Grab something to ensure you don't fall over. Govt has done something clever. It incorporates strategic climate change response policy with comprehension of how complex systems interact. I kid you not:
This is what is known as a “cascading impact” in the report, in which “a primary threat is followed by a dynamic sequence of secondary hazards.”
Basically, the report looked at 43 risks, and then assessed them on a scale of urgency (to quote – “measure of the degree to which further action is needed in the next six years to reduce the risk”) and consequences (how nasty things will get if and when they do.) The thing that makes these assessments important is that they are interconnected with each other, and interact with each other in potentially unexpected ways.
So there. If you didn't already know James Shaw is a vital politician, give some thought to how this got produced!
The report picked out ten major threats, breaking them down into five domains. These risks are all seen as needing urgent action within the next six years. [these are listed on Spinoff]
Dr Judy Lawrence from the Victoria University Climate Research Institute… suggested it was another step towards “the implementation of coherent adaptation across New Zealand.”
And NIWA’s chief climate scientist Dr Andrew Tait said “the key risks identified in the report clearly show where we need to focus our climate change impacts and adaptation scientific research over the coming years to reduce our nation’s vulnerability and enhance adaptive capacity”.
So what happens with the report now? It will be fed into the great beast of bureaucracy, and within two years the government will be required to respond with a National Adaptation Plan. Work on that is already underway, which is nice given the urgency of it all.
Time and time again this really pisses me off, our schools, unis, and polytechs were set up to educate NEW ZEALAND STUDENTS, not make money off international students. They really need to be putting the needs and interest of NEW ZEALAND students first, second and first, but they are still on and on and on about wanting to educate the ones from overseas, as that is all they ever talk about.
Our education system is completely fucked, so many young people are falling through the cracks, because the international students matter more.
There is a benefit to having overseas students but its not all monetary. Students get to know those from other cultures and particularly in universities the friendships, collaboration and joint brain power make the post uni networks vital for international co-operation in finding solutions to things like pandemics, climate change and diplomacy.
I don’t have a problem with overseas students if they are paying their way and the courses have some integrity – and they go back home once they have their qualification/degree/whatever.
What really brasses me off is that the whole industry has become a scheme where students get residency out of it, then proceed to bring in goodness knows how many family members. It’s a massive rort.
They are determined aren't they? Particularly the private providers of "language courses". And of course if they get them in then they will want the work visa's and residence visa's next. If we made it very clear that there is no visa selling scam any more – I'm sure the enrolments would plummet without help.
In time I would anticipate seeing the actual student undergraduate exchange scheme working again ( it's not urgent and basically students swop between countries) where a fee is paid to a uni here but the study is done here and at the overseas university.
The high schools need to make up their minds. One minute they are short of teachers, the next they want more students. The universities can fix their problems by cutting the excessive wages at the top and putting some of the accommodation into the local rental market. Then they could get creative and maybe share junior staff with any local high schools that are short – on a part time basis. With support they would bring up to date knowledge a taste of university style teaching and the skills to fill any gaps.
The private colleges -why not shift the teaching staff to offshore campuses?
And they all want the government to do some thing – so much personal responsibility
Exactly – I don't know how they have the nerve to complain while they have such a huge percentage of under-performing NZ pupils to focus their tiny minds on. How did we get this bad?
If each educational institution can demonstrate that they have purchased a comprehensive insurance policy to cover the costs to NZ society of Covid-19 importation (via students), then maybe let their meal tickets in. But the insurance better cover full costs, including compensation for Covid-19 disability and death.
Insurance companies are in the business of putting a price on human life, and if the current Government's efforts to safeguard the health of NZers are anything to go by, then education providers who depend on overseas students better have gold-plated insurance policies in place before students arrive.
I think this Government has enough sense not to let them back in anytime soon.
Asked how good a job medical professions have done in controlling the spread of the disease, responses showed there was a difference depending on party preference. Amongst Labour supporters, 96 per cent agreed medical professionals have done a good job. But for National supporters, the figure was 69 per cent.
The difference was even starker when asked if the Government’s overall response was successful. Almost 98 per cent of Labour supporters said the response was successful, but for National supporters it was only 40 per cent.
So the binary structure of parliament creates a schizoid electorate. People end up seeing the real world through the lens created by their partisan belief system. Reality gets warped into two different social realities, co-created by each bunch of partisans.
Pity those poor souls who don’t align with a partisan belief system and whose social realities are not warped and co-created by a bunch of partisans. Woe is them!
The non-aligned tend to pity the partisans, actually. 😊 That consensus embedded during the seventies and was deepened further by Rogernomics a decade later.
If the social scientist had achieved transcendence, he would have thought to use a non-binary frame to design his questions. However, reluctance to admit the reality of that third of the electorate continues to afflict academics. Will they awaken to the reality that has existed since the '80s? Not as long as their ivory-tower bubble protects them.
