If you want to know what shape our Topham-Guerin, post truth government is going to take then watch how it reacts via it's social media proxies to todays protests.
The Maori Party are fools who have taken the bait and decided it's going to allow the far-right to set the agenda and enable a government that will thrive on a permanent culture and race war.
Don't get me wrong – I believe that Maori should protest, and protest strongly, but only once we've had time to assess how serious this government actually is on reimposing a settler state agenda.
At this point, going off half-cocked with your own inflamatory rhetoric simply plays into the hands of right wing hard liners in National and it's partners.
Luxon is heavily influenced by Cameronian economics and the sees the Tory electoral strategy of permanent divide and rule with the politics of culture war distraction as a model to be admired. He and Willis yearn to impose austerity on behalf of the rich and their strategy is clearly to govern via divide and rule. The Maori party making it easy for them doesn't do the left any favours.
Nah, Te Pāti Māori are leading here with pre–emptive action. Oh that the NZCTU and PSA would do the same. The coalition agreements make it quite clear there is to be a full frontal attack on Māoridom and organised labour particularly, as well as the working class generally.
TPM will likely do well on their own terms, but the impact will be even greater if pākehā and other Tauiwi join in. Debbie Ngarewa Packer has made it clear that “Ngati Tiriti” are more than welcome–people that understand that if Māori do well, so do the rest of us.
A persistent fear of NZ capitalists and torys over many years is class left unity between Māori and sections of non Māori. Glimmers of that happened at Ihumatāo a couple of years back and it will gain strength as the new gens begin to assert their numerical superiority over boomers.
n.b. I’m in the older group and many of us have been left aligned all our lives, are not multiple property owners or grumpy bal’heads, in fact elder poverty particularly for women is increasing so “boomer” is just a convenient descriptor rather than a catchall.
I support action now, but I think TPM have fucked this up. I came back to writing at TS after a 15 months break because of Ihumatāo, and started decolonisation and anti-racism mahi in the 80s. But I won't support a movement that uses images of pistols in its protest advertising.
Either TPM knew exactly what they were doing and didn't care, or they didn't think this through. Either way, I decided last night not to put up a post on the protest today. I'm lucky there is no march locally so I don't face the dilemma to stay away or not.
In case it's not clear: the overriding current meaning of guns in NZ is the Chch Mosque murders. We are also in a political culture war over what is happening in Palestine/Israel, where people are dying and being damaged inter-generationally as we speak. Only last year we had people on the steps of parliament wanting to hang MPs. I raised my eyebrows at Willie Jackson's use of the term going to war, pre-election about Te Tiriti, but the pistols is a step too far.
If Māori see that image in ways different from Pākehā, all good. But this is a national debate at a time of great cultural divide. Whatever the reasoning for the image, it's either exceptionally tone deaf or intentionally inflammatory. It's also going to lose TPM allies. If someone like me is taking a step back today, there will be many less committed people who will just turn away.
Of all the things we need right now, peace is very very high on the list. This doesn't preclude direct action, but the messaging and the vision need to be clear.
The nationwide protests were quietly and efficiently organised and good natured from what I have discerned from multiple reports and images, did not see a single gun. Unlike grumpy Groundswell’s efforts.
Te Pāti Māori are leading from the front at the moment and Pākehā and other Tauiwi that do not support this Govt. should join them or do their own actions.
imo no-one should be using gun imagery in politics in NZ at this time. No-one. For the reasons I already laid out. We're too far down the track of shit going sideways. Probably the only option at this point is to start listening to people we disagree with and trying to find common ground. I know the various groups in NZ who will feel alarm at that image. Does anyone else here? Are those groups to be written off? Ostracised and ridiculed? Called racist? How does this further Māori sovereignty, or holding true to Te Tiriti, or creating a post-colonial NZ?
totally supported it then, not sure I would now, depends on the context. But there is a difference between a political party using gun iconography in a call for mass civil disobedience in 2023, and the symbolic protest actions of a man in a different time.
Similar to how there was a difference between the protestors occupying parliament last year and wanting to hang MPs, and marches back in the day where protests had effigies of MPs.
…did not see a single gun. Unlike grumpy Groundswell’s efforts.
Right. So best we not continue to stoke the culture wars. It's not about whether Māori take guns to a protest (I wouldn’t expect that, and I’m glad to hear they didn’t), it's about the messaging and what we are trying to achieve.
please reread my comment as you appear to have misunderstood what I said about my expectations.
Also, I clarified what my point was (the messaging at this point in history), so I'm not really interested in debating someone's misinterpretation of my thoughts here.
I read this post from you with a bit of confusion going through my mind. Where were you when everyone was putting war porn up on this site? The daily images of bombs, guns and killing in Ukraine?
Compared to a image of a pistol, is was bloody gross. And it went on and on and on.
As for the pistols in question, stand back a hundred meters and wear a oil skin jacket and the odds on it will feel like being hit by a small stone.
That aside, they are colonial pistols and more a representation of how colonisation happened, rather than promoting violence.
I read this post from you with a bit of confusion going through my mind. Where were you when everyone was putting war porn up on this site? The daily images of bombs, guns and killing in Ukraine?
Please link to three examples so I know what you are referring to. If you are talking about posts, I frequently disagree with other authors here, and they me. If you mean commenters, I'd rather stick pins in my eyes that follow that debate. I do have a post in my head though, about who on the left is spoiling for a fight, and what happened to the peace movement.
TS isn't trying to run a revolution (more's the pity). TPM are. Their messaging matters.
As for the pistols in question, stand back a hundred meters and wear a oil skin jacket and the odds on it will feel like being hit by a small stone.
no idea what that means, feel free to try again.
