I have just been reading an article on Stuff about a South American tumbleweed type grass they call “Hairy Panic”.
It is an invasive species which has turned up in Victoria at Wangaratta, so deep cars were getting lost in it and they had to close the town’s main street.
A woman nearby posted photos on facebook, seeking help as it took over her yard, more than a metre deep, and was on to her verandah. A living moving sea of grass.
This could be another feature of travel…. introduced species becoming pests.
Google Hairy Panic grass for articles and photos off this strange plant.
Initially, my reaction was April 1st?
But no, there has been quite a bit about this grass on Australian and other media over the last week or longer. Plenty more links here.
Panicum effusum, commonly known as hairy panic, is a grass native to inland Australia.[2] It occurs in every mainland state,[3] as well as New Guinea. In dry conditions, the fast-growing grass can become a tumbleweed.
The weed is a constant problem for the area while another form of the grass, known as Hillman’s panic — a species which was introduced from southern America — is reported to be spreading across NSW from Victoria and South Australia.
Panicum hillmanii, commonly known as Hillmann’s panicgrass, is a grass from genus Panicum native to Southwestern United States.[1] It has been introduced to many other areas, notably including southern Australia where it became widespread,[2] and several parts of Europe.
It was introduced to Australia in the early 1900s, and has spread across South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania,[3][2] sharing the habitat with related native witchgrass (P. effusum).
This could be another feature of travel…. introduced species becoming pests.
Introduced species almost always become pests but I suspect that travel today is less likely to result in introduction of species due to border checks.
“But our survey found the vast majority, about 90 per cent of samples, were identified as Hillman’s panic grass (P. hillmanii). Hairy panic and witchgrass accounted for only five per cent and one per cent of samples respectively.”
Hillman’s panic grass is a noxious weed introduced from the southern United States to South Australia and Victoria in the 1900s.
Oh, Thanks for that. Very interesting. I can’t locate the article to re read it, but you sound like an authority on the subject. I read a piece on Google which said it is related to the dandelion. Is that true? Is tumble weed just a name to describe the seed dispersal?
A tumbleweed is a structural part of the above-ground anatomy of a number of species of plants, a diaspore that, once it is mature and dry, detaches from its root or stem, and tumbles away in the wind. In most such species, the tumbleweed is in effect the entire plant apart from the root system, but in other plants, a hollow fruit or an inflorescence might serve the function.[1] Tumbleweed species occur most commonly in steppe and arid ecologies, where frequent wind and the open environment permit rolling without prohibitive obstruction.[2]
Apart from its stele (i.e., primary vascular system and roots), the tissues of the tumbleweed structure are dead; their death is functional because it is necessary for the structure to degrade gradually and fall apart so that the propagules (that is, its seeds or spores) can escape during the tumbling, or germinate after the tumbleweed has come to rest in a wet location. In the latter case, many species of tumbleweed open mechanically, releasing their seeds as they swell when they absorb water.[3]
I admire this government for its refusal to support the lemming like rush to war against Russia.
Craig Murray was formerly British ambassador to Uzbekistan and provides a much needed alternative to the propaganda the western public has been bombarded with about the Skripal poisoning.
No evidence has been presented.
Winston Peters should fly to Moscow to look at signing a bilateral trade deal.
This would free us from the clutches of Washington and Beijing and show the world we are an independent nation, not a lackey of the US.
The Nats narrative continues….but they are laying it on a little too thick and obvious…people still like Jacinda and want to give her a chance so I reckon these unfair attacks will backfire.
Too many rules. MMA is better – sparring with a good friend is better still, so long as you have the emotional fortitude not to get upset by the occasional broken rib or fat lip 🙂
When a young bloke of ANY colour is wanting a way out of poverty and ratty jobs he will often start thinking about working to be a professional fighter of some kind.
Some join the military. Some become MMA fighters. Some are bouncers or enforcers. Some turn to boxing.
And where there aren’t any ‘rich white men’ there will certainly be men of other skin shades willing to pay for the training and overheads to see if their ‘prospect’ has what it takes to win them large-ish sums.
Cock fights, dog fights, rats in a pen. It doesn’t matter how illegal you make it all (and it has been) it still goes on. Must be a species thing.
“When a young bloke of ANY colour is wanting a way out of poverty and ratty jobs he will often start thinking about working to be a professional fighter of some kind.”
Stop with the patronising bs and do some research why don’t ya. Start with a simple google search on JP’s upbringing.
I could have said he was that far behind he had to go for the ko which would have meant forcing the issue and taking more hits but since I was posting between rounds I didn’t have the time. However anyone with even a basic knowledge of combat sports would get the gist of it, since you didn’t why even bother to post?
Puckish, it’s the language used. I know what it means, but the language, “beast mode”, is not the language of sport, or fair human competition. Rather it is the language of the arena.
I followed boxing in terms of Cassius Clay/Mohammed Ali as a young man.
Then I began to find the notion of two human beings, in the name of sport, trying to disable or knock each other unconscious distasteful, appalling even.
Now at 68 years old, with the adrenalin of the young a fading memory, I deliberately put my attention elsewhere.
I prefer the likes of Tom Walsh- strong, competitive, skilled, in a sport where the big, fast and powerful do harm to 7.2 kg iron balls.
We would if we could but when it is rammed down your throat by the so-called “News” media on every pathetic excuse of news bulletins, it hard to ignore it.
It is a pity the news media did not give the same in-depth coverage of Findlaysons breach of Dot Com privacy rights or the state of our health service after 9 years of Nationals incompetence, or the lack of bridges built by Bridges. Just a few items to get on with.
“We had friends around for a boxing breakfast. Very enjoyable and social.”
Bully for you. I have just realised how fortunate I am compared with you, as I have NO friends who are interested in that barbaric thuggery and they certainly would not be invited for breakfast to watch 2 males over bacon and eggs smashing shit out of one another creating future brain damage
It is not sport mate it is thuggery nothing more nothing less.
+1. Was going to reply to his sad comment but you did it better than I could have. Any society that considers two people in a contest where the object is to harm the other other human being is “sport” or “entertainment” is in a decline to cruelty and darkness.
“Bully for you. I have just realised how fortunate I am compared with you, as I have NO friends who are interested in that barbaric thuggery and they certainly would not be invited for breakfast to watch 2 males over bacon and eggs smashing shit out of one another creating future brain damage
It is not sport mate it is thuggery nothing more nothing less.”
All I can say – perhaps if you had a wider group of friends – perhaps with differing views, as opposed to a small group of people that can only think like you then perhaps, just perhaps you might end up a happier, more rounded person.
We also had hash browns, and black pudding.
But despite your passioned statement – Boxing IS a sport – Its in the olympics.
So – we can at least we agree you were wrong – that it is a sport.
Thats great.
Yes – I know knockouts can cause problems. Shall we ban all sports that have the potential for knockouts? Lets start with Rugby, League, Aussie rules, etc etc etc
So – we can at least we agree you were wrong – that it is a sport.
Sorry, how can I be wrong? I never said it wasn’t a sport James. I just said it was also thuggery. You must be thinking of someone else.
Nice try at whataboutism with other sports as well. The difference is that the potential for knockouts and brain damage is incidental to those other activities, whereas in boxing it’s the object.
Wrong guess as yes I have boxed. And no it’s no surprise to me that those who take part or watch don’t consider it’s thuggery.
But I suspect that any fan of blood sports thinks they are okay. Calling trying to give a fellow human being brain damage “a sweet science” is a wee bit of a stretch don’t you think?
That evidence will never be presented in any formal sense, because there’s never going to be a trial, because when someone is charged, the Kremlin (not “the Russians”) will refuse to extradite them, just like Lugovoy.
However, the fact that the Kremlin (not “the Russians”) has authored an ongoing series of self-contradictory bullshit stories and excuses makes them (the Kremlin, not “the Russians”) look as guilty as fuck.
Also, the fact that Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Albania, Australia, Canada, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Norway, Ukraine and the USA have expelled diplomats indicates that sufficiently persuasive evidence has been presented to convince them.
Whereas if the Kremlin presented a signed confession, you would claim the CIA forced them into it.
Diplomacy and justice are separate domains. This is why your house is being sold from under you: because you have no friggin’ idea which rules apply to which circumstances.
Is it “just like” that? Saddam never had WMD, and stuck to that story throughout. The intelligence services backed him up.
In this instance, the Kremlin makes contradictory excuse after contradictory excuse, their story changes multiple times a day, a chemical weapon has actually been used, and its use fits a well-established pattern.
What’s more, Putin boasted about it the day after it happened. I get it: lots of people are scared that Russia is ruled by a gang of poisonous trash. The UK and USA aren’t much better, and you really oughta stop lying to yourselves and face facts.
OAB,
not so hasty
Your reading of Putin’s “boast” fails to disclose the quote “As for the traitors “etc was actually made in 2010, some years after Litvinenko (who died in 2006) and some years before the Skripal poisoning .(2018)
As well the quote was purposely abbreviated to suggest the opposite of its meaning, and showcased on March 6th 2018 as if it was a current statement
A closer reading of the Telegraph article would have clarified that
You alongside several others were apparently fooled https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/40900/did-putin-threaten-to-have-traitors-assassinated
Those who serve us with poison will eventually swallow it and poison themselves.”
Speaking in an interview with the Russian state television, Mr Putin lavished US President Donald Trump with praise, describing him as a great communicator.
“I have no disappointment at all,” Mr Putin said when asked about the US president.
“Moreover, on a personal level he made a very good impression on me.”
