The Police are once again trying to be the determiners of how we should live our lives in light of their inference in the Kumara Races this week.
Since when was it the job of the Police to be the social engineers of NZ cultural life.
They seems to have appointed themselves not as the law keepers but the lawmakers in regards to all sorts of areas.
That is not their job.
This is interesting…from Westland Mayor Bruce Smith..
“If they want to outlaw it [BYO], what it will do is kill the Kumara races. And where is the benefit? Tell them to stick to Auckland and tidy the mess up up there and leave us to ourselves.”
Is the success of the Kumara Races determined on whether people can bring in their own booze to the event? Crikey that’s sad. I thought it was a community event, why the reliance on booze for a good time or a successful event?
Since when was it the job of the Police to be the social engineers of NZ cultural life
The police are the ones who pick up the pieces from road deaths and family violence due to alcohol. Is NZ culture really so steeped in booze that people are angry at the police for wanting to protect their community from drinkers.
Maybe locals should speak to List MP Pugh about the topic, she lives in Kumara.
Interesting opinion piece on free speech. This bit ” talkback host Tim Beveridge got to the heart of the matter when he said the real problem in the Huntly incident wasn’t racism or xenophobia; it was drunkenness.”
I disagree with Beveridge, unfortunately his opinion has as much depth as most of the other Newstalk radio hosts, which is pretty shallow.
The woman was interviewed a day or two after she abused the muslim women and said she was battling a number of mental health conditions and wasn’t getting the help she needed and proceeded to burst into tears.
I think if we had a properly functioning mental health system there would only be a small chance that she would have been drunk and that this incident would have ever occured.
Dual diagnosis, alcoholism and depression, is quite common and difficult to treat. It is also met with little or no enthusiasm by many mental health professionals
This article says bi-polar, social anxiety and PTSD, which are very treatable and if the mental health system is shying away from helping people with those conditions (which from the article it sounds like it is) then we really are in a mess.
No argument as to what the article says ….but the video shows someone heavily intoxicated. I modify my earlier statement.
“Dual diagnosis, mental health problems and alcoholism, is quite common and difficult to treat. It is also met with little or no enthusiasm by many mental health professionals”
I am talking from real life experience as to alcohol and mental health problems and the difficulties around accessing treatment.
“All three districts on the West Coast have higher rates of alcohol related deaths than New Zealand as a whole, with the highest rate in Westland, followed by Grey and Buller. The rates of wholly attributable alcohol related deaths are more than twice the New Zealand average”
“The West Coast overall has higher than the New Zealand average rate of alcohol involved traffic crashes (11.6 vs 7.8/10,000 population)”
The WestCoast has a massive drinking culture problem, maybe that’s why people are upset about the BYO at the races, they are upset, because they are the ones with a drinking problem, and worried they won’t be able to take in their precious booze to the races. Do people go to these races for the horses and social aspect or for the drinking and gambling?
A family event is a place for everyone to feel safe, kids included. Why the reliance on booze to make an event a success? It’s not just the drinking on the day, it’s what happens afterwards as well. I’m not anti alcohol, but I’m anti the damage it causes, trying to prevent that kind of damage and suffering is a good thing.
Whose job is it to tackle the drinking problems on the WestCoast? Or is it easier to turn a blind eye and have a go at the police?
I would not. “Protect the community” is a very vague term that could encompass all kinds of intrusion into people’s everyday lives. First and foremost, the job of the Police is to investigate crime and apprehend the perpetrators – other things are peripheral, and busybodying people who’d like to have a drink at the races goes way beyond peripheral. That kind of thing should come under the heading of “exceeding their mandate.”
Booze is embedded in most of our lives, to some extent, and it is hard to get community events for adults going anyway, so why not some booze, but has to be bought there? And then control that. The more problems we have, the more the booze is overdone, and then more problems we have.
Stopping a rare social event that is enjoyed by many and enables some business in the area and the horse owners etc. would be wrong. The climate is getting so punitive onto the people from the higher ups – the class system oppresses, the blame system demeans, and the deliberate impoverishment of so many by the actions of those higher up, is making life grim and unhappy and makes us all less kind and more hard on each other. Back to early colonial times with the squatters and their progeny winning. Nothing learned, nothing ennobling gained.
I’m a little unclear. Have there been alcohol-related violence problems at the Kumara races? If so, then why doesn’t the council sort that out? If not, what’s the problem?
Early childhood teachers have known for some time that this government does not care about quality but is more interested in big numbers stating lots of participation so it was good to see this morning an opionion piece by Dr Sarah Alexander published in the Herald this morning. As an early childhood teacher who has worked in for profit centres I totally identify with what Dr Alexander is saying. The focus of management is about passing ERO by meeting all the minimum standards so they can stay licensed and continue to be funded. The problem is that the minimum standards are really poor. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11810800.
Also, as I mentioned in Daily Review last night there is a move to form a new union for ununionised ECE teachers in the private sector. I am really excited by this and hope that there may be light at the end of what has been a very dark tunnel. I hope that this group of teachers find their voice so they can advocate for themselves and the children.
I too am a recently retired ece teacher/lecturer and it has broken my heart to see what has happened to the pre-school sector in this country as a result of the focus on profit rather than the quality of education and care of children. It is no longer just the for-profit centres that are affected now – the bug has spread to both kindergartens and registered charities (one of which has some of the worst centres in NZ!).
Once I would have been excited and encouraging if someone came to me wanting to study to be an early childhood teacher – like I was when I began. Now I would advise them to steer clear if they value their sanity.
I also need to say, though, as a lecturer with a lot of experience of visiting centres, that there are some shining exceptions – I used to tell any student who was in one to stay put – there are bears in the jungle!!
Thanks for that Jan M totally agree with you. Ece is generally, apart from a few shining spaces not a very good place for teachers or children. I am hopeful that if teachers get organized and are prepared to take action we can change things. I also think a Labour Green government would help.
A Labour/Green government would definitely help, and not just in the ece sector – teachers at all levels are just about at the end of their rope.
My children were lucky enough to go to kindergarten back when that was a definite plus – my grandchildren went to a community day-care which I would describe as ‘good enough’ – as in no harm done, but no great advantage either. The thing is, of course, that the standard of teaching has less impact on the children of educated parents, so they’ll be ok.
Speaking of which, one of the things I noticed on my rounds was that the highest standard of centres was often to be found in the poorer areas – the ones chasing the dollars were not interested; they were in the more affluent areas.
Agree there mostly but some centers in poorer areas cut standards do they can make a profit without charging any parent fees. They do 30 hours free and just rely on moe funding so minimum standards pressure on teachers paid hourly rates to attend parent nights staff meetings etc with no pay.
I’m very glad my children all went to playcentre and spent the rest of their ece years with family and playing at friends houses. If grandchildren come along I will do everything I can to keep them out of ece centres unless there is a massive change.
I was one who poo pooed Susan Devoy when she got her role as race relations whatsit. And I have watched her education, her realisations about the truth of this country and the way one Treaty PARTNER has been and is treated. Like Judd in Taranaki she has heard and felt the stories, the histories and, sorry to get sad, the pain and suffering of yesterday and today.
Once people actually engage with the indigenous culture they cannot not be affected and that can happen to most if they give themselves the opportunity. Onya Susan.