That aside, they are colonial pistols and more a representation of how colonisation happened, rather than promoting violence.
Yes, to a portion of the population that is what they will see. What about the rest? Come on, this is basic comms. Also, it's basic strategy. Do you want a war? or do you want radical change via peace? If the latter, please explain how the strategy takes into account people that disagree. Do you want to force them to change? Force them to agree with your values? Imo this doesn't work, and it's why we have the kind of culture wars we currently do.
The daily images of bombs, guns and killing in Ukraine?
Please link to three examples so I know what you are referring to.
He cannot. I just had a little glance in the media library which is where we put most of the images that we use. I am limited to searches on filenames, image tag text, and the images attached to the contents of the post.
Virtually all images involving small arms on this site are for posts on gun-control or the gun lobby here and in the US.
There are a small set of images of tanks, bombs, warplanes or etc have been used in anti-war posts (and are typically WW2 images) by Bill or Mike Smith. Couple of images of tanks at Tiananmen Square
The exception related to an active combat is one image of a ruined Russian tank that I used for the thumbnail image on a post.
Images of bombs just bring up images of Bomber when he was much younger.
The images are selected to provide context to posts. They aren’t there for adam’s porn collection. It makes me wonder just what kinds of war-porn that adam keeps on his computers.
adam is simply lying about authors. Not a wise thing to do.
the odds on it will feel like being hit by a small stone
I wondered about that so I rang my mate the black -powder enthusiast.
He reckoned the effective range of a .50/.70 calibre 18thC flintlock is between 25m-50m and while the energy loss at 100m is severe, a projectile of that calibre could still knock you over and if you're unlucky, penetrate.
I didn't tell TPM what to do, I shared my thinking about their strategy.
I'm part of one partner of the Treaty. It affects all of us. I'm clear enough in my own commitments and values to not be bothered by being told I'm a white lady coloniser who should shut up, water off a ducks back. It's not like my commitment to decolonisation changes, and again, this is something that affects all of us.
It does present the problem though of how we (on the left) work towards our goals. Or are you suggesting that only Māori want decolonisation and to uphold the Treaty?
I know we Pākehā like to tell ourselves it's a partnership, but obviously in a colonised society with an obvious lack of equity, it isn't. We're conquerors that Māori, very graciously by signing the treaty, have acknowledged as "guests" for want of a better word, and it's their feelings that matter in this instance. Being a "good" Pākehā means knowing when to step back, sit down, shut up, and listen. It would be like me wandering into your living room and complaining about the curtains.
Just supporting from the sidelines (footpath); positive vibes at the protest gathering steam in Palmy – lots of smiles and flag-waving, a good mix of (mostly) young and old, and plenty of family groups. Negligible police presence as far as I could see.
A bit disappointing there are so many (maybe 100) cars involved, but it’s a convoy protest, and certainly slowed traffic as it poured onto Tremaine Ave.
I see there’s already mounting concern over the loss of productivity.
Not sure there is a lot of point in waiting. The coalition's intentions are pretty clear. It's possible that Luxon might dial it back if there is sufficient mainstream non-Maori concern about what's happening. Or he might cave to Seymour and Peters and it will turn out to be worse than expected. But the overall direction is set.
I do agree though that TPM need to stay intellectually respectable in what they say. The one that concerns me most is throwing the "genocide" word around too freely. The NZ colonial project (unlike others) is not explicitly genocidal. Genocide in the early period was accidental through imported pathogens, and in the modern period it is more case of neglecting Maori poverty and poor health. The NZ colonial project had other ways of trying to eliminate the indigenous – mostly assimilation as a brown proletariat and cultural erasure from public life (apart from ceremonial functions). These tactics now appear to have failed by 2023, which is why race relations are back on the front page.
What occurred to me on reading the story was the famous 'need to know' justification for information making its way out into the big wide world.
You know, like Winston and his National not-mates before the 2017 election. The good thing for him now is there will be a slew of public servants who can have the finger pointed at them while he plays leakorama bobsy-die.
It's hard to keep up with all the promises already broken by Luxon, so here's yet another one that has gone under the radar.
Remember the "taxpayers' receipt"? It was in the headlines back in May, one of Luxon's bright ideas … for a headline (he doesn't do policy).
"A government I lead will introduce new requirements for clear financial reporting to taxpayers. Individuals will receive a taxpayer’s receipt each year and Treasury will produce an annual Report Card for Taxpayers to clearly show government spending and tax."
It is incredible that given the huge number of speeches delivered by Luxon, telling us that the terrible cost of living and dreadful inflation is stopping good people from getting ahead or even getting enough food on the table, he/they do this miserable thing.
One of the first things Luxon's lot does is punish the workers. By cancelling the FPA they are blocking the promise about helping everyone. Shame. Shame!
What exactly should we be waiting for? An announcement that they didn't really mean it?
If there are changes to their plans (very possible) it will be because of pushback, not patience. Governments don't usually say "thanks for not criticising, now here's your reward".
Nearly every socialist, communist and conservative party that has ever taken power? None of which I would call "Nazis". Get back to me when they start building camps and rounding people up.
I just want to send a big shout-out to TPM and Tākuta Ferris for brightening up my day by insulting an irrelevant German aristocrat inbred who leeches off taxpayers. Thanks, I genuinely LOL'd. More like that, please!
Insulting the King three times, not just once? Santa, I know I've been good this year, but I haven't been that good. I don't deserve this present, but I'll take it. Now my day is three times as bright!
But Stuff noticed that three Te Pāti Māori MPs, co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, Waititi and Te Tai Tonga MP Tākuta Ferris, did not stick to the script.
