yeah, who needs ’em… and the embassy staff that are kept will be really good at marketing – because that’s what NZ citizens need – trade! money!… I think I’ve paraphrased McCully correctly.
It is not unknown for men of the Muslim faith to want to revert to their own country’s and religion’s laws and rights different from those enjoyed by his wife if a western woman. This type of cross-cultural and religious marriage is different from others we have known such as when marrying a Catholic with the demand that any children be brought up as Catholics.
This is marrying into a society where men have great power over women who are not regarded with respect in the ideas that back male Muslim attitudes. Some men may move away from this, but a western woman would never know if he might choose to revert to the dominance model, especially if he returned to a Muslim country.
There are many books written about women’s experiences with Muslim husbands – one is told in Not Without My Daughter in this link http://www.aeispeakers.com/Mahmoody-Betty.htm In August of 1984, Michigan housewife Betty Mahmoody went to Iran with her husband and four-year-old daughter Mahtob, on a two-week trip to visit his family in Teheran. However, once the two weeks were over, he refused to allow them to leave.
I wanted to know more about this Algerian man Mr Azzaoui so looked at the link on Kotahi Tane Huna above and this is some basic info. Very sad.
Mr Azzaoui, 36, won the gold medal in the heavyweight boxing division at the 1999 All-Africa Games and represented Algeria at the 2000 Olympics.
He first met Ms Puriri in Australia, he told The Northern Advocate in 2006. “I met her in Melbourne after the Olympics … and that’s how I met my wife, she was watching the boxing in the crowd. I liked her straight away and she could speak French and Japanese, which was good for me because my English wasn’t very good.”
The couple moved to Northland and Mr Azzaoui continued boxing while working in a timber mill and later running a cleaning franchise. He became a New Zealand citizen in 2005.
I support the rights of my Muslim brothers and sisters to live in the ways that they choose, but that does not give them the right to transgress against human rights, nor is this kidnapping and illegal detention justified by the Koran.
The Algerian government has responded to the ‘Arab Spring’ by lifting martial law. I hope that is an indication that this situation may be resolved.
But make no mistake – if New Zealand citizens and diplomats are placed at risk, one of the response options involves the SAS. Discuss đ
Troops from the SAS were bullied and browbeaten by their U.S. “allies” into handing over captives to possible torture and even murder. This was in clear violation of international law, but our brave boys did as they were told.
The Algerian military would no doubt be shaking in their boots at the prospect of such heroes being set on them.
But if we deployed our frigate to the Med to support the operation it could destabilise the entire region!
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To be less sarcastic, I’m not sure a NZ Entebbe is quite within our capabilities.
To be less sarcastic, Iâm not sure a NZ Entebbe is quite within our capabilities.
It would be but our special forces are only as good as the logistics, intelligence and support we can provide. Basically we would be reliant on the Australians and the Americans to get our troops into theatre (or embarrasingly, civilian airlines). Nothing worse than having one of your very few operational Orions break down on the tarmac for half a day while you are trying to get somewhere in a hurry.
Their training, pedigree, international reputation, and combat history. And the above for the NZ armed forces from which they come.
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But feel free to walk up to one and call him a pussy, anyway. Not from behind a computer – that would spoil all the fun.Â
Their training, pedigree, international reputation,
In case you have not noticed, their “international reputation” is in tatters, due to their being bullied into handing over captives to probable torture and even summary execution. Needless to say, that constitutes a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions.
… and combat history.
In Vietnam? What glorious acts of heroism did they carry out there?
In Afghanistan? We’re all painfully aware of, and embarrassed about, what they did there. Or more precisely, what they failed to do there.
And the above for the NZ armed forces from which they come.
And what have NZ armed forces done, exactly?
But feel free to walk up to one and call him a pussy, anyway. Not from behind a computer â that would spoil all the fun.
The SAS are more than aware of the stain on their reputation that has resulted from their timidity in the face of browbeating by their “allies”. They would no doubt agree with my assessment.
I have a question. I recently attended a speech by John Key at a secondary school. At the end of the speech he asked for questions.
” Just ask me anything!” Therein lies the problem. It was never a case of “anything”. All questions had to be submitted to the PM’s department before the visit. There was nothing spontaneous about the questions at all. Effectively his responses were well rehearsed. The patsy questions had little to do with subjects of importance to young people such as student loans or possible asset sales. Why the PM cannot respond off the cuff to questions is beyond me.
My question: did Helen Clark expect questions to be checked before they were asked at public engagements?
He can’t respond because he hasn’t rehearsed all the CT spin lines, which is really lazy.
he’s totally clueless as to what’s actually going on like a lot of CEOs out ahead of an entity that’s been taken over by another business, just front up and smile and wave that’s what your job is Johnny boy leave all this difficult slash and sell off to us we’re experts at it.