The first homes opened in the 1950 and by the 1970s, almost half of all kids in state care were Maori. In 1978 89 per cent of admissions to Hokio were Maori and Pasifika.
In 1985, Maori boys made up 78 per cent of all youngsters held in six social welfare homes across Auckland.
…More recently the Ministry of Social Development tracked the lives of more than 58,000 people born in 1989 in a retrospective study.
Of those who were in prison by the time they were 20: 83 per cent had a previous Child, Youth and Family record.
The ministry itself found they were 15 times more likely to end up with a Corrections record by the time they were 20, 107 times more likely to be imprisoned before they turned 20.
This tells us that those children who progress across care and justice services fare poorly and we know Maori children are particularly highly represented here.
…Today, Maori New Zealanders make up more than half of our total prison population, a damning indictment on a system that is many times more likely to arrest a young person if he is Maori. Maori girls and women are even more over-represented.
Even the United Nations recognises the systemic causes that are at play, regularly urging our Government to search for “solutions to the root causes” which lead to disproportionate incarceration rates for Maori.
Hundreds of witnesses gave evidence to Judge Carolyn Henwood’s Confidential Listening and Assistance Service about the abuse they suffered while children in state care: a large number of Maori men interviewed did so from their prison cells.
We need an inquiry into what went on in our state-run institutions because it is the right thing to do.
Yep lets find out how bad it was so it can be stopped and never started again and so the poor people who suffered can speak their truth and feel heard. It IS the right thing to do for all sorts of reasons.
The history also looks to me like part of the continuing legacy of colonisation.
The history covered in the quote above is largely within my lifetime. And 65 years before that would be about 1885 – and that was when colonisation was in full swing. Not so long ago really, to have impacted negatively on the lives of Māori born mid-20th century… and so the legacy continues.
I think the question to ask is why did these kids end up in state care in the first place?
If the answer is that they came from dysfunctional, broken homes then I suggest that the kids had been irreparably damagd before entering the state system.
Once in the system I suspect most people realize that it is basically a bottom of the cliff system that wait til the kids turn 16 and kick them out.
I suspect a specialised education program for these kids would work that ensures they reach 16 knowing the 3 R’s, basic life skills, and receiving specialized counseling would acheive better results.
“Years ago in a small town a Maori boy was caught stealing lollies at the local Four Square.
A report labelled him a “thug” and he was made a state ward. He was 10 years old. Put in a boy’s home where he was physically and sexually abused, he ended up doing very long stretches in isolation.
He’d spend months at a time in a single cell. While there his parents died. When he was let out he was sent to live with a series of strangers, some of whom sexually and physically abused him.
He was to spend time in and out of prison. He was an old man by the time he made meaningful contact with his whanau again. By then he’d lost so many things: language, whakapapa, whanau, childhood.”
That is the anecdote that Susan uses and I would suggest it is not atypical. The key to remember was that he was a “Māori boy” and boys like that get bigoted, racist treatment often, and sadly for him, them and us, this continues to this day with things like racial profiling and so on.
Given your reply, I’m guessing that you have had very little to do with either families in crisis, or the state system.
Some of these kids are very adept at “life skills”, however the life skills that they need to survive and thrive are not the 3 R’s. Reading and writing – on their own – are no panacea.
A specialised education programme for these kids – more alienation from community – would more than likely be poorly designed, and even more poorly executed.
“Specialised counselling” by effective counsellors may be of some use, but only as part of a concerted effort to lift people out of financial poverty and bring about a healthy form of community support systems.
“… then I suggest that the kids had been irreparably damagd before entering the state system.”
I despair that you – quite wrongly – as a matter of fact, think you have any information that allows you to make such a blanket condemnation as a “suggestion”.
Failure to understand systemic problems require systemic changes and solutions are one of the reasons we continue to fail our children and our families in crisis.
And the comment is about the failure of the state system to improve the lives of these children. In fact, the further damage done to the already vulnerable by the state.
Do you have it in you to critique that without redirecting?
Molly
Good on you – good points. Everyone who has learned to tie their own shoelaces think that they know so much about society and those who don’t tie shoelaces or even have shoes and let us have the ‘benefit’ of their ‘wisdom’ at every opportunity.
Probably they are the sort that wouldn’t bother taking their puppy to training school and know less than a compost worm about how behaviour is induced or learned. I have much respect for compost worms, they know what to do and they do it well and don’t venture out of their territory. Know nothings should keep their mouths shut, breathe through their noses, and do a bit of study about society and how attitudes and habits are formed through a registered university, not from a private, right-wing or religious tract. And then if they are of the mean uncaring fault-seeking disposition they can at least get their facts right.
If the answer is that they came from dysfunctional, broken homes then I suggest that the kids had been irreparably damagd before entering the state system.
If you had a clue you’d know that in the main these kids, both Māori and Pākehā, came from different, and usually poor, but entirely functional homes and that their removal and subsequent treatment by Eurocentric authorities rendered them irreparably damaged.
1. It's important to keep track of how Sessions story has changed JUST IN THE LAST 12 HOURS https://t.co/7RZ1FKoe0y— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) March 2, 2017
“President Donald Trump said he has “total” confidence in Attorney General Jeff Sessions and that he sees no need for Sessions to recuse himself from any investigation of Russian meddling in US politics.
Trump voiced his support for Sessions in response to a shouted question before speaking at an event aboard a Navy aircraft carrier in Virginia. Sessions has come under fire from Democrats and some Republicans after the Justice Department acknowledged that he, at a time he was acting as a prominent surrogate for Trump’s campaign, had contacts last year with the Russian ambassador.”
Now we go nuclear. IC war going to new levels. Just got an EM fm senior IC friend, it began: "He will die in jail."https://t.co/e6FxCclVqT— John Schindler (@20committee) February 15, 2017
More dubious news broadcast by the Clinton Fake News Network to undermine both Trump and Russia. How people buy into this fanciful world of Russia rigging the election, Trump and Russian prostitutes, etc with sketchy evidence is a worry.
you have been sucked in I’m afraid – the evidence is damning – didn’t someone already resign for lying about their russian relationship? More to come for the same reason – which may rock your world I think…
BREAKING: Trump says he has "total" confidence in Jeff Sessions, amid calls for the attorney general to resign or recuse himself.— The Associated Press (@AP) March 2, 2017
yep and we know the cover-up is what drops them in the end – don and steve will have to speed up the demonisation of the press if they want to escape this wave.
“Under growing pressure from Democrats and Republicans alike, Attorney General Jeff Sessions agreed Friday morning (NZ time) to recuse himself from an investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
His action followed revelations he twice met with the Russian ambassador and didn’t say so when pressed by Congress.
Sessions rejected any suggestion that he tried to mislead anyone about his contacts with the Russian, saying, “That is not my intent. That is not correct.”
The attorney general said he made his decision after his staff recommended that he recuse himself from any investigation related to the Trump campaign, since he had been involved in that campaign.
Sessions said his announcement “should not be interpreted as confirmation of the existence of any investigation.””
A new NZ news website to go from it’s summer version to launch itself proper on 13 March 2017. It claims it will provide independent quality news coverage.
Newsroom.co.nz is being developed by editors Mark Jennings and Tim Murphy, and plans to concentrate on “things that matter”.
It will have an editorial team of 14 based in Auckland and Wellington, supplemented by expert contributors reporting from around the country.
