Democrats going at each other will please orange45 no end.
Cuomos probably looking to distract from his own contribution to NY's covid outcome like his initial inaction and unpopular cuts to hospitals etc. He's no saint.
Gonna be interesting watching the fallout from police using tear gas and other force to drive clergy from church grounds so that the Lyin' King can posture in front of it for a photo op. What with the long history of churches holding a privileged status as sanctuaries from governmental action an'all.
The one in the the tweet talking about "ten minutes later" looks to me more like a Blackhawk than any of the other current US military helicopters. But sure, the images are fuzzy and I'm no expert, so maybe it's some other US military helicopter. In DC. Deployed against US citizens.
I never said that I agreed with military helicopters intimidating people.
It is shit.
But the top picture even has red cross badging so it is obviously checking out no one is hurt.
Even if it were a black hawk, which they aren't, it could just be Trump being an even bigger prick than normal as that is what he flies round in, I think. (may not be totally correct, as think it changes)
Well, the bit before "but" was pointless, and the remaining two comments were bullshit.
So yeah, I selected the funniest bit of your ~adjacent-apologia to quote.
Motherfuckers have deployed more resources to avoid changing police culture than they did while 105k died under their watch, and you're trying to spin this particular shit as either potus or medivac concern. If they didn't want people hurt, they wouldn't be firing "rubber" bullets.
No, you did more than point it out, you invented some motivation to the helicopter crew, after your intitial takeaway that the main point was whether it was a uh60 (medical or not).
Whereas the effects of the helicopter count more than its model number or its decal set. The effects included actual force and, yes, intimidation (which you disagree with while looking for any unlikely excuse for it to be causing those effects).
Unless the pilots go on camera to apologise and explain that they really were super concerned someone might have broken a fingernail and they were also completely unaware of the well documented effects of low level flight, I'll stick with occam's razor on their motives.
Then what are the two different types of helicopter shown in the various images and videos? Sure, the one in the image at the top of the article isn't a Blackhawk, it appears most likely to be a Lakota as McFlock says. But nobody claiming "it isn't a Blackhawk" has ponied up an alternative for the second type of helicopter as shown in the tweet in the original article and helpfully reproduced for you above in the response to lprent. That one sure as shit ain't a Lakota, and the landing gear wheels, window configuration, cabin shape, engine intakes, tapered tail boom etc all appear awfully similar to a Blackhawk and unlike any other helicopter in US military service (except Blackhawk derivatives).
So your article confirms that there was indeed a Blackhawk on the scene. But it doesn't appear to have any info from anybody that was actually at the event. Just someone speculating the Blackhawk might have been a bit higher, guessing from a brief video.
Here's from a second reporter on the actual scene:
As we noted, UH-60s have been conducting similar shows of force, as well. New York Times reporter Thomas Gibbons-Neff said that one of the Black Hawks had flown so low that it broke a large branch off a tree with its rotor wash, which fell, but thankfully didn't injure anyone on the ground below.
“To reinforce this message, the time has come for the armed forces command and Congress to prevent an expansion of the US military role in domestic crowd control roles. The institutional integrity at the core of democratic governance depends on it.”
Unfortunately, whatever military personnel still serving that might have the principle to refuse to carry out illegal orders are busy resigning in protest. To be replaced by suckups eager to carry out whatever Kim Jong Orange commands.
Nothing is going to go through Congress that puts any kind of leash on the stygian homunculus. Not while Mitch the Mean-age Mutant MAGA Turtle has a stranglehold on the Senate.
Buckle up, everybody. It's gonna be a bumpy ride. For just the next seven months if we're lucky, four and a half years if we're not.
It sickened me yesterday to see security personnel—including members of the National Guard—forcibly and violently clear a path through Lafayette Square to accommodate the president’s visit outside St. John’s Church. I have to date been reticent to speak out on issues surrounding President Trump’s leadership, but we are at an inflection point, and the events of the past few weeks have made it impossible to remain silent.
Whatever Trump’s goal in conducting his visit, he laid bare his disdain for the rights of peaceful protest in this country, gave succor to the leaders of other countries who take comfort in our domestic strife, and risked further politicizing the men and women of our armed forces.
There was little good in the stunt.
While no one should ever condone the violence, vandalism, and looting that has exploded across our city streets, neither should anyone lose sight of the larger and deeper concerns about institutional racism that have ignited this rage.
As a white man, I cannot claim perfect understanding of the fear and anger that African Americans feel today. But as someone who has been around for a while, I know enough—and I’ve seen enough—to understand that those feelings are real and that they are all too painfully founded.
We must, as citizens, address head-on the issue of police brutality and sustained injustices against the African American community. We must, as citizens, support and defend the right—indeed, the solemn obligation—to peacefully assemble and to be heard. These are not mutually exclusive pursuits.
And neither of these pursuits will be made easier or safer by an overly aggressive use of our military, active duty or National Guard. The United States has a long and, to be fair, sometimes troubled history of using the armed forces to enforce domestic laws. The issue for us today is not whether this authority exists, but whether it will be wisely administered.
..,
Furthermore, I am deeply worried that as they execute their orders, the members of our military will be co-opted for political purposes.
Even in the midst of the carnage we are witnessing, we must endeavor to see American cities and towns as our homes and our neighborhoods. They are not “battle spaces” to be dominated, and must never become so.
We must ensure that African Americans—indeed, all Americans—are given the same rights under the Constitution, the same justice under the law, and the same consideration we give to members of our own family. Our fellow citizens are not the enemy, and must never become so.
Too many foreign and domestic policy choices have become militarized; too many military missions have become politicized.
The point being that Mullen is no longer anywhere in the chain of command and therefore has zero influence over whether illegal or just plain wrong orders get carried out or not.
It's pleasing to see that Admiral Mullen has at last started to show signs he has a heart and a conscience. Ten years ago he was one of the most callous, merciless liars one could find in any sphere of life.
I'm not into hero worship, but if ever there were politicians over my lifetime that are deserving of star status, they'd be the likes of JA, H1 (at least in the 1st and 2nd term) and Norman Kirk.
However while I still support Labour, I'm hoping people don't get complacent because there are a few things that could go very wrong over the next 3 months, and I'm hoping I won't have to feel so bad about not giving them my vote next election unless they get their shit together over a few things.
Bernard Hickey expresses one (actually more than one) of those things very well:
The more things evolve, the more I'm inclined to the belief that JA is carrying a bit of dead wood in some Ministerial portfolios, AND that she's inclined to believe some of her civil servants without question, whilst what they're telling her is not necessarily what's going on in the real world.
Given Helen Clark also said the other day that the civil service doesn't have the capacity it once had, and that its operated in a neo-lib, managerialist nirvana – JA would be wise to get a new model of bullshit detector (H1 or H2 might do).
Alternatively she could start putting as much weight on advice she receives from people at the coal face and from academia as she does from some of her ‘officials’
Ministers responsible for MBIE MPI NZTA and even MSD have been fed a lot of shit over time.
Perhaps my biggest disappointment is I L-G. One of my hero-worshiping siblings tells me he's a really 'nice guy'. I'm sure that's true enough but being a nice guy doesn't always make for being a good or competent minister and it seems to me that's often a trap people fall into. No question though that any one of them is a better bet when put beside the current crop of gNats.
Lately, I've had cause to remember what my father-in-law (a staunch Labour supporter) said when he ditched them during the 80s – to the effect that the likes of Prebble, Douglas and Co didn't have the guts to start their own party – instead hijacking Labour. That stench seems to have 'trickled down to parts of our public service.
I L-G is one minister that rumour in the hood has it was grappling with his department. Remember that furore about the czech? migrant that was put through his office and blew up in the media? Sending H2 down to Mobie to start breaking it up might not be a bad call. And immigration is tricky
"Grappling with his department". I've been saying that for nigh on 4 years now. It's not just rumour. But its a good example of the state of our ps (at least the senior ranks). The person/people/responsible for that 'demographic profiling' are still there. Why the high turnover in some areas also? And ANYone that thought it OK to use T&C to spy on people should not be in ps roles.
Under MBIE, its 'the business of people', with their families treated as though they are a COST of doing that business – baggage. Any social considerations are secondary.
As far as I can make out a reasonable chunk of our upper civil servants are wedded to the more market less government approach so there won't be an argument from me about repurposing them.
And yes heads never seem to roll – not in Mobie, Police, Defence no matter how much their dodgy deeds cost us taxpayers. Same with a lot of the state appointed boards.