OAB, that is not the2010 Telegraph link you were trying to say negated my post , which you sent me back to
However , if you want to run with your new link,.. thats hardly a boast
Its a pretty much solid observation..karma, what goes around comes around
I hadn’t noticed that you had ever linked to the 2018 news article, in our earlier exchanges you were most definitely talking about the Telegraph article which was supposed to have undermined my posts
Not enough evidence to convince JA though. I’d suggest that’s coz there is no evidence. The expulsions are symbolic only and good on JA for telling them to get fucked with their shitty symbolism.
Heather Duplicity-Allen calle for someone, anyone to be expelled for the sake of appearances. OAB, do you stand shoulder to shoulder with Duplicity-Allen on this?
Is it your position that JA is lying when she says “there is no plausible alternative to who else it could be…”?
Is it your position that she is lying when she says the SIS advises that there are no Kremlin henchmen Russian diplomats in NZ who meet the criteria for expulsion?
Do you think it’s likely that I agree with HdPA? Try Professor Geddis.
The media critics of the new government seem to have no recall of the fact National in 2008 had some new inexperienced ministers who took a while (and some, never) to become conversant with their portfolios. Likewise of Key who got away with all sorts of hiccups, with barely a whimper from them.
A relative started listening to HDP on the radio and was not impressed and this relative has been a Key supporter. Likewise does not like Hosking.
As for Barry Soper, what an unpleasant man he is. I have witnessed him have an almighty temper tantrum. Boils down to these critics not being nice people. Too many adjectives to use for them! So in my book, they have very jaundiced thought processes.
Jacinda herself said early on there would be mistakes. She is not so arrogant to think otherwise. Life’s lessons are often learnt from mistakes. As was said in an article on some children learning chess – the children have to learn to lose before they learn to win when playing chess.
Jacinda will come through these issues a little wiser and better prepared. She is a quick learner. I think it’s remarkable how she has risen to all the challenges she has faced in the last year and some patience and understanding from the left and centre left please!
Well Joseph Parker was beaten but certainly not disgraced, going the distance and all but that ref stepped in far too many times for either fighters liking I reckon
Congratulations to Anthony Joshua, he fought a good game plan and was a well-deserved winner and Joseph Parker still has a future in the heavy weight division
“Without intervention, the situation for our most vulnerable citizens is only going to get worse, as fresh food becomes more frequently priced out of reach.”
A massive building human tragedy 9 years in the making
“Israel: Gaza March ‘Dangerous’ Provocation, Hamas to Blame for Any Violence”
Friday’s March of Return will see Gazans protest on Israeli border ■ Israeli official to Palestinians: You’ve been warned ■ Palestinian lawmaker: Proof that Israel’s intentions are to kill protesters
By Noa Landau and Jack Khoury
Manelis reiterated Saturday that Israel “will not allow a massive breach of the fence into Israeli territory.”
He said that Hamas and other Gaza militant groups are using protests as a cover for staging attacks. If violence continues, “we will not be able to continue limiting our activity to the fence area and will act against these terror organizations in other places too,” he said.
The border protests were seen as a new attempt by Hamas to break the border blockade, imposed by Israel and Egypt after the Islamic militant group seized Gaza in 2007 from forces loyal to its rival, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The continued closure has made it increasingly difficult for Hamas to govern.
Life in the coastal strip has deteriorated further in recent months, with rising unemployment, grinding poverty and daily blackouts that last for hours.
Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, a member of the PLO’s executive committee, told Haaretz that these talking points show “that Israel is preparing itself to explain a violent response. This is more proof that Israel’s intentions are to kill protesters. It’s a license to kill. The event is not organized just by Hamas, but by all the Palestinian groups. We call on all the international organizations to prevent a massacre from taking place. This is peaceful nonviolent resistance.”
“EU’s Mogherini Calls for Independent Probe Into Israeli Army Fire on Gaza Border”
“EU foreign policy chief says Friday’s events show need for ‘political solution for Gaza’ and ‘urgent resumption of peace talks’ between Israel and the Palestinians”
European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini called on Saturday for an independent and transparent investigation into the Israeli military’s use of live fire during mass rallies along Israel’s border…
The call for an independent inquiry into the killings of protesters by Israel has also been made by the United Nations General Secretary. However a meeting of the UN Security Council, which has the power to order such an investigation, reportedly ended its deliberations without any agreement on this matter which was raised there. No mention of whether permanent SC member the USA, threatened to use its veto to prevent such an investigation.
“Defense chief Lieberman slams ‘chorus of hypocrites’ calling for independent investigation into Gaza border deaths”
Haaretz, Mar 31, 2018
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the events on Israel’s border with Gaza for the first time Saturday evening, a day after at least 15 Palestinians were killed in clashes with the Israeli army during…
My free articles to Haaretz has been used up, but I think we can get the message.
Israel does not want any investigation into its shooting down of unarmed protesters.
And the US will back Israel by vetoing any move by the UN to call one, if it is ever raised again in the Security Council.
Talking about “hypocrites”, the US representative to the UN has complained long and hard about other Permanent Member, Russia, using their veto to prevent investigation into the killing of civilians by the Assad regime.
We know where every bullet went IDF
| “Israel admits, then deletes, responsibility for Gaza killings”
Electronic Intifada, 31 March, 2018
The Israeli army posted a statement on Twitter on Saturday apparently accepting full responsibility for the killings a day earlier of 15 Palestinians as thousands took part in the Great March of Return in Gaza.
The army then quickly deleted the admission – as more evidence of war crimes by its soldiers came to light – but not before a copy was made by the human rights group B’Tselem.
IDF @IDFSpokesperson
Yesterday we saw 30,000 people; we arrived prepared and with precise reinforcements; everything was accurate and measured, we know where every bullet landed
The army’s deletion of the tweet is hardly surprising. The admission that its killings of demonstrators were premeditated down to the last bullet means it cannot deny responsibility for apparent war crimes, such as the lethal shooting of Abd al-Fattah Abd al-Nabi, 19, as he ran away from the Israel-Gaza boundary fence. Abd al-Nabi was reportedly shot in the head.
Video of the slaying, widely shared on social media, shows Abd al-Nabi running alongside two other Palestinians far away from the boundary fence when the crack of a gunshot is heard and he falls suddenly.
“Abdul Fattah Abdul Nabi, a 19-year-old Palestinian, was shot dead during Friday’s protests in the Gaza Strip.”
Mahmoud Abu Salama
BEIT LAHIA, Gaza
The morning after burying 19-year-old Abdul Fattah Abdul Nabi, his family gathered in a tent set up to receive mourners, watching and re-watching a video of the moment they say Israeli soldiers shot him in the back of the head.
The video appears to show the teenager, dressed in black, running away from Gaza’s border fence with Israel carrying a tire. Just before reaching a crowd, he crumples under gunfire.
“He had no gun, no molotov, a tire. Does that harm the Israelis, a tire?” asked his brother Mohamed Abdul Nabi, 22. “He wasn’t going toward the Israeli side. He was running away.”
Abdul Fattah’s family is among those demanding an investigation into the Israeli response to the protest, saying videos show he posed no threat. More than 700 people were injured with live ammunition in the demonstration, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza. Forty-nine were wounded Saturday, it said.
The United Nations on Saturday said it was “deeply concerned” and called for a transparent, independent investigation.
However with the US right of veto at the United Nations Security Council, it is unlikely that the US will allow any international independent investigation into these killings.
“Stop the forced rating sale of my home! How is Auckland Council lawfully compliant with its own ‘Rating Sale Policy’?”
“Today (Saturday 31 March 2018) the forced rating sale of my freehold property was publicly advertised,” says ‘anti-corruption whistle-blower, Penny Bright.
” I have contacted the Barfoot and Thompson agent, and advised him that I do NOT consent to anyone ‘viewing’ my property, and that I am raising this matter directly with the Attorney-General because I believe that lawful due process has not been followed by Auckland Council.”
“The Auckland Council Rating Sales Policy (CP2013/01403) states:
“14: The rating sales process is outlined by the following steps:
1. legal proceedings are initiated, and a court judgment issued with a Charging Order (registered on title documents) against the property.
..
16. The power to enforce a rating sale comes with a significant responsibility to ensure that the power is not used inappropriately.
A policy on rating sales has therefore being developed to ensure that there are clear rules regarding rating sales.”
“The ‘Composite Computer Register Under Land Transfer Act 1952, that I have, (search date 8 March 2017) hows no Charging Order registered against my property for the Judgment Debt of $47,431.76, given in the Auckland District Court on 18 January 2017.”
It appears that Auckland Council CEO Stephen Town, has not followed Auckland Council’s ‘Rating Sale Policy’.
…….
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption whistle-blower’.
PS: A ‘Give A Little Page’ will be set up ASAP, because a number of people have requested it.
The goal will be to raise the $20,000 to cover outstanding rates, and the money will be deposited into a solicitor’s account.
This money will be held there, until the Public Records Act 2005, s.17 is fully complied with, regarding transparency and accountability in the spending of public monies on private sector consultants and contractors, and the following information is published on the websites of Auckland Council and all Auckland Council-Controlled Organisations (CCOs), under ‘Procurement – Awarded Contracts’:
* The unique contract number.
* The name of the consultant / contractor.
* A brief description of the scope of the contract.
* Contract start / finish dates.
* The exact dollar value of each and every contract – including those sub-contracted.
* How the contract was awarded – by direct appointment or public tender.
There will be a LOT of good that comes from this draconian municipal bullying of an unprotected ‘citizen whistle-blower’ in New Zealand ‘perceived’ to be ‘the least corrupt country in the world’, and WE ‘turn this bad thing into a good thing’!
