Solar is much less intrusive in the landscape-offshore windfarms are much better than onshore windfarms in this regard.
There is much local opposition to onshore windfarms due to their significant visual effects in the leafy shires in the UK.
"The results of this study indicate that the anticipated visibility of development,
coupled with a concern that development will spoil the landscape, heavily influence the levels of endorsement received for particular sites.
In essence, it would appear that the respondents were relatively sensitive to the potential impact that onshore development might have on communities and the landscape and thus favoured development in the offshore environment…"
The price of solar is dropping rapidly and now is almost comparable to onshore wind.
“In the U.S., onshore wind turbines provide some of the cheapest electricity, at $26 to $50 per megawatt-hour, according to Lazard. Solar costs have more variability but typically are $30 to $41 per megawatt-hour.”
I got used to them in Palmy, as turbines proliferated from the southern end of the Ruahines, 'jumped' the Manawatu gorge (closed to motorised traffic for years) and spread (in all their forms) along the Tararuas – they've become reassuring to me.
Turitea will when complete be the largest wind farm in New Zealand.
Mercury is the big investor.
Note it took 8 years to get the consent, 6 further years to make the new business case reconcile with the massive consent conditions, and was only last year they got the first half of the turbines feeding power to grid.
Full completion of southern set of turbines is about June-July next year.
Sure better than relying on feeding Auckland-Waikato with Indonesian brown coal which is what we are doing massively now.
Yep. We have a lot of high winds around NZ in exposed places, especially during the winter months. It makes sense to build some sort of device to capture that wind and turn it into something useful, like heat and light.
Since the middle ages, wind had been used to make flour and pump water from bores, this is simply a step up.
Yea..I get some of that. And I understand Solar is way better. (still has some footprint..and ramifications) And of course Hydro, Tidal , even REDUCING Power use !! Are all better. But for real..we need to do something. And complaining about a small wind farm is not really that….
I see it for what it is. a renewable ongoing Power source
Psyc-With respect your argument fails miserably. A small windfarm has significant adverse visual effects on a wide area of landscape. And where one windfarm is permitted under NZ planning rules, many others can follow.
I have seen awful windfarm landscape effects in both Scotland and Spain.
NZ should adopt the UK approach which has planning rules that strongly discourage onshore windfarms.
I support offshore windfarms but only solar should be permitted onshore.
Don't worry the big new wind farms will be out to sea mostly beyond where you can see them. First one launched yesterday, but there are 6 super-majors in planning.
It might depend on where they are and how people choose to look at things. Have you seen the Haunui turbines on the crest of Wakapuni hill on the road from Martinborough to Tora? They went in years ago and have the effect of a gigantic, graceful, kinetic art installation in that vast hill country landscape. They also generate power!
wind farms are low ground cover and the land under is used. the large scale solar I have seen take enourmous amounts of ground that cant be used for anything else. solar on roofs yes, as ground robber, no. the answer to enrgy generation is the same answer to most of lifes questions..moderation and variability. its going to be for us( lets not get bogged down over argueing about the rest of the planet), a combination of all of our current renewerables , plus tidal power. obviously gas and coal will be used for a while, but if we need to burn anything to make energy, I vote we burn septics ,sceptics? whatever. bile and rage are highly combustible, add a touch of entitlement, light a match and woosh, instant electricity.
Agrivoltaics is a field of study that’s blooming with knowledge: how to combine the harvesting of agriculture with solar energy in a way that augments the performance of both.
Exciting researchers, farmers, and solar businesses, alike, is the fact that when planting crops under solar panel arrays, the plants grow better and need less watering, while the panels produce more electricity.
I have seen pictures of solar power stations where grazing takes place around and under the panels.
The visual effects of solar panels are far from negligible but compared with the massive industrial towers that onshore windfarms require, easily seen from 30km away and easily seen from and adversely effecting vast tracts of landscape, solar's visual effects are minor.
Offshore wind towers are much less of an issue in this regard as the UK has demonstrated. Amazingly 7 of the top 8 offshore wind farms in the world are in the UK as are the 3 biggest still under construction-see the list in the link. These ten UK windfarms have 1200 towers between them, and I don’t have a problem with them.
I wonder who drew the lines demarcating "renewable energy zones" within which the landscape can be randomly wrecked by huge industrial towers and where it can't be.
Gosman your claim that Maori agriculture was in decline by the 1850s is pure white supremacist lies.Maori farmers were supplying most of the food to the migrants as well as the Australian gold fields as well as Calfornia,Maori owned most of the coastal shipping during this time.Most Eurupean settlers in the early days came from urban enviroments and didn't know how to farm plus most of land they had settled on wasn't fertile.The decline of Maori agriculture happened a decade later than your spurious claim and that occurred because of confiscation of land by colonial settlers.which you willfully ignore to paint Maori in the worst possible light even though they were excellent at adopting modern technology as well as being good business people.
In response to this erroneous statement from Tricledown in another post here are some actual facts.
"By the 1850s the Maori economy was unstable due to the high levels of debt accumulated by various hapu and rangatira. Large-scale investments in schooners and flourmills, as well as their lavish spending in some cases on hakari, caused many Maori to be frequently in debt in the 1850s (Monin, 1995). Maori in the 1800s viewed schooners and flourmills as visible symbols of mana and invested in building them even when there was little economic rationale for doing so. The accumulation of mana and the honouring of obligations created under tohatoha resulted in rangatira hosting ever more sumptuous hakari. Europeans were happy to extend rangatira credit to enable this spending, using tribal land as security with a view to eventually securing the land when the debt could not be repaid.
In 1856 there was a slump in the Victorian market while at the same time European settlements in New Zealand began to become self-sufficient in food production. Wheat prices collapsed from ten to twelve shillings a bushel to three shillings (Miller, 1940). At this price it became uneconomical for Maori to harvest their wheat crops as the price fetched would not remunerate them for their labour. European farmers engaged in cropping responded to the fall in agricultural prices by switching to pastoralism, which required larger areas of land and capital investment in stock, fencing and buildings (Sorrenson, 1995)"
As you can see from that Maori over extended themselves for non commercial reasons and were not able to switch to other commercial activities as Europeans were able to do so.
No. I mean a people who had been engaged in international trade and had an awareness of the nature of that trading system for around five decades had a societal structure built around small competing collectives which meant they over capitalised for status as much as economic reasons and ended up have surplus capacity which then meant they were unable to easily switch to more productive use of resources when the original business model they were following inevitably collapse as a result.
The Gosmanite hypothesis goes like this: a state of perfect competition existed at the time – no ulterior motives such as wishing to dispossess Maori of land were in play. Maori were simply out-competed due to their internal cultural contradictions. In essence they weren't individualistic enough to be successful over the long run.
Even if this was true – and it seems contestable – so what? Would it make the ensuing penury Maori experienced somehow deserved? Does it mean that there is nothing to fix in the present? Should Maori be forever grateful at being rescued from their collectivist darkness and welcomed into the bright, sunlit uplands of market capitalism – where, despite their valiant and failed 19th Century attempt, we are magnanimously offering them the freedom to try again?
Who knows. It's an old, dead, rancid line of thinking best ignored..
Might just add that Trickledown was mistaken on this aspect as well:
Most European settlers in the early days came from urban enviroments and didn't know how to farm
In fact, the overwhelming majority of migrants in the 1840s & 50s came from rural & village backgrounds in the most southern third of England … disproportionately agricultural labourers & traditional rural craft workers … hence, skilled rural folk whose wages & crafts were under threat in ‘the Old Country’.
Very few urban industrial workers or, for that matter, white collar workers.
Well Gosman, you have described the "Fire Sale Economy" right there!! and this is how finance and strategy denudes people of their assets in bad times.
Except this Government is striving to keep people employed…. to break the cycle. for Maori European and all!!
At 8 to10% interest rates just how keen will any institution be to lend on negative equity housing held by borrowers with reduced ability to pay the inflated interest repayments?
I helped my Mum pay her 18% mortgage on her unit she moved to after my Father's sudden death. We worked together through that and the surcharge put on pensions by National. She took a boarder for part of a year.
You do what you have to do, and secure parents/children will help family members hang on, and Banks do not want surplus mortgagee sales, as they devalue the portfolio of properties held against loans. There have been much tougher times than these, and many of us recognise the familiar rhetoric.
Since this free forum runs on a few volunteers given their personal time freely, it sometimes means that certain much less important things don’t get done in a prompt manner or at all. I’d hope that people would understand this rather than starting to complain too loudly with self-entitled demands for prompt service.
As you can see from that Maori over extended themselves for non commercial reasons and were not able to switch to other commercial activities as Europeans were able to do so
And, only half joking, we've held it against them ever since.
Any view of Maori agriculture nowadays usually holds up these so-called disadvantages
the work is on communally held land
the work programmes etc have to take account of this
the returns have to be shared or agreement sought to put profits back into the property, when you are having trouble putting food on the table, in those days a bit extra such as the shareholder payments could make a difference
the owners have to find solicitors and accountants who have a knowledge and sympathy with these landowning/use arrangement……perhaps easier now that there are Maori trained lawyers and accountants.
I have long felt that it was ironic that sometimes for Maori the best least troublesome answer was to let the land lie. Fast forward to today and there is a keenness to develop their land. But while the land has been allowed to sleep it has grown native trees, or perhaps the native trees were there all along.
'We can't let these Murrays cut down these trees/develop this land' . They are the last of the remnant XYZ forest, wetland, swampland, refuge of bowtied, blue eyed swampworm.
And even if you want to put small scale Kaumatua housing there what about the fullscale sewage system, roads etc that we require.
Considering Maori burnt down most of the Native forest cover of NZ pre 1840 perhaps it is karma that much of the land under their control has reverted to forests.
“The New Zealand bush did not provide as much food as forests in tropical Polynesia. Significant bush clearance went on in the North and South islands, usually by burning. This was to clear land for horticulture and also to promote the growth of aruhe (fern root)”
Gosman How you word your first comment Most of the native forest implies Maori burn't down most of our Native forests.When you read more of Te Ara's website Maori burnt only 40% of Native forest meaning 60% was left unburnt .But left tree stumps which prevented erosion.You are trying to paint Maori in the worst possible way at every opportunity.Most means more than is unburnt which means your lying again.
No, it was closer to 50 % than 40% of the pre settlement cover. The Canterbury plains weren't grasslands of any significance before the Maori burnt down the forest cover to drive out animals that they were hunting for food like Moa. There wasn't much stumps left to stop erosion there.
NZ's forest cover stands at around 37 % now. This means Since mass European settlement began in 1840 the total land cover of forests fell from around 50% to 37 % which is about a 15 % loss of forest cover across the entire country compared to total land mass. Even if we round up to 20% that is still less proportionately of the REMAINING forest that European settlers cut and burnt than Maori were responsible for destroying.
Gosman reading your link TE Ara, Maori cleared 6.7 million hectares ,settlers 8 million hectares ,7 million left in native forest. Thats not 50% of total land area your WRONG again.Your prejudice prevents you from telling the truth.
How do you figure settlers cleared more than Maori when the land area covered by forests went from over 85% before the Maori arrived to only just over 50% in 1850. That is Even if we take 30 % of the land mass cleared by Maori that is more than that is more than that cleared by Europeans which is between 25 and 28% of the total land mass if we don’t include planting of exotics.
There's some more detail on these pages. Just for info – not 'having a go' at any group – Polynesian peoples started the 'job'; Europeans 'progressed' it.
We have started to reforest areas of NZ. Forest cover (including exotics) is up to 37 % of the total land mass.
According to the graph in that link, “forest area (% of land area)” didn’t change from 2009 – 2016 (~37.4%) and then rose to 37.57% in 2020.
I would like to investigate the basis for the apparent increase from 24.8% “forest cover” (in 2005) to 37.4% “forest area” four years later (2009), given the tiny (<0.2%) increase since then, but alas don't have the time.
So about 12% (37% total – 25% native) of total land area is in exotics?
We have started to reforest areas of NZ.
What surprised me was how stable the total "forest area" has been in recent years – it increased by <0.2% from 2009 to 2020, and all that (tiny) increase occurred after 2016. The link you provided shows that "forest area" (native and exotic) covered ~35.6% of total land area in 1990, so over the last 30+ years forestation has increased by ~2.2% of total land area. Most of that 2.2% increase occurred from 1990-2000.
Today, New Zealand has a total of 10.1 million hectares of forests, covering 38% [37.8%] of the land.
Of this:
8 million hectares are native forest
2.1 million hectares are plantation forest. Of this, 1.7 million hectares is productive and the remainder is in reserves and unplanted areas near bodies of water, and infrastructure.
These 2 classes of forest have different biology, management, and values to New Zealanders.
So, ~30% native and 7.8% plantation forest today – mass planting of exotic species started in the 1920s.
In Māori mythology, the creator of the first human also created the forests, connecting the two forever. The story goes that the kaitiaki (guardian) Tāne Mahuta created the forests by separating his parents, Papatūānuku (the earth mother) and Ranginui (the sky father), letting light into the world.
Forests have long been revered by Māori for their beauty and spiritual value, and for providing the food, medicines, weaving, and building materials necessary for survival.
New Zealand’s native forests are unique and support a huge range of plants and animals, many species of which are found only here.
Before people reached New Zealand, more than 80% of the land was covered in lush, dense native forest and shrublands. As more people arrived, they cleared large tracts of land for settlements and to grow food, using the native timber to build towns and fence farms.
Native forests were cleared so rapidly that by 1913, some native species were threatened with extinction. To reduce the pressure on native forests, exports of native timber were restricted, and in 1925, incentives were introduced to create plantations of exotic species. Radiata pine was the preferred tree crop, having been shown to grow faster in New Zealand than anywhere else in the world.
Mass plantings of exotic species in the 1920s, 30s and 60s created a robust forestry industry that supplied all New Zealand's domestic timber needs and secured the future of the remaining native forest.
Gosman back to your colonial supremacist lies Maori burnt some native forest in the south island not most of the native forest in NZ. Its like" their control "under their is a dehumanizing denigration , being very careful not imply Maori owned the the land.Your lying about that land has reverted to forest trying to blame Maori again for an introduced invasive species.You would change your narrow minded attitude if you spent just one day on a Marae.You are a dinosaur bully! maybe if you walked in the shoes of Maori you wouldn't have such antiquated ideas.Maori businesses are expanding at a more rapid rate than all other businesses in NZ today.That has happened even though most of the land Maori owned was stolen or defrauded by insider trading the fraudulent NZ company etc.Maori were not allowed the freedoms to educate in their own language and culture creating inter generational poverty where the media and white european NZers used every dirty trick to denigrate Maori and grind Maori into oblivian.The newspaper Stuff apologised 18 months ago for its continual racial denegration in its newpaper.Assimlation ie cultural genocide hasn't worked Maori have shown even though they have constantly had the rug pulled from under them the likes of Ngai Tahu have shown that they can run businesses better than many Europeans.Without Maori NZ would be a boring little out post of England.The first cruise ships returned recently many greeted by Maori Haka and songs the tourists couldn't get enough .Like wise without Maori in sport NZ's prowess in much of our elite sport NZ wouldn't have the Allblacks one of our two greatest golfers netball team kayaking gold medals.Our laid back friendly world beating attitude.Our Army general Mataparai.I would like you to meet some Maori business people such as a relative of mine the CEO and major sharehoder of Ryder and co an international company based in Melbourne he is worth nearly A$ 1billion you couldn't meet a more humble guy.unlike yourself.