Yes Love. Seems funny that these events have raised so little response compared to the Young Labour fuss over a non member of the Labour Party.
One of the men at the centre of a Young ACT sexual harassment inquiry was previously removed from the organisation’s online forums for Islamophobic comments in the wake of the March 15 attacks.
This revelation comes as the ACT-affiliated youth organisation grapples with widespread issues regarding sexual harassment and abuse, rape culture, and inappropriate and potentially harmful behaviour in online spaces.
And that "non-member" gets another mention at the end of the story despite being unrelated in every way – how many years will it be dragged out to supplement other stories. It was purely political that that ever made the papers let alone was prosecuted – we had teens most families know the things that can happen at the hands of foolish youth – just thankfully in that case it didn't involve a vehicle would have been my relief as a parent but that reference is well past its use by date
I am bemused when RW women finally realise those that use terms like "femnazi" are anti women, it's like they think they're immune to the libertarian males sense of superiority. And has been shown by the firemen, etc, not only RW males, but just seems if you listen and read the RW rhetoric it's very exclusive, single visioned, superior, super man.
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What is boring about this election? I find myself totally on edge. Thinking about the future, yes – we do have to keep on at our politicians, but put effort into understanding their difficulties which are increasing. Some of that is because they are having to make changes in their thinking – National is faced with a reality that it can't talk its way out of, can't offer the luscious life or the one that suits those who hold the reins. Some of the difficulties are from those who can't move from their comfy chair, the lifestyle option they have achieved only to be told it is unsustainable. What, no way; overseas trips, buying what I want, regular upgrades to the latest – this heaven can't come to an end!
But ideas for doing things differently are coming from many people, and Covid-19 is forcing change. So keep on thinking about the problems and how they can be remediated and help the political parties with your ideas, but also put public pressure on the background people who are too advanced to push barrows, they have more sophisticated means to jerk politicians, and us, around.
Why doesn't TS start a citizens bank of knowledge – dividing the major considerations into groups on-line – eg one – People's welfare – subgroup housing and skilled and informed people put their ideas and advise government from a platform of informed intelligence mixed with practicality and understanding of the pros and cons.
I note we are importing people from overseas to take leadership positions when we should have 'the knowledge' to traverse and navigate our own territory. We should not become 'introverted' but at present we are patsies for accepting that others can do things better. I think often it is that they have a background in shedding staff, introducing technology, and running things cheaply. We could do that too, but seek better ways. We have cut off the arms and legs of our own abilities in order to get rid of the shambling and self-indulgent approaches of the late 1970's. Now we need to renew the body of NZ capability and 'zeal'.
And in there somewhere, how to provide decent health care so as to keep bad conditions to a minimum. This was the goal I thought which had been broadcast to the peeps in the past. Let us have now, a good working relationship between skilled hospital administration together with staff and skills leaders, and skilled health spending providers in government.
Looking at Christchurch which has had a stressed population and hospital building needs suitable to cope, since the earthquake and now is in crisis for money and about to shed staff – that is feared. (And hospitals are the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff really.) The fact that they are so busy and the mental health part all over the country and especially Christchurch I have read, is an example of the affect on humans from Ayn Rand neolib economics and the coldness of heart and mind that comes from the lack of humanity of that cult.
A useful paper on Capital Charges to Hospitals:-
(https://www.asms.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Research-Brief-Capital-Charge_169877.2.pdf Every six months district health boards (DHBs) are required to pay the Government a ‘capital charge’ on the Crown’s capital (equity) investment received by DHBs. The charge, which is currently set at 6% p.a. (see footnotei), applies to any DHB operational surpluses as well as any capital funding provided by government. In 2017 this totalled $174.2 million (Table 1).The expectation is that the charges will be funded from DHBs’ existing baseline funding. At budget time this means operational funding for DHBs is significantly less, in reality, than is allocated.
This shows in 2017 Canterbury had to pay back to government – $16.1 million. This is a complicated system that complies with the crooked thinking of neolib economics which has hegemony over money and land use in NZ and there needs to be actual transparent government allocation based on need, checked for effectiveness done efficiently, not this claw-back idea with a real estate mindset.
(I’ve been changing this around to make it better so apologise to anyone who has been following.)
I always get the feeling that we import people for leadership positions precisely because they have no stake in the local social economy and can be reliably compliant with the most outrageous neolib demands no matter how much they destroy the local community. Labour will need to tackle -and it won't be easy- the hiring policies of the Sate services commission. Thank goodness Ashley Bloomfield had the job not the previous incumbent.
As to the hospitals – over the country we should get roughly equal outputs for the same operating dollars. For the capital builds a rolling programme based on age, need and throughput so that we do the most important first. The capital charge is pretty much rubbish – if it goes up with a new build and then operating costs (which are basically staff) are reduced – it's like shooting yourself in the foot. We also need to acknowledge that fewer bigger higher tech hospitals is probaly the direction of travel. With another path for community based care.