That’s Tim Murphy formerly of NZ Herald and Mark Jennings formerly of TV3. So I’m not expecting anything too independent from the current neoliberal status quo.
National cops out again today and lets the multinationals (facebook, google, apple etc) off any meaningful tax clampdown even though every man and his dog realises they are rorting the system and costing the NZ public $500m a year.
In Oz and the UK they have introduced a diverted profit tax. Pussy Cat Collins says this will not be introduced here. This is a do-nothing government particularly where it helps its greedy mates.
Chance here for Labour to introduce a strong tax policy at the election including a diverted profits tax.
Given the large number of posts on housing at the moment, could I put forward a suggestion for a future book club read?
Danny Dorling’s – All that is Solid (2014) is written about the UK housing crisis, but does have quite a few chapters that relate to our continuing and developing housing crisis here.
I got it from Auckland Libraries which has a few hard copies and an ebook.
“Being too strict about New Zealand’s recreational water quality would unnecessarily deny Kiwi families the right to swim in the country’s rivers and lakes, Environment Minister Nick Smith says.”
I don’t get to this point very often, but am fast approaching the wanting to punch him in the face place, lol. A complete and utter fuckwit.
“Rivers don’t have a constant level of E.coli – they vary all over the places,” Smith said. “The key policy question is when it varies all over the place what would you describe as a swimmable river?”
If you can’t answer that, then you shouldn’t be the Minister of Shit in Rivers. It’s really easy. Those of us that grew up and then spent our lives swimming in rivers all know that the thing that has changed is mass increase in industrial dairy and stocking rates. There’s not mystery here except for why you are basically saying that money is more important than fresh water. I’m tempted to say fuck you and the shitting horse you rode in on, but it’s hardly the horse’s fault. Instead just fuck you and your soulless excuse of an existence.
A stunning article. The New York Times reporting the Obama administration scrambled during its final days in office to preserve evidence of Russia’s collusion with the Trump campaign. Citing unnamed former officials, the Times says Obama’s aides left a “trail of evidence” across different government agencies to prevent the incoming Trump administration from covering up or destroying the evidence, the trail including passing sensitive information to Congress, keeping evidence at a relatively low classification level so a number of people could see it, also sharing information with European allies.
“The efforts to preserve the intelligence continued until the administration’s final hours. This was partly because intelligence was still being collected and analyzed, but it also reflected the sentiment among many administration officials that they had not recognized the scale of the Russian campaign until it was too late.”
Does anybody know if the law allows foreign companies or multi national companies to contribute to political parties in this country. I am wondering if the Diverted Profits Tax was declined by Government because of all the money coming into their coffers from non-resident companies. We all know the Chinese wealthy are generous in their donations. If these companies are allowed to give funds to our political parties then maybe its time that it was outlawed and only NZ residents and wholly owned NZ companies should be permitted to donate.
Then we might see our political parties coming down hard on these parasitical overseas companies rorting the system and not contributing and paying their way, but political parties sure as hell will not outlaw it if it means a backlash and they find they are punished and short changed of funds in their war chests as a consequence.
Hi,It’s almost Christmas Day which means it is almost my birthday, where you will find me whimpering in the corner clutching a warm bottle of Baileys.If you’re out of ideas for presents (and truly desperate) then it is possible to gift a full Webworm subscription to a friend (or enemy) ...
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The right have a stupid saying that is only occasionally true:When is democracy not democracy? When it hasn’t been voted on.While not true in regards to branches of government such as the judiciary, it’s a philosophy that probably should apply to recently-elected local government councillors. Nevertheless, this concept seemed to ...
Long story short: the Government’s austerity policy has driven the economy into a deeper and longer recession that means it will have to borrow $20 billion more over the next four years than it expected just six months ago. Treasury’s latest forecasts show the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s fiscal strategy of ...
Come and join myself and CTU Chief Economist for a pop-up ‘Hoon’ webinar on the Government’s Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) with paying subscribers to The Kākā for 30 minutes at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream to watch our chat. Don’t worry if ...
In 1998, in the wake of the Paremoremo Prison riot, the Department of Corrections established the "Behaviour Management Regime". Prisoners were locked in their cells for 22 or 23 hours a day, with no fresh air, no exercise, no social contact, no entertainment, and in some cases no clothes and ...
New data released by the Treasury shows that the economic policies of this Government have made things worse in the year since they took office, said NZCTU Economist Craig Renney. “Our fiscal indicators are all heading in the wrong direction – with higher levels of debt, a higher deficit, and ...
At the 2023 election, National basically ran on a platform of being better economic managers. So how'd that turn out for us? In just one year, they've fucked us for two full political terms: The government's books are set to remain deeply in the red for the near term ...
AUSTERITYText within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedMy spreadsheet insists This pain leads straight to glory (File not found) Read more ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi are saying that the Government should do the right thing and deliver minimum wage increases that don’t see workers fall further behind, in response to today’s announcement that the minimum wage will only be increased by 1.5%, well short of forecast inflation. “With inflation forecast ...
Oh, I weptFor daysFilled my eyesWith silly tearsOh, yeaBut I don'tCare no moreI don't care ifMy eyes get soreSongwriters: Paul Rodgers / Paul Kossoff. Read more ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob HensonIn this aerial view, fingers of meltwater flow from the melting Isunnguata Sermia glacier descending from the Greenland Ice Sheet on July 11, 2024, near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. According to the Programme for Monitoring of the Greenland Ice Sheet (PROMICE), the ...
In August, I wrote an article about David Seymour1 with a video of his testimony, to warn that there were grave dangers to his Ministry of Regulation:David Seymour's Ministry of Slush Hides Far Greater RisksWhy Seymour's exorbitant waste of taxpayers' money could be the least of concernThe money for Seymour ...
Willis is expected to have to reveal the bitter fiscal fruits of her austerity strategy in the HYEFU later today. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/TheKakaMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, December 17 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast ...
On Friday the government announced it would double the number of toll roads in New Zealand as well as make a few other changes to how toll roads are used in the country. The real issue though is not that tolling is being used but the suggestion it will make ...
The Prime Minister yesterday engaged in what looked like a pre-emptive strike designed to counter what is likely to be a series of depressing economic statistics expected before the end of the week. He opened his weekly post-Cabinet press conference with a recitation of the Government’s achievements. “It certainly has ...
This whooping cough story from south Auckland is a good example of the coalition government’s approach to social need – spend money on urging people to get vaccinated but only after you’ve cut the funding to where they could get vaccinated. This has been the case all year with public ...
And if there is a GodI know he likes to rockHe likes his loud guitarsHis spiders from MarsAnd if there is a GodI know he's watching meHe likes what he seesBut there's trouble on the breezeSongwriter: William Patrick Corgan Read more ...
Here’s a quick round up of today’s political news:1. MORE FOOD BANKS, CHARITIES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS AND YOUTH SOCIAL SERVICES SET TO CLOSE OR SCALE BACK AROUND THE COUNTRY AS GOVT CUTS FUNDINGSome of Auckland's largest foodbanks are warning they may need to close or significantly reduce food parcels after ...
Iain Rennie, CNZMSecretary and Chief Executive to the TreasuryDear Secretary, Undue restrictions on restricted briefings This week, the Treasury barred representatives from four organisations, including the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi, from attending the restricted briefing for the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update. We had been ...