I provided a link to you. By 1840 the vast majority of the forest cover of NZ that existed before human settlement had been removed. This is not a controversial topic but known scientific reality.
Your own link proves you wrong maybe you should read a bit deeper and type in how much forest Maori cleared it comes up at 40% of Native forest leaving 60% unburnt.Your racially abusing Maori by making false and incomplete statements.
It was close to 50% of the 85% of the land mass of NZ that was covered by forests before the Maori arrived. Do you know how many Maori lived in the entire South Island in 1840 after they had denuded the landscape of this forest cover?
Any thoughts about how this blows out your argument? What is/was the point of your argument BTW. Just a Friday session of Maori bashing to make it all good for the weekend or was there some deeper purpose that you are going to explain to us?
Sounds like very antiquated thinking that people pay over and over and over for things that were common in those days (NB on some pastoral leases in the South Island firing areas is still common practice/permitted)
Slavery Abolition Act, (1833), in British history, act of Parliament that abolished slavery in most British colonies, freeing more than 800,000 enslaved Africans in the Caribbean and South Africa as well as a small number in Canada. It received Royal Assent on August 28, 1833, and took effect on August 1, 1834.
As they say
'The past is a different country – they did things differently there'
Why are you singling this out? Is there some reasonable explanation? Do you not know very much about farming practices generally and the life of pre-European Maori?
Ministry of Health follows the advocacy produced WPATH guidelines for provision of services.
Eliza Mondegreen attended the WPATH conference that introduced the newly released Standards of Care 8. Short video (3min) of an exchange with Benjamin Boyce.
This is just one of the presentations that should start questions being asked about using this advice as the primary basis for patient-centred care:
The crazy movement in the 1990s in some psychotherapy circles, which took hold leading many therapists to believe that MPD was a common condition (many MPD clinics opened across the States to deal with the demand and have since folded) mets the latest in therapeutic craze, Affirmation Therapy for gender dysphoria.
Wpath is totally ideological driven and our Ministry of Health take their lead as does Wpath's equivalent here in NZ, PATHA.
My post, which follows on from this about the trainee psychotherapist and CRT theory,is another angle on how Western institutions (in this case health) have been infiltrated by people with a political ideology. There is no role for these ideologicals in health or therapy. Treatments should be evidenced based (the evidence coming from people who dont have a political agenda)
What used to be an obvious cultural understanding of reality, has been demolished by the triumph of romanticism and the elevation of the most malignant narcissists on Earth into sacred beings, rather than the shabby social climbers they are.
NHS nurse who was training to be a psychotherapist at the Tavistock Clinic is now suing the clinic. She was in her final year and received on-line training (during Covid) that included CRT, stating all white people are racist (amongst other claims). She politely said she disagreed with there views and from there it unfolded, leading to the Tavistock threatening her that she would not be able to work as a psychotherapist and she had to agree with this ideology. On another clip I have watched of this very articulate nurse being interviewed she says she was told she must raise BLM with people of colour clients. As she articulates well, psychotherapy is not a collective endeavour, but a personal one based on the clients issues and needs.
I am posting this because there was some talk of ideology on OM a few days back. This is what some of us are talking about when we express concerns about CRT infiltrating the public service, media and academia. Chris Trotter posted a very good article about a piece NZ Health has put out that is "anti racist" (will try and link). https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2022/10/eliminating-racism-virus.html
I also made a comment the other day that I don't believe there is much racism at all in the health service. (having worked there many, many moons ago, I can assure you no one in our unit was racist) Health Professionals go into the field because they want to help others (like teachers who become teachers because they have an affirnity for kids). The only patients health professionals might favour a little are they ones who are polite and co operative, because it makes life a little easier (these patients come in all races and can be either male or female).
There are health enquities that undoubtedly need to be addressed, but CRT is not the way forward. It is insulting to health professionals and will likely be another nail in the coffin for many. A piss poor recruitment strategy NZ Health
I am really concerned that CRT is being raised as some sort of bogeyman/that were are doing this here.
We have had programmes here in NZ to ensure that all our citizens have an ability to take advantage of life in our country so they can be everything they want to be. We have taught our citizens about the Land Wars, the Treaty and the impacts for many many years. So stop trying to say this is an example of the CRT derided by the US Republicans (that should tell you how much we should be upset about this, ie not at all.)
CRT is a US construct where equity and equality are still very much 'new' and scary things.
I cannot see the harm in teaching how discrimination begins and the drivers that enable it to continue. Also teaching how NZ has tried to overcome this.
I was part of the grouping of 4 RHAs in the 1990s and the strides in Maori health when services were delivered in a safe for Maori way was amazing. It tapped into networks that had existed for years, said these will improve access for Maori let's run with them.
What happened to the good thought that each according to their needs. If we pay attention to the worst off in our society our whole society benfits.
The fact that CRT is decried by Fox news, US Republicans surely would give many people pause to think
'hey what is this all about/ is this based in fact?
is this what is going on in NZ?' NO
Are to the last one I can say this is not what is going on in NZ. We have had these programmes for years possibly a century.
Your protestations about the health service and how it is not racist were heard 40 years ago, close examination showed that some practices were both racist and sexist. (Anyone for a repeat of the the Cervical Cancer /unethical research)
I'm not advocating it. Far from it. I think we have our own solutions to our own problems. Just because there is a renewed focus on racism (which does exist) etc in health it does not mean we are adopting the CRT stuff. Racism in health is certainly less pervasive in a one on one basis, but we cannot afford to let our guard down and think we have won the battle against racism/sexism because everything looks OK.
The fact that many many people misunderstand the Treaty system, ascribe unfair motives to Maori land use is evidence that there is much work still to be done. Similarly when Maori are at the bottom of many of the health figures does this mean our work is done?
I don't think many understand that the familiarity some have with CRT theory, allows them to recognise the familiar justifications and perspectives that are coming through in public discourse in NZ.
Because it is labelled under Te Tiriti, or other specific NZ terms, they believe it is unique. Some aspects are, but much of the reasonings, justifications, solutions and priorities are duplicates of what Critical Race Theory is advocating for in the US.
But racism is not a sickness, it is a political belief. As such, it stands to be argued against and condemned. But, attempting to eliminate “all forms of racism” under the guise of a government health programme is sinister in the extreme.
This is rubbish. If we substitute sexism, discrimination on the grounds of disability, misogyny for racism…
But racism sexism is not a sickness, it is a political belief. As such, it stands to be argued against and condemned. But, attempting to eliminate “all forms of racism” under the guise of a government health programme is sinister in the extreme.
Trotter has clearly forgotten how every single Govt dept had./probabaly still has similar words…..it was not to treat it as a sickness in health terms but as a concerning symptom of a belief in the inequality of people, a belief that unalterable aspects of the human condition (race, sex, ability/disability) makes it equitable to treat people differently for the worse..
It is not a political belief. That is banal.
The human rights arguments and its history 1948 after WW2 via the UN declarations transcend political beliefs.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
These below are included. These are uncontroversial and have been in health documents from the mid 1990s (as well as in the Public Service) .
addresses the persistent inequalities experienced by Māori
ensures greater access, experience and outcomes for those traditionally not well served by the system – Māori, Pacific and Disabled People
The Foundations: completely uncontroversial. The RHAs were working on population based health/funding back in the 1990s. Thankfully it has been resurrected.
Health equity matters for everyone
Embedding a Tiriti-dynamic health system
Implementing a population health approach
Ensuring a sustainable health service delivery system
Embedding a Tiriti-dynamic health system: This is uncontroversial
To meet our obligations as Crown agents, we are building a health system that embeds Te Tiriti o Waitangi as its foundation. This means placing Te Tiriti at the forefront of thinking and providing opportunities to enact Te Tiriti principles and articles to improve health outcomes for Māori.
Implementing a population health approach: this is new and may be controversial though it is sensible
A population health approach, shifts our system to prevent illness and improve the health and wellbeing of local communities. We recognise that people’s health can be achieved by collaboration with communities working together to plan, design and deliver health services
I have looked at these high level documents and cannot see anything that could cause criticism. Many of the tenets have been included in the PS for many years and in health documents since the 1990s.
Embedding the Treaty is similarly uncontroversial.
Possibly the Don Brash type Iwi/kiwi mischief makers have been at work in trying to say that Treaty issues and focusing on health for those at the bottom is CRT? I don't know.
But much of the good words, aspirations, programmes have been in health documents before, just as they have been in Education documents as well.
I would really like to see where the words CRT have been used. Or have the standard ToW words and aspirations been misinterpreted? It would not surprise me if this were the case. In recent times on TS we have seen Three Waters co-governance and Treaty claims misunderstood.
Cathode Ray Tube was the only NZ usage over many decades. 🙂
Uncritical import of northern hemisphere ideas (and funds) by right wing extremists has become too common. VFF, the Taxdodgers Onion and other astroturfers are a conduit for ignorant hatred that ignores long NZ traditions of thought and politics. And for what?
Yes sounds like that…all running scared because a Govt agency document mentions the Treaty, shock horror.
Calling it Critical Race Theory so they can get all angry, and confused.
Forgetting that the Treaty is /has been mentioned in PS documents for nigh on 20 years. Treaty Settlements have been around as follows
The Waitangi Tribunal was set up in 1975 to hear claims about Crown breaches of the treaty. From 1985 the tribunal could hear claims relating to breaches dating back to 1840, and it issued reports on these claims.
…
The first treaty claim settlement, concerning the Waitomo Caves, was signed in 1989.
In 1992 the Sealord agreement settled claims over commercial fisheries – it was worth $170 million. Another large settlement involving a number of tribes was the ‘Treelords’ deal in 2008, which included almost $200 million of forest land."
If I was a betting person I would bet that what is said to be CRT by some is the commonly stated Treaty adherence statements in PS documents. Because this is a health agency it would be a huge mark against it if there were to be a claim under the Treaty against it.
Having been around these types of documents all my working life it is one of the better ones I have seen. Good definitions, good examples. A taste of how racism is going to be overcome.
This part is particularly strong and interlinks the persistent 'isms' that affect people/their health
'All forms of racism are harmful, and the effects of racism are distinct and not felt equally. Racism is further compounded by additional markers of social difference, including indigeneity, disability, gender, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, etc.
As this contains nothing that would fall into concerns about about CRT I have clearly not found the concerning document. Being Treaty focused is surely not controversial today,,,,,,,?
My big hope is that this organisation is allowed/able to continue its work so we can all see the difference it will make. Most reforms of promise, including some of those that the RHAs had during 1992/96 just get swept away as they form a ball being tossed around in the political process.
If you read the whole document it is not just racism but many other factors that are best addressed so that NZ's health system can be as efficient and effective and serve the needs of all our people.
I have just highlighted the parts dealing with racism as that was the topic being discussed – as if these approaches in the health sector were something new to be concerned about.
They are not new. Similar policies and clauses have been in health documentation since 1992/96 at least.
The Treaty of Waitangi Act and Human Rights Act etc all bind the Crown. The Crown is honour bound to formulate policies/procedures to help combat racism, sexism and many other isms. The agencies/govt depts etc are 'crown' agencies.
What exactly is the problem and why is it a problem now when we have had Treaty settlements since 1989 at least and clauses to recognise the ToW act and HR Act since the 1990s as well.
I cannot help but see the fingers of overseas influencers, must as was apparent in the Covid times with concerns that are not ours and solutions that are not ours either.
Maori and the Crown are partners in the Treaty. This means they are equal. In recognition of this the Crown has been trying to ensure that Maori have the ability to particiapte as Trwaty partners.
When you say co-governance should be consulted on, bearing in mind this is just fulfilling aspects of the Treaty signed in 1840, does this mean that you want to see the whole basis of settlement in NZ renegotiated?
What is it that you, in the widest sense, are afraid of?
"What is it that you, in the widest sense, are afraid of?"
That there appears to be a resistance to recognising that balance is necessary in redressing acknowledged failures, and that resistance leads to well intended but badly designed policies and initiatives that result in a divided country.
(There is also a degree of pompous paternalism associated with this discussion that I personally find off putting.)
(There is also a degree of pompous paternalism associated with this discussion that I personally find off putting.)
Good grief. How sad. I find ignorance off putting but I still want to counter it as many may not know the real oil.
The ignorance on here about ToW, Maori issues and human rights is to me truly distressing and extremely sad. Since when did it become a legitimate tactic to see something wrong in human rights for all, championing the underdog and making sure those with the bad indicators at the bottom get the attention they deserve?
"I find ignorance off putting but I still want to counter it as many may not know the real oil."
I suspect – but do not know – that what you find off putting is opinions that vary from your own.
I read a lot of what you post, and recognise it for the word count and language that many are capable of when entrenched in a certain culture. (I can do the same, but on this platform choose to try and clarify when expressing my opinion. You seem to indulge in it more from habit than necessity).
The identification of racism as a primary reason for the negative outcomes for Māori IS a problem. All the pontificating in the world doesn't address that problem. It adds to it.
You may be extremely saddened by the "ignorance".
But let's address that: you assume ignorance, because for you, to know about NZ history means to hold the same perspective as you. (God forbid, someone who is informed comes away with their own take).
In fact, the more you post, the more convinced I am that this approach is the wrong one.
But then what do I know?
(I'm the wrong type of Māori apparently, coming from a sad place of ignorance and lacking even the most basic knowledge of Te Tiriti and NZ history, whose life in this country and family relationships are all blighted by colonialism if only I knew it.)
It’s inconceivable to you, that I disagree with your perspective on all things right and good, for actual reasons. Any such reasons should be ignored, as they must represent self-loathing brought about by the Crown's actions of the past.
Would you like me to thank you, for representing me without reference to my input, and expressing the such concern for myself and my Māori relatives, even while I (and many of them) question the policies? I find I cannot.
I think your blindness to the damage that can be done by your good intentions is going to be more harmful to Māori in the long run. And that is also harmful to all NZers.
