There's a few ways to authenticate homelessness but it's probably better to authenticate a fake, as the homeless receive enough bashing from the fearful lately. In the US in some parts it is illegal to feed them. Cops are forced to bully their fellow man out of town. The authorities and those backing them merely cowards.
Cowards? – COWARDS!
"Lot of homelessness. It's confronting. Like that. Snap. Your life's fucked. A divorce, an illness, a mental illness, an accident… Some stupid decision or a cruel twist of fate. It could be us – they are us. You can't hate on the homeless, man. That's not hate, it's fear."
So we find cons have infiltrated this sector of society to bleed funds. That's no surprise the thieving self-entitled infiltrate every strata of society. Theirs is not a stratified world, it is a free for all. These people are no worse than the Hisco's of the world and do a lot less financial damage. Also reprehensible bastards: like the Hisco's of the world.
Fake homeless? Look for:
cleanliness
orderliness
refusal of food offering
sole operator/s (no feral mates in vicinity)
polished story (or laminated placard…)
If you live on the streets: you know the street people, and they know you.
I'm not sure if our beat cops have regular routes? Community Constables are/were in some areas and their ties with community strengthen over time. They'd quickly spot new transients on their beat, and in a relatively short space of time the veracity of their claims. In addition to this a familiar authority figure allows lines of communication to be set up over time with folks whose mistrust of strangers is very high.
Be wary of the tired right-wing schtick bashing all homeless as con-artists and ne'er-do-wells. They are our housing crisis in bold relief. They are a mental health system that is failing us. They are a welfare system run by accountants. They are the fallout of domestic and political violence.
"We ate fungi, watercress, seafood, rustled sheep, pilfered fruit, garden raids, dumpster diving and homeless handouts. We never thought about how we were homeless, we were surviving. Mental health, abuse, alcoholism, addiction, abandonment. It was all there, and it was all intertwined. We absolved ourselves with three Fuck You's and a bottle of grog."
I am deeply suspicious of this articles motives. You only have to view their front page to see where their loyalties lie. No effort to distinguish who is who. Just 'raising awareness' of a con that's been going on since Christ.
I have always considered the role of Community Constables to be of immense importance for the reasons you have mentioned above (and many other reasons), but these roles seem to have diminished to almost the point of extinction in most cities at least. We still have a couple in Wellington (I think) but you don't hear about them nearly as much as in the past.
There is plenty of homeless bashing etc – "get them of our streets", "they are an embarrassment", "they harass tourists" etc – but here in Wellington we also still have a number of good support services still available such as the City Mission, the men's Night Shelter, Soup Kitchen etc. Wellington City Council also now employs a group of Local Hosts whose job is to:
assist the public and visitors to the city
support Police on the street, particularly at night
liaise with retailers, bar and restaurant staff
keep an eye out for what's going on
report safety hazards, graffiti, or issues with city infrastructure.
As part of their daily routine, these Local Hosts also walk the beat talking to and checking on the homeless, and reporting back to the Outreach Team, who provide support to people who are homeless or who are on the fringes of homelessness.
I am not suggesting that these services are nearly enough, a lot more could and should be done but this is at least something by the local council aimed at making connections and offering some level of support.
I wonder who the people were? It says Chinese, but people from Asian countries could all be Chinese who had settled there, so from many countries. Or they could be Asians being labelled Chinese. I wonder if they begged in China, what treatment they would receive? They could be very poor people given the chance of getting money for their family back home, and not have much say in what they do in Australia.
It appears that there is plenty of money in Oz, so why can't they accept more of the refugees that turn up penniless and without hope where they came from? And why chuck NZs out because some of them have been petty crims? They wouldn't be any different percentages than for the working class Australians.
Imagine a pathogen so cunning that it created not only sick people, but also people who looked sick but actually weren't. And also imagine that the imitation was so good that doctors couldn't tell the difference consistently, and ended up withholding treatment from the actually sick people.
We'd be shaking our heads at the highly evolved cruelty of this pathogen. But we'd know what to call it – "capitalism"
In India kids are trained to be beggars and with sometimes young bodies are being deliberately damaged to look the part, and in they go in coordinated teams to beg especially from tourists. Around the corner waits the "boss" perhaps in the comfort of his car.
There is some truth to this. Opportunists (aka capitalists) – guess what – they seize on opportunities. A buck to be made often outweighs any moral imperative – if it was ever there to begin with.
Some countries are still full of land mines – and thus amputees. Should we abandon all in case they've tricked us out of a few bucks – while bankers steal billions?
There are also reports of parents who maim the child. This is a world we can barely grasp let alone understand. I've known more hardship than you've had hot dinners, and I am stunned by the lengths some are driven to.
What level of hardship brings such practice about?
What level of psychopathy is prevalent in (the society and) the capitalists who use such hardship to capitalise?
We can't even imagine that world, but we sure like to judge it.
We definitely need to move the con artists along. From government, civil service, business, banking, media…
We need better opportunities and less opportunists. A systemic overhaul from top to bottom.
Btw @ WtB…..no truer comment ever spoken! (especially the "……..we sure like to judge it".
AND the next bit as well: "We definitely need to move the con artists along. From government, civil service, business, banking, media…"
We actually have/or have had till recently, people in our civil service who couldn't tell the difference between a Muslim or a Sikh, or indeed a Hindu or a Christian with a sweat band! They're all bloody "rag" or "onion heads" to them. (I've heard it first hand! Nor can they tell the difference between arranged marriages and forced marriages; or scam relationships and the genuine; or exploiters and the exploited – LET ALONE why and how it's all become normalised.
As a Koiwoi, I feel the shame at our allowing it all to happen, and worse still why we're so bloody slow to fix it – even when a few simple things could be done tomorrow
Depends entirely where you are. Large cities with extreme poverty. In many rural areas and smaller cities and downs, if parents or anyone else got caught doing this, they'd be driven out of town – possibly worse
The pressure to survive causes some people to kill elephants. Others use their kids to beg and maybe live another day. Hard to imagination in our country but there must be some families who feel totally helpless.