I’m fighting for transparency, I’m not wrong and I’m NOT backing down.
Sell your house yourself to ensure best price. Repay your rates and buy a smaller place with lower rates. You are not going to win this fight to keep your house so plan for the longer game.
Penny Bright your cause and desire to expose the fraudulent operations of Auckland Council are admirable indeed…
The system has decided it has had enough and must make a clear statement to the citizens that they do not own property, even when no mortgage exists…
Take that as a signal of how close to full exposure you have achieved…your actions will no longer be tolerated…
The advice to take control of the situation for yourself before you are sidelined completely, is sound and should be considered…surely you are evaluating the risks…
It’s not quitting if you get out while you’re ahead…which in a moral sense, absolutely you are…
That said, if you choose to remain on tact, that is equally honourable…
This money will be held there, until the Public Records Act 2005, s.17 is fully complied with
It could easily be considered fraudulent to solicit money from the public on the basis of mis-reading the Public Records Act as a law about publishing information. It simply isn’t. You have been told this repeatedly.
Penny has a fair point… I know for a fact that Auckland transport engaged a consultant, then hired the consultant’s son’s company to quote for and carry out the recomended works. They asked said contractor to break the quoted sum into 3 parts as to avoid triggering a high enough sum which would need another 2 prices in a competitive process and signing off from higher up. Total figure was around 90k…
Yeah she had a point, but if she was going to pay the rates when they satisfied her reporting demands, why hadn’t she simply put the money aside in the first place?
Now she seems to be looking for crowdsource funds to put the money aside (so they’re still going to sell her house and get the rates that way). They’re still her damned rates to pay.
No argument from me there, I was under the impression she had the funds set aside.
She has made her point and could continue to make it if she paid enough to avoid the sale or in fact cleared the sum before refusing to pay again forcing the council to begin the process again keeping the matter in the spotlight.
As discussed on the other post, here are links to all ten of the articles Henry Cooke did as he accompanied the five day Parliamentary Mission to the Pacific which were published progressively by Stuff on their website over that timeframe. The only one you read and criticised for its once over lightly was in fact his wrap up article at 10. below completing the series.
In sequence, these ten articles by Henry Cooke were:
Oops I think my long one deservedly has gone into moderation or spam (Moderators can ditch my long one re the same subject which has presumably gone into moderation or spam due to the number of links. My sincere apologies as I had intended to spread over a couple of comments then forgot and pressed submit and raced off to do something else.)
So i will start again.
To patricia bremner
As discussed on the other post today, Henry Cooke wrote ten (10) articles – not one – while he was on the Parliamentary Mission to the Pacific Islands earlier in March and which were progressively published on the Stuff website (and presumably in some of the Fairfax newspapers) over the course of those five days. The only one that you apparently read and then criticised for being once over lightly in your comment on Daily Review 9 March 2018 was the last on which was Cooke’s wrap up article.
Here are the links which I will break into three lots so as not to clog up the works here.
In sequence, these ten articles by Henry Cooke were:
5. and 6. Two articles on the one day visit to Niue – One on the aid assistance announced, which included $5m for another solar panels farm to help Niue reach their goal of 80% renewable energy by 2025; and the second a lighter one focusing in part on the PM’s reunion with her family in Niue:
8. and 9. Two articles on the visit to the Cook Islands – One specifically on the biggest announcement of the whole trip on the relaxation of the rules for the payment of NZ Superannuation to Niueans, Cook Islanders and Tokelauans, and the other on the very colourful and friendly visit itself, but which also includes further discussion on the relaxed NZ Super rules:
Hello Veutoviper, Thank you for those articles. By now you will realise I have limited computer skills.
I definitely deserved a reprimand, as I had skimmed two of those articles without taking in that Henry wrote them. (A busy week with hospital and family visits none of which are easy currently)
Henry Cooke’s articles were clear and evocative, showing skill. I stand corrected.
In case you do not see this, I will again post on open mike. I said I had looked, I obviously need to learn a few more skills… will get Norm to show me how to Bookmark.
Thanks patricia. I knew that if you realised that you had not seen the rest of Cooke’s articles that you would see that your criticism was unwarranted. My original draft reply also covered a number of other issues raised in your original comment but we will leave most of those at this point.
However, re political bias, I am sure that you would now agree that there is no way that the quality and content of Cooke’s full set of articles can be equated with some of the (IMO) clearly rightwing lightweight biased garbage masquerading as journalism from these two other writers who are some years Cooke’s senior who also wrote articles on the Parliamentary Mission to the Pacific, although neither writer actually went on the trip.
This is a general explanation, not directed specifically at you, as to why I have stood up for Cooke (and some other individual journalists) and will continue to do so. It was written weeks ago well before the excess of coverage of one event – combined with a lack of coverage of some other major issues, events and decisions of considerable public interest – of the last week or so, which resulted in MS’s post and the enormous response to it over Easter when things usually go quiet here.
But I still stand by it, even if I don’t always follow it to the letter myself. (See my last para!) I did not feel it was appropriate for MS’ post, but want to say it to let off stream if nothing else. I felt Drinnan was brave coming into the lion’s den yesterday. and I give him credit for doing so. This may help explain some of my responses there.
—————————————-
As we had previously discussed, I have no direct connections with Cooke himself although we have mutual acquaintances. This is quite normal in the small world of the government- centred scene here in Wellington. I do not write on his or any other journalists’ behalf; nor am I (or ever have been) a journalist, or teacher of journalism or media studies, or a family member of any journalist. But I have known, and liaised with many journalists over the years, as part of my past jobs in the public service.
My defence of Cooke and his journalism has been because I am very interested in the quality etc of our Fourth Estate here in NZ in view of its influence on society and democracy. There is a lot of criticism of our media which is quite normal – the question is whether it is in fact justified or not, either generally or in the case of specific journalists, publications, or other means of dissemination eg blogs, digital press etc. All of which is a very big separate subject in itself.
In brief, my own personal view is that we have had a fairly stale media for some years with a lot of people in the industry having been around for a long time and with fairly fixed views and positions politically.
In the last couple of years I have noticed a number of younger talented reporters coming through the system with much fresher, more socially aware mindsets and interests, and who do not seem to have the same fixed views, political connections etc that many of the older ones do.
Cooke is one I put into this group, as are Kirsty Johnston and Jess McAllen who I mentioned to you, Patricia, in a separate exchange here on TS recently unrelated to Cooke. These three are by no means the only ones; and I am quite excited to see this generational shift as people like Johnston and McAllen in particular are producing some excellent writing about things like social justice, mental health, and special needs issues.
But it is a hard road for this young cohort with the retrenchment of print media resulting in fewer and fewer opportunities for getting in the door and finding steady employment in this field, and coupled with the increasing reliance on freelance and casual writers to produce the stories for the growing digital media. There is a high drop out rate of the younger reporters as a result of these bigger factors along with low rates of pay, job insecurity, long hours etc.
IMO we need to be encouraging this cohort of young journalists and reporters to keep them in the business and to keep them fresh and open minded – to ensure a healthy Fourth Estate for the future. Unfair criticism and unsubstantiated claims and accusation of political bias etc does not do this and just adds to the other pressures on these people, leading to them quitting the profession.
So I decided some time ago that I would stand up for and support this young cohort collectively and individually where I think they deserve it. I also do this in respect of older journalists where I also think they are being unfairly targeted, criticized etc. Unfortunately there is sometimes here on TS a ‘lemming’ approach to criticism of the media generally, which also fails to distinguish between management and editorial power and control over content and balance, and the work of individual journalists (including the limitations on them to choose their subject and the way their articles are edited and presented).
I really believe that we will achieve far better results towards achieving a better Fourth Estate for the future by trying to communicate with members of the media and opening up discussion rather than continually attacking them.
Yes, critique the structure, management and bias of the organizations, and their editorial decisions re content and balance, and of individual journalists where such criticism is warranted and can be verified with facts; but don’t tar all journalists with the same brush. They themselves are a very broad church of people with different personal and journalistic experience, beliefs, values and goals just as are the rest of us.
——————————
Having read the above, some people would say that I am a total hypocrite in view of my criticism of Garner and Hosking at the top of this post – and they are probably right, but I am human too! LOL.
Co-owner of Russia's Summa group detained. It’s a very important story about Putin 4.0 Let me explain 1/ https://t.co/lwFUTygCl9— Alexander Gabuev (@AlexGabuev) March 31, 2018
[…]
8/ As conflict with the West deepens, many Russian players (powerful SOEs, friends of Putin, siloviks) feel emboldened to go after assets they like using simple tools. Putting your hard-grained opponent in prison is the best negotiation tactic for a business dispute in Russia— Alexander Gabuev (@AlexGabuev) March 31, 2018
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian authorities on Saturday arrested billionaire Ziyavudin Magomedov on charges of embezzling more than $35 million, in one of the highest-profile prosecutions of a Russian tycoon in years.
Magomedov denied the charges at a pre-trial hearing, where a judge ordered that he be held in custody until May 30.
One of Russia’s richest men, the 49-year-old Magomedov holds assets in construction and logistics through his sprawling Summa Group. He also has investments in U.S. tech ventures, including the Virgin One Hyperloop project.
He was detained along with his business partner and brother, Magomed Magomedov, and Artur Maksidov, the head of a company in the Summa Group that was involved in the construction of a soccer World Cup venue in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.
