The government is expected to push its three waters reforms – which would put drinking, storm and waste water management in the hands of four organisations – through Parliament this year. Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta is set to receive advice from the governance and accountability working group on how to address councils' concerns on Monday, after they were granted a seven-day extension.
The group's terms of reference include bottom-line requirements from the government that the water service entities give effect to Treaty of Waitangi, ensure "good governance" and board selection processes, ensure the entities remain in public ownership, and retain balance sheet separation. The latter is a financial term for the separation of ownership and control over assets being borrowed against, and would enable the water service entities to borrow much larger sums for repairing and improving water infrastructure.
Cabinet documents, from before the legislation was delayed, estimated the bill would take up to nine months. OIA documents show the delays to reform legislation announced in December mean the bill is expected to be introduced in "mid-2022". That would mean the bill would be still undergoing Parliamentary scrutiny during the October local body elections – something Mahuta had hoped to avoid.
"Previous conversations with you and other ministers have indicated a strong desire for the first Bill to be enacted around mid-2022, in advance of the local government elections. To meet this timeframe, we estimate the Bill will need to … be referred to select committee in December 2021, at the latest," a briefing to the Minister stated.
Great question. I think there's a couple out of the 67 who think it's a good idea. Aucklander's overwhelmingly oppose it. So it's not only a bad idea, it's a really unpopular one.
In the days before the invasion, Russian TV broadcast a session of President Putin's 30-member security council. The BBC includes a photo showing the immense distance between the top dog & the underdogs, along with profiles of the top underdogs…
Dr Ian Hyslop explains why it's urgent we address the social and political divisions that enabled the Parliament protest rather than "disparage the feral mob and order another latte"
Them's disparagin’ words, but Hyslop's article is a good read – ta.
However, it is also clear that this protest was about more than vaccination mandates – it was about Covid more generally, perhaps symptomatic of associated fatigue and frustration. It was also about disinformation, misinformation, and experiences or perceptions of social exclusion. The protest gathered an unusual and disparate group including alternative lifestyle adherents, some people affiliated with fundamentalist churches and, at the edges, radical Neo Nazi extremists. The conflation of individual freedom and national identity is reminiscent of the Trump phenomenon in the US and the rise of narrow right-wing populism globally: a populism often cynically supported by private capital.
The meme that this is a "division" rather than a small minority of the stupid, doesn't reflect reality. It gives the idea that they are a far bigger group than they really are.
Why didn't we hear about , "division" during the many times larger anti TPPA, anti AGW and gen zero protests.
Perhaps as those, unlike the Wellington one, were really supported by a significant number of people.
The current Wellington Pro Plague, along with the Pro Polluter protests are extremely noisy and disruptive, but certainly not reflective of the views of the overwhelming majority, who find the foolishness obvious.
By the way. Most of the people objecting to vaccine mandates, and travel restrictions, seem to be rather comfortable middle class Wallies. Workers and the ones at the dirty end of the Neo-Liberal stick, largely seem on side with protecting public health. About 300 to 2 in my workplace voted to make vaccination mandatory.
Democracy!
Blue collar workers, used to working together for the good of their community see the sense in mandates and other public health measures, to protect those close to them.
The there are, entitled brats, who have never had any concern for those around them…….
Is Putin trying to convince us that the Ukrainians are conducting false flag attacks on their own people?
Though Russian allegations of a false flag attacks may have convinced some people in the past over Syria. Putin's useful idiots in the West will have trouble spinning this story.
He is ' an American political scientist and international relations scholar, who belongs to the realist school of thought. He is the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago. He has been described as the most influential realist of his generation.
Mearsheimer is best known for developing the theory of offensive realism, which describes the interaction between great powers as being primarily driven by the rational desire to achieve regional hegemony in an anarchic international system. In accordance with his theory, Mearsheimer believes that China's growing power will likely bring it into conflict with the United States. He also holds U.S. interventionist foreign policy responsible for the crisis in Ukraine.'
Why wouldn't Putin try to convince us that the Ukrainians are conducting false flag attacks on their own people? You can be certain some will be convinced what he says is true and that will become The Word.
In the Herald today David Farrier alludes (again) to the weird things being said.
"I documented in real time Billy Te Kahika jnr's Facebook posts over that time (early Covid). Originally supporting Jacinda Ardern's reaction to Covid, within several months Billy became an entirely different beast, spouting conspiracy theories galore. He went into politics, failed miserably, and today is mostly raving about aliens on Facebook. Now Sue Gray — a more accessible, white face to the crazy — screams about dead children and vaccine deaths."
I don't know about Brian Tamaki and his "gangster mates."
Farrier references religious angle on the protest:
"Many of our biggest pentecostal and evangelical churches also drank the Kool-Aid, taking their adherents down an anti-science route that questioned whether Covid was real, or if masks worked. It's one thing for a church to deny evolution, it's another for it to deny modern science that will affect public health outcomes. "All those needles going into the arm, it's like they're trying to wear me down!" said the leader of one megachurch. "We do know it has not been fully approved by the FDA …" he raved on. He was wrong.
The media tended to focus on Destiny Church's Brian Tamaki, as he was the loudest and strangest, but it was City Impact Church pastor Peter Mortlock who drove to the Wellington "protest" to livestream his thoughts."
Tamaki seems to have aligned his cult with the 'Freedom & Rights coalition.' With that he is carrying on his permanent electioneering. The words are 'get rid of the government," the message is "pick me." Covid and vaccinations are merely handy handles.
Gangster mates? I don't know about that. I know a big body of loud motorbikes roaring in canyons of buildings sounds impressive to some. And threatening to others, what with the Headhunters, Mongrel Mob, Hell's Angels and so on references. No-one would believe that Tamaki wouldn't harness whatever is needed to make an impression.
Big guys, black gear, dark sunnies, staunch demeanour? It's like a parody of American gangster movies. It's a wonder Tamaki hasn't paid big bucks (from the people who willingly give him money to buy their way into heaven) to commission the Cohen Brothers to shoot a film about him.
A declaration of war against Europe was narrowly missed yesterday when bombs hit the training centre at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.
A strike at a Ukrainian nuclear power plant was my worst fear at the start of the invasion.
I have been listening to speech after speech from the UN, Nato and the US. Words will not be enough for Putin.
The situation is dire for the Ukrainians, food shortage, bombed hospitals, the Russian convoy. I am pleased to see that many Polish and German people have taken Ukrainian people into their home, (other near by countries as well). Poland and Germany have faced Russia in the past and will be affected economically and the threat of a nuclear explosion cannot be excluded. Germany and Poland have moved on since 1945 and they are now on the same side and they stand side by side being Nato members.
I suggest that one means of settling the Ukraine invasion would be to have a duel between the leader of the Russian forces and the Mayor of Kyiv. One on one.
Now I realise that David beat Goliath in the Biblical story but I would put my money on the Ukrainian representative in this encounter. His name is Vitali Klitschko. If that doesn't ring a bell try googling the name and see what his previous occupation was.
Hell, I wouldn't go for it if I was in my physical prime and 20 years old.
Actually I did mean the Russian military leader in the country rather than Putin. Not only is Vitali 19 years younger than Vladimir but he must be about 35 cm taller.
yes a fit 70 year black belt judoka would be dangerous to joe average but Kitschko is himself a former professional world champion boxer 20 years his junior.
Alwyn (and myself) indulging in pointless (and amusing) speculation about impossible events in the absence of impacting reality..i suspect.
And 70 year old muscles cant cash cheques written by 30 year old minds….as much as they wish they could.
"Alwyn (and myself) indulging in pointless (and amusing) speculation about impossible events in the absence of impacting reality".
Yes. Vitali, and his brother Wladimir, were both World Heavyweight Boxing Champions. I really doubt that any 70 year old politician, no matter his background would, survive.
And, unfortunately we aren't going to get rid of Putin that way. Still, one can always dream about him getting his comeuppance.
He was a wonderful wrist spinner …he basically won the Adelaide Ashes test single handed when Flintoff was England captain when Australia had no hope of winning.
He was an excellent commentator and everyone seems to agree that despite his huge success as a sportsman he was not up himself….very approachable and helpful
In all the tributes I have heard nobody has mentioned that he was also a very useful batsman….sorry batter.
Didn't hear any reference to him being a drugs cheat banned for 12 months for taking a weight-reducing diuretic either. But hey, lets remember "Warnie", the larrikin. Great cricketer, flawed individual.
Heart attack seems more likely – too soon, imho. A great sportsman and entertainer, I'll remember his appearance as a Shane Warne impersonator who marries Sharon in the Aussie sitcom Kath & Kim.
In August 2021, Warne contracted COVID-19 and was placed on a ventilator "to make sure there were no longer-lasting effects that Covid would have on me". He said he "had a thumping headache and I had one day where I had the shivers, but (was) sweating, like when you have the flu and that Australians 'would have to learn to live with the virus". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shane_Warne
Never a fan but to me, the real leading wicket taker over Muralitharan, despite the record book. Done for his mum's slimming pills but never his action.