This is a guest post by Tim Adriaansen, a community, climate, and accessibility advocate.I won’t shut up about climate breakdown, and whenever possible I try to shift the focus of a climate conversation towards solutions. But you’ll almost never hear me give more than a passing nod to ...
A grassroots backlash has forced a backdown from Brown, but he is still eyeing up plenty of tolls for other new roads. And the pressure is on Willis to ramp up the Government’s austerity strategy. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
Hi all,I'm pretty overwhelmed by all your messages and emails today; thank you so very much.As much as my newsletter this morning was about money, and we all need to earn money, it was mostly about world domination if I'm honest. 😉I really hate what’s happening to our country, and ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 8, 2024 thru Sat, December 14, 2024. Listing by Category Like last week's summary this one contains the list of articles twice: based on categories and based on ...
I started writing this morning about Hobson’s Pledge, examining the claims they and their supporters make, basically ripping into them. But I kept getting notifications coming through, and not good ones.Each time I looked up, there was another un-subscription message, and I felt a bit sicker at the thought of ...
Once, long before there was Harry and Meghan and Dodi and all those episodes of The Crown, they came to spend some time with us, Charles and Diana. Was there anyone in the world more glamorous than the Princess of Wales?Dazzled as everyone was by their company, the leader of ...
The collective right have a problem.The entire foundation for their world view is antiscientific. Their preferred economic strategies have been disproven. Their whole neoliberal model faces accusations of corporate corruption and worsening inequality. Climate change not only definitely exists, its rapid progression demands an immediate and expensive response in order ...
Just ten days ago, South Korea's president attempted a self-coup, declaring martial law and attempting to have opposition MPs murdered or arrested in an effort to seize unconstrained power. The attempt was rapidly defeated by the national assembly voting it down and the people flooding the streets to defend democracy. ...
Hi,“What I love about New Zealanders is that sometimes you use these expressions that as Americans we have no idea what those things mean!"I am watching a 30-something year old American ramble on about how different New Zealanders are to Americans. It’s his podcast, and this man is doing a ...
National has only been in power for a year, but everywhere you look, its choices are taking New Zealand a long way backwards. In no particular order, here are the National Government's Top 50 Greatest Misses of its first year in power. ...
The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...
The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...
The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...
The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...
Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...
The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...
The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...
The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...
The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...
New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...
After years of advocacy, the Green Party is very happy to hear the Government has listened to our collective voices and announced the closure of the greyhound racing industry, by 1 August 2026. ...
In response to a new report from ERO, the Government has acknowledged the urgent need for consistency across the curriculum for Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools. ...
The Green Party is appalled at the Government introducing legislation that will make it easier to penalise workers fighting for better pay and conditions. ...
Thank you for the invitation to speak with you tonight on behalf of the political party I belong to - which is New Zealand First. As we have heard before this evening the Kinleith Mill is proposing to reduce operations by focusing on pulp and discontinuing “lossmaking paper production”. They say that they are currently consulting on the plan to permanently shut ...
Auckland Central MP, Chlöe Swarbrick, has written to Mayor Wayne Brown requesting he stop the unnecessary delays on St James Theatre’s restoration. ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says Health New Zealand will move swiftly to support dozens of internationally-trained doctors already in New Zealand on their journey to employment here, after a tripling of sought-after examination places. “The Medical Council has delivered great news for hardworking overseas doctors who want to contribute ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has appointed Sarah Ottrey to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). “At my first APEC Summit in Lima, I experienced firsthand the role that ABAC plays in guaranteeing political leaders hear the voice of business,” Mr Luxon says. “New Zealand’s ABAC representatives are very well respected and ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced four appointments to New Zealand’s intelligence oversight functions. The Honourable Robert Dobson KC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, and the Honourable Brendan Brown KC has been appointed as a Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants. The appointments of Hon Robert Dobson and Hon ...
Improvements in the average time it takes to process survey and title applications means housing developments can progress more quickly, Minister for Land Information Chris Penk says. “The government is resolutely focused on improving the building and construction pipeline,” Mr Penk says. “Applications to issue titles and subdivide land are ...
The Government’s measures to reduce airport wait times, and better transparency around flight disruptions is delivering encouraging early results for passengers ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Improving the efficiency of air travel is a priority for the Government to give passengers a smoother, more reliable ...
The Government today announced the intended closure of the Apollo Hotel as Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) in Rotorua, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. This follows a 30 per cent reduction in the number of households in CEH in Rotorua since National came into Government. “Our focus is on ending CEH in the Whakarewarewa area starting ...
The Government will reshape vocational education and training to return decision making to regions and enable greater industry input into work-based learning Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds says. “The redesigned system will better meet the needs of learners, industry, and the economy. It includes re-establishing regional polytechnics that ...
The Government is taking action to better manage synthetic refrigerants and reduce emissions caused by greenhouse gases found in heating and cooling products, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Regulations will be drafted to support a product stewardship scheme for synthetic refrigerants, Ms. Simmonds says. “Synthetic refrigerants are found in a ...
People travelling on State Highway 1 north of Hamilton will be relieved that remedial works and safety improvements on the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway were finished today, with all lanes now open to traffic, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“I would like to acknowledge the patience of road users ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds, has announced a new appointment to the board of Education New Zealand (ENZ). Dr Erik Lithander has been appointed as a new member of the ENZ board for a three-year term until 30 January 2028. “I would like to welcome Dr Erik Lithander to the ...
The Government will have senior representatives at Waitangi Day events around the country, including at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, but next year Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has chosen to take part in celebrations elsewhere. “It has always been my intention to celebrate Waitangi Day around the country with different ...
Two more criminal gangs will be subject to the raft of laws passed by the Coalition Government that give Police more powers to disrupt gang activity, and the intimidation they impose in our communities, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. Following an Order passed by Cabinet, from 3 February 2025 the ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Justice Christian Whata as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Whata’s appointment as a Judge of the Court of Appeal will take effect on 1 August 2025 and fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Hon Justice David Goddard on ...
The latest economic figures highlight the importance of the steps the Government has taken to restore respect for taxpayers’ money and drive economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Data released today by Stats NZ shows Gross Domestic Product fell 1 per cent in the September quarter. “Treasury and most ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Minister of Education David Seymour today announced legislation changes to strengthen freedom of speech obligations on universities. “Freedom of speech is fundamental to the concept of academic freedom and there is concern that universities seem to be taking a more risk-averse ...
Police Minister, Mark Mitchell, and Internal Affairs Minister, Brooke van Velden, today launched a further Public Safety Network cellular service that alongside last year’s Cellular Roaming roll-out, puts globally-leading cellular communications capability into the hands of our emergency responders. The Public Safety Network’s new Cellular Priority service means Police, Wellington ...
State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge has officially reopened today, providing a critical link for Northlanders and offering much-needed relief ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“The Mangamuka Gorge is a vital route for Northland, carrying around 1,300 vehicles per day and connecting the Far ...
The Government has welcomed decisions by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Ashburton District Council confirming funding to boost resilience in the Canterbury region, with construction on a second Ashburton Bridge expected to begin in 2026, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Delivering a second Ashburton Bridge to improve resilience and ...
The Government is backing the response into high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Otago, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says. “Cabinet has approved new funding of $20 million to enable MPI to meet unbudgeted ongoing expenses associated with the H7N6 response including rigorous scientific testing of samples at the enhanced PC3 ...
