In the context of Robertson’s speech to business yesterday, a very nice line from Fran O’Sullivan this morning that encapsulates this challenge of this government:
“Ensuring the country buys the argument that the Government is simply out to introduce fairness will not be easy, after New Zealand has enjoyed being part of the global market for nigh on three decades.”
When a government’s committed to “opportunity” (as this NZ Labour led one is), it’s ”fair enough” that you wind up fucked up – because bad choices and all of that jazz.
This government is the bride, the groom and the church of “status quo”.
Here we are entering the silly season and the weather is great at last, but there is still the gloom and doom of impending nuclear war and accelerating, unmitigated climate change. However there are positives out there for the Left at the end of 2017…..
1. NZ. The new govt is off to a good start. The opposition, for all the biased media support, just looks to be negative, tired, yesterdays men.
2. Aus. Turnbull is on his last legs.
3. Brit. May is on her last legs.
4. USA. Trump is doing as predicted (pre election) and destroying America. I find it interesting watching the USA unfolding on a daily basis.
5. The AngloZionist Empire ( USA, Israel, NATO Countries) plan for world ownership is being successfully challenged by the likes of Russia and China.
6. The Middle East. The Iran/ Syria/Hezbollah/ Russia bloc are successfully holding up the Saudi/ ISIS/ Israeli/ USA bloc.
7. Nth Korea. Maybe all they want is recognition as a World Power and a bit of respect.
Have a great summer everyone and be careful out there. The New Year promises many challenges.
Don says we shouldn’t have Te Reo (Guyon) on National Radio because no one understands it.
Kim says therefore we shouldn’t have business report on National Radio because no one understands it.
Ha!
I think she realised he was never going to give up his position using logical arguments because it’s a political position that has nothing to do with logic.
The only way he would change his mind is if his position no longer had political utility.
But the good thing is that after his performance he may find his position no longer has political utility.
~~~~~~~~~~
As an aside, it shows the power of the baby boomers – their weight of numbers means that airtime could be given over to a cultural perspective that belongs to the distant past.
I strongly disagree that business does not belong on non-commercial radio.
It is at the basis of a modern advanced society and everyone should realise it.
It was thinking that business could be constantly pressed for more money that brought the severe hatred of the business class to do away with unions. If the WEA had spent more time teaching workers about business, turnover, not-for-profit, co-operatives, profitsharing and the role of worker involvement in them we would not have been so easily sidelined by Labour 1984.
Business is everyone’s business. We need intelligent approaches to it, to how much efficiency, how much time off, how to manage markets and not allow ourselves into a race to the bottom for wages and conditions and export prices. Too much complacency. No one is promising us a rose garden, a nice lounger for all. A holiday is not even offered to those that business won’t employ, just ceaseless striving for a job.
But business, work, that we want and want to do. Circulating money with many inputs, and many payments – at present business is poorly and needs a boost from the bottom-up.
I say this because RNZ s now so cash trapped that the CEO has sent us a letter after we asked them why we in HB/Gisborne has no reporter here now for two years to cover our regional community RNZ media issues of deep public concern to our communities.
For instance, like loosing our rail services in 2012 as many bussiness owners are requesting we push government now again for rail to return, and RNZ said they have no staff now to cover our rail issues.
The RNZ CEO said we have no reporter in our HB/Gisborne region and offered no assistence.
So you are happy that we miss out on our regional “public affairs” media coverage while Bussiness gets to cover all their own issues everywhere else now?
That is the logic that drove our community’s wild to reject private bussiness interests taking our last RNZ media coverage dollars for their interests and denying us the funding for a regional reporter for HB/Gisborne?
We need business news on RNZ – just in a totally different format, where the present high priests of the economic ideology of neo-liberalism are challenged, not simply given an amplifier. I don’t want or need to hear the unquestioned views of the CEO of one of the 4 Australian banks. Instead I expect them to be interrogated and their arguments and actions put under the blowtorch. In its present format, all we get is neoliberal propaganda.
We should be presented with alternative economic voices and philosophies.
The current ‘RNZ Bussiness news’ is just a copy of CNBC, and smells of Steven Joyce all over again.
We need the labour model of “corporate environmental & social responsibility” but of course the corporates dont want that as it hurts their shareholder bottom line eh?
We object giving the corporates a free ride on ur public service money while our provinces loose their voice as a result of corporate greed using RNZ for their ibenefit and stopping our community public vioces.
Maybe this was their intent to make the mioney dry up so regional environmental and social issues can’t get RNZ media coverage on our only voice on public radio?
Yes and unbiased reports of how the economy is going and the reason and hopes for whatever policies are being pursued with concrete examples of where the good will land instead of just saying it will be good for NZ.
“Though we want Goyon Espiner gone as heis a national biased supporter and unfit to show balanced reporting.”
I heard the same sentiments, but from exactly the opposite side of the political spectrum in 2014 when Guyon Espiner took Key to bits over DP. Had an ex Nat Minister in the gallery (he’s a regular who admires one of our artists) the morning after the interview saying some very uncharitable things about Mr Espiner and his political preferences.
Graeme, Thanks for that flashback, as I remembered it so very well.
I recall that day when John Key looked at Guyon Espiner as if he was about to put out a contract to kill him; – as Keys ‘rivetting’ glaring stare’ he sent to Espiner even sent a chill down my spine too.!!!!!!!!
After that day we saw Guyon never try to tackle Key again and since then, Espiner has flipped to being the ‘verbial trumpet-chorus boy’ for English, Joyce, Bridges, Bennett, Maggie, Collins, Brownlee and co.
So we suspect Espiner just lost his will to fight any further against the Key Government that day.
lol…Mr Espiner’s problem is not a political bias (imo) rather it is his inability to think on his feet and consequently he misses so many opportunities to explore issues in greater depth…superficial would best describe him.
bwaghorn
So true. They have a contract with God that they wrote out themselves that says they are entitled to whatever they want throughout life and in their declining years to the end.
As for us at The Standard, I think we are on a Mission from God like the Blues Brothers.
OMG. He is a carbunkled caricature of the most grostesque sort of 1970s white settler racism. The idea he was giving as good as he got is nonsense to my mind. Kim Hill was giving him the rope to hang himself, which he ultimately did by claiming the Moriori were the first settlers of NZ.
At which point Kim Hill terminated the interview, having removed all doubt in any intelligent pesons mind that the guy is a superannuated crank and a crackpot fringe merchant.
Still, Don Brash would probably still win a seat in Queensland. Or Alabama.
And even worse he proclaims to speak for 99% of white people.
Maybe 99% of the white people he meets i.e. the stale, pale, males …
… and he only thinks they agree with him because they don’t argue with him
…. and they don’t argue with him because their wives give them the “no, please not here” look.
Wasn’t able to listen to it all but agree. Kim Hill did a masterly job providing him with the rope etc. He talked about encouraging people to speak their own languages among themselves. Indians need to talk Indian. Chinese need to talk Chinese. Laplanders need to talk Laplandese and so on. And of course he encourages Maori to learn to speak Maori. Yes folks, he thinks that’s a good thing. He supports that.
Okay my paraphrasing is a bit naughty but that was the essence of what he was saying.
He comes from the “I’m not racist BUT……”, and “How can I be racist – I married an Ayeshun myself” and emotion, culcha, ambition and opportunity all measured in terms of cost, and “it’s not fair because they’re getting more than me for my hard-earned tax payer dollar” mindset. “No such thing as sussoighty” all expressed in his most practiced WASP eggsent thinking he has the tone of authority, whereas “the truth is” (as they say in best neo-liberalese), he’s a worn out, pompous, holier-than-thou, bitter old queen who probably spends most of his time worrying about how he’s going to take his [supposedly hard-earned] luxuries in life across to the other side. And the most insulting thing to my limited level of intelligence is that he’ll have an expectation that I should feel sympathy for the prick when that happens. I hope I last long enough to be able to piss on his grave (which is likely to me some kitsch monument to his ego).
There’s a lot of it about. There might be a gene or two missing. And of course there’ll be a rw troll along shortly to remind me of how unkind and uncaring I am – no doubt. Not unlike that Whaleoil Mr Creosote that called someone from the West Coast ‘ferral’. Pots and Kettles
Gideon Levy is the most hated man in Israel – and perhaps the most heroic. This “good Tel Aviv boy” – a sober, serious child of the Jewish state – has been shot at repeatedly by the Israeli Defence Force, been threatened with being “beaten to a pulp” on the country’s streets, and faced demands from government ministers that he be tightly monitored as “a security risk.” This is because he has done something very simple, and something that almost no other Israeli has done. Nearly every week for three decades, he has travelled to the Occupied Territories and described what he sees, plainly and without propaganda. “My modest mission,” he says, “is to prevent a situation in which many Israelis will be able to say, ‘We didn’t know.’” And for that, many people want him silenced. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/is-gideon-levy-the-most-hated-man-in-israel-or-just-the-most-heroic-2087909.html
Gideon Levy is a Haaretz columnist and a member of the newspaper’s editorial board. Levy joined Haaretz in 1982, and spent four years as the newspaper’s deputy editor. He is the author of the weekly Twilight Zone feature, which covers the Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza over the last 25 years, as well as the writer of political editorials for the newspaper.
Levy was the recipient of the Euro-Med Journalist Prize for 2008; the Leipzig Freedom Prize in 2001; the Israeli Journalists’ Union Prize in 1997; and The Association of Human Rights in Israel Award for 1996.
“Heroes” is a series devoted to those courageous and brilliant people who show us that, in a world seemingly run by crooks, abusers, scoundrels, mass murderers and liars, there are still reasons for optimism.
This video popped up in my feed yesterday and with the recent brouhaha over Golriz Ghahraman I can recognise the same techniques at play in New Zealand.
Winston Peters won the election and has rather demonstrated a glaring weakness in the MMP system.
It doesn’t work particularly well unless you’ve got at least three independent parties of a similar size, the current mix of two large parties(I consider lab-green one party) hands a disproportionate amount of power to whoever can get the bigger party across the line, which in this case is Winston Peters.
Also, Golriz Ghahraman backstory has more holes than a rusty colander.
BM: “Also, Golriz Ghahraman backstory has more holes than a rusty colander.”
Now we are supposed to leap into explanations and defend of her.
BM treats us like a cheap sport. Drop a short punt into the pot and watch the boil.
When that dies down BM will drop in another prompt.
Don’t fall for it people.
Bullshit BM. You pull the legs off spider to see if they can still walk and giggle at your cleverness.
You put up short little claims that are usually false. Then giggle over the fallout as good people try and explain/defend.
Hard luck BM. Try somewhere else.
DRAIN THE SWAMP Remember Dirty Politics, the Nicky Hager book that exploded like a noisy but confusing bomb during the 2014 election? The premise was that Right-wing bloggers were doing the former government’s para-journalistic dirty work. It went underground after that but with a new centre-Left coalition in place, it was bound to rear its ugly head again. Which it certainly did this week when new Green MP and former refugee Golriz Ghahraman was targeted by the usual cabal of critics and stirrers over claims that she had deliberately misrepresented her legal career. Her calm response to every hostile interview and accusation, even a petty one from blogger David Farrar that she had not really seen anything traumatic during the Iran-Iraq war, was a masterclass in seeing off a minor political crisis while her critics looked small and obsessive. The final score: Golriz 1, dirt peddlers nil. https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/99428911/week-in-review-the-filth-and-the-fury
Both those articles completely miss the mark. Outside of an outraged fringe, the problem isn’t that she defended an accused in a court of law. That is an unreasonable standard to hold a lawyer to. To say that’s the problem is creating a strawman argument easy to knock down. From my reading of most commentators, the problem is the way Golriz [allegedly] marketed herself. Personally I don’t think it was deliberate. Plenty of people have said she talked about it before the election. I think she was just very loose in the way she sometimes phrased things, a bad habit for a politician and a lawyer.
