No Right Turn gets stuck into the CoC’s transport plan, and quite rightly so. I don’t think climate change registers at all with this collection of deniers!
Mr ‘Anglo-Saxon simple’ Brown is making a strong case that he, and not Ms. Costello is by far and away the worst MP and minister.
Though with the third (?) introduction of military style boot camps (exactly what people who’ve experienced head trauma need more of) Ms. Chour is doing her best.
But ‘King and Country’ Brown not only has virtue signaling evidence free twaddle for his policy, but its effects will reach every New Zealander and their children and be felt for decades. Tough luck if you own a shanks pony! It’s been made redundant in a brave American suburb style sweep.
The smoking issue will only kill a few thousand people many of you haven’t met, much as air pollution and poor housing standards etc etc.
This is without doubt the worst government for at least two decades.
Victoria Nuland, the warmongering viper is retiring:
“The rat is leaving the sinking ship.
Victoria Nuland’s Ukraine project has utterly failed and the shadow President of Ukraine resigns from the US Govt in disgrace. She will be remembered as the coup manager, proxy war aficionado, NordStream plotter and “Fuck the EU” lunatic who has killed hundreds of thousands and wrecked Ukraine.”
Looks like the Kremlin's tentacles have reached the NYTimes.
Putin's long held assertion that the US has been developing Ukraine as a launching pad against Russia for years was lambasted as Kremlin propaganda , but has now been shown to be true.By The NY Times no less, Putin's puppet
Dotcom has a grudge against Hollywood agent Obama (2008-2016 – 2014) and apparently by association American Democrats, international liberalism and a rules based international order?
Thus is in the camp of each and every enemy – of a pro EU Ukraine, of a EU pro Ukraine, of a USA pro Ukraine and a USA pro NATO.
Schadenfreude is not wisdom, it is just a way of lashing out, or venting bitterness.
Sure those who can enforce "rules" are often partisan. American government protection of intellectual property – American monopoly corporations (global scale tax evasion and lifting media content worldwide) that facilitate information gathering by the US Deep State. And via extradition of "publishers" a form of global censorship of "whistleblowing" of their secrets (while "Five Eyes" on everyone else).
The UN was to end the age of empire, but internationalism requires agency. Empire only ends, if that agency is effective and multi-lateral or altruist – but the USA MIC, a capitalist market agenda and "western civilisation remnant" nationalism (albeit it might be returning to isolationism of a global strong man cartel type) all undermine altruism.
Sarah helms from drug foundation on p'rnz reporting on latest wastewater testing..
And the takeaway is that cocaine use in nz is greater than 'p' use….
And this is very good news..!
'cos p is the vilest of drugs..that fucks people's brains…(is used usually with heavy alcohol use)..and the withdrawals are horrendous…(so the literature says)..
Whereas in comparison cocaine is almost benign…
(and from personal experience easy as to stop using…this after fairly heroic use ..over many years…)
So what I would like to happen is for cocaine to again be brought under the aegis of the medical profession..
And for it to be used as a tool to help p addicts kick that muck..
'cos cocaine could be used much as methadone was used for heroin addicts (but not this one)..in that it could be prescribed to p addicts to see them thru the ghastly p withdrawals.,and (unlike methadone) the substitute is a breeze to stop…
To me..given my quite extensive experience in the field..the above is a no-brainer..
The case can also be made for doctors to be able to prescribe cocaine to the aged/infirmed..
When using cocaine I thought that it would be a great drug to use when old…
And the argument here can be made on the quality of life grounds ..
The main side-effect from cocaine use is that it makes you feel good/energised..and would be strong enough to overcome the effects of all the pills the aged/infirmed are usually taking..
I actually feel as strongly about this as I do the efficies of this drug to help p addicts break their chains…
To deprive the elderly from this salve to their ongoing aches/ills..to me is pretty much a case of elder abuse..
And I am not asking for radical law reform…no need for the complications of legislation..
All that is needed is to allow doctors to again be allowed to prescribe cocaine..
And to then let the medical professionals evaluate whether cocaine would help/provide relief for their patients..
It would be even better if the government legalised sale of low THC marijuana (and MDMA to ensure testing for use) for health purposes. And allowed growing for personal use and decriminalise possession of marijuana. And why not … allow legal use of cocaine on prescription and in drug treatment programmes.
Cannabis remains the most common drug – more than half a million people used it last year.
Helm said 64- to 75-year-olds are using the drug 10 times more (6.4 percent) than the same age group a decade ago.
"We think the reasons might be, over the last five to six years we've known more about the therapeutic benefits or uses of cannabis, perhaps the older age group are using for pain relief, perhaps it's an ageing out of a group that have previously used cannabis in their life when they were younger."
If that is the case, the landlord will have no difficulty in tenanting Bowen House outside the public service.
My suspicion is that there has been a degree of charging what the government will bear, rather than what the market will bear.
We'll see what solution MBIE comes up with for housing the civil service offices until the new building is operational. (It's not covered in the article, which is not surprising if they're still negotiating with landlords)
So the damage to the man's future was taken into account.Hobson now faces an uncertain future , with ongoing psychological damage, sleeplessness, headaches,forgetfulness, loss of pleasure in activities like reading and listening to music.Her husband will also be affected by this.
Has a mathematical calculation been made ?
The attacker has his whole life ahead of him, the woman not many years left?She is no longer an economic unit ? Her trauma of no consequence?
If so , I am frightened for women and the elderly in this brave new world of ours
TBH – it's pretty much in line with many of the minimal sentences handed out to violent criminals – especially those who assault women and children. Including those with a long-standing history of violence (not, apparently, the case here) – and even including cases which result in death.
The judge's decision doesn't seem to be out of line in the circumstances of this offence. The diversion + apology + reparation + counselling + community work seems normal for a first time offender.
Read what I wrote. I said name suppression is vital because of angry people*. Not my fault if you read that that’s what the court said.
*Of course both deputy prime ministers have been whipping up this anger on X and through proxy statements by backbench MPs. These are very worrying developments because they should know better.
Likely one was charged with a more serious offence than the other.
.
192 Aggravated assault
[…]
Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years who assaults any constable or any person acting in aid of any constable, or any person in the lawful execution of any process, with intent to obstruct the person so assaulted in the execution of his or her duty.
[…]
196 Common assault
Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 1 year who assaults any other person.
Somehow the young man evaded the common assault sentencing .Good lawyers cost money.That is also a factor
Good to see you upholding the law Joe, and having such belief in it's impartiality as per sentencing.Must be great to be you , so in line with the status quo
Try being a woman ( you know you can) , try being a brown person , facing justice today
Here is a better film of what actually happened to Judith as opposed to the deniers' minimisation.
Here is footage of the event from the Womens Rights Party (this is from an email to me & I don't want to link as this will identify me)
'You can see Judith tried to stop a woman in camo pants from tearing out the rope barrier, having led the charge in pushing over the metal barriers. There is some pushing between the two women. Then the attacker comes at Judith, punching her over and over again.'
Last night I had futile exchanges with supporters of the assailant who have used as his justification & his 'sentence' their view that 'Judith is not a nice person'. How the assailant could have worked that out in the twinkling of an eye is mind boggling. Paraphrasing the legal truism that 'prostitutes do not deserve to raped' to 'not nice people don't deserve to be bashed' is little comfort for those of us who like to see the law administered impartially and not on 'niceness' or 'work status'
What is really concerning to me is the up front view that women have no rights and don't deserve them anyway. Elderly women are held in even less regard.
My mother, an ardent womens rights person & 'see througher' of most of the male tricks about womens status, did say that the anonymity of elderly women makes us invisible and that has positives and negatives. But why should that be? Esp the negatives which in this case mean don't go out in broad daylight, don't expect the Police to support you…. Don't we just want to go and listen to someone?
The misogyny that floats just below the surface here in NZ is terrifying.
The one of tape – was intended to create a visual no-man's land between the metal barrier and the attendees of the LetWomenSpeak event.
Some context:
Event wardens passed on the (questionable) police advice to attendees, to ensure they stayed within the fenced off area, and to only face the rotunda. They said that making eye contact with any protestors may trigger violence. This may explain the reaction of Judith when she turned and found both the metal barrier breached and someone deliberately pulling up the tape barrier, effectively destroying the barrier between the attendees and those protesting women's right to speak and/or listen.
The man who assaulted Judith travelled several hundred km in order to stop women speaking or listening, without any idea of the content of their speech. It is unlikely that this excursion was taken in the spirit of knowledge seeking and camaderie. The vilification of the event beforehand(and those attending) was intense, carried out by politicians, media and talking heads, despite their obvious lack of knowledge of the event or the LetWomenSpeak format.
The force of the punches (as would be expected from a young man) on the fragility of an older woman's skull, resulted in fractures of the skull and eye socket. Any kind of head trauma, can result in long-lasting and permanent effects. The psychological trauma of this occurring because someone is irate at the thought of women speaking in NZ, should not be lightly dismissed.
This was not the only act of violence against women who were there on that day. Police have been reluctant to charge any who committed violence, and had advised Judith any charges would be unlikely. It was only due to public identification of the man charged that charges went ahead. She was advised to accept diversion more than once. Other incidents did not result in charges at all, or indeed a notable amount of police interest."
yes, two metal gate bits on the concrete path, and tape fence on either side in the grass.
You can see them here too, it's where the person pulling up the tape fence gets to then stops and turns back. Hobson can be seen standing on the park bench just to the left of mid screen.
Who'd want to be a judge… Without know much in the way of the offenders background, taking the long term societal view maybe the outcome is the best one within the confines of the options available to the judge.