Legislation that will repeal all advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and public holidays has passed through first reading in Parliament today, Media Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “As a growing share of audiences get their news and entertainment from streaming services, these restrictions have become increasingly redundant. New Zealand on ...
Today the House agreed to Brendan Horsley being appointed Inspector-General of Defence, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Mr Horsley’s experience will be invaluable in overseeing the establishment of the new office and its support networks. “He is currently Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, having held that role since June 2020. ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government has agreed to the final regulations for the levy on insurance contracts that will fund Fire and Emergency New Zealand from July 2026. “Earlier this year the Government agreed to a 2.2 percent increase to the rate of levy. Fire ...
The Government is delivering regulatory relief for New Zealand businesses through changes to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act. “The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill, which was introduced today, is the second Bill – the other being the Statutes Amendment Bill - that ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed further progress on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS), with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board approving funding for the detailed design of Stage 1, paving the way for main works construction to begin in late 2025.“The Government is moving at ...
The Government today released a request for information (RFI) to seeking interest in partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned land with low farming and conservation value (excluding National Parks) Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced. “Planting trees on Crown-owned land will drive economic growth by creating more forestry jobs in our regions, providing more wood ...
Court timeliness, access to justice, and improving the quality of existing regulation are the focus of a series of law changes introduced to Parliament today by Associate Minister of Justice Nicole McKee. The three Bills in the Regulatory Systems (Justice) Amendment Bill package each improve a different part of the ...
A total of 41 appointments and reappointments have been made to the 12 community trusts around New Zealand that serve their regions, Associate Finance Minister Shane Jones says. “These trusts, and the communities they serve from the Far North to the deep south, will benefit from the rich experience, knowledge, ...
The Government has confirmed how it will provide redress to survivors who were tortured at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit (the Lake Alice Unit). “The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found that many of the 362 children who went through the Lake Alice Unit between 1972 and ...
It has been a busy, productive year in the House as the coalition Government works hard to get New Zealand back on track, Leader of the House Chris Bishop says. “This Government promised to rebuild the economy, restore law and order and reduce the cost of living. Our record this ...
“Accelerated silicosis is an emerging occupational disease caused by unsafe work such as engineered stone benchtops. I am running a standalone consultation on engineered stone to understand what the industry is currently doing to manage the risks, and whether further regulatory intervention is needed,” says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister ...
Mehemea he pai mō te tangata, mahia – if it’s good for the people, get on with it. Enhanced reporting on the public sector’s delivery of Treaty settlement commitments will help improve outcomes for Māori and all New Zealanders, Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka says. Compiled together for the ...
Mr Roger Holmes Miller and Ms Tarita Hutchinson have been appointed to the Charities Registration Board, Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Louise Upston says. “I would like to welcome the new members joining the Charities Registration Board. “The appointment of Ms Hutchinson and Mr Miller will strengthen the Board’s capacity ...
More building consent and code compliance applications are being processed within the statutory timeframe since the Government required councils to submit quarterly data, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “In the midst of a housing shortage we need to look at every step of the build process for efficiencies ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey is proud to announce the first three recipients of the Government’s $10 million Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund which will enable more Kiwis faster access to mental health and addiction support. “This fund is part of the Government’s commitment to investing in ...
New Zealand is providing Vanuatu assistance following yesterday's devastating earthquake, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. "Vanuatu is a member of our Pacific family and we are supporting it in this time of acute need," Mr Peters says. "Our thoughts are with the people of Vanuatu, and we will be ...
The Government welcomes the Commerce Commission’s plan to reduce card fees for Kiwis by an estimated $260 million a year, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.“The Government is relentlessly focused on reducing the cost of living, so Kiwis can keep more of their hard-earned income and live a ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour has welcomed the Early Childhood Education (ECE) regulatory review report, the first major report from the Ministry for Regulation. The report makes 15 recommendations to modernise and simplify regulations across ECE so services can get on with what they do best – providing safe, high-quality care ...
The Government‘s Offshore Renewable Energy Bill to create a new regulatory regime that will enable firms to construct offshore wind generation has passed its first reading in Parliament, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says.“New Zealand currently does not have a regulatory regime for offshore renewable energy as the previous government failed ...
Legislation to enable new water service delivery models that will drive critical investment in infrastructure has passed its first reading in Parliament, marking a significant step towards the delivery of Local Water Done Well, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly say.“Councils and voters ...
New Zealand is one step closer to reaping the benefits of gene technology with the passing of the first reading of the Gene Technology Bill, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins says. "This legislation will end New Zealand's near 30-year ban on gene technology outside the lab and is ...
Te Pāti Māori has had to adopt a new way of debating, operating and even thinking in Parliament in response to the Government’s “onslaught” against te ao Māori, co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says.In an end-of-year interview with Newsroom, the Te Tai Hauauru MP reflected on how 2024 has differed from her ...
Opinion: The latest Trends in International Mathematics and Science report was announced earlier this month, yet it didn’t get the flurry of media attention and political hand-wringing that typically accompanies these announcements. This might be because it presented good news, or you could argue, no news; the results paint a ...
NewsroomBy Dr Lisa Darragh, Dr Raewyn Eden and Dr David Pomeroy
At long last, The Spinoff shells out for a nut ranking. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today.It recently came to The Spinoff’s attention ...
I was one of hundreds of people who lost my government job this week. Here’s exactly how it played out. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a ...
Summer reissue: One anxiously attentive passenger pays attention to an in-flight safety video, and wonders ‘Why can’t I pick up my own phone?’ The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up ...
Summer reissue: Why do those Lange-Douglas years cast such a long shadow 40 years on? The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today. First published June ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 23 December appeared first on Newsroom. ...
The Government’s social housing agency has backed out of a billion-dollar infrastructure alliance that would have built about 6000 new homes in Auckland – less than 18 months after signing a five-year extension.Labour says the decision to rip up the contract and sell off existing state houses could lead to ...
ByKoroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor New Zealand’s Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) says impending bad weather for Port Vila is now the most significant post-quake hazard. A tropical low in the Coral Sea is expected to move into Vanuatu waters, bringing heavy rainfall. Authorities have issued warnings to people ...
Cosmic CatastropheThe year draws to a close.King Luxon has grown tired of the long eveningsListening to the dreary squabbling of his Triumvirate.He strolls up to the top floor of the PalaceTo consult with his Astronomer Royal.The Royal Telescope scans the skies,And King Luxon stares up into the heavensFrom the terrestrial ...
Spinoff editor Mad Chapman and books editor Claire Mabey debate Carl Shuker’s new novel about… an editor. Claire: Hello Mad, you just finished The Royal Free – overall impressions? Mad: Hi Claire, I literally just put the book down and I would have to say my immediate impression is ...
Christmas and its buildup are often lonely, hard and full of unreasonable expectations. Here’s how to make it to Jesus’s birthday and find the little bit of joy we all deserve. Have you found this year relentless? Has the latest Apple update “fucked up your life”? Have you lost two ...
Despite overwhelming public and corporate support, the government has stalled progress on a modern day slavery law. That puts us behind other countries – and makes Christmas a time of tragedy rather than joy, argues Shanti Mathias. Picture the scene on Christmas Day. Everyone replete with nice things to eat, ...