Thanks Grey for that very nice comment (all of it) @5.
"National is faced with a reality that it can't talk its way out of, can't offer the luscious life or the one that suits those who hold the reins. Some of the difficulties are from those who can't move from their comfy chair, the lifestyle option they have achieved only to be told it is unsustainable. What, no way; overseas trips, buying what I want, regular upgrades to the latest – this heaven can't come to an end!"
Will we continue to damage ourselves, one-another, ecosystems, etc. etc., or will Covid-19 provoke re-evaluations that are sufficiently widespread to mature into genuine resets? A few months ago I thought the pandemic would be a momentary blip before 'civilization' resumed its BAU course, but maybe some progressive societies can at least begin to consider alternative, sustainable futures.
"If COVID-19 were spreading across a stable and resilient world, its impact could be abrupt but contained. Leaders would consult together, economies would be disrupted temporarily, people would make do for a while with changed circumstances, and then, after the shock, things would return to normal. That is not, however, the world in which we live. Instead, the pandemic is revealing the structural faults of the system, which have been papered over for decades even as they’ve been growing worse. Gaping economic inequalities, rampant ecological destruction, and pervasive political corruption are all results of unbalanced systems relying on each other to remain precariously poised." https://www.resilience.org/stories/2020-07-07/the-coronavirus-as-crucible-response-to-after-the-pandemic-which-future/
Lawyer Liam Hehir is a writer, columnist and former National Party activist, but he's adopting principled adherence to a parliamentary tradition. Why? Abortion law reform, and
Whanganui MP Harete Hipango, who is pro-life, wrote a Facebook post that was critical of the lack of gestational limits in the new law.
Government supporters and surrogates online were quick to lay the controversy at the feet of National leader Judith Collins, demanding that she answer for Hipango’s views on the matter.
Since her party is a “broad church” in a way that Labour is not, that puts Collins in an awkward position. The fact that the Leader of the Opposition is herself firmly pro-choice makes it even more difficult for her.
Writing as a Roman Catholic, I will be the first to admit there is little stable ground between the views of Hipango and, say, Jacinda Ardern on “life” questions. Taking a strident approach that leaves little room for good faith disagreement is not going to persuade anyone.
One risk is polarisation. Provoking internal strife within National may well result in the party becoming a more doctrinally pro-life party. That would give us two big parties with more uniform but opposite views. A foreseeable outcome of that is the stepped-up importation of American culture wars that see delicate issues become party political footballs.
Seems to me Liam is on solid ground here. We don't want an Aotearoa with yet more braindead partisan polarising – we've got enough already.
The "broad church" National thing is recent, Labour was always referred to as being broad church, I reckon it's a Hooton thing. Reminds me of a covers band poster I saw years back, "we play all kinds of music, from ACDC to Led Zep!", about as broad as National.
Liam misses the point doesn't he? Overall the community has become more "pro choice" and the MP's are just reflecting this? More so on the left than on the right? I was actually surprised at how, compared to previous abortion debates, just how little smoke and fire the latest changes caused. Labour also signaled the changes in it's party platform.
As for Judith – she needs to make it very clear whether tightening the current law is part of the official party platform (if there is one) or not. And how likely it is to be included in the future. In which case reports from Harete need to make it abundantly clear that she will push for this to be included in the platform. And that should lose her the election. If national want to revert to a right wing fundy christian type party then I suspect it will be a small one. Judith may need to do some thing here to keep national as a broader church.
Collins responded to this criticism, ie, Hipango making some out there comments about late-term abortions and Hipango being a Catholic. The party leader said on conscious issues, MPs can speak and act as they see fit, not tow party line.
A dishonest personal attack on the PM who had voted exactly the same way as Judith Collins. I repeat … this is the Shadow Attorney-general. Let that sink in.
The bad attitudes of the Catholic Church to females were shown up in the film about the imprisoned women forced to work in a sort of borstal as laundry workers in the film The Magdalene Sisters.
Midday news, RNZ, reported National "will have a rolling maul of policies for the election campaign", according to Judith Collins.
This idea that the electorate are rugby fanatics guided by rugby thinking seems somewhat antique, but it does provide Labour with an opportunity for a classic response:
"They never have a clue where the ball is. Watch it passing along our backline attack, so we score under their goalposts as their maul continues to rumble forward."
The rolling maul is against the most important facet of rugby union, a contest for possession. It is a dour spectacle that at it's heart features obstruction.
So the wealthy having fucked the rest of the world both socially and environmentally are ramping up their lobbying to use their ill-gotten gains to access one of the few bastions of sanity left in a collapsing world…..no thanks.