Listening to Nick smith speak in circles and slogans about sustainability is a good example, they don’t give a shit about it but he’s got the spin down pat unlike Sideshow….looky kiddies I can do balloon animals, watch me whip up a brownlee…..aww da funny PM.
did Helen Clark expect questions to be checked before they were asked at public engagements?
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Nope and she insisted that at the end of public meetings there would be a period of half an hour during which she could go around the room and talk to people. I helped organise two public meetings where the requirement was the same.
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I also saw her in party meetings correct Labour Ministers who did not answer a question completely correctly. I also saw her answer random questions many times precisely and accurately.
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How times have changed …
Yep, Dan, I saw Helen Clark at my secondary school answer questions for a long time, with no vetting, from the year 13 students. She just sat down amongst the lads and talked with them. They were highly impressed, especially with the breadth and depth of her knowledge.
Probably why Key needs to know in advance and be prepped.
I recently read a comment here about unemployment benefits, which in the spirit of reclaiming the language, Iâll now call social security. I thought it pretty much summed up the problem with politics in NZ. The comment said that it wasnât fair that someone worked a shit job to pay for the benefit of someone who did not work.
People like me know that social security, or the various ways of living our lives, have nothing to do with fairness. Fairness is a completely subjective term, usually a word that sums up a philosophy the speaker hasnât articulated because they assume it is clear to the audience theyâre addressing, or they havenât examined their ideas to form a philosophy or they may not even be aware of their ability to do so. But to condemn what might seem to be intellectual limitations would miss the point. In the same way that people like me know it is not about fair and in the same way that I can never be convinced that another person is worthless unless they are making me or someone else rich, or making me happy in some way, those that believe it is about âfairnessâ will never be convinced otherwise.
Both people like me and people of the point of view I describe have no business in the future of politics. We will continually be at war, fighting against each otherâs lifetimes of environmental and personality differences, life experiences and sudden changes in mood. One term we will have a less authoritarian government the next term we will have more. Itâs pointless.
What form of government could have no need to use fairness or sociological concepts as a guiding concept, yet still arrive at something closer to a social âtruthâ. For example, humanity knows for sure that once cities or towns or even social groupings get past a certain size, they start to decay â crime and relationships take a nose dive. We still let them reach that terminal point, but we know the point exists. How would a government attend to infrastructure and social needs without crossing lines that force the people into opposition and civil conflict? How close could we get to the organisational absolute without appearing to be like the political version of a youngster skateboarding down a too steep hill, getting the speed wobbles and crashing? Is it impossible?
Leaving aside realistic viability for a moment, what would that style of government be called? Does it exist somewhere in part already? Would it be Libertarianism, Kommmunism (word misspelled to save the moderators s some work) traditional old style American Republicanism? When it comes to personal opinions, in theory we know that any of these things might fit the bill if we grin and bear it, but in a NZ present day reality, they have little hope of catching on if presented in their historical form. Do we need a modern day constitution or Declaration of Independence â or were these things haphazard chance events, completed in the moment and now just hyped-up to the point of legend? Were the men and women of old as god-like as we choose to believe or were they actually just as clueless, corrupt and a scared as modern man â rolling the dice and hoping that avarice didnât win? If they could see and know what we know now, be shown their actions in the light of our modern understanding and see what they have become, would they be ashamed or be happy to do it all again?
The political solutions we know of all look backwards and were developed for a specific time, place, culture and people. Where would we find people in NZ capable of creating a change that can reconcile the human urge to take, produce, control and consume anything it wants, with a simultaneous and equal urge to preserve and nurture what it already has and turn them both into something new that is widely acceptable? Can we choose to begin a new era now or must we ride out this old war until the ends history says is inevitable?
Uturn, your point about reclaiming language is incredibly important. The neo-lib revolution introduced a language that defined itself (as have all major changes). The public service delivers now to clients, not to citizens. Its subtle but it is very important.
A few years back I found serendipitously a book about a man who fought a large multinational corporation who wished to mine on Skye. He made a point of not engaging in the terms and language of the status quo, it resonated with the power structure of the opponent. To engage in that tongue would be to lose. Ergo to counter attack today we need to adopt “our” language.
The public service delivers now to clients, not to citizens. Its subtle but it is very important.
Oh yes! It made me ropable to be called a ‘client’!
(As an aside, it makes me sad that being ‘a bit religious’ is something that people feel has to be apologised for.)