Labour may have struggled to clear this pre covid but a reset is badly overdue so that we can appreciate our good public servants.
If we fail to vote for Labour and Greens, and allow National to squeak in, those prats in civil service you're talking about will have their methods entrenched.
We have to remember all the good things done and put in place while meeting huge problems, of ongoing obstacles, all of which have been dealt with incredibly well.
The National Party dirty tricks brigade would have us believe that Jacinda Grant and Winston are the only Ministers doing their roles well. Bollocks. That is designed to make Jacinda out to be a power hungry control freak
They can feck off. She is inclusive well informed and able to take advice. She has shown she won't accept bullying, but will use her discretion where ministers make errors of judgement.
In her own words, "Be a good human, be kind and support each other" She will live by those words and look for her Ministers and staff to do the same.
This same story about the few cans of beans for a family of seven migrants has been amplified. She said that was not good enough and asked for more information. 30 million was given to meet those types of need. Granted a month later half this fund has been spent.
When these people arrive they agree to support themselves if they become ill. This Government has supported them through this pandemic with shelter and food after their employers who brought them here dropped them off their workers lists.
The paucity of airfares and the cancellation of flights has added to their woes.
Bryce Edwards has always been a closet National supporter in my view, often taking parts of other stories to support a biased angle of the story, and seldom presents an overview.
He drips his bias steadily trying to build his already decided hypothesis. He is too obvious. Unfortunately, many forget how Winston's views are really quite conservative, and he could agree with Muller's take on things.
This could eat into Labour's new polling margin, though a factor may be that Winston sees Muller as "Like Jim Bolger" Stubborn intractable and rather slow and inflexible, Muller having worked for Jim Bolger who has similar traits.
After working with Jacinda Ardern I can't see him doing that except for political survival. But pundits like Bryce Edwards will muddy the waters happily.
How do you rock a good leader’s boat? By implying her other ministers are poor managers, purposefully magnifying their erros.
Rest assured @ Patricia, I'll be voting either Green or Labour depending on the promises they make between now and the election – most likely Green.
In the meantime, I'm sure MoBIE has 'several pieces of work underway in that space to ensure some joined up services might be wrapped around the unfortunate"
“Ultimately”, it might even come down to the amount of neo-liberal speak I hear from Labour in the meantime, or whether they propose getting off their chuffs and doing something about the state of media
Personally I was a bit disappointed with Bernard's story ( immigration visa's ) as there are some real issues there but it's difficult to get a handle on the actual scope of them which he did not really address and how widespread they are – lots, some , a few?
Again this is a issue inherited from National who used excessive visa's like crack cocaine for employers to disrupt the local employment markets. Labour by lifting salaries etc had tried to wind it back gently but the process was far from complete.
Still any broad brush local solutions ( untying work permits , providing welfare) are expensive. Either way we could be potentially adding 200,000 to 300,000 to our welfare role costing about a $1 billion every 6 weeks either as a direct welfare recipient or because they have displaced a local in a job. While a lot of visa holders may see this as an opportunity to attain a situation that they might otherwise not have gained I suspect there is little local appetite for that. Also don't forget that there is a least some evidence that the benefits of the visa's have been heavily oversold by some offshore agents – presumably for a large fee.
And it is an area where we need good stop gap policy plus a great deal better long term settings. Take the student work visa – there are some 65,000 apparently and according to the education institutes (dying to get their fee payers back to support the bloated salaries at the top) around a third stay on for the work visa's. Our birth cohort leaving education every year is around 50,000 to 60,000. We are suddenly adding another 25%-30%(22,000) to that number of people looking for entry level jobs. No wonder we have such a large number of NEET,s in that age group. They really don't need that level of competition.
Lastly the farmers. Could the news media give their employer sob stories a harder frame? The various audits in the last couple of years showed that the bulk of them where non compliant with any employment and wage law. Yes they may have an employee stuck overseas but employees can be suddenly unavailable for any number of reasons so get over yourself and hire another one either temporarily or permanently.
Demanding a government fly them back in again is the height of over entitlement.
However for whatever reason – whether that 'lack of capacity' H1 talked about, Euro-centric and racist mindset others have talked about (with good reason and incidentally examples – from inside the tent), or incompetence, there are a few basic things that could have been done and should be done now.
– (Haven't checked their website in a while), but MBIE were encouraging all and sundry to become immigration advisors – so they got what they asked for: complete charlatans mixed in with highly competent and experienced ones. So you'd get someone running say a security firm, or a PTE, or Labour Hire Company providing immigration advice on the side. Hopefully you can see a problem right there!
– Then you had/have a load of closures and presence in key 'markets'. Note the word MARKETS which even Mr Nice Guy seems perfectly comfortable with.
– And in those 'markets' where the charlatans and scamsters operate – places that contribute to that $5b export education sector for example, NOT even the slightest attempt to warn people of the dangers.
– Then you have a Labour Inspectorate which we were assured by an official just before the election had enough inspectors, and who now seems to have changed his tune. An Inspectorate that made excuses when cases of exploitation were reported to them. For some reason, unwilling to involve the Police – probably because they were intent on building their own little police force.
– Then you have the practice of tying visas to a specific employer, rather than sector, and expecting nothing to go wrong in terms of exploitation and contributing to the trend of driving down wages, AND wondering why employers prefer immigrant labour over Kiwis. Money to be made doncha know and its "best practice"
I'll leave it at that for now although I could go on. But if I L-G is and was "grappling" with his department, then (provided all the purchase agreements and KPIs and shit are in order), then the State Services Commissioner should have been called in (as in say a James Casson, or a demographic spreadsheeting) – repeatedly called in if necessary and told (asked very nicely) that performance isn't satisfactory. He could probably even be remiinded that we're a sovereign Pacific Nayshun that punches above its weight, albeit under HRH Madge.
I think the fuckup that is the Ministry for Everything that started out with largesse and designed by a couple of shithouse rats whose intentions should now be obvious has been allowed to contiinue is going to be on this government – even though it's probably quite a convenient entity for them to deal with.
Some really good discussion there, I hope that it is read and absorbed by some whose hearts are still beating in Labour or HM (High Management) or HR (Hyperbole Recherche').
Insomniac as I am @ Grey, you'd probably appreciate my last night.
It was a dream – call it a nightmare really in which Julie Christie was Jacinda's producer in Julie's latest reality TV show. I L-G was at home up the road in Tinakori with Clark (with an e) arguing over Neve who should be giving whom media training – while Neve was howling her eyes out.
I can see now why it happened after all I encountered yesterday (and believe me, I'm totally drugless other than the standard statins, beta blockers and aspirin) – although I sometimes wonder whether or not a puff or two of the ganga (incidentally – not exactly foreign to that hero worshiping sibling I mentioned above) would be preferable.
Thankfully, I woke up PDQ thinking today is the day I finally get to see the emergency dentist (which as it transpired, didn't go well due to a 3 month Cov19 happenstance) – Shit happens, but not half as much as it has for most of our recent immigrants. I could even get to wear a set of pearly white bleached teeth yet, at a cost of thousands, false though they may be – or not (hopefully)
Look fixing those basics ASAP would be excellent . And reining in the dodgy education sector stuff. I too find it a bit worrying that there have been few policy announcements in this area even quite basic ones so that we don' t have anyone who may be overseas looking to get a new work visa having false expectations.
“Take the student work visa – there are some 65,000 apparently and according to the education institutes (dying to get their fee payers back to support the bloated salaries at the top) around a third stay on for the work visa's.”
They do not need to come back and the institutes can keep their staff at the top on their bloated salaries and we can shut the back door visa entry which was never put to New Zealanders before being implemented. The NZ Auckland university students have been doing their studies and are continuing to do their studies and the tests from home , online , until the end of this term, So yes the overseas students can do the same – study at NZ universities online at home, in whatever that country happens to be.
And the likes of Guilford are desperate to get it all going again.
Here in lil 'ole NuZull that punches above its weight, you too can provide your child with a year (or less) of tertiary education for the mere cost of a modest house. Your chiid can recover the cost of this investment in your family and child's future through our generous 20 hour-per-week work allowance that will enable them to recover your investment in double-quick time and more!
Invest now! Don't Delay! Places are vanishing fast.
We'll even teach them the fundamentals of how to suck eggs; of the basic laws of supply and demand that are already second nature to them; or even how they can use 'apps' and proprietry products to develop and set up a web site.
