I have one I go to once every three years, held on my Dad's side old family farm way up north inland from Whangaroa Harbour. Mostly consists of swimming in the big stream, a large bonfire that lasts for three days and we roll logs onto every night to keep it going, a deer on a spit, and looking after my brother who is usually gone on Cody's.
But I have this one coming up today, down in the Waikato. Most of them have done pretty well. It's a once-in-a-century thing and involves tours of multiple farm visits, obligatory photographs, church services, and a whole gallon more people. It's going to have pikelets and cakes with volumes of cream. They've all done pretty well.
Maybe it's a latent class thing, maybe I'm anxious I just won't measure up, but I'm a whole bunch more nervous going to this single event than the regular one on the other side of the family.
I'm comfortable enough not caring about my tribe in the ethnographic sense, but a large part of me wants to just stay home and do jobs around the house.
My advice would be to treat it as a character test. I agree with JanM though – being relaxed, going with the flow & enjoying the situation usually works best. I always find these kinds of situations test my mettle though, so I enjoy them most when rising to the challenge.
So if the discussion turns to politics, don't shirk it. If someone gets stroppy, deflect the passive aggressive stance by being reasonable. Zen works. They get off on confrontation, so reframing them has that disconcerting effect. You can usually see them lose it & flounder. Then reassure them by acknowledging common ground – where it can be clearly seen.
Of course we're all different and what works for me doesn't necessarily work for others. But extended family vibes are often a mix of suppressed resentments and uncertainty, overlaid with a forced bonhomie, and I discovered that steam-rolling is quite effective at transforming the communal ambience. As long as one is good at weathering whatever reactions one gets!! 😎
Oh, the politics – he he – forgot about that! My father's family are Waikato farmers and belong to the 'would vote for a dead horse as long as it was a Nat' school of thought. I have definitely had my moments as a result. Stay off the subject – there is absolutely no point in doing otherwise. Talk tractors and the drought and what it was like 'back in the day'.
A family member turned up unannounced just yesterday. She was racist several times and also made derogatory comments upon seeing my severely disabled neighbor. In a group context I could just ignore her and go talk to a cousin I like. In a one on one context it was very hard to bite the bullet. I don't mind people who are ill informed nearly so much as those who are hateful.
I recommend alcohol, but not too much you get loose lipped. Families are challenging for a lot of us.
Yeah, sounds tricky. I'm oldest of four sons and the second one does bigotry quite readily, given half a chance. I've evolved a way of managing it but it's improvisational rather than standard. Depends how the situation feels, eh?
Funny thing is he was quite alternative & relatively easy-going in the early '70s – before he became good at business. Human nature is endlessly diverse the way it evolves. People who turn into bigots often feed off whatever energy you give them, whether positive or negative. You get adept at disengaging, but that's a learning curve that takes a while.
Just roll with it! Eat the pikelets, talk to the rellies – especially the older ones – listen to the stories, and remember that once they've gone there's no-one left to ask. Take a deep breath and enjoy your day 🙂
JanM, such wisdom.
I'm now one of the older rellies. Last night I attended a family 21st and told a story or two.
I was hugely impressed with the speech-making and with the quality of the people there, especially the young.
I told the young man turning 21 that as a seventy year old, and going on the evidence of the party, that the world is turning over into the good hands of another generation or two.
I was minded of the mystic Kahlil Gibran where he raised the issue of the parent generation being archers and the younger being living arrows- launched forward but with little control by the archer as to where the arrow might land.
It's the fate of us older ones…… to tell the stories, and hope.
Cool! I'm a few years older than you but there are still a few around who are in their 90s. It is our fate and also our privilege. I had a precious moment yesterday teaching my grand daughter (8) to mend her own stuffed toys using sewing things going back, in some cases, to my own grandmother. She loved it – so did I
To be fair, in much of Taranaki this issue is a festering sore; descendants of the dispossessed dwell on the vestiges of their ancestor's whenua alongside the farms of the descendants of the professional troops and militiamen who were awarded the confiscated whenua,
amazing reasoning I am almost persuaded to me taken along with your position😉
perhaps some should take a little time an invest in some background to the issue, and note the cause The Govt. current land owners are not the problem. https://teara.govt.nz/en/land-ownership/page-1
Right or wrong as to how these grievances were resolved. They have been resolved by agreement between all parties So these iwi's that have settled with the govt have had their wrongs addressed.