Vickey client has become so accepted as a recipient of a social service agency that it is now accepted as one definition world wide http://www.thefreedictionary.com/client http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/client
Origin:
1350â1400; Middle English < Latin client-, stem of cliÄns person seeking the protection or influence of someone powerful; perhaps akin to clÄŤnÄre to bend ( see incline) .
The definition above could give some the impression of the "client" being subserviant, Not a good look i.e powerful and the oppressed đ
And we worry about the class warfare between middle and blue collar (haves and havenots) most middle class do not realise that they are also part of the have nots, and are only a redundancy notice away.
And bored the only thing that should be exported from Skye is Talisker đ
I would say that the men of old, whilst not god-like, were not “clueless, corrupt and scared”, but were rational beings, just like us (if we choose to be).
Despite his evident capabilities, he’d had several warnings but was steadily getting worse as a commentator – not better. And as an ex-territorial I have a particular dislike of the type of idiot who sits drooling over weapons and imagining who’d they’d shoot. My view is that people who hold such views are Darwin award fodder and should be terminated from any discussion without warning to emphasize why it is a bad idea.
Thankyou. I’d been aware of a link to a childish pro-war vid and a comment in the context of global warming where he said that if all Americans died it would be a blessing. And I was aware that those comments upset people and appeared to shade some people’s take on subsequent comments he made.
The main reason I asked was because there were some comments from him on the ‘Nat revolt over Crafar farm Sales’ thread that were, to all intent and purposes, reasonable but that appeared to have stirred up animosity by referring back to his (again, reasonable) arguments on a previous thread on Crafar where he contended that there was an element of racism feeding into opposition to the Chinese bid.
On that previous thread he had been threatened with a ban for apparently peddling racism. I had read through his comments there and could only conclude that the threat was based on a gross misunderstanding or interpretation of his argument. (Others were making the same or similar arguments)
Since his ban seemed to have come in to effect yesterday (and his comments disappeared), I assumed his ban was a follow up to the previous threat made in relation to his comments on the Crafar deal. I’m glad to learn that isn’t the case.
…I assumed his ban was a follow up to the previous threat.
I’d been noticing him for a while outside of the Crafar arguments. I’d been moderating the Crafar discussions with a lot of hands off because while they tended to get somewhat heated, they also remained remarkably civil bearing in mind the strength of peoples opinions.
It is more that I agree with r0b’s statements from a few months ago about posturing violence and having a low tolerance towards people doing it.
New Zealand recorded its biggest loss of migrants in a 12-month period since August 2001, as kiwis continued to jump the ditch seeking a better standard of life and higher-paying jobs in Australia.
Wasn’t it the Tories who were going to flee the country if Labour got in?
It’s as much the trend folk are seeing, stick around and get shafted by the NACT wrecking crew so leave while you can before your power/water goes through the roof and there’s SFA public transport against peak oil, reduced services etc etc.
That’s before we look at the employment/income side of the equation and that tax switch.
The under 30’s that I know who are leaving voted NACT. Because “Key is such a nice man”.
They are too young to have seen the connection between right wing policies and economic failure.
Â
It is cynical old buggers like me who can see the con man underneath.
 The suicide-state theory assumes a single homogenous ruling body. That isnât Iran.
Itâs the will of the Mullahs that matters â The actual government has surprisingly little power, as the reformist President Mohammad KhÄtamÄŤ found out.
Yes, the civil branch will always lose a pissing match against the ruling council – but it’s not like the ruling council consists only of cosmic warriors in the fashion of AQ. The internal politics of Iran, what little I’ve read, make my head hurt. They have their share of delusional nutbars, like any totalitarian regime, but there’d be very few apocalyptics on the ruling council.Â
And then thereâs the Dome of the Rock also against the Israel option.
A nuclear strike in Tel Aviv isnât going to harm the Dome of the Rock.
True – but multiple strikes against Tel Aviv, Dimona, and so on would be wasted without targetting Jerusalem. That was the lynchpin in 1948, and it will be come WW3.Â
And then thereâs the sheer logistics of arranging enough ICBMs capable of hitting continental US before they decide to get pre-emptive.
Â
Supposedly it would be really difficult for a group of terrorists to hijack passenger jets and use them on US targets⌠Oh wait. Anyway, all it would require is some bloody-minded fanatics to smuggle them into the US. Suicide bombers are just as effective as cruise missiles. It might be a bit 24 but not impossible.
Oh please – the PFLP were hijacking multiple airliners in the 60s. It was simply a game-changer to use the planes as weapons, rather than simply take hostages (although had been attempted in I believe 1974 and in the 1990s). As soon as the passengers found out the change in script, they foiled the plan.
Or there could just be a major regional power going nuclear to get ahead of the game as an oil producer in a peak oil world, with the option of dirty bomb materials if they really are that nuts. Which I donât think they are.