Let's both hope, that if this approach continues, you will be proven right, and my fears about the unintended outcomes will be wrong. I still disagree with many policies or programmes that limits access to those with Māori ancestry only. It remains a reverse form of the lack of access that Māori had in the past, but is now undertaken deliberately and with smug and unevidenced justifications.
I too had a read of NZ Health document on racism and I would draw your attention to this quote towards the end.
"although conceptually coherent, establishing the empirical evidence base of racism and each of these impacts has proven to be challenging. Issues of racism exposure measurement and moderating/mediating factors mean that findings are mixed with regards to the relationships between racism and physical health outcomes (Paradies et al 2015). However evidence of race based inequities alone provide a sufficient rationale for action and intervention"
So here I think it an excellent example of not following the evidence, but following ideology ( I note D'Angelo of CRT is quoted in the document, although I would need to check the context)
So there is mixed evidence with regards to the relationship between racism and physical health outcomes. in our health system That isn't a great basis for putting Health care staff who are at crisis point under more stress by sending them off to (likely CRT) anti racism training. As I have said elsewhere it is likely to add another nail in the coffin to struggling health care workers working in what some healthcare staff have described as dangerous conditions. Again I note that these healthcare workers have to put up with verbal and at times physcial abuse while trying to carry out their role. NZ health should be trying to do something about that.
FFS. Please god put this stuff aside and prioritise sorting out the health workforce NZ is facing. This is bloody serious.
As I have said my experience of working in the health system. talking to others who still work in the health system, attending various appointment with my husband who is Maori, racism is way down the list of what Minister Little needs to be addressing. My husband gets excellent treatment.
In recent times on TS we have seen Three Waters co-governance and Treaty claims misunderstood.
Some of that is ignorance and genuine confusion, but some of that is a deliberate tactic to re-write and re-interpret NZ history affairs and ‘simplify’ it for the NZ public and usually labelled ‘common sense’.
This counter propaganda wave has become much stronger over the last few years and most certainly is not restricted to local influence only. Of course, NZ has never been completely isolated from overseas ‘thought experiments’ and neither should it be. As a sovereign nation with many freedoms and a functioning democracy we should be using our own critical filters before we accept the ‘answers & solutions’ of others and force them upon ourselves as if one size fits all. The point is that some political players are not interested in answers & solutions that suit Aotearoa – New Zealand and are quite happy to borrow tools & weapons from overseas and anywhere to further their own agenda.
Co-governance is about a bridge or rather, a whole network of roads & bridges, to make this nation more cohesive, inclusive, and resilient, which is a pre-requisite for surviving future global disasters. Antagonising forces are doing anything they can to turn it into a wedge issue to drive people & groups further apart and set them up against each other. This is not new in Aotearoa – New Zealand despite the new slogans coming from overseas.
Co-governance is about a bridge or rather, a whole network of roads & bridges, to make this nation more cohesive, inclusive, and resilient, which is a pre-requisite for surviving future global disasters. Antagonising forces are doing anything they can to turn it into a wedge issue to drive people & groups further apart and set them up against each other. This is not new in Aotearoa – New Zealand despite the new slogans coming from overseas.
This Incognito is a piece of brilliant imagery, especially the the first sentence and is proof positive that story-telling as an explanatory mode has a place in explaining these issues when plain words do not seem to suffice.
The point is that some political players are not interested in answers & solutions that suit Aotearoa – New Zealand and are quite happy to borrow tools & weapons from overseas and anywhere to further their own agenda.
This is what I am seeing at the moment. We get the straw man argument from Fox news and the US Republicans about the US strategy to overcome racism in the US that is called CRT. Having brought the straw man into NZ they then rail against CRT as if some thing similar is/has been happening here, by stealth. The argument is amorphous, like fighting a cloud.
The reality is that our situation is different and we have over the years developed our own ways of dealing with it.
Apparently causing concern now is a fairly standard, therefore innocuous, clause about racism in the Heath Sector. As I have said I worked in an RHA during the 1990s and our own corporate documents had similar clauses and we 'audited' providers of health services against this type of policy they had in their corporate documents. We also audited against complaints procedures, made sure Ethics Committees functioned as they should, made sure standard careful contracts were drawn up etc.
None of this stuff is new. Overseas contacts and influencers and as Sacha says 'righties', and you cite ACT, appear to have seized on these topics to foment discord and divert attention away from the health agencies from being able to do their jobs.
The more time that is wasted by having to respond to this type of thing, diverts attention away from people who want to be able to do their jobs in the health sector. The resources to answer Ministerials, parliamentary questions and general hoo-ha stuff are also the resources who are setting up the best functioning processes for the new agencies. The resources are not infinite.
Yes I found it hugely concerning Gsays. And I thought the UK was better than that.
I hope she sues the pants off them and it brings this whole bullshit down. It is happening in NZ. Been looking through Health NZs proclamation on racism and its is worrying. Will post more tommorrow.
He has played down the racist taunts he encountered during the campaign. The "black c**t retort was only one of them and I'm ashamed to say a lot of it occurred during his visit to the North Shore electorate although thankfully not the part where I live.
Contrary to attempts to claim otherwise… NZ is a very racist country.
Anne, I'm not negating the presence of racism in our country, – however –
Auckland is often referred to as the largest Polynesian city in the Pacific. There were plenty of voters who could outnumber the racist voters from the North Shore you refer to. That also means that race could have played a factor in Efeso Collins gaining votes in reference to his whakapapa, as well as losing them.
There would also be a loss/gain factor in the endorsement from Labour (along with any other associations people choose to recognise).
People also do vote for policy, and perhaps that also accounted for votes.
To claim that racism doesn't exist would be foolish. To imply that is the sole or main reason for the election results is equally foolish, and wilfully divisive.
Actually I do agree with you about that Molly. ie blaming racism for Effeso's loss.
I tend to think he lost as it was a vote against Labour. Just like Paul Eagle got nowhere in Wellington and Tory W had a significant victory.
We are well represented by Maori in Parliament and across party (although with the loss of Bennett and Bridges, less so in National).
Call me old fashion (in a Martin Luther King way) but I vote for the candidate because of their policies and what I deem to be their character. Race simply doesn't come into it (neither does sex and I wouldn't vote for a women if I felt the male candidate was better)
I tend to think he lost as it was a vote against Labour. Just like Paul Eagle got nowhere in Wellington and Tory W had a significant victory.
I doubt you are correct. If you live in Wellington you will know that in some circles Paul was regarded as having lost his steam, his get up and go.
In his earlier times he was completely and competently 'over' most issues. He has a huge loyal following, me included, because the community I live in has been well represented by him on the Council and in Parliament. I voted for Tory Whanau.
We have had nice male mayors for several years and none have had the charisma to grab an issue.
Tory Whanau was like a breath of fresh air, I doubt the Green factor had much to do with it and neither did the so-called vote against Labour. Both overrated.
How she did appeal was for her enthusiasm, get up and go, difference to a male person and the feeling that we have nothing to lose and much to gain by electing her.
I for one appreciate that she has appointed another women as her deputy and that everyone is head down and bottom up doing and not spouting a la Trump as in Auckland.
Molly… I was responding to Efeso's own comments on the racist element he encountered.
That does not mean I think it is the only reason he lost. It is clear his own people in South Auckland did not bother to vote. It was out of apathy not policy matters. Indeed apathy was as prevalent a reason as racism for his loss.
He had very good positive policies for Auckland. Apathy ensured few people bothered to seek them out. On the other hand, the Brown guy had no policies that I could ascertain… just negativity and a promise to sack all the CEOs and get rid of certain local body entities. Thus far he's reneged on almost all of his promises. REALITY HAS SET IN.
IIRC it was Efeso's campaign research results that indicated an issue with racism.
My comment was in reply to your initial comment, which reiterates the racism theme.
To what purpose?
He lost by far more than the 20,000 estimated deficit.
So, for what good purpose is it to promulgate an unverifiable accusation that amongst those that voted for other candidates there are a cohort of voters who are so racist, their only reason for not voting for Efeso Collins is to indicate their racism?
Yes a shame about Effeso Collins. Seemed a really nice guy and did great things for his community during Covid.
I am all for reducing racism, but CRT imo makes it worse.
We were the team of 5 million not that long ago. Then something changed.
I stand by my comments about there being very little racism in the health service.
Remember in the immediate aftermath of the CHCH atrocity, Drs, nurses rushed to CHCH hospital working double, triple shifts to tend to the wounded. This is just one of many examples I have re the health service not being racist.
Then Marama Davidson at a memorial service in Auckland stood up and told us how racist NZders were (despite the perp being Australian), Our police quickly arrested the white supremicist in Chch and he was imprisoned for a while.
And there was a huge outpouring of grief and support for the muselim community (saw Cat Stevens interviewed recently who said when he came here after the attacks, he had never seen anything like the outpouring of geniune support).
Most NZders find racism repugnant. But when you change the definition of racism to being all white people are racists, then you will get back lash.
Anyway Anne, interested to hear what you think is a way forward for race relations in our country.
His team had raised about $2m before starting. He was massively outspent. It just takes time, and a dedicated fundraising team who know how to ask, how to bundle, and what level to ask for.
Labour had fulsomely backed him with major MP and PM event appearances. They didn't.
The right hadn't merged three opposing campaigns into one, five weeks out then one week out from close of polling. They did and it cost.
His campaign team had energised a larger ground game outside of the west and south which he knew he was going to get anyway.
He had a strong policy message other than "Free public transport"
He had got Ardern to lever Goff to unequivocally state Vote Efeso as his successor. OMG they were both Labour and Goff had the diplomatic post to motivate him to do the damn work.
He had bested Wayne in the live debates. Too often he didn't through poor pre-coaching.
He had worked harder with his media relationships in the year beforehand. Too many news channels preferred Wayne because his attack lines were simpler
He had a visible plan for the last 10 days. No evidence he had one.
Efeso had been leading in the polls for most of the race and it is an indictment on him and his campaign team that they could take a winning campaign and lose inside the last 2 weeks.
Efeso had been leading in the polls for most of the race and it is an indictment on him and his campaign team that they could take a winning campaign and lose inside the last 2 weeks.
He was leading because there were three candidates on the Right. First Molloy dropped out and then at the last minute Viv Beck, so what had been a three way split went across to Brown. Dirty politicking by Matthew Hooton re- Viv Beck.
" First Molloy dropped out and then at the last minute Viv Beck, so what had been a three way split went across to Brown. Dirty politicking by Matthew Hooton re- Viv Beck."
I was referring to the stories leaked to the media about Viv Beck. It seems she had a financial problem and info. related to it suddenly started swirling around in the media. That was a ploy straight out of the Dirty Politics playbook to force Viv Beck to step down. There may well have been a fiscal issue in her past, but using it to destroy someone for political gain is DP in my view.
Matthew Hooton is Wayne Brown's "political adviser" and he has a penchant for smearing opponents at every opportunity. He was mentioned in dispatches by Nicky Hager when he wrote his book "Dirty Politics". all those years ago.
She apparently owed quite a bit of money but hadn't paid it back. Something along those lines, but there may have been a valid reason for not yet having done so. Whatever, its nobody else's business but hers unless there was criminality involved and we would have heard if there was.
Viv Beck is a member of the National Party but I will defend anyone who is the victim of back-stabbing of that type regardless of their politics. I've been a victim in the past – although not played out in the public eye – so I know what it feels like.
Contrary to attempts to claim otherwise… NZ is a very racist country.
I agree except for the 'very'. We seem to be more easily beguiled by the likes of US dis/mis-information amplified by people like
Plunket
Counterspin, VFF, Destiny and the usual suspects at the Parliamentary protest.
Now we are seeing people who say that efforts to stamp out racism is racist? So to teach history through the lens of this happened, it was good and bad….let us look at both sides is now claimed to be CRT and CRT IS BAD apparently.
How long do we have to re fight these anti racist, anti sexist battles. To those who cannot see these are the same side of the same coin…….to denigrate those who are different, to other …….
I fought these as a person 50 years ago. Many of us did. Please view life through a NZ centric lens. The US and it theories has little to teach us except that racism and sexism still exist and they are still a problem in most walks of life. We still need to constantly examine our systems to make sure that systemic racism and sexism is not hiding out there.
The righties seem to have imported the 'CRT' buzzphrase from the US in the last few months, partly as VFF and fellow travellers try to pivot from vaccines to other 'concerns' they can fundraise on the backs of.
"Now we are seeing people who say that efforts to stamp out racism is racist? So to teach history through the lens of this happened, it was good and bad….let us look at both sides is now claimed to be CRT and CRT IS BAD apparently."
We are adopting a philosophy (and policies) that do seem to originate from Critical Race Theory from the States, so Anker is not off beat to refer to it as such, despite the desire of many NZers to think that we have addressed the issue entirely by ourselves. Our relationship with Te Tiriti and tangata whenua may be unique, but much of the dialogue is very similar to that from the States. Much of the public conversation is very similar along with the perspectives and justifications.
I think the intention of CRT is good. I also believe the use of CRT, and implementation of it is divisive and not fit for purpose. So, yes, if used without further regard for other aspects – it can be bad.
Collins lost because he was unable to get voters to turn out. Pure and simple. He was also a terrible public speaker who campaigned against gay marriage and was a weed prohibitionist up against a pro gay marriage pro weed candidate. Collins was totally unappealing to young people so they stayed home.
He was also left wing candidate in a city that had already had 12 consecutive years of center left mayors.
Racism exists in NZ absolutely, it exists everywhere, but and I come from a mixed race family, NZ is not a racist country.
If NZ is a "very racist country" then why are hundreds of cultures living harmoniously in cities and towns across NZ?
Honestly I only ever hear how horribly racist NZ is from people born here, people who have immigrated here are the most patriotic and passionately pro NZ people you'll ever meet because they truly appreciate and love this country.
And hypothetically, if NZ was a racist place , not a place where a majority of citizens believed in giving everyone a fair go and standing up for human rights abuses even when our progressive govt stays silent in exchange for milk product access, labour would be polling at sub 5% for it's reforms to health at water infrastructure.
Collins losing an election does not make NZ an intolerant nation. It does not say anything about NZ.
The left really ought to stop crapping over voters and calling the country irredeemable and focus on how to win voters over and better yet, how to get voters to turn out, that's the real issue here not some guy who has been on the wrong side of history multiple times losing a mayoralty election.
Racism starts small. Sometimes it lives in everyday actions and comments that we laugh off, nod in agreement to, excuse, and therefore accept. But we don’t have to. We can stop casual racism from growing into something more extreme. We can give it no encouragement. No respect. No place. No power. We can give it nothing. http://www.givenothing.co.nz
It's a popular story – but the largest race crimes in NZ, a series of land rorts, were not really race driven, but profit driven. Those responsible would have cheerfully dispossessed persons of any creed or colour.