Surrogacy is an emotive issue. Particularly for those who are unwillingly childless.
But an ethical and moral discussion has to be had about the wider and long term impacts regarding the 'manufacture' and 'production' of children.
Regarding the Australian couple above:
It has been a difficult journey for the couple to become parents.
"They have been together for 20 years, and after suffering for seven long years of primary infertility, multiple IVF rounds, surgeries and specialists, they began their surrogacy journey and made the decision to employ the help of a surrogacy agency in Ukraine," friend Kara Pangrazio said on a Mycause page set up to help the couple.
"As this situation is changing rapidly it is not yet known logistically how [bringing Alba home] will happen."
Alba, who is the genetic daughter of Jessica and Kevin, is currently in the NICU suffering a small bleed on the brain as well as underdeveloped lungs and intestines.
The surrogate mother is also receiving care in the hospital.
"Jess and Kev came to the decision of using a Ukrainian surrogacy programme after a lot of careful consideration, including the legality, wait times in years, ethics and costs," Pangrazio wrote on the Mycause page.
It would be good to have a list of those considerations compiled here.
Shulzhynska, a mother of two who used to work as a trolley bus conductor, went to a surrogacy clinic in 2013 because she desperately needed to pay back a bank loan. She was so broke that the clinic sent her money to buy the ticket to Kyiv.
She agreed to carry a baby for an Italian couple, and within two months it turned out she had four living embryos in her womb. The biological family decided to keep only one and the rest were removed surgically. In May 2014 Shulzhynska gave birth to a baby girl, which she gave away to the parents. She received a fee of €9,000.
Seven months later she went to a hospital with severe stomach pain. Doctors diagnosed cervical cancer. It took her almost a year to raise money for surgery. Shulzhynska suspects the cancer was caused by her surrogacy, although there is no proof of this. She has recently ordered crutches because her doctors plan to amputate her left leg, which is now affected by the spreading cancer.
In 2015, Shulzhynska filed a complaint against BioTexCom alleging damage caused to her health, which led to a criminal investigation that is ongoing.
Yuriy Kovalchuk, a former state prosecutor whose office oversaw a series of criminal investigations into BioTexCom in 2018 and 2019, says at least three other women went to law enforcement after having their wombs removed following surrogate pregnancies organised by the company.
From the limited evidence available, the abuse of surrogates and children born from surrogacy is strikingly apparent. To date, developed countries have fueled demand for corrupt and under-regulated surrogacy industries in developing countries around the world. This demand has given rise to powerful corporations that operate without fear of government oversight. As concepts of parentage continue to expand, so must international family law. The Hague Convention’s Experts’ Group is the most qualified international body to champion the regulation of the industry and the protection of women and children.
They – could of course adopt children in their home countries, all these couples that order babies from overseas birthing bodies, but that would then mean that they child is 'not theirs'.
I find it interesting that the only interest is in the babies, never mind the birthing bodies that are left behind in the war region.
But here is Tamati Coffey, 'father' of two babies from a surrogate mother and his bill to make it even easier to buy babies of birthing bodies for as little money as possible. Don't ever say these 'gender woo's' don't know what a women is when they need one. lol
However we can't blame Tamati Coffey for having his priorities straight, maybe there is is a future industry for Rotorua in the making, all the unproductive uteruses of uterus havers (specially the unemployed) can be put to work birthing for 'infertile people' such as he and his husband are as two men together – despite all the myth of those afflicted with gender woo – never conceived a child nor birthed even just one.
Personally i can see a future – a near future at that, where unemployed women could be compelled to 'donate eggs' – as work, be a 'surrgate mother' – as work, i.e. for pay as income, or sell 'surplus' breast milk for money as a form of income.. That and of course then also sex work which is work and thus…….:) its gonna be a lovely future for the things we used to call 'women' adult human female.
Mother-of-three Megan Golub said she and her partner had turned to NeoKare after she had struggled to breastfeed her third son Oliver.
After trying formula, "which was even worse", her partner Robin Gibb attempted to find breast milk from elsewhere.
…
The firm claims to be the only firm in Europe selling 100% breast milk products and said it helped premature babies and mothers with problems breastfeeding.
Marketing officer Jessica Preston defended the cost of what the company sells, with six 50ml bottles priced at a total of £45.
But as usual, the profit margin is greater in other demographics:
Running out of room to store it, the 24-year-old mum started to donate the milk to women who were struggling to produce milk on their own – until men began to approach Lamprou for her milk.
She said: “I then started to get some enquiries from men. It started with men who were interested in bodybuilding. They say it is good for building muscle mass.
“But then I started to get enquiries from men with fetishes.”
After realising there was quite a large market of men looking for breast milk, Lamprou decided to start selling the two litres of milk she was producing a day – and began charging male buyers €1 (89p) per ounce.
…As for the fetish usage of her breast milk, Lamprou said: “It was a bit strange at first giving breast milk to a guy with fetishes but as long as it is just that and not asked to show any part of my body, I don’t mind at all. I am open-minded.”
So open minded she participates in a fetish that reduces women to lactating bovines.
Yes, it already exist, but in my scenario a women aka human female adult (producer of ova ) can be compelled by a helpful Winz drone to get a 'job' in selling breast milk – they can feed their own kids some formula or so, get a job in -surrogacy for some people, they can get a job in selling eggs – its just a wee little surgery no harm done here no not at all, and / or sex work – its work, dignified work yes, it is, cause work is work and if you are able and fit and demand is there why won't you take it, and if you don't take it, here have some sanctions. I give it a few years.
This Bill amends five Acts and two sets of Regulations to simplify surrogacy arrangements, ensure completeness of information recorded on birth certificates (hah!), and provide a mechanism for the enforcement of surrogacy arrangements (the fact that this is necessary shows a fundamental flaw).
New Zealand law does not currently afford any automatic rights to the intending parents of a child born via surrogacy. At the time of birth, the child’s legal parents are the surrogate mother and partner, and a formal adoption process is required to complete the arrangement.(why is this necessary – have there been problems in the past?) This Bill affirms the intending parents’ automatic legal status at the point that custody of the child is transferred. It also enforces the legal obligations of intending parents if they refuse to take custody by making them liable for child support, (why is this necessary – have there been problems in the past?) even if they do not have custody of the child.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCROC), ratified by New Zealand in 1993, committed New Zealand to implementing the rights set out in the Convention. These include a child’s right from birth to know (all?)their parents and to be cared for by them (Article 7.1) and the right to seek and receive information of all kinds (Article 13(1)). This Bill requires the Registrar to also register information about the identity of the surrogate and any person who donated an embryo or cells for the pregnancy. (This isn't the case?) In this way, the Bill recognises the rights of children to know their genetic origins. (as long as it doesn't conflict with the fluidity that is gender identity?)
"They – could of course adopt children in their home countries".
Not in New Zealand they can't. From the reference below, which is a Government publication and is probably accurate we are told.
"Adoptions reached their highest number in Aotearoa New Zealand in the 1970s, with nearly 4,000 children adopted each year. The number of adoptions in Aotearoa has reduced over time, with only 125 adoptions granted by the New Zealand Family Court in 2020."
I was replying to Sabine, at comment 9.1. The quote in the first line is from Sabine's comment. As such my comment didn't really have anything to do with surrogacy but to the implication in Sabines comment that couples don't have to use surrogacy when they can simply adopt.
I do know a number of people who were adopted. I don't find them to have been any different to anyone else. I don't know any that were born via surrogacy, but that probably has more to do with my age than anything else. Adopting was a standard option when I was the age to be having children and I know people who followed that path. You can't really do it today though. Surrogacy was unheard of.
I understand you were answering Sabine, just wanted to know if you had thoughts on surrogacy. As Sabine linked, there is a bill currently at first reading.
It would be good to have a public discussion on what this really legislates for.
"Surrogacy was unheard of."
Whāngai has always been around, My mother (now in her eighties) and two other siblings were whāngai placements. It still happens, if not so often, with reliable accessible contraception and support.
I believe Sabine has a good grasp of the wider ramifications of surrogacy, and the justifications for it – hence the adoption comment.
Looking at the process for commercial surrogacy the ethical and moral considerations are numerous. I was hoping there would be a discussion around those points. eg. the risk of medication required for implants/egg retrieval causing cancer being borne by the surrogate/provider, the commodification of children, and women's bodies, the emotional and social impact of carrying/ having someone else carry a child, the economic situation that allows this exploitation, etc.
No. Emotionally it seems rather odd to me, but that is just an instantaneous and not a considered response. Neither I, nor anyone in my immediate family had any problems procreating. Mind you my eldest sister took it to extremes. She had 4 children under the age of 3 by the time she had her fourth wedding anniversary.