   Â
That doesnât sound all that nuts, and frankly religious extremists like Iranâs mullahs are not exactly known for calm rationality.
Actually, they are. And a connection with a dirty bomb would have equivalent repercussions to if they really did use nukes.
Â
And what do you think is more likely to make the nutters prevail. War, or leaving Iran alone to sort themselves out?
Â
I suspect, the last thing they want is a US invasion.
Â
The last US intervention in Iran went so well?? sarc.
Does that mean John Key will have to reveal his sources when he quotes an email from one of his chums to back up another of his lies? Guess not, their rules never apply to themselves.
This is actually a direct assault on the fourth estate. Oh, except the fourth estate have already muzzled, blinded and deafened themselves, so perhaps they deserve no sympathy whatsoever.
Still, if the genuine fourth estate were still around I guess this would be a bit of an outrage.
Open Letter to Radio New Zealand National “Nights” host Bryan Crump
Monday March 5, 2012
This evening I had the misfortune of hearing the increasingly bewildered Bryan Crump conduct a particularly crass and ignorant interview with the German-domiciled sports correspondent Matt Zuvela. As if to showcase his lack of knowledge, Crump asked him if the “Bayern” in Bayern Munich was a sponsor’s name. Matt Zuvela stifled a derisive laugh and explained patiently that it simply meant “Bavaria.”
“Ohhhhh”, said Crump. “I never knew that! And what about Borussia Dortmund?…”
To compound the ignorance, Crump vainly tried to force a little bit of linguistic hegemony on his guest, by continually referring to the game of soccer as “football”. I suspect he was simply (stupidly) following a management directive.
I just had to send him the following e-mail…
Dear Bryan,
Re: Your rude behavior toward Matt Zuvela
It was fascinating, in a grim way, to hear you trying to force your American-born sports correspondent Matt Zuvela into calling soccer “football”.
Every time you called it “football”, Matt responded by calling it “soccer.” But you kept on doggedly calling it “football”, in utter disregard of what he was saying. I stopped counting after you’d unsuccessfully tried it ten times.
At one point you tried a different tack, saying “football, or soccer as it’s called in the United States”. You could have and should have said “soccer as it’s called in the United States and in Australia and New Zealand.”
I note that many of your RNZ National colleagues have, like other sports commentators, reverted to using the common and popular term “soccer” instead of the ambiguous “football”, which for most of your listeners means Rugby football.
Why are you still trying to “educate” your listeners, Bryan? Is it a management directive you are obeying?
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Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes –Â That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labourâs caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
 Buzz from the Beehive  The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the governmentâs official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes –Â Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? Thatâs the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Governmentâs removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes –Â Â The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ârock solidâ $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The MÄori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
The Government has accepted Labourâs change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te PÄti MÄori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. âIâm calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jonesâ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Governmentâs fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Governmentâs miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesnât act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own â and itâs hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own â and itâs hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money â but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Governmentâs proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm". He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The governmentâs attack on MÄori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te PÄti MÄori. âThe government have begun their onslaught on MÄori health with the abolishment of the MÄori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same dayâ said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,â Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand â European ...
New Zealandâs social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. âI want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealandâs social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. âTo coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that todayâs opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. âIt was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealandâs relationship with China, including trade, ...
KÄinga Ora â Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. âEarlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of KÄinga Ora. ...
TÄna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealandâs indispensable strategic partnerships. Â Â Â âSingapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening MĹrena, ngÄ mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, itâs a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. âMarch 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,â Mr Luxon says. âToday we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. Itâs a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asiaâs most populous country. Â âWe are in Jakarta so early in our new governmentâs term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. âWe look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealandâs ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. âThe recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Aucklandâs rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. âOver the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023â24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. âThe Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).âAs it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. âParts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. âA $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.  âWe have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Governmentâs priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,â says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Governmentâs commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says itâs a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Governmentâs commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says itâs a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Governmentâs plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. âThe SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Governmentâs plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. âThe SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. âLower fruit and vege ...