Asia Pacific Report “It looks like Hiroshima. It looks like Germany at the end of World War Two,” says an Israeli-American historian and professor of holocaust and genocide studies at Brown University about the horrifying reality of Gaza. Professor Omer Bartov, has described Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza as an ...
The New Zealand government coalition is tweaking university regulations to curb what it says is an increasingly “risk-averse approach” to free speech. The proposed changes will set clear expectations on how universities should approach freedom of speech issues. Each university will then have to adopt a “freedom of speech statement” ...
Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – COMMENTARY: By Caitlin Johnstone New York prosecutors have charged Luigi Mangione with “murder as an act of terrorism” in his alleged shooting of health insurance CEO Brian Thompson earlier this month. This news comes out at the same time as ...
Pacific Media Watch The union for Australian journalists has welcomed the delivery by the federal government of more than $150 million to support the sustainability of public interest journalism over the next four years. Combined with the announcement of the revamped News Bargaining Initiative, this could result in up to ...
Comment: If we say the word ‘dementia’, many will picture an older person struggling to remember the names of their loved ones, maybe a grandparent living out their final years in an aged care facility. Dementia can also occur in people younger than 65, but it can take time before ...
Piracy is a reality of modern life – but copyright law has struggled to play catch-up for as long as the entertainment industry has existed. As far back as 1988, the House of Lords criticised copyright law’s conflict with the reality of human behaviour in the context of burning cassette ...
MONDAY“Merry Xmas, and praise the Lord,” said Sheriff Luxon, and smiled for the camera. There was a flash of smoke when the shutter pressed down on the magnesium powder. The sheriff had arranged for a photographer from the Dodge Gazette to attend a ceremony where he handed out food parcels to ...
It’s a little under two months since the White Ferns shocked the cricketing world, deservedly taking home the T20 World Cup. Since then the trophy has had a tour around the country, five of the squad have played in the WBBL in Australia while most others have returned to domestic ...
As he makes a surprise return to Shortland Street, actor Craig Parker takes us through his life in television. Craig Parker has been a fixture on television in Aotearoa for nearly four decades. He had starring roles in iconic local series like Gloss, Mercy Peak and Diplomatic Immunity, featured in ...
The Ōtautahi musician shares the 10 tracks he loves to spin, including the folk classic that cured him of a ‘case of the give-ups’. When singer-songwriter Adam McGrath returns to Kumeu’s Auckland Folk Festival from January 24-27, he’s not planning on simply idling his way through – he wants the late ...
Alex Casey spends an afternoon on the job with River, the rescue dog on a mission to spread joy to Ōtautahi rest homes.Almost everyone says it is never enough time. But River the rescue dog, a jet black huntaway border collie cross, has to keep a tight pace to ...
Asia Pacific Report Fiji activists have recreated the nativity scene at a solidarity for Palestine gathering in Fiji’s capital Suva just days before Christmas. The Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre and Fijians for Palestine Solidarity Network recreated the scene at the FWCC compound — a baby Jesus figurine lies amidst the ...
By 1News Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver and 1News reporters A number of Kiwis have been successfully evacuated from Vanuatu after a devastating earthquake shook the Pacific island nation earlier this week. The death toll was still unclear, though at least 14 people were killed according to an earlier statement from ...
The Police are once again trying to be the determiners of how we should live our lives in light of their inference in the Kumara Races this week.
Since when was it the job of the Police to be the social engineers of NZ cultural life.
They seems to have appointed themselves not as the law keepers but the lawmakers in regards to all sorts of areas.
That is not their job.
This is interesting…from Westland Mayor Bruce Smith..
“If they want to outlaw it [BYO], what it will do is kill the Kumara races. And where is the benefit? Tell them to stick to Auckland and tidy the mess up up there and leave us to ourselves.”
Is the success of the Kumara Races determined on whether people can bring in their own booze to the event? Crikey that’s sad. I thought it was a community event, why the reliance on booze for a good time or a successful event?
The police are the ones who pick up the pieces from road deaths and family violence due to alcohol. Is NZ culture really so steeped in booze that people are angry at the police for wanting to protect their community from drinkers.
Maybe locals should speak to List MP Pugh about the topic, she lives in Kumara.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11810757
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/89964633/karl-du-fresne-we-dont-need-police-acting-as-moral-custodians
Interesting opinion piece on free speech. This bit ” talkback host Tim Beveridge got to the heart of the matter when he said the real problem in the Huntly incident wasn’t racism or xenophobia; it was drunkenness.”
I disagree with Beveridge, unfortunately his opinion has as much depth as most of the other Newstalk radio hosts, which is pretty shallow.
The woman was interviewed a day or two after she abused the muslim women and said she was battling a number of mental health conditions and wasn’t getting the help she needed and proceeded to burst into tears.
I think if we had a properly functioning mental health system there would only be a small chance that she would have been drunk and that this incident would have ever occured.
Dual diagnosis, alcoholism and depression, is quite common and difficult to treat. It is also met with little or no enthusiasm by many mental health professionals
This article says bi-polar, social anxiety and PTSD, which are very treatable and if the mental health system is shying away from helping people with those conditions (which from the article it sounds like it is) then we really are in a mess.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2017/02/huntly-muslim-attack-woman-responsible-makes-cry-for-help.html
No argument as to what the article says ….but the video shows someone heavily intoxicated. I modify my earlier statement.
“Dual diagnosis, mental health problems and alcoholism, is quite common and difficult to treat. It is also met with little or no enthusiasm by many mental health professionals”
I am talking from real life experience as to alcohol and mental health problems and the difficulties around accessing treatment.
“All three districts on the West Coast have higher rates of alcohol related deaths than New Zealand as a whole, with the highest rate in Westland, followed by Grey and Buller. The rates of wholly attributable alcohol related deaths are more than twice the New Zealand average”
“The West Coast overall has higher than the New Zealand average rate of alcohol involved traffic crashes (11.6 vs 7.8/10,000 population)”
https://www.cph.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/greydraftlapsubmission.pdf
The WestCoast has a massive drinking culture problem, maybe that’s why people are upset about the BYO at the races, they are upset, because they are the ones with a drinking problem, and worried they won’t be able to take in their precious booze to the races. Do people go to these races for the horses and social aspect or for the drinking and gambling?
A family event is a place for everyone to feel safe, kids included. Why the reliance on booze to make an event a success? It’s not just the drinking on the day, it’s what happens afterwards as well. I’m not anti alcohol, but I’m anti the damage it causes, trying to prevent that kind of damage and suffering is a good thing.
Whose job is it to tackle the drinking problems on the WestCoast? Or is it easier to turn a blind eye and have a go at the police?
Do people go to these races for the horses and social aspect or for the drinking and gambling?
Both. Is it your or the Police’s place to tell them what they should do instead? No.
It is the job of the police to protect the community would you not agree?
I would not. “Protect the community” is a very vague term that could encompass all kinds of intrusion into people’s everyday lives. First and foremost, the job of the Police is to investigate crime and apprehend the perpetrators – other things are peripheral, and busybodying people who’d like to have a drink at the races goes way beyond peripheral. That kind of thing should come under the heading of “exceeding their mandate.”
Booze is embedded in most of our lives, to some extent, and it is hard to get community events for adults going anyway, so why not some booze, but has to be bought there? And then control that. The more problems we have, the more the booze is overdone, and then more problems we have.
