Open mike 01/02/2023

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, February 1st, 2023 - 58 comments
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58 comments on “Open mike 01/02/2023 ”

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  1. Sanctuary 1
    1 February 2023 at 7:57 am

    Anyone hear the long interview with Michael Wood on RNZ this morning between 7.30am-8am? If anyone thought he wasn't appointed to take over the role of the mayor then they'll be disabused of that notion after listening to that.

    Also, this story in the Herald (paywalled, but almost worth unlocking) on Wayne Brown's long and whining phone conversation with a Herald "reporter" (who so coy? We all know it is Orsman) is just wow, wow, wow inducing. What a narcissistic bastard Brown is.

    • Stephen D 1.1
      1 February 2023 at 8:15 am

      You can see the full story here.

      https://www.reddit.com/r/newzealand/comments/10q5l1v/dont_fk_me_over_wayne_browns_30min_phone_call/

      And we’re stuck with him for three years.

      • Visubversa 1.1.1
        1 February 2023 at 9:17 am

        Might not. A friend of mine who worked in aged care for many years says that she has seen that "possum in the headlights" look many times. The sight of Councilor Desley Simpson dragging Mayor Wayne out of the car crash interview by his jacket sleeve was telling also.

        • Sanctuary 1.1.1.1
          1 February 2023 at 9:40 am

          The political consequences for this for Brown are likely to be severe. He was elected to cut services – something that is likely to be unpopular. He is now only three months into his job but at 76 and clearly not up to it he is already the lamest of lame ducks. The CCO's will simply wait him out and his councillors, where he may have had the slimmest of majorities to cut services, will now be scattering like geese at a gunshot.

          Brown is likely to respond by raging at everyone and everything, while the heirs presumptive (Simpson vs Hills) commence their campaigns early.

        • Matiri 1.1.1.2
          1 February 2023 at 10:07 am

          One of the early signs of dementia is not moving your eyes normally, and looking as if you are staring a lot. Possum in the headlights is a good description.

        • weka 1.1.1.3
          1 February 2023 at 10:36 am

          The sight of Councilor Desley Simpson dragging Mayor Wayne out of the car crash interview by his jacket sleeve was telling also.

          Which interview was that?

          • Visubversa 1.1.1.3.1
            1 February 2023 at 12:30 pm

            The one on Saturday where he fronted up a bunch other older blokes to say he didn't to anything wrong.

        • Stephen D 1.1.1.4
          1 February 2023 at 11:30 am

          Could be tricky to get rid of him. Petitions won't cut it.

          [unlinked copypasta removed]

      • Anne 1.1.2
        1 February 2023 at 10:56 am

        What an extraordinary read! Wayne Brown appears to have the emotional IQ of a 7 year old!

        Now we know why the new Auckland ministerial post (we had one under Clark) came about? Hipkins and co. knew they couldn't leave Auckland in the hands of an emotionally stunted clown so they resurrected the ministerial post allowing them to bypass him?surprise

    • Ad 1.3
      1 February 2023 at 9:37 am

      Brown is National's best advertisement for Labour through this election year.

      He should keep speaking out, keep the tweets up.

      Like Biden, Labour is only going to get back in if the Trump-ettes are loud.

      • newsense 1.3.1
        1 February 2023 at 3:46 pm

        And check this very odd attempt to blame Hipkins for Brown, which basically ignores all the local counsellors and MPs and tries to suggest Luxon was all over it.

        Not reassuring in an election year, but it is so different from the reality others were reporting it makes Patterson’s bias clear.

        RNZ sumarises why Chippy didn’t babysit Wayne Brown and so it’s Chippy’s fault.

        • observer 1.3.1.1
          1 February 2023 at 4:13 pm

          Flip a coin, that strange take was heads, whereas tails was …

          "PM Hipkins rode roughshod over local democracy when he took over from the elected mayor and made himself the centre of attention …"

          Just like Ardern, who was attacked for doing nothing ("where is she?") or doing everything ("why is she everywhere?") depending on what side of the bed the commentator got out of.

        • Anne 1.3.1.2
          1 February 2023 at 5:16 pm

          She's done it before… twisted a story to make it seem like it was a govt. or a minsterial failure. I stopped rating her several years ago.

          • Macro 1.3.1.2.1
            1 February 2023 at 5:29 pm

            Same here. In fact I give little credence to any of the so called political commentators of the local media. They all see politics as a sort of game.