TÄnÄ koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
TÄnÄ koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. âFarmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and itâs vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,â ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.  Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. âThe Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. âCurrently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliamentâs Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023â24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. âOne of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. اŮŘłŮŮŮŮا٠ؚŮŮŮŮ In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. Itâs a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. âSimon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. âHelp is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Governmentâs restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,â says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. âNew Zealanders believe ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queenslandâs chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It canât be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet ChlĂśe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. âOn her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Itâs been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its âFirst 100 Day programmeâ. During this period thereâs been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and canât be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as âTransport for Allâ, is actively opposing the governmentâs transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Councilâs various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his âmisguided political viewsâ. âI get knocked down, but I get up again,â blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guineaâs Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last monthâs massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFLâs 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parentsâ (or grandparentsâ) lives were like prior to moving â for kids in particular, theyâre too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge âIf you donât know who your mob are, you donât know who you are,â Detective Andrea âAndieâ Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University Itâs commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their partiesâ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yiâs visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit â including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in TÄmaki Makaurau. Itâs one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
Thereâs ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealandâs ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: âHis Excellencyâs speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayersâ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to âno new taxesâ as part of Budget 2024. âMr Luxonâs refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the âno new taxesâ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Governmentâs Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that thereâs a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown thatâs difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, thereâs nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australiaâs political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode â and how theyâre making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: PÄkehÄ Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversationâs series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that thereâs a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the governmentâs campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoffâs ...
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New Zealand citizens kidnapped and held at gunpoint.
The Pry Mincer’s office has issued a short statement.
“This is why we need fewer embassy staff. So that people can be fully responsible for the choices they make.”
yeah, who needs ’em… and the embassy staff that are kept will be really good at marketing – because that’s what NZ citizens need – trade! money!… I think I’ve paraphrased McCully correctly.
It is not unknown for men of the Muslim faith to want to revert to their own country’s and religion’s laws and rights different from those enjoyed by his wife if a western woman. This type of cross-cultural and religious marriage is different from others we have known such as when marrying a Catholic with the demand that any children be brought up as Catholics.
This is marrying into a society where men have great power over women who are not regarded with respect in the ideas that back male Muslim attitudes. Some men may move away from this, but a western woman would never know if he might choose to revert to the dominance model, especially if he returned to a Muslim country.
There are many books written about women’s experiences with Muslim husbands – one is told in Not Without My Daughter in this link http://www.aeispeakers.com/Mahmoody-Betty.htm
In August of 1984, Michigan housewife Betty Mahmoody went to Iran with her husband and four-year-old daughter Mahtob, on a two-week trip to visit his family in Teheran. However, once the two weeks were over, he refused to allow them to leave.
I wanted to know more about this Algerian man Mr Azzaoui so looked at the link on Kotahi Tane Huna above and this is some basic info. Very sad.
I support the rights of my Muslim brothers and sisters to live in the ways that they choose, but that does not give them the right to transgress against human rights, nor is this kidnapping and illegal detention justified by the Koran.
The Algerian government has responded to the ‘Arab Spring’ by lifting martial law. I hope that is an indication that this situation may be resolved.
But make no mistake – if New Zealand citizens and diplomats are placed at risk, one of the response options involves the SAS. Discuss đ
…one of the response options involves the SAS.
Troops from the SAS were bullied and browbeaten by their U.S. “allies” into handing over captives to possible torture and even murder. This was in clear violation of international law, but our brave boys did as they were told.
The Algerian military would no doubt be shaking in their boots at the prospect of such heroes being set on them.
Um, yeah, and we also have reports from within that our troops are as concerned as we are about the profligacy and incompetence of US tactics.
But it’s a good question: can our special forces provide protection in extremis to our citizens abroad? Is that a legitimate role for them?
I rate their competence somewhat higher than you, but in any case they would be my last port of call.
But if we deployed our frigate to the Med to support the operation it could destabilise the entire region!
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To be less sarcastic, I’m not sure a NZ Entebbe is quite within our capabilities.
It would be but our special forces are only as good as the logistics, intelligence and support we can provide. Basically we would be reliant on the Australians and the Americans to get our troops into theatre (or embarrasingly, civilian airlines). Nothing worse than having one of your very few operational Orions break down on the tarmac for half a day while you are trying to get somewhere in a hurry.
That’s what I was referring to. SAS are damned good, our global reach isn’t.
SAS are damned good…
Are they? On what basis do you make that judgement?
Their training, pedigree, international reputation, and combat history. And the above for the NZ armed forces from which they come.
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But feel free to walk up to one and call him a pussy, anyway. Not from behind a computer – that would spoil all the fun.Â
Their training, pedigree, international reputation,
In case you have not noticed, their “international reputation” is in tatters, due to their being bullied into handing over captives to probable torture and even summary execution. Needless to say, that constitutes a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions.
… and combat history.
In Vietnam? What glorious acts of heroism did they carry out there?
In Afghanistan? We’re all painfully aware of, and embarrassed about, what they did there. Or more precisely, what they failed to do there.
And the above for the NZ armed forces from which they come.
And what have NZ armed forces done, exactly?
But feel free to walk up to one and call him a pussy, anyway. Not from behind a computer â that would spoil all the fun.
The SAS are more than aware of the stain on their reputation that has resulted from their timidity in the face of browbeating by their “allies”. They would no doubt agree with my assessment.