Perhaps both the Bar association and the Criminal Bar Association have had second thoughts.
I get 404, page not found for both the first two links.
I think they may have realised that the defence they were providing had absolutely nothing to do with what people were complaining about.
Her sin was to not come out at the beginning and say that she had been doing defence as well as prosecution work and also to enormously exaggerate the level she was operating at.
Would she really have been ranked so highly on the party list if the members had seen a truthful CV?
Poor old Mojo.
Strange that you got 404, page not found because I just checked them using the links below which I put up yesterday on Open Mike – and they worked perfectly, as did the additional link for the NZ Law Society.
Your links work just fine.
However the ones TMM put in certainly don’t.
Looking at them more closely I see he(she) seems to have added “…” at the end of each of them and that is presumably what is doing it.
If people are going to put in links it would be helpful if they check them. Why waste other people’s time.
They still don’t seem to have anything to do with what people were complaining about though. It wasn’t doing the defence work that was the problem. It was the Walter Mitty attitude shown in her CV that is the problem, and a very sad problem it is as the story shows.
Poor old Mojo.
I’m seeing people going on the offensive all the time and they don’t get banned. There are limits to that, but there’s no reason why you can’t attack BM’s arguments.
National offered up far more concessions than Labour, but Winnie was just “Taking the Piss”, good on him, Billshit Bill deserves all the crap that lands on him, if you live by the gun, you die by the gun.
“National offered up far more concessions than Labour”
You have some evidence for this claim do you?
Something other than the deep recesses of your imagination?
Come on. Out with it or we can just assume you are under the influence of some powerful hallucinogen.
See how simple it is to make stuff up, and spread half truths james. You should remember those feeling you are having now james, as you make people feel the same way when you make stuff and peddle half truths.
Which by the way, you do quite often. So you really don’t get the moral higher ground.
And the extra ministerial seat National was offering Peters over what the coalition was offering? funny how ppl forget the details of these negotiations though, no harm rubbing it in.
I watch these guys spew their BS and then 20 retaliatory comments follow to defend the position of the left, hit and run, peddling BS, the Goritz argument was a classic example, arguing semantics. Goritz’s response exemplifies the real politician that she is, all the BS hadn’t fazed her and the diplomacy was inspiring.
The concessions Peters got were what the market determined were necessary. The free market at work I’ve heard about a zillion times, is a thing of beauty.
Nick ‘swimmable rivers’ Smith, Steven ‘pretty legal, fiscal hole’ Joyce, Judith ‘Oravida’ Collins, Bill ‘discovered poverty last week’ English, Paula ‘put ’em in motels’ Bennett, John ‘no legacy’ Key…
Natz MPs, and cheerleaders for the National ‘no mates’ party are coming across as embittered victims of a NZ1st hit job. I think Winston chose what was, on the face of it, a less straightforward coalition because of nine years of neglect, corruption, lies, and growing inequality in NZ. “Time for a change.”
Cheer up BM, you’re just experiencing a small measure of the hopelessness the NZ left felt over the last 9 years.
‘Good, I can feel your anger… Strike me down with all of your hatred and your journey towards the dark side will be complete!’
Foreign Affairs budget to be increased and Mr. Peter’s Foreign Affairs budget requests cannot be vetoed. Mr Peters can spend his budget how he chooses.
All budget requests from New Zealand First Ministers that have been approved by Mr Peters must get priority.
As Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Peters has the sole right to nominate all Ambassadors and other diplomatic posts not just Washington and London but he cannot be stopped from appointing his mates to be consuls as he tried with Owen Glenn.
As Minister of SOEs Mr Peter’s has the sole power to appoint all the chair and directors of every SOE. Dozens of appointments.
New Zealand First can nominate over three years six people to be knights and its nominations will be favourably considered for other honours.
New Zealand First will appoint the next Chief of Defense.
A provision requires all Ministers to refer any request from or to a New Zealand First Minister to go through Mr Peters office.
The PM has agreed that she will not dismiss any NZ1 Minister, MP or appointee without Mr Peters approval and the PM has also agreed to dismiss any NZ First minister, MP or appointee if asked to by Winston Peters.
LABOUR/GREEN GOVERNMENT
The government budget must be submitted to NZ1 (Winston) for approval
Labour has agreed to a 10 percent a year increase in the Foreign Affairs budget.
Labour has agreed that NZ1 manifesto promises will have priority. The Northland port and railway.
NZ1 nominations will be approved. For example to the port inquiry.
No concessions can be made to the Greens without prior approval from NZ1
No new policy not contained in the coalition agreement can be advanced by Labour Ministers without NZ1 approval.
All government appointments must be approved by NZ1
Also, Golriz Ghahraman backstory has more holes than a rusty colander.
If that’s a reference to her work in and around the UN where, some would insinuate, she refused to fight on the side of “the good guys” and for “the forces of good”, then you might want to consider that the UN has more holes in its integrity than would take to fill the Albert Hall.
Not something many liberals are comfortable to contemplate mind.
Bluddy good video Ovid! Very fitting of what happens on The Standard. Must watch.
John Key was expert at putting critics in boxes. Therefore he could just dismiss Nicky Hagar.
English/Joyce accuse Labour. Robertson spends long time with long explanations. Joyce is wrong but wins the popular vote. Almost won an election.
The Right Wing Trolls here do it all the time. Short pithy accusation. We spend many replies to refute. Troll shifts ground to a new point without ever conceding the original one. We spend many replies in hopeless refution. Troll wins.
Now National and Media henchmen are pouring on the accusations so that the Left must explain. No smoke without fire?
Except Jacinda knows. Her best response when a critic was quoted to her? “He’s wrong.” End of story.
Heh. I say “Don’t let them make us play defence” and BM immediately goads us into playing defence. Hats off to you, man. You’re certainly skilled in this.
So not a link of our cultural shift from treating authority with healthy irreverence (eg Keystone Cops) to one of (arguably) unhealthy reverence (eg – all those cop shows of cops saving us from our despicable selves). Ah well…
Contrary to my reputation as a rwnj, I do sometimes try and be a good human being. I’d like some advice. Growing up white, upper middle class in tidy neighborhoods with white picket fences and any problems kept strictly behind closed curtains, I’ve never really been exposed much to drug use. Recently, a young mother who fate made us meet, has been begging for help. She’s a drug user. She goes for periods of being clean, then for a week or two spends all her money on substance abuse. Now I’m a comparative stranger, but she keeps asking for money and rides to pick up drugs. Obviously that’s a no, though I have driven her home twice near midnight when she threatened to walk herself home and I couldn’t in good conscience let her do that. I’ve encouraged her to see a drug counselor, which she claims to have done. But she still now asks for money for food/or just food.
Anyway, long question medium, how can one assist such a person (or anyone; so hopefully the replies may help others, such as family members), without enabling them. If kids are involved, it makes it even harder. Can’t let them starve, but can’t enable them with food and gifts when they spend all their money. NB not so much interested in what government can do, I want practical advice for individuals and whanau.
If you don’t want to get involved then it’s probably none of your business. Give her some food at least though. That’s not enabling, that’s called helping another human being eat and not starve.
Agreed. Limit to what I can do as I don’t actually want to get too close to the situation. Won’t go into her house, won’t talk to her any longer than necessary. Don’t really “want” to help, but then this is a human with kids involved.
Stop supporting governments that increase inequality and defund mental health services. If you know anyone who voted for a government that increased inequality and defunded mental health services, make it clear that they are social lepers.
Good grief come on – asking an honest practical question here on what we as individuals do. We can have opinions about government till the cows come home, but sometimes we as individuals are called (or put in a position) to do something. Telling them to vote Labour in three years (assuming their enrolled) isn’t going to a) help the addiction now, or b) put food on the table. So up front – what would you do for them, besides refer them to rehab (which as far as I can tell is voluntary)?
Nah, you made your bed, and now you want everyone else to lie in it for you. What if your stain doesn’t wash out?
Given that you vote for human rights abuse, I think the best thing you can do for those kids is leave them alone and let the government get on with cleaning up after you.
“Anyway, long question medium, how can one assist such a person ”
Short answer is you can’t, well probably not anyway. If they hit you up when they’re stoned you’re wasting your time and when they hit you up when they’re straight they’re probably hanging out for a hit.
It’s a deadly spiral and a wise person would keep a respectable distance IMO, you can buy yourself a lot of trouble walking into a scene like you’ve described.
However, if you want to buy the conditions that create the scene you just described, you can do that at the organisation previously known as Cabinet Club.
A lot of trouble yes, but then when someone comes asking for money or food, I’m not the sort of person to easily turn them away. Running into a burning house to save someone also can bring a lot of trouble. But people do it. I dunno. Maybe an optomistic side of me thinks redemption is possible. The other side is a cynic. Or as weka said it is none of my business, so turn a blind eye, refuse charity and hope the government does it’s job (well weka said give food but I feel that allows her to spend her money elsewhere).
That’s a pretty good illustration of the obscenity of charity: the very people who helped create the conditions for poverty and inequality, debating amongst themselves which of their victims deserve help, and in doing so, justifying poverty.
Of course, anyone who points this out to them is being mean and insulting.
It’s not about turning a blind eye it’s about using a bit of street nous and not inserting yourself into a scene you know nothing about. Meth is a class A drug, it could be your friend there is mixing with some people that you really don’t want to know about,
The drug foundation has some useful info: https://www.drugfoundation.org.nz/info/helping-someone/
You are doing a good thing.
Remember:
Alcoholism or addiction is a disease. It isn’t necessarily about the quantity consumed, but the behaviour. The good news is it’s treatable.
Telling a person dependent on alcohol or drugs to just “stop” won’t work. The abuse is typically a symptom of mental illness.
And as weka suggests above, when they have spent their money on drugs – food is the best help you can give, then an ear, and and finally when they are ready, encouragement to try again. They need to find the trigger that causes the relapse.
Meanwhile, whilst your back was turned. Fighting for scraps from the masters table, or being incremental – Slavery is back. How progressive we all are, how truly wonderful human beings.
I read somewhere that BM molests goats. I find this behavior detestable and as a goat owner am now fearful for my goats. Being a nom de plume, I have no idea who this BM is, but by his general tone and writing I’m gonna assume he’s an older, white male. As there’s a number of those round these parts, I’m rightly concerned for my goats. I think BM should stop his indecent actions, seek help and be more forthright and honest about his awful nature as these habits aren’t natural and the goats (or any of gods creatures) should never be subjected to BM’s sick ways.
I think you started it with that rubbish about a colander, and got a deliberately exaggerated example of what you like to dish out. Fair enough, too.
Work it out for yourself if you aren’t playing the innocent. (Which I suspect you are.)
I look forward to the day when you disappear from this blog.
Yes, James – almost inclined to apologise: it was in fact BM (Bullshit Mountain?) who made the inane comment about the colander, so you are in fact innocent of that bit of trolling. But then again, you are both so alike…
And apologising to somebody silly enough to misspell Vino, then throw childish insults just doesn’t seem right. So I am not sorry, even if I was wrong on that point. You remain what you are.