I've said before that we should raffle 52 places to reside here for 2 years then they have to leave. BEO $1billion and only a limited amount of money can be spent in those 2 years so the kids have to go to state schools, no asset purchases no political or any other donations they have to live as a pretty average kiwi for re-education purposes and they have to spend so many hours as a community volunteer like a foodbank. Any violations you get tossed out.
With all their money, they are going to buy us up as their nature reserve! I think of the Scottish initiative I know of where people on an outlying peninsula of the Highlands got together, raised enough money to buy out the land they lived on and it is held in a Trust and with a Foundation, providing the legal basis. It isn't on the roading system of Scotland, you have to get to it by boat. They run it as a farming, silvicultural, nature reserve and it is flourishing, not declining as was previously when owned by some celebrity. Tourism like this is sustainable.
http://knoydart.org/ This is the Home Page of the Knoydart Foundation: Our aim is to manage the Knoydart Estate as an area of employment and settlement without detriment to its natural beauty and character. To seek and encourage the preservation of its landscape, wildlife, natural resources, culture and rural heritage. Our current top priorites are to replace our hydro scheme and the renovation of three properties to provide affordable homes for local families. You can help by donating below.
If you read the Wikipedia history it can be seen how the land and with it the people, became like Monopoly properties which situation eventually the people tried to rise against, unsuccessfully. NZ should not entertain the further disrobing of what was once a proud little nation, now with many ragged and others dressed in finery; to go poetic about it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knoydart
Outside of Florida it won't be significant, for Latinos or anyone else. But it could shift a percent or two of Florida voters, enough to tip it. As long as Biden doesn't neuter this by choosing Bass as his veep. And Florida is 29 Electoral college votes, more than Michigan (16) and Wisconsin (10) combined.
That's a pretty serious thing to ignore. Right up there with policing Palmy with guns as if part of the city was a warzone. Where are they getting these cops from – they seem to think they are in charge of the rules and can do what they like.
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'They' are lowlife, and I am here to deal with them. That could be the thought of that officer. You wouldn't accept such behaviour from a bouncer. Before he was handcuffed and arrested, an officer was captured on CCTV firmly placing a foot on his head, kicking him several times and also punching his head.
Being fair to the officer, one kick may have been overlooked, but this guy was out of control. And just as bad as the guy he was arresting actually.
In the USA in some parts, they call police 'the nation's finest' or similar. But when they start internalising that, they slide down towards lowest fast. It sounds as if the NZ police are taking that superior attitude, and then watching on tv or on-line how the USA police actually behave.
Or perhaps they go on manouvres with them, like the defence forces do with regular visits from the USA to gee us up, with interesting scenarios like an uprising against an elected leader, and what army, and probably police, would do to rout out these terrorists. You have to show them who is boss, that's all, these civilian troublemakers.
And that is probably how some of them are thinking right now. Compare that hard-line approach which was taken to this man when he was lying on the ground. And then how softly the justice system treats men who are vicious and stalk and kill previous partners, and perhaps choose to mistreat or kill their children. It seems that entitlement to violence is a strong current that lives in our society. Is it predominantly male? How can this tendency to be disrespectful of others be turned around.
Question please, do valedictorian speeches cut into parliamentary time, thereby limiting the time allowed for bills to be passed before the house closes?
iFascinating and terrifying doco on Imelda Marcos & her children, specifically her son Bong Bong, how they are slowly building up power again, slow & steady, legally, but using all their ill gotten funds, buying votes, arresting opponents.
Henry Cooke doing a good job of just doing his job. I bet he'd like to skewer Collins but credit to him he plays this with a straight bat, until the last sentence:
National is trailing Labour by a huge margin in recent polls.
Hopefully someone will also point out her attitude toward retirement. She described it as "a rainy day" when announcing her insane and widely condemned raiding of Kiwisaver for business start ups.
Retirement is not a rainy day, it's supposed to be be a great day.
She knows that what he did was no different to what screeds of male MPs on both sides did before him. She also knows he let himself and his family down and that he knows it and is deeply remorseful. She made sure she was there as a gesture to him of support and respect.
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What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Pacific Media Watch Earthwise hosts Lois and Martin Griffiths. Earthwise presenters Lois and Martin Griffiths on Plains FM 96.9 community radio talk to Dr David Robie, a New Zealand author, independent journalist and media educator with a passion for the Asia-Pacific region. David talks about the struggle to raise awareness ...
Pacific Media Watch Ismail al-Ghoul, an Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent who was held for 12 hours at Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital, says Israeli forces rounded up Palestinian journalists at the facility and made them kneel on the ground for hours, while naked and blindfolded. “The occupation forces handcuffed and blindfolded us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute chinasong, Shutterstock Electricity customers in four Australian states can breathe a sigh of relief. After two years in a row of 20% price increases, power prices have finally stabilised. In many places they’re ...