Racism is not the cause of all evils, and hypersensitivity to it therefore, is less constructive than it may at first sight appear.
… and hypersensitivity to it therefore, is less constructive than it may at first sight appear.
Constructive or not, insensitivity/sensitivity/hypersensitivity to racism is informed by experience, or lack thereof.
Thanks for the link to Stove’s analysis – he was a man of his time (1927 – 1994).
Why is "racism" an utterly foolish word? For the same reason that "eastism" would be, if we had such a word for the belief that the sun rises in the east. There is no need for a word, and therefore no usefulness in a word, for a belief which everyone knows is true. Least of all is there need for a word which ends in "ism," since that has precisely the effect of suggesting that not everyone shares the belief in question.
If I'm understanding Stove correctly, racism is "an utterly foolish word" because racism (like ageism and sexism) is pervasive – a shared belief; a truth.
Ao Mai te Rā | The Anti-Racism Kaupapa
Combatting racism in the health and disability system Racism is increasingly recognised as a key determinant of health that results in avoidable and unfair disparities in health outcomes across racial or ethnic groupings. Within Aotearoa New Zealand, the presence of racism in the health and disability system and its impact on health outcomes has been well evidenced and researched.
Which would come as no surprise to Stove. Still, imho it's a worthwhile endeavour to strive for the best possible outcomes for all Kiwis. Attempting to address known factors that contribute to poor outcomes may be helpful.
As far as I know any racism (might Stove prefer 'race-based bias'?) directed at me has always been to my advantage – just 'lucky' I guess, and my luck need only hold for another 10 – 15 years at best (3 – 8 years if I was Māori).
A Malaysian is almost certain to be inferior both in height and weight to a Maori.
He's a clever fellow, Stove, but his arguments are wont to turn in the hand were one to try to extend them too far. Nevertheless, his points about the ubiquity, and the rationality, of racial antagonism are worth remembering.
For my own part I've seen a little of both kinds – Saudi bureaucracy for example, might well have been created as a satire of the British civil service, and would have provided an abundance of material for Gilbert and Sullivan. The antagonism that has evolved between native and L2 English teachers is more fraught.
One need not look too far in contemporary NZ to find examples of discrimination intended to 'balance the scales', which rarely targets that cohort of malefactors that made off with the bulk of Maori land.
I acknowledge the necessity of combating racial disparities in health and (I presume) legal services however.
Yes that is the fundamental. We give nothing to racism.
Why do we need imported not fit for purpose ideas such as CRT when our solutions should be NZ driven and NZ centric.
We have imported all sorts of unfit 'things' from abroad.
From the discussions on TS recently I find it disturbing that people can purportedly recognise sexism, anti women sentiments…at least I thought that was in large part the concern at the trans agenda. My concern was that it seemed to be posited as a for/against argument that by condemning discrimination against trans it meant that women as a biological category were squeezed out to the sidelines. With the result that saying yes to sexism seemed almost to be OK if you supported the trans agenda.
My concern is heightened in that some of those who I had looked up to as having their fingers on the pulse of this women centric debate on the trans issue seem to feel that it is not an issue to hold almost anti Maori views.
In my years of activism on the 'isms' debate it did not matter where the discrimination was coming from it was to be condemned. We certainly tried not to indulge in it ourselves.
Now I am wondering with my view that sexism and racism are both bad, are both to be watched and stamped out, is naive and old fashioned and that it is Ok to be anti sexism but not anti racism.
I am wondering now if I have got caught in some fundy deep state stuff that is anti trans but not pro women and definitely not pro other races.
So:
Give nothing to sexism
Give nothing to racism.
Leave the CRT theory over in the US where it belongs. Their things are not our things. We work on solutions in our way. some of the solutions have involved tweaks to our syllabuses and education about Treaty issues. These are home grown ways to address our ism issues.
What rubbish. Wayne Brown probably lost at least 20,000 votes from the Manukau area because he's white. People voted for change and against Efesso's policies. They didn't want a left leaning mayor who would have been a yes man to the government as Auckland had previously had Phil Goff and Len Brown who were left leaning.
Anne, I agree there are too many intolerant, angry people in NZ, often in the older age bracket.
They can't cope for example with the frequency of "Aotearoa" being used now. I have said to some there are Great Britain, British Isles, United Kingdom for the one region so Aotearoa and New Zealand are surely not so out of place. I have also said what thoroughly boring names North Island and South Island are, when the Māori names are so poetic in comparison. Younger ones are more relaxed about this and I have noticed many younger ones sing the National anthem Māori words at big sports events.
I'd agree with you on the North Island and South Island names being boring and the Te Reo alternatives are much better in that case however New Zealand is pretty cool as a name and it is relevant whereas Aotearoa is both manufactured and less interesting. New Zealand is new in terms of human and geological history and it is most definately a sea land as the land mass is surrounded and protected by sea. The Z makes the name stand out and you get to pretend we have some zeal which is cool word meaning "great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective". Aotearoa just means a land with a long white cloud which is what ANY land mass of any size looks like when you approach it from the sea. Big deal.
Hendrik Brouwer proved that the South American land was a small island in 1643, and Dutch cartographers subsequently renamed Tasman's discovery Nova Zeelandia from Latin, after the Dutch province of Zeeland. This name was later anglicised to New Zealand.
What's in a name? I like ‘Aotearoa New Zealand’. If it was only about what names mean (as opposed to the significance of names) then I'd agree with you.
NZ nearly (43%) had a new flag (was that a good idea?) – why not a new name?
"The name Australia (pronounced /əˈstreɪliə/ in Australian English) is derived from the Latin australis, meaning "southern", and specifically from the hypothetical Terra Australis postulated in pre-modern geography."
Big deal. Shoulda called it New Liverpool or something equally relevant.
I have also said what thoroughly boring names North Island and South Island are, when the Māori names are so poetic in comparison.
You should see the looks I get when I point out to people 'what a lovely soundinglanguage Maori is'. Aotearoa is a beautiful name. "Aotearoa New Zealand" is a title all of us should be proud of. So what is wrong with the jerks?
You may be "bored" with it, but others may have close associations with the name that represented the country of their ancestors and themselves. Families have memories of men they lost while fighting for New Zealand, and for many of them the name has a rhythm and romance of its own. Māori and non-Māori alike.
Aotearoa is not the only name given by Māori to our country, and it is not accepted without contention amongst different iwi. So, not exactly the elegant solution you assume.
Families have memories of men they lost while fighting for New Zealand, and for many of them the name has a rhythm and romance of its own. Māori and non-Māori alike.
Families have memories of men they lost while fighting for New Zealand murderous, kleptocratic imperialism in the name of an inbred aristocracy with a penchant for subjugating people and appropriating their property and for many of them the name has a rhythm and romance of its own is a reminder of the arrogance of their colonisers.
My relatives who died in the second world war did so fighting against i) a fascist racist regime that just happened to be trying to subjogate an entire continent, and ii) a second regime who happily treated their 'subjects' in the most barberous and inhumane manner imaginable. I thank God for those brave men and women.
I really cannot say I support either the Russia/China axis or the NATO axis, because when you dig down into it, it is free market capitalism (US/UK/EU) against 'traditional family values" (Russia/China, etc). Both of which I find repugnant.
Shame on Efesto Collins playing the race card for his loss, the fact is it was a very low turn out in South Auckland his own people did not get out to vote for him.
Yep – a silly move. I voted for Collins because he's not a self-aggrandising sh*t-head who'll make every significant problem we face worse while shouting obsessively about the imaginary grievances floating around in his own brain. Others voted against him for the same reason – mostly.
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Buzz from the Beehive A new government agency will open for business on July 1 – the Social Investment Agency. As a new standalone central agency effective from 1 July, it will lead the development of social investment across Government, helping ministers understand who they need to invest in, what ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The ...
Alwyn Poole writes – After being elected to Parliament in 2008 the maiden speech of Hipkins was substantially around education policy. He was Labour’s spokesperson for education 2011 – 2017. He was Minister for Education from 2017 until February 2023. This is approximately 88% of the time Labour ...
Eric Crampton writes – A fashion industry group is lobbying for protections. They make the usual arguments and a newer one. None of it makes sense. An industry group says it pumped $7.8 billion into the economy last year – that’s 1.9 percent of New Zealand’s GDP. ...
In December 2006, Fiji's military leader Voreqe Bainimarama overthrew the elected government in a coup. He ruled Fiji for the next 16 years, first as dictator, then as "elected" Prime Minister. But now, he's finally been sent to jail where he belongs. Sadly, this isn't for his real crime of ...
Don't like National's corrupt Muldoonist "fast-track" law? Aotearoa's environmental NGO's - Greenpeace, Forest & Bird, WWF, Coromandel Watchdog, Coal Action Network Aotearoa, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining, and others - have announced a joint march against it in Auckland in June: When: 13:00, 8 June, 2024 Where: Aotea Square, Auckland You ...
Seymour describes sushi as too woke for school meals. There are no fish sushi meals recommended by the School Lunches programme. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: The Government will swap out hot meals for packaged sandwiches to save $107 million on school lunches for poor kids. MSD has pulled ...
I don't mind stealin' bread from the mouths of decadenceBut I can't feed on the powerless when my cup's already overfilled, yeahBut it's on the table, the fire's cookin'And they're farmin' babies, while slaves are workin'The blood is on the table and the mouths are chokin'But I'm goin' hungry, yeahSome ...
The Ardern Government’s chickens came home to roost yesterday with the news that the country is short of natural gas. In 2018, Labour banned offshore petroleum exploration, and industry executives say that the attendant loss of confidence by the industry impacted overall investment in onshore gas fields. Energy Resources Minister ...
Hi,If you’ve been digging through the newly launched Webworm store (orders are being dispatched worldwide as I type!) you’ll have noticed the best model we had was Calvin.This is Calvin.Calvin.Calvin is 7, and is the son of my producer over on Flightless Bird, Rob — aka “Wobby Wob”. Rob also ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Climate change is everywhere. And when something's everywhere it can feel like it's nowhere. So how do we get our heads ...
Its a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...
Yesterday Winston Peters focussed his attention on the important matter at hand. Tweeting. Like the former, and quite possibly next, orange POTUS, from whom he takes much of his political strategy, Winston is an avid X’er.His message didn’t resemble an historic address this time. In fact it was more reminiscent ...
Buzz from the Beehive A significant decline in natural gas production has given Resources Minister Shane Jones an opportunity to reiterate his enthusiasm for the mining and burning of coal. For good measure, he has praised an announcement from Genesis Energy that it will resume importing coal. He and Energy ...
“Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim.Extreme Left Auckland University of TechnologyEvidenceThe ...
Eric Crampton writes – I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes – Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
New Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
Asia Pacific Report Barangay New Zealand’s Rene Molina has interviewed the country’s first Filipino Green MP Francisco Hernandez who was sworn into Parliament yesterday as the party’s latest member. This is the first interview with Hernandez who replaces former Green Party co-leader James Shaw after his retirement from politics to ...
An Australian Strategic Policy Institute report says Pillar Two could raise the industry to state of the art capability - or "crush" it "under the weight of the globe's biggest player". ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marlene Longbottom, Associate Professor, Indigenous Education & Research Centre, James Cook University ShutterstockThis article contains information on deaths in custody and the violence experienced by First Nations people in encounters with the Australian carceral system. It also contains references to ...
“Instead of following along countries that are investing in death and better ways of killing people faster, we need to invest in life and in making Aotearoa a fair, just and equitable place where everyone has what they need for a dignified life.” ...
MARIAMENO KAPA-KINGI, TPM MP FOR TAI TOKERAU This Government will not waver in its mission to exterminate Māori. CHRISTOPHER LUXON Oh well look you know I don’t think that hard-working Kiwis want to hear language like that. It’s just really unhelpful rhetoric. My Government is genuinely committed to advancing outcomes ...
The body positivity movement started with women confronting the unrealistic expectations and unrepresentative portrayals of them in media and advertising. Men weren’t part of it … their bodies hadn’t been sexualised to the same extremes and they didn’t really need it. But now that’s changed. And in a warped sort ...
The New Zealand comedy legend takes us through her life in television, including the time she hugged Elton John and the unshakeable legacy of a girl named Lyn. In 1981, Ginette McDonald stood on the stage of Auckland’s St James Theatre and directly addressed Queen Elizabeth II. It was a ...
An essay by Lily Duval from the just-released anthology Otherhood: Essays on being childless, childfree and child adjacent.I was 22 when my friend Alice gave birth in the living room of our pokey Addington flat. She laboured in the blow-up pool for hours. Garish fish swam along the inflated ...
Ella Borrie on the best books about motherhood she’s come across so far. Over the past few years I’ve been drawn to books about motherhood. I’m fascinated by the joys and horrors of becoming a parent. The question of children also feels more pressing than it used to. It’s like ...
Out of gift ideas for mum? You can’t go wrong with a bottle of toilet cleaner and a new squeegee. Emily Writes is the writer and editor of Emily Writes Weekly. This week marks five years since I published a post on The Spinoff about Mother’s Day marketing titled ‘A ...
My husband is posted overseas for 12 months and I’m armed with an expensive, newfangled vibrator. Will I miss him? The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.A few days after my husband leaves, a new sex toy arrives at the front door. Nestled ...
Jaimie Baird’s new book Here Today Gone Tomorrow is a record of four decades of graffiti and street art in Wellington, told through more than 1,200 photographs. He spoke with Joel MacManus about what inspired the book. How did you first get interested in photographing street art? I remember ...
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Well…aint that a Positive ! Good work
Solar is much less intrusive in the landscape-offshore windfarms are much better than onshore windfarms in this regard.
There is much local opposition to onshore windfarms due to their significant visual effects in the leafy shires in the UK.
"The results of this study indicate that the anticipated visibility of development,
coupled with a concern that development will spoil the landscape, heavily influence the levels of endorsement received for particular sites.
In essence, it would appear that the respondents were relatively sensitive to the potential impact that onshore development might have on communities and the landscape and thus favoured development in the offshore environment…"
https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/95729/2/WRRO_95729.pdf
The price of solar is dropping rapidly and now is almost comparable to onshore wind.
