Transport Minister Chris Bishop and Mayor of Lower Hutt, Campbell Barry. “The Hutt River paths are one of the Hutt’s most beloved features. Hutt locals ...
Good afternoon. Can I acknowledge Ngāti Whātua for their warm welcome, Simpson Grierson for hosting us here today, and of course the Committee for Auckland for putting on today’s event. I suspect some of you are sitting there wondering what a boy from the Hutt would know about Auckland, our ...
The Government will invest funding to remove the level crossings in Takanini and Glen Innes and replace them with grade-separated crossings, to maximise the City Rail Link’s ability to speed up journey times by rail and road and boost Auckland’s productivity, Transport Minister Chris Bishop and Auckland Minister Simeon Brown ...
The Government has made key decisions on a Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS) framework to enable businesses to benefit from storing carbon underground, which will support New Zealand’s businesses to continue operating while reducing net carbon emissions, Energy and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Economic growth is a ...
Minister for Regulation David Seymour says that outdated and burdensome regulations surrounding industrial hemp (iHemp) production are set to be reviewed by the Ministry for Regulation. Industrial hemp is currently classified as a Class C controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act, despite containing minimal THC and posing little ...
The Ministerial Advisory Group on transnational and serious organised crime was appointed by Cabinet on Monday and met for the first time today, Associate Police Minister Casey Costello announced. “The group will provide independent advice to ensure we have a better cross-government response to fighting the increasing threat posed to ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will travel to Viet Nam next week, visiting both Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City, accompanied by a delegation of senior New Zealand business leaders. “Viet Nam is a rising star of Southeast Asia with one of the fastest growing economies in the region. This ...
The coalition Government has passed legislation to support overseas investment in the Build-to-Rent housing sector, Associate Minister of Finance Chris Bishop says. “The Overseas Investment (Facilitating Build-to-Rent Developments) Amendment Bill has completed its third reading in Parliament, fulfilling another step in the Government’s plan to support an increase in New ...
The new Police marketing campaign starting today, recreating the ‘He Ain’t Heavy’ ad from the 1990s, has been welcomed by Associate Police Minister Casey Costello. “This isn’t just a great way to get the attention of more potential recruits, it’s a reminder to everyone about what policing is and the ...
No significant change to child poverty rates under successive governments reinforces that lifting children out of material hardship will be an ongoing challenge, Child Poverty Reduction Minister Louise Upston says. Figures released by Stats NZ today show no change in child poverty rates for the year ended June 2024, reflecting ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden is pleased to announce the most common family names given to newborns in 2024. “For the seventh consecutive year, Singh is the most common registered family name, with over 680 babies given this name. Kaur follows closely in second place with 630 babies, while ...
A new $3 million fund from the International Conservation and Tourism Visitor Levy will be used to attract more international visitors to regional destinations this autumn and winter, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston says. “The Government has a clear priority to unleash economic growth and getting our visitor numbers ...
Good Evening Let us begin by acknowledging Professor David Capie and the PIPSA team for convening this important conference over the next few days. Whenever the Pacific Islands region comes together, we have a precious opportunity to share perspectives and learn from each other. That is especially true in our ...
The Reserve Bank’s positive outlook indicates the economy is growing and people can look forward to more jobs and opportunities, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Bank today reduced the Official Cash Rate by 50 basis points. It said it expected further reductions this year and employment to pick up ...
Agriculture Minister, Todd McClay and Minister for Māori Development, Tama Potaka today congratulated the finalists for this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy, celebrating excellence in Māori sheep and beef farming. The two finalists for 2025 are Whangaroa Ngaiotonga Trust and Tawapata South Māori Incorporation Onenui Station. "The Ahuwhenua Trophy is a prestigious ...
The Government is continuing to respond to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care by establishing a fund to honour those who died in care and are buried in unmarked graves, and strengthen survivor-led initiatives that support those in need. “The $2 million dual purpose fund will be ...
A busy intersection on SH5 will be made safer with the construction of a new roundabout at the intersection of SH28/Harwoods Road, as we deliver on our commitment to help improve road safety through building safer infrastructure, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Safety is one of the Government’s strategic priorities ...
The Government is turbo charging growth to return confidence to the primary sector through common sense policies that are driving productivity and farm-gate returns, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “The latest Federated Farmers Farm Confidence Survey highlights strong momentum across the sector and the Government’s firm commitment to back ...
Improving people’s experience with the Justice system is at the heart of a package of Bills which passed its first reading today Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says. “The 63 changes in these Bills will deliver real impacts for everyday New Zealanders. The changes will improve court timeliness and efficiency, ...
Returning the Ō-Rākau battle site to tūpuna ownership will help to recognise the past and safeguard their stories for the benefit of future generations, Minister for Māori Crown Relations Tama Potaka says. The Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passed its third reading at ...
A new university programme will help prepare PhD students for world-class careers in science by building stronger connections between research and industry, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “Our Government is laser focused on growing New Zealand’s economy and to do that, we must realise the potential ...