Instead of pledging allegiance to 'King Charles III', or in te reo 'Kīngi Tiāre te Tuatoru', the two MPs referred to Kīngi Harehare te Tuatoru.
In te reo Māori, harehare can be an insult which refers to a rash. In this phrase, it could be translated as an insult, meaning the rash king, or the objectionable King.
Every government will see headlines like "PM has confidence in his/her Ministers". Usually after six months, a year, or more. A Minister stuffs up, and the PM must say the obligatory words. Happens to them all.
This is the fastest headline in political history … it took a week!
Agreed. Explaining and complaining make you look defensive, which is why politicians avoid it like the plague. Luxon has been defensive so many times already because he and his ‘team’ are shambolic.
Growth in the number of medically assisted deaths in Canada continues in 2022.
In 2022, there were 13,241 MAID provisions reported in Canada, accounting for 4.1% of all deaths in Canada.
The number of cases of MAID in 2022 represents a growth rate of 31.2% over 2021. All provinces except Manitoba and the Yukon continue to experience a steady year-over-year growth in 2022.
When all data sources are considered, the total number of medically assisted deaths reported in Canada since the introduction of federal MAID legislation in 2016 is 44,958.
I notice you left out the part where the average age was 77 and around 62% of those were cancer related with the rest being equally unpleasant degenerative conditions. In which case it's demographically consistent with the approaching peak of the baby boom and not especially sinister.
Why? They have the same aging population as we have – many of whom will become terribly sick and in pain before they die. Allowing a more dignified choice for people I do not have a problem with. Lots of people, including my mum, already had things like DNR (do not resuscitate) on their medical records which some argue goes against their values but clearly her wishes and choice with no pressure from anyone.
These occurrences, which we are likely going to see more often, are much worse a consequence:
Elderly man who entered suicide pact with wife but didn't die faces possible five years in jail
Those that want to hold on like my father, in immense pain and turning more skeletal every day will, those like my mother who doesn't want to go through all that will not.
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The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
Waiting In The Wings:For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSAannounced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
Open access notablesImproving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society:To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
A late change to charter school legislation will cheat educators out of fair pay and negotiating power proving charter schools are just a vehicle to make profit out of our education system. ...
In 2004 te iwi Māori rallied against the Crown’s attempt to confiscate our coastlines and moana with the Foreshore and Seabed Act. This led to the largest hīkoi of a generation and the birth of Te Pāti Māori. 20 years later, history is repeating itself. Today the government has announced ...
It has been five and a half years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was established to investigate the abuse of children, young people, and vulnerable adults within state and faith-based institutions. Yesterday, the final report - Whanaketia through pain and trauma, from darkness to light ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to take action off the back of the International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. ...
On Friday the International Court of Justice reaffirmed what Palestinian’s have been telling us for decades: that the occupation and colonisation of Palestinian lands by Israel is illegal and must end immediately. They also called for reparations for Palestinian’s who have lived under Israeli occupation since it began in 1967. ...
Labour calls on the Government to act after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories is illegal. ...
The 53.7 percent rise in benefit sanctions over the last year is more proof of this Government’s disdain for our communities most in need of support. ...
Aotearoa could be a country where every child grows up feeling safe, loved and with a sense of belonging in their whānau and community. But for some of our children, this is far from reality. Instead, they are trapped in a maze of intergenerational harm that they can’t escape on ...
Te Pāti Māori are calling for David Seymour to resign as Associate Health Minister in response to his call for Pharmac to ignore the Treaty of Waitangi. “This announcement is just another example of the government’s anti-Tiriti, anti-Māori agenda.” Said Co-leader and spokesperson for health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “Seymour thinks it ...
The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country - with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent on average while annual inflation is at 3.3 per cent. ...
National’s Emissions Reduction Plan will take New Zealand further from the economy we need to ensure the next generation has a stable climate and secure livelihoods. ...
Following consultation with named parties and thorough consideration of privacy interests, the Green Party is in a position to release the Executive Summary of the final report from the independent investigation into Darleen Tana. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should be asking serious questions of his Minister for Resources Shane Jones now it’s been revealed he misled the public about a dinner with mining companies that he didn’t declare and said wasn’t pre-arranged. ...
Te Pāti Māori have submitted to the Justice Select Committee against the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill. The bill will further entrench racism in our justice system and fails to focus on rehabilitation. “Reinstating Three Strikes will empower a systematically racist system and exacerbate the overrepresentation of Māori in ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is set to make a determination on the Residential Tenancies Amendment (RTA) Bill in the coming weeks. “This legislation will give landlords the power to kick our whānau out onto the street for no reason” said Housing spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “Their solution to the housing ...
“National’s campaign was about tackling crime and the best they can do is a two-year long Ministerial Advisory Group,” Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
“There are more examples of charter schools failing their students than there are success stories. The coalition Government is driving to dismantle our public school system and instead promote a privatised, competitive structure that puts profits before kids,” Jan Tinetti said. ...
“This government is choosing to deliberately mislead and withhold information, keeping our people in the dark about this government’s agenda and the future of our mokopuna,” said co-leader and spokesperson for Health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The call comes after the demand from the Chief Ombudsman that Associate Minister of Health, Casey ...
“Today’s climate announcement by Simon Watts makes clear the National Government is simply paying lip service to meeting its climate change targets,” Megan Woods said. ...
National is choosing to make life harder for workers by taking away the rights our communities have fought hard for. Here's how they’re taking workers backwards. ...
Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue. We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views. “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
Tēnā tātou katoa, Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts. “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet. “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks. “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. At the heart of this report are the ...
For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024. “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane. “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says. “This will be our third visit to ...
Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum. While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation. “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan. “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests. Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone. Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
Last summer when Matairangi burned, Ginny and Tom stood at the window of their lounge, watching kākā shoot skyward from the burning trees. From the distance, they looked to Ginny like pages torn from books and thrown into a bonfire. It was Tom, voice tight, who told her it was ...
Opinion: The Canadian short story writer Alice Munro – winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013 – died in May at the age of 92. Her work was about “the damage people inflict on one another in the name of love”, Deborah Treisman wrote in the New Yorker. ...
This month marks two years since the most powerful telescope ever built sent its first pictures back to earth. From its lofty vantage point, beyond the moon in orbit around the sun, the James Webb Space Telescope was tuned to observe the first stars and galaxies being born soon after ...
Comment: After Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ preview several weeks ago, I had some optimism about the Government’s emissions reduction plan. Now I’ve read the discussion document, that hope has been dashed. How can the Government propose a plan that wants to take New Zealand taxpayers’ hard-earned money, and spend ...
Christopher Luxon: hurdles The little man from National jumps hurdles in his sleep. He’s quite good at it in his dreams and even though the reality doesn’t quite match up you have to give him credit for getting up every morning and crashing into the very first hurdle of the ...
Comment: It was a good two hours into the conversation when Tyrone Marks raised the most basic of questions when I first spoke to him in 2017. “They didn’t explain the things they did to me. They never told me why. And they still haven’t. There’s no explanation for it. ...
Madeleine Chapman rounds out Death Week on The Spinoff with a final recommendation. You can read all of our Death Week coverage here. Nothing forces you to reflect on your life and relationships quite like proximity to death. For those whose nearest and dearest have died, there are reasonably obvious ...
Whitney Greene takes us through her life in television, including the TV character she’d like to plan a funeral for and her cow lung catastrophe on The Traitors NZ. “If the phone rings, I have to answer it,” Whitney Greene from The Traitors NZ warns as we begin our My ...
Maddie Ballard reviews the debut essay collection of Pōneke writer Flora Feltham.In ‘The Raw Material’, the longest essay in Flora Feltham’s dazzling debut collection, the author heads out for a run after hours of weaving and sees the world turn to textile. “Pounding along the Parade, I saw the ...
Andy Christiansen, one half of the experimental rock-pop duo TRiPS, shares the tunes inspiring the band’s perfect weekend and new release. “Good speakers, good food, good music, no distractions”: that’s all you need to enjoy the psychedelic stylings of TRiPS, a new band formed by Fly My Pretties’ Barnaby Weir ...
Celebrating our quadrennial opportunity to become experts in a bunch of sports we never normally watch.The games of the XXXIII Olympiad are upon us. Paris will host this year’s showcase of sporting and athletic prowess, which means some late-night and early-morning viewing for us in Aotearoa.But what sports ...
The photograph is striking and beautiful, but also disturbing – a reminder that my love for John was often entangled in shame.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.In the spring of 1980, in Dunedin, shortly before his death, someone took a photograph ...
Get to know Babushka, our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Babu’s humans, Jo and Isabel, for their support. Dog name: Babushka (Babu for short) Age: 2Breed: Border Collie X poodleIf rescued, ...
Pacific Media Watch A Lebanese photojournalist who was severely wounded during an Israeli air strike in south Lebanon carried the Olympic torch in Paris this week in honour of her peers who have been wounded and killed in the field — especially in Gaza and Lebanon. Christina Assi of Agence ...
The first report in a five-part web series focused on the 15th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women taking place in the Marshall Islands this week.SPECIAL REPORT:By Netani Rika in Majuro Women continue to fight for justice 70 years after the first nuclear tests by the United States caused ...
Christopher Luxon has joined with Australia and Canada's leaders in voicing support for US President Joe Biden's ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The 2022 election brought the “teal wave” into parliament. The next election will test whether teals, who occupy what were Liberal seats, and other independents can maintain their momentum. Joining us on the Podcast ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Musgrave, Senior lecturer in Pharmacology, University of Adelaide Pixavri/Shutterstock A major Federal Court class action has been dismissed this week after Justice Michael Lee ruled there was not enough evidence to prove the weedkiller Roundup causes cancer. Plaintiff Kelvin ...
In The Week in Politics: politicians have to decide what to do about child abuse, Health NZ is booked in for major surgery and Darleen Tana returns. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Corbould, Associate Professor, Contemporary Histories Research Group, Deakin University Mainstream media are surprisingly muted at the prospect of the world’s most powerful nation being led for the first time by a woman – specifically a woman of colour, Vice President Kamala ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Bennett, PhD Student, Associate Research Fellow, Deakin University Last week, a drone delivery company called Wing (owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet) started operating in Melbourne. Some 250,000 residents in parts of the city’s eastern suburbs can now order food from ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Foo, Lecturer, Physiotherapy, Monash University pikselstock/Shutterstock In the next 40 years in Australia, it’s predicted the number of Australians aged 65 and over will more than double, while the number of people aged 85 and over will more than triple. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katrina Grant, Research Associate, Power Institute for Arts and Visual Culture, University of Sydney Jonas Åkerström’s 1790 work, Session of the Accademia dell’Arcadia on August 17 1788.Nationalmuseum/Cecilia Heisser Ever wondered whether you’d have a better chance at winning an Olympic gold ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Jones, Program Lead, Food Governance, George Institute for Global Health wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock On Thursday, Australian and New Zealand food ministers at state, federal and national levels met to thrash out what’s next for health star ratings on packaged foods. Now, after ...
The Abuse in Care report found many Pacific survivors lost their connections to their culture and language, resulting in trauma that has been carried from generation to generation. ...