Chumbawamba have reportedly issued the deputy PM a cease-and-desist notice after he used their song 'Tubthumping' before his state of the nation speech. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
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Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
The government says it still intends to deliver tax cuts by July, but will not lock them in until they have got them past their coalition partners. ...
Grab something to ensure you don't fall over. Govt has done something clever. It incorporates strategic climate change response policy with comprehension of how complex systems interact. I kid you not:
So there. If you didn't already know James Shaw is a vital politician, give some thought to how this got produced!
Our education providers still rabbiting on about letting in international students
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/122280007/budget-cuts-and-job-losses-loom-for-education-sector-if-overseas-students-blocked
Time and time again this really pisses me off, our schools, unis, and polytechs were set up to educate NEW ZEALAND STUDENTS, not make money off international students. They really need to be putting the needs and interest of NEW ZEALAND students first, second and first, but they are still on and on and on about wanting to educate the ones from overseas, as that is all they ever talk about.
Our education system is completely fucked, so many young people are falling through the cracks, because the international students matter more.
There is a benefit to having overseas students but its not all monetary. Students get to know those from other cultures and particularly in universities the friendships, collaboration and joint brain power make the post uni networks vital for international co-operation in finding solutions to things like pandemics, climate change and diplomacy.
Education became an industry , not a public good yonks ago when a free university
education became no longer a Kiwi right
Now degrees are purely meal tickets, and must be sufficient to pay the considerable student debt
I don’t have a problem with overseas students if they are paying their way and the courses have some integrity – and they go back home once they have their qualification/degree/whatever.
What really brasses me off is that the whole industry has become a scheme where students get residency out of it, then proceed to bring in goodness knows how many family members. It’s a massive rort.
Yes Rosie, how and why did that happen?
They are determined aren't they? Particularly the private providers of "language courses". And of course if they get them in then they will want the work visa's and residence visa's next. If we made it very clear that there is no visa selling scam any more – I'm sure the enrolments would plummet without help.
In time I would anticipate seeing the actual student undergraduate exchange scheme working again ( it's not urgent and basically students swop between countries) where a fee is paid to a uni here but the study is done here and at the overseas university.
The high schools need to make up their minds. One minute they are short of teachers, the next they want more students. The universities can fix their problems by cutting the excessive wages at the top and putting some of the accommodation into the local rental market. Then they could get creative and maybe share junior staff with any local high schools that are short – on a part time basis. With support they would bring up to date knowledge a taste of university style teaching and the skills to fill any gaps.
The private colleges -why not shift the teaching staff to offshore campuses?
And they all want the government to do some thing – so much personal responsibility
Exactly – I don't know how they have the nerve to complain while they have such a huge percentage of under-performing NZ pupils to focus their tiny minds on. How did we get this bad?
Instead of taking international students, maybe zoned schools could simply take more kids that live outside their zone.
Problem solved.
If each educational institution can demonstrate that they have purchased a comprehensive insurance policy to cover the costs to NZ society of Covid-19 importation (via students), then maybe let their meal tickets in. But the insurance better cover full costs, including compensation for Covid-19 disability and death.
AFAIK, it is compulsory for all international students to have health and travel insurance whilst studying here in NZ.
Gosh, how much would they compensate me if i die?
Insurance companies are in the business of putting a price on human life, and if the current Government's efforts to safeguard the health of NZers are anything to go by, then education providers who depend on overseas students better have gold-plated insurance policies in place before students arrive.
I think this Government has enough sense not to let them back in anytime soon.
but..
yeh nah, they really couldn't compensate me enough for being dead.
You’re "Priceless!"
Social science research illuminates how partisan alignment constructs social reality:
So the binary structure of parliament creates a schizoid electorate. People end up seeing the real world through the lens created by their partisan belief system. Reality gets warped into two different social realities, co-created by each bunch of partisans.
Pity those poor souls who don’t align with a partisan belief system and whose social realities are not warped and co-created by a bunch of partisans. Woe is them!
Don't know what I'd do without my witchdoctor.
I thought regularly reading a political blog might help me out and warp my reality into something I could Kling on to.
The non-aligned tend to pity the partisans, actually. 😊 That consensus embedded during the seventies and was deepened further by Rogernomics a decade later.
If the social scientist had achieved transcendence, he would have thought to use a non-binary frame to design his questions. However, reluctance to admit the reality of that third of the electorate continues to afflict academics. Will they awaken to the reality that has existed since the '80s? Not as long as their ivory-tower bubble protects them.
An “ivory-tower bubble”, you say? O’kay.
Now more than ever it's crucial to stay in our bubbles, should the need arise.
Tell Dr Siouxsie to get back in her “ivory-tower bubble” 😉
Considering there are not that many National supporters these days it's a skewed opinion.
40% of 25 to 33% support Nationals poll figures .