Between the mob mentality on the day which was fanned by media and politicians in the lead up and the police absolutly sitting on their hands and completely failing to prepare for, or control the situation as it unfolded there are a heap of places to look for blame.
The assault in many ways was almost inevitable taking all the factors into account and perhaps the judge took into account police failures in the descision after all they should have been the to protect both sides.
"On a longer term view there is room for debate for a bunch of reasons."
This is an interesting perspective.
What do you see as "a bunch of reasons", and what outcomes would you expect from each one in relation to reducing physical violence against others?
(I’ll just note that some commenting on various platforms, have difficulty recognising that physical violence took place, so deterring future violence at least requires that acknowledgement.)
Mainly relating to the long term conseqeunces of conviction at a young age and taking into account the autism diagnosis.
As an example i'm familiar with three people I went to school with severly assualted someone oversome percieved slight. Two were convicted (not jailed) the third had a very expensive lawyer that managed to secure diversion. The paths the respective offenders lives took are very different at least in part due to the convictions closing a heap of doors at a critical point in life.
Convictions without imprisonment and with associated successful violence prevention programmes being completed, makes more sense.
There is the added component of signalling to wider society – the level of tolerance for violence as an accepted reaction – that also needs to be taken into account.
The victim impact statement was also redacted by the police, which I had never heard of before. The images of the original statement with the police redactions can be seen here:
The focus on the individual is notable, and also notable for not having a requirement to be measured, assessed and determined if the outcome is as expected.
However, there is a wider societal impact of each individual court cases and sentencing, that will have influence on others decision making and choices, based on this outcome. IIRC, there were two thousand people protesting women meeting to talk and listen. The aggression was high, and many will be reassured to have evidence of the high level of police and judiciary tolerance for violence.
He was in the male changing area with an unaccompanied child who was changing into clothes.
Judge Glubb said the man proceeded to remove his own clothes, strip naked and begin masturbating while watching the child changing.
there's a problem with MSM reporting as well. How did the Judge get from masturbated in a public place while watching an unattended child getting dressed to "the man posed a low risk of reoffending"?
I don't think prison or lifting name suppression is useful to society in cases like that or the dude that punched Hobson (because it increases their risk of offending), but the cases do point to how ineffective our justice system is that we can't come up with things better than prison or slaps on the wrist with a wet bus ticket.
Yep no arguement from me, I would really like to see some sort of investigation into the dreadful police response cant decide if it was incompetence or something more delibrate.
The IPCA investigation report is due out in the next few months.
I have spoken to someone who has participated in it. They are not reassured it will address the failings of the day, or identify whether the police deliberately created a situation where people were not protected, by not adhering to organised meetings and expectations.
I was seriously assaulted about 4 years ago, by middle class professionals, 3 on 1 while I was seated btw. I was off work for a month with concussion and it was another 6 or 7 months before I could work full time.
The judge basically dismissed the case without conviction and granted name suppression because it would result in the dismissal of those involved.
My experience with the official system was dehumanising. As a person I didn’t count. However the individual police officers were fantastic as well as the prosecutor and victim support.
I read the comments on here last night, and my heart was breaking.
Thank you, the incident did take some time to get over, concussion is bad enough, but for me it was the psychological effects that took time to recover. I’m forever grateful that my employer was fully supportive during my recovery and I was on full pay throughout.
At the time of the assault I was recovering from a mountain bike accident so I just couldn’t defend myself. The feeling of helplessness while listening to the defence lawyer telling lies about me in court to the judge, and the judge making no acknowledgment to me as the victim. I can certainly understand why we hear of victims/families/friends getting very upset when this happens.
It must have been appalling to realise that three people ganged up on you and for no good reason (not that there ever is a good reason except self defence) didn't think twice about brutalising you.
I am sorry to hear of your experience, David. It is a poor judicial outcome for you, and I hope you have been able to overcome that aspect in your recovery.
Thank you, the incident did take some time to get over, concussion is bad enough, but for me it was the psychological effects that took time to recover. I’m forever grateful that my employer was fully supportive during my recovery and I was on full pay throughout.
At the time of the assault I was recovering from a mountain bike accident so I just couldn’t defend myself. The feeling of helplessness while listening to the defence lawyer telling lies about me in court to the judge, and the judge making no acknowledgment to me as the victim. I can certainly understand why we hear of victims/families/friends getting very upset when this happens.
Before their Super Rugby Aupiki season opener against the Chiefs Manawa, the Wellington-based team used an altered haka which included the words "karetao o te Kāwana kakiwhero", translating to "puppets of this redneck government".
No surprise it got the rednecks frothing, and suddenly interested in te reo Māori.
There's some amazing stuff going on at the moment.
Not only are we no longer able to express political views if employed as a publicly funded academic (Joanna Kidman), but we are also not allowed to express political views if employed by a sponsored sports organisation (Hurricanes Poua). And you even say it's not a good idea to express political views while employed at all.
Who then left to express political opinion, the retired and the unemployed?
Where does this leave the Labour movement, union representation, strike action, the very reason for this forum?
Proessor Joanna Kidman holds the posistion of Director at the anit-extremism centre. and her salary in this role is paid for by the Prime Minister's Department (DPMC).
She should criticise the govt on things she has expertise in, however its highly questionable if calling the coalition govt a death cult that hates children meets this criteria. Her language is hyperbolie and many of her statements before she was appointed to the role showed that she held rather extreme views herself, e.g trying to get Treliese Cooper cancelled because of calling a dress "trail of tears"
Academics sure they should be outspoken critiques of the government because in theory that have some special expertise. They need to use this expertise rather than personal opinions.
Sports stars are their to entertain and excite. The political views of the Hurricane are of no interest to me. But if those women want to join a protest, sign a petition, lobby MPs that's fine. I apologise if I didn't express my views very well before. I take Molly's point about Israel Folau, he was asked about homosexuality within the context of his christian believes and he chose to answer.
BTW in my last job, I had to keep an extremely low political profile. That's why the Standard suited me, I could express my views annonymously. But I knew the deal was I mostly had to keep my views to myself and I accepted that.
Jobs such as being a trade unionist, charities and NGOs of course its part of the job to express political views.
Proessor Joanna Kidman holds the posistion of Director at the anit-extremism centre. and her salary in this role is paid for by the Prime Minister's Department (DPMC).
He said this.
In response, ACT public service spokesman Todd Stephenson called for Prof Kidman to be fired.
"Dr Kidman's salary is paid by taxpayers via the Prime Minister's department, which means Christopher Luxon has just been delivered some potential savings on a silver platter. The board of the centre must move immediately to sack the extremist in their midst," Stephenson said.
"The irony of an anti-extremism campaigner using such extreme rhetoric should be obvious.
Something more evidence based
In response to Prof Kidman's comments, the DPMC has "conveyed to the university… Professor Kidman's comments may bring the centre into disrepute", National Security Group executive director Bridget White told Newshub.
The centre was established following the March 15 terrorist attack in Christchurch, in response to recommendation 14 of the Royal Commission of Inquiry report on the attack to "establish a programme to fund independent New Zealand-specific research on the causes of, and measures to prevent, violent extremism and terrorism".
White said the DPMC funds the centre through a charitable trust, which operates independently.
"The centre is not a Government agency. Funding for the centre for [the[ year ending June 2024 was $1.325 million."
Appropriating a public platform, or using an organisation's reach to express a personally held opinion, is not a requirement of free speech.
It is an interesting phenomenon to witness those who champion this poorly thought out act utilising an organisation's reach, with those expressed by Israel Folau who answered a specific question about his religious beliefs in a personal capacity:
I can't accept the premise of your argument equating Folau's homophobia with Maori and PI women from disadvantaged backgrounds criticising this reckless government.
It's pretty disgraceful really.
Being gay isn’t a choice, is it? Ripping out support for low income communities for tax cuts and demoting te ao Maori is a choice, a deliberate and malevolent choice.
That might be a convenient distraction and simplification which the far right are using at the moment but it's important to recognise what the speech is:
One is harmful to private individuals simply because of their sexual identity. The other is critical of punitive reforms by a reckless, racist coalition of purchased populists.
Maori and P I woman should definitely criticise this govt, but not using the professional to do so.
Come on didn't people express outrage on this site when Ma Nonu tweeted support for John Key before the election? Imagine what you would think if the All Blacks did a Haka that criticised Labour and the lockdowns, covid vacinnes anything you likely really.
You are literally parroting lines from David Farrar and that's fine, but it's important to recognise.
The comparison is a typical Farrar propaganda trick*, a straight reversal without even considering the likelihood of the reverse happening. In his and your stated case you'd have accept the entire ABs team were pandemic-denying, anti-vaxx nut jobs. There might be one or two but not the whole team.
Total fantasy.
*Similarly, Farrar will try flip the plate by declaring there would be outrage if something said by a minority activist against white privilege were reversed. He fails to see that if you reverse that circumstance you must also reverse historical circumstance and consider white people indigenous and disenfranchised, and brown people the authoritarian colonisers.
Kinda hoping this 1st 100 days its not going to end in incoming govts spending a huge chunk or time and money cancelling everything the previous govt has done.