  2. Ghostwhowalksnz 2
    1 February 2023 at 8:00 am

    NZs highest 1 hourly and 24 hr rainfall wasnt in the 'sub tropical north' but the colder West Coast

    https://niwa.co.nz/education-and-training/schools/resources/climate/extreme

    134mm in 1 hr in Hokitika catchment 2004

    869mm in 24 hrs Hokitika catchment 2013

    • Ad 2.1
      1 February 2023 at 9:38 am

      It's just that there isn't 1.7 million people in Haast.

      • weka 2.1.1
        1 February 2023 at 10:07 am

        and despite that, the West Coast is losing infrastructure at an alarming rate and will probably count as one of NZ's first CC displacement populations.

        The other main difference is that the West Coast still has a very large amount of natural ecosystems that are evolutionarily adapted to large rainfall events. I've seen raging rivers in flood and the adjacent forest the water is either still or flowing slowly. The river banks take a bounding but the surrounding forest fares better on the flat. Things to be learned.

        • Sanctuary 2.1.1.1
          1 February 2023 at 10:31 am

          About 4,500 people live in Westport. The town is low lying and sandwiched between two rivers – the town still haven't recovered from the 2021 floods. Yet no one is talking about relocation or managed retreat, just requests for more flood defenses.

          • weka 2.1.1.1.1
            1 February 2023 at 10:34 am

            some people are talking about managed retreat,

            https://www.newsroom.co.nz/planned-retreat-from-flood-prone-westport

            • Ghostwhowalksnz 2.1.1.1.1.1
              2 February 2023 at 12:34 pm

              A few outlying streets that arent able to be protected and if they were would increase the flooding in the central town.

              Westport just had a 1 in 100yr flood , as they say the same happened in 1926. I have pictures of relatives from early 1900s standing in front of houses that are still there

              Same applies to a few streets in Auckland

              I see St Marys bay residents are fuming because the stormwater overflowed 'and ran down their drive' . Thats actually the plan for SW thats designed for 1 in 25 year floods not 1 in 150 years or so.

              their other problem is the SW and sewerage is combined due to the age . Separating the sewage flow is underway but wont change the 1 in 25 yr SW design

        • Mac1 2.1.1.2
          1 February 2023 at 10:37 am

          Like my area where the council administers a huge area with 50,000 people to provide funding by rates, the West Coast has similar problems.

          Huge areas, rural, sparse popn, mountains, massive rivers, long highways, bridges galore and water issues of contamination, potability and flooding.

          The Three Waters issue has to be better explained, understood, consequences of any and all decisions faced.

          My area has faced earthquakes, floods, Sounds roading hugely and possibly irreparably damaged, coastal erosion by nature and by vessels in the Sounds, logging issues with slash and water pollution, sea dredging, dairy, vineyard pollution, ferry traffic and ferry sailing problems, and long coasts open to weather and sea level rise.

          50,000 people in an area the size of Israel.

          Not 1.7 million people with monetary and political clout. (At least our mayors have been reasonable).

          • weka 2.1.1.2.1
            1 February 2023 at 10:56 am

            thanks for that perspective. One of the biggest problem the coast has is that people have historically voted in conservatives and climate deniers.

            A number of the issues you name in your area largely resolve by transition to regenerative models. That's the good news, because we have the tech to do that. Less available is the imagination to see how it works.

            We're very overdue the discussion about attrition of functional infrastructure eg roads, because we can't keep up with repairs. Grim laugh at idea that Auckland will need five years to rebuild (as in replace BAU). What do they think is going to happen with the weather in that five years? What should be happening is immediate shift to transition design. We're in the long emergency right now and many people still don't get it and of those that do, they're struggling to see a way through.

  3. Visubversa 3
    1 February 2023 at 9:26 am

    Can she call a friend? One violent rapist in a woman’s prison is one too many.

    May be an image of 1 person and text that says 'ARE ALL TRANS-WOMEN WOMEN? A THAT'S NOT THE POINT B NOT IN PRISON DEPENDS ON THE CRIME YES BUT'

    • Ghostwhowalksnz 3.1
      1 February 2023 at 10:05 am

      Its rare but other women have been jailed for sexual abuse /rape in UK

      Like this

      A woman who admitted the "shockingly depraved" sexual abuse and rape of a vulnerable young girl has been jailed for life.