With people living in cars and what not coupled with the expected upward pressure on rents due to Labour’s Healthy Homes Guarantee Act, do Labour need to commit to building more state homes a year?
BM if it looks like ____ and smells like _____ than it is bulshit .
These people think I just dropped out of the sky yesterday I see they are using someone in Pukekohe to try and use my son in laws origins against me . I say to the these people stop pissing in the wind and find a real crim to waste your time on you no I no that your shit stinks to Ana to kai Pukekohe is nice a lot friendly Maori people this is the true nature of Maori please take care of my daughter and my moko.s We will be back in January when our daughter is due for her 4 child . Ka pai
Here’s a little story from yesterday about how politics is going across the ditch for the federal Liberal party and in particular, Malcom Turnbull, it’s quite amusing, and in stark contrast to politics in NZ with regard to coalition partners.
Film coming in 2018.
I became vegan this year.
It is the biggest thing you can do for your health, the planet and for animals.
Don’t believe me. Research the topic with an open mind.
Duncan “Vyshinsky” Garner’s laughable attempt to intimidate Golriz Ghahraman
FULL TRANSCRIPT
three a.m. show, Thursday 29 November 2017,
Duncan Garner tries to be harsh and cold and aggressive, but he doesn’t really have his heart in it. Someone obviously wrote his questions for him, and told him to “get” Golriz, but it’s clear that he early on recognizes Golriz is far brighter than him, as well as holding the moral high ground over him. This clip finishes a bit early, unfortunately, and doesn’t include the very interesting back and forth between Garner, Mark Richardson and Amanda Gillies, immediately after this travesty. All of them acknowledged that Golriz had done nothing wrong, and Amanda Gillies did not hide her distaste for what Garner had been instructed to do…..
DUNCAN GARNER: Green M.P. Golriz Ghahraman has come under criticism for failing to mention her work defending a war criminal convicting of inciting genocide IN RWANDA. Around eight hundred thousand TUTSI are estimated to have been killed during the nineteen ninety-FOUR ethnic cleansing, uh, by the Hutu EXTREMISTS. Ghahraman was involved in the deFENCE, and she joins me now, Golriz good to have you on the program, really apPRECiate it. Why didn’t you just tell us? Why hasn’t this been OUT there before?
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: I did. It was out there. There’s been a number of journalists that have come forward, Kirsty Johnston from the Herald, Vice New Zealand’s released a transcript, I did a number of interviews before the election where I talked about this. I went around, um, various law schools, I’ve talked about this in the past. My C.V. was online and completely open. Um, so it’s not a problem for me at all, it’s not a problem for any lawyer, and the U.N. is certainly really proud that we now have these trials where there is a defense and a prosecution. It’s about returning communities to a rule of law model, to a human rights model.
GARNER: Okaaaayyy. Okay.
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: So it is actually about stopping the cycle of violence. Having the defense ensures that, so either side can’t say, you know, it was victor’s justice, you just came in and arrested our people. Um, so it’s something that I’m really proud of, and I’ve put it out there, there’s been a number of articles, um, it wouldn’t have occurred to me to hide it—
GARNER:[brusquely] I put it to you that you HAVEN’T, actuallyyyy. I put it to you that the GREEN Party, you see the GREEN Party WEBSITE said, uh, “Golriz worked in Africa, The Hague, and Cambodia, putting on trial world leaders for abusing their power.” It DOESN’T SAY that you DEFENDED these war criminals.
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: So in the context of all of these articles that I’ve done and all of these talks that I’ve given, and making my C.V. public well before the election, there’s just this ONE line that people have gotten a hold of and—-
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: Well, I would, I mean I would suggest if the Green Party was trying to hide this, someone would have brought me up and said you’ve got to stop doing Herald interviews about this work, it would’ve been a no-brainer, um, for someone from the party to pull me up and say, Stop, stop doing these interviews about it, um, and it di–, it hadn’t occurred to me, I mean the reason it’s come up NOW is because, again, there was a Herald article where they said to me, What’s a defining era in your life? And I said, well actually this was the difficult, you know, this was the thing that was really life-changing for me is when I first went in to the U.N. system, um, it was working for the defense and, what do, you know it really made me think about—
GARNER:[interrupting] Weeeell, I, I READ some of the articles.
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: —-and that—
GARNER: And I’ve READ some of these articles, Golriz, and—
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: It was me that brought it up, I mean it wouldn’t have occurred to me to hide it.
GARNER: Yyeeah. But it HAS been hidden by the GREEN Party. Why was, so let’s, okay, so the media might have SAID it, but what about your own Green Party, it wasn’t on your website and you’ve since CHANGED that of course which is the right thing to do.
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: Oh of course I asked them to change it immediately. I had, ha–, I hadn’t even, er, looked at that, I don’t think, but I mean— GARNER: Well hang on, hang on, lemme test that, lemme TEST that. You say you hadn’t looked at it, you DON’T THINK. Did you know that it said it, or it didn’t say it?
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: I, to be honest, would have skimmed it at some point, but I would’ve gone Yep, it’s got the places I worked, moving on. I mean, those trials are ABOUT the defense being there as well. Otherwise we wouldn’t have trials, we’d take people out the back. You know, it’s, as a law student, I was inspired essentially by the Nuremberg Trials, you know, when we went, okay, you’re not above the law, genocide IS a crime, but we’re not gonna sink to your level, we’re not gonna be tyrants, we’re gonna have these open, transparent, fair trials—
GARNER:[interrupting] So the GUARDIAN—
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: It’s so INSPIRING as a lawyer—
GARNER: Hmmm.
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: You know, I wouldn’t have, there’s NO WAY I would have hidden something like that, that’s why I was doing the articles about it. GARNER: Did you complain to the Guardian, ‘cos the Guardian, ahh, three weeks ago, doing a tri–, a piece on you, a really good piece on you too, said that you “represented the U.N. in tribunals, prosecuting some of the world’s worst war criminals, including perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide.” They said that you PROSECUTED THE RWANDAN GENOCIDE!
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: Yeah I understand our comms team has written to the Guardian. I understand they have written to the Guardian. I mean, yeah, that’s blatantly not what I’ve ever said in interviews. And I mean, the Vice article was all about the defense work, um, Kirsty Johnston’s came forward and said that the latest Herald piece was all about the defense work, and that’s ‘cos I wanted to talk about it. I think it’s an important conversation actually, um, and it IS about the human rights framework—
GARNER:[interrupting] Do you acCEPT—
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: It’s not about denying genocide. That’s what I find offensive. Because we’re all there, the United Nations is there because we want to say genocide is a crime, but we will have a process, we’re not going to have cycles of violence, um, continuing. So that’s the part of it that’s really offensive to me.
GARNER: Okay. And some people might be offended at, in your maiden SPEECH, in parliament, in recent weeks, you talk about your WORK, and this is in your own words, you no doubt wrote your own speech, you talk about this criminal justice system internationally on the front li-i-i-ine, where you went out the-e-ere, y’know, you fought hard for what you di-i-id, and you worked in Africa, worked alongside these genocide trials, and you saw it at the Rwanda tribunal, you saw it at the Hague, and when you PROSECUTED the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, you “held politicians and armies to account for breaching their powers, giving voice to women, and minorities.” You don’t ONCE [brandishing his notes accusingly] describe it in your OWN words, in your OWN maiden SPEECH in parliament that you were DEFENDING some of these people!
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: That IS putting people on trial. I mean, everyone in that trial is putting those people on trial. It’s not the prosecutors putting them on trial—
GARNER:[interrupting] But you don’t say you were deFENDing them, Golriz. You’re happy to talk about PROSECUTING.
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: My maiden speech is all about being a DEFENCE lawyer. I raised the fact that I defended a child MURDERER at the Auckland High Court. It’s— my maiden speech talks about human rights in terms of defense work. I mean, to isolate a line out of it, is just, it’s just wrong. And I mean you have to—
GARNER:[interrupting] See I think you’re MINIMIZING it.
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: You have to take it in the context that for the entire year of the election I was doing these interviews about both the defense and the prosecution work that I’ve done. So to me it’s VERY public, and it SHOULD be very public, we should be really proud of adv—-
GARNER:[interrupting] So why didn’t you sa-a-a-a-yyy…..
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: —of advocating for a justice system that has both.
GARNER: Why didn’t you saaaay, why didn’t you SAY in your maiden SPEECH that you learned a lot—
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: But why did I make all these Herald articles about the defense work?
GARNER: Can I just finish the question?
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: I mean—
GARNER: I, I’ll just finish the question if I CAN, Golriz, because I’ve let you finish, I, if I could just please finish this question.
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: Go for it.
GARNER: Why didn’t you in your maiden speech say that you defended some of the world’s most evil men? Like the BUTCHER of Bosnia.
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: No, I never had anything to do with that trial. That’s patently wrong. That’s the Mladić trial you’re talking about and I’ve never had anything to do with the Mladić trial at all.
GARNER: You didn’t do any pre, pre-TRIAL work?
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: That was on the Karadžić trial, so that’s a completely different defendant.
GARNER: But the same sort of THING, though, isn’t it!
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: What happened in the Karadžić trial, I can explain that, is that that defendant was self-represented, and in the pre-trial stage the court needs lawyers to actually make the legal arguments when you’re coming up to, you know, defining the crimes and defining, um, the, essentially the spectrum of the trial. Um, and so there are lawyers that work on that, it’s to assist the trial, because actually the prosecution has lawyers, and a self-represented defendant doesn’t, so you can’t have a fair trial without those legal points being hashed out properly. That’s what I did for about five or six months, before I went to prosecutio—
GARNER:[interrupting> Right so obviously he was an EVIL man, okay, a convicted war criminal. Did you morally STRUGGLE with any of this?
…[Here there are a couple of seconds of silence as she tries to deal civilly with the imbecility and insolence of that question]…
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: I don’t want us to resort back to, we take people out back and shoot them. These are, this is what these trials are about, and like I say, from Nuremberg onwards we’ve said, No, we have the moral authority. You ARE criminals, I don’t care if you’re the head of the army, I don’t care if you’re the president of a country, but we’re not gonna resort to what YOU resorted to, we’re gonna put you into a fair process, this community gets to see exactly who’s responsible, we’re not denying that genocide happened, but we wanna know exactly who did what, we want it to be transparent, we want the evidence to be tested and the historical record to be set right. Every lawyer in that system is proud to be involved in that, as was I, and as was I of my prosecution work. Is it difficult work? Totally. It’s REALLY hard to act on the defense in those trials but you’ve got to be really, really committed to that human rights-based process.
GARNER: Mmmkay. Ah, d-, have you EVER deFENDED anyone in New Zealand, say a Rwandan refugee who’s linked to that brutal reGIME?
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: Ah, I’ve defended a Rwandan refugee that’s been accused of being linked to, not the regime per se, but yeah that’s something I’ve spoken to on radio before as well. It was around the confidentiality measures of the refugee process in New Zealand that we were challenging.
GARNER: Hmmm. And he was—
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: So it was about, it was about people who were trying to disprove claims being able to go back in to a repressive regime and get witnesses and for us to protect those witnesses.
GARNER:[interrupting> Wasn’t he 2-i-c?
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: And I’ve—
GARNER:[interrupting> Wasn’t he 2-i-c in the regime? Okay, so—
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: —I’ve openly spoken about that.
GARNER: So who WAS he?
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: Sorry?
GARNER: Okay, so wha-, wha-, wha-, so who WAS he? Wasn’t he 2-i-c in the regime?