Book now! Places are limited and going fast! Contact your nearest immigration specialist. This is YOUR child's future and an investment for the familiy's future
We've been in level 4 too long, move to level 3 now
We should be moving from level 3 to level 2 now
It's confusing, we should go from level 2 to level 1 now
1,2 and 3 – Simon Bridges, 4 – Todd Muller. So what's changed with the leadership spill? Looks like not much. The same cavalier attitude to public health and the instinctive privileging of business interests above everything else. It's what led to the collapse in their support over the lock-down period and it's still there.
Well, this sort of racist dog-whistling hasn't changed. Mind you, short of welcoming his application, there's very little else Muller could say. And of course, Muller couldn't bring himself to do that.
Maybe this leadership change isn't going to bring the nats' numbers up, and they won't be able to salvage even a moderate loss after all? The next poll's going to be pretty telling.
I heard a news item this morning about a group of local academics that are pushing for a relaxation of alert levels.
When asked about Sweden's approach, a position I assume the group had favoured earlier in the crisis, we are told to refer to the website.
That is the thing with the opposition, various industry spokesfolk, and your local diehard tory, their reckons don't amount to much, they bear no responsibility, and do not credit the position we are in now to the PTB.
2) They do not believe they are accountable to Congress, which is why they have no issues lying to them even while under oath. They believe they are only accountable to the President and even then, only to presidents like Trump.
3) Border Patrol believes it is not required to answer to local police, FBI, CIA or any other law enforcement agency. They claim to be to “premiere” law enforcement agency, superior to all others. They say they will become a “national police force.” To be used by a president
The Drug Enforcement Administration has been granted sweeping new authority to “conduct covert surveillance” and collect intelligence on people participating in protests over the police killing of George Floyd, according to a two-page memorandum obtained by BuzzFeed News.
[…]
“In order for DEA to assist to the maximum extent possible in the federal law enforcement response to protests which devolve into violations of federal law, DEA requests that it be designated to enforce any federal crime committed as a result of protests over the death of George Floyd,” Shea wrote in the memo. “DEA requests this authority on a nationwide basis for a period of fourteen days.”
Yes it was. There have been some good signs in recent times. For example, I think the police handling of the Covid 19 requirements has been excellent. The Public Service has needed a clean up for the past 30 years and there's hope that too is now in progress.
Amazing, really. They should have had an easy win. Of course the level 1/2 inconsistency is a problem. Of course PM and deputy PM disagreeing is a bad look.
Audrey Young pointed to the PM V DPM difference but…:
“The differences between Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Peters, her deputy, does not affect the stability of the coalition between Labour and New Zealand First.
makes sense, but given the problems with the MoH, isn't it the Minister's job (and behind them, govt caucus) to sort those problems out by setting expectations and direction?
Say your wish was granted, I doubt he would fit Labour, as its likely ideas such as setting health targets, centralising health boards, providing services by need not ethnicity may be pushed to provide better outcomes for National Health.
… providing services by need not ethnicity may be pushed to provide better outcomes for National Health.
False dichotomy. There are many and major health disparities that are caused by ethnicity. The same can be said about education and crime stats, for example. The approach and philosophy that you seem to be advocating will never overcome these engrained inequalities and will therefore never provide better outcomes at a national level but rather further reinforce the current situation.
Why do some people say such incredibly stupid things?
"One option that's been discussed is bumping Māori and Pacific patients up a priority band in certain instances, the Weekend Herald understands. Another might be making Māori and Pacific ethnicity a factor when working out a priority rating score."
All NZ-trained health professionals are acutely aware and have a good understanding of the health inequalities in this country. The same is true of biomedical researchers trained and/or working here.
I’d put it to you that ignorance, denial, normalised racism, and poor leadership and management are just some of the factors why we have seen little improvement on this issue.
I agree with what you have put to me. That's why I doubt Bloomfield would be a good fit for Labour if it is was proposed that he should replace the current Minister of Health.
"The PM should avoid the public at all costs" is a novel attack line from the opposition.
Her bodyguards didn't push people out of the way when they got too close? It's a disgrace! Use tear gas like Trump does, that'll ensure appropriate distancing.
Read the comments under Farrar and was horrified SPC. I hope that when Farrar supporters read the Standard would they be as horrified with what is written here?
I don’t think it indicates that at all. But clearly NZFirst lacks relevance in the current polling scenario. They’re just trying to even up the playing field and deal themselves back in. Frankly Ardern only has herself to blame for this latest incident.
Heh, my tween daughter just showed me her KPop stars have hijacked the MAGA tag and are bombarding it with fan videos, cute anime, dance and songs. And there's 1000s of them.
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Tomorrow the council’s Transport, Resilience and Infrastructure Committee meet and agenda has a few interesting papers. Council’s Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport Every year the council provide a Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport which is part of the process for informing AT of the council’s priorities and ...
All around in my home townThey're trying to track me down, yeahThey say they want to bring me in guiltyFor the killing of a deputyFor the life of a deputySongwriter: Robert Nesta Marley.Support Nick’s Kōrero today with a 20% discount on a paid subscription to receive all my newsletters directly ...
Hi,I think all of us have probably experienced the power of music — that strange, transformative thing that gets under our skin and helps us experience this whole life thing with some kind of sanity.Listening and experiencing music has always been such a huge part of my life, and has ...
Business frustration over the stalled economy is growing, and only 34% of voters are confidentNicola Willis can deliver. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 12 are:Business frustration is growing about a ...
I have now lived long enough to see a cabinet minister go both barrels on their Prime Minister and not get sacked.It used to be that the PM would have a drawer full of resignations signed by ministers on the day of their appointment, ready for such an occasion. But ...
This session will feature Simon McCallum, Senior Lecturer in Engineering and Computer Science (VUW) and recent Labour Party candidate in the Southland Electorate talking about some of the issues around AI and how this should inform Labour Party policy. Simon is an excellent speaker with a comprehensive command of AI ...
The proposed Waimate garbage incinerator is dead: The company behind a highly-controversial proposal to build a waste-to-energy plant in the Waimate District no longer has the land. [...] However, SIRRL director Paul Taylor said the sales and purchase agreement to purchase land from Murphy Farms, near Glenavy, lapsed at ...
The US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act has been a vital tool in combatting international corruption. It forbids US companies and citizens from bribing foreign public officials anywhere in the world. And its actually enforced: some of the world's biggest companies - Siemens, Hewlett Packard, and Bristol Myers Squibb - have ...
December 2024 photo - with UK Tory Boris Johnson (Source: Facebook)Those PollsFor hours, political poll results have resounded across political hallways and commentary.According to the 1News Verizon poll, 50% of the country believe we are heading in the “wrong direction”, while 39% believe we are “on the right track”.The left ...
A Tai Rāwhiti mill that ran for 30 years before it was shut down in late 2023 is set to re-open in the coming months, which will eventually see nearly 300 new jobs in the region. A new report from Massey University shows that pensioners are struggling with rising costs. ...
As support continues to fall, Luxon also now faces his biggest internal ructions within the coalition since the election, with David Seymour reacting badly to being criticised by the PM. File photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Not since 1988 when Richard Prebble openly criticised David Lange have we seen such a challenge to a Prime Minister as that of David Seymour to Christopher Luxon last night. Prebble suggested Lange had mental health issues during a TV interview and was almost immediately fired. Seymour hasn’t gone quite ...
Three weeks in, and the 24/7 news cycle is not helping anyone feel calm and informed about the second Trump presidency. One day, the US is threatening 25% trade tariffs on its friends and neighbours. The reasons offered by the White House are absurd, such as stopping fentanyl coming in ...
This video includes personal musings and conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Wherever you look, you'll hear headlines claiming we've passed 1.5 degrees of global warming. And while 2024 saw ...
Photo by Heather M. Edwards on UnsplashHere’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s politics and economy in the week to Feb 10 below. That’s ahead of live chats on the Substack App and The Kākā’s front page on Substack at 5pm with: on his column in The ...
Is there anyone in the world the National Party loves more than a campaign donor? Why yes, there is! They will always have the warmest hello and would you like to slip into something more comfortable for that great god of our age, the High Net Worth Individual.The words the ...
Waste and fraud certainly exist in foreign aid programs, but rightwing celebration of USAID’s dismantling shows profound ignorance of the value of soft power (as opposed to hard power) in projecting US influence and interests abroad by non-military/coercive means (think of “hearts and minds,” “hugs, not bullets,” “honey versus vinegar,” ...