THE WPATH FILES Advocates of gender-affirming care say it’s evidence-based. But now, newly released internal files from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) prove that the practice of transgender medicine is neither scientific nor medical. American Medical Association, The Endocrine Society, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and thousands of doctors worldwide rely on WPATH. It is considered the leading global authority on gender medicine. And yet WPATH’s internal files, which include written discussions and a video, reveal that its members know they are creating victims and not getting “informed consent.” Victims include a 10-year-old girl, a 13-year-old developmentally delayed adolescent, and individuals suffering from schizophrenia and other serious mental illnesses. The injuries described in the WPATH Files include sterilization, loss of sexual function, liver tumors, and death. WPATH members indicate repeatedly that they know that many children and their parents don’t understand the effects that puberty blockers, hormones, and surgeries will have on their bodies. And yet, they continue to perform and advocate for gender medicine. The WPATH Files prove that gender medicine is comprised of unregulated and pseudoscientific experiments on children, adolescents, and vulnerable adults. It will go down as one of the worst medical scandals in history.
I'm not really writing posts atm, and that one is too much for my brain currently. Do you feel like doing a Guest Post? If you see anything that I can cross post, let me know.
If that was the only concern, this this medical disaster could have been stopped in its tracks, by looking for and demanding high quality clinical evidence for such significant psychological, medial and surgical interventions.
The problem was that anyone querying the harm, was given the appendage – "-wing", as if no further response was necessary.
It's all very DARVO. If you think that perhaps gay kids should perhaps not be experimented on, then you're trans/homophobic. If you think that perhaps women should control the word "woman" and have the right to exclude men, and perhaps not be punched in the face, you're a misogynist because you're not including trans women (who are men).
I am not sure it is a gay kids thing – it is about gender stereotypes and about presumption that "children/a problem with a child" can be fixed by making a diagnosis categorisation – a wider field of neurodiversity/autism etc is also involved.
Then there is the medical profession interfering in psycho-sexual development to manage outcomes – as they did before the DSM 1980 with homosexuality. Thus culture and politics.
SPC, there has been numerous indications that gay children looking for support or information about their realisation of their homosexuality, are not receiving such support.
They are introduced to the concept that an unidentifiable "gender identity" takes precedence over biological sex, and thus, this adoption of a shifting concept allows coercive methods of denying the exclusion of the sex they have no attraction to.
Gender clinics – including the Tavistock in the UK – have clinicians reporting that they are "transing the gay away". I had a social media conversation with someone who counsels within the Rainbow Youth organisation here in NZ, that sent me to this article when I asked what support he provided to young lesbians that reached out to him for support and guidance:
Please take the time to read it. In between the assumed – and not expressed by anyone that I know – view that excluding trans people from your dating pool is ignorant, is the more subtle – but visible – declarations that hiding your sex from sexual partners is a matter of personal choice not deception, and that sexual orientation is flexible when gender identities come into it, thus resulting in a bisexual orientation for all.
Homosexuals of both sexes – as with women and girls – have to fight to retain the language that both accurately defines and protects their group.
My point was, and remains that it is not just a "gay kids" thing.
Those identifying as "gay" are generally not the younger "kids". While many gay come to a realisation as teens, some do not until older.
Given many of the non conformist to gender stereotype children are not in fact gay, some Tavistock people may have been operating under a misapprehension of what they were doing.
The wider of issue, as per gender and sexuality, is for mine (as it includes the whole of society) separate from the issue of the health of the children pre puberty/adolescence. Where the politics comes into it.
Even so, most of the non conforming to gender stereotypes are heterosexual – as per sporty active girls and the non active outdoorsy artistic boys thing.
And many homosexual adults conform to gender stereotypes easily enough.
Yes its appalling how Wpath have got away with this.
About three years ago when commenting on this site, someone said to me "your on the wrong side of history".. I said I didn't care, I was expressing my view on gender ideology. But really we will be shown to be on the right side of history
Barak voted in favor of two measures included in the decision: requiring Israel to do everything “within its power to prevent and punish the direct and public incitement to commit genocide in relation to members of the Palestinian group in the Gaza Strip,” and ordering “immediate and effective measures to enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to address the adverse conditions of life faced by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.”
The thing is extremists had already called for the removal of Palestinians from Gaza as a goal, not to fight Hamas without civilians around.
Barak voted in favor of two measures included in the decision: requiring Israel to do everything “within its power to prevent and punish the direct and public incitement to commit genocide in relation to members of the Palestinian group in the Gaza Strip,” and ordering “immediate and effective measures to enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to address the adverse conditions of life faced by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.”
While it would not be genocide (by violence or starvation), it would be ethnic cleansing.
The Israeli approach is to build pressure for aid delivery to Gaza civilians in the Sinai/Egypt.
Their problem is obvious, their lack of track record in allowing refugees to return to land controlled by the IDF.
Only the USA is in the position to guarantee that every civilian would be allowed to return to Gaza. And one way for the current coalition government in Israel to provide reassurance to the world community is to remove all those who called for an ethnic cleansing of Gaza from its Cabinet.
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The Natural Choice: As a starter for ten percent of the Party Vote, “saving the planet” is a very respectable objective. Young voters, in particular, raised on the dire (if unheeded) warnings of climate scientists, and the irrefutable evidence of devastating weather events linked to global warming, vote Green. After ...
The Government cancelled 60% of Kāinga Ora’s new builds next year, even though the land for them was already bought, the consents were consented and there are builders unemployed all over the place. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political ...
Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on UnsplashEvery morning I get up at 3am to go around the traps of news sites in Aotearoa and globally. I pick out the top ones from my point of view and have been putting them into my Dawn Chorus email, which goes out with a podcast. ...
Over on Kikorangi Newsroom's Marc Daalder has published his annual OIA stats. So I thought I'd do mine: 82 OIA requests sent in 2024 7 posts based on those requests 20 average working days to receive a response Ministry of Justice was my most-requested entity, ...
Welcome to the December 2024 Economic Bulletin. We have two monthly features in this edition. In the first, we discuss what the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update from Treasury and the Budget Policy Statement from the Minister of Finance tell us about the fiscal position and what to ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi have submitted against the controversial Treaty Principles Bill, slamming the Bill as a breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and an attack on tino rangatiratanga and the collective rights of Tangata Whenua. “This Bill seeks to legislate for Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles that are ...
I don't knowHow to say what's got to be saidI don't know if it's black or whiteThere's others see it redI don't get the answers rightI'll leave that to youIs this love out of fashionOr is it the time of yearAre these words distraction?To the words you want to hearSongwriters: ...
Our economy has experienced its worst recession since 1991. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, December 20 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast above and the daily Pick ‘n’ Mix below ...
Twas the Friday before Christmas and all through the week we’ve been collecting stories for our final roundup of the year. As we start to wind down for the year we hope you all have a safe and happy Christmas and new year. If you’re travelling please be safe on ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the year’s news with: on climate. Her book of the year was Tim Winton’s cli-fi novel Juice and she also mentioned Mike Joy’s memoir The Fight for Fresh Water. ...
The Government can head off to the holidays, entitled to assure itself that it has done more or less what it said it would do. The campaign last year promised to “get New Zealand back on track.” When you look at the basic promises—to trim back Government expenditure, toughen up ...
Open access notables An intensification of surface Earth’s energy imbalance since the late 20th century, Li et al., Communications Earth & Environment:Tracking the energy balance of the Earth system is a key method for studying the contribution of human activities to climate change. However, accurately estimating the surface energy balance ...
Photo by Mauricio Fanfa on UnsplashKia oraCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with myself , plus regular guests and , ...
“Like you said, I’m an unreconstructed socialist. Everybody deserves to get something for Christmas.”“ONE OF THOSE had better be for me!” Hannah grinned, fascinated, as Laurie made his way, gingerly, to the bar, his arms full of gift-wrapped packages.“Of course!”, beamed Laurie. Depositing his armful on the bar-top and selecting ...
Data released by Statistics New Zealand today showed a significant slowdown in the economy over the past six months, with GDP falling by 1% in September, and 1.1% in June said CTU Economist Craig Renney. “The data shows that the size of the economy in GDP terms is now smaller ...
One last thing before I quitI never wanted any moreThan I could fit into my headI still remember every single word you saidAnd all the shit that somehow came along with itStill, there's one thing that comforts meSince I was always caged and now I'm freeSongwriters: David Grohl / Georg ...
Sparse offerings outside a Te Kauwhata church. Meanwhile, the Government is cutting spending in ways that make thousands of hungry children even hungrier, while also cutting funding for the charities that help them. It’s also doing that while winding back new building of affordable housing that would allow parents to ...
It is difficult to make sense of the Luxon Coalition Government’s economic management.This end-of-year review about the state of economic management – the state of the economy was last week – is not going to cover the National Party contribution. Frankly, like every other careful observer, I cannot make up ...
This morning I awoke to the lovely news that we are firmly back on track, that is if the scale was reversed.NZ ranks low in global economic comparisonsNew Zealand's economy has been ranked 33rd out of 37 in an international comparison of which have done best in 2024.Economies were ranked ...
Remember those silent movies where the heroine is tied to the railway tracks or going over the waterfall in a barrel? Finance Minister Nicola Willis seems intent on portraying herself as that damsel in distress. According to Willis, this country’s current economic problems have all been caused by the spending ...
Similar to the cuts and the austerity drive imposed by Ruth Richardson in the 1990’s, an era which to all intents and purposes we’ve largely fiddled around the edges with fixing in the time since – over, to be fair, several administrations – whilst trying our best it seems to ...
String-Pulling in the Dark: For the democratic process to be meaningful it must also be public. WITH TRUST AND CONFIDENCE in New Zealand’s politicians and journalists steadily declining, restoring those virtues poses a daunting challenge. Just how daunting is made clear by comparing the way politicians and journalists treated New Zealanders ...