Health Minister Simeon Brown has today announced funding of more than $14 million to replace the main water supply and ring mains in the main building of Auckland City Hospital. “Addressing the domestic hot water system at the country’s largest hospital, which opened in 2003, is vitally important to ensure ...
The Government is investing $30 million from the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy to fund more than a dozen projects to boost biodiversity and the tourist economy, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says. “Tourism is a key economic driver, and nature is our biggest draw card for international tourists,” says ...
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters will travel to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, China, Mongolia, and the Republic of Korea later this week. “New Zealand enjoys long-standing and valued relationships with Saudi Arabia and the UAE, both highly influential actors in their region. The visit will focus on building ...
Minister for Rail Winston Peters has announced director appointments for Ferry Holdings Limited – the schedule 4a company charged with negotiating ferry procurement contracts for two new inter-island ferries. Mr Peters says Ferry Holdings Limited will be responsible for negotiating long-term port agreements on either side of the Cook Strait ...
Ophthalmology patients in Kaitaia are benefiting from being able to access the complete cataract care pathway closer to home, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. “Ensuring New Zealanders have access to timely, quality healthcare is a priority for the Government. “Since 30 September 2024, Kaitaia Hospital has been providing cataract care ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dirk Baur, Professor of Finance, The University of Western Australia The gold price has surged to a new all-time high above US$2,900 (A$4,544) an ounce this month. It has risen by 12% since the start of the year and clearly outperformed ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leigh Carriage, Senior Lecturer in Music, Southern Cross University The multi-Grammy award winner Roberta Flack has passed away at 88. Her approach and sound were a unique combination of soul, folk, rhythm and blues, jazz, pop and musicianship, and arranging skills so ...
Everything you missed from day nine of the Treaty principles bill hearings, when the Justice Committee heard 14 hours of submissions across two sessions.Read our recaps of the previous hearings here.Simultaneous oral submissions on the Treaty principles bill were heard over eight hours on Tuesday – one in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Philippa Collin, Professor, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University Shutterstock Ahead of the Australian election, candidates, advisers and political parties might be paying attention to what young people think. And if they’re not, they should be. This election ...
By Christina Persico, RNZ Pacific bulletin editor Samoan Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa has survived a vote of no confidence after weeks of political turmoil. In a vote today, she defeated the motion by 34 votes in favour and 15 against. The motion was prompted by a split in the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dennis Wesselbaum, Associate Professor, Department of Economics, University of Otago Piyaset/Shutterstock Climate change is no longer a distant threat. It’s here, it’s real and it increasingly affects us all. But predicting climate change and its associated costs, particularly over long ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yi Li, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, Macquarie University udra11, Shutterstock When you’re deciding what to eat for lunch or dinner, do you consider the meal’s greenhouse gas emissions? How do you compare the carbon footprint of a beef sandwich with that ...
Liv Sisson reviews the latest instalment of the Christchurch music festival with a growing reputation as one of the best in the country. There were plenty of memorable outfits at Electric Avenue, but one stuck out for me. On day two I saw a guy, maybe mid-50s, dancing hard while ...
“The Chinese state is an authoritarian nightmare with an aggressive plan for military spending and zero regard for human rights. The experiences in Hong Kong and Xinjiang should be evidence for how much respect China has for basic rights and freedoms”, ...
Alex Casey talks to access coordinator Felicity Hamil about one of the newest jobs in the screen industry, and why it’s been a long time coming. From the very first moments of Sight Unseen, it is clear it isn’t your average documentary series. “At a ski field, a person wearing ...
In the third episode of Bryn & Ku’s Singles Club, the pair head into the heart of Ōtepoti’s student quarter to find out how young singletons are faring. Bryn & Ku’s Singles Club is a new documentary series for The Spinoff following award-winning comedians and friends Brynley Stent ...
Heading into the heart of Ōtepoti’s student party scene, Bryn and Ku find insights about modern romance and hook-up culture at the bottom of a beer funnel. Bryn & Ku’s Singles Club follows comedians Brynley Stent and Kura Forrester as they head out on a cross-country quest to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aaron J. Cavosie, Senior lecturer, School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University A view of the Utopia Planitia region on Mars which is believed to be the site of an ancient ocean. ESA/DLR/FU Berlin, CC BY-SA In the 1970s, images ...
More than a year after The Spinoff launched the War for Wellington, our editorial campaign on the new Wellington District Plan, the debate over the future of Wellington’s housing is still raging in the courtroom. The Wellington High Court on Monday heard a judicial review by character housing group Live ...
The Foreign Minister needs to restate the relationship with the Cook Islands during talks with his Chinese counterpart, former prime minister Helen Clark says. ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a 49-year-old dad explains his approach to spending and saving. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here.Gender: Male. Age: 49. Ethnicity: Pākehā Māori. Role: Stay-at-home dad. Salary/income/assets: Household ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrei Lux, Lecturer of Leadership and Research Cluster Lead, Edith Cowan University Dictatorships would appear to be on the rise. Russian president Vladimir Putin, US president Donald Trump and even un-elected tech entrepreneur, Elon Musk are ruling by decree like “kings”. Some ...