Te namu onepu decided to send in a repeat actor back to hang around ECO MAORI this person tried to get me and my wife to move into a whare that was half the size of the one we got now with little privacy for the same price of rent all because they were friends ????? of my wife and there dad owned it last time YEA RIGHT .This time Koni and Te namu onepu decided that they would try me again. I treated this person with respect the problem was this person was wanting to talk to me more than my wife ?????? I played along for a bit then I shut it out of my conversation as its not my friend. Ana to kai ka kite ano
Newshub the deep fake photos will always be able to be discredited with a examination of the data used to make and display those photos .
Many thanks to te Australian Common wealth games people for advocating Ladies Equality ka pai Mana wahine.
I’m quite good at reading the weather not as good as I should be being a ex fisherman but I left that up to the skipper I have fished right around Aoteraroa down to the Auckland Islands Chatham Islands like my tipuna before me .
Some people have to remember that I see all events .
It was a good week of sports for Eco Maori Ka pai ka kite ano
Ko Ruaumoko e ngunguru nei
Hi Au Au Aue ha
Ko Ruaumoko e ngunguru nei
Hi Au Au Aue ha
I aha aha
E ko te rakau a Tu nga werewere I ha
ha
He rakau tapu na Tutaua ki a Uenuku
[Ko Ruaumoko e ngunguru nei]
I patukia ki te tipua ki o Rangitopeka
Pakaru ti upoko o Rangitopeka
Patua ki waenganui o te tau ki
Hikurangi
He toka whakairo etu ake nei
He atua He tangata He atua He
tangata ho
He atua he atua tau Paretaitoko
Kia kitea e Paretaitoko te whare
haunga
I ha ha Kia whakatete mai o rei he kuri
Au
I Ahaha
Na wai parehua taku hope kia whakaka
te rangi
Kia tare au Hi
He roha te kawau
Hi
Kei te pou tara
Tu ka tete ka Tau ha
Ko komako ko komako
E ko te hau tapu
e rite ki te kai na Matariki pakia
Tapa reireia koi tapa
Tapa kononua kaiana tukua
I aue hi
I ahaha
Ka tu te ihiihi
ka tu te wanawana
Ki runga i te rangi
e tu iho nei
HI
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 27 were:1. The Minister for Ford Rangers strikes againTransport Minister Simeon Brown was again the busiest of the Cabinet ministers this week, announcing an ...
You got a fast carAnd I want a ticket to anywhereMaybe we make a dealMaybe together we can get somewhereAny place is betterYesterday’s newsletter, Trust In Me, on the report of abuse in state care, and by religious organisations, between 1950 and 2019, coupled with the hypocrisy of Christopher Luxon ...
New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Carereport released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced$802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Carereport in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquirypublished its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone iconon the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive:Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloittereport for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’sOliver LewisScoop:Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announcedthe Board of Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Orderimage, ...
Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
Waiting In The Wings:For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSAannounced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
Te Rangi e tu nei (The sky above us) Te Papa e takoto nei (The land beneath us) Tatou katoa te hunga ora (To us all the living) Tena koutou katoa (Greetings) ...
A late change to charter school legislation will cheat educators out of fair pay and negotiating power proving charter schools are just a vehicle to make profit out of our education system. ...
In 2004 te iwi Māori rallied against the Crown’s attempt to confiscate our coastlines and moana with the Foreshore and Seabed Act. This led to the largest hīkoi of a generation and the birth of Te Pāti Māori. 20 years later, history is repeating itself. Today the government has announced ...
It has been five and a half years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was established to investigate the abuse of children, young people, and vulnerable adults within state and faith-based institutions. Yesterday, the final report - Whanaketia through pain and trauma, from darkness to light ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to take action off the back of the International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. ...
On Friday the International Court of Justice reaffirmed what Palestinian’s have been telling us for decades: that the occupation and colonisation of Palestinian lands by Israel is illegal and must end immediately. They also called for reparations for Palestinian’s who have lived under Israeli occupation since it began in 1967. ...
Labour calls on the Government to act after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories is illegal. ...
The 53.7 percent rise in benefit sanctions over the last year is more proof of this Government’s disdain for our communities most in need of support. ...
Aotearoa could be a country where every child grows up feeling safe, loved and with a sense of belonging in their whānau and community. But for some of our children, this is far from reality. Instead, they are trapped in a maze of intergenerational harm that they can’t escape on ...
Te Pāti Māori are calling for David Seymour to resign as Associate Health Minister in response to his call for Pharmac to ignore the Treaty of Waitangi. “This announcement is just another example of the government’s anti-Tiriti, anti-Māori agenda.” Said Co-leader and spokesperson for health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “Seymour thinks it ...
The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country - with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent on average while annual inflation is at 3.3 per cent. ...
National’s Emissions Reduction Plan will take New Zealand further from the economy we need to ensure the next generation has a stable climate and secure livelihoods. ...
Following consultation with named parties and thorough consideration of privacy interests, the Green Party is in a position to release the Executive Summary of the final report from the independent investigation into Darleen Tana. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should be asking serious questions of his Minister for Resources Shane Jones now it’s been revealed he misled the public about a dinner with mining companies that he didn’t declare and said wasn’t pre-arranged. ...
Te Pāti Māori have submitted to the Justice Select Committee against the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill. The bill will further entrench racism in our justice system and fails to focus on rehabilitation. “Reinstating Three Strikes will empower a systematically racist system and exacerbate the overrepresentation of Māori in ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is set to make a determination on the Residential Tenancies Amendment (RTA) Bill in the coming weeks. “This legislation will give landlords the power to kick our whānau out onto the street for no reason” said Housing spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “Their solution to the housing ...
“National’s campaign was about tackling crime and the best they can do is a two-year long Ministerial Advisory Group,” Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
“There are more examples of charter schools failing their students than there are success stories. The coalition Government is driving to dismantle our public school system and instead promote a privatised, competitive structure that puts profits before kids,” Jan Tinetti said. ...
“This government is choosing to deliberately mislead and withhold information, keeping our people in the dark about this government’s agenda and the future of our mokopuna,” said co-leader and spokesperson for Health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The call comes after the demand from the Chief Ombudsman that Associate Minister of Health, Casey ...
“Today’s climate announcement by Simon Watts makes clear the National Government is simply paying lip service to meeting its climate change targets,” Megan Woods said. ...
National is choosing to make life harder for workers by taking away the rights our communities have fought hard for. Here's how they’re taking workers backwards. ...
Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue. We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views. “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
Tēnā tātou katoa, Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts. “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet. “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks. “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. At the heart of this report are the ...
For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024. “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane. “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says. “This will be our third visit to ...
Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum. While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation. “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan. “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests. Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone. Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
Last summer when Matairangi burned, Ginny and Tom stood at the window of their lounge, watching kākā shoot skyward from the burning trees. From the distance, they looked to Ginny like pages torn from books and thrown into a bonfire. It was Tom, voice tight, who told her it was ...
Opinion: The Canadian short story writer Alice Munro – winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013 – died in May at the age of 92. Her work was about “the damage people inflict on one another in the name of love”, Deborah Treisman wrote in the New Yorker. ...
This month marks two years since the most powerful telescope ever built sent its first pictures back to earth. From its lofty vantage point, beyond the moon in orbit around the sun, the James Webb Space Telescope was tuned to observe the first stars and galaxies being born soon after ...
Comment: After Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ preview several weeks ago, I had some optimism about the Government’s emissions reduction plan. Now I’ve read the discussion document, that hope has been dashed. How can the Government propose a plan that wants to take New Zealand taxpayers’ hard-earned money, and spend ...
Christopher Luxon: hurdles The little man from National jumps hurdles in his sleep. He’s quite good at it in his dreams and even though the reality doesn’t quite match up you have to give him credit for getting up every morning and crashing into the very first hurdle of the ...
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Madeleine Chapman rounds out Death Week on The Spinoff with a final recommendation. You can read all of our Death Week coverage here. Nothing forces you to reflect on your life and relationships quite like proximity to death. For those whose nearest and dearest have died, there are reasonably obvious ...
Whitney Greene takes us through her life in television, including the TV character she’d like to plan a funeral for and her cow lung catastrophe on The Traitors NZ. “If the phone rings, I have to answer it,” Whitney Greene from The Traitors NZ warns as we begin our My ...
Maddie Ballard reviews the debut essay collection of Pōneke writer Flora Feltham.In ‘The Raw Material’, the longest essay in Flora Feltham’s dazzling debut collection, the author heads out for a run after hours of weaving and sees the world turn to textile. “Pounding along the Parade, I saw the ...
Andy Christiansen, one half of the experimental rock-pop duo TRiPS, shares the tunes inspiring the band’s perfect weekend and new release. “Good speakers, good food, good music, no distractions”: that’s all you need to enjoy the psychedelic stylings of TRiPS, a new band formed by Fly My Pretties’ Barnaby Weir ...
Celebrating our quadrennial opportunity to become experts in a bunch of sports we never normally watch.The games of the XXXIII Olympiad are upon us. Paris will host this year’s showcase of sporting and athletic prowess, which means some late-night and early-morning viewing for us in Aotearoa.But what sports ...
The photograph is striking and beautiful, but also disturbing – a reminder that my love for John was often entangled in shame.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.In the spring of 1980, in Dunedin, shortly before his death, someone took a photograph ...
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Pacific Media Watch A Lebanese photojournalist who was severely wounded during an Israeli air strike in south Lebanon carried the Olympic torch in Paris this week in honour of her peers who have been wounded and killed in the field — especially in Gaza and Lebanon. Christina Assi of Agence ...
The first report in a five-part web series focused on the 15th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women taking place in the Marshall Islands this week.SPECIAL REPORT:By Netani Rika in Majuro Women continue to fight for justice 70 years after the first nuclear tests by the United States caused ...