I hope the cops are looking at this fellow, esp if he has access to arms, ugly online behaviour https://www.newsroom.co.nz/young-act-faces-more-questions-over-online-harassment
Yes Love. Seems funny that these events have raised so little response compared to the Young Labour fuss over a non member of the Labour Party.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/young-act-faces-more-questions-over-online-harassment?utm_source=Friends+of+the+Newsroom&utm_campaign=3b973e871a-Daily+Briefing+4.8.20&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_71de5c4b35-3b973e871a-95522477
And that "non-member" gets another mention at the end of the story despite being unrelated in every way – how many years will it be dragged out to supplement other stories. It was purely political that that ever made the papers let alone was prosecuted – we had teens most families know the things that can happen at the hands of foolish youth – just thankfully in that case it didn't involve a vehicle would have been my relief as a parent but that reference is well past its use by date
I am bemused when RW women finally realise those that use terms like "femnazi" are anti women, it's like they think they're immune to the libertarian males sense of superiority. And has been shown by the firemen, etc, not only RW males, but just seems if you listen and read the RW rhetoric it's very exclusive, single visioned, superior, super man.
@ so called love
Some firemen,get your facts right.
edit
What is boring about this election? I find myself totally on edge. Thinking about the future, yes – we do have to keep on at our politicians, but put effort into understanding their difficulties which are increasing. Some of that is because they are having to make changes in their thinking – National is faced with a reality that it can't talk its way out of, can't offer the luscious life or the one that suits those who hold the reins. Some of the difficulties are from those who can't move from their comfy chair, the lifestyle option they have achieved only to be told it is unsustainable. What, no way; overseas trips, buying what I want, regular upgrades to the latest – this heaven can't come to an end!
But ideas for doing things differently are coming from many people, and Covid-19 is forcing change. So keep on thinking about the problems and how they can be remediated and help the political parties with your ideas, but also put public pressure on the background people who are too advanced to push barrows, they have more sophisticated means to jerk politicians, and us, around.
Why doesn't TS start a citizens bank of knowledge – dividing the major considerations into groups on-line – eg one – People's welfare – subgroup housing and skilled and informed people put their ideas and advise government from a platform of informed intelligence mixed with practicality and understanding of the pros and cons.
I note we are importing people from overseas to take leadership positions when we should have 'the knowledge' to traverse and navigate our own territory. We should not become 'introverted' but at present we are patsies for accepting that others can do things better. I think often it is that they have a background in shedding staff, introducing technology, and running things cheaply. We could do that too, but seek better ways. We have cut off the arms and legs of our own abilities in order to get rid of the shambling and self-indulgent approaches of the late 1970's. Now we need to renew the body of NZ capability and 'zeal'.
And in there somewhere, how to provide decent health care so as to keep bad conditions to a minimum. This was the goal I thought which had been broadcast to the peeps in the past. Let us have now, a good working relationship between skilled hospital administration together with staff and skills leaders, and skilled health spending providers in government.
Looking at Christchurch which has had a stressed population and hospital building needs suitable to cope, since the earthquake and now is in crisis for money and about to shed staff – that is feared. (And hospitals are the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff really.) The fact that they are so busy and the mental health part all over the country and especially Christchurch I have read, is an example of the affect on humans from Ayn Rand neolib economics and the coldness of heart and mind that comes from the lack of humanity of that cult.
On Christchurch – https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/122328114/canterbury-dhb-calls-emergency-meeting-over-staffing-numbers-loses-two-senior-executives
A useful paper on Capital Charges to Hospitals:-
(https://www.asms.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Research-Brief-Capital-Charge_169877.2.pdf
Every six months district health boards (DHBs) are required to pay the Government a ‘capital charge’ on the Crown’s capital (equity) investment received by DHBs. The charge, which is currently set at 6% p.a. (see footnotei), applies to any DHB operational surpluses as well as any capital funding provided by government. In 2017 this totalled $174.2 million (Table 1).The expectation is that the charges will be funded from DHBs’ existing baseline funding. At budget time this means operational funding for DHBs is significantly less, in reality, than is allocated.
This shows in 2017 Canterbury had to pay back to government – $16.1 million. This is a complicated system that complies with the crooked thinking of neolib economics which has hegemony over money and land use in NZ and there needs to be actual transparent government allocation based on need, checked for effectiveness done efficiently, not this claw-back idea with a real estate mindset.
(I’ve been changing this around to make it better so apologise to anyone who has been following.)
I always get the feeling that we import people for leadership positions precisely because they have no stake in the local social economy and can be reliably compliant with the most outrageous neolib demands no matter how much they destroy the local community. Labour will need to tackle -and it won't be easy- the hiring policies of the Sate services commission. Thank goodness Ashley Bloomfield had the job not the previous incumbent.
As to the hospitals – over the country we should get roughly equal outputs for the same operating dollars. For the capital builds a rolling programme based on age, need and throughput so that we do the most important first. The capital charge is pretty much rubbish – if it goes up with a new build and then operating costs (which are basically staff) are reduced – it's like shooting yourself in the foot. We also need to acknowledge that fewer bigger higher tech hospitals is probaly the direction of travel. With another path for community based care.