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: Um, the problem with that case is that actually the courts have suppressed a lot of the information, but I’ve spoken about the legal point that we were taking before on radio, which was about the confidentiality measures. Um, in terms of the details of the case I don’t wanna, I don’t wanna be breaching any of the suppression orders that the court imposed. That’s an ongoing case which I’m not on any more.
GARNER: So WHY did YOU get involved in THAT?
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: But you can talk to Deborah Maning about that, you know, refugee lawyers who’ve, um, previously defended people like, you know, Ahmed Zaoui, and it’s a similar case to that—
GARNER:[interrupting> This is a guy that LIED. This is a guy that LIED on his refugee, ahmmm, application to come—
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: Ooh, I’d be careful there. That’s all been disproven. [laughs derisively] So, yeah.
GARNER: You tell me what ‘e DID.
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: Sorry?
GARNER: You tell me what ‘e DID.
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: Ahmed Zaoui?
GARNER: No, not Zaoui. No I’m talking about—
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: Oh I’m sorry.
GARNER: I’m talking about this RWANDAN, ahhhmm, who was here in New Zealand that you were—
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: That’s an ongoing case and there’s suppression orders around it, but he’s being accused by the Rwandan government, um, and sought for extradition. So it’s an extradition case, um, and we were trying to get a fair process around it HERE, so that everyone could present their witness evidence, essentially.
GARNER: Right. Where did you— so you were in AFRICA. You LIVED in Africa, did you?
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: In Tanzania, sort of on and off when I worked on cases, yeah.
GARNER: Right. Have you been to RWANDA? Did you go in there and have a look?
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: Yeah I’ve been into Rwanda, yeah, but the court isn’t in Rwanda, so you go into Rwanda, you speak to witnesses or, y’know, I mean you’re next door, so you go into Rwanda a lot, yeah. But nobody lives in Rwanda and works on the trial.
GARNER: No, sure. Um, and just, just finally, did you ever have a choice, I don’t know how this works, I mean did the U.N. ever give you a choice and say, Golriz you don’t HAVE to work on this if you have any issues with it, y’know morally or ETHICALLY. Did you ever have a choice to say, I don’t WANTA defend this, y’know, this man?
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: I certainly don’t have any moral, ethical choice, as does NO lawyer that works on criminal trials, in terms of working for either side. You are there to make the process fair. So to say that there’s a moral problem, you know, to suggest that all of these United Nations lawyers, where the U.N. requires that there is a defense and a prosecution, are somehow, um, you know, morally repugnant, um, is just, it is actually offensive, to be honest. I mean, nobody there is denying that a genocide happened—
GARNER:[interrupting] What SOME people—
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: We’re there because we KNOW a genocide happened.
GARNER: Course. Yeah. And what some people are also saying that THEY’re offended by the fact that y-you, y-y-you are in PHOTOS, sort of you know, like a SELFIE with, with some of these WAR criminals, here you are standing with one of these RWANDAN guys who was convicted. Y’know, like a, like a HOLIDAY SNAP!
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: Yeah, he was convicted, but I, well, we believe in innocent till proven guilty, right? So when you go over and you’re representing someone, you don’t treat them like they’re guilty. That would kind of subvert the whole process.
GARNER: But do you take HOLIDAY SNAPS with a mass MURDERER?
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: I can absolutely see how it’s jarring to people. But if you actually believe in the system you’re not going there and going, You’re a mass murderer. The minute you start representing them that would be you making the decision for the Court. So it’s not, it doesn’t work that way.
GARNER: Mm.
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: But I can totally see how it’s jarring. And, I mean, it’s a process that not many people would wanna be involved in, but to me it’s really important, as my prosecution work was important. It’s really important that we make sure these trials are fair, so that community can actually rely on those verdicts and move forward.
GARNER: Okay, look, um, Golriz, um, we’d better GO-O-O-O. I appreciate you coming on the program. Do you REGRET any of, any of your approach, or the lack of coming FORWARD in terms of the public stuff on the Green Party website and your maiden SPEECH? Do you regret that you could have been fuller?
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: I mean, I’ve had the Green Party website fixed, but I don’t think, because I’ve been so open and I’ve done all of these interviews, coming out to the election, I think taking all of that in context it was all VERY public. But the thing is, I’m glad we’re having this conversation, because we DO need to have a conversation about what fair trials mean, and what justice means to us. Um so, no, let’s, you know, let’s keep talking about it.
GARNER: That you don’t think you have anything to apologize for?
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: No, as I don’t think anyone working in our justice system has anything to apologize for. We’re all there making the process fair.
Duncan Garner tries to be harsh and cold and aggressive, but he doesn’t really have his heart in it. Someone obviously wrote his questions for him, and told him to “get” Golriz, but it’s clear that he early on recognizes Golriz is far brighter than him, as well as holding the moral high ground over him. This clip finishes a bit early, unfortunately, and doesn’t include the very interesting back and forth between Garner, Mark Richardson and Amanda Gillies, immediately after this travesty. All of them acknowledged that Golriz had done nothing wrong, and Amanda Gillies did not hide her distaste for what Garner had been instructed to do…..
DUNCAN GARNER: Green M.P. Golriz Ghahraman has come under criticism for failing to mention her work defending a war criminal convicting of inciting genocide IN RWANDA. Around eight hundred thousand TUTSI are estimated to have been killed during the nineteen ninety-FOUR ethnic cleansing, uh, by the Hutu EXTREMISTS. Ghahraman was involved in the deFENCE, and she joins me now, Golriz good to have you on the program, really apPRECiate it. Why didn’t you just tell us? Why hasn’t this been OUT there before?
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: I did. It was out there. There’s been a number of journalists that have come forward, Kirsty Johnston from the Herald, Vice New Zealand’s released a transcript, I did a number of interviews before the election where I talked about this. I went around, um, various law schools, I’ve talked about this in the past. My C.V. was online and completely open. Um, so it’s not a problem for me at all, it’s not a problem for any lawyer, and the U.N. is certainly really proud that we now have these trials where there is a defense and a prosecution. It’s about returning communities to a rule of law model, to a human rights model.
GARNER: Okaaaayyy. Okay.
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: So it is actually about stopping the cycle of violence. Having the defense ensures that, so either side can’t say, you know, it was victor’s justice, you just came in and arrested our people. Um, so it’s something that I’m really proud of, and I’ve put it out there, there’s been a number of articles, um, it wouldn’t have occurred to me to hide it—
GARNER: [brusquely] I put it to you that you HAVEN’T, actuallyyyy. I put it to you that the GREEN Party, you see the GREEN Party WEBSITE said, uh, “Golriz worked in Africa, The Hague, and Cambodia, putting on trial world leaders for abusing their power.” It DOESN’T SAY that you DEFENDED these war criminals.
I watched the reply from Golriz, what wonderful candidate, if only we had more politicians like her, articulate, intelligent, well spoken and most importantly, a true diplomat, hadn’t seen her before, but with ppl like her in Govt, the countries on a winner.
This whole topic is already dead, just a few stupid, arrogant men, who are struggling to adapt to a change in the style of politics think they can control the narrative by “click baiting” to gain attention, only the stupid are sucked in and we all know who they vote for.
There is nothing inherently unlawful about instructing employees to use disappearing messaging apps, said Timothy Heaphy, a lawyer at Hunton & Williams and a former U.S. Attorney in Virginia.
However, companies have an obligation to preserve records that may be reasonably seen as relevant to litigation or that fall under data retention rules set by industry regulators.
Anybody else see the contradiction in those two sentences?
Negative yesterday, negative today. Negative all year, according to one departing reader telling me I’ve grown strident and predictable. Fair enough. If it’s any help, every time I go to write about a certain topic that begins with C and ends with arrrrs, I do brace myself and ask: Again? Are ...
Bryce Edwards writes – It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support ...
Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played.“Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
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It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
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Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
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This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
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Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
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Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
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Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
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What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The government’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
This year’s Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity and the contribution of Pacific communities to New Zealand culture, says Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti. Dr Reti announced dates for the 2024 Pacific Language Weeks during a visit to the Pasifika festival in Auckland today and says there’s so ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
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 Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
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In the context of Robertson’s speech to business yesterday, a very nice line from Fran O’Sullivan this morning that encapsulates this challenge of this government:
“Ensuring the country buys the argument that the Government is simply out to introduce fairness will not be easy, after New Zealand has enjoyed being part of the global market for nigh on three decades.”
Translated means.
Rich New Zealanders,banks and large corporations have made billions as NZ’s assets were sold under their citizens’ feet.
What Fran means is “redefine ‘fairness’ to mean the status quo or I will foment trouble just like I did in 2000”
+111
Robertson doesn’t need to redefine “fairness”.
When a government’s committed to “opportunity” (as this NZ Labour led one is), it’s ”fair enough” that you wind up fucked up – because bad choices and all of that jazz.
This government is the bride, the groom and the church of “status quo”.
You will never unsee this. Talking Heads will never be the same again.
https://youtu.be/nSuregWhlWk
Ha ha ha ha ….my favourite TH song destroyed….thanks Andre
Absolute hoot! Thanks.
just a shame it included the bit where Trump was insulting that disabled journo, the man has no sense of decency.
Here we are entering the silly season and the weather is great at last, but there is still the gloom and doom of impending nuclear war and accelerating, unmitigated climate change. However there are positives out there for the Left at the end of 2017…..
1. NZ. The new govt is off to a good start. The opposition, for all the biased media support, just looks to be negative, tired, yesterdays men.
2. Aus. Turnbull is on his last legs.
3. Brit. May is on her last legs.
4. USA. Trump is doing as predicted (pre election) and destroying America. I find it interesting watching the USA unfolding on a daily basis.
5. The AngloZionist Empire ( USA, Israel, NATO Countries) plan for world ownership is being successfully challenged by the likes of Russia and China.
6. The Middle East. The Iran/ Syria/Hezbollah/ Russia bloc are successfully holding up the Saudi/ ISIS/ Israeli/ USA bloc.
7. Nth Korea. Maybe all they want is recognition as a World Power and a bit of respect.
Have a great summer everyone and be careful out there. The New Year promises many challenges.
Here here Garabaldi and the best to you too, we enjoy your input.
By their own ownership plan.
Oh! oh! Oh! Rush to your radio comrades! Kim Hill is interviewing Don Brash on the use of te reo….
Highlight of the morning.
Very funny though Brash giving as much as Kim is giving him.
Yes, he is proving he is a tired, negative, yesterdays man ( and a silly git to boot).
Don says we shouldn’t have Te Reo (Guyon) on National Radio because no one understands it.
Kim says therefore we shouldn’t have business report on National Radio because no one understands it.
Ha!
Bloody brilliant! But I felt even Kim had given up on Brash as a total lost cause at the end…
I think she realised he was never going to give up his position using logical arguments because it’s a political position that has nothing to do with logic.
The only way he would change his mind is if his position no longer had political utility.
But the good thing is that after his performance he may find his position no longer has political utility.
~~~~~~~~~~
As an aside, it shows the power of the baby boomers – their weight of numbers means that airtime could be given over to a cultural perspective that belongs to the distant past.
ianmac (4.2.1) … she’s good, bloody good that Kim Hill.
True that ianmac –
‘Bussiness report; doesn’t belong on our “public service radio’ bussiness belongs on commercial media not the radio NZ non commercial media.
Though we want Goyon Espiner gone as heis a national biased supporter and unfit to show balanced reporting.
I strongly disagree that business does not belong on non-commercial radio.