Christopher Luxon has joined with Australia and Canada's leaders in voicing support for US President Joe Biden's ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The 2022 election brought the “teal wave” into parliament. The next election will test whether teals, who occupy what were Liberal seats, and other independents can maintain their momentum. Joining us on the Podcast ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Corbould, Associate Professor, Contemporary Histories Research Group, Deakin University Mainstream media are surprisingly muted at the prospect of the world’s most powerful nation being led for the first time by a woman – specifically a woman of colour, Vice President Kamala ...
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The Abuse in Care report found many Pacific survivors lost their connections to their culture and language, resulting in trauma that has been carried from generation to generation. ...
In the regulatory review, ECC intends to suggest that ERO focus on curriculum delivery reviews rather than the Ministry, because it’s not efficient or effective to have two agencies with radically different approaches climbing over each other. ...
Te Rūnanga Nui o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori invites the current government to work in partnership with them to develop a pathway forward, including the development of a parallel pathway and meaningful policy and strategy for Kura Kaupapa Māori ...
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I have just been reading an article on Stuff about a South American tumbleweed type grass they call “Hairy Panic”.
It is an invasive species which has turned up in Victoria at Wangaratta, so deep cars were getting lost in it and they had to close the town’s main street.
A woman nearby posted photos on facebook, seeking help as it took over her yard, more than a metre deep, and was on to her verandah. A living moving sea of grass.
This could be another feature of travel…. introduced species becoming pests.
Google Hairy Panic grass for articles and photos off this strange plant.
Lol brilliant name for it
Would be a good band name.
Definitely!
Oh dear – something else to look forward to 🙁
I could not find anything on Stuff, patricia. Do you mean this article on the Herald?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12022506
Initially, my reaction was April 1st?
But no, there has been quite a bit about this grass on Australian and other media over the last week or longer. Plenty more links here.
https://www.google.co.nz/search?q=Hairy+Panic&rlz=1C1LDJZ_enNZ499&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwizuc2ou5faAhULu7wKHTusCdEQ_AUICSgA&biw=853&bih=603&dpr=1.5
LOL No I forgot it was April one. The Jokes on me .
Think Stuff got it from Google.
Actually, it’s native to Australia:
There does appears to be a species from Southern United States though:
Hillman’s Panic:
Introduced species almost always become pests but I suspect that travel today is less likely to result in introduction of species due to border checks.
EDIT:
It’s not ‘hairy’ but Hillman’s panic grass
Oh, Thanks for that. Very interesting. I can’t locate the article to re read it, but you sound like an authority on the subject. I read a piece on Google which said it is related to the dandelion. Is that true? Is tumble weed just a name to describe the seed dispersal?
I’m not. That’s just what I got from a quick Google.
Seems that way:
The china hustle must see documentary its out
Very good. Viewed it last night.
I admire this government for its refusal to support the lemming like rush to war against Russia.
Craig Murray was formerly British ambassador to Uzbekistan and provides a much needed alternative to the propaganda the western public has been bombarded with about the Skripal poisoning.
No evidence has been presented.
Winston Peters should fly to Moscow to look at signing a bilateral trade deal.
This would free us from the clutches of Washington and Beijing and show the world we are an independent nation, not a lackey of the US.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDrdlYZXa_o
Were did you get the impression we are not a lackey of the USA. When you have years of a National govt the Yanks say jump and we say how high.
No longer National.
Winston Peters keen to make trade pact with Russia.
Duplicity Allen’s latest hatchet job aimed at undermining the government leads The National Herald online as “breaking news”.
Hyperbolic BS but I guess that’s what she’s paid for.
The Government has had three weeks of car crash problems and Jacinda Ardern dropped the ball virtually every time.
When it starts with the word Hosking, I never read it. I now apply the same to HD Allen.
I’m doing the same to Duncan Garner as well
And both their partners – Soper and Hawkesby.
And Garner.
Richardson.
Trevett.
Kirk.
The list of corporate puppets is long.
The Nats narrative continues….but they are laying it on a little too thick and obvious…people still like Jacinda and want to give her a chance so I reckon these unfair attacks will backfire.
Thank you to the petitioner who held up a mirror to Bob Jones. Sadly he pokes his own eyes out so as not to see. Media giving him more oxygen today
Go Judith Collins nephew, go hard and give it your best!
First few rounds to Anthony but joes coming back
Game plan seems to be to take Anthony to the later rounds
Refs a bit shit, keeps splitting them up when they get close, helps no one
I think boxing is an inhumane sport.
Rich people watching poor people hitting each other.
😆 Joshua is very wealthy and regardless of whether Jospeh Parker wins or loses he will be very comfortably off after this fight.
You can describe Joshua and Parker as a lot of things but definitely not poor.
If you look at the pay cheques they receive they’ll end up a lot richer than most people watching it.
We’re they rich when they started boxing?’
How many boxers get battered brains and never make any money?
You know that people actually do the sport because the love it – they aren’t all chasing money.
Im more inclined to see it as rich white WASPs watching tattooed brown people beat each other up.
I’m more inclined to see it as two exceptional sportspeople competing and putting an amazing show.
Funny what people see huh?
Too many rules. MMA is better – sparring with a good friend is better still, so long as you have the emotional fortitude not to get upset by the occasional broken rib or fat lip 🙂
There is no “Better” they are completely different – and people can love them for what they are.
Fair enough, but participating is still more fun than spectating 🙂
Did plenty in my younger days. Too old, too slow and too fat now.
The Romans reverted to violent sports to distract an ever more unhappy population as their empire came to a close.
Your equivalence is simplistic and wrong.
You understand that this is simply a sport that people do for enjoyment, and a lucky few get to make it their career as professional sports people.
Will probably go the distance, both fighters still look sharp
Easy to say sitting here but Joe needs to let go, too far behind on the card imho, 2 rounds to go
Last round, joe needs to go beast mode and ko anthony
“beast mode”….. says it all there.
It is a repulsive activity.
All the rich white men approving of it on this site would never get involved themselves.
When a young bloke of ANY colour is wanting a way out of poverty and ratty jobs he will often start thinking about working to be a professional fighter of some kind.
Some join the military. Some become MMA fighters. Some are bouncers or enforcers. Some turn to boxing.
And where there aren’t any ‘rich white men’ there will certainly be men of other skin shades willing to pay for the training and overheads to see if their ‘prospect’ has what it takes to win them large-ish sums.
Cock fights, dog fights, rats in a pen. It doesn’t matter how illegal you make it all (and it has been) it still goes on. Must be a species thing.
Anything to back up that statement – I know for a fact you are wrong.
“When a young bloke of ANY colour is wanting a way out of poverty and ratty jobs he will often start thinking about working to be a professional fighter of some kind.”
Stop with the patronising bs and do some research why don’t ya. Start with a simple google search on JP’s upbringing.
I could have said he was that far behind he had to go for the ko which would have meant forcing the issue and taking more hits but since I was posting between rounds I didn’t have the time. However anyone with even a basic knowledge of combat sports would get the gist of it, since you didn’t why even bother to post?
Puckish, it’s the language used. I know what it means, but the language, “beast mode”, is not the language of sport, or fair human competition. Rather it is the language of the arena.
I followed boxing in terms of Cassius Clay/Mohammed Ali as a young man.
Then I began to find the notion of two human beings, in the name of sport, trying to disable or knock each other unconscious distasteful, appalling even.
Now at 68 years old, with the adrenalin of the young a fading memory, I deliberately put my attention elsewhere.
I prefer the likes of Tom Walsh- strong, competitive, skilled, in a sport where the big, fast and powerful do harm to 7.2 kg iron balls.
Oh goodie, lacking anything constructive to say, puckish rogue has decided that he will actively promote violence.
What next, throwing babies in front of trains. Oh what, that is probably a bit to much hyperbole for your poor wee brain to comprehend.
I find commentary of one human beating up another very unpleasant.
Ignore it then.
Many enjoy it – that’s why they make millions of dollars off people paying $50 to pay it.
We had friends around for a boxing breakfasts. Very enjoyable and social.
“Ignore it then.”
We would if we could but when it is rammed down your throat by the so-called “News” media on every pathetic excuse of news bulletins, it hard to ignore it.
It is a pity the news media did not give the same in-depth coverage of Findlaysons breach of Dot Com privacy rights or the state of our health service after 9 years of Nationals incompetence, or the lack of bridges built by Bridges. Just a few items to get on with.
“We had friends around for a boxing breakfast. Very enjoyable and social.”
Bully for you. I have just realised how fortunate I am compared with you, as I have NO friends who are interested in that barbaric thuggery and they certainly would not be invited for breakfast to watch 2 males over bacon and eggs smashing shit out of one another creating future brain damage
It is not sport mate it is thuggery nothing more nothing less.
+1. Was going to reply to his sad comment but you did it better than I could have. Any society that considers two people in a contest where the object is to harm the other other human being is “sport” or “entertainment” is in a decline to cruelty and darkness.
“Bully for you. I have just realised how fortunate I am compared with you, as I have NO friends who are interested in that barbaric thuggery and they certainly would not be invited for breakfast to watch 2 males over bacon and eggs smashing shit out of one another creating future brain damage
It is not sport mate it is thuggery nothing more nothing less.”
All I can say – perhaps if you had a wider group of friends – perhaps with differing views, as opposed to a small group of people that can only think like you then perhaps, just perhaps you might end up a happier, more rounded person.
We also had hash browns, and black pudding.
But despite your passioned statement – Boxing IS a sport – Its in the olympics.
Boxing IS a sport – Its in the olympics.