And your solution is to displace and wrong another (innocent) group. That will go along way to harmony 😇, bu tit does make one think.
So children should suffer for the sins of their fathers ?
I've heard several little bits of white saviour stuff since I began living in Taranaki and countless bits of straight out racism. All within the context of land confiscations. For example a thread runs something like 'Those immigrants (neighbours from India) are fine. They work to get ahead and send their children to university, not like those Māori who just want to get what they can for nothing'.
I live in an area that is very Pākehā retiree, so this is somewhat expected (apologies to older people who don't have these views). The first one that shocked me though, was when I overheard young landscape workers next-door discussing things:
A young Māori was politely informing a Pākehā work colleague that his views on early Taranaki history were not quite right the response:
"oh you're THAT sort of Māori are you? – well, it's our land – what about all the dairy and stuff we gave you?"
"Well you couldn't do it without us, you're farming on stolen land," was the frustrated retort.
Eventually the Māori worker had to calm things down with a "nah, it's all good mate" i.e. he didn't want to cause a fuss.
It was 2019 and that's the sort of conversation is going on with young people – the sins of the fathers are being perpetuated, albeit with ignorance and economic violence rather than actual violence. Imagine how stressful it is to get along at work – to even get jobs – when you're perceived as not being grateful enough for being given dairy, or whatever, by the white saviour after your land stolen?
Let's not pretend descendants of the first generations of Pākehā are innocents (unaware, maybe) in the continuing disadvantage that Māori endure through the loss of their societal & economic base all those years ago.
The sooner early Aotearoa/New Zealand history is learned by all, and political solutions are found to the shameful land confiscations, the better. Then we all might be able to move on with dignity, rather than with the suppression of dissent about the dominant historical narrative.
Here you have unwittingly highlighted the conflict between traditional Pākehā and Māori concepts of Time. Within Te Ao Māori the idea of linear time makes no sense; all actions affect each other, regardless of "when" they occur. The past is literally present in the present.
It was land taken in contravention of a treaty by the Crown which is a perpetual entity, so the Crown can and should make reparations. Whether that's as land or cash is a matter for agreement, but if the Crown can obtain desired land by buying it, that's a valid option.
So you and most of the other respondents to my post will back the Maori party to put private land up as an option for treaty settlements and open all prior settlements to re litigation
Provided it's under the standard Public Works arrangement, sure. Not sure how compulsorily acquiring land at no loss to the current owners is out of keeping with any other compulsory state acquisition.
Can we please stop abbreviating the Māori Party to 'MP'. That has a firmly-established meaning already in our political discourse. Needlessly confusing.
There are many different ways that iwi are being denied their justice and that is one glaring example. Here the Thames School of Mines sits on a site given initially to the Methodist Church for the building of a Sunday School. The old school still stands and is a Category 1 Historic place – but the original lease still stands, and the yearly fee is just $2 (One Pound) per year on a site of high value. and where the local iwi have lost all control over almost all the land – which actually was not part of the original agreement with the then Govt of the day in 1867.
So awesome to hear this fool talk about “it isn’t just undemocratic, it’s anti-democratic” and of "power without accountability" when he's standing there as an elected MP in the European Union Parliament.
Thankfully the British people gave him the result he deserved at the last election.
NZF will get more support. Swing voters will see a vote for the nats as a waste and go for NZF as an attempt to keep Labour in line. That's not counting the 'Bridges is an idiot' factor which was always going to be pretty helpful to Ardern and co but this latest news seals it. So yes, great news.
It appears National is going for broke and there’s a good chance that they pull it off too. They’ve got ACT in the bag and if they can drive NZF under 5% – they have now given themselves a licence to kill NZF – their chances go up considerably IMO.
That only works if they can get at least 45% on their own. Anything under that isn’t going to be enough. And what’s to stop Labour gifting NZFirst a seat this time? National can hardly kick up a fuss about that given they’ve signalled their intention to do the same for ACT in Epsom. It’s all a very risky strategy. It’s possible, of course, that the Nats are looking past this election to the next one??
I believe that 45% is imminently doable for National. I can’t see either NZF or Labour going for an Epsom-style deal and it could only work if both agree to it, or not? I also believe that National aims to win in 2020; all signs are pointing to this. Don’t forget that they do internal polling and the likes (call it ‘market research’). Lately, National’s attack campaigns have focussed heavily on Labour but we might now see an attack on two or more fronts. Steven Joyce’s piece in Stuff today was clearly aiming at the Greens.