Health New Zealand is proposing to cut almost half of its data and digital positions – more than 1000 of them. The PSA has called on the Privacy Commissioner to urgently investigate the cuts due to the potential for serious consequences for patients. NZNO is calling for an urgent increase ...
We may see a few more luxury cars on Queen Street, but a loosening of rules to entice rich foreigners to invest more here is unlikely to “turbocharge our economic growth”. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Let us not dance daintily around the elephant in the room. Our politicians who serve us in the present are not honest, certainly not as honest as they should be, and while the right are taking out most of the trophies for warping narratives and literally redefining “facts”, the kiwi ...
A few weeks ago I took a look at public transport ridership in 2024. In today’s post I’m going to be looking a bit deeper at bus ridership. Buses make up the vast majority of ridership in Auckland with 70 million boardings last year out of a total of 89.4 ...
Oh, you know I did itIt's over and I feel fineNothing you could say is gonna change my mindWaited and I waited the longest nightNothing like the taste of sweet declineSongwriters: Chris Shiflett / David Eric Grohl / Nate Mendel / Taylor Hawkins.Hindsight is good, eh?The clarity when the pieces ...
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashHere’s what we’re watching in the week to February 16 and beyond in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty:Monday, February 10The Kākā’s weekly wrap-up of news about politics and the economy is due at midday, followed by webinar for paying subscribers in Substack’s ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, February 2, 2025 thru Sat, February 8, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
Today, I stumbled across a Twitter Meme: the ending of The Lord of the Rings as a Chess scenario: https://x.com/mellon_heads/status/1887983845917564991 It gets across the basic gist. Aragorn and Gandalf offering up ‘material’ at the Morannon allows Frodo and Samwise to catch Sauron unawares – fair enough. But there are a ...
Last week, Kieran McAnulty called out Chris Bishop and Nicola Willis for their claims that Kāinga Ora’s costs were too high.They had claimed Kāinga Ora’s cost were 12% higher than market i.e. private devlopersBut Kāinga Ora’s Chair had already explained why last year:"We're not building to sell, so we'll be ...
Stuff’s Political Editor Luke Malpass - A Fellow at New Zealand IniativeLast week I half-joked that Stuff / The Post’s Luke Malpass1 always sounded like he was auditioning for a job at the New Zealand Initiative.Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. For a limited time, subscriptions are 20% off. Thanks ...
At a funeral on Friday, there were A4-sized photos covering every wall of the Dil’s reception lounge. There must have been 200 of them, telling the story in the usual way of the video reel but also, by enlargement, making it more possible to linger and step in.Our friend Nicky ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is methane the ...
The Government’s idea is that the private sector and Community Housing Providers will fund, build and operate new affordable housing to address our housing crisis. Meanwhile, the Government does not know where almost half of the 1,700 children who left emergency housing actually went. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong ...
Oh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youOh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youSongwriters: Alexander Ebert / Jade Allyson CastrinosMorena,I’m on a tight time frame this morning. In about an hour and a half, I’ll need to pack up and hit the road ...
This is a post about the Mountain Tui substack, and small tweaks - further to the poll and request post the other day. Please don’t read if you aren’t interested in my personal matters. Thank you all.After oohing-and-aahing about how to structure the Substack model since November, including obtaining ...
This transcript of a recent conversation between the Prime Minister and his chief economic adviser has not been verified.We’ve announced we are the ‘Yes Government’. Do you like it?Yes, Prime Minister.Dreamed up by the PR team. It’s about being committed to growth. Not that the PR team know anything about ...
The other day, Australian Senator Nick McKim issued a warning in the Australian Parliement about the US’s descent into fascim.And of course it’s true, but I lament - that was true as soon as Trump won.What we see is now simply the reification of the intention, planning, and forces behind ...
Among the many other problems associated with Musk/DOGE sending a fleet of teenage and twenty-something cultists to remove, copy and appropriate federal records like social security, medicaid and other supposedly protected data is the fact that the youngsters doing the data-removal, copying and security protocol and filter code over-writing have ...
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tuneBird fly high by the light of the moonOh, oh, oh, JokermanSong by Bob Dylan.Morena folks, I hope this fine morning of the 7th of February finds you well. We're still close to Paihia, just a short drive out of town. Below is the view ...
It’s been an eventful week as always, so here’s a few things that we have found interesting. We also hope everyone had a happy and relaxing Waitangi Day! This week in Greater Auckland We’re still running on summer time, but provided two chewy posts: On Tuesday, a guest ...
Queuing on Queen St: the Government is set to announce another apparently splashy growth policy on Sunday of offering residence visas to wealthy migrants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, February 7:PM Christopher ...
The fact that Waitangi ended up being such a low-key affair may mark it out as one of the most significant Waitangi Days in recent years. A group of women draped in “Toitu Te Tiriti” banners who turned their backs on the politicians’ powhiri was about as rough as it ...
Hi,This week’s Flightless Bird episode was about “fake seizure guy” — a Melbourne man who fakes seizures in order to get members of the public to sit on him.The audio documentary (which I have included in this newsletter in case you don’t listen to Flightless Bird) built on reporting first ...
National’s cuts to disability support funding and freezing of new residential placements has resulted in significant mental health decline for intellectually disabled people. ...
The hundreds of jobs lost needlessly as a result of the Kinleith Mill paper production closure will have a devastating impact on the Tokoroa community - something that could have easily been avoided. ...
Today Te Pāti Māori MP for Te Tai Tokerau, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, released her members bill that will see the return of tamariki and mokopuna Māori from state care back to te iwi Māori. This bill will establish an independent authority that asserts and protects the rights promised in He Whakaputanga ...
The Whangarei District Council being forced to fluoridate their local water supply is facing a despotic Soviet-era disgrace. This is not a matter of being pro-fluoride or anti-fluoride. It is a matter of what New Zealanders see and value as democracy in our country. Individual democratically elected Councillors are not ...
Nicola Willis’ latest supermarket announcement is painfully weak with no new ideas, no real plan, and no relief for Kiwis struggling with rising grocery costs. ...
Half of Pacific children sometimes going without food is just one of many heartbreaking lowlights in the Salvation Army’s annual State of the Nation report. ...
The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation report is a bleak indictment on the failure of Government to take steps to end poverty, with those on benefits, including their children, hit hardest. ...
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill which would restore decision-making power to local communities regarding the fluoridation of drinking water. The ‘Fluoridation (Referendum) Legislation Bill’ seeks to repeal the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 that granted centralised authority to the Direct General of Health ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill aimed at preventing banks from refusing their services to businesses because of the current “Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Framework”. “This Bill ensures fairness and prevents ESG standards from perpetuating woke ideology in the banking sector being driven by unelected, globalist, climate ...
Erica Stanford has reached peak shortsightedness if today’s announcement is anything to go by, picking apart immigration settings piece by piece to the detriment of the New Zealand economy. ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...
Labour is relieved to see Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her government’s terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers – temporarily. ...
It is the first week of David Seymour’s school lunch programme and already social media reports are circulating of revolting meals, late deliveries, and mislabelled packaging. ...
The Green Party says that with no-cause evictions returning from today, the move to allow landlords to end tenancies without reason plunges renters, and particularly families who rent, into insecurity and stress. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. “As schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamariki’s review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 What’s Up hotline. “When I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...
A bill to make revenue collection on imported and exported goods fairer and more effective had its first reading in Parliament, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. “The Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill modernises the way in which Customs can recover the costs of services that are needed ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has achieved significant progress in completing applications for New Zealand citizenship. “December 2024 saw the Department complete 5,661 citizenship applications, the most for any month in 2024. This is a 54 per cent increase compared ...
Reversals to Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions begin tonight and will be in place by 1 July, says Minister of Transport Chris Bishop. “The previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads. “National campaigned on ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced Budget 2025 – the Growth Budget - will be delivered on Thursday 22 May. “This year’s Budget will drive forward the Government’s plan to grow our economy to improve the incomes of New Zealanders now and in the years ahead. “Budget 2025 will build ...
For the Government, 2025 will bring a relentless focus on unleashing the growth we need to lift incomes, strengthen local businesses and create opportunity. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today laid out the Government’s growth agenda in his Statement to Parliament. “Just over a year ago this Government was elected by ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour welcomes students back to school with a call to raise attendance from last year. “The Government encourages all students to attend school every day because there is a clear connection between being present at school and setting yourself up for a bright future,” says Mr ...