It’s still brutal thuggery. Knockout = brain damage. You do know that?
So – we can at least we agree you were wrong – that it is a sport.
Thats great.
Yes – I know knockouts can cause problems. Shall we ban all sports that have the potential for knockouts? Lets start with Rugby, League, Aussie rules, etc etc etc
So – we can at least we agree you were wrong – that it is a sport.
Sorry, how can I be wrong? I never said it wasn’t a sport James. I just said it was also thuggery. You must be thinking of someone else.
Nice try at whataboutism with other sports as well. The difference is that the potential for knockouts and brain damage is incidental to those other activities, whereas in boxing it’s the object.
Apologies – it was halfcrown who said it wasnt a sport.
As for thuggery – it might come as a surprise to you (guessing that you have never boxed) – that people in it do not consider it thuggery.
its called the sweet science for a reason.
But – feel free to have your views and make judgement about the many millions of people who play it, or enjoy watching it as a sport.
Wrong guess as yes I have boxed. And no it’s no surprise to me that those who take part or watch don’t consider it’s thuggery.
But I suspect that any fan of blood sports thinks they are okay. Calling trying to give a fellow human being brain damage “a sweet science” is a wee bit of a stretch don’t you think?
Boxing breakfasts with your friends? It’s barbecue 2.0 all over again.
Classic!
Only for people without the friends or social skills to actually have either.
No evidence has been shown the Russians did it.
[This post was and is about Israeli actions in Gaza]
[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.]
That evidence will never be presented in any formal sense, because there’s never going to be a trial, because when someone is charged, the Kremlin (not “the Russians”) will refuse to extradite them, just like Lugovoy.
However, the fact that the Kremlin (not “the Russians”) has authored an ongoing series of self-contradictory bullshit stories and excuses makes them (the Kremlin, not “the Russians”) look as guilty as fuck.
Also, the fact that Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Albania, Australia, Canada, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Norway, Ukraine and the USA have expelled diplomats indicates that sufficiently persuasive evidence has been presented to convince them.
Whereas if the Kremlin presented a signed confession, you would claim the CIA forced them into it.
Just like Sadam had weapons of mass destruction.
Exactly.
What form of ‘natural justice’ includes consequences after unsubstantiated allegations?
Diplomacy and justice are separate domains. This is why your house is being sold from under you: because you have no friggin’ idea which rules apply to which circumstances.
Is it “just like” that? Saddam never had WMD, and stuck to that story throughout. The intelligence services backed him up.
In this instance, the Kremlin makes contradictory excuse after contradictory excuse, their story changes multiple times a day, a chemical weapon has actually been used, and its use fits a well-established pattern.
What’s more, Putin boasted about it the day after it happened. I get it: lots of people are scared that Russia is ruled by a gang of poisonous trash. The UK and USA aren’t much better, and you really oughta stop lying to yourselves and face facts.
Could you link to that OAB?
(Putin boasting the day after)
I’ve been following it pretty closely but I missed that bit.
Francesca, I recommend you follow Craig Murray.
A very interesting perspective.
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/
Thanks ED, I have been following it
Craigs good
You know perfectly well what I’m referring to, because you tried running your bullshit excuses the last time I mentioned it.
Thats not an answer OAB
I fear you’ve been caught out by your own bluster.
Is your memory so feeble? Or are you simply incapable of arguing in good faith?
I think it’s the latter, and spare me another round of your bullshit excuses: I’ve heard them.
OAB,
not so hasty
Your reading of Putin’s “boast” fails to disclose the quote “As for the traitors “etc was actually made in 2010, some years after Litvinenko (who died in 2006) and some years before the Skripal poisoning .(2018)
As well the quote was purposely abbreviated to suggest the opposite of its meaning, and showcased on March 6th 2018 as if it was a current statement
A closer reading of the Telegraph article would have clarified that
You alongside several others were apparently fooled
https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/40900/did-putin-threaten-to-have-traitors-assassinated
And by the way,OAB, the Qatar incident was even earlier , in 2004
He said this in 2010, apparently.
🙄
OAB, that is not the2010 Telegraph link you were trying to say negated my post , which you sent me back to
However , if you want to run with your new link,.. thats hardly a boast
Its a pretty much solid observation..karma, what goes around comes around
https://russian.stackexchange.com/questions/16026/did-putin-literally-say-those-who-serve-us-with-poison-will-eventually-swallow
I hadn’t noticed that you had ever linked to the 2018 news article, in our earlier exchanges you were most definitely talking about the Telegraph article which was supposed to have undermined my posts
Not enough evidence to convince JA though. I’d suggest that’s coz there is no evidence. The expulsions are symbolic only and good on JA for telling them to get fucked with their shitty symbolism.
Heather Duplicity-Allen calle for someone, anyone to be expelled for the sake of appearances. OAB, do you stand shoulder to shoulder with Duplicity-Allen on this?
Not enough evidence to convince JA though
Is it your position that JA is lying when she says “there is no plausible alternative to who else it could be…”?
Is it your position that she is lying when she says the SIS advises that there are no
Kremlin henchmenRussian diplomats in NZ who meet the criteria for expulsion?Do you think it’s likely that I agree with HdPA? Try Professor Geddis.
Sorry Bill
The media critics of the new government seem to have no recall of the fact National in 2008 had some new inexperienced ministers who took a while (and some, never) to become conversant with their portfolios. Likewise of Key who got away with all sorts of hiccups, with barely a whimper from them.
A relative started listening to HDP on the radio and was not impressed and this relative has been a Key supporter. Likewise does not like Hosking.
As for Barry Soper, what an unpleasant man he is. I have witnessed him have an almighty temper tantrum. Boils down to these critics not being nice people. Too many adjectives to use for them! So in my book, they have very jaundiced thought processes.
Jacinda herself said early on there would be mistakes. She is not so arrogant to think otherwise. Life’s lessons are often learnt from mistakes. As was said in an article on some children learning chess – the children have to learn to lose before they learn to win when playing chess.
Jacinda will come through these issues a little wiser and better prepared. She is a quick learner. I think it’s remarkable how she has risen to all the challenges she has faced in the last year and some patience and understanding from the left and centre left please!
They are paid puppets.
Their income and lifestyle depends on pumping out such propaganda.
No wonder they are angry and unhappy people.
“No wonder they are angry and unhappy people.”
What’s your excuse ?
1000% Reality @ 8
Well Joseph Parker was beaten but certainly not disgraced, going the distance and all but that ref stepped in far too many times for either fighters liking I reckon
Congratulations to Anthony Joshua, he fought a good game plan and was a well-deserved winner and Joseph Parker still has a future in the heavy weight division
Anthony Joshua 1st
Joseph Parker 2nd
Ref Zero
No arguments there
The film Dominion opened in Melbourne on the 29th March.
It sounds very powerful.
Does anyone know when it is coming to New Zealand?
https://www.plantbasednews.org/post/activist-james-aspey-breaks-down-intense-vegan-film-dominion
Good on you Ed,
I would hope no one could watch this trailer and not question the morality of ignoring/defending such human actions towards animals
Sadly there are many who can.
There are many people who are only too ready to heap another slaughtered sentient being on the barbie.
I don’t know what it’s going to take for more people to see how cruel eating meat is. We have a choice.
“Without intervention, the situation for our most vulnerable citizens is only going to get worse, as fresh food becomes more frequently priced out of reach.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12016943
or…
“And it is a certainty the price of these “animal-less” foods is going to drop to a fraction of anything New Zealand could possibly grow in a field.”
https://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/102640438/the-future-of-everything-why-the-third-industrial-revolution-is-a-risk-to-nz
You can see why this guy why voted out of office. Good comments on sanctions. This is what a Christian left can look like.
A massive building human tragedy 9 years in the making
“Israel: Gaza March ‘Dangerous’ Provocation, Hamas to Blame for Any Violence”
Friday’s March of Return will see Gazans protest on Israeli border ■ Israeli official to Palestinians: You’ve been warned ■ Palestinian lawmaker: Proof that Israel’s intentions are to kill protesters
By Noa Landau and Jack Khoury
“EU’s Mogherini Calls for Independent Probe Into Israeli Army Fire on Gaza Border”
“EU foreign policy chief says Friday’s events show need for ‘political solution for Gaza’ and ‘urgent resumption of peace talks’ between Israel and the Palestinians”
The call for an independent inquiry into the killings of protesters by Israel has also been made by the United Nations General Secretary. However a meeting of the UN Security Council, which has the power to order such an investigation, reportedly ended its deliberations without any agreement on this matter which was raised there. No mention of whether permanent SC member the USA, threatened to use its veto to prevent such an investigation.
https://www.haaretz.com/.premium-un-security-council-convenes-to-discuss-gaza-without-israel-1.5962543
“Defense chief Lieberman slams ‘chorus of hypocrites’ calling for independent investigation into Gaza border deaths”
Haaretz, Mar 31, 2018
My free articles to Haaretz has been used up, but I think we can get the message.
Israel does not want any investigation into its shooting down of unarmed protesters.
And the US will back Israel by vetoing any move by the UN to call one, if it is ever raised again in the Security Council.
Talking about “hypocrites”, the US representative to the UN has complained long and hard about other Permanent Member, Russia, using their veto to prevent investigation into the killing of civilians by the Assad regime.
We know where every bullet went IDF
|
“Israel admits, then deletes, responsibility for Gaza killings”
Electronic Intifada, 31 March, 2018
“Abdul Fattah Abdul Nabi, a 19-year-old Palestinian, was shot dead during Friday’s protests in the Gaza Strip.”