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Disinformation researchers have provided that without anyone needing to repeat violent material here. Stop flogging this dead horse.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
[This is a sub-thread from here: https://thestandard.org.nz/the-standards-political-awards-for-2022/#comment-1928795. Things were going off-topic and started to derail the Post – Incognito]
Disinformation researchers ….
No. No evidence. None that I have seen/heard/read. Kate 'Out damned spot!' Hannah's reckons aren't evidence.
Show me the evidence that there was a higher proportion of protestors in Wellington with actual intent to inflict physical harm on MPs than there were in Auckland in 2012 who wished the guillotine and the blood was real.
Show me the magic window your disinformation researchers have into peoples hearts and minds. And get them to cast the same lens over the assembled in Auckland in 2012.
It's a shame you have ended up in this place. Hopefully next year offers more peace.
You only accept research when it suits your narrative, as your comment @ 7.1.1.1.1 and the one above @ 7.1.1 clearly show.
You reject the research by a group of NZ scientists because you don’t like their conclusions.
How did they get “the magic window [… ]into peoples hearts and minds” [sic], you ask.
Here is the answer:
https://thedisinfoproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/The-murmuration-of-information-disorders-May-2022-Report-FULL-VERSION.pdf
You constructed a strawman and fake equivalence with 2012 protests and demand impossible evidence. You make absurd requests for evidence and selectively accept and reject evidence based on your bias and prejudice. You are acting as a diversion troll.
…research by a group of NZ scientists
Is putting together a selection of mainstream media articles and oldish academic texts 'research'? I read that particular piece of 'work' when it first came out and failed to find much in the way of actual evidence that proves that the anti mandate protestors in Wellington were almost universally weak-minded victims of of mis/dis or mal information promulgated by far right, fascist, misogynist, racist anti- Semites.
These 'scientists' completely failed to address any of the claims by many of the Wellington protestors that the Pfizer product had caused serious injuries and in some cases deaths.
Any fuckwit, (stepping away from the propaganda machine for a minute or two) would see that there is something not quite adding up when amidst the piled up corpses and the horrorshow that was the hospitals in mid 2021 health authorities and governments in many western countries had to bribe or coerce the population to take the life saving shiny new 'vaccines'.
Yes…many rushed to roll up their sleeves initially…but the enthusiasm waned….as did the efficacy of these shiny new products. And when there is active censorship of doctors speaking publicly of side effects…
…one really needs to listen to the whole piece.
[one week starter ban, full moderation note below – weka]
yeah nah
//
because of the statement made by AHPRA that doctors shouldn't say anything that was going to impede the government's vaccine roll out and they took that to mean not to publicly raise their concerns
Ah. So. The silly doctors misunderstood the instructions from their governing body?
It can be difficult. I get that. Acknowledging that there are serious side effects from a product without actually putting folks off risking said serious side effects from that product.
Informed consent…a balancing act for sure.
A pity about the mandates that forced folk to risk the product despite knowing the risks of serious adverse effects. Or to have another shot after suffering adverse effects from the first.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-delta-outbreak-man-fights-for-vaccine-exemption-after-terrible-eight-weeks-after-first-dose/PZZMFQOP3IM2MGMW3LTHM7A4P4/
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/127779571/auckland-teen-denied-covid-vaccine-exemption-despite-reaction-rare-disorder?rm=a&cx_rm-ctrl=true
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/127291645/i-feel-absolutely-worthless-chronic-fatigue-sufferers-cant-get-covid19-vaccine-exemption-despite-expert-support?rm=a
Why is this stuff worthy of being relitigated please?
Trying again now is not going to change hearts and minds for the majority about the efficacy of the vaccine, the need to have acted in ways we had never envisaged because of the pandemic, the frightening impact of disinformation largely emanating from the USA and eagerly grabbed by VFF and Counterspin and promulgated, the sad, in more ways than one, misguided occupation at Parliament.
Now we are in a reflecting or learning mode not a relitigating mode.
Learning means that are there things we could/should have done better and a number were canvassed on TS after the occupation had ended and from my recollection ranged from 'following the money' for VFF and Counterspin to see the sources so as to be able to track these should a similar occurrence arise, better comms from NZ Govt/Police, better education for our children particularly in learning how to critique information, civics etc.
If you go back to that time you will see any number of thoughtful suggestions.
As writers and readers we are better placed now to reflect and move forward. I am sure there will be any number of studies on aspects such as policing, awareness by our general populace on what is mis- or dis- information while preserving an ability to question.
My biggest takeaway from the sign, along with others, used to introduce the year past is the egregious and painful grammar. If anything summed up, in a sign for a pedant like me, the strange nature of protest and some of the beliefs (magnets, tracking devices etc) it is this sign. Complete with mixed up tenses and 'poop' (in my circles still a US word)
'We didn't fling any……..