“In the U.S., onshore wind turbines provide some of the cheapest electricity, at $26 to $50 per megawatt-hour, according to Lazard. Solar costs have more variability but typically are $30 to $41 per megawatt-hour.”
https://www.google.com/search?q=solar+or+wind+energy+cost+per+unit&rlz=1C1SQJL_enNZ944NZ944&sxsrf=ALiCzsY4OPAm-EDpgteIOIop83Rw-FsSag%3A1667505725188&ei=PR5kY9uOC9_Cz7sPk9KcuAE&ved=0ahUKEwiboaTz5pL7AhVf4XMBHRMpBxcQ4dUDCA8&uact=5&oq=solar+or+wind+energy+cost+per+unit&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnC4AQP4AQEyBRAhGKABwgIKEAAYRxjWBBiwA8ICBRAAGIAEwgIGEAAYFhgewgIIEAAYFhgeGA_CAgUQABiGA8ICCBAhGBYYHhgdwgIKECEYFhgeGA8YHcICBxAhGKABGArCAgQQIRgVkAYISOonUKYFWPYkcAF4AcgBAJABAJgBnwKgAZMcqgEEMi0xNOIDBCBBGADiAwQgRhgAiAYB&sclient=gws-wiz-serp
I rather like the look of wind-farms, I must say.
I got used to them in Palmy, as turbines proliferated from the southern end of the Ruahines, 'jumped' the Manawatu gorge (closed to motorised traffic for years) and spread (in all their forms) along the Tararuas – they've become reassuring to me.
Palmerston North could lead use of renewable energy [9 Oct 2018; Mercury’s Turitea wind farm turbines, pictured above, have been built since then]
Turitea will when complete be the largest wind farm in New Zealand.
Mercury is the big investor.
Note it took 8 years to get the consent, 6 further years to make the new business case reconcile with the massive consent conditions, and was only last year they got the first half of the turbines feeding power to grid.
Full completion of southern set of turbines is about June-July next year.
Sure better than relying on feeding Auckland-Waikato with Indonesian brown coal which is what we are doing massively now.
Yep. We have a lot of high winds around NZ in exposed places, especially during the winter months. It makes sense to build some sort of device to capture that wind and turn it into something useful, like heat and light.
Since the middle ages, wind had been used to make flour and pump water from bores, this is simply a step up.
Yes I get that reassuring too. And maybe a kinda Future/SciFi aspect (albeit that Future is Now : )
Also IMO, in an appropriate place…with consensus, I feel they are allgood to help in a sustainable way. (There will always be wind…up there: )
Oh, just a question..as you are up with Science, Sustainable and Renewable, have you seen much on Hydro Power?
I think we in NZ have all the ability and expertise to do this.
Would be great if Labour and Greens start a NZ Public Works…akin to the old Ministry of Works. We built so much back in the day. Can do it again !
Yea..I get some of that. And I understand Solar is way better. (still has some footprint..and ramifications) And of course Hydro, Tidal , even REDUCING Power use !! Are all better. But for real..we need to do something. And complaining about a small wind farm is not really that….
I see it for what it is. a renewable ongoing Power source
Psyc-With respect your argument fails miserably. A small windfarm has significant adverse visual effects on a wide area of landscape. And where one windfarm is permitted under NZ planning rules, many others can follow.
I have seen awful windfarm landscape effects in both Scotland and Spain.
NZ should adopt the UK approach which has planning rules that strongly discourage onshore windfarms.
I support offshore windfarms but only solar should be permitted onshore.
Just turn your power off and shiver, and then you can keep your view.
Superbly argued Ad.
https://www.google.com/search?sa=N&rlz=1C1SQJL_enNZ944NZ944&sxsrf=ALiCzsaQu_-92PJj6HjBuMQS7V9K8O4k7Q:1667518051801&source=univ&tbm=isch&q=worst+windfarm+landscape+effects&fir=JTWnEDCplhIlnM%252C48WcDMVaDsm1WM%252C_%253B4iJ1CEIWdzmjBM%252CJusR4KyHNGCu7M%252C_%253BvxlxSf_E6b7ZKM%252Cl9SP1Y9R-JFuwM%252C_%253Bocrb1yl2x1aVPM%252CHi8tr1KXxGmkfM%252C_%253BKKdDuC1on6rY3M%252CyqX3PWqq6YS_tM%252C_%253BPZ-_W-eaH5F7zM%252C2daOD5drFPjVSM%252C_%253B8qUXDjP6TSWadM%252Ckt75DLTBXveA5M%252C_%253B68VgVG0aD0rowM%252CfpOFGWbXr5kzxM%252C_%253BQ1cO3JrSqyt9cM%252C7RCjm7AFKQLWjM%252C_%253BXGhJAtHGTaSICM%252CmxIJX7Q67vfJgM%252C_&usg=AI4_-kTT8B_flzQz_6EOKLibq_i8nOyO7w&ved=2ahUKEwjG_4jplJP7AhVx-zgGHXhsBfo4ChCMmQR6BAgHEAI&biw=1536&bih=714&dpr=1.25
Don't worry the big new wind farms will be out to sea mostly beyond where you can see them. First one launched yesterday, but there are 6 super-majors in planning.
So your feelings won't be hurt.
It might depend on where they are and how people choose to look at things. Have you seen the Haunui turbines on the crest of Wakapuni hill on the road from Martinborough to Tora? They went in years ago and have the effect of a gigantic, graceful, kinetic art installation in that vast hill country landscape. They also generate power!
While not visually eye stunning wind farms still look a whole lot better than fossil fuel burning smoke belching old power stations.
wind farms are low ground cover and the land under is used. the large scale solar I have seen take enourmous amounts of ground that cant be used for anything else. solar on roofs yes, as ground robber, no. the answer to enrgy generation is the same answer to most of lifes questions..moderation and variability. its going to be for us( lets not get bogged down over argueing about the rest of the planet), a combination of all of our current renewerables , plus tidal power. obviously gas and coal will be used for a while, but if we need to burn anything to make energy, I vote we burn septics ,sceptics? whatever. bile and rage are highly combustible, add a touch of entitlement, light a match and woosh, instant electricity.
https://www.agritecture.com/blog/2022/2/3/largest-farm-to-grow-crops-under-solar-panels-proves-to-be-a-bumper-crop-for-agrivoltaic-land-use
I have seen pictures of solar power stations where grazing takes place around and under the panels.
The visual effects of solar panels are far from negligible but compared with the massive industrial towers that onshore windfarms require, easily seen from 30km away and easily seen from and adversely effecting vast tracts of landscape, solar's visual effects are minor.
Offshore wind towers are much less of an issue in this regard as the UK has demonstrated. Amazingly 7 of the top 8 offshore wind farms in the world are in the UK as are the 3 biggest still under construction-see the list in the link. These ten UK windfarms have 1200 towers between them, and I don’t have a problem with them.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_offshore_wind_farms
100%
We probably need a post on the legislation coming into Parliament next week that replaces the RMA.
This is the one they are going to propose 'renewable energy zones' that will be hard to object to.
I wonder who drew the lines demarcating "renewable energy zones" within which the landscape can be randomly wrecked by huge industrial towers and where it can't be.
In response to this erroneous statement from Tricledown in another post here are some actual facts.
From this paper on Maori economic development:
https://researcharchive.lincoln.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10182/2414/osullivan_mapplsc.pdf?sequence=6&isAllowed=y
"By the 1850s the Maori economy was unstable due to the high levels of debt accumulated by various hapu and rangatira. Large-scale investments in schooners and flourmills, as well as their lavish spending in some cases on hakari, caused many Maori to be frequently in debt in the 1850s (Monin, 1995). Maori in the 1800s viewed schooners and flourmills as visible symbols of mana and invested in building them even when there was little economic rationale for doing so. The accumulation of mana and the honouring of obligations created under tohatoha resulted in rangatira hosting ever more sumptuous hakari. Europeans were happy to extend rangatira credit to enable this spending, using tribal land as security with a view to eventually securing the land when the debt could not be repaid.
In 1856 there was a slump in the Victorian market while at the same time European settlements in New Zealand began to become self-sufficient in food production. Wheat prices collapsed from ten to twelve shillings a bushel to three shillings (Miller, 1940). At this price it became uneconomical for Maori to harvest their wheat crops as the price fetched would not remunerate them for their labour. European farmers engaged in cropping responded to the fall in agricultural prices by switching to pastoralism, which required larger areas of land and capital investment in stock, fencing and buildings (Sorrenson, 1995)"
As you can see from that Maori over extended themselves for non commercial reasons and were not able to switch to other commercial activities as Europeans were able to do so.
""Maori overextended themselves
You mean people that had only just met a monetary system where ruthlessly taken advantage of by scum money lenders
No. I mean a people who had been engaged in international trade and had an awareness of the nature of that trading system for around five decades had a societal structure built around small competing collectives which meant they over capitalised for status as much as economic reasons and ended up have surplus capacity which then meant they were unable to easily switch to more productive use of resources when the original business model they were following inevitably collapse as a result.
Na,money lenders need to be held responsible if the lend beyond what a business can support, praying on people's weakness is not an excuse
The Gosmanite hypothesis goes like this: a state of perfect competition existed at the time – no ulterior motives such as wishing to dispossess Maori of land were in play. Maori were simply out-competed due to their internal cultural contradictions. In essence they weren't individualistic enough to be successful over the long run.
Even if this was true – and it seems contestable – so what? Would it make the ensuing penury Maori experienced somehow deserved? Does it mean that there is nothing to fix in the present? Should Maori be forever grateful at being rescued from their collectivist darkness and welcomed into the bright, sunlit uplands of market capitalism – where, despite their valiant and failed 19th Century attempt, we are magnanimously offering them the freedom to try again?
Who knows. It's an old, dead, rancid line of thinking best ignored..
Far north and far south coastal mana whenua were pretty commercial from 1820s. Sydney trading was really early too.
Salmon has 2 good books on this exchange era. They knew how to deal.
.
Gosman.
Might just add that Trickledown was mistaken on this aspect as well:
In fact, the overwhelming majority of migrants in the 1840s & 50s came from rural & village backgrounds in the most southern third of England … disproportionately agricultural labourers & traditional rural craft workers … hence, skilled rural folk whose wages & crafts were under threat in ‘the Old Country’.
Very few urban industrial workers or, for that matter, white collar workers.
Well Gosman, you have described the "Fire Sale Economy" right there!! and this is how finance and strategy denudes people of their assets in bad times.
Except this Government is striving to keep people employed…. to break the cycle. for Maori European and all!!
Wait until mortgage interest rates hit 8 – 10 % next year and see how many people the Government has been able to keep in jobs…
At 8 to10% interest rates just how keen will any institution be to lend on negative equity housing held by borrowers with reduced ability to pay the inflated interest repayments?
That is not how interest rates work. If the cost of money is at 6 to 8 % then banks have to charge 8 to 10% to make a profit.
I helped my Mum pay her 18% mortgage on her unit she moved to after my Father's sudden death. We worked together through that and the surcharge put on pensions by National. She took a boarder for part of a year.
You do what you have to do, and secure parents/children will help family members hang on, and Banks do not want surplus mortgagee sales, as they devalue the portfolio of properties held against loans. There have been much tougher times than these, and many of us recognise the familiar rhetoric.
A lot of people are going to be wiped out, that is for sure.
Ok, ban should be over now. Trying to post for days now.
It doesn’t help when you make typos in your username that trigger Auto-Moderation and require manual approval by a Mod.
Well, I made it to where my posts are visible. That is progress.
Apologies for the delay.
Since this free forum runs on a few volunteers given their personal time freely, it sometimes means that certain much less important things don’t get done in a prompt manner or at all. I’d hope that people would understand this rather than starting to complain too loudly with self-entitled demands for prompt service.
Right, looks like my ban is defintely over. Im back after a long period in the wilderness. I promise that I will behave this time.
Welcome back.
Hi Millsy.
Thank you Anne and Patricia. Good to be back posting again on here. I have been reading this blog every day though.
And, only half joking, we've held it against them ever since.
Any view of Maori agriculture nowadays usually holds up these so-called disadvantages
I have long felt that it was ironic that sometimes for Maori the best least troublesome answer was to let the land lie. Fast forward to today and there is a keenness to develop their land. But while the land has been allowed to sleep it has grown native trees, or perhaps the native trees were there all along.
'We can't let these Murrays cut down these trees/develop this land' . They are the last of the remnant XYZ forest, wetland, swampland, refuge of bowtied, blue eyed swampworm.
And even if you want to put small scale Kaumatua housing there what about the fullscale sewage system, roads etc that we require.
.
Considering Maori burnt down most of the Native forest cover of NZ pre 1840 perhaps it is karma that much of the land under their control has reverted to forests.
Can you give a link to this, I'd like to read a bit more about it. Thanks.
https://teara.govt.nz/en/map/23596/forest-cover-before-human-habitation
https://teara.govt.nz/en/map/23597/forest-cover-around-1840
“The New Zealand bush did not provide as much food as forests in tropical Polynesia. Significant bush clearance went on in the North and South islands, usually by burning. This was to clear land for horticulture and also to promote the growth of aruhe (fern root)”
I found those, but I was hoping to get a bit more detail; you said "most".
Look at the map. You will see it is most.
Gosman How you word your first comment Most of the native forest implies Maori burn't down most of our Native forests.When you read more of Te Ara's website Maori burnt only 40% of Native forest meaning 60% was left unburnt .But left tree stumps which prevented erosion.You are trying to paint Maori in the worst possible way at every opportunity.Most means more than is unburnt which means your lying again.
No, it was closer to 50 % than 40% of the pre settlement cover. The Canterbury plains weren't grasslands of any significance before the Maori burnt down the forest cover to drive out animals that they were hunting for food like Moa. There wasn't much stumps left to stop erosion there.
http://frfanz.org.nz/history/before-1840/
"By the time of widespread European settlement in the 1840s and 1850s, close to 50% of the original forest cover had been destroyed."
NZ's forest cover stands at around 37 % now. This means Since mass European settlement began in 1840 the total land cover of forests fell from around 50% to 37 % which is about a 15 % loss of forest cover across the entire country compared to total land mass. Even if we round up to 20% that is still less proportionately of the REMAINING forest that European settlers cut and burnt than Maori were responsible for destroying.
Gosman reading your link TE Ara, Maori cleared 6.7 million hectares ,settlers 8 million hectares ,7 million left in native forest. Thats not 50% of total land area your WRONG again.Your prejudice prevents you from telling the truth.
How do you figure settlers cleared more than Maori when the land area covered by forests went from over 85% before the Maori arrived to only just over 50% in 1850. That is Even if we take 30 % of the land mass cleared by Maori that is more than that is more than that cleared by Europeans which is between 25 and 28% of the total land mass if we don’t include planting of exotics.
There's some more detail on these pages. Just for info – not 'having a go' at any group – Polynesian peoples started the 'job'; Europeans 'progressed' it.
Page 1 – Early human impact Before people, >80% of NZ was forested.
Page 2 – Pre-European deforestation
"… up to 40% of the forest was burnt within 200 years of Māori settling in NZ"
Page 3 – European impact "By 2005, forest cover was reduced to 24.8%…"
https://teara.govt.nz/en/human-effects-on-the-environment/sources
Where Aotearoa New Zealand goes from here is up to all of us. Be kind.