However I am not able to make any reasoned comment on the topic of surrogacy so I will keep out of the discussion.
"However I am not able to make any reasoned comment on the topic of surrogacy so I will keep out of the discussion."
Thanks, alwyn. I appreciate your reply.
I'm interested in your last statement. I would expect that anyone given information about a situation, would be able to make a 'reasoned comment' albeit with provisos.
I wonder if the emotive nature of childbearing and childlessness, and the obscuring factor of this makes this topic yet another that will not be sufficiently investigated and discussed before passing legislation.
I admit to being bored by the repetitive and circular nature of discussions around the vaccines and protests, and thought there might be some interest in examining another topic that has legislation being considered.
Not sure how adoption is handled in NZ. This article that Molly linked to was about a couple in OZ that bought a pregnancy off a low income women in the Ukraine, and that was what my comment is about.
Disclaimer: I can not have children. Physically am not able to have children. Did not buy a pregnancy of a low income women to make up for the not having children. Did look into adoption, but choose not to go that way. Had a surrogacy offered to me by my best friend, and did not choose to go ahead, mainly for these reasons. A. my genetic material may not interact well with hers. B. nine month pregnancy is a long time on a women and her existing children. C. Pregnancy does things to womens bodies. D. Post Partum Depression is a thing. E. What if something goes wrong and the mother suffers? Just a few of the issues.
Yes, i can see the lease of the reproductive body parts of the human adult female become a thriving business. It already is in India, Ukraine, Russia etc. During the first month of the lockdown there already was a wave of babies not being picked up by their 'parents' etc, and these babies suddenly got stuck with their birthing parents. Suddenly we know what women and mothers are.
It's good to read someone's thought processes about consideration of surrogacy, and the reasons why they decided against it.
Pregnancy is not a neutral body condition. It puts a woman's body under stress, even through good pregnancies, leaches calcium, and as you say makes changes that need to be accommodated during gestation and beyond. The emotional and social costs are harder to articulate, but they do exist even if they are ignored.
It is telling that you had a friend that offered, and also that as a friend, you declined.
I was fortunate enough to be able to have children, and not be in the position of yearning and despair that I can understand in others. I think I would be inclined to think like you, and refuse an offer of surrogacy for some of the reasons you have stated. My partner and I would have to grieve the loss of that role as parents, but along with other life obstacles, we'd have to move on.
Thanks for responding. We need the objective views of the reality, as well as the understandably heartfelt entreaties from those who use other women as incubators. That price list, huh?
Families Through Surrogacy, an international non-profit surrogacy organisation, has estimated the approximate average costs in different countries:
Profitable it will be. And if you take in mind that we actively promoting the 'changing' of ones sex, and that that change comes with castration/sterilization it will be a booming business once all these people realize that they can no longer have children.
Never mind the kids that we are going to chemically castrate thanks to puberty blockers and the likes. But they will profit of the good lawmaking of Tamati Coffey and can then offer a womb rental agreement to some ‘uterus haver’ for a child that they can neither father, or in the opposite birth.
And hence the need to legalise and regulate the market as the bill by noted 'father' of two children born to a 'birthing body' via a uterus lease agreement.
Actually for what its worth, Tamati Coffey could have saved himself a lot of work and put forward the Ferengi Rules about womb leases and prices / costs there of.
It is a profitable business. One article above states that couples pay $25,000 (I assume USD) to the business, the surrogate receives up to $10,000.
We have to view these arrangements objectively and dispassionately in order to identify whether they are both moral and ethical. Stripping away all emotive appeals, we are treating a woman's body as a manufacturing plant. Unlike a manufacturing plant, there are no replacement parts, or ways to avoid wear and tear. Also, we ignore the impact of pregnancy on a woman's life, especially one that results in no child for that woman.
Relating stories of euphoric or satisfied commercial surrogates, is the equivalent of using The Happy Hooker as justification for prostitution. The majority of women in commercial surrogacy are being exploited.
The issue of non-commercial surrogacy has other considerations to be discussed, but still – as you mention – carries risks.
Well they missed the chch earthquake memorial as they were more concerned about the lawns and the curtains,and noisy neighbours,and so they could pass urgent legislation in this Brave New world ensuring the sanctity of Freemartins.
The mandates are only as good as those who comply with them.
I expect scanning is down. Probably getting a booster as well. I got boosted late last week and when I left I thought, that better be the last one.
A lot of people would know family who are infected with Covid. Hard because some would want to help those with young children, but cannot risk being infected.
And an interesting perspective over the announced change to legislate for an independent sanctions policy (rather than piggybacking on UN sanctions, which NZ has previously done – of course, the UN security council will never sanction Russia)
Mandates have reached their full potential as far as preventing hospital admissions. Due to high infection rates no mandate is able to stop infections.
A lot of gaps in the papers these days where new stories are supposed to be ( ie they fill them with a link to a story all ready mentioned.
Im not sure of its covid related staffing problems or that the Ukraine situation has sucked all interest out of other stories and they are holding them back
The Society for Evidence Based Gender Medicine (and no, WPATH is not evidence based despite assumptions) have compared the newly released Swedish evidence reviewed policy with the draft of the updated WPATH due for release this year:
The National Academy of Medicine in France has issued a press release in which it cautions medical practitioners that the growing cases of transgender identity in young people are often socially-mediated and that great caution in treatment is needed. The Academy draws attention to the fact that hormonal and surgical treatments carry health risks and have permanent effects, and that it is not possible to distinguish a durable trans identity from a passing phase of an adolescent's development.
The document as a whole shows an "affirming care" approach, at any age or stuation.
It contains many non-evidence based statements:
Puberty blockers are considered to be fully reversible and allow the adolescent time prior to making a decision on starting hormone therapy.
There have been no long term follow up studies on this. Current indications are that there are significant detrimental health outcomes, including bone mineralisation, cardiac health and brain development.
Max Tweedle on the Spinoff denigrates the paltry number (14/yr @ $53k) of gender affirming surgeries for the current annual $748,000 surgery budget, and the $4.23 million as a reason for the Rainbow Ministry. (Government provides support via other ministries to NGOs that aren't quantified).
Detrans support is not mentioned in the article, or indeed on many NGO sites. When it is the bias is clear:
Usually “retransition” is the term that acknowledges that gender identity is a journey of exploration, and that it is possible to transition to a transgender identity or a cisgender identity multiple times.
The word “detransition” is most often used by anti-trans campaigners, who wish to stop people from accessing gender-affirming healthcare – either to affirm a transgender identity or a cisgender one.
Young people receiving 'affirming health care' in NZ are doing so on assumptive, non long-term evidence based data. They will carry the consequences of the failure of adults.
Will we require them to look and create their own support networks, on redditand elsewhere? Or will we recognise the reality that social, medical and/or surgical treatments during childhood and puberty are not benign and adjust treatment accordingly?
It is apparent to me that NZ is not only enthusiastically late to the party, we are going to stay till the hangover is guaranteed.
Thanks for posting this Molly. Good to have the update.
And the fear is with the Conversion Practices Bill, parents and possibly some health professionals may find them self being investigated by the police if they don't affirm/confirm the young persons gender identity.
I can't understand why people are up in arms about this.
"I can't understand why people are up in arms about this."
I have a comment in my head that contains a lot of swear words, but essentially I think they are 'Being Kind' instead of being aware, evidence-based, diligent and responsible.
NBHW emphasized the need to treat gender dysphoric youth with dignity and respect, while providing high quality, evidence-based medical care that prioritizes long-term health. NBHW also emphasized that identity formation in youth is an evolving process, and that the experience of natural puberty is a vital step in the development of the overall identity, as well as gender identity.
In light of above limitations in the evidence base, the ongoing identity formation in youth, and in view of the fact that gender transition has pervasive and lifelong consequences, the NBHW has concluded that, at present, the risks of hormonal interventions for gender dysphoric youth outweigh the potential benefits.
As a result of this determination, the eligibility for pediatric gender transition with puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones in Sweden will be sharply curtailed. Only a minority of gender dysphoric youth—those with the “classic” childhood onset of cross-sex identification and distress, which persist and cause clear suffering in adolescence—will be considered as potentially eligible for hormonal interventions, pending additional, extensive multidisciplinary evaluation.
For all others, including the now-prevalent cohort of youth whose transgender identities emerged for the first time during or after puberty, psychiatric care and gender-exploratory psychotherapy will be offered instead. Exceptions will be made on a case-by-case basis, and the number of clinics providing pediatric gender transition will be reduced to a few highly specialized centralized care centers.
Russia-Ukraine war: The staff members leaving the studio after resigning.
The entire staff of a Russian television channel resigned live on-air after declaring “no to war” in the final telecast. The decision was taken by the staff of TV Rain (Dozhd) after Russian authorities suspended its operations over its coverage of Ukraine war.