Unbelievable that the government was considering bailing out Westland Milk Products if the Yili sale failed…
ffs, corporate welfare and bailouts for big capital, just like the global financial crisis where those that caused the problem got bailed out…. what a fikkin' yoke
rinse and repeat
save big capital, shit on the little people
is about time big capital had some of its ownership and rights peeled away if it expects little people to save it all the time
The problem with your analysis is that Westland Milk Products is not a "Capitalist" organisation as the word is normally interpreted. It isn't "big capital" at all. If it was it could have survived.
It is a co-operative. As such it finds it very difficult to raise more capital if it is required. A normal firm can issue new shares to people who are willing to buy them. A co-operative like this one can't. They can only raise money by withholding it from the payout to their suppliers. That means all of them equally, rather than selling new shares to willing buyers.
Anyone who believes that co-op's are the way to go should keep that fact in mind. They can crash very easily.
But they seem to be able to access bank loan, "capital" even to pay "unearned" dividends, or for share buy backs.
The banks attitude to co-ops, and indeed many small businesses, when they can lend at far less risk, on speculative land, appears to be part of the problem.
An argument to revive a State "development bank".
Looking at North Dakota, where local banks have been legislated to serve the community, not the other way around.
Thor, the scandinavian storm god, rarely features in local politics and culture here – despite escalating climate change. News that Stuff got rapped over the knuckles for connecting him to the Chch mosque massacre is a bit of a surprise.
Perhaps time's a-coming when burnt offerings to Thor will be used by coastal folk to ward off tornadoes coming in from the Tasman. Magical thinking has been resisting attempts by the upstart, rationality, to dislodge its hegemony for several centuries now. Ramp up those barbies, you westies!
Enjoyable read. When we can't achieve anything because of sloth from fellow human beings, and the might and power of the Wealth-Cult not willing to do anything that can't produce a profit, then it will be good to have gatherings where we can offer prayers and offerings, exchange ideas for coping, have some songs and fermented stuff, and give and get some hugs and handshakes. Not a bad idea.
So National are aiding criminals, their leave it to market ideology, let private charity keep the homeless fed. General welfare, homes to live in, and if we don't, Chinese gangs fait homelessness! begging is now a income! Thanks National. Suppose we put them in jail at considerable cost. GDP spikes up. Wow what a unimaginable cretinous ideology.
foreign media have reported information showing our sub-humane mass murderer seems to be more connected ………… than our 'lone wolf ' media would have you believe …
Who knows what is behind the lack of NZ reporting on this support network of his ….but he was friendly with the fascists our Govt and the west supports. .,…
links have emerged between the shooter and a Ukrainian ultra-nationalist, white supremacist paramilitary organisation called the Azov Battalion. The shooter’s manifesto alleges that he visited the country during his many travels abroad, and the flak jacket he wore during the assault featured a symbol commonly used by the Azov Battalion.
during the massacre he donned the SS wolf’s hook symbol used by the right wing paramilitary group Azov Battalion
The Azov Battalion is emerging as a critical node in the transnational right-wing violent extremist (RWE) network. This group maintains its own “Western Outreach Office” to help recruit and attract foreign fighters that travel to train and connect with people from like-minded violent organisations from across the globe.
In the US, several RAM members (all American citizens) who spent time in Ukraine training with the Azov Battalion were recently indicted by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation for their role in violently attacking counter protesters during the August 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Known as a bastion of neo-Nazism, Ukraine’s Azov Battalion has received teams of American military advisors and high powered US-made weapons.
His passport should have raised red flags …. Afghanistan ,Pakistan, turkey, Israel …. Bulgarian intelligence said he was reported to have visited Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro, and Croatia in December 2016.
France, Spain and Portugal.
north fucking Korea ???
The blend of such considerable travel activity while stockpiling a cache of semi-automatic firearms with a digital footprint espousing his extremist views online makes the likelihood that [deleted] managed to remain under the radar of the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (SIS) difficult to believe.
A secret review of the failings of Jihadi Rebecca Kitteridge .and our blind five white eyes cyber spooks will be a white wash
Cheers WTB ,,,, Although I agree with the media blackout of any fame towards our subhuman civilian murderer …. It could also play into the hands of any cover up.
He did have a media profile … on the non encrypted open web….. yet he seems to have been looked at with a blind eye and deaf ear…. But then again I suppose its not just us
Racist, Violent, Unpunished: A White Hate Group’s Campaign of Menace
They train to fight. They post their beatings online. And so far, they have little reason to fear the authorities.
The death threat against Winston also takes on a higher threat level ….. still low, but no longer at the level of being a mocking or laughing matter from National party supporters.
It's particularly despicable bringing children in to this but that is the MO – influencing susceptible minds to their nonsense. A sound mind aint wearing a bar of it. Then there's all the patriotic idiotic chest thumping and imaginary threat assessments to continue the lie they're all victims…
Same shit the wannabe Nazi's here do, only the weaponry is not so prevalent.
Apparently I am a RACE TRAITOR! The marrees are gonna get us!
But really, they are delusional dim-witted shitheels. Any with half a clue are there for the money/ties, not the beer soaked chanting sessions. Unfortunately now very dangerous with social media lending them a distorted echo chamber to validate their moronic views, and the ability to network with purely evil players and finance.
Capitalism's new toy. Nationalism – and the sociopaths it attracts.
The Christchurch shooter was not simply a lone actor, but the product of a broader network of right-wing violent extremists. If the evidence ultimately proves that ******* went to Ukraine to train with like-minded individuals, then the attack in New Zealand was possibly the first example of an act of terrorism committed by a white supremacist foreign fighter. And unless the international community recognizes the danger posed by these transnational networks, the New Zealand attack is unlikely to be the last.
Personally I think the truth is somewhere in the middle between "lone wolf" and "a white supremacist foreign fighter" … Arse covering in a secret Nz investigation ….does not encourage me that we will get the full truth.
our media is shit …. and it seems you get better more informative reporting on NZ …. from overseas sources
Do you know what the Ukraine is? It's a sitting duck. A road apple. The Ukraine is weak. It's feeble. I think it's time to put the hurt on the Ukraine.
It would be to Russia advantage to demonise the Ukraine. So, I'd take all this with a grain of salt considering how much fake news spews out of Russia.
People on the internet are quite happy to tell lies about what symbols people are wearing or making.
Responsible for the deaths of thousands of Jews, Poles and Russians during the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, Ukrainian fascism was rehabilitated and its "new wave" hailed by the enforcer as "nationalists".