We have started to reforest areas of NZ. Forest cover (including exotics) is up to 37 % of the total land mass.
https://tradingeconomics.com/new-zealand/forest-area-percent-of-land-area-wb-data.html#:~:text=Forest%20area%20(%25%20of%20land%20area)%20in%20New%20Zealand%20was,compiled%20from%20officially%20recognized%20sources.
According to the graph in that link, “forest area (% of land area)” didn’t change from 2009 – 2016 (~37.4%) and then rose to 37.57% in 2020.
I would like to investigate the basis for the apparent increase from 24.8% “forest cover” (in 2005) to 37.4% “forest area” four years later (2009), given the tiny (<0.2%) increase since then, but alas don't have the time.
37% includes exotics. 25% is just Native forest.
So about 12% (37% total – 25% native) of total land area is in exotics?
What surprised me was how stable the total "forest area" has been in recent years – it increased by <0.2% from 2009 to 2020, and all that (tiny) increase occurred after 2016. The link you provided shows that "forest area" (native and exotic) covered ~35.6% of total land area in 1990, so over the last 30+ years forestation has increased by ~2.2% of total land area. Most of that 2.2% increase occurred from 1990-2000.
So, ~30% native and 7.8% plantation forest today – mass planting of exotic species started in the 1920s.
https://teara.govt.nz/en/exotic-forestry
Gosman back to your colonial supremacist lies Maori burnt some native forest in the south island not most of the native forest in NZ. Its like" their control "under their is a dehumanizing denigration , being very careful not imply Maori owned the the land.Your lying about that land has reverted to forest trying to blame Maori again for an introduced invasive species.You would change your narrow minded attitude if you spent just one day on a Marae.You are a dinosaur bully! maybe if you walked in the shoes of Maori you wouldn't have such antiquated ideas.Maori businesses are expanding at a more rapid rate than all other businesses in NZ today.That has happened even though most of the land Maori owned was stolen or defrauded by insider trading the fraudulent NZ company etc.Maori were not allowed the freedoms to educate in their own language and culture creating inter generational poverty where the media and white european NZers used every dirty trick to denigrate Maori and grind Maori into oblivian.The newspaper Stuff apologised 18 months ago for its continual racial denegration in its newpaper.Assimlation ie cultural genocide hasn't worked Maori have shown even though they have constantly had the rug pulled from under them the likes of Ngai Tahu have shown that they can run businesses better than many Europeans.Without Maori NZ would be a boring little out post of England.The first cruise ships returned recently many greeted by Maori Haka and songs the tourists couldn't get enough .Like wise without Maori in sport NZ's prowess in much of our elite sport NZ wouldn't have the Allblacks one of our two greatest golfers netball team kayaking gold medals.Our laid back friendly world beating attitude.Our Army general Mataparai.I would like you to meet some Maori business people such as a relative of mine the CEO and major sharehoder of Ryder and co an international company based in Melbourne he is worth nearly A$ 1billion you couldn't meet a more humble guy.unlike yourself.
I provided a link to you. By 1840 the vast majority of the forest cover of NZ that existed before human settlement had been removed. This is not a controversial topic but known scientific reality.
Your own link proves you wrong maybe you should read a bit deeper and type in how much forest Maori cleared it comes up at 40% of Native forest leaving 60% unburnt.Your racially abusing Maori by making false and incomplete statements.
It was close to 50% of the 85% of the land mass of NZ that was covered by forests before the Maori arrived. Do you know how many Maori lived in the entire South Island in 1840 after they had denuded the landscape of this forest cover?
I need to correct myself here. It is around 50% not the vast majority. My mistake so sorry about that.
Any thoughts about how this blows out your argument? What is/was the point of your argument BTW. Just a Friday session of Maori bashing to make it all good for the weekend or was there some deeper purpose that you are going to explain to us?
I was responding to trickledown's comments in another thread/ Take it up with trickledown if you want to know the reasons for the discussion.
Regardless of your point, that is indeed a significant amount of burnoff, I never knew that. Thanks.
And the relevance is to today is?
Sounds like very antiquated thinking that people pay over and over and over for things that were common in those days (NB on some pastoral leases in the South Island firing areas is still common practice/permitted)
https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1998/0065/latest/DLM427002.html
https://fireandemergency.nz/en_NZ/farms-rural-properties-and-rural-businesses/fire-as-a-land-management-tool/
https://teara.govt.nz/en/fire-and-agriculture
https://digitalnz.org/stories/5b19a05ffb002c36a2c014e6
In the 1800s the Royal Navy was still press ganging
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impressment
In 1833 slavery in England was abolished.
Slavery Abolition Act, (1833), in British history, act of Parliament that abolished slavery in most British colonies, freeing more than 800,000 enslaved Africans in the Caribbean and South Africa as well as a small number in Canada. It received Royal Assent on August 28, 1833, and took effect on August 1, 1834.
As they say
'The past is a different country – they did things differently there'
Why are you singling this out? Is there some reasonable explanation? Do you not know very much about farming practices generally and the life of pre-European Maori?
100% Shanreagh.
I guess you would have a comment like that that doesn't add anything to anything.
If that is meant for me, I won't tautoko your comments from now on.
My reckons have it that it was to Gosman @ 7.1.
Yes. It was for Gosman Patricia. Sometimes the comments get out of kilter because of multiple commenters all piling in at once.
gsays
Anne
Patricia not for you……its numbering is a response to Gosman.
It never would be to you on this issue. and probably not other issues either as we seem to have much in common..
Late as just got back from sewing ……
Ministry of Health follows the advocacy produced WPATH guidelines for provision of services.
Eliza Mondegreen attended the WPATH conference that introduced the newly released Standards of Care 8. Short video (3min) of an exchange with Benjamin Boyce.
This is just one of the presentations that should start questions being asked about using this advice as the primary basis for patient-centred care:
https://twitter.com/BenjaminABoyce/status/1588275205452926976?s=20&t=1qFpOdJ0F00ASz9uK8Dsdw
Thanks Molly. Complete insanity.
The crazy movement in the 1990s in some psychotherapy circles, which took hold leading many therapists to believe that MPD was a common condition (many MPD clinics opened across the States to deal with the demand and have since folded) mets the latest in therapeutic craze, Affirmation Therapy for gender dysphoria.
Wpath is totally ideological driven and our Ministry of Health take their lead as does Wpath's equivalent here in NZ, PATHA.
My post, which follows on from this about the trainee psychotherapist and CRT theory,is another angle on how Western institutions (in this case health) have been infiltrated by people with a political ideology. There is no role for these ideologicals in health or therapy. Treatments should be evidenced based (the evidence coming from people who dont have a political agenda)
What used to be an obvious cultural understanding of reality, has been demolished by the triumph of romanticism and the elevation of the most malignant narcissists on Earth into sacred beings, rather than the shabby social climbers they are.
https://twitter.com/TShampling/status/1515523640015695888?s=20&t=dQpm3gQsc3ZpyzGOyp3r4A
NHS nurse who was training to be a psychotherapist at the Tavistock Clinic is now suing the clinic. She was in her final year and received on-line training (during Covid) that included CRT, stating all white people are racist (amongst other claims). She politely said she disagreed with there views and from there it unfolded, leading to the Tavistock threatening her that she would not be able to work as a psychotherapist and she had to agree with this ideology. On another clip I have watched of this very articulate nurse being interviewed she says she was told she must raise BLM with people of colour clients. As she articulates well, psychotherapy is not a collective endeavour, but a personal one based on the clients issues and needs.
I am posting this because there was some talk of ideology on OM a few days back. This is what some of us are talking about when we express concerns about CRT infiltrating the public service, media and academia. Chris Trotter posted a very good article about a piece NZ Health has put out that is "anti racist" (will try and link).
https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2022/10/eliminating-racism-virus.html
I also made a comment the other day that I don't believe there is much racism at all in the health service. (having worked there many, many moons ago, I can assure you no one in our unit was racist) Health Professionals go into the field because they want to help others (like teachers who become teachers because they have an affirnity for kids). The only patients health professionals might favour a little are they ones who are polite and co operative, because it makes life a little easier (these patients come in all races and can be either male or female).
There are health enquities that undoubtedly need to be addressed, but CRT is not the way forward. It is insulting to health professionals and will likely be another nail in the coffin for many. A piss poor recruitment strategy NZ Health
I am really concerned that CRT is being raised as some sort of bogeyman/that were are doing this here.
We have had programmes here in NZ to ensure that all our citizens have an ability to take advantage of life in our country so they can be everything they want to be. We have taught our citizens about the Land Wars, the Treaty and the impacts for many many years. So stop trying to say this is an example of the CRT derided by the US Republicans (that should tell you how much we should be upset about this, ie not at all.)
CRT is a US construct where equity and equality are still very much 'new' and scary things.
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2021/07/02/why-are-states-banning-critical-race-theory/
I cannot see the harm in teaching how discrimination begins and the drivers that enable it to continue. Also teaching how NZ has tried to overcome this.
I was part of the grouping of 4 RHAs in the 1990s and the strides in Maori health when services were delivered in a safe for Maori way was amazing. It tapped into networks that had existed for years, said these will improve access for Maori let's run with them.
What happened to the good thought that each according to their needs. If we pay attention to the worst off in our society our whole society benfits.
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2021/07/02/why-are-states-banning-critical-race-theory/
The fact that CRT is decried by Fox news, US Republicans surely would give many people pause to think
'hey what is this all about/ is this based in fact?
is this what is going on in NZ?' NO
Are to the last one I can say this is not what is going on in NZ. We have had these programmes for years possibly a century.
Your protestations about the health service and how it is not racist were heard 40 years ago, close examination showed that some practices were both racist and sexist. (Anyone for a repeat of the the Cervical Cancer /unethical research)
https://www.womens-health.org.nz/the-cartwright-inquiry/
We had training modules in the health syllabuses. Many places had treaty training. Things have got better. We have all sorts of practices now
Ethics committees
H & Disability Commisioner and consents
Focus on Maori in some areas as being those most affected by certain health problems
Access though is still patchy.
My request:
Please don't bring in terms like CRT into the NZ context. We had enough of imported US bullshit during the Covid pandemic.
The US has very little to teach us in terms of race relations. We are ahead of them but we still have plenty ahead to do.
We are best to do this in our own way and setting up a straw man like anti CRT and saying it is our way is nonsense.
"Please don't bring in terms like CRT into the NZ context. We had enough of imported US bullshit during the Covid pandemic'
Then stop advocating it
I'm not advocating it. Far from it. I think we have our own solutions to our own problems. Just because there is a renewed focus on racism (which does exist) etc in health it does not mean we are adopting the CRT stuff. Racism in health is certainly less pervasive in a one on one basis, but we cannot afford to let our guard down and think we have won the battle against racism/sexism because everything looks OK.
The fact that many many people misunderstand the Treaty system, ascribe unfair motives to Maori land use is evidence that there is much work still to be done. Similarly when Maori are at the bottom of many of the health figures does this mean our work is done?
"Then stop advocating it"
I don't think many understand that the familiarity some have with CRT theory, allows them to recognise the familiar justifications and perspectives that are coming through in public discourse in NZ.
Because it is labelled under Te Tiriti, or other specific NZ terms, they believe it is unique. Some aspects are, but much of the reasonings, justifications, solutions and priorities are duplicates of what Critical Race Theory is advocating for in the US.
But I am not the one bringing CRT into the NZ context. NZ Health is doing it now.
Will post more tomorrow. Meanwhile, feel free to read Chris Trotters article on the racism virus (or not, no problem if its not for you).
I am commenting on the current situation, not when Professor Green was conducting his "unfortunate" experiement.
This is rubbish. If we substitute sexism, discrimination on the grounds of disability, misogyny for racism…
But
racismsexism is not a sickness, it is a political belief. As such, it stands to be argued against and condemned. But, attempting to eliminate “all forms ofracism” under the guise of a government health programme is sinister in the extreme.Trotter has clearly forgotten how every single Govt dept had./probabaly still has similar words…..it was not to treat it as a sickness in health terms but as a concerning symptom of a belief in the inequality of people, a belief that unalterable aspects of the human condition (race, sex, ability/disability) makes it equitable to treat people differently for the worse..
It is not a political belief. That is banal.
The human rights arguments and its history 1948 after WW2 via the UN declarations transcend political beliefs.
https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights
eg The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Article 1
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
I have looked at Te Whatu Hauora https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/
These below are included. These are uncontroversial and have been in health documents from the mid 1990s (as well as in the Public Service) .
The Foundations: completely uncontroversial. The RHAs were working on population based health/funding back in the 1990s. Thankfully it has been resurrected.
Embedding a Tiriti-dynamic health system: This is uncontroversial
To meet our obligations as Crown agents, we are building a health system that embeds Te Tiriti o Waitangi as its foundation. This means placing Te Tiriti at the forefront of thinking and providing opportunities to enact Te Tiriti principles and articles to improve health outcomes for Māori.
Implementing a population health approach: this is new and may be controversial though it is sensible
A population health approach, shifts our system to prevent illness and improve the health and wellbeing of local communities. We recognise that people’s health can be achieved by collaboration with communities working together to plan, design and deliver health services
I have looked at these high level documents and cannot see anything that could cause criticism. Many of the tenets have been included in the PS for many years and in health documents since the 1990s.
Embedding the Treaty is similarly uncontroversial.
Possibly the Don Brash type Iwi/kiwi mischief makers have been at work in trying to say that Treaty issues and focusing on health for those at the bottom is CRT? I don't know.
But much of the good words, aspirations, programmes have been in health documents before, just as they have been in Education documents as well.
I would really like to see where the words CRT have been used. Or have the standard ToW words and aspirations been misinterpreted? It would not surprise me if this were the case. In recent times on TS we have seen Three Waters co-governance and Treaty claims misunderstood.
Cathode Ray Tube was the only NZ usage over many decades. 🙂
Uncritical import of northern hemisphere ideas (and funds) by right wing extremists has become too common. VFF, the Taxdodgers Onion and other astroturfers are a conduit for ignorant hatred that ignores long NZ traditions of thought and politics. And for what?
Yes sounds like that…all running scared because a Govt agency document mentions the Treaty, shock horror.
Calling it Critical Race Theory so they can get all angry, and confused.
Forgetting that the Treaty is /has been mentioned in PS documents for nigh on 20 years. Treaty Settlements have been around as follows
The Waitangi Tribunal was set up in 1975 to hear claims about Crown breaches of the treaty. From 1985 the tribunal could hear claims relating to breaches dating back to 1840, and it issued reports on these claims.