Natalia Sindeyeva, one of the channel's founders, said “No to war” in its last telecast as the employees staged a walkout from the studio. The channel later said in a statement that it has suspended the operation "indefinitely".
The video of mass resignation was shared by writer Daniel Abrahams on LinkedIn.
After the dramatic exit of the staff, the channel played the 'Swan Lake' ballet video, which was shown on state-run TV channels in Russia when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. The video has now gone viral on social media.
Really? Not saying men can't be pro-women's rights but surely to be a feminist you have to be active in that particular field.
Of course Chris, who ran an airline in case you didn’t know, brings up said airline as proof of his record as a feminist:
As you look at my record at Air New Zealand where we worked really hard to build women from 16 percent of the top 100 jobs up to 44 percent in a very short period of time
And good on him, this looks like affirmative action on steroids. I wonder if he will do the same for Maori, or will his voting base balk at that.
What is going on with the Covid testing and RAT roll out in Wellington?
"The concerning behaviour ranges from widespread verbal abuse aimed at staff to instances of members of the public striking the walls of testing shelters with staff inside, attempts to steal boxes of RATs, and at least one assault."
It's a surge, mate. It's the surge. This is NZ's worst time in the whole pandemic but here we are complaining about a few queues and some arseholes trying to steal tests to sell on the black market.
Yes we all knew ,so why were they so unprepared? and why open the borders in the growth phase of an epidemic,is it because the government is thick,very thick or total imbeciles?
Opening the borders is something you have been wanting for some time, surely? Not sure why you are questioning it now.
It might look to you they are unprepared because you can't buy a RAT for $50 a pop whenever you feel the need, but given pandemic response in not an exact science, I think they are doing remarkable well. The numbers certainly confirm that.
There is comparatively no disaster here, you seem to enjoy imagining or inventing one though.
I have been consistently arguing to hold the borders,Pandemic response is a known science and there are constraints,Vaccines alone are a losing strategy.This is textbook stuff.
The strategy is called Vaccines plus,it is very workable and cost efficient and has been well signalled.
I need to be very clear: vaccines alone will not get any country out of this crisis. Countries can and must prevent the spread of Omicron with measures that work today. It’s not vaccines instead of masks, it’s not vaccines instead of distancing, it’s not vaccines instead of ventilation or hand hygiene. Do it all. Do it consistently. Do it well.
Yeah, and NZ is doing all those health measures plus vaccines. It's exactly those things we are doing which differs from the rest of he world. It's those things that we are doing which makes the ACT, the far right, the anti-vax, and the anti-mandate people so angry.
All those things are exactly what this government and the country has done so well, but you are bagging them and us for it. I don’t understand.
Personally, I think that Pfizer booster slays Coronavirus. It almost literally knocked me off my feet the next day and my hunch is it turns the Covid lion into a mouse.
My partner's employer (an essential, sorry 'critical' industry) had their order of RAT tests, prioritised to the MoH by the supplier just last week. Not the first time.
The failure of the MoH to order and secure sufficient supply for this outbreak, is apparent.
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 ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?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 ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Photo by Jari Hytönen on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
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. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
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 ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
“Show us the bird,” I found myself muttering at times while reading Hard by the Cloud House by Peter Walker, a deeply thoughtful, often hilarious, at times rambling – but somehow delightfully so – search for the story of a big bird. But not just any bird: the bird. This ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jack Marley, Environment + Energy Editor, UK edition DPVUE .images/Shutterstock Your home was probably designed for a climate that no longer exists. As long as humanity continues to burn fossil fuel, padding the heat-trapping blanket of gases in Earth’s atmosphere, the ...
A senior lawyer has filed a complaint about tikanga becoming a required law school module. Law lecturer Carwyn Jones explains what he’s getting wrong. “…the first law of Aotearoa, a law that served the needs of tangata whenua for a thousand years before the arrival of tauiwi.”– Ani Mikaere ...
In 2019, an Auckland woman woke up from surgery to find that she had undergone a treatment she didn’t consent to. She tells Alex Casey about her experience. From her very first period at the age of 14, Laura experienced “debilitating” levels of pain that forced her to withdraw from ...
Comment: Concerns about the state of the economy are creeping up to the top of firms’ list of challenges. That’s evident in both surveys and the tone of our recent client discussions. Skimming the past few weeks of eco-news, it’s not hard to see why. – Retail card spending fell ...
Opinion: Could former co-leader James Shaw still make a difference to working with National? The post How the Greens could be contenders appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Opinion: What if we got rid of our existing drug laws and replaced them with a new law that legalised and carefully regulated all psychoactive substances, from cannabis to MDMA, methamphetamine and LSD to magic mushrooms? And which also included legal drugs such as alcohol and nicotine. “Wow,” you might ...
In the gloom following director-general Al Morrison’s job cuts in 2013, the Department of Conservation restructured its operations arm. Eleven conservancy districts were whittled into six new “conservation delivery” regions, under which the Rēkohu/Wharekauri/Chatham Islands area, comprising 40 scattered islands more than 800km east of Christchurch, was tethered to the ...
One of th e country’s top litigation lawyers says New Zealand is seeing a lift in court action between companies. Chapman Tripp partner Justin Graham, who oversees a team of around 80 litigation specialists, says the courts are now so log-jammed that it’s taking over two years to get cases ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government is talking up the crucial role of gas as a transition fuel “through to 2050 and beyond”. In a gas strategy to be released on Thursday, the government envisages the fuel’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Next week the government will again next try to get its legislation through to deal with non-citizens who won’t cooperate with efforts to deport them. The bill, which the opposition and crossbench refused to rush ...
A long-term project that will set out an alternative vision for Aotearoa that looks beyond the narrow confines of the policy straight jacket adopted by successive governments. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bree Hurst, Associate Professor, Faculty of Business and Law, QUT, Queensland University of Technology TK Kurikawa/Shutterstock A much-awaited report into Coles and Woolworths has found what many customers have long believed – Australia’s big supermarkets engage in price gouging. What started ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniel Ghezelbash, Associate Professor and Deputy Director, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW Law & Justice, UNSW Sydney The Albanese government wanted to avoid an inquiry into its migration amendment bill. The report, handed down yesterday by a senate committee that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joo-Cheong Tham, Professor, Melbourne Law School, The University of Melbourne Lobbying is at the heart of government. Who has access to and influence over key government officials shapes the decisions governments make – and how they make them. The ability to influence ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Myfany Turpin, Associate Professor, Ethnomusicology, Linguistics and Ethnobiology, University of Sydney The act representing Australia at this year’s Eurovision contest has sadly not qualified for the grand final. Yet for Zaachariaha Fielding and Michael Ross, the duo that makes up Electric Fields, ...
In announcing changes to the school lunches programme, David Seymour said kids would no longer be served ‘woke’ foods. To clear up any confusion, The Spinoff has compiled a guide to the wokeness levels of some common food items. Apple = NOT WOKE Avocado = WOKE Avocado, smashed = EVEN ...
The Minister Responsible for GCSB and the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security have been notified of this review, and have been provided a finalised Terms of Reference. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Minglu Chen, Senior Lecturer, Government and International Relations, University of Sydney Robert Way/Shutterstock As the past few years have illustrated so clearly, the Australia-China relationship is complicated. As such, it is crucial for Australians to develop a more nuanced understanding of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mariana Campbell, Research Lecturer, Conservation, Charles Darwin University Marilyn Connell Australian freshwater turtles are facing an alarming trend. Almost half of these species are listed as vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered. The Mary River turtle (Elusor macrurus) is one of Australia’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Debbie Passey, Digital Health Research Fellow, The University of Melbourne Algorithms have become integral to our lives. From social media apps to Netflix, algorithms learn your preferences and prioritise the content you are shown. Google Maps and artificial intelligence are nothing without ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Josephine Barbaro, Associate Professor, Principal Research Fellow, Psychologist, La Trobe University Unsplash We’ve come a long way in terms of understanding that everyone thinks, interacts and experiences the world differently. In the past, autistic people, people with attention deficit hyperactive disorder ...
PNG Post-Courier Papua New Guinea’s deputy opposition leader James Nomane has accused the government of “reckless economic management” that has forced devaluation to manage loan repayments in foreign currency and placate the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Prime Minister James Marape “must stop lying to the people of Papua New Guinea”, ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Bookseller Confessional, in which we get to know Aotearoa’s booksellers. This week: Jane Arthur, author of Brown Bird, and former bookseller at Good Books.The book I wish I’d writtenI have been working on not comparing myself to others. On accepting that what I can ...
The final decision on the Wellington District Plan makes it official: High-density housing is legal across most of Wellington. Housing minister Chris Bishop has announced his decision on the Wellington District Plan, approving a series of amendments to radically upzone most of Wellington, allowing tens of thousands of new townhouses ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. “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 ...