In the regulatory review, ECC intends to suggest that ERO focus on curriculum delivery reviews rather than the Ministry, because it’s not efficient or effective to have two agencies with radically different approaches climbing over each other. ...
Te Rūnanga Nui o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori invites the current government to work in partnership with them to develop a pathway forward, including the development of a parallel pathway and meaningful policy and strategy for Kura Kaupapa Māori ...
If you haven’t started watching yet, Tara Ward begs you to reconsider. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. In the world of New Zealand reality television, we have many gems in our crown. There’s the delicious second season of the Celebrity Treasure ...
A new poem by Fiona Kidman. The clothes of the dead I did not keep my mother’s furry red beret for long nor the stringy scarves that adorned the necks of my aunts, although I have kept tag ends of gold, the rings and trinkets they wore, the brooches no ...
The government’s announcement that it will re-open the foreshore and seabed controversy by changing the rules on recognising centuries-old Māori customary title for a third time goes against the rule of law and New Zealand values,” Mr Tipa says. ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Lioness by Emily Perkins (Bloomsbury, $25) Roarrrr! Perkins’ brilliant, award-winning, Marian-Keyes anointed, darkly funny, long ...
The 2004 Act vested ownership of the foreshore and seabed in the Crown, extinguishing any Māori claims to ownership and causing widespread outrage and protests among Māori communities. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Antje Deckert, Associate Professor (Criminology), Auckland University of Technology Getty Images Despite the connection between institutional harm and gang membership made clear in this week’s mammoth royal commission abuse-in care report, the government seems unlikely to soften its “get tough on ...
From Lewis Clareburt in the swimming to the start of the rowing – the first seven days of Paris 2024 promise to be big for New Zealand. There are few events that bring the country together quite like an Olympic Games. Nothing quite matches the excitement of getting up in ...
Groundbreaking local science just showed up in the most surprising of places: the season finale of The Kardashians. In the season five finale of The Kardashians last night, several members of the family gathered together in one of their signature empty, cream-coloured rooms to hear test results that had been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, Australian National University The Middle East is on the brink of a possibly devastating regional war, with hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah reaching an extremely dangerous level. Washington has engaged in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Elizabeth Eades, Rheumatologist, Monash University Lupus is an inflammatory autoimmune illness, where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks itself. Lupus can affect virtually any part of the body, although it most commonly affects the skin, joints and kidneys. The symptoms ...
A law firm that specialises in working with survivors of abuse in State care is disappointed that the Government fails to recognise that its boot camps can be directly compared to previous boot camps from the 1990s and 2000s. ...
Dying is a natural part of life, like updating your Wof or seeing your hairdresser, but without the word-of-mouth recs that help guarantee a good service. What if we changed that? Dying Reviews received by The Spinoff have had the names of organisations redacted while Hospice NZ collects further data. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland Mike Lewinski/Flickr, CC BY On any clear night, if you gaze skywards long enough, chances are you’ll see a meteor streaking through the sky. Some nights, however, are better than others. At ...
Despite having no bars or other designated spaces for lesbians, Auckland boasts a small but mighty lesbian museum. So how did it get here? The past 18 months has brought increasing hostility towards the queer community across Aotearoa. Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull’s anti-trans rally in Tamaki Makaurau last March led to a ...
Poneke Antifascist Coalition has invited Wellingtonians to stand in solidarity with the Kanak people at 12pm today outside the French Embassy in Wellington. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Layton, Visiting Fellow, Strategic Studies, Griffith University Drones are the signature technology of the Ukraine war. A few miniature aircraft designs were used in the war’s early days, but an incredible array of drones have now evolved. There are different types, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Slee, Associate Professor, Clinical Academic Neurologist, Flinders University Francisco Gonzelez/Unsplash Migraine is many things, but one thing it’s not is “just a headache”. “Migraine” comes from the Greek word “hemicrania”, referring to the common experience of migraine being predominantly ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lee White, Senior Lecturer and Horizon Fellow, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Sydney Australia was slow to introduce minimum building standards for energy efficiency. The Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) only came into force in 2003. Older homes ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Sherwood, Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, Climate Change Research Centre, UNSW Sydney The past century of human-induced warming has increased rainfall variability over 75% of the Earth’s land area – particularly over Australia, Europe and eastern North America, new research shows. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Heynen, Program Coordinator, Sustainable Energy, The University of Queensland A temporary stadium in the Champ-de-Mars, ParisEkaterina Pokrovsky/Shutterstock As Paris prepares to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the sustainability of the event is coming under scrutiny. The organisers have promoted ...
A night of karaoke and community in a pub that feels like a memory. You’d barely even notice it, unless you knew to look. Tucked away behind a liquor store on busy Constable Street is the capital’s last great pub. Newtown Sports Bar is an emblem of the pub culture ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Wright, Professor in Marine Geology, University of Canterbury Louise Corcoran/Getty Images The decline in the number of doctoral candidates at New Zealand universities is a worrying sign for the country’s effort to build a knowledge-based economy. Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laurie Berg, Associate Professor, University of Technology Sydney defotoberg/Shutterstock Migrant worker exploitation is entrenched in workplaces across Australia. Tragically, a deep fear of immigration consequences means most unlawful employer conduct goes unreported. On Wednesday, however, the government officially launched a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vaughan Cruickshank, Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Tasmania Paris is about to host its third summer Olympics. While we don’t yet know what the legacy of this year’s games will be, let’s take the opportunity to reflect on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hugh Breakey, Deputy Director, Institute for Ethics, Governance & Law, Griffith University In the wake of the assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump, there were calls from bothsides of US politics, as well as internationally, to reduce the brutal, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Keith Rathbone, Senior Lecturer, Modern European History and Sports History, Macquarie University Two high-profile assaults on Australians in Paris have raised concerns about security ahead of the Olympic Games. On Saturday evening, a young woman was allegedly sexually assaulted by a ...