I rate their competence somewhat higher than you,
Why? What has impressed you about their courage in the face of American bullying?
… but in any case they would be my last port of call.
I think you’ve been watching a bit too many videos of The A Team.
I have a question. I recently attended a speech by John Key at a secondary school. At the end of the speech he asked for questions.
” Just ask me anything!” Therein lies the problem. It was never a case of “anything”. All questions had to be submitted to the PM’s department before the visit. There was nothing spontaneous about the questions at all. Effectively his responses were well rehearsed. The patsy questions had little to do with subjects of importance to young people such as student loans or possible asset sales. Why the PM cannot respond off the cuff to questions is beyond me.
My question: did Helen Clark expect questions to be checked before they were asked at public engagements?
He can’t respond because he hasn’t rehearsed all the CT spin lines, which is really lazy.
he’s totally clueless as to what’s actually going on like a lot of CEOs out ahead of an entity that’s been taken over by another business, just front up and smile and wave that’s what your job is Johnny boy leave all this difficult slash and sell off to us we’re experts at it.
Listening to Nick smith speak in circles and slogans about sustainability is a good example, they don’t give a shit about it but he’s got the spin down pat unlike Sideshow….looky kiddies I can do balloon animals, watch me whip up a brownlee…..aww da funny PM.
did Helen Clark expect questions to be checked before they were asked at public engagements?
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Nope and she insisted that at the end of public meetings there would be a period of half an hour during which she could go around the room and talk to people. I helped organise two public meetings where the requirement was the same.
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I also saw her in party meetings correct Labour Ministers who did not answer a question completely correctly. I also saw her answer random questions many times precisely and accurately.
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How times have changed …
Yep, Dan, I saw Helen Clark at my secondary school answer questions for a long time, with no vetting, from the year 13 students. She just sat down amongst the lads and talked with them. They were highly impressed, especially with the breadth and depth of her knowledge.
Probably why Key needs to know in advance and be prepped.
Whoops! Further investigation reveals the vetting of questions was school based, and not with the PM’s office. Apologies all around.
I recently read a comment here about unemployment benefits, which in the spirit of reclaiming the language, Iâll now call social security. I thought it pretty much summed up the problem with politics in NZ. The comment said that it wasnât fair that someone worked a shit job to pay for the benefit of someone who did not work.
People like me know that social security, or the various ways of living our lives, have nothing to do with fairness. Fairness is a completely subjective term, usually a word that sums up a philosophy the speaker hasnât articulated because they assume it is clear to the audience theyâre addressing, or they havenât examined their ideas to form a philosophy or they may not even be aware of their ability to do so. But to condemn what might seem to be intellectual limitations would miss the point. In the same way that people like me know it is not about fair and in the same way that I can never be convinced that another person is worthless unless they are making me or someone else rich, or making me happy in some way, those that believe it is about âfairnessâ will never be convinced otherwise.
Both people like me and people of the point of view I describe have no business in the future of politics. We will continually be at war, fighting against each otherâs lifetimes of environmental and personality differences, life experiences and sudden changes in mood. One term we will have a less authoritarian government the next term we will have more. Itâs pointless.
What form of government could have no need to use fairness or sociological concepts as a guiding concept, yet still arrive at something closer to a social âtruthâ. For example, humanity knows for sure that once cities or towns or even social groupings get past a certain size, they start to decay â crime and relationships take a nose dive. We still let them reach that terminal point, but we know the point exists. How would a government attend to infrastructure and social needs without crossing lines that force the people into opposition and civil conflict? How close could we get to the organisational absolute without appearing to be like the political version of a youngster skateboarding down a too steep hill, getting the speed wobbles and crashing? Is it impossible?
Leaving aside realistic viability for a moment, what would that style of government be called? Does it exist somewhere in part already? Would it be Libertarianism, Kommmunism (word misspelled to save the moderators s some work) traditional old style American Republicanism? When it comes to personal opinions, in theory we know that any of these things might fit the bill if we grin and bear it, but in a NZ present day reality, they have little hope of catching on if presented in their historical form. Do we need a modern day constitution or Declaration of Independence â or were these things haphazard chance events, completed in the moment and now just hyped-up to the point of legend? Were the men and women of old as god-like as we choose to believe or were they actually just as clueless, corrupt and a scared as modern man â rolling the dice and hoping that avarice didnât win? If they could see and know what we know now, be shown their actions in the light of our modern understanding and see what they have become, would they be ashamed or be happy to do it all again?