RNZ News As Israel presses ahead with strikes in Rafah and seizing the Rafah crossing from Egypt, aid agencies are sounding the alarm of a “catastrophic humanitarian situation”. Rafah was “significant” because it was the only part in Gaza that had not been terribly damaged by the conflict, United Nations ...
With funding set to be scrapped for the Hamilton-Auckland commuter train, Te Huia enthusiast Georgie Dansey argues for it to be thrown a lifeline. It’s 5.45am and the chain of my crappy old bike falls off slugging up the one hill in Hamilton. I contemplate yeeting the bike into the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Cooke, Honorary Fellow, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland We feel ecological grief when we lose places, species or ecosystems we value and love. These losses are a growing threat to mental health and wellbeing globally. We all see ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shauna Brail, Associate Professor, Institute for Management & Innovation, University of Toronto A shift to hybrid and remote work continues to affect worker presence in Toronto’s downtown.(Shutterstock) Downtown Toronto, the core of Canada’s largest city, continues to reel from the lingering ...
Responding to an Auditor-General's report slamming failures in the administration of the 2023 General Election, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said: ...
Productivity apps now make up a big chunk of the software market. But do they work? And why do they all have AI integrations?Despite being firmly on the record as a physical planner fan, I sometimes dream of something better than my pretty diary and its scrawled, ugly, interior ...
The Taxpayers’ Union says the Beehive need to lead by example, following reports of more than $50,000 spent upgrading video conferencing equipment and furniture in the Prime Minister’s office. Taxpayers’ Union Campaign Manager, Connor Molloy, ...
An objective list of the 50 most powerful people in New Zealand, as judged by the Spinoff Editorial Board. It’s power list season, baby, and we want in on the action. Sure, there’s the rich list and the powerful “c-suite” list and the young people with power (hmmm) but here, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thalia Anthony, Professor of Law, University of Technology Sydney ShutterstockThis article contains information on deaths in custody and the names of deceased people, and describes ongoing colonial violence towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. First Nations people in Australia ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alex Simpson, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Macquarie University Netflix Baby Reindeer’s phenomenal success has much to do with its writer and lead, Richard Gadd, who plays Donny in a tender semi-autobiographical account of sexual abuse, harassment and stalking. Gadd’s story has ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Collins, Laureate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Newcastle KarolinaGrabowska/Pexels If you didn’t have food allergies as a child, is it possible to develop them as an adult? The short answer is yes. But the reasons why are much ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Moon, Professor of History, Auckland University of Technology Ans Westra, self-portrait, c. 1963. National Library ref AWM-0705-F They try but invariably fail – those writers who believe they are capable of encapsulating in prose or verse the essence of ...
Stewart Sowman-Lund looks at the growing concern around the world in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. What’s all this? When Covid-19 arrived on our shores in early 2020, some argued we were too slow, or crucially, ill-prepared for a pandemic. So ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Franco Montalto, Professor of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering and Director, Sustainable Water Resource Engineering Laboratory, Drexel University Water runs into a storm drain in a Los Angeles alley on Aug. 19, 2023, during Tropical Storm Hilary.Citizen of the Planet/Universal Images ...
The inquest into the death of Gore toddler Lachlan Jones has turned up a new witness who says he saw two teenagers and a small child in a high vis vest in the area where the boy’s body was found the day he died. Lachie’s body was discovered face up ...
Stories from the tenancy trenches, featuring spider infestations, cupboard rats and same-sex discrimination. Lucy’s brother was living in a damp 1930s building in Mt Eden where “he had to tie the cupboard doors closed so the rats didn’t get in”. Although he shared custody of his six-year-old son, his property ...
Simeon Brown, Chris Luxon, and Wayne Brown climbed into a hole and announced a plan to solve Auckland’s water woes. This is how it’ll work. New Zealand’s pipes are munted. They’re cracked and leaking, and struggling to handle all the extra poos excreted by our rising population. It’s a big, ...
After replacing a fifth of their caucus in just four months, the Greens’ opportunity to reset, reshuffle and refocus on the Government is quickly slipping away The post Persistent Green Party scandals delay caucus reset appeared first on Newsroom. ...
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Opinion: “As time passes, knowledge of the circumstances of the August 2016 outbreak will fade and its immediate impact will be lost.” This statement is from the 2017 report of the Official Inquiry into the Havelock North campylobacteriosis outbreak. The then National-led government established the inquiry after the outbreak left ...
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Opinion: ‘Reference-class forecasting’ is at the heart of improving pricing a project and identifying the expected timeframe but it doesn’t appear to be in use here The post ‘Think fast and act slowly’ is failing big projects appeared first on Newsroom. ...
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Media alert: Kim Hill has a selection of worthy topics today! I'm going for these
8.10 Emerson T Brooking: combatting Russia’s disinformation campaign
9.05 Michael Schur: The Good Place creator's quest to be perfect
10.05 David Wengrow: rewriting the history of humanity
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday
I wonder if Kim will invite John Mearsheimer on her show one week.
She managed Nils Melzer a few weeks ago, on the political persecution of Julian Assange.
I doubt Mearsheimer would be permitted under the current tidal wave of pro-west propaganda.
Update on Labour's big play for this year:
Poor policy, deceptive spin, dishonest consultation. 3 waters has it all.
And Councils?
Great question. I think there's a couple out of the 67 who think it's a good idea. Aucklander's overwhelmingly oppose it. So it's not only a bad idea, it's a really unpopular one.
Yet I believe rates will become untenable as they do catch-up.
In the days before the invasion, Russian TV broadcast a session of President Putin's 30-member security council. The BBC includes a photo showing the immense distance between the top dog & the underdogs, along with profiles of the top underdogs…
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60573261
The guy is suffering from paranoia imo.
Some good analysis of the whole anti mandate protests.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/convoy-politics-and-barbarians-at-the-gate?utm_source=Friends+of+the+Newsroom&utm_campaign=5534e58305-Week+In+Review+05.03.2022&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_71de5c4b35-5534e58305-47886425
Dr Ian Hyslop explains why it's urgent we address the social and political divisions that enabled the Parliament protest rather than "disparage the feral mob and order another latte"
Them's disparagin’ words, but Hyslop's article is a good read – ta.
The meme that this is a "division" rather than a small minority of the stupid, doesn't reflect reality. It gives the idea that they are a far bigger group than they really are.
Why didn't we hear about , "division" during the many times larger anti TPPA, anti AGW and gen zero protests.
Perhaps as those, unlike the Wellington one, were really supported by a significant number of people.
The current Wellington Pro Plague, along with the Pro Polluter protests are extremely noisy and disruptive, but certainly not reflective of the views of the overwhelming majority, who find the foolishness obvious.
By the way. Most of the people objecting to vaccine mandates, and travel restrictions, seem to be rather comfortable middle class Wallies. Workers and the ones at the dirty end of the Neo-Liberal stick, largely seem on side with protecting public health. About 300 to 2 in my workplace voted to make vaccination mandatory.
Democracy!
The Blue Collar Workers are accepting the mandates as they have to work and put food on the table and pay the rent.
The White Collar Workers have houses, assets and cash flow they are the ones jumping up and down and screaming.
That was them in the protest at Parliament right?
All those asset owners, jumping up and down screaming.
Maybe some of the "asset owning classes" were happy to finance aspects of it rather than "get their hands dirty"
"After all I didn't where I am today by getting my hands dirty" (hat tip to Reggie Perrin)
Blue collar workers, used to working together for the good of their community see the sense in mandates and other public health measures, to protect those close to them.
The there are, entitled brats, who have never had any concern for those around them…….
The divisions are divided.
please take this discussion to the Convoy post.
World leader who has ordered his nuclear forces to "High Combat Alert", loses touch with reality.
Really?
Is Putin trying to convince us that the Ukrainians are conducting false flag attacks on their own people?
Though Russian allegations of a false flag attacks may have convinced some people in the past over Syria. Putin's useful idiots in the West will have trouble spinning this story.
John Mearsheimer is not a 'useful idiot'.
He is ' an American political scientist and international relations scholar, who belongs to the realist school of thought. He is the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago. He has been described as the most influential realist of his generation.
Mearsheimer is best known for developing the theory of offensive realism, which describes the interaction between great powers as being primarily driven by the rational desire to achieve regional hegemony in an anarchic international system. In accordance with his theory, Mearsheimer believes that China's growing power will likely bring it into conflict with the United States. He also holds U.S. interventionist foreign policy responsible for the crisis in Ukraine.'
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mearsheimer
I have no idea who John Mearsheimer is. Or what he has to do with anything.
Apart from the glittering academic career which you have written of in your comment.
But it brings to mind a quote I once read;
As to whether, John Mearsheimer, (whoever he is), is a useful idiot, or a useless one, I have no idea.
Does he support war and oppression in foreign lands?
Why wouldn't Putin try to convince us that the Ukrainians are conducting false flag attacks on their own people? You can be certain some will be convinced what he says is true and that will become The Word.
In the Herald today David Farrier alludes (again) to the weird things being said.