The Nats seem to be taking a very long time to learn the mechanics of MMP government. If the planets don’t line up perfectly for Bridges in the upcoming election campaign he’s toast. The margins are tight and one bad week on the campaign trail could derail National’s winner-takes-all approach.
I see that Morrison has done an enormous backflip and now says that Australians in Wuhan won’t have to pay the $1000 to get on the rescue flight back to Australia. Just hours after that creep Dutton was out justifying it again. They’re claiming it was all a terrible mixup due to bad advice from DFAT in Canberra.
We should really rule out the phrase "rule out". It means absolutely nothing.
Imagine this scenario: election night Nats/ACT 59, Lab/Grn/NZF 61. Then we wait 2 weeks for special votes.
During those 2 weeks would National MPs shrug, say "never mind" and wait in silence, hoping they get lucky on specials? Of course not.
We can write the quotes now … "no U-turn, just having a conversation … need to think of good of the country … coalition has failed … National the biggest party … must respect voters … don't want another election … duty to consider all options … "
[Please stick to your original user handle, thanks]
Cool, I just changed it because a couple of people had mixed me up with another "Observer" (Tokoroa?) before. A different person. Anyway, happy to stick with it now.
[Thanks! You are correct about another commenter using the handle “Observer Tokoroa”, but I think the distinction is clear enough. However, we can revisit this if it becomes a problem]
Says it all about Mike Moore, 50 something comments. One News described him as known for his intellect and big heart. Laughed heartily and then wondered how these fuckwits will describe Roger Douglas. Weekend crew always a bit patchy.
Nowhere in the big media to talk intelligently anymore. That was always the way for TV since long time. And since Richard whathisname in charge of RNZ there's been a level that you can't go beyond. Or, all those who profited from the coup in 84 are in charge of the major media. And yes, you're going to social-democratic Hell. It's not how you feel, it's how the lowest feel, and being children of the Welfare State you know that in your bones so don't plead ignorance in front of the Gate.
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The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...
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You can’t have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this Anzac Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the ...
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
What is one supposed to do with family reunions?
I have one I go to once every three years, held on my Dad's side old family farm way up north inland from Whangaroa Harbour. Mostly consists of swimming in the big stream, a large bonfire that lasts for three days and we roll logs onto every night to keep it going, a deer on a spit, and looking after my brother who is usually gone on Cody's.
But I have this one coming up today, down in the Waikato. Most of them have done pretty well. It's a once-in-a-century thing and involves tours of multiple farm visits, obligatory photographs, church services, and a whole gallon more people. It's going to have pikelets and cakes with volumes of cream. They've all done pretty well.
Maybe it's a latent class thing, maybe I'm anxious I just won't measure up, but I'm a whole bunch more nervous going to this single event than the regular one on the other side of the family.
I'm comfortable enough not caring about my tribe in the ethnographic sense, but a large part of me wants to just stay home and do jobs around the house.
My advice would be to treat it as a character test. I agree with JanM though – being relaxed, going with the flow & enjoying the situation usually works best. I always find these kinds of situations test my mettle though, so I enjoy them most when rising to the challenge.
So if the discussion turns to politics, don't shirk it. If someone gets stroppy, deflect the passive aggressive stance by being reasonable. Zen works. They get off on confrontation, so reframing them has that disconcerting effect. You can usually see them lose it & flounder. Then reassure them by acknowledging common ground – where it can be clearly seen.
Of course we're all different and what works for me doesn't necessarily work for others. But extended family vibes are often a mix of suppressed resentments and uncertainty, overlaid with a forced bonhomie, and I discovered that steam-rolling is quite effective at transforming the communal ambience. As long as one is good at weathering whatever reactions one gets!! 😎
Oh, the politics – he he – forgot about that! My father's family are Waikato farmers and belong to the 'would vote for a dead horse as long as it was a Nat' school of thought. I have definitely had my moments as a result. Stay off the subject – there is absolutely no point in doing otherwise. Talk tractors and the drought and what it was like 'back in the day'.
Exactly. My sis is married to a farming family in the Wairarapa. Xmas there is a time to smile and nod and talk about the lambing, and wool prices.