Dying is inevitable and, so it seems, is it costing a lot, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here.The cost of dying ...
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If you want to know what shape our Topham-Guerin, post truth government is going to take then watch how it reacts via it's social media proxies to todays protests.
The Maori Party are fools who have taken the bait and decided it's going to allow the far-right to set the agenda and enable a government that will thrive on a permanent culture and race war.
Don't get me wrong – I believe that Maori should protest, and protest strongly, but only once we've had time to assess how serious this government actually is on reimposing a settler state agenda.
At this point, going off half-cocked with your own inflamatory rhetoric simply plays into the hands of right wing hard liners in National and it's partners.
Luxon is heavily influenced by Cameronian economics and the sees the Tory electoral strategy of permanent divide and rule with the politics of culture war distraction as a model to be admired. He and Willis yearn to impose austerity on behalf of the rich and their strategy is clearly to govern via divide and rule. The Maori party making it easy for them doesn't do the left any favours.
Nah, Te Pāti Māori are leading here with pre–emptive action. Oh that the NZCTU and PSA would do the same. The coalition agreements make it quite clear there is to be a full frontal attack on Māoridom and organised labour particularly, as well as the working class generally.
TPM will likely do well on their own terms, but the impact will be even greater if pākehā and other Tauiwi join in. Debbie Ngarewa Packer has made it clear that “Ngati Tiriti” are more than welcome–people that understand that if Māori do well, so do the rest of us.
A persistent fear of NZ capitalists and torys over many years is class left unity between Māori and sections of non Māori. Glimmers of that happened at Ihumatāo a couple of years back and it will gain strength as the new gens begin to assert their numerical superiority over boomers.
n.b. I’m in the older group and many of us have been left aligned all our lives, are not multiple property owners or grumpy bal’heads, in fact elder poverty particularly for women is increasing so “boomer” is just a convenient descriptor rather than a catchall.
I support action now, but I think TPM have fucked this up. I came back to writing at TS after a 15 months break because of Ihumatāo, and started decolonisation and anti-racism mahi in the 80s. But I won't support a movement that uses images of pistols in its protest advertising.
Either TPM knew exactly what they were doing and didn't care, or they didn't think this through. Either way, I decided last night not to put up a post on the protest today. I'm lucky there is no march locally so I don't face the dilemma to stay away or not.
In case it's not clear: the overriding current meaning of guns in NZ is the Chch Mosque murders. We are also in a political culture war over what is happening in Palestine/Israel, where people are dying and being damaged inter-generationally as we speak. Only last year we had people on the steps of parliament wanting to hang MPs. I raised my eyebrows at Willie Jackson's use of the term going to war, pre-election about Te Tiriti, but the pistols is a step too far.
If Māori see that image in ways different from Pākehā, all good. But this is a national debate at a time of great cultural divide. Whatever the reasoning for the image, it's either exceptionally tone deaf or intentionally inflammatory. It's also going to lose TPM allies. If someone like me is taking a step back today, there will be many less committed people who will just turn away.
Of all the things we need right now, peace is very very high on the list. This doesn't preclude direct action, but the messaging and the vision need to be clear.
https://www.facebook.com/MaoriParty/posts/pfbid02sfTGGETCCtUcDwHQih2yBc7BQ8rVk2ZYMXhFQ2jbqbeU9eWx7JFWRqCv9k9FUjzFl
Just looked at Drowsy's link, good to see none of the pistol graphic on display. Sounds like a good action from that wee piece.
The nationwide protests were quietly and efficiently organised and good natured from what I have discerned from multiple reports and images, did not see a single gun. Unlike grumpy Groundswell’s efforts.
Te Pāti Māori are leading from the front at the moment and Pākehā and other Tauiwi that do not support this Govt. should join them or do their own actions.
I'll support them anytime they're not doing stupid shit like that image.
weka – you know the well-worn image of a hand-gun that fires a … flag, right?
One that makes us laugh.
Bang!
Anti-gun.
Too subtle?
imo no-one should be using gun imagery in politics in NZ at this time. No-one. For the reasons I already laid out. We're too far down the track of shit going sideways. Probably the only option at this point is to start listening to people we disagree with and trying to find common ground. I know the various groups in NZ who will feel alarm at that image. Does anyone else here? Are those groups to be written off? Ostracised and ridiculed? Called racist? How does this further Māori sovereignty, or holding true to Te Tiriti, or creating a post-colonial NZ?
So, Tame Iti and his "shotgun – flag" action – you're not a supporter?
He was/is.
totally supported it then, not sure I would now, depends on the context. But there is a difference between a political party using gun iconography in a call for mass civil disobedience in 2023, and the symbolic protest actions of a man in a different time.
Similar to how there was a difference between the protestors occupying parliament last year and wanting to hang MPs, and marches back in the day where protests had effigies of MPs.
Right. So best we not continue to stoke the culture wars. It's not about whether Māori take guns to a protest (I wouldn’t expect that, and I’m glad to hear they didn’t), it's about the messaging and what we are trying to achieve.
You're "glad they didn't"?
You thought they might..?
Pop-guns have … corks.
The "guns in question" has "surprise flags".
Boo!
please reread my comment as you appear to have misunderstood what I said about my expectations.
Also, I clarified what my point was (the messaging at this point in history), so I'm not really interested in debating someone's misinterpretation of my thoughts here.