Dear Nicola Willis, thank you for letting us know in so many words that the swingeing austerity hasn't worked.By in so many words I mean the bit where you said, Here is a sea of red ink in which we are drowning after twelve months of savage cost cutting and ...
The Open Government Partnership is a multilateral organisation committed to advancing open government. Countries which join are supposed to co-create regular action plans with civil society, committing to making verifiable improvements in transparency, accountability, participation, or technology and innovation for the above. And they're held to account through an Independent ...
Today I tuned into something strange: a press conference that didn’t make my stomach churn or the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Which was strange, because it was about the torture of children. It was the announcement by Erica Stanford — on her own, unusually ...
This is a must watch, and puts on brilliant and practical display the implications and mechanics of fast-track law corruption and weakness.CLICK HERE: LINK TO WATCH VIDEOOur news media as it is set up is simply not equipped to deal with the brazen disinformation and corruption under this right wing ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Acting Secretary Erin Polaczuk is welcoming the announcement from Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden that she is opening consultation on engineered stone and is calling on her to listen to the evidence and implement a total ban of the product. “We need ...
The Government has announced a 1.5% increase in the minimum wage from 1 April 2025, well below forecast inflation of 2.5%. Unions have reacted strongly and denounced it as a real terms cut. PSA and the CTU are opposing a new round of staff cuts at WorkSafe, which they say ...
The decision to unilaterally repudiate the contract for new Cook Strait ferries is beginning to look like one of the stupidest decisions a New Zealand government ever made. While cancelling the ferries and their associated port infrastructure may have made this year's books look good, it means higher costs later, ...
Hi there! I’ve been overseas recently, looking after a situation with a family member. So apologies if there any less than focused posts! Vanuatu has just had a significant 7.3 earthquake. Two MFAT staff are unaccounted for with local fatalities.It’s always sad to hear of such things happening.I think of ...
Today is a special member's morning, scheduled to make up for the government's theft of member's days throughout the year. First up was the first reading of Greg Fleming's Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill, which was passed unanimously. Currently the House is debating the third reading of ...
We're going backwardsIgnoring the realitiesGoing backwardsAre you counting all the casualties?We are not there yetWhere we need to beWe are still in debtTo our insanitiesSongwriter: Martin Gore Read more ...
Willis blamed Treasury for changing its productivity assumptions and Labour’s spending increases since Covid for the worsening Budget outlook. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, December 18 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast above ...
Today the Auckland Transport board meet for the last time this year. For those interested (and with time to spare), you can follow along via this MS Teams link from 10am. I’ve taken a quick look through the agenda items to see what I think the most interesting aspects are. ...
Hi,If you’re a New Zealander — you know who Mike King is. He is the face of New Zealand’s battle against mental health problems. He can be loud and brash. He raises, and is entrusted with, a lot of cash. Last year his “I Am Hope” charity reported a revenue ...
Probably about the only consolation available from yesterday’s unveiling of the Half-Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) is that it could have been worse. Though Finance Minister Nicola Willis has tightened the screws on future government spending, she has resisted the calls from hard-line academics, fiscal purists and fiscal hawks ...
The right have a stupid saying that is only occasionally true:When is democracy not democracy? When it hasn’t been voted on.While not true in regards to branches of government such as the judiciary, it’s a philosophy that probably should apply to recently-elected local government councillors. Nevertheless, this concept seemed to ...
Long story short: the Government’s austerity policy has driven the economy into a deeper and longer recession that means it will have to borrow $20 billion more over the next four years than it expected just six months ago. Treasury’s latest forecasts show the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s fiscal strategy of ...
Come and join myself and CTU Chief Economist for a pop-up ‘Hoon’ webinar on the Government’s Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) with paying subscribers to The Kākā for 30 minutes at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream to watch our chat. Don’t worry if ...
In 1998, in the wake of the Paremoremo Prison riot, the Department of Corrections established the "Behaviour Management Regime". Prisoners were locked in their cells for 22 or 23 hours a day, with no fresh air, no exercise, no social contact, no entertainment, and in some cases no clothes and ...
New data released by the Treasury shows that the economic policies of this Government have made things worse in the year since they took office, said NZCTU Economist Craig Renney. “Our fiscal indicators are all heading in the wrong direction – with higher levels of debt, a higher deficit, and ...
At the 2023 election, National basically ran on a platform of being better economic managers. So how'd that turn out for us? In just one year, they've fucked us for two full political terms: The government's books are set to remain deeply in the red for the near term ...
AUSTERITYText within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedMy spreadsheet insists This pain leads straight to glory (File not found) Read more ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi are saying that the Government should do the right thing and deliver minimum wage increases that don’t see workers fall further behind, in response to today’s announcement that the minimum wage will only be increased by 1.5%, well short of forecast inflation. “With inflation forecast ...
Oh, I weptFor daysFilled my eyesWith silly tearsOh, yeaBut I don'tCare no moreI don't care ifMy eyes get soreSongwriters: Paul Rodgers / Paul Kossoff. Read more ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob HensonIn this aerial view, fingers of meltwater flow from the melting Isunnguata Sermia glacier descending from the Greenland Ice Sheet on July 11, 2024, near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. According to the Programme for Monitoring of the Greenland Ice Sheet (PROMICE), the ...
In August, I wrote an article about David Seymour1 with a video of his testimony, to warn that there were grave dangers to his Ministry of Regulation:David Seymour's Ministry of Slush Hides Far Greater RisksWhy Seymour's exorbitant waste of taxpayers' money could be the least of concernThe money for Seymour ...
Willis is expected to have to reveal the bitter fiscal fruits of her austerity strategy in the HYEFU later today. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/TheKakaMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, December 17 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast ...
On Friday the government announced it would double the number of toll roads in New Zealand as well as make a few other changes to how toll roads are used in the country. The real issue though is not that tolling is being used but the suggestion it will make ...
The Prime Minister yesterday engaged in what looked like a pre-emptive strike designed to counter what is likely to be a series of depressing economic statistics expected before the end of the week. He opened his weekly post-Cabinet press conference with a recitation of the Government’s achievements. “It certainly has ...
This whooping cough story from south Auckland is a good example of the coalition government’s approach to social need – spend money on urging people to get vaccinated but only after you’ve cut the funding to where they could get vaccinated. This has been the case all year with public ...
National has only been in power for a year, but everywhere you look, its choices are taking New Zealand a long way backwards. In no particular order, here are the National Government's Top 50 Greatest Misses of its first year in power. ...
The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...
The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...
The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...
The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...
Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...
The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...
The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...
The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...
The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...
New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...
After years of advocacy, the Green Party is very happy to hear the Government has listened to our collective voices and announced the closure of the greyhound racing industry, by 1 August 2026. ...
In response to a new report from ERO, the Government has acknowledged the urgent need for consistency across the curriculum for Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools. ...
The Green Party is appalled at the Government introducing legislation that will make it easier to penalise workers fighting for better pay and conditions. ...
Thank you for the invitation to speak with you tonight on behalf of the political party I belong to - which is New Zealand First. As we have heard before this evening the Kinleith Mill is proposing to reduce operations by focusing on pulp and discontinuing “lossmaking paper production”. They say that they are currently consulting on the plan to permanently shut ...
Auckland Central MP, Chlöe Swarbrick, has written to Mayor Wayne Brown requesting he stop the unnecessary delays on St James Theatre’s restoration. ...
Kiwis planning a swim or heading out on a boat this summer should remember to stop and think about water safety, Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop and ACC and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. “New Zealand’s beaches, lakes and rivers are some of the most beautiful in the ...
The Government is urging Kiwis to drive safely this summer and reminding motorists that Police will be out in force to enforce the road rules, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“This time of year can be stressful and result in poor decision-making on our roads. Whether you are travelling to see ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says Health New Zealand will move swiftly to support dozens of internationally-trained doctors already in New Zealand on their journey to employment here, after a tripling of sought-after examination places. “The Medical Council has delivered great news for hardworking overseas doctors who want to contribute ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has appointed Sarah Ottrey to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). “At my first APEC Summit in Lima, I experienced firsthand the role that ABAC plays in guaranteeing political leaders hear the voice of business,” Mr Luxon says. “New Zealand’s ABAC representatives are very well respected and ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced four appointments to New Zealand’s intelligence oversight functions. The Honourable Robert Dobson KC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, and the Honourable Brendan Brown KC has been appointed as a Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants. The appointments of Hon Robert Dobson and Hon ...
Improvements in the average time it takes to process survey and title applications means housing developments can progress more quickly, Minister for Land Information Chris Penk says. “The government is resolutely focused on improving the building and construction pipeline,” Mr Penk says. “Applications to issue titles and subdivide land are ...
The Government’s measures to reduce airport wait times, and better transparency around flight disruptions is delivering encouraging early results for passengers ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Improving the efficiency of air travel is a priority for the Government to give passengers a smoother, more reliable ...
The Government today announced the intended closure of the Apollo Hotel as Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) in Rotorua, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. This follows a 30 per cent reduction in the number of households in CEH in Rotorua since National came into Government. “Our focus is on ending CEH in the Whakarewarewa area starting ...
The Government will reshape vocational education and training to return decision making to regions and enable greater industry input into work-based learning Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds says. “The redesigned system will better meet the needs of learners, industry, and the economy. It includes re-establishing regional polytechnics that ...
The Government is taking action to better manage synthetic refrigerants and reduce emissions caused by greenhouse gases found in heating and cooling products, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Regulations will be drafted to support a product stewardship scheme for synthetic refrigerants, Ms. Simmonds says. “Synthetic refrigerants are found in a ...