It is at the basis of a modern advanced society and everyone should realise it.
It was thinking that business could be constantly pressed for more money that brought the severe hatred of the business class to do away with unions. If the WEA had spent more time teaching workers about business, turnover, not-for-profit, co-operatives, profitsharing and the role of worker involvement in them we would not have been so easily sidelined by Labour 1984.
Business is everyone’s business. We need intelligent approaches to it, to how much efficiency, how much time off, how to manage markets and not allow ourselves into a race to the bottom for wages and conditions and export prices. Too much complacency. No one is promising us a rose garden, a nice lounger for all. A holiday is not even offered to those that business won’t employ, just ceaseless striving for a job.
But business, work, that we want and want to do. Circulating money with many inputs, and many payments – at present business is poorly and needs a boost from the bottom-up.
greywarshark,
I say this because RNZ s now so cash trapped that the CEO has sent us a letter after we asked them why we in HB/Gisborne has no reporter here now for two years to cover our regional community RNZ media issues of deep public concern to our communities.
For instance, like loosing our rail services in 2012 as many bussiness owners are requesting we push government now again for rail to return, and RNZ said they have no staff now to cover our rail issues.
The RNZ CEO said we have no reporter in our HB/Gisborne region and offered no assistence.
So you are happy that we miss out on our regional “public affairs” media coverage while Bussiness gets to cover all their own issues everywhere else now?
That is the logic that drove our community’s wild to reject private bussiness interests taking our last RNZ media coverage dollars for their interests and denying us the funding for a regional reporter for HB/Gisborne?
We need business news on RNZ – just in a totally different format, where the present high priests of the economic ideology of neo-liberalism are challenged, not simply given an amplifier. I don’t want or need to hear the unquestioned views of the CEO of one of the 4 Australian banks. Instead I expect them to be interrogated and their arguments and actions put under the blowtorch. In its present format, all we get is neoliberal propaganda.
We should be presented with alternative economic voices and philosophies.
agreed Ed, Thanks for that. 100%
The current ‘RNZ Bussiness news’ is just a copy of CNBC, and smells of Steven Joyce all over again.
We need the labour model of “corporate environmental & social responsibility” but of course the corporates dont want that as it hurts their shareholder bottom line eh?
We object giving the corporates a free ride on ur public service money while our provinces loose their voice as a result of corporate greed using RNZ for their ibenefit and stopping our community public vioces.
Maybe this was their intent to make the mioney dry up so regional environmental and social issues can’t get RNZ media coverage on our only voice on public radio?
Yes and unbiased reports of how the economy is going and the reason and hopes for whatever policies are being pursued with concrete examples of where the good will land instead of just saying it will be good for NZ.
“Though we want Goyon Espiner gone as heis a national biased supporter and unfit to show balanced reporting.”
I heard the same sentiments, but from exactly the opposite side of the political spectrum in 2014 when Guyon Espiner took Key to bits over DP. Had an ex Nat Minister in the gallery (he’s a regular who admires one of our artists) the morning after the interview saying some very uncharitable things about Mr Espiner and his political preferences.
Graeme, Thanks for that flashback, as I remembered it so very well.
I recall that day when John Key looked at Guyon Espiner as if he was about to put out a contract to kill him; – as Keys ‘rivetting’ glaring stare’ he sent to Espiner even sent a chill down my spine too.!!!!!!!!
After that day we saw Guyon never try to tackle Key again and since then, Espiner has flipped to being the ‘verbial trumpet-chorus boy’ for English, Joyce, Bridges, Bennett, Maggie, Collins, Brownlee and co.
So we suspect Espiner just lost his will to fight any further against the Key Government that day.
It was expressed to me that Mr Espiner had to understand his place in the scheme of things and show due respect to the office of Prime Minister….
lol…Mr Espiner’s problem is not a political bias (imo) rather it is his inability to think on his feet and consequently he misses so many opportunities to explore issues in greater depth…superficial would best describe him.
OWG Why do we have extended lives these days? Too long of Don Brash – white – and Robert Mugabe – black.
So what – you wish them to die. That’s is pathetic and disgusting.
the barstards are to miserable to die
bwaghorn
So true. They have a contract with God that they wrote out themselves that says they are entitled to whatever they want throughout life and in their declining years to the end.
As for us at The Standard, I think we are on a Mission from God like the Blues Brothers.
OMG. He is a carbunkled caricature of the most grostesque sort of 1970s white settler racism. The idea he was giving as good as he got is nonsense to my mind. Kim Hill was giving him the rope to hang himself, which he ultimately did by claiming the Moriori were the first settlers of NZ.
At which point Kim Hill terminated the interview, having removed all doubt in any intelligent pesons mind that the guy is a superannuated crank and a crackpot fringe merchant.
Still, Don Brash would probably still win a seat in Queensland. Or Alabama.
Indeed!
The whole theme being that although he proclaims constantlt that he doesn’t believe in separatism, that is exactly what he advocates.
And even worse he proclaims to speak for 99% of white people.
Maybe 99% of the white people he meets i.e. the stale, pale, males …
… and he only thinks they agree with him because they don’t argue with him
…. and they don’t argue with him because their wives give them the “no, please not here” look.
Maybe that’s because 99% of the voices on the corporate media are pale, male and stale.
He can never take that Orewa speech back. Amazing that he would have been PM because of it but for walking the plank and the racing car pic.
Wasn’t able to listen to it all but agree. Kim Hill did a masterly job providing him with the rope etc. He talked about encouraging people to speak their own languages among themselves. Indians need to talk Indian. Chinese need to talk Chinese. Laplanders need to talk Laplandese and so on. And of course he encourages Maori to learn to speak Maori. Yes folks, he thinks that’s a good thing. He supports that.
Okay my paraphrasing is a bit naughty but that was the essence of what he was saying.
How patronising can one be…
“How patronising can one be…” ?
For Don Brash – very easily!
He comes from the “I’m not racist BUT……”, and “How can I be racist – I married an Ayeshun myself” and emotion, culcha, ambition and opportunity all measured in terms of cost, and “it’s not fair because they’re getting more than me for my hard-earned tax payer dollar” mindset. “No such thing as sussoighty” all expressed in his most practiced WASP eggsent thinking he has the tone of authority, whereas “the truth is” (as they say in best neo-liberalese), he’s a worn out, pompous, holier-than-thou, bitter old queen who probably spends most of his time worrying about how he’s going to take his [supposedly hard-earned] luxuries in life across to the other side. And the most insulting thing to my limited level of intelligence is that he’ll have an expectation that I should feel sympathy for the prick when that happens. I hope I last long enough to be able to piss on his grave (which is likely to me some kitsch monument to his ego).
There’s a lot of it about. There might be a gene or two missing. And of course there’ll be a rw troll along shortly to remind me of how unkind and uncaring I am – no doubt. Not unlike that Whaleoil Mr Creosote that called someone from the West Coast ‘ferral’. Pots and Kettles
Or epsom.
Or Epsom
Heroes
No. 2: GIDEON LEVY
Gideon Levy is a Haaretz columnist and a member of the newspaper’s editorial board. Levy joined Haaretz in 1982, and spent four years as the newspaper’s deputy editor. He is the author of the weekly Twilight Zone feature, which covers the Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza over the last 25 years, as well as the writer of political editorials for the newspaper.
Levy was the recipient of the Euro-Med Journalist Prize for 2008; the Leipzig Freedom Prize in 2001; the Israeli Journalists’ Union Prize in 1997; and The Association of Human Rights in Israel Award for 1996.
His new book, The Punishment of Gaza, has just been published by Verso Publishing House in London and New York.
https://www.haaretz.com/misc/writers/gideon-levy-1.402
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-QNP4Zw-KQ
“Heroes” is a series devoted to those courageous and brilliant people who show us that, in a world seemingly run by crooks, abusers, scoundrels, mass murderers and liars, there are still reasons for optimism.
No. 1 Edward Snowden
+100
Here’s your chance to meet a real hero
Gideon Levy will deliver a public lecture tomorrow (Sunday) at the Mt Eden War Memorial Hall, 487 Dominion Rd, Balmoral, Auckland
Sunday 3 December 2017 3:00pm – 5:00pm
https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2017/gideon-levy-public-lecture/auckland/balmoral
This video popped up in my feed yesterday and with the recent brouhaha over Golriz Ghahraman I can recognise the same techniques at play in New Zealand.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmVkJvieaOA
Don’t forget that the left won the election. The right is desperate. Don’t let them make us play defence.
Winston Peters won the election and has rather demonstrated a glaring weakness in the MMP system.
It doesn’t work particularly well unless you’ve got at least three independent parties of a similar size, the current mix of two large parties(I consider lab-green one party) hands a disproportionate amount of power to whoever can get the bigger party across the line, which in this case is Winston Peters.
Also, Golriz Ghahraman backstory has more holes than a rusty colander.
Straight out of Ovid’s video!
BM: “Also, Golriz Ghahraman backstory has more holes than a rusty colander.”
Now we are supposed to leap into explanations and defend of her.
BM treats us like a cheap sport. Drop a short punt into the pot and watch the boil.
When that dies down BM will drop in another prompt.
Don’t fall for it people.
Now we are supposed to leap into explanations and defend her.
You don’t have to do anything.
My personal view from what I’ve read is that she’s rather embellished her backstory to make herself more marketable for the Greens.
Having said that I don’t really care what she did or didn’t do, I’m sure she’s got some skills that might be useful in parliament.
Bullshit BM. You pull the legs off spider to see if they can still walk and giggle at your cleverness.
You put up short little claims that are usually false. Then giggle over the fallout as good people try and explain/defend.
Hard luck BM. Try somewhere else.
Yes ianmac, bm is a waste of space, never got anything worth reading, you summed bm up exactly.
Try reading these, BM.
New Zealand Bar Association statement on the criticism of Golriz Ghahraman https://www.nzbar.org.nz/news/nzba-responds-criticism-lawyers-defending-war-criminals …
Press statement from the NZ Criminal Bar Association on Golriz Ghahraman http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1711/S00347/nz-criminal-bar-association-defends-golriz-ghahraman.htm …
and from Philip Matthews today:
DRAIN THE SWAMP
Remember Dirty Politics, the Nicky Hager book that exploded like a noisy but confusing bomb during the 2014 election? The premise was that Right-wing bloggers were doing the former government’s para-journalistic dirty work. It went underground after that but with a new centre-Left coalition in place, it was bound to rear its ugly head again. Which it certainly did this week when new Green MP and former refugee Golriz Ghahraman was targeted by the usual cabal of critics and stirrers over claims that she had deliberately misrepresented her legal career. Her calm response to every hostile interview and accusation, even a petty one from blogger David Farrar that she had not really seen anything traumatic during the Iran-Iraq war, was a masterclass in seeing off a minor political crisis while her critics looked small and obsessive. The final score: Golriz 1, dirt peddlers nil.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/99428911/week-in-review-the-filth-and-the-fury
Both those articles completely miss the mark. Outside of an outraged fringe, the problem isn’t that she defended an accused in a court of law. That is an unreasonable standard to hold a lawyer to. To say that’s the problem is creating a strawman argument easy to knock down. From my reading of most commentators, the problem is the way Golriz [allegedly] marketed herself. Personally I don’t think it was deliberate. Plenty of people have said she talked about it before the election. I think she was just very loose in the way she sometimes phrased things, a bad habit for a politician and a lawyer.
Perhaps both the Bar association and the Criminal Bar Association have had second thoughts.
I get 404, page not found for both the first two links.