What we don't need is a re-run of the same arguments from that time, with no reflection.
Please.
Thanks Rosemary McDonald for a reasoned response. It's sad that a post well reference by MSM links gets dismissed as "conspiracy theory" in these parts
it doesn't bode well for 2023
[Oh dear, the first day on the NY and you have already broken your own resolution. Remember that you left the site of your own volition (https://thestandard.org.nz/daily-review-08-12-2022/#comment-1925201)? I fully expected you would renege on your promise. You have a bad history of too many Mod notes and bans. You are now officially banned until further notice – Incognito]
Mod note
Quite. Might be handy to consider a notion of vexatious commenter..
And again, you are moving the goal posts to suit your wider conspiracy narrative. Health workers are not immune to conspiracy theories, as the recent unbelievably sad story about the blood transfusion of a baby because of major surgery has shown.
Banned until post-election (14/11/23) for ignoring moderation.
see https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-01-01-2023/#comment-1928867
Moderation comment.
In the spirit of starting the year as I mean to go on, I’m putting a stop to your pattern of behaviour, which I will explain below. Indefinite ban, with no warning because I don’t want my holiday time wasted on chasing you up.
I disagree that you are trolling (in the sense of intentionally winding people up), but I can see why it comes across that way. I think the problem here is partly your argument style, but also your unwillingness to slow down and learn what is needed in terms of argument, evidence and linking.
I want to be very clear here that in moderating I don’t care about the content of your argument. I’m ok with people arguing all sorts of things, so long as 1) they can back up claims of fact and 2) they can make an actual argument. In fact, I want you to up your game, so that the counter culture argument here can be coherent and useful to the debate.
I also care that these conversations tie everyone up in knots and don’t go anywhere.
The problems I see and am moderating you for are:
1. Not defending your argument or providing evidence when asked.
Specifically, as an example, you compared a 2012 left wing protest against Nact policies, that used political theatre that included mock guillotines, with the Feb 2022 occupation of parliament grounds that included people making death threats to MPs. The argument appears to be that the 2012 protests were similar to the 2022 ones. You don't explain but the implication is that the 2012 protestors made death threats.
I’m not going to let you comment further on this site until you back that up with evidence (you’ve been asked once in a comment, and you didn’t, now it’s mandatory). Or you can retract it, apologise for wasting my moderator time and misleading the commentariat.
If you didn’t mean to imply that, then you can restate, clearly, why you are comparing the two protests. By clear I mean explain it so everyone will understand (your usual rhetorical style won’t work).
I will likewise find the evidence of death threats made by the freedom protestors in 2022.
2. Strawman arguments via hyperbole. You said,
My emphasis
But no-one that I’ve seen has claimed that the freedom protestors were “almost universally weak-minded victims of of mis/dis or mal information promulgated by far right, fascist, misogynist, racist anti- Semites.”
That you have said this makes me realise you have a profound lack of understanding of what the argument is here. You misrepresent the argument, wilfully imo (this is the hyperbole), and it breaks the debate because then people have to stop and correct you and you usually don't respond to that.
3. info flooding with youtubes and links instead of using them to support the argument you are making in your own words.
I've explained this to you too many times to go into again here, but the gist is:
I'm putting you on the ban list for a week, because I honestly cannot be bothered with the aggravation. When you come back I will need to see a response to the first point before you can comment here again. If you are unclear on anything, please ask.
[Edit: I’d written the following reply to Rosemary McDonald before weka jumped in and while I was making lunch. Although it is not fair to reply to a commenter who cannot reply because of a ban I’m not deleting my reply and post it anyway as is, mainly for future (moderation) reference – Incognito]
And again, your narrative is full of BS assertions. SSDD.
A typical BS misrepresentation of the aims, methods, and conclusions of the research project. QED.
So far, only 2 confirmed deaths in NZ, as already mentioned to you. From your link @ 7.1.1 (https://thestandard.org.nz/the-standards-political-awards-for-2022/#comment-1928795):
That is 0.0048 % and 0.00012 %, respectively.
Scare quotes don’t add any weight or value to your BS narrative. On the other hand, they just say much about you and your motivations.
Vaccine efficacy waned for a number of reasons and a crucial one was the spread of new variants.
There was no bribery in NZ to take up the vaccine unless you’re referring to free lollies at some vaccination places.
The alleged censorship of doctors and other health practitioners is another favourite conspiracy theory parroted by folks in rabbit holes. AFAIK, in NZ none was censored for speaking publically about side effects as such. This is, of course, absurd nonsense because doctors are expected to warn people about potential side effects, it is part of their job & duty. However, professional bodies such as the Medical Council of New Zealand did take action against a few of their peers for spreading mis- and dis-information about the Covid-19 vaccine(s). In addition, NZ Health (MoH) did officially warn people about potential side effects and warning signs – you can still find that information on the official websites, of course. Your accusations are untenable, as usual.