Mahmoud Abu Salama
BEIT LAHIA, Gaza
However with the US right of veto at the United Nations Security Council, it is unlikely that the US will allow any international independent investigation into these killings.
NZ ANTI-CORRUPTION WHISTLE-BLOWER ALERT!
(Sunday 1 April 2018 – but this is no April Fool’s joke 🙁
31 March 2018
Press Release : Anti-corruption whistle-blower Penny Bright
“Stop the forced rating sale of my home! How is Auckland Council lawfully compliant with its own ‘Rating Sale Policy’?”
“Today (Saturday 31 March 2018) the forced rating sale of my freehold property was publicly advertised,” says ‘anti-corruption whistle-blower, Penny Bright.
” I have contacted the Barfoot and Thompson agent, and advised him that I do NOT consent to anyone ‘viewing’ my property, and that I am raising this matter directly with the Attorney-General because I believe that lawful due process has not been followed by Auckland Council.”
“The Auckland Council Rating Sales Policy (CP2013/01403) states:
“14: The rating sales process is outlined by the following steps:
1. legal proceedings are initiated, and a court judgment issued with a Charging Order (registered on title documents) against the property.
..
16. The power to enforce a rating sale comes with a significant responsibility to ensure that the power is not used inappropriately.
A policy on rating sales has therefore being developed to ensure that there are clear rules regarding rating sales.”
“The ‘Composite Computer Register Under Land Transfer Act 1952, that I have, (search date 8 March 2017) hows no Charging Order registered against my property for the Judgment Debt of $47,431.76, given in the Auckland District Court on 18 January 2017.”
It appears that Auckland Council CEO Stephen Town, has not followed Auckland Council’s ‘Rating Sale Policy’.
…….
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption whistle-blower’.
PS: A ‘Give A Little Page’ will be set up ASAP, because a number of people have requested it.
The goal will be to raise the $20,000 to cover outstanding rates, and the money will be deposited into a solicitor’s account.
This money will be held there, until the Public Records Act 2005, s.17 is fully complied with, regarding transparency and accountability in the spending of public monies on private sector consultants and contractors, and the following information is published on the websites of Auckland Council and all Auckland Council-Controlled Organisations (CCOs), under ‘Procurement – Awarded Contracts’:
* The unique contract number.
* The name of the consultant / contractor.
* A brief description of the scope of the contract.
* Contract start / finish dates.
* The exact dollar value of each and every contract – including those sub-contracted.
* How the contract was awarded – by direct appointment or public tender.
There will be a LOT of good that comes from this draconian municipal bullying of an unprotected ‘citizen whistle-blower’ in New Zealand ‘perceived’ to be ‘the least corrupt country in the world’, and WE ‘turn this bad thing into a good thing’!
I’m fighting for transparency, I’m not wrong and I’m NOT backing down.
Sell your house yourself to ensure best price. Repay your rates and buy a smaller place with lower rates. You are not going to win this fight to keep your house so plan for the longer game.
Penny, I have to agree with Tracey, unless you control this, they will sell your house at a low price.
If you want to stay in the fight, think about she said.
Penny Bright your cause and desire to expose the fraudulent operations of Auckland Council are admirable indeed…
The system has decided it has had enough and must make a clear statement to the citizens that they do not own property, even when no mortgage exists…
Take that as a signal of how close to full exposure you have achieved…your actions will no longer be tolerated…
The advice to take control of the situation for yourself before you are sidelined completely, is sound and should be considered…surely you are evaluating the risks…
It’s not quitting if you get out while you’re ahead…which in a moral sense, absolutely you are…
That said, if you choose to remain on tact, that is equally honourable…
Go well
It could easily be considered fraudulent to solicit money from the public on the basis of mis-reading the Public Records Act as a law about publishing information. It simply isn’t. You have been told this repeatedly.
Not to mention that even if she raises the 20 grand, “it’s with a lawyer somewhere” doesn’t mean shit so her house is still going to be sold.
Looks like Penny’s going to lose her home for nothing.
All she had to do was put the rates money aside, and pay it at the last minute.
Penny has a fair point… I know for a fact that Auckland transport engaged a consultant, then hired the consultant’s son’s company to quote for and carry out the recomended works. They asked said contractor to break the quoted sum into 3 parts as to avoid triggering a high enough sum which would need another 2 prices in a competitive process and signing off from higher up. Total figure was around 90k…
Yeah she had a point, but if she was going to pay the rates when they satisfied her reporting demands, why hadn’t she simply put the money aside in the first place?
Now she seems to be looking for crowdsource funds to put the money aside (so they’re still going to sell her house and get the rates that way). They’re still her damned rates to pay.
No argument from me there, I was under the impression she had the funds set aside.
She has made her point and could continue to make it if she paid enough to avoid the sale or in fact cleared the sum before refusing to pay again forcing the council to begin the process again keeping the matter in the spotlight.
yeah, that could make her a fly in the ointment for decades lol
This is 5 minutes long, but the first 3 minutes is what you want to watch. Kid and God completely destroy hateful fox news commentator.
For patricia bremner
As discussed on the other post, here are links to all ten of the articles Henry Cooke did as he accompanied the five day Parliamentary Mission to the Pacific which were published progressively by Stuff on their website over that timeframe. The only one you read and criticised for its once over lightly was in fact his wrap up article at 10. below completing the series.
In sequence, these ten articles by Henry Cooke were:
1. A preliminary scene-setting one written before the visit started, detailing the bigger picture issues relevant to the relationships etc between NZ and the Pacific islands, and anticipated achievements from the trip: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/101956367/pm-jacinda-arderns-chance-to-set-the-tone-in-the-pacific
2. An article specifically on climate change and its effects on Samoa, speeches given by our PM and Climate Change Minister James Shaw to an audience of Samoan MPs and officials at a climate change luncheon, and their visits to local spots showing the effects of climate change: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/101975846/Ardern-says-NZ-must-do-our-bit-to-fight-climate-change-before-asking-the-world-for-help
3. Another article specifically on the donations to Samoa announced by the PM of $3 million more in disaster recovery aid and $6.5m in development funds for small businesses run by women and young people: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/101971248/NZ-donates-almost-10-million-to-Samoa
4. A final article on Samoa on the hospitality and celebrations that took place; climate change; and the aid announcements: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/101995813/jacinda-arderns-island-honeymoon-with-samoa-comes-with-big-promises
5. and 6. Two articles on the one day visit to Niue – One on the aid assistance announced, which included $5m for another solar panels farm to help Niue reach their goal of 80% renewable energy by 2025; and the second a lighter one focusing in part on the PM’s reunion with her family in Niue: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/102020729/niue-gets-575m-from-nz-premier-asks-for-pension-portability and https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/102007922/jacinda-arderns-homecoming-visit-to-niue
7. One article on Tonga covering aid including emergency relief for the cyclone Gita damage and the visit itself, which included the delegation seeing this damage first hand: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/102039953/prime-minister-jacinda-ardern-arrives-in-a-turbulent-tonga
8. and 9. Two articles on the visit to the Cook Islands – One specifically on the biggest announcement of the whole trip on the relaxation of the rules for the payment of NZ Superannuation to Niueans, Cook Islanders and Tokelauans, and the other on the very colourful and friendly visit itself, but which also includes further discussion on the relaxed NZ Super rules:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/102082994/pm-jacinda-ardern-announces-pension-portability-for-cook-islanders-tokeulauns-and-niueans
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/102082053/jacinda-ardern-saves-the-best-for-last-in-rarotonga
10. And finally, Henry Cooke’s wrap up article summarizing what was achieved by the visit itself, and also looking at the bigger, longer term issues: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/102122822/jacinda-ardern-has-begun-a-pacific-reset-but-what-the-region-really-needs-is-an-upgrade
Oops I think my long one deservedly has gone into moderation or spam (Moderators can ditch my long one re the same subject which has presumably gone into moderation or spam due to the number of links. My sincere apologies as I had intended to spread over a couple of comments then forgot and pressed submit and raced off to do something else.)
So i will start again.
To patricia bremner
As discussed on the other post today, Henry Cooke wrote ten (10) articles – not one – while he was on the Parliamentary Mission to the Pacific Islands earlier in March and which were progressively published on the Stuff website (and presumably in some of the Fairfax newspapers) over the course of those five days. The only one that you apparently read and then criticised for being once over lightly in your comment on Daily Review 9 March 2018 was the last on which was Cooke’s wrap up article.
Here are the links which I will break into three lots so as not to clog up the works here.
In sequence, these ten articles by Henry Cooke were:
1. A preliminary scene-setting one written before the visit started, detailing the bigger picture issues relevant to the relationships etc between NZ and the Pacific islands, and anticipated achievements from the trip: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/101956367/pm-jacinda-arderns-chance-to-set-the-tone-in-the-pacific
2. An article specifically on climate change and its effects on Samoa, speeches given by our PM and Climate Change Minister James Shaw to an audience of Samoan MPs and officials at a climate change luncheon, and their visits to local spots showing the effects of climate change: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/101975846/Ardern-says-NZ-must-do-our-bit-to-fight-climate-change-before-asking-the-world-for-help
3. Another article specifically on the donations to Samoa announced by the PM of $3 million more in disaster recovery aid and $6.5m in development funds for small businesses run by women and young people: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/101971248/NZ-donates-almost-10-million-to-Samoa
4. A final article on Samoa on the hospitality and celebrations that took place; climate change; and the aid announcements: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/101995813/jacinda-arderns-island-honeymoon-with-samoa-comes-with-big-promises
Rest to follow.