I think they may have realised that the defence they were providing had absolutely nothing to do with what people were complaining about.
Her sin was to not come out at the beginning and say that she had been doing defence as well as prosecution work and also to enormously exaggerate the level she was operating at.
Would she really have been ranked so highly on the party list if the members had seen a truthful CV?
Poor old Mojo.
Strange that you got 404, page not found because I just checked them using the links below which I put up yesterday on Open Mike – and they worked perfectly, as did the additional link for the NZ Law Society.
NZ Criminal Bar Association – http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1711/S00347/nz-criminal-bar-association-defends-golriz-ghahraman.htm
New Zealand Bar Association – https://www.nzbar.org.nz/news/nzba-responds-criticism-lawyers-defending-war-criminals
NZ Law Society – http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1711/S00326/implied-criticism-of-defence-lawyers-unacceptable.htm
Your links work just fine.
However the ones TMM put in certainly don’t.
Looking at them more closely I see he(she) seems to have added “…” at the end of each of them and that is presumably what is doing it.
If people are going to put in links it would be helpful if they check them. Why waste other people’s time.
They still don’t seem to have anything to do with what people were complaining about though. It wasn’t doing the defence work that was the problem. It was the Walter Mitty attitude shown in her CV that is the problem, and a very sad problem it is as the story shows.
Poor old Mojo.
Like I said, desperate.
Also, Golriz Ghahraman backstory has more holes than a rusty colander.
Also, BM molests goats. It’s a fun game anyone can play!
Winston Peters won the election and has rather demonstrated a glaring weakness in the MMP system.
The government reflecting the voters’ choices isn’t “a glaring weakness,” it’s “democracy.”
No, it’s not Peters got far more concessions then what his 7% party vote was worth
Labour basically gave him whatever he asked for, Christ the old prick might end up as PM, that not democracy!
Here we go again. BM is baiting – again. Ignore him. He will not concede a scrap. He will just try a new dig.
The truth is in that 36-page document “the most transparent government ever” refuses to release.
33 page, in 10 font now, if it’s reduced to an 8 font probably around 25 pages, so how many pages should it be?
We are not allowed to move on the offensive or we get banned.
I’m seeing people going on the offensive all the time and they don’t get banned. There are limits to that, but there’s no reason why you can’t attack BM’s arguments.
BM mostly traffics in bullshit. The few arguments he presents don’t belong to him.
@BM Labour and the Greens were more than happy to go along with things like the $1 billion regional investment fund-fitted fine with their policies.
To date there have been no meaningful ructions between the 3 coalition parties-these are all in the minds of the Nats.
Please stop talking this bollocks that Winston might be PM-that was always a fantasy of the Right to try to drive NZF under 5%….epic fail.
National offered up far more concessions than Labour, but Winnie was just “Taking the Piss”, good on him, Billshit Bill deserves all the crap that lands on him, if you live by the gun, you die by the gun.
“National offered up far more concessions than Labour”
You have some evidence for this claim do you?
Something other than the deep recesses of your imagination?
Come on. Out with it or we can just assume you are under the influence of some powerful hallucinogen.
So what were the concessions that national offer Winston in negotiations?
You make a statement of fact to form a naritive – but you are all bullshit.
How about posting some evidence to back up your claim – or are you just a bullshiting liar ?
See how simple it is to make stuff up, and spread half truths james. You should remember those feeling you are having now james, as you make people feel the same way when you make stuff and peddle half truths.
Which by the way, you do quite often. So you really don’t get the moral higher ground.
And the extra ministerial seat National was offering Peters over what the coalition was offering? funny how ppl forget the details of these negotiations though, no harm rubbing it in.
I watch these guys spew their BS and then 20 retaliatory comments follow to defend the position of the left, hit and run, peddling BS, the Goritz argument was a classic example, arguing semantics. Goritz’s response exemplifies the real politician that she is, all the BS hadn’t fazed her and the diplomacy was inspiring.
That’s not a 1/2 truth – I think it a total fabrication- and it’s not unreasonable for them to be called up on it.
The concessions Peters got were what the market determined were necessary. The free market at work I’ve heard about a zillion times, is a thing of beauty.
Hey – that is funny.
Nick ‘swimmable rivers’ Smith, Steven ‘pretty legal, fiscal hole’ Joyce, Judith ‘Oravida’ Collins, Bill ‘discovered poverty last week’ English, Paula ‘put ’em in motels’ Bennett, John ‘no legacy’ Key…
Natz MPs, and cheerleaders for the National ‘no mates’ party are coming across as embittered victims of a NZ1st hit job. I think Winston chose what was, on the face of it, a less straightforward coalition because of nine years of neglect, corruption, lies, and growing inequality in NZ. “Time for a change.”
Cheer up BM, you’re just experiencing a small measure of the hopelessness the NZ left felt over the last 9 years.
‘Good, I can feel your anger… Strike me down with all of your hatred and your journey towards the dark side will be complete!’
Nah, Labour rolled over and gave him all the power.
http://act.org.nz/labour-nz-first-the-missing-five-pages-free-press-monday-27-november-2017/
NEW ZEALAND FIRST GOVERNMENT
LABOUR/GREEN GOVERNMENT
ffs BM. This is one of those instances where the source has to be named, or the info becomes rendered useless.
Any bullshit artist could have scribbled up that wee shopping list of conjecture and (probably) nonsense.
I guess we’ll find out sooner or later if its bullshit or not.
So you’re not sure?
That’s wise.
The Act Party is no more a reliable source than Don Brash a New Zealand historian.
or not, and in the meantime you get to rumourmonger. As others have said, getting desperate.
Is that even the right font size?
T
R
O
L
L
BM …. Yes definitely bloody minded.
Also, Golriz Ghahraman backstory has more holes than a rusty colander.
If that’s a reference to her work in and around the UN where, some would insinuate, she refused to fight on the side of “the good guys” and for “the forces of good”, then you might want to consider that the UN has more holes in its integrity than would take to fill the Albert Hall.
Not something many liberals are comfortable to contemplate mind.
If you want a nasty back story…. JOHN KEY
Nada BM = that just bullshit.
BM says
MMP doesn’t work; – quote – “It doesn’t work particularly well unless you’ve got at least three independent parties of a similar size,”
In your dreams as you right winers always rejected MMP right from it’s inception, as you still suffer from the “born to rule syndrome” poor you.
Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmVkJvieaOA
clever that is. lol Ed.
MMP works fine. You RWNJs are just pissed that you didn’t win and you’re blaming MMP rather than the fact that you’re unelectable.
You cannot say that of all right leaning people.
I’ve always agreed that the government we have is the government that won and that’s mmp.
National has only one strategy: TATTY.
That stands for Trivializing And Tantrum Throwing Yobbery.
“Bloody yobbery, morning, noon, and night!”—Victor Meldrew
“I’ll get me coat…”
Love it 1000% 7.3 Morrissey.
Thank you patricia! And this is for YOU….
http://www.adagio.com/images2/custom_blends/103645.jpg
Bluddy good video Ovid! Very fitting of what happens on The Standard. Must watch.
John Key was expert at putting critics in boxes. Therefore he could just dismiss Nicky Hagar.
English/Joyce accuse Labour. Robertson spends long time with long explanations. Joyce is wrong but wins the popular vote. Almost won an election.
The Right Wing Trolls here do it all the time. Short pithy accusation. We spend many replies to refute. Troll shifts ground to a new point without ever conceding the original one. We spend many replies in hopeless refution. Troll wins.
Now National and Media henchmen are pouring on the accusations so that the Left must explain. No smoke without fire?
Except Jacinda knows. Her best response when a critic was quoted to her? “He’s wrong.” End of story.
Heh. I say “Don’t let them make us play defence” and BM immediately goads us into playing defence. Hats off to you, man. You’re certainly skilled in this.
Excellent link Ovid. I’ve already watched this and one other. Very helpful.
Worth a thread….
The pr and the reality
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/345242/we-re-not-seeing-funny-running-cops
So not a link of our cultural shift from treating authority with healthy irreverence (eg Keystone Cops) to one of (arguably) unhealthy reverence (eg – all those cop shows of cops saving us from our despicable selves). Ah well…
Contrary to my reputation as a rwnj, I do sometimes try and be a good human being. I’d like some advice. Growing up white, upper middle class in tidy neighborhoods with white picket fences and any problems kept strictly behind closed curtains, I’ve never really been exposed much to drug use. Recently, a young mother who fate made us meet, has been begging for help. She’s a drug user. She goes for periods of being clean, then for a week or two spends all her money on substance abuse. Now I’m a comparative stranger, but she keeps asking for money and rides to pick up drugs. Obviously that’s a no, though I have driven her home twice near midnight when she threatened to walk herself home and I couldn’t in good conscience let her do that. I’ve encouraged her to see a drug counselor, which she claims to have done. But she still now asks for money for food/or just food.
Anyway, long question medium, how can one assist such a person (or anyone; so hopefully the replies may help others, such as family members), without enabling them. If kids are involved, it makes it even harder. Can’t let them starve, but can’t enable them with food and gifts when they spend all their money. NB not so much interested in what government can do, I want practical advice for individuals and whanau.
Some people want to take drugs. Some don’t. Some can be helped out. Some can’t.
And everything’s subjective and personal. There is no “rule book” or “Ten Point Plan”.
When you spend your entire income on meth and can’t look after or feed your kids, we’re a bit beyond the “some people take drugs” defense.
If you don’t want to get involved then it’s probably none of your business. Give her some food at least though. That’s not enabling, that’s called helping another human being eat and not starve.
Try and get her to try a rehab programme,and whatever you do,don’t have sex with her.
Agreed. Limit to what I can do as I don’t actually want to get too close to the situation. Won’t go into her house, won’t talk to her any longer than necessary. Don’t really “want” to help, but then this is a human with kids involved.
Have you spoken to Social Welfare? Or better still, any grandparents.
practical advice for individuals and whanau
Stop supporting governments that increase inequality and defund mental health services. If you know anyone who voted for a government that increased inequality and defunded mental health services, make it clear that they are social lepers.
Good grief come on – asking an honest practical question here on what we as individuals do. We can have opinions about government till the cows come home, but sometimes we as individuals are called (or put in a position) to do something. Telling them to vote Labour in three years (assuming their enrolled) isn’t going to a) help the addiction now, or b) put food on the table. So up front – what would you do for them, besides refer them to rehab (which as far as I can tell is voluntary)?
Nah, you made your bed, and now you want everyone else to lie in it for you. What if your stain doesn’t wash out?
Given that you vote for human rights abuse, I think the best thing you can do for those kids is leave them alone and let the government get on with cleaning up after you.
Otherwise I’d suggest you adopt them.
“Anyway, long question medium, how can one assist such a person ”
Short answer is you can’t, well probably not anyway. If they hit you up when they’re stoned you’re wasting your time and when they hit you up when they’re straight they’re probably hanging out for a hit.
It’s a deadly spiral and a wise person would keep a respectable distance IMO, you can buy yourself a lot of trouble walking into a scene like you’ve described.
However, if you want to buy the conditions that create the scene you just described, you can do that at the organisation previously known as Cabinet Club.
A lot of trouble yes, but then when someone comes asking for money or food, I’m not the sort of person to easily turn them away. Running into a burning house to save someone also can bring a lot of trouble. But people do it. I dunno. Maybe an optomistic side of me thinks redemption is possible. The other side is a cynic. Or as weka said it is none of my business, so turn a blind eye, refuse charity and hope the government does it’s job (well weka said give food but I feel that allows her to spend her money elsewhere).