Stopping a rare social event that is enjoyed by many and enables some business in the area and the horse owners etc. would be wrong. The climate is getting so punitive onto the people from the higher ups – the class system oppresses, the blame system demeans, and the deliberate impoverishment of so many by the actions of those higher up, is making life grim and unhappy and makes us all less kind and more hard on each other. Back to early colonial times with the squatters and their progeny winning. Nothing learned, nothing ennobling gained.
I’m a little unclear. Have there been alcohol-related violence problems at the Kumara races? If so, then why doesn’t the council sort that out? If not, what’s the problem?
Early childhood teachers have known for some time that this government does not care about quality but is more interested in big numbers stating lots of participation so it was good to see this morning an opionion piece by Dr Sarah Alexander published in the Herald this morning. As an early childhood teacher who has worked in for profit centres I totally identify with what Dr Alexander is saying. The focus of management is about passing ERO by meeting all the minimum standards so they can stay licensed and continue to be funded. The problem is that the minimum standards are really poor.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11810800.
Also, as I mentioned in Daily Review last night there is a move to form a new union for ununionised ECE teachers in the private sector. I am really excited by this and hope that there may be light at the end of what has been a very dark tunnel. I hope that this group of teachers find their voice so they can advocate for themselves and the children.
https://www.childforum.com/news-early-childhood-education-latest/1483-early-childhood-education-union-plan.html
I too am a recently retired ece teacher/lecturer and it has broken my heart to see what has happened to the pre-school sector in this country as a result of the focus on profit rather than the quality of education and care of children. It is no longer just the for-profit centres that are affected now – the bug has spread to both kindergartens and registered charities (one of which has some of the worst centres in NZ!).
Once I would have been excited and encouraging if someone came to me wanting to study to be an early childhood teacher – like I was when I began. Now I would advise them to steer clear if they value their sanity.
I also need to say, though, as a lecturer with a lot of experience of visiting centres, that there are some shining exceptions – I used to tell any student who was in one to stay put – there are bears in the jungle!!
Thanks for that Jan M totally agree with you. Ece is generally, apart from a few shining spaces not a very good place for teachers or children. I am hopeful that if teachers get organized and are prepared to take action we can change things. I also think a Labour Green government would help.
A Labour/Green government would definitely help, and not just in the ece sector – teachers at all levels are just about at the end of their rope.
My children were lucky enough to go to kindergarten back when that was a definite plus – my grandchildren went to a community day-care which I would describe as ‘good enough’ – as in no harm done, but no great advantage either. The thing is, of course, that the standard of teaching has less impact on the children of educated parents, so they’ll be ok.
Speaking of which, one of the things I noticed on my rounds was that the highest standard of centres was often to be found in the poorer areas – the ones chasing the dollars were not interested; they were in the more affluent areas.
Agree there mostly but some centers in poorer areas cut standards do they can make a profit without charging any parent fees. They do 30 hours free and just rely on moe funding so minimum standards pressure on teachers paid hourly rates to attend parent nights staff meetings etc with no pay.
I’m very glad my children all went to playcentre and spent the rest of their ece years with family and playing at friends houses. If grandchildren come along I will do everything I can to keep them out of ece centres unless there is a massive change.
I was one who poo pooed Susan Devoy when she got her role as race relations whatsit. And I have watched her education, her realisations about the truth of this country and the way one Treaty PARTNER has been and is treated. Like Judd in Taranaki she has heard and felt the stories, the histories and, sorry to get sad, the pain and suffering of yesterday and today.
Once people actually engage with the indigenous culture they cannot not be affected and that can happen to most if they give themselves the opportunity. Onya Susan.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/89960820/dame-susan-devoy-calls-for-inquiry-into-abuse-of-maori-children
Yep lets find out how bad it was so it can be stopped and never started again and so the poor people who suffered can speak their truth and feel heard. It IS the right thing to do for all sorts of reasons.
Thanks for the link, marty.
The history also looks to me like part of the continuing legacy of colonisation.
The history covered in the quote above is largely within my lifetime. And 65 years before that would be about 1885 – and that was when colonisation was in full swing. Not so long ago really, to have impacted negatively on the lives of Māori born mid-20th century… and so the legacy continues.
I think the question to ask is why did these kids end up in state care in the first place?
If the answer is that they came from dysfunctional, broken homes then I suggest that the kids had been irreparably damagd before entering the state system.
Once in the system I suspect most people realize that it is basically a bottom of the cliff system that wait til the kids turn 16 and kick them out.
I suspect a specialised education program for these kids would work that ensures they reach 16 knowing the 3 R’s, basic life skills, and receiving specialized counseling would acheive better results.
“Years ago in a small town a Maori boy was caught stealing lollies at the local Four Square.
A report labelled him a “thug” and he was made a state ward. He was 10 years old. Put in a boy’s home where he was physically and sexually abused, he ended up doing very long stretches in isolation.
He’d spend months at a time in a single cell. While there his parents died. When he was let out he was sent to live with a series of strangers, some of whom sexually and physically abused him.
He was to spend time in and out of prison. He was an old man by the time he made meaningful contact with his whanau again. By then he’d lost so many things: language, whakapapa, whanau, childhood.”
That is the anecdote that Susan uses and I would suggest it is not atypical. The key to remember was that he was a “Māori boy” and boys like that get bigoted, racist treatment often, and sadly for him, them and us, this continues to this day with things like racial profiling and so on.
Given your reply, I’m guessing that you have had very little to do with either families in crisis, or the state system.
Some of these kids are very adept at “life skills”, however the life skills that they need to survive and thrive are not the 3 R’s. Reading and writing – on their own – are no panacea.
A specialised education programme for these kids – more alienation from community – would more than likely be poorly designed, and even more poorly executed.
“Specialised counselling” by effective counsellors may be of some use, but only as part of a concerted effort to lift people out of financial poverty and bring about a healthy form of community support systems.
“… then I suggest that the kids had been irreparably damagd before entering the state system.”
I despair that you – quite wrongly – as a matter of fact, think you have any information that allows you to make such a blanket condemnation as a “suggestion”.
Failure to understand systemic problems require systemic changes and solutions are one of the reasons we continue to fail our children and our families in crisis.
And the comment is about the failure of the state system to improve the lives of these children. In fact, the further damage done to the already vulnerable by the state.
Do you have it in you to critique that without redirecting?
Molly
Good on you – good points. Everyone who has learned to tie their own shoelaces think that they know so much about society and those who don’t tie shoelaces or even have shoes and let us have the ‘benefit’ of their ‘wisdom’ at every opportunity.
Probably they are the sort that wouldn’t bother taking their puppy to training school and know less than a compost worm about how behaviour is induced or learned. I have much respect for compost worms, they know what to do and they do it well and don’t venture out of their territory. Know nothings should keep their mouths shut, breathe through their noses, and do a bit of study about society and how attitudes and habits are formed through a registered university, not from a private, right-wing or religious tract. And then if they are of the mean uncaring fault-seeking disposition they can at least get their facts right.
If you had a clue you’d know that in the main these kids, both Māori and Pākehā, came from different, and usually poor, but entirely functional homes and that their removal and subsequent treatment by Eurocentric authorities rendered them irreparably damaged.
Keep on digging.
(1/10)
https://twitter.com/JuddLegum/status/837308812453376001
“President Donald Trump said he has “total” confidence in Attorney General Jeff Sessions and that he sees no need for Sessions to recuse himself from any investigation of Russian meddling in US politics.