You have again successfully derailed a Post and discussion thread with your ignorant and misleading conspiracy nonsense, which is why I’ve moved this sub-thread to OM.
From Tracy Watkins in Stuff this morning.
[unlinked quote deleted]
My irony meter went off the scale. Who is it that promotes soundbites, cheap shots, and populism. Why, journalists of course. Ms Watkins needs to look much closer to home.
Sorta sounds like a soundbite
Any 'serious' conversation about this country's future would, by definition, exclude the Natz and probably Act as well, for both these parties think short term.
Come on… and the left doesn't?
Whether you like it or not roughly 50% of this country are center right voters. You need to understand why that is and ensure that you're speaking to these kiwis too. That's how you make progress, you take as many people with you as possible.
Recent history proves that the left does think longer term.
Think Kiwibank, Kiwi Saver, 3 Waters, RMA. Think flags, golf with Obama. Ridiculous roads.
I think that the current leftie lot in the Beehive think very, very long term.
Remember their major policy at the 2017 election? Kiwibuild. 100,000 houses to be built.
When will that be done? It the case of Kiwibuild I suspect that the completion date is unlikely to be before 2500 AD.
That certainly qualifies as long term doesn't it?
As with so many trolls, your short memory is not suited to
trollingconversations about long-term views and future planning.https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/government-resets-kiwibuild-help-more-new-zealanders-home-ownership [4 September 2019]
''Recent history proves that the left does think longer term.''
3 Waters – the cost benefit analysis?
The cons:
1- Racial strife.
2- Reinterpretation of what democracy means.
3- Huge bureaucracy.
4- General lack of public understanding about what Three Waters is, and how it will operate.
5- Stripping of ratepayer assets.
The Pros:
Bloody good water Infrastructure nationwide?
Heaps of jobs over 30 years? (6-9 thousand jobs over 30years.) I don't know how that figure is arrived at.
https://www.threewaters.govt.nz/how-will-three-waters-affect-me/workforce/#:~:text=Three%20Waters%20reform%20is%20a,over%20the%20next%2030%20years.
Long term thinking does not necessarily equate with better outcomes, or superiority over short term goals and aspirations.
"Long term thinking does not necessarily equate with better outcomes, or superiority over short term goals and aspirations."
That depends on what you're trying to achieve, and how well it is implemented.
3Waters was a dog from the beginning. But even if it was the greatest idea in history, it has been so poorly executed (from the infantile advertising to the tawdry attempt by the Minister to entrench public ownership) that public confidence has well and truly evaporated.
Absolutely Mickey.
Centrists understand that ideally left and right learn from the other and grow together. While the fringe accuse them of mediocrity, centrism is the solution to to and fro.
We also need effective centrists. Social democrats not bloody neo-liberals. Nothing wrong with capitalism but not at the expense of others or the environment.
Long term thinking requires the place still functions long term, ideally.
Tony, it's now 2023. Take your Right eye patch off and get a full take on what's happening.
What's happening?
An underwhelming political Right, apart from ACT, is consigning the Left to the knackers yard later on this year. Because like you, Labour refuses to look at the full picture. All Labour sees is the Calvary Hill they are prepared to die on. You may be right about National not being long term thinkers. But the way Labour is going about things doesn't amount to anything better in my opinion.
And with that, will come the greatest reduction in wages, conditions and general living standards in history.
National and ACT belive that wages are too high, and that workers in this country have had it too good for too long. For starters, ACT want to freeze the minium wage for 3 years, while allowing landlords to up their rent bascially when they like. Seymour sees public holidays as fascist, and wants to get rid of them, etc.
And you clearly support this garbage.
Well, Millsy, if that's the case, Labour better pull finger this year if they want a chance at election time. That's what many people can't get their heads around. The public has sent Labour a clear message of what they don't want. Labour isn't listening ( as of present). You need to ask yourself why. Labour's actions go against any political instincts aimed at survival.
I believe I've worked out why Labour appears hamstrung. And will be voting ACT accordingly, as I'd guess many swing voters are.
Why vote ACT? Do you hate workers havi g high wages? Do you hate public holidays or welfare benefits? Do you resent people having free healthcare?
A sulutary lesson has just come from the UK about the effects of ACT type policies.
If you want a functional country, don’t vote ACT
ACT rely on cognitive dissonance and ignorance.
I'm voting ACT for one reason only – they support our present democratic process. A country divided along racial lines using a reinterpretation of what democracy entails in a new nationhood order is not for most New Zealanders I would like to believe? If you can't learn for South Africa, the Gaza Strip, Rhodesia, Mauritius and other countries divided, then what Labour has been promoting will eventually come to pass regardless of who is in power.
Cut the wages of the workers at the local supermarket to own the Maori?
Have you ever seen ACT, opposing the wealthy buying political parties?
You know, ‘Democracy’!
Thought not!
Honouring a founding Treaty, you say
Which Treaty? What Interpretation? The treaty needs to go. It's not signed by all tribes. Some Maori don't recognise the Treaty. And others adhere to the ''Confederation of Chiefs of the United Tribes of New Zealand.'' That was annexed by the TOW.