A family member turned up unannounced just yesterday. She was racist several times and also made derogatory comments upon seeing my severely disabled neighbor. In a group context I could just ignore her and go talk to a cousin I like. In a one on one context it was very hard to bite the bullet. I don't mind people who are ill informed nearly so much as those who are hateful.
I recommend alcohol, but not too much you get loose lipped. Families are challenging for a lot of us.
Yeah, sounds tricky. I'm oldest of four sons and the second one does bigotry quite readily, given half a chance. I've evolved a way of managing it but it's improvisational rather than standard. Depends how the situation feels, eh?
Funny thing is he was quite alternative & relatively easy-going in the early '70s – before he became good at business. Human nature is endlessly diverse the way it evolves. People who turn into bigots often feed off whatever energy you give them, whether positive or negative. You get adept at disengaging, but that's a learning curve that takes a while.
You could ask them when they become communists?
The national party is in the back pocket of the CCP these days. So they must now all be communists like their lord and masters.
Just roll with it! Eat the pikelets, talk to the rellies – especially the older ones – listen to the stories, and remember that once they've gone there's no-one left to ask. Take a deep breath and enjoy your day 🙂
JanM, such wisdom.
I'm now one of the older rellies. Last night I attended a family 21st and told a story or two.
I was hugely impressed with the speech-making and with the quality of the people there, especially the young.
I told the young man turning 21 that as a seventy year old, and going on the evidence of the party, that the world is turning over into the good hands of another generation or two.
I was minded of the mystic Kahlil Gibran where he raised the issue of the parent generation being archers and the younger being living arrows- launched forward but with little control by the archer as to where the arrow might land.
It's the fate of us older ones…… to tell the stories, and hope.
Arrows who want to be their own archers when they see some of the faltering aim..
There's also the problem of seeing the target, shortening range and windage..
Plenty of windage on offer from our armchair generals..
Will people see that in our badinage there is no bad in age?
Cool! I'm a few years older than you but there are still a few around who are in their 90s. It is our fate and also our privilege. I had a precious moment yesterday teaching my grand daughter (8) to mend her own stuffed toys using sewing things going back, in some cases, to my own grandmother. She loved it – so did I
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/119139908/renewed-and-radical-could-the-mori-party-make-it-back-to-parliament-in-2020
MP are back and they are after private land in treaty settlements!!
They say only if there is a willing seller ,but how long before the protestors pitch the tents. ?
To be fair, in much of Taranaki this issue is a festering sore; descendants of the dispossessed dwell on the vestiges of their ancestor's whenua alongside the farms of the descendants of the professional troops and militiamen who were awarded the confiscated whenua,
But only Pakeha – Maori were excluded from the land ballot
The troops and militiamen who fought in the Taranaki wars.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Taranaki_War#McDonnell's_campaign
So children should suffer for the sins of their fathers ?
At some point the past has to be let go . It's not good for the soul to let shit fester.
I agree.
Tangata whenua are suffering for the sins of the squatters fathers.
So best the children of the thieves let go of their ill-gotten gains and get the fuck off stolen land.
amazing reasoning I am almost persuaded to me taken along with your position😉
perhaps some should take a little time an invest in some background to the issue, and note the cause The Govt. current land owners are not the problem.
https://teara.govt.nz/en/land-ownership/page-1
[Fixed typo in user handle]
So by your reckons collective, inter-generational punishment should remain unredressed?
http://newzealandwars.co.nz/land-wars/consequences/land-loss/
https://teara.govt.nz/en/zoomify/33583/confiscation-map-1869
Right or wrong as to how these grievances were resolved. They have been resolved by agreement between all parties So these iwi's that have settled with the govt have had their wrongs addressed.
And your solution is to displace and wrong another (innocent) group. That will go along way to harmony 😇, bu tit does make one think.
https://www.govt.nz/browse/history-culture-and-heritage/treaty-of-waitangi-claims/settling-historical-treaty-of-waitangi-claims/
https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/research-papers/document/00PlibC5191/historical-treaty-settlements
I've heard several little bits of white saviour stuff since I began living in Taranaki and countless bits of straight out racism. All within the context of land confiscations. For example a thread runs something like 'Those immigrants (neighbours from India) are fine. They work to get ahead and send their children to university, not like those Māori who just want to get what they can for nothing'.