Trump voiced his support for Sessions in response to a shouted question before speaking at an event aboard a Navy aircraft carrier in Virginia. Sessions has come under fire from Democrats and some Republicans after the Justice Department acknowledged that he, at a time he was acting as a prominent surrogate for Trump’s campaign, had contacts last year with the Russian ambassador.”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/90009106/trump-says-sessions-has-his-full-confidence-as-questions-mount
Yep, going down…
Dude called it.
https://twitter.com/20committee/status/831872441597194241
More dubious news broadcast by the Clinton Fake News Network to undermine both Trump and Russia. How people buy into this fanciful world of Russia rigging the election, Trump and Russian prostitutes, etc with sketchy evidence is a worry.
you have been sucked in I’m afraid – the evidence is damning – didn’t someone already resign for lying about their russian relationship? More to come for the same reason – which may rock your world I think…
Total confidence – out like Flynn.
https://twitter.com/AP/status/837378370451222528
yep and we know the cover-up is what drops them in the end – don and steve will have to speed up the demonisation of the press if they want to escape this wave.
“Under growing pressure from Democrats and Republicans alike, Attorney General Jeff Sessions agreed Friday morning (NZ time) to recuse himself from an investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
His action followed revelations he twice met with the Russian ambassador and didn’t say so when pressed by Congress.
Sessions rejected any suggestion that he tried to mislead anyone about his contacts with the Russian, saying, “That is not my intent. That is not correct.”
The attorney general said he made his decision after his staff recommended that he recuse himself from any investigation related to the Trump campaign, since he had been involved in that campaign.
Sessions said his announcement “should not be interpreted as confirmation of the existence of any investigation.””
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11811235
another liar be caught, fire be starting…
Fire to what marty mars?
As I’m looking, that is a fire with Russia, and don’t know about you, but that scares the shit out of me.
I spose I was thinking of someones pants 🙂
the fact is these liaisons between the trump team and russia have occurred – best they see the light of day – that will reduce any war mongering imo
Not so sure. I wish I had your confidence.
http://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/322002-dem-senator-we-should-determine-if-russian-election-hacking-was-act-of
Simon Black points out the stupidity of thinking that a cash ban will affect criminals.
A new NZ news website to go from it’s summer version to launch itself proper on 13 March 2017. It claims it will provide independent quality news coverage.
Newsroom website:
It has chorus as a partner (see article under the “Articles” tab) , and this article on the site welcomes Victoria University to the Newsroom team.
That’s Tim Murphy formerly of NZ Herald and Mark Jennings formerly of TV3. So I’m not expecting anything too independent from the current neoliberal status quo.
National cops out again today and lets the multinationals (facebook, google, apple etc) off any meaningful tax clampdown even though every man and his dog realises they are rorting the system and costing the NZ public $500m a year.
In Oz and the UK they have introduced a diverted profit tax. Pussy Cat Collins says this will not be introduced here. This is a do-nothing government particularly where it helps its greedy mates.
Chance here for Labour to introduce a strong tax policy at the election including a diverted profits tax.
Given the large number of posts on housing at the moment, could I put forward a suggestion for a future book club read?
Danny Dorling’s – All that is Solid (2014) is written about the UK housing crisis, but does have quite a few chapters that relate to our continuing and developing housing crisis here.
I got it from Auckland Libraries which has a few hard copies and an ebook.
Great interview on the Jimmy Dore Show with Australian journalist Caitlin Johnstone
I always thought Aussie women were not a bad as Aussie males. Wrong.
Bill Drees, do you really want to put on public display your low IQ?
Bill as an avid Scotland watcher, what’s the chances of another referendum?
what is nick smith?
“Being too strict about New Zealand’s recreational water quality would unnecessarily deny Kiwi families the right to swim in the country’s rivers and lakes, Environment Minister Nick Smith says.”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/90005985/water-quality-plan-not-perfect-but-better-says-nick-smith
a friend of the tick from dipton that’s who
I don’t get to this point very often, but am fast approaching the wanting to punch him in the face place, lol. A complete and utter fuckwit.
“Rivers don’t have a constant level of E.coli – they vary all over the places,” Smith said. “The key policy question is when it varies all over the place what would you describe as a swimmable river?”
If you can’t answer that, then you shouldn’t be the Minister of Shit in Rivers. It’s really easy. Those of us that grew up and then spent our lives swimming in rivers all know that the thing that has changed is mass increase in industrial dairy and stocking rates. There’s not mystery here except for why you are basically saying that money is more important than fresh water. I’m tempted to say fuck you and the shitting horse you rode in on, but it’s hardly the horse’s fault. Instead just fuck you and your soulless excuse of an existence.
That sounds punch drunk from smith.
Gets back to my point early marty mars, these guys are a lost cause, totally off the farm, and into cuckoo land.
A stunning article. The New York Times reporting the Obama administration scrambled during its final days in office to preserve evidence of Russia’s collusion with the Trump campaign. Citing unnamed former officials, the Times says Obama’s aides left a “trail of evidence” across different government agencies to prevent the incoming Trump administration from covering up or destroying the evidence, the trail including passing sensitive information to Congress, keeping evidence at a relatively low classification level so a number of people could see it, also sharing information with European allies.
“The efforts to preserve the intelligence continued until the administration’s final hours. This was partly because intelligence was still being collected and analyzed, but it also reflected the sentiment among many administration officials that they had not recognized the scale of the Russian campaign until it was too late.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/01/us/politics/obama-trump-russia-election-hacking.html?smid=fb-share
Recent Colmar Brunton poll reveals “Housing” as the number one issue concerning voters.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/housing-revealed-most-important-issue-in-helping-kiwis-decide-vote
And then there’s this from the dipper, the headline still exists, but the extract has been removed mysteriously.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/prime-minister-blames-housing-shortage-nature-lovers
It would appear that the Nats are so far out of touch with society that they make Trump look good.
For election geeks and others.
The was a General Election in Northen Ireland yesterday. The the count starts in a few hours. The government collapsed 10 months after the last election due in the main to a scandal called “Cash for Ash”.
It is expected that the Democratic Unionist Party and its leader, Arlene Foster, will loose votes to all the other parties. The election will probably show a shift in voting patterns with STV votes crossing historical sectarian lines. It is possible that Sinn Fein, under Michelle O’Neill, becomes the largest party.
An exciting election.
Here are some links.
http://sluggerotoole.com/2017/03/02/looks-like-there-may-be-big-changes-in-the-post-for-tomorrows-count/
http://www.newsletter.co.uk
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland-assembly-election/
https://www.rte.ie/news/2017/0302/856565-assembly-election/
Does anybody know if the law allows foreign companies or multi national companies to contribute to political parties in this country. I am wondering if the Diverted Profits Tax was declined by Government because of all the money coming into their coffers from non-resident companies. We all know the Chinese wealthy are generous in their donations. If these companies are allowed to give funds to our political parties then maybe its time that it was outlawed and only NZ residents and wholly owned NZ companies should be permitted to donate.
Then we might see our political parties coming down hard on these parasitical overseas companies rorting the system and not contributing and paying their way, but political parties sure as hell will not outlaw it if it means a backlash and they find they are punished and short changed of funds in their war chests as a consequence.