People travelling on State Highway 1 north of Hamilton will be relieved that remedial works and safety improvements on the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway were finished today, with all lanes now open to traffic, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“I would like to acknowledge the patience of road users ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds, has announced a new appointment to the board of Education New Zealand (ENZ). Dr Erik Lithander has been appointed as a new member of the ENZ board for a three-year term until 30 January 2028. “I would like to welcome Dr Erik Lithander to the ...
The Government will have senior representatives at Waitangi Day events around the country, including at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, but next year Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has chosen to take part in celebrations elsewhere. “It has always been my intention to celebrate Waitangi Day around the country with different ...
Two more criminal gangs will be subject to the raft of laws passed by the Coalition Government that give Police more powers to disrupt gang activity, and the intimidation they impose in our communities, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. Following an Order passed by Cabinet, from 3 February 2025 the ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Justice Christian Whata as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Whata’s appointment as a Judge of the Court of Appeal will take effect on 1 August 2025 and fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Hon Justice David Goddard on ...
The latest economic figures highlight the importance of the steps the Government has taken to restore respect for taxpayers’ money and drive economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Data released today by Stats NZ shows Gross Domestic Product fell 1 per cent in the September quarter. “Treasury and most ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Minister of Education David Seymour today announced legislation changes to strengthen freedom of speech obligations on universities. “Freedom of speech is fundamental to the concept of academic freedom and there is concern that universities seem to be taking a more risk-averse ...
Police Minister, Mark Mitchell, and Internal Affairs Minister, Brooke van Velden, today launched a further Public Safety Network cellular service that alongside last year’s Cellular Roaming roll-out, puts globally-leading cellular communications capability into the hands of our emergency responders. The Public Safety Network’s new Cellular Priority service means Police, Wellington ...
State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge has officially reopened today, providing a critical link for Northlanders and offering much-needed relief ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“The Mangamuka Gorge is a vital route for Northland, carrying around 1,300 vehicles per day and connecting the Far ...
The Government has welcomed decisions by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Ashburton District Council confirming funding to boost resilience in the Canterbury region, with construction on a second Ashburton Bridge expected to begin in 2026, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Delivering a second Ashburton Bridge to improve resilience and ...
The Government is backing the response into high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Otago, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says. “Cabinet has approved new funding of $20 million to enable MPI to meet unbudgeted ongoing expenses associated with the H7N6 response including rigorous scientific testing of samples at the enhanced PC3 ...
Legislation that will repeal all advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and public holidays has passed through first reading in Parliament today, Media Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “As a growing share of audiences get their news and entertainment from streaming services, these restrictions have become increasingly redundant. New Zealand on ...
Today the House agreed to Brendan Horsley being appointed Inspector-General of Defence, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Mr Horsley’s experience will be invaluable in overseeing the establishment of the new office and its support networks. “He is currently Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, having held that role since June 2020. ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government has agreed to the final regulations for the levy on insurance contracts that will fund Fire and Emergency New Zealand from July 2026. “Earlier this year the Government agreed to a 2.2 percent increase to the rate of levy. Fire ...
The Government is delivering regulatory relief for New Zealand businesses through changes to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act. “The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill, which was introduced today, is the second Bill – the other being the Statutes Amendment Bill - that ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed further progress on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS), with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board approving funding for the detailed design of Stage 1, paving the way for main works construction to begin in late 2025.“The Government is moving at ...
The Government today released a request for information (RFI) to seeking interest in partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned land with low farming and conservation value (excluding National Parks) Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced. “Planting trees on Crown-owned land will drive economic growth by creating more forestry jobs in our regions, providing more wood ...
Court timeliness, access to justice, and improving the quality of existing regulation are the focus of a series of law changes introduced to Parliament today by Associate Minister of Justice Nicole McKee. The three Bills in the Regulatory Systems (Justice) Amendment Bill package each improve a different part of the ...
A total of 41 appointments and reappointments have been made to the 12 community trusts around New Zealand that serve their regions, Associate Finance Minister Shane Jones says. “These trusts, and the communities they serve from the Far North to the deep south, will benefit from the rich experience, knowledge, ...
The Government has confirmed how it will provide redress to survivors who were tortured at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit (the Lake Alice Unit). “The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found that many of the 362 children who went through the Lake Alice Unit between 1972 and ...
It has been a busy, productive year in the House as the coalition Government works hard to get New Zealand back on track, Leader of the House Chris Bishop says. “This Government promised to rebuild the economy, restore law and order and reduce the cost of living. Our record this ...
“Accelerated silicosis is an emerging occupational disease caused by unsafe work such as engineered stone benchtops. I am running a standalone consultation on engineered stone to understand what the industry is currently doing to manage the risks, and whether further regulatory intervention is needed,” says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister ...
Mehemea he pai mō te tangata, mahia – if it’s good for the people, get on with it. Enhanced reporting on the public sector’s delivery of Treaty settlement commitments will help improve outcomes for Māori and all New Zealanders, Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka says. Compiled together for the ...
Mr Roger Holmes Miller and Ms Tarita Hutchinson have been appointed to the Charities Registration Board, Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Louise Upston says. “I would like to welcome the new members joining the Charities Registration Board. “The appointment of Ms Hutchinson and Mr Miller will strengthen the Board’s capacity ...
More building consent and code compliance applications are being processed within the statutory timeframe since the Government required councils to submit quarterly data, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “In the midst of a housing shortage we need to look at every step of the build process for efficiencies ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey is proud to announce the first three recipients of the Government’s $10 million Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund which will enable more Kiwis faster access to mental health and addiction support. “This fund is part of the Government’s commitment to investing in ...
New Zealand is providing Vanuatu assistance following yesterday's devastating earthquake, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. "Vanuatu is a member of our Pacific family and we are supporting it in this time of acute need," Mr Peters says. "Our thoughts are with the people of Vanuatu, and we will be ...
The Government welcomes the Commerce Commission’s plan to reduce card fees for Kiwis by an estimated $260 million a year, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.“The Government is relentlessly focused on reducing the cost of living, so Kiwis can keep more of their hard-earned income and live a ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour has welcomed the Early Childhood Education (ECE) regulatory review report, the first major report from the Ministry for Regulation. The report makes 15 recommendations to modernise and simplify regulations across ECE so services can get on with what they do best – providing safe, high-quality care ...
The Government‘s Offshore Renewable Energy Bill to create a new regulatory regime that will enable firms to construct offshore wind generation has passed its first reading in Parliament, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says.“New Zealand currently does not have a regulatory regime for offshore renewable energy as the previous government failed ...
Comment: I’ve been digging up dirt over the past few weekends. I plan to dig up more over summer.As global geo-politics heats up, I’ve impulsively turned to tending my wee patch of the world. The world is complex and messy. But I’m determined my quarter acre won’t be. Apparently, this is ...
Winston Peters was 47 when he founded NZ First. David Seymour is 41. “It’s probably unlikely I’ll still be in Parliament when I’m 47,” he tells Newsroom.“I always said, I have no intention of being a Member of Parliament when I’m 70-something.”In saying that, Seymour has already exceeded his own ...
Asia Pacific ReportSilent Night is a well-known Christmas carol that tells of a peaceful and silent night in Bethlehem, referring to the first Christmas more than 2000 years ago. It is now 2024, and it was again a silent night in Bethlehem last night, reports Al Jazeera’s Nisa Ibrahim. ...
Summer resissue: Has the country changed all that much in three decades? Loveni Enari compares his two New Zealands. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member ...
Summer reissue: Alex Casey goes on a killer journey aboard the Tormore Express.The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today.It was a dark and ...
Summer reissue: Speed puzzling is like a marathon for the mind – intense, demanding, surprisingly exhausting. But does turning it into a sport destroy it as a relaxing pastime? The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read ...
Summer reissue: In October, we counted down the top 100 New Zealand TV shows of the 21st century so far (read more about the process here). Here’s the list in full, for your holiday reading pleasure. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue ...
Summer reissue: Told in one crucial moment from every year, by The Spinoff’s founder Duncan Greive. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today.2014: An ...
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No Right Turn gets stuck into the CoC’s transport plan, and quite rightly so. I don’t think climate change registers at all with this collection of deniers!
https://norightturn.blogspot.com/search/label/Climate%20Change
But, here’s the thing: people don’t understand the exponential factor, which is in play here.
If 2023 was bad, climate wise, 2024 is going to be twice as bad. Then 2025 is going to be four times as bad as 2023, and 2026 eight times as bad.
I don’t think, frankly, that humans (and all other species) can cope with that much bad!
The CoC may have just made their contribution to assigning us all to the scrapbook of history.
Mr ‘Anglo-Saxon simple’ Brown is making a strong case that he, and not Ms. Costello is by far and away the worst MP and minister.
Though with the third (?) introduction of military style boot camps (exactly what people who’ve experienced head trauma need more of) Ms. Chour is doing her best.
But ‘King and Country’ Brown not only has virtue signaling evidence free twaddle for his policy, but its effects will reach every New Zealander and their children and be felt for decades. Tough luck if you own a shanks pony! It’s been made redundant in a brave American suburb style sweep.
The smoking issue will only kill a few thousand people many of you haven’t met, much as air pollution and poor housing standards etc etc.
This is without doubt the worst government for at least two decades.
Victoria Nuland, the warmongering viper is retiring:
“The rat is leaving the sinking ship.
Victoria Nuland’s Ukraine project has utterly failed and the shadow President of Ukraine resigns from the US Govt in disgrace. She will be remembered as the coup manager, proxy war aficionado, NordStream plotter and “Fuck the EU” lunatic who has killed hundreds of thousands and wrecked Ukraine.”