      Vicki Bevan, 37, of St Helens, pleaded guilty to 36 sexual offences against the girl, aged under 10, at an earlier hearing at Liverpool Crown Court.

      https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-merseyside-61415238

      Of course violence against women can come from same sex partners or at same sex bars

      • weka 3.1.1
        1 February 2023 at 10:30 am

        What's your point? Visubversa is pointing out that the Scottish Government are now unable to consistently apply a law they've just passed because it puts women at risk. They were told, they not only didn't listen but they called feminists objecting to the law bigots.

        Your response appears to be 'but women rape too'. What does that even mean in this context? In the UK, rape is a crime that is committed by males, irrespective of their gender identity.

        Its rare but other women have been jailed for sexual abuse /rape in UK

        Ok, I'll take your use of 'other' to mean you are in the camp that believe these men are in fact women. Below are tweets about the two 'other' women you are responding to. I call them men.

        If these two men are women, it means that the two women who have been raped that managed to get Bryson into a court should be required to refer to Bryson as 'she' and talk about 'her penis' and 'her behaviour' and say 'she raped me'.

        https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/1618978379621076992

        https://twitter.com/JessDeWahls/status/1619419198945386502

      • Molly 3.1.2
        1 February 2023 at 11:03 am

        "Of course violence against women can come from same sex partners or at same sex bars"

        Statistics on violence that identifies men as the perpetrator for the vast majority of sexual crime, include the small number of women that are also perpetrators.

        So… did you have a further point?

        • Ghostwhowalksnz 3.1.2.1
          1 February 2023 at 7:22 pm

          So violence from trans women against is also rare

          Just saying there is no such thing as absolute safety , even when no men around

          Id hate to think of the violence in mens prisons and mixed bars as of course they arent the same , not that I ever claimed it was equivalence

          • Molly 3.1.2.1.1
            1 February 2023 at 10:52 pm

            "So violence from trans women against is also rare"

            ?. Unclear what you mean and/or what statistics are you referencing?

            (Just as female offenders are included in stats so are men who declare themselves women – offenders or not).

            "Just saying there is no such thing as absolute safety , even when no men around"

            I haven't seen anyone who claimed this. Safeguarding is about reducing likelihood, no one can guarantee safety.

            "Id hate to think of the violence in mens prisons and mixed bars as of course they arent the same , not that I ever claimed it was equivalence"

            Still unclear what you were contributing to the discussion.

        • Corey Humm 3.1.2.2
          1 February 2023 at 7:34 pm

          As a survivor of sexual abuse myself, Yes men are the majority of perpetrators in reported sexual abuse cases and unreported cases but ask any sexual abuse counselor and they'll tell you that men are overwhelmingly less likely to report a sexual assault compared to women due to shame, fear, humiliation.

          Women saw sexually assaulting men is also not uncommon, but men reporting on it is because they think noone will believe a man was raped by a woman and many who have attempted to report it have been laughed at by police or friends.

          There aren't enough studies on male sexual abuse from women but around 35% of men who actually do report sexual abuse are abused by women. It does happen, it's not uncommon and we need to change our societal prejudices so male victims of sexual assault feel more comfortable coming forward regardless of the gender. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/sexual-victimization-by-women-is-more-common-than-previously-known/

          Other than that I totally agree with you and weka on this point and Sturgeons totally backed herself into a corner.

          It's disgraceful that these two or anyone else were put into a female prison and that anyone with concerns is demonized and could face real world consequences.

          The one good that is coming of this is that we are discussing rape in prison which is totally ignored and laughed about. Rapists shouldn't be in general population at male or female prisons, period.

          Noone should be sexually victimized while in the custody of the state.

          And noone should be called bigoted for sharing concerns and fears about their changing rooms, toilets and single sex spaces.

          All the progress the LGBT have made has been put at risk over the last 7 years by a radical minority inside the LGBT+s on an ideology campaign that is deeply unpopular, purposely divisive and disruptive and risks the LGBT losing public support but anyone who speaks out about it publicly (we do in private among friends) gets crucified, can lose their job their community and be labeled a bigot and heteros may not feel it but us queers can confirm the public is really over it.

          If one more woke hetero activist tells this gay dude that same sex attraction is transphobic and that a vagina is a male sex organ I'm going to scream.

          I support trans people but I do not support TRAs.

          • Molly 3.1.2.2.1
            1 February 2023 at 11:00 pm

            I'm sorry to hear of your sexual abuse Corey. I hope you did not feel compelled to disclose in order to give weight to your very salient points.

            I believe that there is a strong sex divide in experience, impact and societies responses to sexual assault and you are right in saying more research and support services are needed for male victims.