That’s a pretty good illustration of the obscenity of charity: the very people who helped create the conditions for poverty and inequality, debating amongst themselves which of their victims deserve help, and in doing so, justifying poverty.
Of course, anyone who points this out to them is being mean and insulting.
It’s not about turning a blind eye it’s about using a bit of street nous and not inserting yourself into a scene you know nothing about. Meth is a class A drug, it could be your friend there is mixing with some people that you really don’t want to know about,
This is an American site about Meth,but maybe someone knows a NZ equivalent.
http://somechicksblog.com
The drug foundation has some useful info:
https://www.drugfoundation.org.nz/info/helping-someone/
You are doing a good thing.
Remember:
Alcoholism or addiction is a disease. It isn’t necessarily about the quantity consumed, but the behaviour. The good news is it’s treatable.
Telling a person dependent on alcohol or drugs to just “stop” won’t work. The abuse is typically a symptom of mental illness.
And as weka suggests above, when they have spent their money on drugs – food is the best help you can give, then an ear, and and finally when they are ready, encouragement to try again. They need to find the trigger that causes the relapse.
Meanwhile, whilst your back was turned. Fighting for scraps from the masters table, or being incremental – Slavery is back. How progressive we all are, how truly wonderful human beings.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/12/outrageous-reality-libya-171201085605212.html
http://fortune.com/2017/11/29/libya-slave-trade/
I read somewhere that BM molests goats. I find this behavior detestable and as a goat owner am now fearful for my goats. Being a nom de plume, I have no idea who this BM is, but by his general tone and writing I’m gonna assume he’s an older, white male. As there’s a number of those round these parts, I’m rightly concerned for my goats. I think BM should stop his indecent actions, seek help and be more forthright and honest about his awful nature as these habits aren’t natural and the goats (or any of gods creatures) should never be subjected to BM’s sick ways.
Shame on you BM.
The goats are bm mentors
Wasn’t it mentioned a few weeks ago about how TROLLs live under bridges and eat goats, relates very closely to him.
Are you insulting homeless people who live under bridges?
Not unless BM just happens to be a homeless person.
BM is metaphorically homeless: the National Party will lock their doors to him the moment their owners tell them to.
So is this the standard of comment that is acceptable on this blog these days ?
Can we accuse anyone we like of being a goat fucker?
I think you started it with that rubbish about a colander, and got a deliberately exaggerated example of what you like to dish out. Fair enough, too.
Work it out for yourself if you aren’t playing the innocent. (Which I suspect you are.)
I look forward to the day when you disappear from this blog.
In Vito.
I think you are obviously a moron. I haven’t said anything about a colander at all. Far from playing innocent- the fact is you are just wrong.
In vino is just getting their tory trolls confused. Easily done.
Yes, James – almost inclined to apologise: it was in fact BM (Bullshit Mountain?) who made the inane comment about the colander, so you are in fact innocent of that bit of trolling. But then again, you are both so alike…
And apologising to somebody silly enough to misspell Vino, then throw childish insults just doesn’t seem right. So I am not sorry, even if I was wrong on that point. You remain what you are.
Has Labour got their priorities right when it comes to building more homes?
Mr Twyford says trade-offs may have to be made (state homes vs KiwiBuild homes) with a priority on KiwiBuild.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/top/345178/government-pledges-to-build-more-state-houses
With people living in cars and what not coupled with the expected upward pressure on rents due to Labour’s Healthy Homes Guarantee Act, do Labour need to commit to building more state homes a year?
Yes.
I can see the political reasoning though. Voters will be dazzled by the numbers, and KiwiBuild will be cheaper.
Alternatively, voters will be appalled Labour are going to prioritise housing those that are already housed rather than housing those in dire straits.
BM if it looks like ____ and smells like _____ than it is bulshit .
These people think I just dropped out of the sky yesterday I see they are using someone in Pukekohe to try and use my son in laws origins against me . I say to the these people stop pissing in the wind and find a real crim to waste your time on you no I no that your shit stinks to Ana to kai Pukekohe is nice a lot friendly Maori people this is the true nature of Maori please take care of my daughter and my moko.s We will be back in January when our daughter is due for her 4 child . Ka pai
Here’s a little story from yesterday about how politics is going across the ditch for the federal Liberal party and in particular, Malcom Turnbull, it’s quite amusing, and in stark contrast to politics in NZ with regard to coalition partners.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/video/watch/38112814/deputy-premier-john-barilaro-urges-malcolm-turnbull-to-resign-before-christmas/
Film coming in 2018.
I became vegan this year.
It is the biggest thing you can do for your health, the planet and for animals.
Don’t believe me. Research the topic with an open mind.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpDJlEQsDoA
Duncan “Vyshinsky” Garner’s laughable attempt to intimidate Golriz Ghahraman
FULL TRANSCRIPT
three a.m. show, Thursday 29 November 2017,
Duncan Garner tries to be harsh and cold and aggressive, but he doesn’t really have his heart in it. Someone obviously wrote his questions for him, and told him to “get” Golriz, but it’s clear that he early on recognizes Golriz is far brighter than him, as well as holding the moral high ground over him. This clip finishes a bit early, unfortunately, and doesn’t include the very interesting back and forth between Garner, Mark Richardson and Amanda Gillies, immediately after this travesty. All of them acknowledged that Golriz had done nothing wrong, and Amanda Gillies did not hide her distaste for what Garner had been instructed to do…..
DUNCAN GARNER: Green M.P. Golriz Ghahraman has come under criticism for failing to mention her work defending a war criminal convicting of inciting genocide IN RWANDA. Around eight hundred thousand TUTSI are estimated to have been killed during the nineteen ninety-FOUR ethnic cleansing, uh, by the Hutu EXTREMISTS. Ghahraman was involved in the deFENCE, and she joins me now, Golriz good to have you on the program, really apPRECiate it. Why didn’t you just tell us? Why hasn’t this been OUT there before?
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: I did. It was out there. There’s been a number of journalists that have come forward, Kirsty Johnston from the Herald, Vice New Zealand’s released a transcript, I did a number of interviews before the election where I talked about this. I went around, um, various law schools, I’ve talked about this in the past. My C.V. was online and completely open. Um, so it’s not a problem for me at all, it’s not a problem for any lawyer, and the U.N. is certainly really proud that we now have these trials where there is a defense and a prosecution. It’s about returning communities to a rule of law model, to a human rights model.
GARNER: Okaaaayyy. Okay.
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: So it is actually about stopping the cycle of violence. Having the defense ensures that, so either side can’t say, you know, it was victor’s justice, you just came in and arrested our people. Um, so it’s something that I’m really proud of, and I’ve put it out there, there’s been a number of articles, um, it wouldn’t have occurred to me to hide it—
GARNER: [brusquely] I put it to you that you HAVEN’T, actuallyyyy. I put it to you that the GREEN Party, you see the GREEN Party WEBSITE said, uh, “Golriz worked in Africa, The Hague, and Cambodia, putting on trial world leaders for abusing their power.” It DOESN’T SAY that you DEFENDED these war criminals.
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: So in the context of all of these articles that I’ve done and all of these talks that I’ve given, and making my C.V. public well before the election, there’s just this ONE line that people have gotten a hold of and—-
GARNER: [interrupting] Quite CRUCIAL, it’s quite CRUCIAL, Golriz.
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: Well, I would, I mean I would suggest if the Green Party was trying to hide this, someone would have brought me up and said you’ve got to stop doing Herald interviews about this work, it would’ve been a no-brainer, um, for someone from the party to pull me up and say, Stop, stop doing these interviews about it, um, and it di–, it hadn’t occurred to me, I mean the reason it’s come up NOW is because, again, there was a Herald article where they said to me, What’s a defining era in your life? And I said, well actually this was the difficult, you know, this was the thing that was really life-changing for me is when I first went in to the U.N. system, um, it was working for the defense and, what do, you know it really made me think about—
GARNER: [interrupting] Weeeell, I, I READ some of the articles.
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: —-and that—
GARNER: And I’ve READ some of these articles, Golriz, and—
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: It was me that brought it up, I mean it wouldn’t have occurred to me to hide it.
GARNER: Yyeeah. But it HAS been hidden by the GREEN Party. Why was, so let’s, okay, so the media might have SAID it, but what about your own Green Party, it wasn’t on your website and you’ve since CHANGED that of course which is the right thing to do.
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: Oh of course I asked them to change it immediately. I had, ha–, I hadn’t even, er, looked at that, I don’t think, but I mean—
GARNER: Well hang on, hang on, lemme test that, lemme TEST that. You say you hadn’t looked at it, you DON’T THINK. Did you know that it said it, or it didn’t say it?
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: I, to be honest, would have skimmed it at some point, but I would’ve gone Yep, it’s got the places I worked, moving on. I mean, those trials are ABOUT the defense being there as well. Otherwise we wouldn’t have trials, we’d take people out the back. You know, it’s, as a law student, I was inspired essentially by the Nuremberg Trials, you know, when we went, okay, you’re not above the law, genocide IS a crime, but we’re not gonna sink to your level, we’re not gonna be tyrants, we’re gonna have these open, transparent, fair trials—
GARNER: [interrupting] So the GUARDIAN—
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: It’s so INSPIRING as a lawyer—
GARNER: Hmmm.
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: You know, I wouldn’t have, there’s NO WAY I would have hidden something like that, that’s why I was doing the articles about it.
GARNER: Did you complain to the Guardian, ‘cos the Guardian, ahh, three weeks ago, doing a tri–, a piece on you, a really good piece on you too, said that you “represented the U.N. in tribunals, prosecuting some of the world’s worst war criminals, including perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide.” They said that you PROSECUTED THE RWANDAN GENOCIDE!
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: Yeah I understand our comms team has written to the Guardian. I understand they have written to the Guardian. I mean, yeah, that’s blatantly not what I’ve ever said in interviews. And I mean, the Vice article was all about the defense work, um, Kirsty Johnston’s came forward and said that the latest Herald piece was all about the defense work, and that’s ‘cos I wanted to talk about it. I think it’s an important conversation actually, um, and it IS about the human rights framework—
GARNER: [interrupting] Do you acCEPT—
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: It’s not about denying genocide. That’s what I find offensive. Because we’re all there, the United Nations is there because we want to say genocide is a crime, but we will have a process, we’re not going to have cycles of violence, um, continuing. So that’s the part of it that’s really offensive to me.
GARNER: Okay. And some people might be offended at, in your maiden SPEECH, in parliament, in recent weeks, you talk about your WORK, and this is in your own words, you no doubt wrote your own speech, you talk about this criminal justice system internationally on the front li-i-i-ine, where you went out the-e-ere, y’know, you fought hard for what you di-i-id, and you worked in Africa, worked alongside these genocide trials, and you saw it at the Rwanda tribunal, you saw it at the Hague, and when you PROSECUTED the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, you “held politicians and armies to account for breaching their powers, giving voice to women, and minorities.” You don’t ONCE [brandishing his notes accusingly] describe it in your OWN words, in your OWN maiden SPEECH in parliament that you were DEFENDING some of these people!
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: That IS putting people on trial. I mean, everyone in that trial is putting those people on trial. It’s not the prosecutors putting them on trial—
GARNER: [interrupting] But you don’t say you were deFENDing them, Golriz. You’re happy to talk about PROSECUTING.