This reached its apogee in 2014 when the Obama administration splashed out $5 billion on a coup against the elected government. The shock troops were neo-Nazis known as the Right Sector and Svoboda. Their leaders include Oleh Tyahnybok, who has called for a purge of the "Moscow-Jewish mafia" and "other scum", including gays, feminists and those on the political left.
was functioning as Britain First’s official page and had more than 7,300 followers, with Golding posting pictures from a “Britain First defenders” training day and telling people to “pray for churches” in response to the Christchurch mosque shooting.
"From the late 1980s, when privatisation took hold and many state forests were sold to private enterprise, even those exotic forests that had been planted to stabilise highly erodible landscapes were sold, and harvested. In regions like the East Coast, with some of the most fragile soils in the world, this led to devastating erosion, choking rivers and coastlines with sediment and slash, flooding, and ruining farmland."
"In 1988, after Cyclone Bola ravaged the region, more exotic forests were planted in an effort to stabilise the land, and these are now also being harvested, with predictably disastrous effects, as we saw in Tolaga Bay last year. That kind of planting is still going on."
Adapt to survive thinking cannot enter heads if business & govt planners continue to ignore the changing world around them. Relevant ministers need to signal a change of course to all involved.
"In New Zealand, almost all silvicultural research, expertise and commercial forestry is devoted to exotic, short-rotation monocultures, despite the devastating environmental impacts seen in regions such as the East Coast, Coromandel, Northland and Marlborough. Back in the 1950s, on the other hand, countries like Germany realised that 'close to nature' silviculture, based on indigenous mixed forests, with no clear felling, little spraying and an emphasis on natural regeneration, was a smart alternative to exotic plantation forests. Today almost three quarters of German forests are in mixed stands, with an emphasis on biodiversity and soil enrichment."
Perhaps Britain needs to get a supply of guillotines from the French and systematically start chopping off the heads of the crazies who try to run the country …into the ground. Reading Ellis Peters and the Cadfael series of the 12th century they were eternally fighting between themselves – two contenders Stephen and cousin Maud – or with the Norman French I think. Eight centuries later we still haven't got things sussed. But there is a difference, we haven't got eight centuries left to bugger around, fail, try again,,,,in endless iteration. WW2 was the extreme example of this, we didn't learn from it except use modern technology to make better trebuchets.
The bloody elites are only happy when other people's blood is being spilled. There have been recent comments about the USA elite getting their waivers from serving in their Forces. I suppose it is the same in the UK though the Royal men do take part in soldiering, flying etc.
But learning how to live and let live sustainably, that hasn't happened and the well educated UK parliament haven't learned how to do that so they think they will start a new wave of trials and failures as if they have centuries of stable climate, resources and demographics ahead of them.
Just bloody disgraceful that Britain would renew tensions and not seek viable agreements. They haven't the strength of mind and body to show the finger to the USA, who are so off-compass that they will fall over the Rim soon. (TP Discworld people will have a better grasp of political maneouvering than the well-paid pollies. Their payment system gives the wrong signals – they should be paid on good results that lead to a happy working nation.)
Morrissey You seem to be getting into the hard stuff when it comes to criticism. You might have to limit your spleen Breen, for the sake of maintaining a healthy mind, too much negativity dumbs down others or makes everyone unhappy. Try singing Bobby McFerrin at least once a day, he is being both satirical and realistic:
Fair comment, my friend, but I would remind you that this fellow "Andre" attacked—not criticized, simply attacked—one of the few decent politicians in the western world, and called her supporters "convergence moonbats". I merely challenged his complacent and dishonest post, and reminded him that he is not going to get away with such inflammatory nonsense on this forum.
[I cannot see the “attack” @ 9 on “one of the few decent politicians in the western world”, which is simply your opinion. You did not “merely challenge[d]” but posted some of your own “inflammatory nonsense” @ 9.1. Please do not start flame wars on this site – Incognito]
It’s a facile concept, desperately posited by the suffering survivors of the doomed Clinton campaign of 2016. Another version of it is the “horseshoe theory.”
Been there done that editing a community paper. Then went on the 'last great drinking jag' culminating in hospitalisation and loss of job.
I'm a shocker myself at times with overly emotive language. It can just flow aye. Folks here have been instrumental in helping me rein it in, which ultimately helps me be a better communicator.
The message is lost when ears are burning.
Sometimes I find it nigh on impossible to turn it off. Misinformation especially deliberate gets the blood boiling.
Agree, Bleeple. I know I write better when I discipline myself, and cut back on the abuse.
Keep up your writing, by the way—I've enjoyed your little vignettes of Wellington bowery life—shades of George Gissing, Geoff Cochrane, and Charles Bukowski!
I did wonder about convergence moonbats – what are those, and why is he so qualified to throw soubriquets around so freely? (I had to look up google for that one – love these odd words. Sounds like small bricks in French and fits the niche well!) Bobby McFerrin is great. And i use him to lighten me quite often, have to follow my own advice!
She's an intelligent and gracious Democrat who has, like anyone with a brain, expressed grave skepticism about the decision of the Democratic "leadership" to pursue this mad fantasy of Russian meddling. That is, by itself, enough for her to incur the hatred and enmity of Nancy Pelosi and her cronies.
She has also pointed out there is no evidence to support the insistence of the Democratic “leadership” that Syrian government forces, and not the U.S.-backed Al Nusra and Al Qaeda terrorists, used chemical weapons.
Tulsi Gabbard is a pro-military, pro-droning, pro-hindu-nationalist, pro-authoritarian, ok with torture, homophobic (historically at least) Representative from Hawaii who holds social positions now fairly common within the Democrats such as $15 minimum wage. She's twigged to the idea that mouthing a few anti-interventionist words is sufficient to attract loud and blinkered support from a few vocal enthusiasts (including the likes of David Duke, Richard Spencer, Steve Bannon etc) that happily blind themselves to her unsavory positions on other topics. She got a massive poll boost from her debate performance, lifting her from 0.6% support all the way to 0.7%.
Marianne Williamson is indeed "a flake, insubstantial as hell" as the mozzie aptly described her. She's apparently some sort of anti-vax New Age self-help guru that has worked for Oprah, and is running as a Democratic candidate for president. Although it's in no way apparent why, as she doesn't seem to have any ideas or even opinions around most topics a president has to deal with. Currently sitting around 0.2% in polling.