…
The first treaty claim settlement, concerning the Waitomo Caves, was signed in 1989.
In 1992 the Sealord agreement settled claims over commercial fisheries – it was worth $170 million. Another large settlement involving a number of tribes was the ‘Treelords’ deal in 2008, which included almost $200 million of forest land."
https://teara.govt.nz/en/nga-whakataunga-tiriti-treaty-of-waitangi-settlement-process
If I was a betting person I would bet that what is said to be CRT by some is the commonly stated Treaty adherence statements in PS documents. Because this is a health agency it would be a huge mark against it if there were to be a claim under the Treaty against it.
I have found this. it is interesting. It builds on the high level approach
'Position Statement and Working Definitions for Racism and Anti-racism in the Aotearoa New Zealand Health System'
https://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/publications/position-statement-and-working-definitions-for-racism-and-anti-racism-in-the-aotearoa-new-zealand-health-system-aug2022.pdf
Having been around these types of documents all my working life it is one of the better ones I have seen. Good definitions, good examples. A taste of how racism is going to be overcome.
This part is particularly strong and interlinks the persistent 'isms' that affect people/their health
'All forms of racism are harmful, and the effects of racism are distinct and not felt equally. Racism is further compounded by additional markers of social difference, including indigeneity, disability, gender, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, etc.
As this contains nothing that would fall into concerns about about CRT I have clearly not found the concerning document. Being Treaty focused is surely not controversial today,,,,,,,?
My big hope is that this organisation is allowed/able to continue its work so we can all see the difference it will make. Most reforms of promise, including some of those that the RHAs had during 1992/96 just get swept away as they form a ball being tossed around in the political process.
If you are perpetually looking for racism, you will undoubtedly find it.
However, that does not mean it is the most effective factor to address, which is where criticisms of policy arise.
Some of these policies – implemented without public involvement – such as co-governance, foreseeably set the seeds for racism to grow.
If you read the whole document it is not just racism but many other factors that are best addressed so that NZ's health system can be as efficient and effective and serve the needs of all our people.
I have just highlighted the parts dealing with racism as that was the topic being discussed – as if these approaches in the health sector were something new to be concerned about.
They are not new. Similar policies and clauses have been in health documentation since 1992/96 at least.
The Treaty of Waitangi Act and Human Rights Act etc all bind the Crown. The Crown is honour bound to formulate policies/procedures to help combat racism, sexism and many other isms. The agencies/govt depts etc are 'crown' agencies.
What exactly is the problem and why is it a problem now when we have had Treaty settlements since 1989 at least and clauses to recognise the ToW act and HR Act since the 1990s as well.
I cannot help but see the fingers of overseas influencers, must as was apparent in the Covid times with concerns that are not ours and solutions that are not ours either.
Maori and the Crown are partners in the Treaty. This means they are equal. In recognition of this the Crown has been trying to ensure that Maori have the ability to particiapte as Trwaty partners.
When you say co-governance should be consulted on, bearing in mind this is just fulfilling aspects of the Treaty signed in 1840, does this mean that you want to see the whole basis of settlement in NZ renegotiated?
What is it that you, in the widest sense, are afraid of?
"What is it that you, in the widest sense, are afraid of?"
That there appears to be a resistance to recognising that balance is necessary in redressing acknowledged failures, and that resistance leads to well intended but badly designed policies and initiatives that result in a divided country.
(There is also a degree of pompous paternalism associated with this discussion that I personally find off putting.)
Good grief. How sad. I find ignorance off putting but I still want to counter it as many may not know the real oil.
The ignorance on here about ToW, Maori issues and human rights is to me truly distressing and extremely sad. Since when did it become a legitimate tactic to see something wrong in human rights for all, championing the underdog and making sure those with the bad indicators at the bottom get the attention they deserve?
@Shanreagh
"I find ignorance off putting but I still want to counter it as many may not know the real oil."
I suspect – but do not know – that what you find off putting is opinions that vary from your own.
I read a lot of what you post, and recognise it for the word count and language that many are capable of when entrenched in a certain culture. (I can do the same, but on this platform choose to try and clarify when expressing my opinion. You seem to indulge in it more from habit than necessity).
The identification of racism as a primary reason for the negative outcomes for Māori IS a problem. All the pontificating in the world doesn't address that problem. It adds to it.
You may be extremely saddened by the "ignorance".
But let's address that: you assume ignorance, because for you, to know about NZ history means to hold the same perspective as you. (God forbid, someone who is informed comes away with their own take).
In fact, the more you post, the more convinced I am that this approach is the wrong one.
But then what do I know?
(I'm the wrong type of Māori apparently, coming from a sad place of ignorance and lacking even the most basic knowledge of Te Tiriti and NZ history, whose life in this country and family relationships are all blighted by colonialism if only I knew it.)
It’s inconceivable to you, that I disagree with your perspective on all things right and good, for actual reasons. Any such reasons should be ignored, as they must represent self-loathing brought about by the Crown's actions of the past.
Would you like me to thank you, for representing me without reference to my input, and expressing the such concern for myself and my Māori relatives, even while I (and many of them) question the policies? I find I cannot.
I think your blindness to the damage that can be done by your good intentions is going to be more harmful to Māori in the long run. And that is also harmful to all NZers.
Let's both hope, that if this approach continues, you will be proven right, and my fears about the unintended outcomes will be wrong. I still disagree with many policies or programmes that limits access to those with Māori ancestry only. It remains a reverse form of the lack of access that Māori had in the past, but is now undertaken deliberately and with smug and unevidenced justifications.
I too had a read of NZ Health document on racism and I would draw your attention to this quote towards the end.
"although conceptually coherent, establishing the empirical evidence base of racism and each of these impacts has proven to be challenging. Issues of racism exposure measurement and moderating/mediating factors mean that findings are mixed with regards to the relationships between racism and physical health outcomes (Paradies et al 2015). However evidence of race based inequities alone provide a sufficient rationale for action and intervention"
So here I think it an excellent example of not following the evidence, but following ideology ( I note D'Angelo of CRT is quoted in the document, although I would need to check the context)
So there is mixed evidence with regards to the relationship between racism and physical health outcomes. in our health system That isn't a great basis for putting Health care staff who are at crisis point under more stress by sending them off to (likely CRT) anti racism training. As I have said elsewhere it is likely to add another nail in the coffin to struggling health care workers working in what some healthcare staff have described as dangerous conditions. Again I note that these healthcare workers have to put up with verbal and at times physcial abuse while trying to carry out their role. NZ health should be trying to do something about that.
FFS. Please god put this stuff aside and prioritise sorting out the health workforce NZ is facing. This is bloody serious.
As I have said my experience of working in the health system. talking to others who still work in the health system, attending various appointment with my husband who is Maori, racism is way down the list of what Minister Little needs to be addressing. My husband gets excellent treatment.
Some of that is ignorance and genuine confusion, but some of that is a deliberate tactic to re-write and re-interpret NZ history affairs and ‘simplify’ it for the NZ public and usually labelled ‘common sense’.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/476401/act-launches-anti-co-governance-proposals
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300543923/most-parties-celebrate-the-new-history-curriculum-but-act-criticises-it-as-divisive
This counter propaganda wave has become much stronger over the last few years and most certainly is not restricted to local influence only. Of course, NZ has never been completely isolated from overseas ‘thought experiments’ and neither should it be. As a sovereign nation with many freedoms and a functioning democracy we should be using our own critical filters before we accept the ‘answers & solutions’ of others and force them upon ourselves as if one size fits all. The point is that some political players are not interested in answers & solutions that suit Aotearoa – New Zealand and are quite happy to borrow tools & weapons from overseas and anywhere to further their own agenda.
Co-governance is about a bridge or rather, a whole network of roads & bridges, to make this nation more cohesive, inclusive, and resilient, which is a pre-requisite for surviving future global disasters. Antagonising forces are doing anything they can to turn it into a wedge issue to drive people & groups further apart and set them up against each other. This is not new in Aotearoa – New Zealand despite the new slogans coming from overseas.
This Incognito is a piece of brilliant imagery, especially the the first sentence and is proof positive that story-telling as an explanatory mode has a place in explaining these issues when plain words do not seem to suffice.
This is what I am seeing at the moment. We get the straw man argument from Fox news and the US Republicans about the US strategy to overcome racism in the US that is called CRT. Having brought the straw man into NZ they then rail against CRT as if some thing similar is/has been happening here, by stealth. The argument is amorphous, like fighting a cloud.
The reality is that our situation is different and we have over the years developed our own ways of dealing with it.
Apparently causing concern now is a fairly standard, therefore innocuous, clause about racism in the Heath Sector. As I have said I worked in an RHA during the 1990s and our own corporate documents had similar clauses and we 'audited' providers of health services against this type of policy they had in their corporate documents. We also audited against complaints procedures, made sure Ethics Committees functioned as they should, made sure standard careful contracts were drawn up etc.
None of this stuff is new. Overseas contacts and influencers and as Sacha says 'righties', and you cite ACT, appear to have seized on these topics to foment discord and divert attention away from the health agencies from being able to do their jobs.
The more time that is wasted by having to respond to this type of thing, diverts attention away from people who want to be able to do their jobs in the health sector. The resources to answer Ministerials, parliamentary questions and general hoo-ha stuff are also the resources who are setting up the best functioning processes for the new agencies. The resources are not infinite.
That was a little unsettling, thanks Anker.
The note it ended on implied that the train wreck, that is the UK government, was one of the bright lights in dealing with this ideology…
Yes I found it hugely concerning Gsays. And I thought the UK was better than that.
I hope she sues the pants off them and it brings this whole bullshit down. It is happening in NZ. Been looking through Health NZs proclamation on racism and its is worrying. Will post more tommorrow.
Efeso Collins is interviewed about his big loss in Auckland's mayoralty race:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/477993/efeso-collins-says-his-skin-colour-cost-him-20-000-votes-in-auckland-mayoral-race
He has played down the racist taunts he encountered during the campaign. The "black c**t retort was only one of them and I'm ashamed to say a lot of it occurred during his visit to the North Shore electorate although thankfully not the part where I live.
Contrary to attempts to claim otherwise… NZ is a very racist country.
Anne, I'm not negating the presence of racism in our country, – however –
Auckland is often referred to as the largest Polynesian city in the Pacific. There were plenty of voters who could outnumber the racist voters from the North Shore you refer to. That also means that race could have played a factor in Efeso Collins gaining votes in reference to his whakapapa, as well as losing them.
There would also be a loss/gain factor in the endorsement from Labour (along with any other associations people choose to recognise).
People also do vote for policy, and perhaps that also accounted for votes.
To claim that racism doesn't exist would be foolish. To imply that is the sole or main reason for the election results is equally foolish, and wilfully divisive.
Nobody is claiming it is 'the sole or main reason'.
That is why the word selection was 'imply' and not 'claim'.
When did you stop beating your wife?
Ask Anne:
"Contrary to attempts to claim otherwise… NZ is a very racist country."
Actually I do agree with you about that Molly. ie blaming racism for Effeso's loss.
I tend to think he lost as it was a vote against Labour. Just like Paul Eagle got nowhere in Wellington and Tory W had a significant victory.
We are well represented by Maori in Parliament and across party (although with the loss of Bennett and Bridges, less so in National).
Call me old fashion (in a Martin Luther King way) but I vote for the candidate because of their policies and what I deem to be their character. Race simply doesn't come into it (neither does sex and I wouldn't vote for a women if I felt the male candidate was better)
I doubt you are correct. If you live in Wellington you will know that in some circles Paul was regarded as having lost his steam, his get up and go.
In his earlier times he was completely and competently 'over' most issues. He has a huge loyal following, me included, because the community I live in has been well represented by him on the Council and in Parliament. I voted for Tory Whanau.
We have had nice male mayors for several years and none have had the charisma to grab an issue.
Tory Whanau was like a breath of fresh air, I doubt the Green factor had much to do with it and neither did the so-called vote against Labour. Both overrated.
How she did appeal was for her enthusiasm, get up and go, difference to a male person and the feeling that we have nothing to lose and much to gain by electing her.
I for one appreciate that she has appointed another women as her deputy and that everyone is head down and bottom up doing and not spouting a la Trump as in Auckland.
If you tie in get up and go, progressive instincts and common sense in one person they'd get my vote every time.
Me too…..
You could be right about Paul E Shanreagh. I do have concerns about Tory's background (very recent) as a lobbiest though.
Why?
Lots of Wellington people are/have been lobbyists.
Molly… I was responding to Efeso's own comments on the racist element he encountered.
That does not mean I think it is the only reason he lost. It is clear his own people in South Auckland did not bother to vote. It was out of apathy not policy matters. Indeed apathy was as prevalent a reason as racism for his loss.
He had very good positive policies for Auckland. Apathy ensured few people bothered to seek them out. On the other hand, the Brown guy had no policies that I could ascertain… just negativity and a promise to sack all the CEOs and get rid of certain local body entities. Thus far he's reneged on almost all of his promises. REALITY HAS SET IN.
IIRC it was Efeso's campaign research results that indicated an issue with racism.
My comment was in reply to your initial comment, which reiterates the racism theme.
To what purpose?
He lost by far more than the 20,000 estimated deficit.
So, for what good purpose is it to promulgate an unverifiable accusation that amongst those that voted for other candidates there are a cohort of voters who are so racist, their only reason for not voting for Efeso Collins is to indicate their racism?
What is the intended better outcome here?
Yes a shame about Effeso Collins. Seemed a really nice guy and did great things for his community during Covid.
I am all for reducing racism, but CRT imo makes it worse.
We were the team of 5 million not that long ago. Then something changed.
I stand by my comments about there being very little racism in the health service.
Remember in the immediate aftermath of the CHCH atrocity, Drs, nurses rushed to CHCH hospital working double, triple shifts to tend to the wounded. This is just one of many examples I have re the health service not being racist.
Then Marama Davidson at a memorial service in Auckland stood up and told us how racist NZders were (despite the perp being Australian), Our police quickly arrested the white supremicist in Chch and he was imprisoned for a while.
And there was a huge outpouring of grief and support for the muselim community (saw Cat Stevens interviewed recently who said when he came here after the attacks, he had never seen anything like the outpouring of geniune support).
Most NZders find racism repugnant. But when you change the definition of racism to being all white people are racists, then you will get back lash.
Anyway Anne, interested to hear what you think is a way forward for race relations in our country.
Efeso is being morally lazy.
Efeso could have won if:
Efeso had been leading in the polls for most of the race and it is an indictment on him and his campaign team that they could take a winning campaign and lose inside the last 2 weeks.
He was leading because there were three candidates on the Right. First Molloy dropped out and then at the last minute Viv Beck, so what had been a three way split went across to Brown. Dirty politicking by Matthew Hooton re- Viv Beck.