The political solutions we know of all look backwards and were developed for a specific time, place, culture and people. Where would we find people in NZ capable of creating a change that can reconcile the human urge to take, produce, control and consume anything it wants, with a simultaneous and equal urge to preserve and nurture what it already has and turn them both into something new that is widely acceptable? Can we choose to begin a new era now or must we ride out this old war until the ends history says is inevitable?
What do you think?
If there is one thing our current set of political and corporate leaders seem to be good at, its “extend and pretend”.
Uturn, your point about reclaiming language is incredibly important. The neo-lib revolution introduced a language that defined itself (as have all major changes). The public service delivers now to clients, not to citizens. Its subtle but it is very important.
A few years back I found serendipitously a book about a man who fought a large multinational corporation who wished to mine on Skye. He made a point of not engaging in the terms and language of the status quo, it resonated with the power structure of the opponent. To engage in that tongue would be to lose. Ergo to counter attack today we need to adopt “our” language.
Have a wee Google around Alistair McIntosh (try this http://musings-ems.blogspot.co.nz/2011/11/occupy-london-at-st-pauls-and-economic_18.html ), he is a little religious but the principles he uses are highly effective.
Bored, have located his homepage. Will give it a going-over this evening.
On a similar theme Keith Rankin writes in today’s Herald saying that to find solutions we need to use the right words
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10789734
While here Chris Hipkins talks about the difference between outcome and outputs and National have their cutting process in the public sector back to front
http://blog.labour.org.nz/2012/03/04/getting-public-sector-reform-right/
I too think it is vitally important we reclaim our language from the neo liberal spin cynically used to justify amoral thinking and action.
Oh yes! It made me ropable to be called a ‘client’!
(As an aside, it makes me sad that being ‘a bit religious’ is something that people feel has to be apologised for.)
It shows they have not really grown up!
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Still need a parental figure to avoid responsibility for them selves.
Vickey client has become so accepted as a recipient of a social service agency that it is now accepted as one definition world wide
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/client
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/client
Origin:
1350â1400; Middle English < Latin client-, stem of cliÄns person seeking the protection or influence of someone powerful; perhaps akin to clÄŤnÄre to bend ( see incline) .
The definition above could give some the impression of the "client" being subserviant, Not a good look i.e powerful and the oppressed đ
And we worry about the class warfare between middle and blue collar (haves and havenots) most middle class do not realise that they are also part of the have nots, and are only a redundancy notice away.
And bored the only thing that should be exported from Skye is Talisker đ
I would say that the men of old, whilst not god-like, were not “clueless, corrupt and scared”, but were rational beings, just like us (if we choose to be).
http://whoar.co.nz/2012/commentwhoar-original-cartoon-paula-bennett-the-apostate/
ed:..this is part of a stable of characters we are building to use as a vehicle for political commentaryâŚ
phil-at-whoar.
.Has the commentator by the name of Wayne been banned? If so, why? And why have all of his comments been expunged from ‘the standard’?
[lprent: He picked up a permanent ban for this.
Despite his evident capabilities, he’d had several warnings but was steadily getting worse as a commentator – not better. And as an ex-territorial I have a particular dislike of the type of idiot who sits drooling over weapons and imagining who’d they’d shoot. My view is that people who hold such views are Darwin award fodder and should be terminated from any discussion without warning to emphasize why it is a bad idea.
His comments to that point are still on the site. ]
Last comment of his I read was something to do with having beneficiaries’ money paid directly to power companies and landlords.
He got banned by RL IIRC…but that was days ago…a decade in internet time.
Thankyou. I’d been aware of a link to a childish pro-war vid and a comment in the context of global warming where he said that if all Americans died it would be a blessing. And I was aware that those comments upset people and appeared to shade some people’s take on subsequent comments he made.
The main reason I asked was because there were some comments from him on the ‘Nat revolt over Crafar farm Sales’ thread that were, to all intent and purposes, reasonable but that appeared to have stirred up animosity by referring back to his (again, reasonable) arguments on a previous thread on Crafar where he contended that there was an element of racism feeding into opposition to the Chinese bid.
On that previous thread he had been threatened with a ban for apparently peddling racism. I had read through his comments there and could only conclude that the threat was based on a gross misunderstanding or interpretation of his argument. (Others were making the same or similar arguments)
Since his ban seemed to have come in to effect yesterday (and his comments disappeared), I assumed his ban was a follow up to the previous threat made in relation to his comments on the Crafar deal. I’m glad to learn that isn’t the case.
…I assumed his ban was a follow up to the previous threat.
I’d been noticing him for a while outside of the Crafar arguments. I’d been moderating the Crafar discussions with a lot of hands off because while they tended to get somewhat heated, they also remained remarkably civil bearing in mind the strength of peoples opinions.
It is more that I agree with r0b’s statements from a few months ago about posturing violence and having a low tolerance towards people doing it.