I read this post from you with a bit of confusion going through my mind. Where were you when everyone was putting war porn up on this site? The daily images of bombs, guns and killing in Ukraine?
Compared to a image of a pistol, is was bloody gross. And it went on and on and on.
As for the pistols in question, stand back a hundred meters and wear a oil skin jacket and the odds on it will feel like being hit by a small stone.
That aside, they are colonial pistols and more a representation of how colonisation happened, rather than promoting violence.
Please link to three examples so I know what you are referring to. If you are talking about posts, I frequently disagree with other authors here, and they me. If you mean commenters, I'd rather stick pins in my eyes that follow that debate. I do have a post in my head though, about who on the left is spoiling for a fight, and what happened to the peace movement.
TS isn't trying to run a revolution (more's the pity). TPM are. Their messaging matters.
no idea what that means, feel free to try again.
Yes, to a portion of the population that is what they will see. What about the rest? Come on, this is basic comms. Also, it's basic strategy. Do you want a war? or do you want radical change via peace? If the latter, please explain how the strategy takes into account people that disagree. Do you want to force them to change? Force them to agree with your values? Imo this doesn't work, and it's why we have the kind of culture wars we currently do.
He cannot. I just had a little glance in the media library which is where we put most of the images that we use. I am limited to searches on filenames, image tag text, and the images attached to the contents of the post.
Virtually all images involving small arms on this site are for posts on gun-control or the gun lobby here and in the US.
There are a small set of images of tanks, bombs, warplanes or etc have been used in anti-war posts (and are typically WW2 images) by Bill or Mike Smith. Couple of images of tanks at Tiananmen Square
The exception related to an active combat is one image of a ruined Russian tank that I used for the thumbnail image on a post.
Images of bombs just bring up images of Bomber when he was much younger.
The images are selected to provide context to posts. They aren’t there for adam’s porn collection. It makes me wonder just what kinds of war-porn that adam keeps on his computers.
adam is simply lying about authors. Not a wise thing to do.
I suspect he's talking about commenters, and links maybe?
I wondered about that so I rang my mate the black -powder enthusiast.
He reckoned the effective range of a .50/.70 calibre 18thC flintlock is between 25m-50m and while the energy loss at 100m is severe, a projectile of that calibre could still knock you over and if you're unlucky, penetrate.
Ha!
Symbolism 101.
You would be unlucky to be knocked over at 100m, with my caveat of a oil skin jacket, should make penetration all but impossible.
Having fired replicas, also hard to shot straight with the bloody things. 25m-50m your lucky to hit a target consistently
At very close range 0-15 meters bloody deadly.
I'm sure if Te Pāti Māori wants the nice Pākehā coloniser lady's opinion, they'll ask for it. Fulminating about a divided nation is NACT's line.
Nice example of spoiling for a fight, cheers.
Just pointing out the obvious. Māori don't need Pākehā tone policing or respectability politics. This protest isn't for you.
I didn't tell TPM what to do, I shared my thinking about their strategy.
I'm part of one partner of the Treaty. It affects all of us. I'm clear enough in my own commitments and values to not be bothered by being told I'm a white lady coloniser who should shut up, water off a ducks back. It's not like my commitment to decolonisation changes, and again, this is something that affects all of us.
It does present the problem though of how we (on the left) work towards our goals. Or are you suggesting that only Māori want decolonisation and to uphold the Treaty?
I know we Pākehā like to tell ourselves it's a partnership, but obviously in a colonised society with an obvious lack of equity, it isn't. We're conquerors that Māori, very graciously by signing the treaty, have acknowledged as "guests" for want of a better word, and it's their feelings that matter in this instance. Being a "good" Pākehā means knowing when to step back, sit down, shut up, and listen. It would be like me wandering into your living room and complaining about the curtains.
Just supporting from the sidelines (footpath); positive vibes at the protest gathering steam in Palmy – lots of smiles and flag-waving, a good mix of (mostly) young and old, and plenty of family groups. Negligible police presence as far as I could see.
A bit disappointing there are so many (maybe 100) cars involved, but it’s a convoy protest, and certainly slowed traffic as it poured onto Tremaine Ave.
I see there’s already mounting concern over the loss of productivity.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/te-pati-maori-protests-today-aucklands-motorway-network-likely-to-face-major-disruption/VVHGKDLON5A4ZMVT2KDY5WKHNQ/
Thanks DMK, The Rotorua protest was orderly and well supported. A great number of toots of support.
Not sure there is a lot of point in waiting. The coalition's intentions are pretty clear. It's possible that Luxon might dial it back if there is sufficient mainstream non-Maori concern about what's happening. Or he might cave to Seymour and Peters and it will turn out to be worse than expected. But the overall direction is set.
I do agree though that TPM need to stay intellectually respectable in what they say. The one that concerns me most is throwing the "genocide" word around too freely. The NZ colonial project (unlike others) is not explicitly genocidal. Genocide in the early period was accidental through imported pathogens, and in the modern period it is more case of neglecting Maori poverty and poor health. The NZ colonial project had other ways of trying to eliminate the indigenous – mostly assimilation as a brown proletariat and cultural erasure from public life (apart from ceremonial functions). These tactics now appear to have failed by 2023, which is why race relations are back on the front page.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/government-shaken-by-leak-of-cabinet-paper-criticising-urgent-repeal-of-law-to-lift-wages-conditions-of-low-paid-workers/IKBGVHVLGRB4HOMIL53UN2QCL4/
My guess
There will be MORE leaks from pissed off public servants who are being sacked.
What occurred to me on reading the story was the famous 'need to know' justification for information making its way out into the big wide world.
You know, like Winston and his National not-mates before the 2017 election. The good thing for him now is there will be a slew of public servants who can have the finger pointed at them while he plays leakorama bobsy-die.