Continuation of the above. Part 2 of 3
5. and 6. Two articles on the one day visit to Niue – One on the aid assistance announced, which included $5m for another solar panels farm to help Niue reach their goal of 80% renewable energy by 2025; and the second a lighter one focusing in part on the PM’s reunion with her family in Niue:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/102020729/niue-gets-575m-from-nz-premier-asks-for-pension-portability and
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/102007922/jacinda-arderns-homecoming-visit-to-niue
7. One article on Tonga covering aid including emergency relief for the cyclone Gita damage and the visit itself, which included the delegation seeing this damage first hand: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/102039953/prime-minister-jacinda-ardern-arrives-in-a-turbulent-tonga
Part 3 of 3 to follow
Part 3 of 3
8. and 9. Two articles on the visit to the Cook Islands – One specifically on the biggest announcement of the whole trip on the relaxation of the rules for the payment of NZ Superannuation to Niueans, Cook Islanders and Tokelauans, and the other on the very colourful and friendly visit itself, but which also includes further discussion on the relaxed NZ Super rules:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/102082994/pm-jacinda-ardern-announces-pension-portability-for-cook-islanders-tokeulauns-and-niueans
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/102082053/jacinda-ardern-saves-the-best-for-last-in-rarotonga
10. And finally, Henry Cooke’s wrap up article summarizing what was achieved by the visit itself, and also looking at the bigger, longer term issues: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/102122822/jacinda-ardern-has-begun-a-pacific-reset-but-what-the-region-really-needs-is-an-upgrade
This last one seems to be the only one you read, Patricia.
Hello Veutoviper, Thank you for those articles. By now you will realise I have limited computer skills.
I definitely deserved a reprimand, as I had skimmed two of those articles without taking in that Henry wrote them. (A busy week with hospital and family visits none of which are easy currently)
Henry Cooke’s articles were clear and evocative, showing skill. I stand corrected.
In case you do not see this, I will again post on open mike. I said I had looked, I obviously need to learn a few more skills… will get Norm to show me how to Bookmark.
Thanks patricia. I knew that if you realised that you had not seen the rest of Cooke’s articles that you would see that your criticism was unwarranted. My original draft reply also covered a number of other issues raised in your original comment but we will leave most of those at this point.
However, re political bias, I am sure that you would now agree that there is no way that the quality and content of Cooke’s full set of articles can be equated with some of the (IMO) clearly rightwing lightweight biased garbage masquerading as journalism from these two other writers who are some years Cooke’s senior who also wrote articles on the Parliamentary Mission to the Pacific, although neither writer actually went on the trip.
Mike Hosking – http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12009354
Duncan Garner – https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/102122996/pm-dishes-out-the-charm-and-money-on-pacific-tour
I think, and hope that you would actually find that equation horrifying.
I would also like to include a rather long explanation which I included in my original draft response to you and which I touched on briefly in one of my many comments yesterday on MS’ excellent post – https://thestandard.org.nz/the-manufacturing-of-a-narrative/#comment-1468693
This is a general explanation, not directed specifically at you, as to why I have stood up for Cooke (and some other individual journalists) and will continue to do so. It was written weeks ago well before the excess of coverage of one event – combined with a lack of coverage of some other major issues, events and decisions of considerable public interest – of the last week or so, which resulted in MS’s post and the enormous response to it over Easter when things usually go quiet here.
But I still stand by it, even if I don’t always follow it to the letter myself. (See my last para!) I did not feel it was appropriate for MS’ post, but want to say it to let off stream if nothing else. I felt Drinnan was brave coming into the lion’s den yesterday. and I give him credit for doing so. This may help explain some of my responses there.
—————————————-
As we had previously discussed, I have no direct connections with Cooke himself although we have mutual acquaintances. This is quite normal in the small world of the government- centred scene here in Wellington. I do not write on his or any other journalists’ behalf; nor am I (or ever have been) a journalist, or teacher of journalism or media studies, or a family member of any journalist. But I have known, and liaised with many journalists over the years, as part of my past jobs in the public service.
My defence of Cooke and his journalism has been because I am very interested in the quality etc of our Fourth Estate here in NZ in view of its influence on society and democracy. There is a lot of criticism of our media which is quite normal – the question is whether it is in fact justified or not, either generally or in the case of specific journalists, publications, or other means of dissemination eg blogs, digital press etc. All of which is a very big separate subject in itself.
In brief, my own personal view is that we have had a fairly stale media for some years with a lot of people in the industry having been around for a long time and with fairly fixed views and positions politically.
In the last couple of years I have noticed a number of younger talented reporters coming through the system with much fresher, more socially aware mindsets and interests, and who do not seem to have the same fixed views, political connections etc that many of the older ones do.
Cooke is one I put into this group, as are Kirsty Johnston and Jess McAllen who I mentioned to you, Patricia, in a separate exchange here on TS recently unrelated to Cooke. These three are by no means the only ones; and I am quite excited to see this generational shift as people like Johnston and McAllen in particular are producing some excellent writing about things like social justice, mental health, and special needs issues.
But it is a hard road for this young cohort with the retrenchment of print media resulting in fewer and fewer opportunities for getting in the door and finding steady employment in this field, and coupled with the increasing reliance on freelance and casual writers to produce the stories for the growing digital media. There is a high drop out rate of the younger reporters as a result of these bigger factors along with low rates of pay, job insecurity, long hours etc.
IMO we need to be encouraging this cohort of young journalists and reporters to keep them in the business and to keep them fresh and open minded – to ensure a healthy Fourth Estate for the future. Unfair criticism and unsubstantiated claims and accusation of political bias etc does not do this and just adds to the other pressures on these people, leading to them quitting the profession.
So I decided some time ago that I would stand up for and support this young cohort collectively and individually where I think they deserve it. I also do this in respect of older journalists where I also think they are being unfairly targeted, criticized etc. Unfortunately there is sometimes here on TS a ‘lemming’ approach to criticism of the media generally, which also fails to distinguish between management and editorial power and control over content and balance, and the work of individual journalists (including the limitations on them to choose their subject and the way their articles are edited and presented).
I really believe that we will achieve far better results towards achieving a better Fourth Estate for the future by trying to communicate with members of the media and opening up discussion rather than continually attacking them.
Yes, critique the structure, management and bias of the organizations, and their editorial decisions re content and balance, and of individual journalists where such criticism is warranted and can be verified with facts; but don’t tar all journalists with the same brush. They themselves are a very broad church of people with different personal and journalistic experience, beliefs, values and goals just as are the rest of us.
——————————
Having read the above, some people would say that I am a total hypocrite in view of my criticism of Garner and Hosking at the top of this post – and they are probably right, but I am human too! LOL.
Kremlin connected thugs emboldened.
[…]
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/980032323923185664.html
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian authorities on Saturday arrested billionaire Ziyavudin Magomedov on charges of embezzling more than $35 million, in one of the highest-profile prosecutions of a Russian tycoon in years.
Magomedov denied the charges at a pre-trial hearing, where a judge ordered that he be held in custody until May 30.
One of Russia’s richest men, the 49-year-old Magomedov holds assets in construction and logistics through his sprawling Summa Group. He also has investments in U.S. tech ventures, including the Virgin One Hyperloop project.
He was detained along with his business partner and brother, Magomed Magomedov, and Artur Maksidov, the head of a company in the Summa Group that was involved in the construction of a soccer World Cup venue in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-summa-corruption/russian-tycoon-magomedov-arrested-on-embezzlement-charges-idUSKBN1H70A2
Te namu onepu decided to send in a repeat actor back to hang around ECO MAORI this person tried to get me and my wife to move into a whare that was half the size of the one we got now with little privacy for the same price of rent all because they were friends ????? of my wife and there dad owned it last time YEA RIGHT .This time Koni and Te namu onepu decided that they would try me again. I treated this person with respect the problem was this person was wanting to talk to me more than my wife ?????? I played along for a bit then I shut it out of my conversation as its not my friend. Ana to kai ka kite ano
Newshub the deep fake photos will always be able to be discredited with a examination of the data used to make and display those photos .
Many thanks to te Australian Common wealth games people for advocating Ladies Equality ka pai Mana wahine.
I’m quite good at reading the weather not as good as I should be being a ex fisherman but I left that up to the skipper I have fished right around Aoteraroa down to the Auckland Islands Chatham Islands like my tipuna before me .
Some people have to remember that I see all events .
It was a good week of sports for Eco Maori Ka pai ka kite ano
Ko Ruaumoko e ngunguru nei
Hi Au Au Aue ha
Ko Ruaumoko e ngunguru nei
Hi Au Au Aue ha
I aha aha
E ko te rakau a Tu nga werewere I ha
ha
He rakau tapu na Tutaua ki a Uenuku
[Ko Ruaumoko e ngunguru nei]
I patukia ki te tipua ki o Rangitopeka
Pakaru ti upoko o Rangitopeka
Patua ki waenganui o te tau ki
Hikurangi
He toka whakairo etu ake nei
He atua He tangata He atua He
tangata ho
He atua he atua tau Paretaitoko
Kia kitea e Paretaitoko te whare
haunga
I ha ha Kia whakatete mai o rei he kuri
Au
I Ahaha
Na wai parehua taku hope kia whakaka
te rangi
Kia tare au Hi
He roha te kawau
Hi
Kei te pou tara
Tu ka tete ka Tau ha
Ko komako ko komako
E ko te hau tapu
e rite ki te kai na Matariki pakia
Tapa reireia koi tapa
Tapa kononua kaiana tukua
I aue hi
I ahaha
Ka tu te ihiihi
ka tu te wanawana
Ki runga i te rangi
e tu iho nei
HI