"I documented in real time Billy Te Kahika jnr's Facebook posts over that time (early Covid). Originally supporting Jacinda Ardern's reaction to Covid, within several months Billy became an entirely different beast, spouting conspiracy theories galore. He went into politics, failed miserably, and today is mostly raving about aliens on Facebook. Now Sue Gray — a more accessible, white face to the crazy — screams about dead children and vaccine deaths."
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/david-farrier-5g-911-kiwis-sucked-in-by-conspiracy-theories/LBHDWH7W3JCNBIV3JFORMNIB3M/
It is undeniable that Billy Te Kahika Jnr and Sue Gray are believed, their stuff accepted as truth.
Peter what's the story on Brian Tamaki and all his Gangster Mates ?
I don't know about Brian Tamaki and his "gangster mates."
Farrier references religious angle on the protest:
"Many of our biggest pentecostal and evangelical churches also drank the Kool-Aid, taking their adherents down an anti-science route that questioned whether Covid was real, or if masks worked. It's one thing for a church to deny evolution, it's another for it to deny modern science that will affect public health outcomes. "All those needles going into the arm, it's like they're trying to wear me down!" said the leader of one megachurch. "We do know it has not been fully approved by the FDA …" he raved on. He was wrong.
The media tended to focus on Destiny Church's Brian Tamaki, as he was the loudest and strangest, but it was City Impact Church pastor Peter Mortlock who drove to the Wellington "protest" to livestream his thoughts."
Tamaki seems to have aligned his cult with the 'Freedom & Rights coalition.' With that he is carrying on his permanent electioneering. The words are 'get rid of the government," the message is "pick me." Covid and vaccinations are merely handy handles.
Gangster mates? I don't know about that. I know a big body of loud motorbikes roaring in canyons of buildings sounds impressive to some. And threatening to others, what with the Headhunters, Mongrel Mob, Hell's Angels and so on references. No-one would believe that Tamaki wouldn't harness whatever is needed to make an impression.
Big guys, black gear, dark sunnies, staunch demeanour? It's like a parody of American gangster movies. It's a wonder Tamaki hasn't paid big bucks (from the people who willingly give him money to buy their way into heaven) to commission the Cohen Brothers to shoot a film about him.
Sad people, some misogyny?
Every faction/side in Ukrania needs to take responsibility to ensure a nuclear power plant is not hit or damaged due to the conflict.
A declaration of war against Europe was narrowly missed yesterday when bombs hit the training centre at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.
A strike at a Ukrainian nuclear power plant was my worst fear at the start of the invasion.
I have been listening to speech after speech from the UN, Nato and the US. Words will not be enough for Putin.
The situation is dire for the Ukrainians, food shortage, bombed hospitals, the Russian convoy. I am pleased to see that many Polish and German people have taken Ukrainian people into their home, (other near by countries as well). Poland and Germany have faced Russia in the past and will be affected economically and the threat of a nuclear explosion cannot be excluded. Germany and Poland have moved on since 1945 and they are now on the same side and they stand side by side being Nato members.
Words don't mean jack shit to Putin he knows the UN and NATO are limp wristed.
I suggest that one means of settling the Ukraine invasion would be to have a duel between the leader of the Russian forces and the Mayor of Kyiv. One on one.
Now I realise that David beat Goliath in the Biblical story but I would put my money on the Ukrainian representative in this encounter. His name is Vitali Klitschko. If that doesn't ring a bell try googling the name and see what his previous occupation was.
Steroids or not Putin is almost 70….dont think he'd go for it
Hell, I wouldn't go for it if I was in my physical prime and 20 years old.
Actually I did mean the Russian military leader in the country rather than Putin. Not only is Vitali 19 years younger than Vladimir but he must be about 35 cm taller.
lol…Putin a black belt judoka so in his younger years he might have given it a go….guess it depends on the size of the ego
A Black Belt at 70 years old and in good shape would still be dangerous.
Black Belt is not to be taken lightly.
Depends on the weight class.
yes a fit 70 year black belt judoka would be dangerous to joe average but Kitschko is himself a former professional world champion boxer 20 years his junior.
Alwyn (and myself) indulging in pointless (and amusing) speculation about impossible events in the absence of impacting reality..i suspect.
And 70 year old muscles cant cash cheques written by 30 year old minds….as much as they wish they could.
"Alwyn (and myself) indulging in pointless (and amusing) speculation about impossible events in the absence of impacting reality".
Yes. Vitali, and his brother Wladimir, were both World Heavyweight Boxing Champions. I really doubt that any 70 year old politician, no matter his background would, survive.
And, unfortunately we aren't going to get rid of Putin that way. Still, one can always dream about him getting his comeuppance.
Nope…but if he is using steroids theres always heart attack
A dance-off, live before a studio audience, to give Zelinskyy a chance at winning.
The question is what would they wear?
dancing Kozaks?
oMG Shane Warne has died aged 52. A real shock.
I didn’t follow cricket when he was playing, but a great cricket commentator.
Also the wicket keeper Rodney Marsh.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/mar/04/rod-marsh-the-baggy-green-brigadier-and-keeper-of-australian-test-cricket-culture
He was a wonderful wrist spinner …he basically won the Adelaide Ashes test single handed when Flintoff was England captain when Australia had no hope of winning.
He was an excellent commentator and everyone seems to agree that despite his huge success as a sportsman he was not up himself….very approachable and helpful
In all the tributes I have heard nobody has mentioned that he was also a very useful batsman….sorry batter.
Didn't hear any reference to him being a drugs cheat banned for 12 months for taking a weight-reducing diuretic either. But hey, lets remember "Warnie", the larrikin. Great cricketer, flawed individual.
Shane Warne died of being a terminal asshole.
Heart attack seems more likely – too soon, imho. A great sportsman and entertainer, I'll remember his appearance as a Shane Warne impersonator who marries Sharon in the Aussie sitcom Kath & Kim.
And, lest we forget, "I'm regrowing my own hair… Yeah Yeah!"
Given the suggested link between (long) COVID and impaired cardiovascular health, I wonder if the virus played a hand.
Nailed the race to the bottom today, and real classy with it, too.
Have some sense of decorum. Think of his kids.
Have some sense of decorum. Think of his kids. Ad
Too much hard living, covid statistic ?
NEWSFLASH: Autopsy reveals Shane Warne mostly cocaine.
Never a fan but to me, the real leading wicket taker over Muralitharan, despite the record book. Done for his mum's slimming pills but never his action.
52 is no age.
After recent stories of parents' distress on their babies trapped in the Ukraine – https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/aussie-parents-desperate-journey-to-reach-their-premature-baby-daughter-in-ukraine/NRLR564ON3CDLCRQAFSVKYGCRE/
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/four-irish-babies-born-to-surrogate-mothers-in-kyiv-evacuated-from-ukraine-1.4817766
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/we-feel-blessed-relief-for-irish-couple-as-they-arrive-home-safe-from-ukraine-with-surrogate-newborn-baby-41384634.html
– I wondered why is the Ukraine used for surrogacy, and discovered around 2,000 – 2,500 babies are born to foreign couples each year. It's an industry.
Surrogacy is an emotive issue. Particularly for those who are unwillingly childless.
But an ethical and moral discussion has to be had about the wider and long term impacts regarding the 'manufacture' and 'production' of children.
Regarding the Australian couple above:
It would be good to have a list of those considerations compiled here.
The Guardian had a 2020 article on the difficulty that arose from 'products' being stuck during the first months of the pandemic.
Princeton has published a paper on international commercial surrogacy that concludes:
On the horizon we have tech solutions, that come with their own mountain of unexplored ethical and moral considerations. As Dr Hanna says @00:45:
Culturally, we have whangai, which may arise from either an intentional or unintentional pregnancy. Akin to non commercial surrogacy.
What re the thoughts here on TS regarding surrogacy?
The more I look into commercial surrogacy, the more exploitative and short-sighted it seems.
Not sure the same holds true for non-commercial surrogacy, but there's still wider impacts than birth.
They – could of course adopt children in their home countries, all these couples that order babies from overseas birthing bodies, but that would then mean that they child is 'not theirs'.
I find it interesting that the only interest is in the babies, never mind the birthing bodies that are left behind in the war region.
But here is Tamati Coffey, 'father' of two babies from a surrogate mother and his bill to make it even easier to buy babies of birthing bodies for as little money as possible. Don't ever say these 'gender woo's' don't know what a women is when they need one. lol
https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/bills-and-laws/bills-proposed-laws/document/BILL_115955/improving-arrangements-for-surrogacy-bill
However we can't blame Tamati Coffey for having his priorities straight, maybe there is is a future industry for Rotorua in the making, all the unproductive uteruses of uterus havers (specially the unemployed) can be put to work birthing for 'infertile people' such as he and his husband are as two men together – despite all the myth of those afflicted with gender woo – never conceived a child nor birthed even just one.