I would have thought the residual “crystal energy” set would still have been quite a lot larger than 0.2% of Dems, but hey, maybe they’re a lot more pragmatic and holistic in choosing who to support.
Hey Andre, I know it's too early but are you forming any impression of a likely winner emerging from the rather nondescript pack of contenders?
Warren seems to have said a few intelligent things in the past, yet was apparently unimpressive in recent performance, and Sanders likewise failed to impress in the debate. If you feel picking a winner at the stage is too much like going out on a limb, I agree, just wondering if the Dems are competing to underwhelm the third of the electorate who are non-aligned…
Looks to me like Bernie and Biden are running on their set-in-stone ideas and reputations locked in over their decades of service, and that's starting to show to an electorate that's moved past what they have to offer. They're both dropping in the polls, and I don't think either has the mental flexibility anymore to turn it around.
At the moment it looks to me like it's between Warren and Harris. Warren offers preparation and plans and enough experience in DC to prove she can get things done, but is sadly a bit dry and boring, professorial even, to be really broadly appealing and inspiring.
Whereas Harris is more dynamic, better able to react accurately on the fly, enough government experience to be credible, but on the downside there are things in her backstory that a determined troll campaign could blow out of proportion to smear her.
Buttigieg is the dark horse running the outside lane, but it's hard to see him having enough on his own merits to come through unless all four ahead of him crash and burn.
Interesting that you don't rate Beto. A while back I saw videos of him performing quite well, enough to work a crowd successfully, but I gather he didn't impress in the debate. Wouldn't rule out a tactical move toward caution explaining that. Allow others to get front-runner status, come from behind in a late run.
If I was a wealthy bank-roller of the Democrats, I'd give them all intensive media training. Problem with the primadonna syndrome is you get contenders who don't believe they need it. However that just polishes any gloss. What the Democrats really need is better ideas – particular those likely to trigger the zietgiest.
My impression of Beto is his backstory and the things he likes to talk about are a good fit for representing Texas interests in the Senate. But he doesn't seem to have much to show he's up to the challenge of grabbing leadership of the country and steering it in a new direction.
There is no debate. There is inaction borne of both greed and fear from authorities though. You see this a lot with new disruptive technologies – decision makers wracked with indecision and too scared or unwilling to govern.
You've pinned this nasty boring insect Airbub which with uber is a new disruptive technology that will steal our very lives if we don't control them.
White anting a society and its forms of work and mutuality that is what they do. And the government has been blackmailed by the uncaring c-off to let them get on with whatever they want to do, squeeze us till it hurts, and then sell our blood. Sound OTTT, the examples are there and will increase.
`But is it? The people staying in the $600 a week AirBnbs need to stay somewhere, the motels etc aren't exactly empty. If it is all long term rentals accessed through AirBnb it must be for people who need long term accommodation with out paying rapacious bloody "letting agents " their huge cuts. Maybe the hysteria is being fueled by these self same ethnicly bypassed letting agents fucked off with missing out on their cut. Even the language and media manipulation has all the hallmarks of a professional PR bullshit campaign.
Take into account also how much of the take is individual rooms for a day or so in private houses, which would not be available for long term tenancies anyway. We use AirBnB and meet some interesting locals and get a good take on local conditions. For older superannuitants or young couples trying to buy their own home or even a bit of spare income to help out with the kids AirBnb is a small Godsend for people to help them out .
In Muttonbird's 2nd link is a snapshot of the Airbnb scene in New York. 57% of listings are for the entire home. 53% of listings let for 60 days or more a year.
In the coastal Far North an Airbnb/Bookabach etc property returns about a third of the income when compared to letting the property to a long-term tenant. The overheads take a big hike if going the Airbnb route. Admin, power, internet, water, gas, garden maint, providing linen, laundry, cleaning, sundries (shampoo, toilet paper etc). Little recourse for damage or theft and doubled management costs.
The main advantage is that owners can continue to enjoy the holiday house. Few people want to know about a stay in the Far North for about 7 months of the year. Airbnb returns seem stronger when centrally located in our major centres.
I don't blame Airbnb operators for trying to get the best return they can on their assets. Is this not something we all do? I'm after the best price I can get when I'm flogging off unused gear on Trademe.
Exactly David. attacks on AirBnB and Uber simply for being are misdirected, AirBnb is simply a letting agent with actually a bit more security for damage etc as nobody will let in someone with a bad record and Uber is just a another taxi service, the like of which have existed for decades like Mini-cabs in London.
The difference being that Airbnb has developed some sort of social conscience and appears to be profitable for most participants.
Uber, on the other hand seems to be about destroying everything in an attempt to create a global monopoly, without which they will never be profitable. Before too long that model will run out of investor and supplier confidence, and social license.
Uber – just another taxi service. It is more like levering up the paving stones on a footpath that have been there for ages providing a service and the new replacement doesn't match the input of ages into the past, or those whose job has been to maintain the service. Companies just can't be welcomed to take over a system that serves the community and recycles the money put into it around that community.
Airbnb's advent coincided with the usual accomodation pinch point this cycle and fingers were vigorously pointed in Airbnb's direction. That's quietened down now with Council enforcing existing planning rules and doing some fine tuning of those rules. Airbnb have been active participants in the process to look after their and their hosts interests, but are pretty open with Council about what is going on. It's not in Airbnb's interests for it to turn into a shitfight.
In previous times cribs would have been let out during periods when the owners didn't need them. This resulted in a situation where a large proportion of the rental market was out in the street (literally) every school holidays. My partner grew up here and talks of moving house many times in the rental shuffle through the 70's and 80's. Queenstown's rental market has traditionally been either cribs (holiday houses) or rundown properties slated for re-development, neither terribly secure or long term. There's never been any real development of long term rentals. This is changing with a developers entering the rental market now, Kiwibuild, and possible extensions thereof are helping.
Another aspect of our rental market is the 1-24 month lifestyle resident, or long term tourist. These are generally more up-market and may not take employment, and are just as disruptive of rental market. This group takes a proportion of the Airbnb properties.
I totally agree that this is a Must Read, Incognito. Thanks for bringing it to attention as I had not picked it up earlier. Don't often visit Stuff, Herald etc these days.