But you know that Ad.
" First Molloy dropped out and then at the last minute Viv Beck, so what had been a three way split went across to Brown. Dirty politicking by Matthew Hooton re- Viv Beck."
How is this "dirty politicking"?
Surely it's just a consolidation of votes.
I was referring to the stories leaked to the media about Viv Beck. It seems she had a financial problem and info. related to it suddenly started swirling around in the media. That was a ploy straight out of the Dirty Politics playbook to force Viv Beck to step down. There may well have been a fiscal issue in her past, but using it to destroy someone for political gain is DP in my view.
Matthew Hooton is Wayne Brown's "political adviser" and he has a penchant for smearing opponents at every opportunity. He was mentioned in dispatches by Nicky Hager when he wrote his book "Dirty Politics". all those years ago.
Thanks Anne.
That makes sense in terms of Dirty Politics, if the rumours were baseless.
She apparently owed quite a bit of money but hadn't paid it back. Something along those lines, but there may have been a valid reason for not yet having done so. Whatever, its nobody else's business but hers unless there was criminality involved and we would have heard if there was.
Viv Beck is a member of the National Party but I will defend anyone who is the victim of back-stabbing of that type regardless of their politics. I've been a victim in the past – although not played out in the public eye – so I know what it feels like.
IIRC, The Dirty Politic strategy was more about manufacturing rumour and innuendo, and media using the Whale Oil blog as a verified source.
As you say, the unpaid bill may be a legitimate query. However, given the context sherobably should've had a ready robust reply to any queries.
True. She was missing in action there.
I agree except for the 'very'. We seem to be more easily beguiled by the likes of US dis/mis-information amplified by people like
Plunket
Counterspin, VFF, Destiny and the usual suspects at the Parliamentary protest.
Now we are seeing people who say that efforts to stamp out racism is racist? So to teach history through the lens of this happened, it was good and bad….let us look at both sides is now claimed to be CRT and CRT IS BAD apparently.
How long do we have to re fight these anti racist, anti sexist battles. To those who cannot see these are the same side of the same coin…….to denigrate those who are different, to other …….
I fought these as a person 50 years ago. Many of us did. Please view life through a NZ centric lens. The US and it theories has little to teach us except that racism and sexism still exist and they are still a problem in most walks of life. We still need to constantly examine our systems to make sure that systemic racism and sexism is not hiding out there.
"agree except for the 'very'."
Yes. That was going a bit over the top.
The righties seem to have imported the 'CRT' buzzphrase from the US in the last few months, partly as VFF and fellow travellers try to pivot from vaccines to other 'concerns' they can fundraise on the backs of.
Yes it has that feel about it doesn't it? Sadly.
"Now we are seeing people who say that efforts to stamp out racism is racist? So to teach history through the lens of this happened, it was good and bad….let us look at both sides is now claimed to be CRT and CRT IS BAD apparently."
We are adopting a philosophy (and policies) that do seem to originate from Critical Race Theory from the States, so Anker is not off beat to refer to it as such, despite the desire of many NZers to think that we have addressed the issue entirely by ourselves. Our relationship with Te Tiriti and tangata whenua may be unique, but much of the dialogue is very similar to that from the States. Much of the public conversation is very similar along with the perspectives and justifications.
I think the intention of CRT is good. I also believe the use of CRT, and implementation of it is divisive and not fit for purpose. So, yes, if used without further regard for other aspects – it can be bad.
Collins lost because he was unable to get voters to turn out. Pure and simple. He was also a terrible public speaker who campaigned against gay marriage and was a weed prohibitionist up against a pro gay marriage pro weed candidate. Collins was totally unappealing to young people so they stayed home.
He was also left wing candidate in a city that had already had 12 consecutive years of center left mayors.
Racism exists in NZ absolutely, it exists everywhere, but and I come from a mixed race family, NZ is not a racist country.
If NZ is a "very racist country" then why are hundreds of cultures living harmoniously in cities and towns across NZ?
Honestly I only ever hear how horribly racist NZ is from people born here, people who have immigrated here are the most patriotic and passionately pro NZ people you'll ever meet because they truly appreciate and love this country.
And hypothetically, if NZ was a racist place , not a place where a majority of citizens believed in giving everyone a fair go and standing up for human rights abuses even when our progressive govt stays silent in exchange for milk product access, labour would be polling at sub 5% for it's reforms to health at water infrastructure.
Collins losing an election does not make NZ an intolerant nation. It does not say anything about NZ.
The left really ought to stop crapping over voters and calling the country irredeemable and focus on how to win voters over and better yet, how to get voters to turn out, that's the real issue here not some guy who has been on the wrong side of history multiple times losing a mayoralty election.
Which can be difficult to ‘hear’, let alone accept. NZ is not alone in this, of course.
https://youtu.be/g9n_UPyVR5s
It's a popular story – but the largest race crimes in NZ, a series of land rorts, were not really race driven, but profit driven. Those responsible would have cheerfully dispossessed persons of any creed or colour.
Racism is not the cause of all evils, and hypersensitivity to it therefore, is less constructive than it may at first sight appear.
David Stove has a pretty good analysis of the issue: Racial and Other Antagonisms : David Stove : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
Absolutely agree Stuart Munro
Agree.
Absolutely – not all evils.
Constructive or not, insensitivity/sensitivity/hypersensitivity to racism is informed by experience, or lack thereof.
Thanks for the link to Stove’s analysis – he was a man of his time (1927 – 1994).
If I'm understanding Stove correctly, racism is "an utterly foolish word" because racism (like ageism and sexism) is pervasive – a shared belief; a truth.
Which would come as no surprise to Stove. Still, imho it's a worthwhile endeavour to strive for the best possible outcomes for all Kiwis. Attempting to address known factors that contribute to poor outcomes may be helpful.
As far as I know any racism (might Stove prefer 'race-based bias'?) directed at me has always been to my advantage – just 'lucky' I guess, and my luck need only hold for another 10 – 15 years at best (3 – 8 years if I was Māori).
Penetrating analysis indeed.
He's a clever fellow, Stove, but his arguments are wont to turn in the hand were one to try to extend them too far. Nevertheless, his points about the ubiquity, and the rationality, of racial antagonism are worth remembering.
For my own part I've seen a little of both kinds – Saudi bureaucracy for example, might well have been created as a satire of the British civil service, and would have provided an abundance of material for Gilbert and Sullivan. The antagonism that has evolved between native and L2 English teachers is more fraught.
One need not look too far in contemporary NZ to find examples of discrimination intended to 'balance the scales', which rarely targets that cohort of malefactors that made off with the bulk of Maori land.
I acknowledge the necessity of combating racial disparities in health and (I presume) legal services however.
Yes that is the fundamental. We give nothing to racism.
Why do we need imported not fit for purpose ideas such as CRT when our solutions should be NZ driven and NZ centric.
We have imported all sorts of unfit 'things' from abroad.
From the discussions on TS recently I find it disturbing that people can purportedly recognise sexism, anti women sentiments…at least I thought that was in large part the concern at the trans agenda. My concern was that it seemed to be posited as a for/against argument that by condemning discrimination against trans it meant that women as a biological category were squeezed out to the sidelines. With the result that saying yes to sexism seemed almost to be OK if you supported the trans agenda.
My concern is heightened in that some of those who I had looked up to as having their fingers on the pulse of this women centric debate on the trans issue seem to feel that it is not an issue to hold almost anti Maori views.
In my years of activism on the 'isms' debate it did not matter where the discrimination was coming from it was to be condemned. We certainly tried not to indulge in it ourselves.
Now I am wondering with my view that sexism and racism are both bad, are both to be watched and stamped out, is naive and old fashioned and that it is Ok to be anti sexism but not anti racism.
I am wondering now if I have got caught in some fundy deep state stuff that is anti trans but not pro women and definitely not pro other races.
So:
Give nothing to sexism
Give nothing to racism.
Leave the CRT theory over in the US where it belongs. Their things are not our things. We work on solutions in our way. some of the solutions have involved tweaks to our syllabuses and education about Treaty issues. These are home grown ways to address our ism issues.
What rubbish. Wayne Brown probably lost at least 20,000 votes from the Manukau area because he's white. People voted for change and against Efesso's policies. They didn't want a left leaning mayor who would have been a yes man to the government as Auckland had previously had Phil Goff and Len Brown who were left leaning.
Anne, I agree there are too many intolerant, angry people in NZ, often in the older age bracket.
They can't cope for example with the frequency of "Aotearoa" being used now. I have said to some there are Great Britain, British Isles, United Kingdom for the one region so Aotearoa and New Zealand are surely not so out of place. I have also said what thoroughly boring names North Island and South Island are, when the Māori names are so poetic in comparison. Younger ones are more relaxed about this and I have noticed many younger ones sing the National anthem Māori words at big sports events.
I'd agree with you on the North Island and South Island names being boring and the Te Reo alternatives are much better in that case however New Zealand is pretty cool as a name and it is relevant whereas Aotearoa is both manufactured and less interesting. New Zealand is new in terms of human and geological history and it is most definately a sea land as the land mass is surrounded and protected by sea. The Z makes the name stand out and you get to pretend we have some zeal which is cool word meaning "great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective". Aotearoa just means a land with a long white cloud which is what ANY land mass of any size looks like when you approach it from the sea. Big deal.
I like that NZ has the "Z" (as per Bill Manhire's poem) and Aotearoa is at the start or the alphabet (before Aussie!).
That's I like the idea of having both. Anyway, manufactured can't be worse than rehashed.
Relevant? It is based on a Dutch province. Aotearoa is in the language unique to this country.
Lot's of land masses get named after other places even those in Te Reo.
"Relevant"
And 'New Zealand' just 'means' 'Nova Zeelandia'.
What's in a name? I like ‘Aotearoa New Zealand’. If it was only about what names mean (as opposed to the significance of names) then I'd agree with you.
NZ nearly (43%) had a new flag (was that a good idea?) – why not a new name?
I like Aotearoa New Zealand too.
I think calling the the country 'Aotearoa New Zealand' would be a good compromise
"The name Australia (pronounced /əˈstreɪliə/ in Australian English) is derived from the Latin australis, meaning "southern", and specifically from the hypothetical Terra Australis postulated in pre-modern geography."
Big deal. Shoulda called it New Liverpool or something equally relevant.
It was briefly called New Holland.
May the saints preserve us!!
The name "New Zealand" is certainly manufactured, and certainly manufactured very poorly.
You should see the looks I get when I point out to people 'what a lovely sounding language Maori is'. Aotearoa is a beautiful name. "Aotearoa New Zealand" is a title all of us should be proud of. So what is wrong with the jerks?
Oh of course. Racism.
” So what is wrong with the jerks?
Oh of course. Racism.”
You may be "bored" with it, but others may have close associations with the name that represented the country of their ancestors and themselves. Families have memories of men they lost while fighting for New Zealand, and for many of them the name has a rhythm and romance of its own. Māori and non-Māori alike.
Aotearoa is not the only name given by Māori to our country, and it is not accepted without contention amongst different iwi. So, not exactly the elegant solution you assume.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aotearoa
We must be able to acknowledge all of the past, and recognise that blundering into what is considered reparative may hold pitfalls of its own.
I prefer to comment with brevity most of the time, but it comes with the risk of being misinterpreted. However, I thought my comment:
"Aotearoa New Zealand" is a title all of us should be proud of."
would have been sufficient to explain my position.
Of course I do not wish to see New Zealand dropped for the reasons you have given.
"Of course I do not wish to see New Zealand dropped for the reasons you have given."
All good, Anne.
Aotearoa as a precursor(?) remains contentious though. It is not the only candidate.
Families have memories of men they lost while fighting for
New Zealandmurderous, kleptocratic imperialism in the name of an inbred aristocracy with a penchant for subjugating people and appropriating their property and for many of them the namehas a rhythm and romance of its ownis a reminder of the arrogance of their colonisers.fify
No, Joe, you fixed it for you.
Rest easy.
My relatives who died in the second world war did so fighting against i) a fascist racist regime that just happened to be trying to subjogate an entire continent, and ii) a second regime who happily treated their 'subjects' in the most barberous and inhumane manner imaginable. I thank God for those brave men and women.
Te Wai Pounamu is a beautiful name.
So jingoism is at an all time high in my life time.
YA, ya, China bad
YA, ya, Russia bad
Now it's those perky North Koreans who keep amping it up
Funny thing about us humans, when one side beats the drums of war. Others join in, and play that silly game as well.
Stop the blame game, time to calm down.
Agree adam. When you think about it, they are all like a bunch of squabbly school children who want to be top dog.
However a desperate despot in Russia is another matter…..
What!!!
Russia invaded thier naighbours,
Tiny rocket man is shooting rockets over north Korean boundary,
If I was head patrician neither of those men would be leaders anymore,
I really cannot say I support either the Russia/China axis or the NATO axis, because when you dig down into it, it is free market capitalism (US/UK/EU) against 'traditional family values" (Russia/China, etc). Both of which I find repugnant.
NZ extremist pleads guilty to sabotage. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/who-is-graham-philip-the-first-kiwi-convicted-of-sabotage/2WHL72EOE4ZM2L3WNQDBJEYPRI/
Shame on Efesto Collins playing the race card for his loss, the fact is it was a very low turn out in South Auckland his own people did not get out to vote for him.
It's not all about "the race card" – and it's not all about "his own people" either
He said it was because he is brown he lost, no poor turn out by Labour supporters in South Auckland !!!
He lost because over 50,000 more people voted for Wayne Brown. Playing the race card really makes Efesso sound like a sore loser.
Did Paul Eagle lose because of racism?
When you can't even spell his name correctly you can't expect most people here to take you seriously.
Do ypu think brown was called a white cunt at any of his meetings??
You mean, out loud?
I'd be surprised if he wasn't. But he's not blaming that on missing out on 20,000 votes from Manukau.
Anne won't take you seriously as you can't even spell "you" correctly.
Yep – a silly move. I voted for Collins because he's not a self-aggrandising sh*t-head who'll make every significant problem we face worse while shouting obsessively about the imaginary grievances floating around in his own brain. Others voted against him for the same reason – mostly.
The Sahara Desert once used to be lush and green with lakes and rivers.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-really-turned-sahara-desert-green-oasis-wasteland-180962668/
California used to be too.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2344912-the-us-megadrought-wont-just-end-it-will-change-the-land-forever/
Our islands used to be cloaked in forests, ringing with birds song.
Antarctica used to be green and fertile and it was covered with a rain forest.
That was, apparently, less than a thousand km from the South Pole.
https://earthsky.org/earth/a-temperate-rainforest-in-antarctica-during-the-age-of-dinosaurs/