Personally i can see a future – a near future at that, where unemployed women could be compelled to 'donate eggs' – as work, be a 'surrgate mother' – as work, i.e. for pay as income, or sell 'surplus' breast milk for money as a form of income.. That and of course then also sex work which is work and thus…….:) its gonna be a lovely future for the things we used to call 'women' adult human female.
Good to see you back Sabine. Missed your commentary.
Human breast milk is already a commercial product.
Of course, it's all for a good cause:
But as usual, the profit margin is greater in other demographics:
https://www.wired.com/2011/05/ff-milk/
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/mother-selling-breast-milk-men-online-body-builders-fetishes-rafaela-lamprou-cyprus-a8237161.html
So open minded she participates in a fetish that reduces women to lactating bovines.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/d3599y/inside-hucow-the-fetish-that-imagines-women-as-cows
https://screenshot-media.com/visual-cultures/internet-culture/hucow-fetish-explained/
Read it and weep.
Yes, it already exist, but in my scenario a women aka human female adult (producer of ova ) can be compelled by a helpful Winz drone to get a 'job' in selling breast milk – they can feed their own kids some formula or so, get a job in -surrogacy for some people, they can get a job in selling eggs – its just a wee little surgery no harm done here no not at all, and / or sex work – its work, dignified work yes, it is, cause work is work and if you are able and fit and demand is there why won't you take it, and if you don't take it, here have some sanctions. I give it a few years.
"I give it a few years."
I'd like to say I think you are wrong, but given the current climate, I can see it happening.
(BTW, Hi Sabine!)
As for that bill:
My comments in bold italics.
"They – could of course adopt children in their home countries".
Not in New Zealand they can't. From the reference below, which is a Government publication and is probably accurate we are told.
"Adoptions reached their highest number in Aotearoa New Zealand in the 1970s, with nearly 4,000 children adopted each year. The number of adoptions in Aotearoa has reduced over time, with only 125 adoptions granted by the New Zealand Family Court in 2020."
https://www.justice.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Publications/Adoption-in-NZ-Summary-English.pdf
So no, I can't see it becoming a thriving industry.
alwyn, do you have a comment on surrogacy?
(Outcomes for standard adopted children are below average, independent of the adoptive family, which is another discussion in itself.)
I was replying to Sabine, at comment 9.1. The quote in the first line is from Sabine's comment. As such my comment didn't really have anything to do with surrogacy but to the implication in Sabines comment that couples don't have to use surrogacy when they can simply adopt.
I do know a number of people who were adopted. I don't find them to have been any different to anyone else. I don't know any that were born via surrogacy, but that probably has more to do with my age than anything else. Adopting was a standard option when I was the age to be having children and I know people who followed that path. You can't really do it today though. Surrogacy was unheard of.
I understand you were answering Sabine, just wanted to know if you had thoughts on surrogacy. As Sabine linked, there is a bill currently at first reading.
It would be good to have a public discussion on what this really legislates for.
"Surrogacy was unheard of."
Whāngai has always been around, My mother (now in her eighties) and two other siblings were whāngai placements. It still happens, if not so often, with reliable accessible contraception and support.
I believe Sabine has a good grasp of the wider ramifications of surrogacy, and the justifications for it – hence the adoption comment.
Looking at the process for commercial surrogacy the ethical and moral considerations are numerous. I was hoping there would be a discussion around those points. eg. the risk of medication required for implants/egg retrieval causing cancer being borne by the surrogate/provider, the commodification of children, and women's bodies, the emotional and social impact of carrying/ having someone else carry a child, the economic situation that allows this exploitation, etc.
"Thoughts on surrogacy".
No. Emotionally it seems rather odd to me, but that is just an instantaneous and not a considered response. Neither I, nor anyone in my immediate family had any problems procreating. Mind you my eldest sister took it to extremes. She had 4 children under the age of 3 by the time she had her fourth wedding anniversary.
However I am not able to make any reasoned comment on the topic of surrogacy so I will keep out of the discussion.
"However I am not able to make any reasoned comment on the topic of surrogacy so I will keep out of the discussion."
Thanks, alwyn. I appreciate your reply.
I'm interested in your last statement. I would expect that anyone given information about a situation, would be able to make a 'reasoned comment' albeit with provisos.
I wonder if the emotive nature of childbearing and childlessness, and the obscuring factor of this makes this topic yet another that will not be sufficiently investigated and discussed before passing legislation.
I admit to being bored by the repetitive and circular nature of discussions around the vaccines and protests, and thought there might be some interest in examining another topic that has legislation being considered.
Not sure how adoption is handled in NZ. This article that Molly linked to was about a couple in OZ that bought a pregnancy off a low income women in the Ukraine, and that was what my comment is about.
Disclaimer: I can not have children. Physically am not able to have children. Did not buy a pregnancy of a low income women to make up for the not having children. Did look into adoption, but choose not to go that way. Had a surrogacy offered to me by my best friend, and did not choose to go ahead, mainly for these reasons. A. my genetic material may not interact well with hers. B. nine month pregnancy is a long time on a women and her existing children. C. Pregnancy does things to womens bodies. D. Post Partum Depression is a thing. E. What if something goes wrong and the mother suffers? Just a few of the issues.
Yes, i can see the lease of the reproductive body parts of the human adult female become a thriving business. It already is in India, Ukraine, Russia etc. During the first month of the lockdown there already was a wave of babies not being picked up by their 'parents' etc, and these babies suddenly got stuck with their birthing parents. Suddenly we know what women and mothers are.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/15/the-stranded-babies-of-kyiv-and-the-women-who-give-birth-for-money
here from 2014 even with prices. lol
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-28679020
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/jul/29/up-to-1000-babies-born-to-surrogate-mothers-stranded-in-russia
Thanks, Sabine.
It's good to read someone's thought processes about consideration of surrogacy, and the reasons why they decided against it.
Pregnancy is not a neutral body condition. It puts a woman's body under stress, even through good pregnancies, leaches calcium, and as you say makes changes that need to be accommodated during gestation and beyond. The emotional and social costs are harder to articulate, but they do exist even if they are ignored.
It is telling that you had a friend that offered, and also that as a friend, you declined.
I was fortunate enough to be able to have children, and not be in the position of yearning and despair that I can understand in others. I think I would be inclined to think like you, and refuse an offer of surrogacy for some of the reasons you have stated. My partner and I would have to grieve the loss of that role as parents, but along with other life obstacles, we'd have to move on.
Thanks for responding. We need the objective views of the reality, as well as the understandably heartfelt entreaties from those who use other women as incubators. That price list, huh?
While I sympathize with the Ukraine we don't hear much about what the USA & Israel are doing in Palestine do we and that's been going on since 1948.
All right. I'll bite.
What has the USA been doing in Palestine. Just the USA and just Palestine.
Facts please, and supported by evidence.
Guessing this is on the wrong thread?
Children as a manufactured commodity has to be the most disgusting industry yet invented by humans.
Yet NZ is looking to legislate for it, without discussing or considering the wider ramifications.
Poor democracy practice.
Profitable it will be. And if you take in mind that we actively promoting the 'changing' of ones sex, and that that change comes with castration/sterilization it will be a booming business once all these people realize that they can no longer have children.
Never mind the kids that we are going to chemically castrate thanks to puberty blockers and the likes. But they will profit of the good lawmaking of Tamati Coffey and can then offer a womb rental agreement to some ‘uterus haver’ for a child that they can neither father, or in the opposite birth.
And hence the need to legalise and regulate the market as the bill by noted 'father' of two children born to a 'birthing body' via a uterus lease agreement.
Actually for what its worth, Tamati Coffey could have saved himself a lot of work and put forward the Ferengi Rules about womb leases and prices / costs there of.
https://memory-beta.fandom.com/wiki/Womb_rental_agreement
It is a profitable business. One article above states that couples pay $25,000 (I assume USD) to the business, the surrogate receives up to $10,000.
We have to view these arrangements objectively and dispassionately in order to identify whether they are both moral and ethical. Stripping away all emotive appeals, we are treating a woman's body as a manufacturing plant. Unlike a manufacturing plant, there are no replacement parts, or ways to avoid wear and tear. Also, we ignore the impact of pregnancy on a woman's life, especially one that results in no child for that woman.
Relating stories of euphoric or satisfied commercial surrogates, is the equivalent of using The Happy Hooker as justification for prostitution. The majority of women in commercial surrogacy are being exploited.
The issue of non-commercial surrogacy has other considerations to be discussed, but still – as you mention – carries risks.
Live long and prosper, Sabine.
So is 18,000 new infections per day as a rolling average the trigger to reverse the vaccine mandates?
Or is it the deaths per day?
Or maybe it's the limits to hospital ICU capacity, even without the strike?
Or is it how many minutes of national tax will be required to restore a child's slide on the parliamentary forecourt?