Good riddance to the chump.
Here’s footage of Lin kicking him off the premises with the chump resplendent in his battle fatigues…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mucko29v3k
Key’s Brighter Future
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10789918
New Zealand recorded its biggest loss of migrants in a 12-month period since August 2001, as kiwis continued to jump the ditch seeking a better standard of life and higher-paying jobs in Australia.
Wasn’t it the Tories who were going to flee the country if Labour got in?
It’s as much the trend folk are seeing, stick around and get shafted by the NACT wrecking crew so leave while you can before your power/water goes through the roof and there’s SFA public transport against peak oil, reduced services etc etc.
That’s before we look at the employment/income side of the equation and that tax switch.
LOLO. Most of the people I see leaving are NACT voters.
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Lefties, having a community spirit, are still here trying to fix things.
Not the under 30’s dude, they’re leaving in droves and most I speak to don’t have any concept of left/right just that it’s better in Oz.
The under 30’s that I know who are leaving voted NACT. Because “Key is such a nice man”.
They are too young to have seen the connection between right wing policies and economic failure.
Â
It is cynical old buggers like me who can see the con man underneath.
Yes, the civil branch will always lose a pissing match against the ruling council – but it’s not like the ruling council consists only of cosmic warriors in the fashion of AQ. The internal politics of Iran, what little I’ve read, make my head hurt. They have their share of delusional nutbars, like any totalitarian regime, but there’d be very few apocalyptics on the ruling council.Â
True – but multiple strikes against Tel Aviv, Dimona, and so on would be wasted without targetting Jerusalem. That was the lynchpin in 1948, and it will be come WW3.Â
Oh please – the PFLP were hijacking multiple airliners in the 60s. It was simply a game-changer to use the planes as weapons, rather than simply take hostages (although had been attempted in I believe 1974 and in the 1990s). As soon as the passengers found out the change in script, they foiled the plan.
Actually, they are. And a connection with a dirty bomb would have equivalent repercussions to if they really did use nukes.
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And what do you think is more likely to make the nutters prevail. War, or leaving Iran alone to sort themselves out?
Â
I suspect, the last thing they want is a US invasion.
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The last US intervention in Iran went so well?? sarc.
National has no mandate
If there was a general election today, National would not be the government…
The teapot has come home to roost. Now the honeymoon is over, the beatings can start.
Does that mean John Key will have to reveal his sources when he quotes an email from one of his chums to back up another of his lies? Guess not, their rules never apply to themselves.
This is actually a direct assault on the fourth estate. Oh, except the fourth estate have already muzzled, blinded and deafened themselves, so perhaps they deserve no sympathy whatsoever.
Still, if the genuine fourth estate were still around I guess this would be a bit of an outrage.
Ho hum, all rise for the flag salute.
I wonder in what direction our press freedom ranking will be moving…
Central government vs Local body government
There is no doubt that National is eroding its core support, and political betrayal is seldom forgiven…
Open Letter to Radio New Zealand National “Nights” host Bryan Crump
Monday March 5, 2012
This evening I had the misfortune of hearing the increasingly bewildered Bryan Crump conduct a particularly crass and ignorant interview with the German-domiciled sports correspondent Matt Zuvela. As if to showcase his lack of knowledge, Crump asked him if the “Bayern” in Bayern Munich was a sponsor’s name. Matt Zuvela stifled a derisive laugh and explained patiently that it simply meant “Bavaria.”
“Ohhhhh”, said Crump. “I never knew that! And what about Borussia Dortmund?…”
To compound the ignorance, Crump vainly tried to force a little bit of linguistic hegemony on his guest, by continually referring to the game of soccer as “football”. I suspect he was simply (stupidly) following a management directive.
I just had to send him the following e-mail…
Dear Bryan,
Re: Your rude behavior toward Matt Zuvela
It was fascinating, in a grim way, to hear you trying to force your American-born sports correspondent Matt Zuvela into calling soccer “football”.
Every time you called it “football”, Matt responded by calling it “soccer.” But you kept on doggedly calling it “football”, in utter disregard of what he was saying. I stopped counting after you’d unsuccessfully tried it ten times.
At one point you tried a different tack, saying “football, or soccer as it’s called in the United States”. You could have and should have said “soccer as it’s called in the United States and in Australia and New Zealand.”
I note that many of your RNZ National colleagues have, like other sports commentators, reverted to using the common and popular term “soccer” instead of the ambiguous “football”, which for most of your listeners means Rugby football.
Why are you still trying to “educate” your listeners, Bryan? Is it a management directive you are obeying?
Yours in amused wonderment,
Morrissey Breen
Northcote Point