Any thoughts of upgrading it to a post – just 'as is', as it speaks very strongly without need for summary or explanation?
I agree this could do with more exposure. It's a rock-and-a-hard-place for people doing a bloody hard job. Oversight is all good and well. 'Media oversight', on the other hand…
Even the writer of the article conceded all was not proper in the 'uplift' filmed by Reid. I'd not be too quick to condemn a journalist trying to get some much needed attention to what is going on.
"…a court-ordered custody order and the managed removal of a child. I'm aware that this is not always done perfectly, and I'm glad the publicised uplift in Hastings is being reviewed. The doco appears to show serious procedural issues in that instance, but it's also heavily edited and completely one-sided. Let's see what the review says and keep an open mind. "
What struck me was the level of professional disrespect shown by the CYFS(by any other name) to the two midwives. And the lawyer. These were professionals with direct involvement with the family (unlike the social workers in the uplift squad) and their opinions were completely ignored. this was unforgivable behaviour from the social workers and I hope they all are sent for re training.
The other aspect of this is the number of people who came forward and said….'Yes, sometimes kids are not safe with their birth family and no, we don't want anymore Kahui twins or Lillybings….but we've seen how too many social workers behave like lazy, ignorant bullies or incompetent twits.' Or words to that effect.
The good social workers will be fine. The ones who are capable of seeing the bigger picture and the ones who don't just uplift children and dump them with foster parents….who actually think about the long term.
After nearly a decade of fostering for CYFs, including being directly involved with a case remarkably similar to the Reid article, I feel qualified to say I see much accuracy in what was depicted. Shame on them.
+ 1 yep – the video showed massive disrespect for mana and that is not acceptable really. This will improve things I believe and it needs to because it is BROKEN now imo.
And if or no other reason…it is a textbook scenario known to all in the child protection field….remove a baby from a young mum and give her little hope of ever having her baby returned and she'll just go off and get hapu again. You can practically bank on it.
On the other hand, put a plan in place where mum and baby live in suitable surroundings with support and supervision (as was the plan for this young mum) and better still engage the wider whanau…like'… clean up your collective shit for the sake of the next generation.' (like seemed to be happening in the Reid article) and the odds of a much more positive outcome increase exponentially.
But. Good old CYFS. Buggers it up again. And they talk about inter-generational dysfunction in these families….seems like one generation of social workers are passing their bad practices down to the next.
Now what's that saying about keeping on doing the same thing over and over again and getting the same result?
Do you and/or Rosemary want to do a Guest Post on this? Both of you can provide a unique angle, which does not get adequate representation in MSM and thereby help to change things for the better for Māori and the children involved.
For me – thanks – I am working night shifts and I look after the kids during the day so I'm very busy and don't think I could do the topic justice. And I feel distinctly uncomfortable either putting myself, or Māori vulnerabilities, under the spotlight on this forum – apart from my comments which I put up when I can.
I read that the other day and have concerns that there seems to be a concerted effort by Media and pressure groups to ridicule Oranga Tamariki. Melanie Reid is on a damaging course. It seems to be simplistic to paint the uplifting as purposeless and vindictive. I hope that the Enquiries paint a balanced fair picture.
We are a new Ministry… No. You're not new. You have been rebranded.
…that bringing a child into our care can be traumatic for the child and their whānau. It is not a decision we take lightly, and there are, quite rightly, a strong set of checks and balances in the process to ensure that the right decision is made.
No. The checks and balances were not strong enough in the case that Reid focused on.
Wherever it is safe and possible to do so, the child’s parent(s), whānau and other people supporting the whānau will be involved in this decision. Well, er, no. Not in the case highlighted by Reid. CYFS (by any other name) were not the only professionals intimately involved with the young mother and her baby. The input of the midwives and the lawyer was treated with contempt by the social workers.
We are strengthening our confidence and competence to engage more effectively with Māori to improve outcomes for their tamariki and whānau, and fulfil our responsibility to better understand and reflect the people and communities we work with.
Doing better for Māori children is a key priority for Oranga Tamariki and there is new legislation requiring this coming into force from 1 July 2019. Section 7AA is a new section of the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989, which sets out our responsibilities to improve outcomes for tamariki Māori and their whānau, and requires Oranga Tamariki to report annually on the progress made. At this heart of this is working with whānau, hapū, iwi and kaupapa Māori providers to ensure we uphold the mana and whakapapa of tamariki Māori and the whānaungatanga responsibilities of whānau, hapū and iwi.
All this planning and all this insight yet you, CYFS (by any other name), failed to see the shit storm gathering force on the horizon.
Back in February 2017 The New Zealand College of Midwives submitted to the The Children, Young Persons, and Their Families (Oranga Tamariki) Legislation Bill and expressed the concern that..
The College has noted that early supportive intervention and preventative work has been seriously underfunded, and this has unfortunately led to the main intervention focus of child protection and the removal of children from their families/whānau. Alongside this is a focus on what is described as the ‘most vulnerable children.’ Extending the focus to support and protection of families/whānau and early help, requires a serious commitment on behalf of government to adequate funding and recognition that whānau who are struggling need support before their situations become acute. It signifies a failure of the system if it becomes concerned only when the family/whānau are at the point where social workers and services are unable to support them to ‘turn the curve.’
Bearing in mind that that submission was made under NationalRule, how did you think, CYFS(by any other name), the midwiveswere going to react when the word got around that the uplift of newborns was continuing unabated under the so called Coalition Of Lovingkindness?
An intelligent and sensitive organisation would have made damn sure that those checks and balances were done doubly properly and all professionals close to the mother and baby were involved. Especially the midwives.
“New details from the Panama Papers show how a stream of foreign cash became a torrent flooding into New Zealand trusts in order to avoid tax offshore.”
The first thought of people reaching dizzy highs in employment must be, "Phew. I am very rich and very important so I will be exempt from prosecution no matter how much I cheat."
Simon Schama frothed and ranted against Jeremy Corbyn this morning, while Kim Hill maintained a silence closely resembling collusion and agreement.
RNZ National, Saturday 6 July 2019, 9:10 a.m.