Great news from Kim Dotcom
https://x.com/kimdotcom/status/1765052871392063828?s=46&t=Mb3vWtlQ9iVITzFN3xvWAQ
Interesting that John Bass, in charge of the orderly…sarc.. retreat from Afghanistan temporarily replaces her
Look at these stunners!
Nuland and husband
https://www.the-sun.com/news/10583083/victoria-nuland-husband-robert-kagan/
Kim Dotcom!
The tentacles of russian disinformation reach all the way to The Standard in little ol' New Zealand.
Not surprising, given the vast sums (billions) russia spends on disinformation, both internally and globally.
‘Kremlin Leaks’: Files detail Putin’s €1 billion propaganda effort ahead of presidential vote
Inside Russia’s Notorious ‘Internet Research Agency’ Troll Farm
Coining lies. Kremlin spends 1.5 Billion per year to spread disinformation and propaganda
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_disinformation
And your link proving a dotcom connection with Kremlin is where?
uh oh U.S.
Looks like the Kremlin's tentacles have reached the NYTimes.
Putin's long held assertion that the US has been developing Ukraine as a launching pad against Russia for years was lambasted as Kremlin propaganda , but has now been shown to be true.By The NY Times no less, Putin's puppet
Who woulda thunk?
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/25/world/europe/cia-ukraine-intelligence-russia-war.html
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/cia-ukraine-russia/
Of course the proud owner of a Hitler-signed copy of Mein Kamp had to go there.
/
Wikipedia had to go there too , in the entry under her early life
Oh God those tentacles!
They're everywhere!
Actually Joe, I agree with you, it's repellent , and coming from a German , even more so
Dotcom has a grudge against Hollywood agent Obama (2008-2016 – 2014) and apparently by association American Democrats, international liberalism and a rules based international order?
Thus is in the camp of each and every enemy – of a pro EU Ukraine, of a EU pro Ukraine, of a USA pro Ukraine and a USA pro NATO.
Schadenfreude is not wisdom, it is just a way of lashing out, or venting bitterness.
I was with you SPC until rules based order
International law is one thing , the rules based order purposely vague.We know whose rules they are , and who has to obey those orders ….or else
Sure those who can enforce "rules" are often partisan. American government protection of intellectual property – American monopoly corporations (global scale tax evasion and lifting media content worldwide) that facilitate information gathering by the US Deep State. And via extradition of "publishers" a form of global censorship of "whistleblowing" of their secrets (while "Five Eyes" on everyone else).
The UN was to end the age of empire, but internationalism requires agency. Empire only ends, if that agency is effective and multi-lateral or altruist – but the USA MIC, a capitalist market agenda and "western civilisation remnant" nationalism (albeit it might be returning to isolationism of a global strong man cartel type) all undermine altruism.
Sarah helms from drug foundation on p'rnz reporting on latest wastewater testing..
And the takeaway is that cocaine use in nz is greater than 'p' use….
And this is very good news..!
'cos p is the vilest of drugs..that fucks people's brains…(is used usually with heavy alcohol use)..and the withdrawals are horrendous…(so the literature says)..
Whereas in comparison cocaine is almost benign…
(and from personal experience easy as to stop using…this after fairly heroic use ..over many years…)
So what I would like to happen is for cocaine to again be brought under the aegis of the medical profession..
And for it to be used as a tool to help p addicts kick that muck..
'cos cocaine could be used much as methadone was used for heroin addicts (but not this one)..in that it could be prescribed to p addicts to see them thru the ghastly p withdrawals.,and (unlike methadone) the substitute is a breeze to stop…
To me..given my quite extensive experience in the field..the above is a no-brainer..
The case can also be made for doctors to be able to prescribe cocaine to the aged/infirmed..
When using cocaine I thought that it would be a great drug to use when old…
And the argument here can be made on the quality of life grounds ..
The main side-effect from cocaine use is that it makes you feel good/energised..and would be strong enough to overcome the effects of all the pills the aged/infirmed are usually taking..
I actually feel as strongly about this as I do the efficies of this drug to help p addicts break their chains…
To deprive the elderly from this salve to their ongoing aches/ills..to me is pretty much a case of elder abuse..
And I am not asking for radical law reform…no need for the complications of legislation..
All that is needed is to allow doctors to again be allowed to prescribe cocaine..
And to then let the medical professionals evaluate whether cocaine would help/provide relief for their patients..
I rest my case..
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018928914/cocaine-use-increases-by-93-percent-in-past-year
It would be even better if the government legalised sale of low THC marijuana (and MDMA to ensure testing for use) for health purposes. And allowed growing for personal use and decriminalise possession of marijuana. And why not … allow legal use of cocaine on prescription and in drug treatment programmes.
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/cocaine-use-doubles-new-zealand
How about those 64-75 yr olds..?
Bloody stoners..!
The black market price for cocaine has also plunged….
The remueras of nz have always had access to cocaine..
In the past paying up to $1,200 a gram..
I was recently told by someone who should know..that good quality cocaine can be had these days for about $300 a gram…
It's the market, stupid:
https://www.thepost.co.nz/politics/350201635/parliament-gouged-over-bowen-house-rent-brownlee-says?cx_testId=1&cx_testVariant=cx_1&cx_artPos=5&cx_experienceId=EXLK9YLJ8JM4&utm_content=end-of-article-test&cx_qa=true#cxrecs_s
If that is the case, the landlord will have no difficulty in tenanting Bowen House outside the public service.
My suspicion is that there has been a degree of charging what the government will bear, rather than what the market will bear.
We'll see what solution MBIE comes up with for housing the civil service offices until the new building is operational. (It's not covered in the article, which is not surprising if they're still negotiating with landlords)
Let it out to the Wellington homeless.
It's just another empty state-owned housing stock.
Some red-paint graffiti on it would help:
Tenants Wanted, No Bond, Free Piano
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kahu/posie-parker-nana-bashing-victim-gets-international-support-from-british-singer-alison-moyet-and-tennis-great-martina-navratilova/7SV5THSPYZGQHDZL3RZHHSQOCY/
Support from overseas icon for Judith. Hobson who was repeatedly punched in the face at the Let Women Speak rally in Albert Park last year
So the damage to the man's future was taken into account.Hobson now faces an uncertain future , with ongoing psychological damage, sleeplessness, headaches,forgetfulness, loss of pleasure in activities like reading and listening to music.Her husband will also be affected by this.
Has a mathematical calculation been made ?
The attacker has his whole life ahead of him, the woman not many years left?She is no longer an economic unit ? Her trauma of no consequence?
If so , I am frightened for women and the elderly in this brave new world of ours
TBH – it's pretty much in line with many of the minimal sentences handed out to violent criminals – especially those who assault women and children. Including those with a long-standing history of violence (not, apparently, the case here) – and even including cases which result in death.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/overseas-visitor-who-killed-partner-with-one-slap-at-auckland-party-sentenced-to-five-months-home-detention/NUZCQCDYGFEZ3BZPJP57DJX7PI/
https://www.odt.co.nz/southland/southland-express/man-who-dragged-partner-along-driveway-receives-home-detention
No wonder people have less and less faith in the court system.
thanks.
once upon a time it would have been lefties pointing that out.
The judge's decision doesn't seem to be out of line in the circumstances of this offence. The diversion + apology + reparation + counselling + community work seems normal for a first time offender.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/auckland-posie-parker-protest-man-granted-discharge-without-conviction-after-punching-71-year-old-woman/RSV75S5IEBCHNNGYEH7V77BE2Q/
The permanent name suppression which police didn't oppose is vital because the kid is in serious danger from some very angry people.
"The permanent name suppression which police didn't oppose is vital because the kid is in serious danger from some very angry people."
Is that reason in the court documents?
Not sure, but if it wasn't it should be.
You seem to make a lot of declarative statements based on reckons.
Duly noted.
pretty much. I also noted this piece of fact-free gender identity activism (basic propaganda)
https://thestandard.org.nz/daily-review-05-03-2024/#comment-1991884
A pattern we are well familiar with in the gender/sex wars.
Read what I wrote. I said name suppression is vital because of angry people*. Not my fault if you read that that’s what the court said.
*Of course both deputy prime ministers have been whipping up this anger on X and through proxy statements by backbench MPs. These are very worrying developments because they should know better.
Humpty Dumpty must be tearing his hair out.
nothing wrong with clarifying.
It's out of line with his own pattern of sentencing
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-letter-to-judge-glubb/
What could have made the difference?
The 20 year old sent to jail was brown?
Surely not
Likely one was charged with a more serious offence than the other.
.
192 Aggravated assault
[…]
Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years who assaults any constable or any person acting in aid of any constable, or any person in the lawful execution of any process, with intent to obstruct the person so assaulted in the execution of his or her duty.
[…]
196 Common assault
Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 1 year who assaults any other person.
https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1961/0043/latest/whole.html
Somehow the young man evaded the common assault sentencing .Good lawyers cost money.That is also a factor
Good to see you upholding the law Joe, and having such belief in it's impartiality as per sentencing.Must be great to be you , so in line with the status quo
Try being a woman ( you know you can) , try being a brown person , facing justice today
Dog forbid someone notes differing tariffs for similar offences, eh.
/
Here is a better film of what actually happened to Judith as opposed to the deniers' minimisation.