Thanks Grey for that very nice comment (all of it) @5.
Will we continue to damage ourselves, one-another, ecosystems, etc. etc., or will Covid-19 provoke re-evaluations that are sufficiently widespread to mature into genuine resets? A few months ago I thought the pandemic would be a momentary blip before 'civilization' resumed its BAU course, but maybe some progressive societies can at least begin to consider alternative, sustainable futures.
Lawyer Liam Hehir is a writer, columnist and former National Party activist, but he's adopting principled adherence to a parliamentary tradition. Why? Abortion law reform, and
Seems to me Liam is on solid ground here. We don't want an Aotearoa with yet more braindead partisan polarising – we've got enough already.
Yeah nah.
The "broad church" National thing is recent, Labour was always referred to as being broad church, I reckon it's a Hooton thing. Reminds me of a covers band poster I saw years back, "we play all kinds of music, from ACDC to Led Zep!", about as broad as National.
Liam misses the point doesn't he? Overall the community has become more "pro choice" and the MP's are just reflecting this? More so on the left than on the right? I was actually surprised at how, compared to previous abortion debates, just how little smoke and fire the latest changes caused. Labour also signaled the changes in it's party platform.
As for Judith – she needs to make it very clear whether tightening the current law is part of the official party platform (if there is one) or not. And how likely it is to be included in the future. In which case reports from Harete need to make it abundantly clear that she will push for this to be included in the platform. And that should lose her the election. If national want to revert to a right wing fundy christian type party then I suspect it will be a small one. Judith may need to do some thing here to keep national as a broader church.
She is the Shadow Attorney-General. She does not even understand the law – or she does, but deliberately lies about it.
Collins should have sacked her immediately.
Get past the "polarising" cop-out. David Parker, Chris Finlayson, Michael Cullen – up to the job. Harete Hipango – not.
Collins responded to this criticism, ie, Hipango making some out there comments about late-term abortions and Hipango being a Catholic. The party leader said on conscious issues, MPs can speak and act as they see fit, not tow party line.
I guess that consideration is necessary, given that a majority of National MPs seem to be, at best, semi-conscious.
But this is NOT about casting a conscience vote. Of course she was completely free to do that.
It is about Hipango's subsequent post. Have people commenting here even read it? Please do, it's appalling:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12351500
A dishonest personal attack on the PM who had voted exactly the same way as Judith Collins. I repeat … this is the Shadow Attorney-general. Let that sink in.
The bad attitudes of the Catholic Church to females were shown up in the film about the imprisoned women forced to work in a sort of borstal as laundry workers in the film The Magdalene Sisters.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Magdalene_Sisters
I was more pointing out Collin's (lack of ) leadership chops.
I shudder at the views held by some who seek high office. Not a deep well of talent to choose from either.
Site was offline for an hour..
Automatic payment on the domain failed to go through somehow. I'd preloaded the credit weeks ago at the domain provider. Had to do it manually.
grr for the want of $33.12 inc GST..
Grinds teeth. It's all part of a conspiracy to stop us talking – Help look 'I'm being oppressed', (Monty Python).
Midday news, RNZ, reported National "will have a rolling maul of policies for the election campaign", according to Judith Collins.
This idea that the electorate are rugby fanatics guided by rugby thinking seems somewhat antique, but it does provide Labour with an opportunity for a classic response:
"They never have a clue where the ball is. Watch it passing along our backline attack, so we score under their goalposts as their maul continues to rumble forward."
As a rugby analogy, it is rather shit.
The rolling maul is against the most important facet of rugby union, a contest for possession. It is a dour spectacle that at it's heart features obstruction.
Perhaps the analogy is apt after all.
Rolling maul, Judith Collins? Eye gouging, ear biting.
So the wealthy having fucked the rest of the world both socially and environmentally are ramping up their lobbying to use their ill-gotten gains to access one of the few bastions of sanity left in a collapsing world…..no thanks.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018757880/business-commentator-rebecca-stevenson
Yeah, we don't need any more
bludgersrich people.I've said before that we should raffle 52 places to reside here for 2 years then they have to leave. BEO $1billion and only a limited amount of money can be spent in those 2 years so the kids have to go to state schools, no asset purchases no political or any other donations they have to live as a pretty average kiwi for re-education purposes and they have to spend so many hours as a community volunteer like a foodbank. Any violations you get tossed out.