The first part of this interview by Kim Hill goes as you would expect it to: Simon Schama is a smooth talker, and formidably well informed about art. He sports an impressive résumé, and he loves telling a good story. One of the stories he tells is of meeting Henry Kissinger, who when Schama arrived at his apartment was preoccupied with feeding his dog. "I tried my best not to like him," Schama remembers fondly to Kim Hill, but he was charmed by the great man. "Kissinger is not all bad."
That endorsement of a notorious war criminal is a brief hint of the moral vacuum at the heart of this glib and superficially clever chatterbox. At one point he criticizes President Trump—"stupid", he sniffs contemptuously—for moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem; this was wrong, Schama claims, because it "undermined even further the Palestinian Authority." Schama doesn't care a jot for the people of the Occupied Territories; a ferocious supporter of the Israeli state, he is merely concerned about the influence of the collaborationist P.A. After that, he slips smoothly into equating opposition to Israel with being anti-Jewish. The attack on Corbyn, equally dishonest, flows naturally from that.
Following are selected highlights, or lowlights, of the interview, starting with his arch and pretentious comments about art and climaxing with that mad blitzkrieg against the leader of the British Labour Party….
KIM HILL: Um, "the besetting sin of contemporary art," you have said, "is its callow, orgiastic narcissism."
SIMON SCHAMA: I don't know about "narcissism." I wouldn't defend that over-fearfully.
KIM HILL: You were involved in the Paris protests in 1968! You have described yourself in those days as "a barbarically feckless youth, stoned on self-righteousness."
……….
SIMON SCHAMA: I reviewed Henry Kissinger's book Diplomacy. I didn't think it was as good as it could have been. He rang me and invited me to his apartment to talk about it. I was thinking of the bomber of Cambodia, and I tried my best not to like him. But when he answered the door, he was feeding his dog. Kissinger is not all bad. ….
SIMON SCHAMA: The Russians and the North Koreans have got Trump to do exactly what they want…. By and large since 1945, America's commitment to its alliances has actually kept the peace. But Trump doesn't know anything about diplomacy. …dismantling the hard-won Iran Nuclear Deal…. moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem has undermined even further the Palestinian Authority. …
KIM HILL: Do you think there is anything to these allegations of antisemitism against Jeremy Corbyn?
SIMON SCHAMA: There are very, very good people in the Labour Party, like Tom Watson. Jeremy Corbyn has been extraordinarily culpable in not paying attention to the POISON coursing through the veins of the Labour Party. … Young MPs like Luciana Berger have been subjected to DEATH THREATS! … I don't think he wants to drive Jews into concentration camps, I'm sure he doesn't. … Criticism of Israel morphs into anti-Semitism. …. He's dug his heels in SO MUCH. I don't know quite what we call it, but it amounts to vicious, malignant intransigence. … TheProtocols of Zion, that terrible forgery, has never had so many readers—-
KIM HILL: Seriously?
SIMON SCHAMA: Yeah. On the Web.
KIM HILL: Oh, the Web is making us STUPID, and believers in mad conspiracy theories….
… ad nauseam.
After this abortion, I sent Kim Hill the following email, which she read out on air just after the 10 o'clock news….
Dear Kim,
Simon Schama, admirer of Kissinger, spouter of lies against Corbyn
Simon Schama's extraordinary partisan broadside against Jeremy Corbyn, full of invective but devoid of evidence, was one of the ugliest few minutes of radio, on any station, this year. It's a pity you didn't ask him to back up his wild accusation that Corbyn is guilty of "vicious, malignant intransigence." It would have been almost as interesting, perhaps, as listening to him explain how he came under the thrall of Henry Kissinger.
Schama is Jewish, you pillock – of course he doesn't think Corbyn's done enough to combat anti-semitism in the Labour Party. That doesn't make him a "smooth and sinister liar," it makes him "someone with an opinion Morrisey doesn't like."
That was the empty flatulating gumflapping you seem to employ to boost your sense of moral selfworth morpissey. What do you expect the palestinian authority to do?
Thanks for that photo, my friend. It also serves as an analogy for Kim Hill's effectiveness in that "interview" this morning. Except, of course, that she didn't even throw a pebble at that engine of lies and propaganda. A pity, because his statements were almost all false, and would have collapsed if he had been asked to back them up with any evidence.
The Israeli Supreme Court refuses to hear arguments in a case about whether Palestinian minors imprisoned by Israel should be allowed to speak to their families on the phone.
Azov Battalion online propaganda shows Israeli-licensed Tavor rifles in the fascist group’s hands, while Israeli human rights activists have protested arms sales to Ukraine on the basis that weapons might end up with anti-Semitic militias.
She could have even asked about Israels Apartheid Bomb ….. the nuclear weapons they co-developed with South Africa … and usa moles
The CIA had evidence that this was a joint nuclear test conducted by Israel and the Apartheid regime in South Africa.
US suspicions were based on the already established nuclear cooperation between Israel and South Africa during the 1970s, which included sharing knowledge, materials and scientists.
Are you really serious, it is and has always been the Tories who have had a long a sordid history of anti-semitism in the UK, when was the last time Kim Hill, The Guardian or for that matter any MSM outlet has done a piece on that?
Man if you don't understand that this is purely an ideological battle for the media who are cynically using the racist Israeli lobby for their own purpose, it has sweet fuck all if anything to do with anti-semitism, then all I can say is.. well sir, can I sell you a used car… one lady owner….
I don't recall endorsing Schama's opinion or sharing it, just pointing out that it's unsurprising he holds that opinion. I expect he's none too chuffed with the Tories when it comes to ethnic bigotry either.
You claimed that Schama was "of course" obliged to spout vicious nonsense because he's Jewish.
In some alternate Morrissey-fantasy universe, perhaps. In this real, actually-existing one, of course Schama isn't happy with Corbyn's response to complaints of anti-semitism, because British Jews are highly likely to be unhappy with it. "Vicious nonsense" is your personal opinion, which has a net value of $0.00 outside your own head.
You could also usefully ponder the question of how members of other ethnic groups might take your view that their thoughts on the bigotry they're subjected to is "vicious nonsense." Just for once, as an experiment, like.
" I expect he's none too chuffed with the Tories when it comes to ethnic bigotry either. "…Funny how we wouldn't know that. probably because he never mentioned it..no just the usual bullshit about Labour/Corbyn…that's the point.
Morrissey Kim may have stayed quiet because she wanted to let him explain himself with few prompts. She operates differently to you, can be quite subtle.