The Government is relaxing visitor visa requirements to allow tourists to work remotely while visiting New Zealand, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and Tourism Minister Louise Upston say. “The change is part of the Government’s plan to unlock New Zealand’s potential by shifting the country onto ...
The opening of Kāinga Ora’s development of 134 homes in Epuni, Lower Hutt will provide much-needed social housing for Hutt families, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I’ve been a strong advocate for social housing on Kāinga Ora’s Epuni site ever since the old earthquake-prone housing was demolished in 2015. I ...
By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown says the deal with China “complements, not replaces” the relationship with New Zealand after signing it yesterday. Brown said “The Action Plan for Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) 2025-2030” provides a structured framework for engagement between the Cook Islands ...
The government should not set military style academies into youth justice law, the children's commissioner says, despite its first bootcamp getting a glowing report. ...
The infamous over-the-suit T-shirt worn by the PM at a Parliament barbecue has gone on sale to raise funds for children living in poverty, in a TradeMe auction. ...
MONDAYSheriff Seymour rode slowly down the main street of Dodge on his faithful white horse Atlas Network.He liked what he saw.Children were being fed free lunches prepared by kind people who collected the scraps from an offal rendering plant.“Very strongly flavoured liver, such as ox liver, can be soaked overnight ...
Once upon a time it was all about being an astronaut, a firefighter or doctor; but these days kids have their sights set on becoming vloggers or YouTubers.That’s according to a 2019 study by Lego that surveyed 3000 children between the ages of eight to 12 from the US, the ...
Madeleine Chapman reflects on the week that was. From the moment I started high school and realised almost every other girl in my year was at least partially interested in what the boys were up to, I realised that I would be single for life. The feeling wasn’t one of ...
The Pacific profiles series shines a light on Pacific people in Aotearoa doing interesting and important work in their communities, as nominated by members of the public. Today, Selina Alesana Alefosio.All photos by Geoffery Matautia.On a bright Sunday morning from her grandparent’s home in Pito-one, I spoke with ...
The White Lotus star reflects on her life in TV, including the local ad reference that doesn’t work in Australia, and her bananas co-star on Neighbours.Morgana O’Reilly was scrolling her phone next to her sleeping son on an idle Saturday morning when she got the call confirming that she ...
Claire Mabey explores the pros and cons of puff quotes on book covers.In January, Publishers Weekly put out an article by Sean Manning – publisher of Simon & Schuster’s flagship US imprint – in which he said he’d “no longer require authors to obtain blurbs for their books”.The ...
New Zealand’s Entomological Society is hosting its annual bug of the year contest. Here are some of the insects in the running. For some reason – perhaps humans’ inherent competitiveness, the idealisation of democracy, the need to demarcate winners and losers – one of the best ways to get people ...
A journey along the border, with words and illustrations by Bob Kerr.The Spinoff Essay showcases the best essayists in Aotearoa, on topics big and small. Made possible by the generous support of our members.The Sunset Limited leaves Union Station New Orleans on time at nine in the morning. We ...
Neville Peat is the 2024 recipient of the Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement in nonfiction. He’s written 56 books, mostly on natural history; this excerpt is from The Falcon and the Lark: A New Zealand High Country Journal, first published in 1992. The falcon wintering on the Rock and ...
It was a light-hearted gesture Greta Pilkington will be forever grateful for – thanks to an Aussie rival who jumped in when the Olympic sailor couldn’t be at her own graduation.Pilkington, then 20, had been leading a double life – while qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics in the ILCA ...
I was born in the back of my grandfather’s ute, by an overgrown windbreak in a remote place called Wahi-Rakauyou can’t find on a map. I was born a girl but given the man’s name Harvey, as my dad always wanted a violent-minded boy to one day help him ...
“We’re not here to interfere in people’s property rights,” Ngāi Tahu’s Te Maire Tau has told the High Court.Tau, a historian, Upoko (traditional leader) of Ngāi Tūāhuriri, and a university professor of history, is the lead witness in a case designed to force the Crown to recognise the tribe’s rangatiratanga ...
Pacific Media Watch Trump administration officials barred two Associated Press (AP) reporters from covering White House events this week because the US-based independent news agency did not change its style guide to align with the president’s political agenda. The AP is being punished for using the term “Gulf of Mexico,” ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific Presenter/Bulletin editor France’s top diplomat in the Pacific region says talks around the “unfreezing” of New Caledonia’s highly controversial electoral roll are back on the table. The French government intended to make a constitutional amendment that would lift restrictions prescribed under the Nouméa Accord, which ...
By bringing these global voices to the fight for free expression in New Zealand, we’ll continue to protect and expand our culture of free speech, says Nathan Seiuli, the Free Speech Union's Events Manager. ...
The issue is no longer a hypothetical one. US President Donald Trump will not explicitly suggest death camps, but he has already consented to Israel’s continuing a war that is not a war but rather a barbaric assault on a desolate stretch of land. From there, the road to annihilation is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cecelia Cmielewski, Research Fellow, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University To be selected as the artist and curator team to represent Australia at the Venice Biennale is considered the ultimate exhibition for an artistic team. To have your selection rescinded, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steve Turton, Adjunct Professor of Environmental Geography, CQUniversity Australia Severe Tropical Cyclone Zelia is bearing down on the northwest coast of Australia and is likely to make landfall early Friday evening. It’s a monster storm of great concern to Western Australia. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danielle Ireland-Piper, Associate Professor, ANU National Security College, Australian National University A Victorian government decision to allow dingo culling in the state’s east until 2028 has reignited debate over what has been dubbed Australia’s most controversial animal. Animals Australia, an animal welfare ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hassan Vally, Associate Professor, Epidemiology, Deakin University Overnight, Robert F. Kennedy Jr was confirmed as the secretary of the US Health and Human Services Department. Put simply, this makes him the most influential figure in overseeing the health and wellbeing of more ...
Everything you missed from day five of the Treaty principles bill hearings, when the Justice Committee heard eight hours of submissions.Read our recaps of the previous hearings here.It was another work from home day for the Justice Committee, the only people in Room 3 being security guards, committee ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Associate Professor & Principal Fellow in Urban Risk & Resilience, The University of Melbourne Juris Teivans/Shutterstock In Australia, fatal road crashes are climbing again, especially since the pandemic, and despite years of attempts to reduce road trauma, the numbers ...
In its eagerness to appease supporters of Israel, the media is happy to ride roughshod over due process and basic rights. It’s damaging Australia’s (and New Zealand’s?) democracy.COMMENTARY:By Bernard Keane Two moments stand out so far from the Federal Court hearings relating to Antoinette Lattouf’s sacking by the ...
“The reality is we’re getting poorer. The government this year is leaning heavy on chasing economic growth, which is absolutely the right thing to do.” ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 The Vegetarian by Han Kang (Granta, $28) Han Kang’s astounding novel was based on an ...
This new docuseries about two single comedians looking for love is also a joyful celebration of female friendship. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. “How many people do you think are boning right now?” Kura Forrester asks Brynley Stent as the bright ...
Useless vs. Useless
https://abc7ny.com/cuomo-criticizes-de-blasio-nypd-on-nyc-looting/6226962/
Democrats going at each other will please orange45 no end.
Cuomos probably looking to distract from his own contribution to NY's covid outcome like his initial inaction and unpopular cuts to hospitals etc. He's no saint.
Gonna be interesting watching the fallout from police using tear gas and other force to drive clergy from church grounds so that the Lyin' King can posture in front of it for a photo op. What with the long history of churches holding a privileged status as sanctuaries from governmental action an'all.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/clergy-st-johns-church-trump_n_5ed6403ac5b6f9c2444b5851
Blackhawks deployed against Americans in DC.
https://www.salon.com/2020/06/02/army-helicopter-uses-counterinsurgency-tactics-after-protesters-tear-gassed-for-trumps-photo-op/
Funny looking "Blackhawk" Fan the flames Andre, let them burn
[I’ve looked at your comment history and unless you lift your game, you’ll be swooped up in the Pre-Election Clear-Out and Clean-Up – Incognito]
The one in the the tweet talking about "ten minutes later" looks to me more like a Blackhawk than any of the other current US military helicopters. But sure, the images are fuzzy and I'm no expert, so maybe it's some other US military helicopter. In DC. Deployed against US citizens.
See my Moderation note @ 8:27 AM.
tRump gets his Mubarak on.
https://twitter.com/AircraftSpots/status/1266595054644125696
https://twitter.com/AircraftSpots/status/1267647483271720962
Complete bullshit – that isn’t a blackhawk. Twin vertical tail for a starter.