I live in an area that is very Pākehā retiree, so this is somewhat expected (apologies to older people who don't have these views). The first one that shocked me though, was when I overheard young landscape workers next-door discussing things:
A young Māori was politely informing a Pākehā work colleague that his views on early Taranaki history were not quite right the response:
"oh you're THAT sort of Māori are you? – well, it's our land – what about all the dairy and stuff we gave you?"
"Well you couldn't do it without us, you're farming on stolen land," was the frustrated retort.
Eventually the Māori worker had to calm things down with a "nah, it's all good mate" i.e. he didn't want to cause a fuss.
It was 2019 and that's the sort of conversation is going on with young people – the sins of the fathers are being perpetuated, albeit with ignorance and economic violence rather than actual violence. Imagine how stressful it is to get along at work – to even get jobs – when you're perceived as not being grateful enough for being given dairy, or whatever, by the white saviour after your land stolen?
Let's not pretend descendants of the first generations of Pākehā are innocents (unaware, maybe) in the continuing disadvantage that Māori endure through the loss of their societal & economic base all those years ago.
The sooner early Aotearoa/New Zealand history is learned by all, and political solutions are found to the shameful land confiscations, the better. Then we all might be able to move on with dignity, rather than with the suppression of dissent about the dominant historical narrative.
"At some point the past has to be let go."
Here you have unwittingly highlighted the conflict between traditional Pākehā and Māori concepts of Time. Within Te Ao Māori the idea of linear time makes no sense; all actions affect each other, regardless of "when" they occur. The past is literally present in the present.
It was land taken in contravention of a treaty by the Crown which is a perpetual entity, so the Crown can and should make reparations. Whether that's as land or cash is a matter for agreement, but if the Crown can obtain desired land by buying it, that's a valid option.
So you and most of the other respondents to my post will back the Maori party to put private land up as an option for treaty settlements and open all prior settlements to re litigation
Provided it's under the standard Public Works arrangement, sure. Not sure how compulsorily acquiring land at no loss to the current owners is out of keeping with any other compulsory state acquisition.
Can we please stop abbreviating the Māori Party to 'MP'. That has a firmly-established meaning already in our political discourse. Needlessly confusing.
The great white fear – that some of their ill gotten gains might be taken from them.
When do the farmers do the right thing…. and start back dated dividend payments to local iwi?
Exactly.
There are many different ways that iwi are being denied their justice and that is one glaring example. Here the Thames School of Mines sits on a site given initially to the Methodist Church for the building of a Sunday School. The old school still stands and is a Category 1 Historic place – but the original lease still stands, and the yearly fee is just $2 (One Pound) per year on a site of high value. and where the local iwi have lost all control over almost all the land – which actually was not part of the original agreement with the then Govt of the day in 1867.
Eat the rich.
https://twitter.com/robdelaney/status/1223577742618300417
Eat the Rich – Good Movie!
Show us the money, Simon!
Not after where he has been stashing it.
She thought she was among friends and the vile, racist shit came pouring out.
https://twitter.com/AbdiTV/status/1223009401956708352
So, vale to Mike Moore. Thank you for your tireless service to our nation.
The wonderful Farage speech to the EU:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pt2tpCtR1fU
But of course you're a fan of the economic elites' pound shop Enoch Powell.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80JAz1PTa7Q
Oh no, no, no.. Joe… It is you shilling for the elites yet again.
inorite? Farage just oozes "working class", don't he. Private schooling paid for by a stockbroker dad will do that for you.
So awesome to hear this fool talk about “it isn’t just undemocratic, it’s anti-democratic” and of "power without accountability" when he's standing there as an elected MP in the European Union Parliament.
Thankfully the British people gave him the result he deserved at the last election.
Man claims to be the child of Camilla and Charles. Would be great if it were true It's time for a shake up in the palace.
Simon Bridges rules out working with Winston Peters and NZF.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/02/election-2020-simon-bridges-rules-out-working-with-winston-peters.html
Great news. The left are welcome to him.
Although this time I see him at sub 5% and Nz first not winning a seat.
NZF will get more support. Swing voters will see a vote for the nats as a waste and go for NZF as an attempt to keep Labour in line. That's not counting the 'Bridges is an idiot' factor which was always going to be pretty helpful to Ardern and co but this latest news seals it. So yes, great news.
And living standards plunge when National cut and privatise everything.