I agree with you, Mr Shark: she can indeed be quite subtle. I do enjoy her programme, and I think she is far superior to her godawful temp. Noelle McCarthy.
She does have some grave faults, though, such as a propensity to automatically and uncritically recycle official bilge, and a certain degree of indolence, which was disastrous for her when she came across someone really sharp sixteen years ago….
A pity it wasn't you interviewing him, Dennis. You rightly have divined that there's not a lot of substance behind Schama's scholarly front. Kim Hill was putty in his hands, and treated him with the same deference she showed for other scoundrels from that part of the world, like Jonathan Freedland, Luke Harding, and A.A. Gill.
Thank you Morrissey, your letter on RNZ this morning is the best thing I have heard on Kim's reactionary show for quite a while..quite a highlight,, actually I was at first surprised that she read it out, as it pointed out quite nicely her obvious flaws, but then on reflection I came to the conclusion that she has gone so far down the rabbit hole of just parroting and giving unquestioned platform to that kind of bullshit, that wouldn't be able to see anything wrong with it..sad really, I used to admire her greatly.
Thanks, Adrian. Actually, to give Kim Hill her due, she almost always reads out my emails to her—and no, I don't write one to her regularly! She's only expressed consternation or anger towards me on one occasion….
morrissey….thank you for that….i can never quite understand why kim hill doesnt take these people to task….corbyn has been anti racism all his political life….meanwhile the genuine racism against moslems from the Tories is swept under the carpet.
But attacking Corbyn as a racist is all they have….he will be PM before xmas
This will be really interesting when the audio goes up on Radionz. He has something very interesting to say about managing predators and where cats useful place is in the chain; there is a chain to consider, not just knee jerk 'cats are bad'.
11:05 John Flux – Lifelong ecologist
John Flux in Iran in 1977 with a road kill hare Photo: Supplied
Internationally respected New Zealand ecologist John Flux has spent his life studying hares, starlings, and even his own cats.
His study of starlings in Belmont Regional Park, near Wellington, has become one of the longest continuous ecological studies in the world, running from 1970 to today.
At its peak he and his wife Meg would examine 500 starling nest boxes, located in munitions bunkers built by the US military in 1942.
John still climbs a ladder each year to check on 50 nesting boxes to see what effect climate change is having on the timing of egg laying.
He's recently authored a paper in the European Journal of Ecology about what humans might learn from the fate of feral populations of domesticated rabbits.
The Auckland ratepayers open ended cheque for the Americas cup and the cost to the environment in dumping sludge dredged for the village outside Great Barrier Island.
Oh if you don’t want to pay then maybe no event !
Sounds familiar.
I'm not impressed by Trump's blame game today: "Trump blamed a faulty teleprompter for his claim during remarks he made at a July 4th event that the Continental Army "took over the airports" during the Revolutionary War."
He claimed it broke down. So that technical malfunction caused him to describe the American troops occupying airports in 1775, he expects viewers to believe. I suspect few viewers will detect any causal logic connecting the two things…
I imagine the Iranian regime's top guys are trembling in fear right now. The Supreme Leader is likely to have a message descend from his prophet in paradise: cease provoking the infidel, looks like his brain is dysfunctional, he could do anything!
Gee, eh? Dementia onset sometimes sporadic?? The guy can seem lucid enough most of the time then it kicks in for a wee while? Pence must be rubbing his hands in glee…
Sufferers know early on that something is up and when they're sure, they never stop trying to cover up their decline. As things get worse they get more and more determined to pull the wool and refine their tactics to deceive outsiders. This can last for years but eventually, the mask drops and their decline becomes obvious to everyone, not just those closest to them.
The last leg is when they forget they’ve forgotten, believe me, it's a blessing, and it's all down hill from there.
Well, I guess we just wait till a diagnosis becomes official. It's a national security issue as soon as Pence consults with the Secretary of Defense. He'll probably involve Pompeo, since they are both fundamentalists. Watch for a catastrophic Wall St plunge real soon…
Though the 36-year rule of Portugal's António de Oliveira Salazar ended last year, the old man is not yet aware of it. Still immobilized after a stroke and a coma 13 months ago, Salazar calls Cabinet meetings, and his old ministers faithfully attend—even though some of them are no longer in the Cabinet. No one has found the courage to tell the 80-year-old dictator that he has been replaced.
Reminds me of a story about Ronald Reagan in his declining years.
His Secret Service detail used to toss bags of leaves on the ground at one end of the swimming pool. Reagan would come along and laboriously sweep them up and while he was doing so, his detail would be at the other end of the pool tossing more bags of leaves on the ground. It was a way of keeping the old boy occupied while at the same time giving him some physical exercise.
Love that one! We're bound to get a real flood of them tomorrow. The media ought to frame it as a competition of satire, nominate their favourite contender for top satirist.
For those unfamiliar with the China Lake Air Weapons Range or it geography? This geothermal/ volcanic area is to the NW/ NNW of China Lake AWR and the most of the valley has numerous fault lines.
Yup. Lots of cool geothermal/volcanic stuff going on all the way up the east side of the Sierra Nevadas.
Then there's Death Valley just to the northeast of China Lake.
Fun fact, the highest (Mt Whitney) and lowest points (Badwater, Death Valley) in the 48 states are both in Inyo County, just to the north of China Lake. Both are due to all the faulting and ground movement continually happening there.
NAWS China Lake is not mission capable,non essential personnel evacuating to safe haven.
NON ESSENTIAL active duty, drilling reservists, civilian employees, and dependents are authorized to evacuate to a radius of 100 miles from safe haven Naval Base Ventura County (NVBC).
It's cool that our Coalition Government is funding family care people looking after there disabled family and tamariki 25 a hour sounds good.
A big Earthquake in Los Angeles 7.1 is quite high let's hope that not to much damage is caused by the EarthQuake.
Eco Maori favorite charity The Salvation Army is offering free doctors visit in Waitakare Auckland yes a lot of people can not afford to go to the doctor's.
Yes power is wasted and power bill grow during winter luck our government has given a winter power payments .Eco Maori is going to get Free power from a Micro hydro turbines run from a stream . Ka Pai Tomorrow for showing te tangata how to save money by saving power. Good on Newshub for this positive story
That is awesome our government paying carer's looking after there Whanau who need constant care there are a lot of people struggling to care for there Whanau.