This is a blackhawk…
The one shown in this tweet further down the article, not the one at the top, what do you reckon it is?
https://twitter.com/KannoYoungs/status/1267638120389980173
edit: plenty of news organisations are reporting at least one Blackhawk being used, such as here:
https://www.newsweek.com/low-flying-military-helicopters-used-disperse-george-floyd-protesters-washington-dc-1508013
Top one appears to be a UH-72 Lakota, but the actual make of the military helicopter is less pertinent than the fact it is a military helicopter..
Um. That isn't a Blackhawk
Maybe if it had hovered even lower the type ID would have been more accurate /sarc
I never said that I agreed with military helicopters intimidating people.
It is shit.
But the top picture even has red cross badging so it is obviously checking out no one is hurt.
Even if it were a black hawk, which they aren't, it could just be Trump being an even bigger prick than normal as that is what he flies round in, I think. (may not be totally correct, as think it changes)
Gotcha. It was concern rotorwash. Just to make sure the rubber bullets weren't hurting anyone. Fucksake.
Fantastic
Selective quoting of a post rules the waves
Well, the bit before "but" was pointless, and the remaining two comments were bullshit.
So yeah, I selected the funniest bit of your ~adjacent-apologia to quote.
Motherfuckers have deployed more resources to avoid changing police culture than they did while 105k died under their watch, and you're trying to spin this particular shit as either potus or medivac concern. If they didn't want people hurt, they wouldn't be firing "rubber" bullets.
No. I just pointed out it was a medical helicopter. Which is kind of fucking obvious, if you look at the photo.
And the bit before the "but" might be pointless to you, but I disagree with the use of helicopters to intimidate people.
This might not fit your obviously bad opinion of me, but I don't really give a shit.
No, you did more than point it out, you invented some motivation to the helicopter crew, after your intitial takeaway that the main point was whether it was a uh60 (medical or not).
Whereas the effects of the helicopter count more than its model number or its decal set. The effects included actual force and, yes, intimidation (which you disagree with while looking for any unlikely excuse for it to be causing those effects).
Unless the pilots go on camera to apologise and explain that they really were super concerned someone might have broken a fingernail and they were also completely unaware of the well documented effects of low level flight, I'll stick with occam's razor on their motives.
Whatever
You are the man of the people, and I to you am apparently an arsehole who loves helicopters terrorising people.
All is good for you.
I wouldn't go that far, but you certainly found the model of the helicopter to be a more pressing point than what it was actually doing.
??
Andre did.
I was just replying to him talking about the model ffs
Talk about taking something out of context.
2.1: "Blackhawks deployed against Americans in DC."
Obviously the most important part of that line was "blackhawks", rather than the rest of the sentence. /sarc
Then what are the two different types of helicopter shown in the various images and videos? Sure, the one in the image at the top of the article isn't a Blackhawk, it appears most likely to be a Lakota as McFlock says. But nobody claiming "it isn't a Blackhawk" has ponied up an alternative for the second type of helicopter as shown in the tweet in the original article and helpfully reproduced for you above in the response to lprent. That one sure as shit ain't a Lakota, and the landing gear wheels, window configuration, cabin shape, engine intakes, tapered tail boom etc all appear awfully similar to a Blackhawk and unlike any other helicopter in US military service (except Blackhawk derivatives).
Rather than twittser or mainstream media, I find it is better to go with the geeks who are more into the facts than the hype.
Apparently the helicopter geeks, say there was a Black Hawk, But higher up and in a different place.
https://www.verticalmag.com/news/low-flying-national-guard-helicopters-disperse-protests-washington-dc/
So your article confirms that there was indeed a Blackhawk on the scene. But it doesn't appear to have any info from anybody that was actually at the event. Just someone speculating the Blackhawk might have been a bit higher, guessing from a brief video.
Here's from a second reporter on the actual scene:
Think I will wait till a credible link of the bloke actually saying that, but if true, not good.
http://www.kiwipolitico.com/2020/06/for-us-civil-military-relations-a-slippery-slope/
“To reinforce this message, the time has come for the armed forces command and Congress to prevent an expansion of the US military role in domestic crowd control roles. The institutional integrity at the core of democratic governance depends on it.”
Unfortunately, whatever military personnel still serving that might have the principle to refuse to carry out illegal orders are busy resigning in protest. To be replaced by suckups eager to carry out whatever Kim Jong Orange commands.
https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/world/i-wish-you-the-best-us-military-adviser-resigns-after-trumps-controversial-photo-op-at-church/ar-BB14WhpK?li=BBqdg4K
Nothing is going to go through Congress that puts any kind of leash on the stygian homunculus. Not while Mitch the Mean-age Mutant MAGA Turtle has a stranglehold on the Senate.
Buckle up, everybody. It's gonna be a bumpy ride. For just the next seven months if we're lucky, four and a half years if we're not.
Admiral Mike Mullen speaks out:
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/06/american-cities-are-not-battlespaces/612553/
my bold
Retired Admiral Mike Mullen.
No he retains his rank on reaching retiring age for rank, as we do here in NZ.
Correctly he is Admiral M Mullen USN (Rtd.)
As I am Lt Cdr RNZN (Rtd).
As acting Director Officer Postings (Navy) it was my task to Gazette these things![🙂](https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/15.0.3/svg/1f642.svg)
The point being that Mullen is no longer anywhere in the chain of command and therefore has zero influence over whether illegal or just plain wrong orders get carried out or not.
It's pleasing to see that Admiral Mullen has at last started to show signs he has a heart and a conscience. Ten years ago he was one of the most callous, merciless liars one could find in any sphere of life.
https://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/07/29/wikileaks.mullen.gates/index.html
I'm not into hero worship, but if ever there were politicians over my lifetime that are deserving of star status, they'd be the likes of JA, H1 (at least in the 1st and 2nd term) and Norman Kirk.
However while I still support Labour, I'm hoping people don't get complacent because there are a few things that could go very wrong over the next 3 months, and I'm hoping I won't have to feel so bad about not giving them my vote next election unless they get their shit together over a few things.
Bernard Hickey expresses one (actually more than one) of those things very well:
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/pro/2020/06/02/1215973/our-compassionate-pms-mean-policies (no on PRO)
The more things evolve, the more I'm inclined to the belief that JA is carrying a bit of dead wood in some Ministerial portfolios, AND that she's inclined to believe some of her civil servants without question, whilst what they're telling her is not necessarily what's going on in the real world.
Given Helen Clark also said the other day that the civil service doesn't have the capacity it once had, and that its operated in a neo-lib, managerialist nirvana – JA would be wise to get a new model of bullshit detector (H1 or H2 might do).
Alternatively she could start putting as much weight on advice she receives from people at the coal face and from academia as she does from some of her ‘officials’
which portfolios do you see as the worst for that?
Ministers responsible for MBIE MPI NZTA and even MSD have been fed a lot of shit over time.
Perhaps my biggest disappointment is I L-G. One of my hero-worshiping siblings tells me he's a really 'nice guy'. I'm sure that's true enough but being a nice guy doesn't always make for being a good or competent minister and it seems to me that's often a trap people fall into. No question though that any one of them is a better bet when put beside the current crop of gNats.
Lately, I've had cause to remember what my father-in-law (a staunch Labour supporter) said when he ditched them during the 80s – to the effect that the likes of Prebble, Douglas and Co didn't have the guts to start their own party – instead hijacking Labour. That stench seems to have 'trickled down to parts of our public service.
I L-G is one minister that rumour in the hood has it was grappling with his department. Remember that furore about the czech? migrant that was put through his office and blew up in the media? Sending H2 down to Mobie to start breaking it up might not be a bad call. And immigration is tricky
"Grappling with his department". I've been saying that for nigh on 4 years now. It's not just rumour. But its a good example of the state of our ps (at least the senior ranks). The person/people/responsible for that 'demographic profiling' are still there. Why the high turnover in some areas also? And ANYone that thought it OK to use T&C to spy on people should not be in ps roles.
Under MBIE, its 'the business of people', with their families treated as though they are a COST of doing that business – baggage. Any social considerations are secondary.
But…..gotta go, back later
As far as I can make out a reasonable chunk of our upper civil servants are wedded to the more market less government approach so there won't be an argument from me about repurposing them.
And yes heads never seem to roll – not in Mobie, Police, Defence no matter how much their dodgy deeds cost us taxpayers. Same with a lot of the state appointed boards.