Best we have a new constitution that's not race based. If not that, then next best thing by far is the status quo.
FFS go away and learn something.
''FFS go away and learn something.''
The floor is yours Solkta. Educate me. I’m sure all other posters believe they know all that needs to be known.
So now we're Treatytrolling? Cmon
One of the problems with democracy is the phenomenon known as "the tyranny of the majority". Because of this I think the views of minority groups – perhaps racial, cultural or religious – where they are in conflict with the majority should perhaps given more weight than mere numbers might suggest.
Tyranny of the majority…or the minority?
The context is clear and well explained by Mikesh.
The tyranny of the majority can mean that minorities get overlooked, as Mikesh says but the flipside is that the rights of the minorities are more likely to be addressed by the same 'tyrannical' majority once attention is drawn to them.
Simplifying things a little.
My apologies for not being clearer.
I put it to you at the present time we have a tyranny of the minority over the majority, and not the other way around.
Read the first paragraph of this preview in the link to understand what I mean.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/20024687
which minorities specifically in NZ do you believe dominate, tyranise, or terrorise the majority?
Staub is wrong btw, democracy isn’t defined as majority rules.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consensus_democracy
My laptop’s dictionary definition doesn’t say anything about majority rules either,
Does Winston count as the tyranny of the minority?
I don't know Cricklewood. What do you think?
For me yes, it's a flaw in the Mmp system that a party holding 5 percent of the vote can hold a vastly disproportionate influence when the conditions are right.
@ Weka
Which minorities specifically in NZ do you believe dominate, tyranise, or terrorise the majority?
Maori.
''Staub is wrong btw, democracy isn’t defined as majority rules.''
I don't think he is. He may be defining democracy as the average man understands it- a simplistic overall view. But I understand your point. To repeat one of your definitions.
''A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.''
Therefore by that definition Maori should have a say in our democracy and they do. Maori only council seats. Special funding. Priority in our medical system over other races in some cases, and special cultural reports for Maori criminals. All permissible given the definitions you and others have provided.
The question is: When do we cross that invisible line into minority tyranny under the guise of democracy? When Maori just demand, demand and demand? I believe we have crossed that line and Labour hasn't the guts to say ''enough is enough, you are affecting other members of society with your behaviour and demands. I'm hoping ACT will say that to their faces ( good luck with that David)
Then we have the Maori elites attitude towards democracy. They love it when it's working in their favour. In fact they have made tremendous strides in recent years. But they know nothing beats outright control. That's why Willie Jackson is tearing the last of his hair out. He's stuck in the middle between extreme Maori demands, and knowing what his majority European caucus will accept.
If we go back to one of your definitions regarding democracy we have this part:
''typically through elected representatives.''
Maori can bypass that. They don't have to be elected to council in a general vote. Seats are guaranteed around the council table for Maori wards.
who choose which Māori take the Māori ward positions?
what process was used to decide to have a Māori ward?
I will answer that. The process used is the majority rules democracy you espouse. Democratically elected councils vote to have a Māori ward. People on the Māori roll can then vote in democratic elections for candidates in that Māori ward. If they are on the Māori roll they can’t vote in the general ward.
Really can’t see the problem here (and you certainly haven’t explained how it’s a problem), sounds democratic to me.
https://www.votelocal.co.nz/maori-wards-and-constituencies/
@ Cricklewood.
Yes, I get you. Probably the best example of minority tyranny. But it's legal. That's the problem. It allows a minorities to sway the fate of a country to varying degrees. But sometimes it works out.
I recently attended a Winston rally. A heckler called out: '' what did you do for the country when you went with Labour? You were just a handbrake on what Labour wanted to do.
Winston replied: ''And what happened when the handbrake came off? ''
The crowd erupted.
Are Māori really over-represented in the tyrannising and terrorising stakes? I'm sorry if that's been your experience – it's not mine.
In what areas might Māori "dominate" the majority, i.e. non-Māori Kiwis? Certainly not in health and wealth statistics. Māori do contribute disproportionately to the success of the All Blacks, but personally I'd opt for the significant hike in longevity and wealth that non-Māori enjoy. Are there any ACT policies acknowledging and designed to address these significant real-life disparities?
Tbh, given their health/wealth disadvantages, the idea that we are under the heel a dominant Māori minority makes no sense.
Or do you/ACT perhaps think that Māori are exploiting their disadvantages unfairly? To paraphrase Eric Blair, all Kiwis are equal, but some Kiwis are more equal than others.
https://thespinoff.co.nz/books/19-03-2022/danyl-mclauchlan-on-too-much-money-a-book-about-what-divides-us
For me yes, it's a flaw in the Mmp system that a party holding 5 percent of the vote can hold a vastly disproportionate influence when the conditions are right.
It wasn't just 5% of the vote. I'm pretty sure the National MPs would also have voted against CGT.