With all their money, they are going to buy us up as their nature reserve! I think of the Scottish initiative I know of where people on an outlying peninsula of the Highlands got together, raised enough money to buy out the land they lived on and it is held in a Trust and with a Foundation, providing the legal basis. It isn't on the roading system of Scotland, you have to get to it by boat. They run it as a farming, silvicultural, nature reserve and it is flourishing, not declining as was previously when owned by some celebrity. Tourism like this is sustainable.
http://knoydart.org/ This is the Home Page of the Knoydart Foundation:
Our aim is to manage the Knoydart Estate as an area of employment and settlement without detriment to its natural beauty and character. To seek and encourage the preservation of its landscape, wildlife, natural resources, culture and rural heritage.
Our current top priorites are to replace our hydro scheme and the renovation of three properties to provide affordable homes for local families. You can help by donating below.
Achievable, modest aims that enable progress.
https://www.visitknoydart.co.uk/activities
https://www.wilderways.scot/knoydart-west-highlands.html
https://www.johnmuirtrust.org/trust-land/knoydart
If you read the Wikipedia history it can be seen how the land and with it the people, became like Monopoly properties which situation eventually the people tried to rise against, unsuccessfully. NZ should not entertain the further disrobing of what was once a proud little nation, now with many ragged and others dressed in finery; to go poetic about it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knoydart
Same as the old bosses.
/
https://twitter.com/karolcummins/status/1290383889253273601
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1290383889253273601.html
https://twitter.com/karolcummins/status/1232770482430042112
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1232770482430042112.html
https://twitter.com/karolcummins/status/1290406201990107136
Outside of Florida it won't be significant, for Latinos or anyone else. But it could shift a percent or two of Florida voters, enough to tip it. As long as Biden doesn't neuter this by choosing Bass as his veep. And Florida is 29 Electoral college votes, more than Michigan (16) and Wisconsin (10) combined.
A law unto themselves?
What is the purpose of the IPCA if their findings are simply ignored?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12353535
That's a pretty serious thing to ignore. Right up there with policing Palmy with guns as if part of the city was a warzone. Where are they getting these cops from – they seem to think they are in charge of the rules and can do what they like.
edit
'They' are lowlife, and I am here to deal with them. That could be the thought of that officer. You wouldn't accept such behaviour from a bouncer.
Before he was handcuffed and arrested, an officer was captured on CCTV firmly placing a foot on his head, kicking him several times and also punching his head.
Being fair to the officer, one kick may have been overlooked, but this guy was out of control. And just as bad as the guy he was arresting actually.
In the USA in some parts, they call police 'the nation's finest' or similar. But when they start internalising that, they slide down towards lowest fast. It sounds as if the NZ police are taking that superior attitude, and then watching on tv or on-line how the USA police actually behave.
Or perhaps they go on manouvres with them, like the defence forces do with regular visits from the USA to gee us up, with interesting scenarios like an uprising against an elected leader, and what army, and probably police, would do to rout out these terrorists. You have to show them who is boss, that's all, these civilian troublemakers.
And that is probably how some of them are thinking right now. Compare that hard-line approach which was taken to this man when he was lying on the ground. And then how softly the justice system treats men who are vicious and stalk and kill previous partners, and perhaps choose to mistreat or kill their children. It seems that entitlement to violence is a strong current that lives in our society. Is it predominantly male? How can this tendency to be disrespectful of others be turned around.
Question please, do valedictorian speeches cut into parliamentary time, thereby limiting the time allowed for bills to be passed before the house closes?
iFascinating and terrifying doco on Imelda Marcos & her children, specifically her son Bong Bong, how they are slowly building up power again, slow & steady, legally, but using all their ill gotten funds, buying votes, arresting opponents.
It’s called the Kingmaker.
Henry Cooke doing a good job of just doing his job. I bet he'd like to skewer Collins but credit to him he plays this with a straight bat, until the last sentence:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300073608/election-2020-judith-collins-slams-jacinda-ardern-for-lack-of-election-policy
And hopefully someone will point out that National is so rich with policy they decided to take it all down off their website.
Hopefully someone will also point out her attitude toward retirement. She described it as "a rainy day" when announcing her insane and widely condemned raiding of Kiwisaver for business start ups.
Retirement is not a rainy day, it's supposed to be be a great day.
Nice deflection, still does not address the lack of policy from labour – how can we measure (potentially) the next govt. ?
Campaigning starts next week. Not sure why this is so difficult to understand.
We can see what they do in the next three years.
They're done.
https://twitter.com/axios/status/1290497186489348096
Bernie , The next three months are critical for America.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6oDBjlaEnY
Ardern in her seat for Lees-Galloway's valedictory speech. Classy. In character.
Collins was not there last week for several National MPs' speeches. Also in character.
(but, you know … "same same! both sides!")
She knows that what he did was no different to what screeds of male MPs on both sides did before him. She also knows he let himself and his family down and that he knows it and is deeply remorseful. She made sure she was there as a gesture to him of support and respect.
"Classy" is her middle name.
-JuCo
Lol.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300073402/judith-collins-cant-count-to-ten-in-te-reo-and-wont-commit-to-learning-the-language