It's hard to keep up with all the promises already broken by Luxon, so here's yet another one that has gone under the radar.
Remember the "taxpayers' receipt"? It was in the headlines back in May, one of Luxon's bright ideas … for a headline (he doesn't do policy).
"A government I lead will introduce new requirements for clear financial reporting to taxpayers. Individuals will receive a taxpayer’s receipt each year and Treasury will produce an annual Report Card for Taxpayers to clearly show government spending and tax."
National To Restore Fiscal Discipline | Scoop News
It was widely mocked at the time, since the info was already available anyway – and yes, it has now been scrapped.
(h/t Toby Manhire at the SpinOff)
Again, note the language Luxon uses. A clear commitment … which meant absolutely nothing. Like most of his words.
Shoutout to all those marching today.
You are our partners, brothers and sisters.
Looking forward to more.
It is incredible that given the huge number of speeches delivered by Luxon, telling us that the terrible cost of living and dreadful inflation is stopping good people from getting ahead or even getting enough food on the table, he/they do this miserable thing.
One of the first things Luxon's lot does is punish the workers. By cancelling the FPA they are blocking the promise about helping everyone. Shame. Shame!
The PM says its too early to protest against the hydra headed government … the give us more time to really deserve it attitude is a bit concerning …
Patience ! Let's just wait awhile and see. Kia pai to ra.
[If you feel the same way as I about troll bots then you’ll appreciate this is a warning. A good start would be to acknowledge it – Incognito]
We have seen. It's the Coalition agreement.
What exactly should we be waiting for? An announcement that they didn't really mean it?
If there are changes to their plans (very possible) it will be because of pushback, not patience. Governments don't usually say "thanks for not criticising, now here's your reward".
Mod note
Insane. These Nazis are going after whistle-blowers now.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2023/12/investigation-underway-into-leaked-cabinet-paper-on-fair-pay-agreement-repeal.html
You know that when you say "Nazis" you're handing them a free gift, right?
The reality is bad enough, stick to it.
Calling them the extreme right, or Christian Nationalist might get the point across more. Rather than "nazi"
I'm a fan of neoliberal proto-fascists too, but probably needs updating from the FJK years.
What other parties in political history enlisted the public service for consolidation of power?
I'm sure there's a list.
They may be 'Nazi-adjacent' in that particular regard – still not Nazis though, imho.
Nearly every socialist, communist and conservative party that has ever taken power? None of which I would call "Nazis". Get back to me when they start building camps and rounding people up.
Virtually every brand of communist government for starters.
I just want to send a big shout-out to TPM and Tākuta Ferris for brightening up my day by insulting an irrelevant German aristocrat inbred who leeches off taxpayers. Thanks, I genuinely LOL'd. More like that, please!
https://tkr.ro/e/EPcuBOnStgZUUu1U
As you can probably tell I'm not much of a royalist.
Insulting the King three times, not just once? Santa, I know I've been good this year, but I haven't been that good. I don't deserve this present, but I'll take it. Now my day is three times as bright!
Unlike a lot of the potential local candidates for head of state, Charles at least cares about the environment
Every government will see headlines like "PM has confidence in his/her Ministers". Usually after six months, a year, or more. A Minister stuffs up, and the PM must say the obligatory words. Happens to them all.
This is the fastest headline in political history … it took a week!
Christopher Luxon has 'every confidence' in Cabinet, after papers leaked | RNZ News
It's from the same stable as "There is no leadership challenge" or "I am not a crook". If you have to say it, you're already in trouble.
Agreed. Explaining and complaining make you look defensive, which is why politicians avoid it like the plague. Luxon has been defensive so many times already because he and his ‘team’ are shambolic.
“. . . a bizarrely regressive thing to do.”
Luxon mocked (already) on the BBC Radio 4 The Now Show, 1 December, “looking into the repeal of the New Zealand smoking ban.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001sv8y
(from the 18 minute mark.)
The numbers creep me TF out.
Growth in the number of medically assisted deaths in Canada continues in 2022.
https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/health-system-services/annual-report-medical-assistance-dying-2022.html#highlights
I notice you left out the part where the average age was 77 and around 62% of those were cancer related with the rest being equally unpleasant degenerative conditions. In which case it's demographically consistent with the approaching peak of the baby boom and not especially sinister.
Why? They have the same aging population as we have – many of whom will become terribly sick and in pain before they die. Allowing a more dignified choice for people I do not have a problem with. Lots of people, including my mum, already had things like DNR (do not resuscitate) on their medical records which some argue goes against their values but clearly her wishes and choice with no pressure from anyone.
These occurrences, which we are likely going to see more often, are much worse a consequence:
Elderly man who entered suicide pact with wife but didn't die faces possible five years in jail
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/114816629/elderly-man-who-entered-suicide-pact-with-wife-but-didnt-die-faces-possible-five-years-in-jail
An elderly Paekakariki couple, prominent in the local community, signed a suicide pact before ending their lives together, a Coroners Court has found.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/ipad-editors-picks/8834697/Elderly-couple-signed-suicide-pact
An 81-year-old man has been charged with trying to murder his wife, but his lawyer says it was part of a suicide pact.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/123347088/failed-suicide-pact-led-to-81yearolds-attempted-murder-charge-says-lawyer
Those that want to hold on like my father, in immense pain and turning more skeletal every day will, those like my mother who doesn't want to go through all that will not.
340.82/million (13241) Canadians v 49.6/million (257) New Zealanders .
According to the CIA World Fact Book, the median age of New Zealand in 2020 was 37.5 years, while the median age of Canada was 41.8 years.