You are voting ACT because you have been voting ACT. This is not a change in your behaviour, as you pretend, but more of the same. Question: have you stood as an ACT candidate in the past?
The Great Nostradamus delves into my past. I'm a swing voter who hasn't voted for many years. I'm voting this year in what I consider the most important election in NZs history. But apparently according to the great one I have been voting ACT all along. It must be true, we live in a matrix construct that is powered by Robert's reality. Well I never. A food forester and matrix master mixed into one.
!!!!!!
How does one be a swing voter and not vote? Surely a contradiction in terms if ever there was one. You can't be a non voter and a swing voter at the same time. Either you vote or you don't vote, you can't do both.
And then you have the effrontery to call yourself an x Socialist – but then say you are a swing voter!
Obviously everything you say is just BS because you don't know what you are, or why you vote – if you ever do.
Again, have you stood as an ACT candidate in the past?
Ok, Marco, let's have a look. Put you right where you are wrong.
''How does one be a swing voter and not vote? Surely a contradiction in terms if ever there was one. You can't be a non voter and a swing voter at the same time. Either you vote or you don't vote, you can't do both.''
Linear time is of the essence my friend. I said I hadn't voted for some years, that doesn't mean I haven't voted regularly in the past as a swing voter before not voting for a while.
''And then you have the effrontery to call yourself an x Socialist – but then say you are a swing voter!''
x = a value that is not yet known in maths.
You may remember I stated a while back that all our political parties are socialist to one degree or another. So having in reality voted socialism all my life ( if you accept my definition) the unknown is what socialist party would I be voting for this time around after my hiatus.
''Obviously everything you say is just BS because you don't know what you are, or why you vote – if you ever do.''
That's a little hurtful. However, its Jan 1 and I predict it's going to be a shit year for you. So, you get a free pass. Happy New Year Marco.
[There we go again:
Two weeks ago, I pulled you up for the exact same BS lie and sucking up too much oxygen here and giving Mods and commenters heaps of BS to shovel aside (https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-18-12-2022/#comment-1926967). To allow others to have genuine constructive debate here you are moved aside again for one week only, but expect much longer times in the near (!) future – Incognito]
Mod note
Again, have you stood as an ACT candidate in the past?
No, Robert. I have never been an ACT candidate in the past. Unlike you, I have no desire for public office. The thought mortifies me. Too much hui, not enough doey, and too much crawling.
I'm a pineapple, if you accept my definition.
Yes I picked where you were bound weeks ago.
X says it all.
Oh, don't exaggerate. I publicly stated months ago I would be voting ACT for the same reason I have stated today.
"Tis you who exaggerates by using the word Socialist in such a cavalier fashion." If you really believed in community good, you would not vote Act. But you will do what you deem "Right" because it appears you don't like some having a say in things.
We are no longer “First past the post Democracy” having opted for MMP.
Act is here courtesy of MMP and a “Cup of Tea”. lol which was a rort on your precious Democracy.
"Tis you who exaggerates by using the word Socialist in such a cavalier fashion.'
Eh? Aren't we talking about me being a supposedly ACT sycophant?
X supporting David and Act for Democracy. Yet you don't see the flaw in that argument? Supposedly. Enough already.
Talking of democracy. What do you think these people think of democracy?
https://www.trtworld.com/europe/greece-rescues-340-after-refugee-boat-capsizes-off-crete-118350
The trouble with you and many others of your liberal ilk, is you take your life for granted. I must admit I had a similar attitude until I went overseas. Talk about a shock to the system.
Now, I can understand you not caring about democracy -most Kiwis don't. What I can't forgive is the liberal left trying to destroy our Western life style through education, gender/ feminism, indigenous rights and the promotion of tribalism, skewered journalism, anti Christianity…you name it. Anything but Western traditions.
This upcoming election is going to become very nasty. It may make the Springbok tour protests look like a kids event.
When you become scared to go out your front door – don't forget – you helped NZ ( whoops, Aotearoa) along this path to anarchy.
Feminism is a Western tradition. Wtf are you on about?
Stop trolling. Making shit up about other commenter's beliefs is a quick way to a ban.
The great replacement, right?
"Any serious conversation about this country's future would,by definition , exclude the. Natz and probably Act as well"
Are you joking Tony V? You do know that current polling shows that a near majority of voters (pretty sure that is a fact, but its from my memory) support these two parties. You want to exclude these democratically elected representatives from the debate? Really?
your unlinked quote has been deleted. You can repost it with the link. I think you've been here long enough to understand this is a requirement.
Ooops.
Link attached.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/opinion/300776308/a-new-year-how-about-we-start-talking-about-a-new-future
Historian Timothy Snyder on Trump and The Big Lie.
What did Trump know, and when did he lie about it? How did his Big Lie lead to specific actions to overturn and election and bring down the American system? What did the coup attempt of 2020-2021 look like from within the Trump administration itself?
