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…
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.
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive One minister is talking tough while a colleague – whose ministry had acted tough and drawn a barrage of flak – has shown an official softening. Some ministers are doing what Labour was good at, which is distributing public funds to causes regarded as worthy or ...
A ballot for 4 Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Insurance Contracts Bill (Duncan Webb) Income Tax (Clean Transport FBT Exclusion) Amendment Bill (Julie Anne Genter) Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill (Greg Fleming) Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) ...
One of the strongest narratives about "our" spy agencies is that they are basically institutional traitors, working for foreign powers (or just themselves), without any control or oversight by the elected government. And today, we have yet another report from the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security which explicitly confirms this. ...
“It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April to meet the Prime Minister’s ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
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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…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJAqU31FZ3o
…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
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=109&v=MJAqU31FZ3o&feature=youtu.be
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