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: My maiden speech is all about being a DEFENCE lawyer. I raised the fact that I defended a child MURDERER at the Auckland High Court. It’s— my maiden speech talks about human rights in terms of defense work. I mean, to isolate a line out of it, is just, it’s just wrong. And I mean you have to—
GARNER: [interrupting] See I think you’re MINIMIZING it.
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: You have to take it in the context that for the entire year of the election I was doing these interviews about both the defense and the prosecution work that I’ve done. So to me it’s VERY public, and it SHOULD be very public, we should be really proud of adv—-
GARNER: [interrupting] So why didn’t you sa-a-a-a-yyy…..
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: —of advocating for a justice system that has both.
GARNER: Why didn’t you saaaay, why didn’t you SAY in your maiden SPEECH that you learned a lot—
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: But why did I make all these Herald articles about the defense work?
GARNER: Can I just finish the question?
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: I mean—
GARNER: I, I’ll just finish the question if I CAN, Golriz, because I’ve let you finish, I, if I could just please finish this question.
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: Go for it.
GARNER: Why didn’t you in your maiden speech say that you defended some of the world’s most evil men? Like the BUTCHER of Bosnia.
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: No, I never had anything to do with that trial. That’s patently wrong. That’s the Mladić trial you’re talking about and I’ve never had anything to do with the Mladić trial at all.
GARNER: You didn’t do any pre, pre-TRIAL work?
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: That was on the Karadžić trial, so that’s a completely different defendant.
GARNER: But the same sort of THING, though, isn’t it!
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: What happened in the Karadžić trial, I can explain that, is that that defendant was self-represented, and in the pre-trial stage the court needs lawyers to actually make the legal arguments when you’re coming up to, you know, defining the crimes and defining, um, the, essentially the spectrum of the trial. Um, and so there are lawyers that work on that, it’s to assist the trial, because actually the prosecution has lawyers, and a self-represented defendant doesn’t, so you can’t have a fair trial without those legal points being hashed out properly. That’s what I did for about five or six months, before I went to prosecutio—
GARNER: [interrupting> Right so obviously he was an EVIL man, okay, a convicted war criminal. Did you morally STRUGGLE with any of this?
…[Here there are a couple of seconds of silence as she tries to deal civilly with the imbecility and insolence of that question]…
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: I don’t want us to resort back to, we take people out back and shoot them. These are, this is what these trials are about, and like I say, from Nuremberg onwards we’ve said, No, we have the moral authority. You ARE criminals, I don’t care if you’re the head of the army, I don’t care if you’re the president of a country, but we’re not gonna resort to what YOU resorted to, we’re gonna put you into a fair process, this community gets to see exactly who’s responsible, we’re not denying that genocide happened, but we wanna know exactly who did what, we want it to be transparent, we want the evidence to be tested and the historical record to be set right. Every lawyer in that system is proud to be involved in that, as was I, and as was I of my prosecution work. Is it difficult work? Totally. It’s REALLY hard to act on the defense in those trials but you’ve got to be really, really committed to that human rights-based process.
GARNER: Mmmkay. Ah, d-, have you EVER deFENDED anyone in New Zealand, say a Rwandan refugee who’s linked to that brutal reGIME?
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: Ah, I’ve defended a Rwandan refugee that’s been accused of being linked to, not the regime per se, but yeah that’s something I’ve spoken to on radio before as well. It was around the confidentiality measures of the refugee process in New Zealand that we were challenging.
GARNER: Hmmm. And he was—
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: So it was about, it was about people who were trying to disprove claims being able to go back in to a repressive regime and get witnesses and for us to protect those witnesses.
GARNER: [interrupting> Wasn’t he 2-i-c?
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: And I’ve—
GARNER: [interrupting> Wasn’t he 2-i-c in the regime? Okay, so—
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: —I’ve openly spoken about that.
GARNER: So who WAS he?
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: Sorry?
GARNER: Okay, so wha-, wha-, wha-, so who WAS he? Wasn’t he 2-i-c in the regime?
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: Um, the problem with that case is that actually the courts have suppressed a lot of the information, but I’ve spoken about the legal point that we were taking before on radio, which was about the confidentiality measures. Um, in terms of the details of the case I don’t wanna, I don’t wanna be breaching any of the suppression orders that the court imposed. That’s an ongoing case which I’m not on any more.
GARNER: So WHY did YOU get involved in THAT?
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: But you can talk to Deborah Maning about that, you know, refugee lawyers who’ve, um, previously defended people like, you know, Ahmed Zaoui, and it’s a similar case to that—
GARNER: [interrupting> This is a guy that LIED. This is a guy that LIED on his refugee, ahmmm, application to come—
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: Ooh, I’d be careful there. That’s all been disproven. [laughs derisively] So, yeah.
GARNER: You tell me what ‘e DID.
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: Sorry?
GARNER: You tell me what ‘e DID.
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: Ahmed Zaoui?
GARNER: No, not Zaoui. No I’m talking about—
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: Oh I’m sorry.
GARNER: I’m talking about this RWANDAN, ahhhmm, who was here in New Zealand that you were—
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: That’s an ongoing case and there’s suppression orders around it, but he’s being accused by the Rwandan government, um, and sought for extradition. So it’s an extradition case, um, and we were trying to get a fair process around it HERE, so that everyone could present their witness evidence, essentially.
GARNER: Right. Where did you— so you were in AFRICA. You LIVED in Africa, did you?
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: In Tanzania, sort of on and off when I worked on cases, yeah.
GARNER: Right. Have you been to RWANDA? Did you go in there and have a look?
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: Yeah I’ve been into Rwanda, yeah, but the court isn’t in Rwanda, so you go into Rwanda, you speak to witnesses or, y’know, I mean you’re next door, so you go into Rwanda a lot, yeah. But nobody lives in Rwanda and works on the trial.
GARNER: No, sure. Um, and just, just finally, did you ever have a choice, I don’t know how this works, I mean did the U.N. ever give you a choice and say, Golriz you don’t HAVE to work on this if you have any issues with it, y’know morally or ETHICALLY. Did you ever have a choice to say, I don’t WANTA defend this, y’know, this man?
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: I certainly don’t have any moral, ethical choice, as does NO lawyer that works on criminal trials, in terms of working for either side. You are there to make the process fair. So to say that there’s a moral problem, you know, to suggest that all of these United Nations lawyers, where the U.N. requires that there is a defense and a prosecution, are somehow, um, you know, morally repugnant, um, is just, it is actually offensive, to be honest. I mean, nobody there is denying that a genocide happened—
GARNER: [interrupting] What SOME people—
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: We’re there because we KNOW a genocide happened.
GARNER: Course. Yeah. And what some people are also saying that THEY’re offended by the fact that y-you, y-y-you are in PHOTOS, sort of you know, like a SELFIE with, with some of these WAR criminals, here you are standing with one of these RWANDAN guys who was convicted. Y’know, like a, like a HOLIDAY SNAP!
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: Yeah, he was convicted, but I, well, we believe in innocent till proven guilty, right? So when you go over and you’re representing someone, you don’t treat them like they’re guilty. That would kind of subvert the whole process.
GARNER: But do you take HOLIDAY SNAPS with a mass MURDERER?
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: I can absolutely see how it’s jarring to people. But if you actually believe in the system you’re not going there and going, You’re a mass murderer. The minute you start representing them that would be you making the decision for the Court. So it’s not, it doesn’t work that way.
GARNER: Mm.
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: But I can totally see how it’s jarring. And, I mean, it’s a process that not many people would wanna be involved in, but to me it’s really important, as my prosecution work was important. It’s really important that we make sure these trials are fair, so that community can actually rely on those verdicts and move forward.
GARNER: Okay, look, um, Golriz, um, we’d better GO-O-O-O. I appreciate you coming on the program. Do you REGRET any of, any of your approach, or the lack of coming FORWARD in terms of the public stuff on the Green Party website and your maiden SPEECH? Do you regret that you could have been fuller?
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: I mean, I’ve had the Green Party website fixed, but I don’t think, because I’ve been so open and I’ve done all of these interviews, coming out to the election, I think taking all of that in context it was all VERY public. But the thing is, I’m glad we’re having this conversation, because we DO need to have a conversation about what fair trials mean, and what justice means to us. Um so, no, let’s, you know, let’s keep talking about it.
GARNER: That you don’t think you have anything to apologize for?
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: No, as I don’t think anyone working in our justice system has anything to apologize for. We’re all there making the process fair.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/11/i-ve-been-so-open-golriz-ghahraman.html
Duncan “Vyshinsky” Garner’s laughable attempt to
intimidate Golriz Ghahraman: FULL TRANSCRIPT
three a.m. show, Thursday 29 November 2017
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com
Duncan Garner tries to be harsh and cold and aggressive, but he doesn’t really have his heart in it. Someone obviously wrote his questions for him, and told him to “get” Golriz, but it’s clear that he early on recognizes Golriz is far brighter than him, as well as holding the moral high ground over him. This clip finishes a bit early, unfortunately, and doesn’t include the very interesting back and forth between Garner, Mark Richardson and Amanda Gillies, immediately after this travesty. All of them acknowledged that Golriz had done nothing wrong, and Amanda Gillies did not hide her distaste for what Garner had been instructed to do…..
DUNCAN GARNER: Green M.P. Golriz Ghahraman has come under criticism for failing to mention her work defending a war criminal convicting of inciting genocide IN RWANDA. Around eight hundred thousand TUTSI are estimated to have been killed during the nineteen ninety-FOUR ethnic cleansing, uh, by the Hutu EXTREMISTS. Ghahraman was involved in the deFENCE, and she joins me now, Golriz good to have you on the program, really apPRECiate it. Why didn’t you just tell us? Why hasn’t this been OUT there before?
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: I did. It was out there. There’s been a number of journalists that have come forward, Kirsty Johnston from the Herald, Vice New Zealand’s released a transcript, I did a number of interviews before the election where I talked about this. I went around, um, various law schools, I’ve talked about this in the past. My C.V. was online and completely open. Um, so it’s not a problem for me at all, it’s not a problem for any lawyer, and the U.N. is certainly really proud that we now have these trials where there is a defense and a prosecution. It’s about returning communities to a rule of law model, to a human rights model.
GARNER: Okaaaayyy. Okay.
GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN: So it is actually about stopping the cycle of violence. Having the defense ensures that, so either side can’t say, you know, it was victor’s justice, you just came in and arrested our people. Um, so it’s something that I’m really proud of, and I’ve put it out there, there’s been a number of articles, um, it wouldn’t have occurred to me to hide it—
GARNER: [brusquely] I put it to you that you HAVEN’T, actuallyyyy. I put it to you that the GREEN Party, you see the GREEN Party WEBSITE said, uh, “Golriz worked in Africa, The Hague, and Cambodia, putting on trial world leaders for abusing their power.” It DOESN’T SAY that you DEFENDED these war criminals.
…..Read more, if you can bear it…
https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2017/12/general_debate_2_december_2017.html/comment-page-1#comment-2090955
Morrissey
I watched the reply from Golriz, what wonderful candidate, if only we had more politicians like her, articulate, intelligent, well spoken and most importantly, a true diplomat, hadn’t seen her before, but with ppl like her in Govt, the countries on a winner.
This whole topic is already dead, just a few stupid, arrogant men, who are struggling to adapt to a change in the style of politics think they can control the narrative by “click baiting” to gain attention, only the stupid are sucked in and we all know who they vote for.
Fair comment, NewsFlash.
Uber’s use of encrypted messaging may set legal precedents
Anybody else see the contradiction in those two sentences?