Labour may have struggled to clear this pre covid but a reset is badly overdue so that we can appreciate our good public servants.
If we fail to vote for Labour and Greens, and allow National to squeak in, those prats in civil service you're talking about will have their methods entrenched.
We have to remember all the good things done and put in place while meeting huge problems, of ongoing obstacles, all of which have been dealt with incredibly well.
The National Party dirty tricks brigade would have us believe that Jacinda Grant and Winston are the only Ministers doing their roles well. Bollocks. That is designed to make Jacinda out to be a power hungry control freak
They can feck off. She is inclusive well informed and able to take advice. She has shown she won't accept bullying, but will use her discretion where ministers make errors of judgement.
In her own words, "Be a good human, be kind and support each other" She will live by those words and look for her Ministers and staff to do the same.
This same story about the few cans of beans for a family of seven migrants has been amplified. She said that was not good enough and asked for more information. 30 million was given to meet those types of need. Granted a month later half this fund has been spent.
When these people arrive they agree to support themselves if they become ill. This Government has supported them through this pandemic with shelter and food after their employers who brought them here dropped them off their workers lists.
The paucity of airfares and the cancellation of flights has added to their woes.
Bryce Edwards has always been a closet National supporter in my view, often taking parts of other stories to support a biased angle of the story, and seldom presents an overview.
He drips his bias steadily trying to build his already decided hypothesis. He is too obvious. Unfortunately, many forget how Winston's views are really quite conservative, and he could agree with Muller's take on things.
This could eat into Labour's new polling margin, though a factor may be that Winston sees Muller as "Like Jim Bolger" Stubborn intractable and rather slow and inflexible, Muller having worked for Jim Bolger who has similar traits.
After working with Jacinda Ardern I can't see him doing that except for political survival. But pundits like Bryce Edwards will muddy the waters happily.
How do you rock a good leader’s boat? By implying her other ministers are poor managers, purposefully magnifying their erros.
Rest assured @ Patricia, I'll be voting either Green or Labour depending on the promises they make between now and the election – most likely Green.
In the meantime, I'm sure MoBIE has 'several pieces of work underway in that space to ensure some joined up services might be wrapped around the unfortunate"
“Ultimately”, it might even come down to the amount of neo-liberal speak I hear from Labour in the meantime, or whether they propose getting off their chuffs and doing something about the state of media
Personally I was a bit disappointed with Bernard's story ( immigration visa's ) as there are some real issues there but it's difficult to get a handle on the actual scope of them which he did not really address and how widespread they are – lots, some , a few?
Again this is a issue inherited from National who used excessive visa's like crack cocaine for employers to disrupt the local employment markets. Labour by lifting salaries etc had tried to wind it back gently but the process was far from complete.
Still any broad brush local solutions ( untying work permits , providing welfare) are expensive. Either way we could be potentially adding 200,000 to 300,000 to our welfare role costing about a $1 billion every 6 weeks either as a direct welfare recipient or because they have displaced a local in a job. While a lot of visa holders may see this as an opportunity to attain a situation that they might otherwise not have gained I suspect there is little local appetite for that. Also don't forget that there is a least some evidence that the benefits of the visa's have been heavily oversold by some offshore agents – presumably for a large fee.
And it is an area where we need good stop gap policy plus a great deal better long term settings. Take the student work visa – there are some 65,000 apparently and according to the education institutes (dying to get their fee payers back to support the bloated salaries at the top) around a third stay on for the work visa's. Our birth cohort leaving education every year is around 50,000 to 60,000. We are suddenly adding another 25%-30%(22,000) to that number of people looking for entry level jobs. No wonder we have such a large number of NEET,s in that age group. They really don't need that level of competition.
Lastly the farmers. Could the news media give their employer sob stories a harder frame? The various audits in the last couple of years showed that the bulk of them where non compliant with any employment and wage law. Yes they may have an employee stuck overseas but employees can be suddenly unavailable for any number of reasons so get over yourself and hire another one either temporarily or permanently.
Demanding a government fly them back in again is the height of over entitlement.
100%
Pure
I agree it is a very complex issue.
However for whatever reason – whether that 'lack of capacity' H1 talked about, Euro-centric and racist mindset others have talked about (with good reason and incidentally examples – from inside the tent), or incompetence, there are a few basic things that could have been done and should be done now.
– (Haven't checked their website in a while), but MBIE were encouraging all and sundry to become immigration advisors – so they got what they asked for: complete charlatans mixed in with highly competent and experienced ones. So you'd get someone running say a security firm, or a PTE, or Labour Hire Company providing immigration advice on the side. Hopefully you can see a problem right there!
– Then you had/have a load of closures and presence in key 'markets'. Note the word MARKETS which even Mr Nice Guy seems perfectly comfortable with.
– And in those 'markets' where the charlatans and scamsters operate – places that contribute to that $5b export education sector for example, NOT even the slightest attempt to warn people of the dangers.
– Then you have a Labour Inspectorate which we were assured by an official just before the election had enough inspectors, and who now seems to have changed his tune. An Inspectorate that made excuses when cases of exploitation were reported to them. For some reason, unwilling to involve the Police – probably because they were intent on building their own little police force.
– Then you have the practice of tying visas to a specific employer, rather than sector, and expecting nothing to go wrong in terms of exploitation and contributing to the trend of driving down wages, AND wondering why employers prefer immigrant labour over Kiwis. Money to be made doncha know and its "best practice"
I'll leave it at that for now although I could go on. But if I L-G is and was "grappling" with his department, then (provided all the purchase agreements and KPIs and shit are in order), then the State Services Commissioner should have been called in (as in say a James Casson, or a demographic spreadsheeting) – repeatedly called in if necessary and told (asked very nicely) that performance isn't satisfactory. He could probably even be remiinded that we're a sovereign Pacific Nayshun that punches above its weight, albeit under HRH Madge.
I think the fuckup that is the Ministry for Everything that started out with largesse and designed by a couple of shithouse rats whose intentions should now be obvious has been allowed to contiinue is going to be on this government – even though it's probably quite a convenient entity for them to deal with.
Off.Chuff.On.Get.With
Some really good discussion there, I hope that it is read and absorbed by some whose hearts are still beating in Labour or HM (High Management) or HR (Hyperbole Recherche').
Insomniac as I am @ Grey, you'd probably appreciate my last night.
It was a dream – call it a nightmare really in which Julie Christie was Jacinda's producer in Julie's latest reality TV show. I L-G was at home up the road in Tinakori with Clark (with an e) arguing over Neve who should be giving whom media training – while Neve was howling her eyes out.
I can see now why it happened after all I encountered yesterday (and believe me, I'm totally drugless other than the standard statins, beta blockers and aspirin) – although I sometimes wonder whether or not a puff or two of the ganga (incidentally – not exactly foreign to that hero worshiping sibling I mentioned above) would be preferable.
Thankfully, I woke up PDQ thinking today is the day I finally get to see the emergency dentist (which as it transpired, didn't go well due to a 3 month Cov19 happenstance) – Shit happens, but not half as much as it has for most of our recent immigrants. I could even get to wear a set of pearly white bleached teeth yet, at a cost of thousands, false though they may be – or not (hopefully)
Look fixing those basics ASAP would be excellent . And reining in the dodgy education sector stuff. I too find it a bit worrying that there have been few policy announcements in this area even quite basic ones so that we don' t have anyone who may be overseas looking to get a new work visa having false expectations.
“Take the student work visa – there are some 65,000 apparently and according to the education institutes (dying to get their fee payers back to support the bloated salaries at the top) around a third stay on for the work visa's.”
They do not need to come back and the institutes can keep their staff at the top on their bloated salaries and we can shut the back door visa entry which was never put to New Zealanders before being implemented. The NZ Auckland university students have been doing their studies and are continuing to do their studies and the tests from home , online , until the end of this term, So yes the overseas students can do the same – study at NZ universities online at home, in whatever that country happens to be.
Won't work.
The overseas students come here for the residency carrot, not education, for most of them.
The “bums on seats” business model for education, is not good enough to compete with really good distance learning on offer from elsewhere.
+100
And the likes of Guilford are desperate to get it all going again.
Here in lil 'ole NuZull that punches above its weight, you too can provide your child with a year (or less) of tertiary education for the mere cost of a modest house. Your chiid can recover the cost of this investment in your family and child's future through our generous 20 hour-per-week work allowance that will enable them to recover your investment in double-quick time and more!