Here is footage of the event from the Womens Rights Party (this is from an email to me & I don't want to link as this will identify me)
'You can see Judith tried to stop a woman in camo pants from tearing out the rope barrier, having led the charge in pushing over the metal barriers. There is some pushing between the two women. Then the attacker comes at Judith, punching her over and over again.'
Last night I had futile exchanges with supporters of the assailant who have used as his justification & his 'sentence' their view that 'Judith is not a nice person'. How the assailant could have worked that out in the twinkling of an eye is mind boggling. Paraphrasing the legal truism that 'prostitutes do not deserve to raped' to 'not nice people don't deserve to be bashed' is little comfort for those of us who like to see the law administered impartially and not on 'niceness' or 'work status'
What is really concerning to me is the up front view that women have no rights and don't deserve them anyway. Elderly women are held in even less regard.
My mother, an ardent womens rights person & 'see througher' of most of the male tricks about womens status, did say that the anonymity of elderly women makes us invisible and that has positives and negatives. But why should that be? Esp the negatives which in this case mean don't go out in broad daylight, don't expect the Police to support you…. Don't we just want to go and listen to someone?
The misogyny that floats just below the surface here in NZ is terrifying.
Snap. Just responded to you with the same video link on yesterday's thread:
https://thestandard.org.nz/daily-review-05-03-2024/#comment-1991875
Reposting the relevant points here:
there's a good view of the space and two fences here.
https://youtu.be/fXYXH8J3dTc?list=PLGgXu42XHnjMTvEb56kUjHuMatEPxrXd4&t=77
On that film there seem to be two metal fences then the tape/rope fence that were breached by the protestors.
yes, two metal gate bits on the concrete path, and tape fence on either side in the grass.
You can see them here too, it's where the person pulling up the tape fence gets to then stops and turns back. Hobson can be seen standing on the park bench just to the left of mid screen.
https://youtu.be/DLhhEdGkB8s?list=PLGgXu42XHnjMTvEb56kUjHuMatEPxrXd4&t=10
Who'd want to be a judge… Without know much in the way of the offenders background, taking the long term societal view maybe the outcome is the best one within the confines of the options available to the judge.
Between the mob mentality on the day which was fanned by media and politicians in the lead up and the police absolutly sitting on their hands and completely failing to prepare for, or control the situation as it unfolded there are a heap of places to look for blame.
The assault in many ways was almost inevitable taking all the factors into account and perhaps the judge took into account police failures in the descision after all they should have been the to protect both sides.
That excuses the judge – (which I don't think is valid, or should be necessary, but by-the-by.) He does have form for questionable judgement:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/122289420/auckland-man-escapes-conviction-after-masturbating-in-front-of-child-at-pool
However, it does not address the actual violence enacted on the day towards women meeting to speak and listen.
It also does not address the dismissal of such violence by many in society, including some on this platform.
Agreed, in the here and now conviction seems the only sane descision. On a longer term view there is room for debate for a bunch of reasons.
What is certain is that provacation is not an excuse or defence for assault.
"On a longer term view there is room for debate for a bunch of reasons."
This is an interesting perspective.
What do you see as "a bunch of reasons", and what outcomes would you expect from each one in relation to reducing physical violence against others?
(I’ll just note that some commenting on various platforms, have difficulty recognising that physical violence took place, so deterring future violence at least requires that acknowledgement.)
Mainly relating to the long term conseqeunces of conviction at a young age and taking into account the autism diagnosis.
As an example i'm familiar with three people I went to school with severly assualted someone oversome percieved slight. Two were convicted (not jailed) the third had a very expensive lawyer that managed to secure diversion. The paths the respective offenders lives took are very different at least in part due to the convictions closing a heap of doors at a critical point in life.
Like I say who would want to be a judge.
Convictions without imprisonment and with associated successful violence prevention programmes being completed, makes more sense.
There is the added component of signalling to wider society – the level of tolerance for violence as an accepted reaction – that also needs to be taken into account.
The victim impact statement was also redacted by the police, which I had never heard of before. The images of the original statement with the police redactions can be seen here:
https://x.com/SimonRAnderson/status/1764795430393782588?s=20
I do wonder if theres room something similar to clean slate or a way to have a conviction not entered / discharged on completion on relevant programs.
No matter what happens its often the victim that has to live with the worst of the consequences of an assault.
What we do with the offender should focus on how to stop them doing it again.
@Cricklewood
The focus on the individual is notable, and also notable for not having a requirement to be measured, assessed and determined if the outcome is as expected.
However, there is a wider societal impact of each individual court cases and sentencing, that will have influence on others decision making and choices, based on this outcome. IIRC, there were two thousand people protesting women meeting to talk and listen. The aggression was high, and many will be reassured to have evidence of the high level of police and judiciary tolerance for violence.
fucking hell. This is child sex abuse.
there's a problem with MSM reporting as well. How did the Judge get from masturbated in a public place while watching an unattended child getting dressed to "the man posed a low risk of reoffending"?
I don't think prison or lifting name suppression is useful to society in cases like that or the dude that punched Hobson (because it increases their risk of offending), but the cases do point to how ineffective our justice system is that we can't come up with things better than prison or slaps on the wrist with a wet bus ticket.
"fucking hell. This is child sex abuse."
Clarity in language helps, thanks weka.
Much better video that shows the context.
Its appalling watching the brutally of the assault
Yep no arguement from me, I would really like to see some sort of investigation into the dreadful police response cant decide if it was incompetence or something more delibrate.
The IPCA investigation report is due out in the next few months.
I have spoken to someone who has participated in it. They are not reassured it will address the failings of the day, or identify whether the police deliberately created a situation where people were not protected, by not adhering to organised meetings and expectations.
I guess we will have to wait and see.
I was seriously assaulted about 4 years ago, by middle class professionals, 3 on 1 while I was seated btw. I was off work for a month with concussion and it was another 6 or 7 months before I could work full time.
The judge basically dismissed the case without conviction and granted name suppression because it would result in the dismissal of those involved.
My experience with the official system was dehumanising. As a person I didn’t count. However the individual police officers were fantastic as well as the prosecutor and victim support.
I read the comments on here last night, and my heart was breaking.
Cheers David. Sorry to hear about your assault. So frightening. I am glad the police were o.k.
We have increasingly tolerated violence and unsuprisingly it is increasing.
Thank you, the incident did take some time to get over, concussion is bad enough, but for me it was the psychological effects that took time to recover. I’m forever grateful that my employer was fully supportive during my recovery and I was on full pay throughout.
At the time of the assault I was recovering from a mountain bike accident so I just couldn’t defend myself. The feeling of helplessness while listening to the defence lawyer telling lies about me in court to the judge, and the judge making no acknowledgment to me as the victim. I can certainly understand why we hear of victims/families/friends getting very upset when this happens.
It must have been appalling to realise that three people ganged up on you and for no good reason (not that there ever is a good reason except self defence) didn't think twice about brutalising you.
I am sorry to hear of your experience, David. It is a poor judicial outcome for you, and I hope you have been able to overcome that aspect in your recovery.
Thank you, the incident did take some time to get over, concussion is bad enough, but for me it was the psychological effects that took time to recover. I’m forever grateful that my employer was fully supportive during my recovery and I was on full pay throughout.
At the time of the assault I was recovering from a mountain bike accident so I just couldn’t defend myself. The feeling of helplessness while listening to the defence lawyer telling lies about me in court to the judge, and the judge making no acknowledgment to me as the victim. I can certainly understand why we hear of victims/families/friends getting very upset when this happens.
Cheers David
Traumatizing all over again reading comments like that
I think we need a post on how much this government is energised by hate for the oppressed and for anything progressive.
The speed and depth at which they are pulling away the social supports and progressive policies of the Labour government 2017-2023 is startling.
The silence of protest after the Kingitanga hui and Waitangi Day is also surprising.
Maybe we have to wait for the May Budget for this to come more sharply into frame.
There was a protest at the weekend:
No surprise it got the rednecks frothing, and suddenly interested in te reo Māori.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/510976/hurricanes-poua-won-t-be-allowed-to-repeat-haka-criticising-government
Those women are entitled to their opinion and to express it outside the job i.e. playing rugby.
Most jobs it is not a good idea to express political views. Imagine if you went to see you Dr and her started on about the woke left.
There's some amazing stuff going on at the moment.
Not only are we no longer able to express political views if employed as a publicly funded academic (Joanna Kidman), but we are also not allowed to express political views if employed by a sponsored sports organisation (Hurricanes Poua). And you even say it's not a good idea to express political views while employed at all.
Who then left to express political opinion, the retired and the unemployed?
Where does this leave the Labour movement, union representation, strike action, the very reason for this forum?
The fake left have been fully captured…
Proessor Joanna Kidman holds the posistion of Director at the anit-extremism centre. and her salary in this role is paid for by the Prime Minister's Department (DPMC).
She should criticise the govt on things she has expertise in, however its highly questionable if calling the coalition govt a death cult that hates children meets this criteria. Her language is hyperbolie and many of her statements before she was appointed to the role showed that she held rather extreme views herself, e.g trying to get Treliese Cooper cancelled because of calling a dress "trail of tears"
Academics sure they should be outspoken critiques of the government because in theory that have some special expertise. They need to use this expertise rather than personal opinions.
Sports stars are their to entertain and excite. The political views of the Hurricane are of no interest to me. But if those women want to join a protest, sign a petition, lobby MPs that's fine. I apologise if I didn't express my views very well before. I take Molly's point about Israel Folau, he was asked about homosexuality within the context of his christian believes and he chose to answer.
BTW in my last job, I had to keep an extremely low political profile. That's why the Standard suited me, I could express my views annonymously. But I knew the deal was I mostly had to keep my views to myself and I accepted that.