    • weka 3.2
      1 February 2023 at 10:31 am

      For those that haven't seen it, here's the video that the above image is referring to.

      https://twitter.com/PeterAdamSmith/status/1620051699900755970

      • weka 3.2.1
        1 February 2023 at 10:32 am

        My comment from last night in DR,

        and just like that the central pillar of the edifice of gender ideology crumbles.

        Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister in Scotland and leader of the SNP, championed gender self ID and pushed through the law there despite concerns. She called gender critical feminists raising those concerns bigots.

        Self-ID means that any man can say they are a woman at any time and then should be treated as such. She was told, she didn't listen.

        Now she is confronted with the problem of convicted rapists using self-ID to gain access to women's prisons, with two very high profile cases in the past week. Trans women are women, except when they are not. Finally.

        Well done this journo for asking the questions. She can't/won't answer because if she was truthful the whole thing would fall over, and she would be branded a transphobe and bigot.

        Look at the retweet, quote tweet and likes numbers. And 3.3 million views.

        • SPC 3.2.1.1
          1 February 2023 at 11:28 am

          The next issue will be the right of a women's refuges to deny access to people who have assaulted other women.

    • SPC 3.3
      1 February 2023 at 11:03 am

      They have been left with the ambulance at the bottom of the hill patch to their self ID legislation.

      Keith Brown … justice secretary has announced a … review by the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) into its transgender policy

      On Sunday, Brown announced that no transgender inmate with a history of violence against women will be moved from a men's jail to a women's jail until the review ends.

      The rule also applies to newly-convicted or remanded individuals.

      Brown said the issue was "highly emotive" and public concern is "understandable". He went on: "As the First Minister pointed out last week, we must not allow any suggestion to take root that trans women pose and inherent threat to women.

      https://www.holyrood.com/news/view,transfers-of-violent-transgender-prisoners-paused-amidst-review

  4. Drowsy M. Kram 4
    1 February 2023 at 10:51 am

    National announces caucus reshuffle as Napier retreat kicks off

    Does anyone think that the drop down the ranks of Kuriger and Simpson should be taken as an indication that these two may retire?

    In Simpson's electorate (Coromandel), Labour's 2020 party vote majority over National was 5000+, and the impact of CC on the region won't necessarily do him any favours.

    National Party climate spokesperson defends drilling stance
    [11 November 2022]
    Climate change Minister James Shaw leaves today for the COP27 conference in Egypt.

    Also flying out today is opposition climate change spokesperson Scott Simpson – this coming in the same week his National Party reaffirmed it will repeal the Government's offshore oil and gas exploration ban if it wins next year's election.

    That stance earned a rebuke from Shaw, who described it as "bonkers".

    Simpson spoke to Corin Dann.

    "It's the compulsory nature that's the problem. That was the old problem that Helen Clark had with the light bulbs and the showerheads." – Scott Simpson

    Will the opposition NAct parties attempts to surf a VFF-style anti-control wave pay off?
    Time will tell.

    What NZ doesn’t need – middle-aged, risk-averse Pākehā men with narrow backgrounds [Rod Oram; 27 January 2023; updated 29 January]

    Second, National has just changed its climate spokesman yet again – from Scott Simpson back to Todd Muller. That’s a good choice in one sense – Muller knows more and has a better sense of the big picture than Simpson has.

    But it’s also a worry. Muller ran Fonterra’s government relations before he went into politics. It’s hard to imagine him being tough enough to crack the dairy and meat sectors’ climate defensiveness, which is increasingly a major threat to their international competitiveness.

    Third, National just simply doesn’t get the five most fundamental things about the climate crisis: it’s right here, right now; it’s accelerating rapidly; it sets the timetable for our responses; we can’t keep putting off action hoping for a better time to act later; and the right action now helps us build a more resilient, more sophisticated and wealthier economy and society.

    • woodart 4.1
      1 February 2023 at 11:18 am

      good post drowsy. expecting conservatives to be progressive, look at new ideas is an oxymoron.rod oram is exactly correct.simpson would seem to be on shakey ground (slidey ground) in the coromandel with his constant feeble arguments against climate change.

    • Macro 4.2
      1 February 2023 at 11:29 am

      In Simpson's electorate (Coromandel), Labour's 2020 party vote majority over National was 5000+, and the impact of CC on the region won't do him any favours.