Invest now! Don't Delay! Places are vanishing fast.
We'll even teach them the fundamentals of how to suck eggs; of the basic laws of supply and demand that are already second nature to them; or even how they can use 'apps' and proprietry products to develop and set up a web site.
Book now! Places are limited and going fast! Contact your nearest immigration specialist. This is YOUR child's future and an investment for the familiy's future
Hey, chisellers gotta chisel.
https://twitter.com/esaagar/status/1154401730727161857
When English is a 2nd language.
https://twitter.com/oneunderscore__/status/1267605046012915713
1,2 and 3 – Simon Bridges, 4 – Todd Muller. So what's changed with the leadership spill? Looks like not much. The same cavalier attitude to public health and the instinctive privileging of business interests above everything else. It's what led to the collapse in their support over the lock-down period and it's still there.
Well, this sort of racist dog-whistling hasn't changed. Mind you, short of welcoming his application, there's very little else Muller could say. And of course, Muller couldn't bring himself to do that.
Maybe this leadership change isn't going to bring the nats' numbers up, and they won't be able to salvage even a moderate loss after all? The next poll's going to be pretty telling.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300026388/national-party-deeply-suspicious-of-refugee-behrouz-boochanis-visa
I heard a news item this morning about a group of local academics that are pushing for a relaxation of alert levels.
When asked about Sweden's approach, a position I assume the group had favoured earlier in the crisis, we are told to refer to the website.
That is the thing with the opposition, various industry spokesfolk, and your local diehard tory, their reckons don't amount to much, they bear no responsibility, and do not credit the position we are in now to the PTB.
Thank goodness a woman was in charge !
tRump's Praetorian Guard.
https://twitter.com/alexisgoldstein/status/1267928963072000002
18 February 2020 at 10:48 pm
Deploying their military surveillance drones over Minneapolis. More than 500km from any border where they might have any legitimate reason to operate.
https://www.salon.com/2020/06/02/police-are-using-protests-as-an-excuse-to-unleash-new-surveillance-tech/
They're about to find out how Iraqis felt.
https://twitter.com/dfriedman33/status/1267936203522932738
https://twitter.com/JimLaPorta/status/1267926498629074947
https://twitter.com/AircraftSpots/status/1267674928729358336
Fascists do like a party.
https://twitter.com/thetomzone/status/1267923323993894912
The Drug Enforcement Administration has been granted sweeping new authority to “conduct covert surveillance” and collect intelligence on people participating in protests over the police killing of George Floyd, according to a two-page memorandum obtained by BuzzFeed News.
[…]
“In order for DEA to assist to the maximum extent possible in the federal law enforcement response to protests which devolve into violations of federal law, DEA requests that it be designated to enforce any federal crime committed as a result of protests over the death of George Floyd,” Shea wrote in the memo. “DEA requests this authority on a nationwide basis for a period of fourteen days.”
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/jasonleopold/george-floyd-police-brutality-protests-government
Today Todd must get the award for the shortest QT question:
Q3 TODD MULLER to the Prime Minister:
“Why isn’t New Zealand already in alert level 1?”
8 words! Wow! And then he will ask the same question multiple times
Exquisite timing seeing two NZ cops charged with manslaughter for negligence while holding someone in the Hawea station.
More to come in the trial if they don't plead out.
Haven’t seen that yet – link?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300026518/three-police-officers-charged-with-manslaughter-after-alleged-gross-negligence-led-to-mans-death-in-cell
They called out the fire service to assist, sounds like there might have been some lifting required in a hurry.
That news rang out at me today.
I may be an etenral optimist, but I hope this may be a sign of culture change within the police. Perhaps to do with the new boss.
One of the, I assume, PM's appointments. If so, it could be one part of the Public Service being cleaned up.
Like I say, I am an eternal optimist.
Yes it was. There have been some good signs in recent times. For example, I think the police handling of the Covid 19 requirements has been excellent. The Public Service has needed a clean up for the past 30 years and there's hope that too is now in progress.
Thanks Jacinda and company.
Watching question time, makes me wonder how many bullets can fit into the oppositions feet?
Amazing, really. They should have had an easy win. Of course the level 1/2 inconsistency is a problem. Of course PM and deputy PM disagreeing is a bad look.
Yet somehow they stuff it up.
Audrey Young pointed to the PM V DPM difference but…:
“The differences between Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Peters, her deputy, does not affect the stability of the coalition between Labour and New Zealand First.
It does not affect the coalition relationship which has endured more damaging differences than this one. It has been an informally managed disagreement that both parties get something from.”
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=12336639
I believe Labour is looking for a competent minister of health. How about offering Sir Ashley Bloomfield a high list place?
We don't have a tradition here of seconding Ministers (or indeed from the private sector) to run political office. I think the UK does it.
We have a good few in the Labour caucus who have medical degrees, but a whole bunch of senior leadership or management experience.
We are wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy overdue for a proper reshuffle.
With the MoH Capital Committee, and DHBs, and Treasury, and the Covid Response team, I really can’t see what the Minister of Health does at all.
well they manage most of the disability funding, as well as funding the DHBs, and managing a range of contracts (govt and NGO).
Yes that's where Dodo ex-Ministers get put once they've been shuffled.
That would explain quite a lot.
That's the Ministry, not the Minister. Let's not waste Bloomfield on a less-essential role.
makes sense, but given the problems with the MoH, isn't it the Minister's job (and behind them, govt caucus) to sort those problems out by setting expectations and direction?
The salary won't enthuse him.
Say your wish was granted, I doubt he would fit Labour, as its likely ideas such as setting health targets, centralising health boards, providing services by need not ethnicity may be pushed to provide better outcomes for National Health.
False dichotomy. There are many and major health disparities that are caused by ethnicity. The same can be said about education and crime stats, for example. The approach and philosophy that you seem to be advocating will never overcome these engrained inequalities and will therefore never provide better outcomes at a national level but rather further reinforce the current situation.
Why do some people say such incredibly stupid things?
+100
Hence the proven need and delivery of Whanau Ora.
"One option that's been discussed is bumping Māori and Pacific patients up a priority band in certain instances, the Weekend Herald understands. Another might be making Māori and Pacific ethnicity a factor when working out a priority rating score."
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12330248
These are the sorts of ideas I don't think Ashley Bloomfield would support, that's why he would not be a good bet for Labour.
All NZ-trained health professionals are acutely aware and have a good understanding of the health inequalities in this country. The same is true of biomedical researchers trained and/or working here.
I’d put it to you that ignorance, denial, normalised racism, and poor leadership and management are just some of the factors why we have seen little improvement on this issue.
I'd be interested to know what health inequalities people ascribe to racism in NZ be it via government, medical professionals or another group.
I’d think that you’re eminently qualified to take a first bite at this. Go for it!
I agree with what you have put to me. That's why I doubt Bloomfield would be a good fit for Labour if it is was proposed that he should replace the current Minister of Health.
I’d put it to you that you are waffling.
The National Party's intelligence unit at work. Trawling through social media …
https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2020/06/do_as_we_say_not_as_we_do-2.html
"The PM should avoid the public at all costs" is a novel attack line from the opposition.
Her bodyguards didn't push people out of the way when they got too close? It's a disgrace! Use tear gas like Trump does, that'll ensure appropriate distancing.
Don't often visit that toxic site, but it was worth it today when I saw their adjusted curia poll published on it.
National 28.9% Hehehe that will be hurting the tories, a lovely reminder for them on every page.
Back to the topic, maybe the difference is, the nat mp had to ask for someone to take his photo, and that's why the tories are upset…. just a thought![🙂](https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/15.0.3/svg/1f642.svg)
Read the comments under Farrar and was horrified SPC. I hope that when Farrar supporters read the Standard would they be as horrified with what is written here?
If Winston has been leaking Cabinet papers to Todd Muller, that is a clear indication of where he intends to side come any post-election negotiations.
Hoping NZF gets buried this time around. They have been woeful in government.
I don’t think it indicates that at all. But clearly NZFirst lacks relevance in the current polling scenario. They’re just trying to even up the playing field and deal themselves back in. Frankly Ardern only has herself to blame for this latest incident.
The menu on the top of the “Leave a Comment Page” no longer there. Anyone else?
Starting to see the effects of QE on settlement balances.
https://i.imgur.com/ezbgKwl.png
Heh, my tween daughter just showed me her KPop stars have hijacked the MAGA tag and are bombarding it with fan videos, cute anime, dance and songs. And there's 1000s of them.