Thanks to the excellent "Final Report of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol," we now know the answers to these and many other questions. I provide here just the briefest of summaries of the report’s recounting of the events of November 2020-January 2021.
https://snyder.substack.com/p/january-6-the-facts?
Once an organised criminal..
https://twitter.com/HelenKennedy/status/1607958025221857281
Talking of Big Lies .. from the ex-Potus who told the mostest. (30,000 and counting)
How can anyone can believe anything that man says? And yet 1/3 of Repugnants seem to continue to do so.
Poots decrees personnel involved in the invasion of Ukraine will pay no income tax.
He's legalised looting, too.
Soldiers, police, members of the security services and other state employees serving in the four regions no longer had to supply information on “their income, their expenditure, their assets”, the decree said.
The decree also granted them the right to receive “rewards and gifts” if they were of “a humanitarian character” and received as part of the military operation in Ukraine.
It applies to the partners and children of those serving, and is back-dated to February 24 2022 – the date Russia invaded Ukraine.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2022/dec/31/russia-ukraine-war-live-ukraine-troops-fighting-fiercest-battles-in-donbas-says-zelenskiy?
Terror state Russia is going all-in with its barbarism and brutality.
No talks, it's win-or-lose.
https://twitter.com/steven_pifer/status/1607883452053073920
https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/9766/Artykul/3093798,russia-to-pursue-military-campaign-in-ukraine-until-demands-are-met-lavrov
Zelenskyy's New Year speech. Watch the whole thing.
https://twitter.com/walter_report/status/1609325115585728513
I wouldnt trust the pages of The Guardian to wrap my fish an chips in !! All too obviously at the behest of the UK state security apparatus its the 'poor Ukraine ' evil Russians from start to finish totally biased reporting , the sort of reporting you'd expect from a country at war with another country , is the UK at war with Russia ?
Fuck the broom, this is more the business
Has anyone read the John Key article in today’s Herald? I’m intrigued to see how sycophant it is.
I can post the article if the mods allow it? But, yeah, it’s a little crawly. He makes no bones about being a huge fan of China.
Key is a money man, it's driven his success his whole life. From that perspective his comments make a huge amount of sense. We don't have free trade with the USA or Europe and it seems unlikely we'll ever hit a deal done. Hence China is integral to NZs economic success.
If the USA or Europe really wanted to walk the talk we would have had an equivalent free trade deal years ago.
I thought it was interesting – given his business perspective – and the understanding that China is a hugely important market to NZ.
He's far less alarmist about the potential for China to invade Taiwan than many other commentators (and specifically ties this 'China attack risk' to Trump)
He's realistic about the internal direction China (aka Xi) is taking – into social control, and greater party control over the economy. China has no interest in becoming like the West.
From the ecological perspective – this seems to be the greatest risk to me.
I don't think that Key is wrong. But, how is any of this compatible with ambitions to reign in climate-change emissions?
I did link earlier – but just belt and braces
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/sir-john-key-we-need-to-craft-our-own-view-of-china-using-its-past-and-potential-to-guide-us/PSDICCQP3FBR7O56CRWXKLN2S4/
I'm more interested in why are these articles being written? Every time JK pops up in public lately it seems to involve excessive fawning over China. It isn't something he did a lot during his time in politics, so why is he getting on the wagon now? Is he on somebody's payroll, and if so who?
Well, we have no proof, but I bet China would pay a pretty penny for high status Western PR people. If Jacinda goes down a similar route after leaving office, we will have a fire to attach to the smoke.
Mr Fiddy…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50_Cent_Party
Here's the link – Premium Herald – but you should be able to see it via Press Reader through your local library (yay libraries – breaking down the information barriers!)
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/sir-john-key-we-need-to-craft-our-own-view-of-china-using-its-past-and-potential-to-guide-us/PSDICCQP3FBR7O56CRWXKLN2S4/
So he’d roll over and be Vichy France?
Looks like it. He may even become our master in the Pacific.
Quote from final part of the article:
[deleted]
[When you quote, you must link and you know this too. Weka already modded for this here today (https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-01-01-2023/#comment-1928845). This is your warning because I’m not going to waste much time on you this year – Incognito]
Mod note
you're lucky Incog got to this before I saw it, because I modded you for exactly this a mere 12 days ago and I explained why. Expect a ban if you do it again. Both Incog and I are sick of our time being sucked up by people who know better.
.https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-20-12-2022/#comment-1927308
Given that last phrase, he has no knowledge of Chinese history. The Middle Kingdom is the land between heaven and earth. The Han are born to rule over us all.
As far as I can see there is no land "between heaven and earth". It sounds like the sort of fictional “place” to which Gulliver might have traveled.
Yet another off-shore entitled rich prick who thinks he can do whatever he likes and f**k the neighbours:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/130891710/american-billionaires-controversial-nye-pyrotechnic-bonanza-starts-fire-near-queenstown
How classy to excuse his behaviour by bragging about his "deep and long lived social and charitable connections".
What a tool.
https://twitter.com/vidtranslator/status/1607884462645288961