When will Ardern be able to set out specifically what the measures are by which the vaccine mandate will be determined that it can be removed?
We have 10 days left before the commemoration of the Christchurch massacre, and 20 days before ANZAC Day.
Get a wriggle on Government and show you can do more than emote.
'Are we there yet !?'
At 20,00 a day average the answer is … we don't even know where we are going.
I don't think so Barfly. Keep your head down. We are, for at least 6 weeks.
Agreed
The infection rate is probably underdone,due to the use of RATS and under reporting as say Dunedin or australia experienced.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-omicron-outbreak-20-residents-tested-positive-at-dunedin-aged-care-facility/J52V45MHZPNBQEJZ73S6HLGNXI/
The sharp drop of cases overseas is also a good example with the CDC only using PCR tests in its figures.
Here the death toll is now 73,and may exceed the road and workplace fatalities combined,with around a busload of fatalities a week to Anzac day.
Australia is tracking to exceed the death toll of Gallipoli by Anzac day,(in a shorter time period)
The government needs to start to look coherent again by the time the Christchurch and ANZAC memorials come around.
I'm glad I'm not in the Labour caucus right now. It must be miserable.
Well they missed the chch earthquake memorial as they were more concerned about the lawns and the curtains,and noisy neighbours,and so they could pass urgent legislation in this Brave New world ensuring the sanctity of Freemartins.
Polls dont reflect you 'concerns' Mr Ad
The curia one which I watch because it comes out every month has seen a rise every month since the Nov dip ( covid lockdowns) from 44.8 in Oct
But we know you just want to fluff Luxons pillows but dont dare do so here
You should try the New Zealand First caucus.
The mandates are only as good as those who comply with them.
I expect scanning is down. Probably getting a booster as well. I got boosted late last week and when I left I thought, that better be the last one.
A lot of people would know family who are infected with Covid. Hard because some would want to help those with young children, but cannot risk being infected.
By Matariki anyone who even mentions 'Vaccine Mandate' will have 18 skyrockets strapped to them and sent towards the Pleiades.
The 20+ thousand a day is our testing limit. Take it at that and do what you will with it.
As I once heard Muldoon say "You win some – you loose some"
Now that Apple has left Russia, Apple Maps has put Crimea back in Ukraine
ROFL
Interesting that Switzerland has abandoned 200 years of neutrality, and come out in support of Ukraine.
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/neutral-swiss-adopt-sanctions-against-russia-2022-02-28/
And an interesting perspective over the announced change to legislate for an independent sanctions policy (rather than piggybacking on UN sanctions, which NZ has previously done – of course, the UN security council will never sanction Russia)
https://thediplomat.com/2022/03/russias-invasion-of-ukraine-will-change-new-zealands-foreign-policy/
Reply to Ad @ 10.3.1
Omicron does not give a rats arse about mandates.
Mandates have reached their full potential as far as preventing hospital admissions. Due to high infection rates no mandate is able to stop infections.
Governance mechanisms in water management don't usually attract this degree of analysis from the NZHerlad.
Three waters reform: Working group frustrated by government bottom lines – NZ Herald
The TLDR version is:
8 October local government election car crash.
It was done by RNZ and they just reprinted it
A lot of gaps in the papers these days where new stories are supposed to be ( ie they fill them with a link to a story all ready mentioned.
Im not sure of its covid related staffing problems or that the Ukraine situation has sucked all interest out of other stories and they are holding them back
The Society for Evidence Based Gender Medicine (and no, WPATH is not evidence based despite assumptions) have compared the newly released Swedish evidence reviewed policy with the draft of the updated WPATH due for release this year:
https://twitter.com/SEGMtweets/status/1498842485908463629
France has also updated their protocol, following the Netherlands, Finland, Denmark and Sweden.
And where are we?
https://patha.nz/Guidelines
The document as a whole shows an "affirming care" approach, at any age or stuation.
It contains many non-evidence based statements:
There have been no long term follow up studies on this. Current indications are that there are significant detrimental health outcomes, including bone mineralisation, cardiac health and brain development.
Max Tweedle on the Spinoff denigrates the paltry number (14/yr @ $53k) of gender affirming surgeries for the current annual $748,000 surgery budget, and the $4.23 million as a reason for the Rainbow Ministry. (Government provides support via other ministries to NGOs that aren't quantified).
Detrans support is not mentioned in the article, or indeed on many NGO sites. When it is the bias is clear:
Young people receiving 'affirming health care' in NZ are doing so on assumptive, non long-term evidence based data. They will carry the consequences of the failure of adults.
Will we require them to look and create their own support networks, on redditand elsewhere? Or will we recognise the reality that social, medical and/or surgical treatments during childhood and puberty are not benign and adjust treatment accordingly?
It is apparent to me that NZ is not only enthusiastically late to the party, we are going to stay till the hangover is guaranteed.
Thanks for posting this Molly. Good to have the update.
And the fear is with the Conversion Practices Bill, parents and possibly some health professionals may find them self being investigated by the police if they don't affirm/confirm the young persons gender identity.
I can't understand why people are up in arms about this.
"I can't understand why people are up in arms about this."
I have a comment in my head that contains a lot of swear words, but essentially I think they are 'Being Kind' instead of being aware, evidence-based, diligent and responsible.
'Affirming health care' is a solution looking for a problem and creating one. The new Swedish guidelines states their approach clearly:
I wonder about reposting this week day early on in the day. Any chance of this
Despite state repression and censorship.
Anti-war feeling in Russia is growing.
The war in the Ukraine will be won/lost in Russia
Any alternative view or not towing the state line your life is put in danger.
Lost a comment.
Too many links?
yep. You can put some links in a reply.
Comment is visible now.
Sorry. Thanks for that.
Really? Not saying men can't be pro-women's rights but surely to be a feminist you have to be active in that particular field.
Of course Chris, who ran an airline in case you didn’t know, brings up said airline as proof of his record as a feminist:
And good on him, this looks like affirmative action on steroids. I wonder if he will do the same for Maori, or will his voting base balk at that.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2022/03/christopher-luxon-absolutely-a-feminist-wants-more-diversity-and-inclusion-in-national.html
What is going on with the Covid testing and RAT roll out in Wellington?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-omicron-outbreak-testing-staff-abused-assaulted-amid-rats-desperation/SPEGT6ZLS545BZ6SJ4MS2WMJYA/?c_id=1&objectid=12508734&ref=rss
Just a symptom of a large scale testing stuff up, Hipkins and Verall need to be stood down.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/127944619/covid19-gobsmacking-queues-at-christchurchs-rat-collection-site
It's a surge, mate. It's the surge. This is NZ's worst time in the whole pandemic but here we are complaining about a few queues and some arseholes trying to steal tests to sell on the black market.
Big fucking deal.
Do you remember what happened in other counties?
Yes we all knew ,so why were they so unprepared? and why open the borders in the growth phase of an epidemic,is it because the government is thick,very thick or total imbeciles?
Opening the borders is something you have been wanting for some time, surely? Not sure why you are questioning it now.
It might look to you they are unprepared because you can't buy a RAT for $50 a pop whenever you feel the need, but given pandemic response in not an exact science, I think they are doing remarkable well. The numbers certainly confirm that.
There is comparatively no disaster here, you seem to enjoy imagining or inventing one though.
I have been consistently arguing to hold the borders,Pandemic response is a known science and there are constraints,Vaccines alone are a losing strategy.This is textbook stuff.
https://twitter.com/WmHaseltine/status/1492529219905200128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1492529219905200128%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Fquery%3Dhttps3A2F2Ftwitter.com2FWmHaseltine2Fstatus2F1492529219905200128widget%3DTweet
The strategy is called Vaccines plus,it is very workable and cost efficient and has been well signalled.
https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o1
Yeah, and NZ is doing all those health measures plus vaccines. It's exactly those things we are doing which differs from the rest of he world. It's those things that we are doing which makes the ACT, the far right, the anti-vax, and the anti-mandate people so angry.
All those things are exactly what this government and the country has done so well, but you are bagging them and us for it. I don’t understand.
Personally, I think that Pfizer booster slays Coronavirus. It almost literally knocked me off my feet the next day and my hunch is it turns the Covid lion into a mouse.
Here let me put it another way.
https://twitter.com/DGBassani/status/1499845795918589952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1499847526769467393%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es2_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Fquery%3Dhttps3A2F2Ftwitter.com2FDGBassani2Fstatus2F1499847526769467393widget%3DTweet
My partner's employer (a
n essential, sorry 'critical' industry) had their order of RAT tests, prioritised to the MoH by the supplier just last week. Not the first time.The failure of the MoH to order and secure sufficient supply for this outbreak, is apparent.
What a surprise. National Party members were inside the protest meeting with the anti-vax rabble. Maureen Pugh knows all about it.
Luxon knew nothing, of course.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/462799/national-mp-party-members-were-meeting-with-parliament-protesters