Jobs such as being a trade unionist, charities and NGOs of course its part of the job to express political views.
here's the tweet. Seems reasonable expression of opinion to me, and within her realm of academic work.
From,
https://twitter.com/actparty/status/1764900808813134323
also noting that her twitter account doesn't name or link to her job or employer.
https://twitter.com/JoannaKidman
a useful comparison here might be the Forstater case.
It is a mistake to believe ACT MP's
He said this.
"The irony of an anti-extremism campaigner using such extreme rhetoric should be obvious.
Something more evidence based
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2024/03/department-of-pm-and-cabinet-responds-amid-feud-between-david-seymour-and-government-funded-centre-director-over-death-cult-comments.html
Appropriating a public platform, or using an organisation's reach to express a personally held opinion, is not a requirement of free speech.
It is an interesting phenomenon to witness those who champion this poorly thought out act utilising an organisation's reach, with those expressed by Israel Folau who answered a specific question about his religious beliefs in a personal capacity:
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-15-07-2019/#comment-1637166
https://thestandard.org.nz/folaus-rights-to-free-speech-are-not-being-attacked/#comment-1632747
I can't accept the premise of your argument equating Folau's homophobia with Maori and PI women from disadvantaged backgrounds criticising this reckless government.
It's pretty disgraceful really.
Being gay isn’t a choice, is it? Ripping out support for low income communities for tax cuts and demoting te ao Maori is a choice, a deliberate and malevolent choice.
Point of relevance is free speech.
No it's not.
That might be a convenient distraction and simplification which the far right are using at the moment but it's important to recognise what the speech is:
One is harmful to private individuals simply because of their sexual identity. The other is critical of punitive reforms by a reckless, racist coalition of purchased populists.
But free speech doesn't mean you must never offend or hurt someone's feelings.
I am a believer that the only free speech that should be stopped is defamation or speech that directly incites violence.
When we shut people down, we the lose the opportuity to change their minds with good arguements
Maori and P I woman should definitely criticise this govt, but not using the professional to do so.
Come on didn't people express outrage on this site when Ma Nonu tweeted support for John Key before the election? Imagine what you would think if the All Blacks did a Haka that criticised Labour and the lockdowns, covid vacinnes anything you likely really.
You are literally parroting lines from David Farrar and that's fine, but it's important to recognise.
The comparison is a typical Farrar propaganda trick*, a straight reversal without even considering the likelihood of the reverse happening. In his and your stated case you'd have accept the entire ABs team were pandemic-denying, anti-vaxx nut jobs. There might be one or two but not the whole team.
Total fantasy.
*Similarly, Farrar will try flip the plate by declaring there would be outrage if something said by a minority activist against white privilege were reversed. He fails to see that if you reverse that circumstance you must also reverse historical circumstance and consider white people indigenous and disenfranchised, and brown people the authoritarian colonisers.
Would there be outrage then? Nope.
Kinda hoping this 1st 100 days its not going to end in incoming govts spending a huge chunk or time and money cancelling everything the previous govt has done.
Recipe for complete inertia.
Yes the women's Hurricanes team Haka and Professor Joanna Kidman have both been vocal.
Re no protests, its up to them to organise it. No one is stopping them
What about the hate the former govt and the Greens levelled at gender critical women?
If you are wanting to figure out some of the reasons Labour lost, that would be a good place to start
I hate being right.
https://twitter.com/shellenberger/status/1764799914918490287
Full report: https://environmentalprogress.org/big-news/wpath-files
Stella O'Malley speaking on the WPATH files webinar series, live rn. Don't know if there will be a replay.
https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1ynJOykbBdEKR
https://twitter.com/genspect/status/1765158765857243316
The abuse of children is pretty stomach-churning and I just had lunch. But, I will steel my guts and check it out.
Yep that was interesting. Thanks @weka
Are you planning on a standard article on this topic?
I'm not really writing posts atm, and that one is too much for my brain currently. Do you feel like doing a Guest Post? If you see anything that I can cross post, let me know.
I want to, but I can't. If there is some way to DM (or just email me) I can explain why.
"I hate being right."
If that was the only concern, this this medical disaster could have been stopped in its tracks, by looking for and demanding high quality clinical evidence for such significant psychological, medial and surgical interventions.
The problem was that anyone querying the harm, was given the appendage – "-wing", as if no further response was necessary.
Also various flavours of "-phobe" and "-ist".
It's all very DARVO. If you think that perhaps gay kids should perhaps not be experimented on, then you're trans/homophobic. If you think that perhaps women should control the word "woman" and have the right to exclude men, and perhaps not be punched in the face, you're a misogynist because you're not including trans women (who are men).
I am not sure it is a gay kids thing – it is about gender stereotypes and about presumption that "children/a problem with a child" can be fixed by making a diagnosis categorisation – a wider field of neurodiversity/autism etc is also involved.
Then there is the medical profession interfering in psycho-sexual development to manage outcomes – as they did before the DSM 1980 with homosexuality. Thus culture and politics.
SPC, there has been numerous indications that gay children looking for support or information about their realisation of their homosexuality, are not receiving such support.
They are introduced to the concept that an unidentifiable "gender identity" takes precedence over biological sex, and thus, this adoption of a shifting concept allows coercive methods of denying the exclusion of the sex they have no attraction to.
Gender clinics – including the Tavistock in the UK – have clinicians reporting that they are "transing the gay away". I had a social media conversation with someone who counsels within the Rainbow Youth organisation here in NZ, that sent me to this article when I asked what support he provided to young lesbians that reached out to him for support and guidance:
https://eveywinters.com/genital-preferences-or-bigotry/
Please take the time to read it. In between the assumed – and not expressed by anyone that I know – view that excluding trans people from your dating pool is ignorant, is the more subtle – but visible – declarations that hiding your sex from sexual partners is a matter of personal choice not deception, and that sexual orientation is flexible when gender identities come into it, thus resulting in a bisexual orientation for all.
Homosexuals of both sexes – as with women and girls – have to fight to retain the language that both accurately defines and protects their group.
My point was, and remains that it is not just a "gay kids" thing.
Those identifying as "gay" are generally not the younger "kids". While many gay come to a realisation as teens, some do not until older.
Given many of the non conformist to gender stereotype children are not in fact gay, some Tavistock people may have been operating under a misapprehension of what they were doing.
The wider of issue, as per gender and sexuality, is for mine (as it includes the whole of society) separate from the issue of the health of the children pre puberty/adolescence. Where the politics comes into it.
That's a great read, thanks Molly.
Gay kids are often (not always) gender non conforming. Some research about this and I know from my own family
Even so, most of the non conforming to gender stereotypes are heterosexual – as per sporty active girls and the non active outdoorsy artistic boys thing.
And many homosexual adults conform to gender stereotypes easily enough.
Brain fade by me, this was actually discussed in a previous OM.
But fucking hell. It's quite the read.
Yes its appalling how Wpath have got away with this.
About three years ago when commenting on this site, someone said to me "your on the wrong side of history".. I said I didn't care, I was expressing my view on gender ideology. But really we will be shown to be on the right side of history
UNRWA losing funding, the World Food Programme relief blocked at IDF checkpoint (slowing aid to the north), then looted.
The inefficiency of last resort air drops in the north.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68478831
One wonders what a cease-fire would mean in practice for aid delivery.
Is it time to consider security for aid supply and delivery?
BASIC ANALYSIS
1.Lack of food aid to coerce a hostage release (rescue would cause death) – a negotiated cease-fire for a second tranche of hostage release.
2.The IDF is trying to starve out Hamas fighters in the north and then lure them out from tunnels with limited/controlled food aid (via oversight of).
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68486248
The Israeli judge at the ICJ
https://www.timesofisrael.com/justice-barak-icj-ruling-based-on-scant-evidence-ugandan-judge-legal-case-a-desperate-bid/
Israeli citizens are also blocking aid getting through.
An Israeli attempt to force hostage release by hunger, meets Hamas intent to use that to reduce support for Israel.
Move from the north, move from the centre to either Rafah on the border, or an encampment on the southern coast.
Now it's go to as refugees into Egypt, so that the last of Hamas can be defeated in the north, centre and south of Gaza.
https://www.jewishpress.com/news/us-news/wsj-demands-egypt-opens-border-to-save-gaza-civilians/2024/03/04/
The thing is extremists had already called for the removal of Palestinians from Gaza as a goal, not to fight Hamas without civilians around.
While it would not be genocide (by violence or starvation), it would be ethnic cleansing.
The Israeli approach is to build pressure for aid delivery to Gaza civilians in the Sinai/Egypt.
Their problem is obvious, their lack of track record in allowing refugees to return to land controlled by the IDF.
Only the USA is in the position to guarantee that every civilian would be allowed to return to Gaza. And one way for the current coalition government in Israel to provide reassurance to the world community is to remove all those who called for an ethnic cleansing of Gaza from its Cabinet.
Ki Ora whano
I say Aoteoroa leaders should be looking around the world and plan for the future.
I,E plan for a long long winter caused buy a nuclear?
We have hydro we need to build out wind power as it still generates power when the sun doesn't shine. Not rocket science ne .
The iwi need to build wind power on their lakes very efficient way to do not so many roads to build also this type of investment is recession proof .
Our wind power resources are some of the best in the world.
Buy the turbines from China and they will be a 3rd cheaper than the rest of the world.
Ka kite ano
https://youtu.be/azuSxl9sHmc?si=ne4T6xvFHxuJspkT