All Blacks 3 – 0 Lions
I think it’s a really stupid idea and shows that National still doesn’t get how MMP works.
Labour should be really pleased. They now pretty much have guaranteed coalition partners on their left and right flanks.
Can't see any damage at all.
If anything it is a help.
Could you honestly see this happening after the election?
Winston Peters – "Well I have decided to go with the Nats this time, after sueing them, and you know, given how badly the CoL has done"
Winston will go into full attack mode to expose the corruption within the National Party. He'll want Simon's head on a stick.
It appears National is going for broke and there’s a good chance that they pull it off too. They’ve got ACT in the bag and if they can drive NZF under 5% – they have now given themselves a licence to kill NZF – their chances go up considerably IMO.
That only works if they can get at least 45% on their own. Anything under that isn’t going to be enough. And what’s to stop Labour gifting NZFirst a seat this time? National can hardly kick up a fuss about that given they’ve signalled their intention to do the same for ACT in Epsom. It’s all a very risky strategy. It’s possible, of course, that the Nats are looking past this election to the next one??
I believe that 45% is imminently doable for National. I can’t see either NZF or Labour going for an Epsom-style deal and it could only work if both agree to it, or not? I also believe that National aims to win in 2020; all signs are pointing to this. Don’t forget that they do internal polling and the likes (call it ‘market research’). Lately, National’s attack campaigns have focussed heavily on Labour but we might now see an attack on two or more fronts. Steven Joyce’s piece in Stuff today was clearly aiming at the Greens.
Fairly bold of Bridges to rule out New Zealand First as a coalition partner.
This version of the National Party would be a good fit.
I'm sure his caucus has too much history of damage over four decades of fighting and betrayal.
But surely they need the partnership to form Government?
The Nats seem to be taking a very long time to learn the mechanics of MMP government. If the planets don’t line up perfectly for Bridges in the upcoming election campaign he’s toast. The margins are tight and one bad week on the campaign trail could derail National’s winner-takes-all approach.
I see that Morrison has done an enormous backflip and now says that Australians in Wuhan won’t have to pay the $1000 to get on the rescue flight back to Australia. Just hours after that creep Dutton was out justifying it again. They’re claiming it was all a terrible mixup due to bad advice from DFAT in Canberra.
We should really rule out the phrase "rule out". It means absolutely nothing.
Imagine this scenario: election night Nats/ACT 59, Lab/Grn/NZF 61. Then we wait 2 weeks for special votes.
During those 2 weeks would National MPs shrug, say "never mind" and wait in silence, hoping they get lucky on specials? Of course not.
We can write the quotes now … "no U-turn, just having a conversation … need to think of good of the country … coalition has failed … National the biggest party … must respect voters … don't want another election … duty to consider all options … "
[Please stick to your original user handle, thanks]
Cool, I just changed it because a couple of people had mixed me up with another "Observer" (Tokoroa?) before. A different person. Anyway, happy to stick with it now.
[Thanks! You are correct about another commenter using the handle “Observer Tokoroa”, but I think the distinction is clear enough. However, we can revisit this if it becomes a problem]
Bridget McKenzie the embattled Federal Sports Minister in Australia has finally gone.
Farrar Watch:
On Friday David Farrar had his third crack recently at intimating the government are anti-semitic.
I'm certain he and the opposition will try to manufacture this framing between now and the election.
Keep an eye out for it.
Says it all about Mike Moore, 50 something comments. One News described him as known for his intellect and big heart. Laughed heartily and then wondered how these fuckwits will describe Roger Douglas. Weekend crew always a bit patchy.
Nowhere in the big media to talk intelligently anymore. That was always the way for TV since long time. And since Richard whathisname in charge of RNZ there's been a level that you can't go beyond. Or, all those who profited from the coup in 84 are in charge of the major media. And yes, you're going to social-democratic Hell. It's not how you feel, it's how the lowest feel, and being children of the Welfare State you know that in your bones so don't plead ignorance in front of the Gate.
One comment about Mike Moore! He always lived in a bubble of his own imagining.
If you'd been dead true to the people, Mike, we'd acclaim you rightly as a first among we equals.
Bernie 408, Pete 380, Jo 310, Liz 277, Amy 176, rest 0
3.39 NZ time
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/02/03/us/elections/results-iowa-caucus-democrats.html
Pete 689 now ahead of Bernie 613 and Joe 310
no more updates from me