      Simpson is still pretty popular in Coromandel despite the swing to Labour on the party vote last election, and has been Nat spokesperson on CC. I understand is a the go to for Shaw on across party agreements on Climate action. Lots of retired farmers and rural folks from BoP and the Waikato retire here. Coromandel has one of the highest concentrations of retired folk in the country. Also one of the highest concentrations of "ghost houses" ie beach houses for the wealthy. So whereas Jeanette Fitzsimmons was able to once secure the electorate seat after a nod and wink to Labour voters, I can't see any such arrangement happening again. I think Nats are thinking let Simpson win the Electorate seat and see where the list seats lie. Having said that he will have completed 9 years as MP so may just be deciding to pass it on to the next.

      • Drowsy M. Kram 4.2.1
        1 February 2023 at 11:35 am

        Thanks Macro for that info/insight.

      • Incognito 4.2.2
        1 February 2023 at 1:14 pm

        Good comment, thanks.

        Owning a beach house doesn’t make it one’s electorate, does it?

        • Macro 4.2.2.1
          1 February 2023 at 3:13 pm

          Owning a beach house doesn’t make it one’s electorate, does it?

          No – just trying to give flavour to the over all social mix of the electorate. It is by and large a well healed electorate. Those beach houses frequently become the residence. How come Sandra Goudie continued to be MP and subsequent Mayor? She was good at door knocking and the oldies liked her.

          Yes there is a smattering of alternative life stylers in the area, but they mostly choose anonymity rather than political activism – except on some issues such as Coromandel Watchdog.

    • Visubversa 4.3
      1 February 2023 at 12:46 pm

      The NACTS are just like the Republicans in the USA. Nobody was saying that you have to have energy efficient lightbulbs and/or water saving shower heads immediately. However, the Building Standards were being changed to require the showerheads in new builds – just like dual flush toilets and other water saving measures. You can still buy the old style lightbulbs, but nobody much does because they have such a short lifespan.

      The Republicans are trying to make a drama about gas stoves, particularly gas hobs. The Federal Government is pointing out that in a domestic setting – not only is it a fossil fuel but it produces water vapour and contributes to respiratory diseases – especially to children, in badly ventilated dwellings.

      The Republicans are saying that the "Feds" are coming for your gas stoves!

  5. Stephen D 5
    1 February 2023 at 11:35 am

    The Cabinet Reshuffle

    Are comments off for a reason?

  6. joe90 6
    1 February 2023 at 12:46 pm

    Priorities.

    /

    https://twitter.com/ShayKhatiri/status/1620178113622843392

    https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/world/watch-iranian-blogger-couple-dancing-in-public-sentenced-to-over-10-years-in-prison/ar-AA16TP9T?

    Tehran — An Iranian man has been jailed for more than eight years after decapitating his wife and displaying her head in public in a case that shocked the country, the judiciary said Wednesday. Mona Heidari, 17, was killed in February 2022 by her husband and brother-in-law in Ahvaz, the capital of the southwestern province of Khuzestan.

    https://www.cbsnews.com/news/iran-man-decapitated-teen-wife-paraded-head-in-public-8-year-prison-sentence/

  7. Molly 7
    1 February 2023 at 2:43 pm

    A spot of nostalgia – this recalls (for me) the fa'afafine voices of my younger days. Before they were rewritten and repurposed:

    https://twitter.com/msediewyatt/status/1620578562452619266?s=20&t=L1Vk_9LiozD0js0sOMG1ZA

  8. Mike the Lefty 8
    1 February 2023 at 5:38 pm

    The ACT Party are becoming a populist party.

    A billboard near Palmerston North implies if you are sick of lower speed limits on roads then voting ACT will change it.

    ACT going for the populist vote suggests that their traditional neo-liberal economic policies are not going down so well for the general public.

  9. Stephen D 9
    1 February 2023 at 6:21 pm

    With the Brynderwyns closed, maybe Judith was right?

    Time for a tunnel!

  10. Cave Johnson 10
    1 February 2023 at 10:57 pm

    Anyone else thinking that a huge weakness of '3 Waters' is in its naming. So many people who oppose the programme have no real idea what it's about. The '3 Waters' name is a tidy programme name but because it doesn't directly convey any public benefit it makes it very easy to attack/oppose without seeming negative. If it had been branded 'Safer, Cleaner Waters' from the very start, for example, opponents might have had to to explain their objections rather than just demand it be stopped. This post was inspired by a conversation I had with someone who described '3 Waters' as a policy no-one wants, then quickly revealed they had zero knowledge about what it was.

    • Mike the Lefty 10.1
      3 February 2023 at 9:42 am

      Dead right! but I think its too late now. Once you are stuck with a negative label it is very hard to get rid of it.