Energy mate hopefully will save people struggling with big power bills a lot of stress.
Cyber security is a very good topic everyone's data can be harvested by the state or others
Eco Maori agrees with the United nations we see destruction caused by human caused climate change all the TIME these days
One climate crisis disaster happening every week, UN warns
Developing countries must prepare now for profound impact, disaster representative says
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Climate crisis disasters are happening at the rate of one a week, though most draw little international attention and work is urgently needed to prepare developing countries for the profound impacts, the UN has warned.
Catastrophes such as cyclones Idai and Kenneth in Mozambique and the drought afflicting India make headlines around the world. But large numbers of “lower impact events” that are causing death, displacement and suffering are occurring much faster than predicted, said Mami Mizutori, the UN secretary-general’s special representative on disaster risk reduction. “This is not about the future, ka kite ano link below
Jeremy Corbin finally making a commitment to abandoned Brexit Eco Maori backs Britian staying in the European Union.
It's good that I'll people could access medicine weed
The smoke tax has good side effects and bad ones imagine if they were banned ????????.
Some people think they have a higher IQ than they actually have it good for there confidence but that phenomen is easy to read.
A fuel tax on gas guzzling cars is needed good on our government for implementing it they are planning to use the tax to make owning electric cars cheaper subsidy from carbon to clean energy user.
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
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TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
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My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
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Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
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This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive One minister is talking tough while a colleague – whose ministry had acted tough and drawn a barrage of flak – has shown an official softening. Some ministers are doing what Labour was good at, which is distributing public funds to causes regarded as worthy or ...
A ballot for 4 Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Insurance Contracts Bill (Duncan Webb) Income Tax (Clean Transport FBT Exclusion) Amendment Bill (Julie Anne Genter) Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill (Greg Fleming) Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) ...
One of the strongest narratives about "our" spy agencies is that they are basically institutional traitors, working for foreign powers (or just themselves), without any control or oversight by the elected government. And today, we have yet another report from the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security which explicitly confirms this. ...
“It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April to meet the Prime Minister’s ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
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Fake beggars busted making bank in Melbourne
– people are flown in to beg for profit
– clothing/props are shared between people
– suspect a Chinese group are behind it
https://www.news.com.au/news/national/chinese-beggars-revealed-to-be-professional-after-police-crackdown/news-story/5c743d10e9d1cf1c7745ecfa8dc31b8e
There's a few ways to authenticate homelessness but it's probably better to authenticate a fake, as the homeless receive enough bashing from the fearful lately. In the US in some parts it is illegal to feed them. Cops are forced to bully their fellow man out of town. The authorities and those backing them merely cowards.
Cowards? – COWARDS!
"Lot of homelessness. It's confronting. Like that. Snap. Your life's fucked. A divorce, an illness, a mental illness, an accident… Some stupid decision or a cruel twist of fate. It could be us – they are us. You can't hate on the homeless, man. That's not hate, it's fear."
So we find cons have infiltrated this sector of society to bleed funds. That's no surprise the thieving self-entitled infiltrate every strata of society. Theirs is not a stratified world, it is a free for all. These people are no worse than the Hisco's of the world and do a lot less financial damage. Also reprehensible bastards: like the Hisco's of the world.
Fake homeless? Look for:
If you live on the streets: you know the street people, and they know you.
I'm not sure if our beat cops have regular routes? Community Constables are/were in some areas and their ties with community strengthen over time. They'd quickly spot new transients on their beat, and in a relatively short space of time the veracity of their claims. In addition to this a familiar authority figure allows lines of communication to be set up over time with folks whose mistrust of strangers is very high.
Be wary of the tired right-wing schtick bashing all homeless as con-artists and ne'er-do-wells. They are our housing crisis in bold relief. They are a mental health system that is failing us. They are a welfare system run by accountants. They are the fallout of domestic and political violence.
"We ate fungi, watercress, seafood, rustled sheep, pilfered fruit, garden raids, dumpster diving and homeless handouts. We never thought about how we were homeless, we were surviving. Mental health, abuse, alcoholism, addiction, abandonment. It was all there, and it was all intertwined. We absolved ourselves with three Fuck You's and a bottle of grog."
I am deeply suspicious of this articles motives. You only have to view their front page to see where their loyalties lie. No effort to distinguish who is who. Just 'raising awareness' of a con that's been going on since Christ.
I have always considered the role of Community Constables to be of immense importance for the reasons you have mentioned above (and many other reasons), but these roles seem to have diminished to almost the point of extinction in most cities at least. We still have a couple in Wellington (I think) but you don't hear about them nearly as much as in the past.
There is plenty of homeless bashing etc – "get them of our streets", "they are an embarrassment", "they harass tourists" etc – but here in Wellington we also still have a number of good support services still available such as the City Mission, the men's Night Shelter, Soup Kitchen etc. Wellington City Council also now employs a group of Local Hosts whose job is to:
support Police on the street, particularly at night
https://wellington.govt.nz/services/community-and-culture/community-safety/safety-in-wellington/local-hosts
As part of their daily routine, these Local Hosts also walk the beat talking to and checking on the homeless, and reporting back to the Outreach Team, who provide support to people who are homeless or who are on the fringes of homelessness.
I am not suggesting that these services are nearly enough, a lot more could and should be done but this is at least something by the local council aimed at making connections and offering some level of support.
I wonder who the people were? It says Chinese, but people from Asian countries could all be Chinese who had settled there, so from many countries. Or they could be Asians being labelled Chinese. I wonder if they begged in China, what treatment they would receive? They could be very poor people given the chance of getting money for their family back home, and not have much say in what they do in Australia.
It appears that there is plenty of money in Oz, so why can't they accept more of the refugees that turn up penniless and without hope where they came from? And why chuck NZs out because some of them have been petty crims? They wouldn't be any different percentages than for the working class Australians.
Imagine a pathogen so cunning that it created not only sick people, but also people who looked sick but actually weren't. And also imagine that the imitation was so good that doctors couldn't tell the difference consistently, and ended up withholding treatment from the actually sick people.
We'd be shaking our heads at the highly evolved cruelty of this pathogen. But we'd know what to call it – "capitalism"
In India kids are trained to be beggars and with sometimes young bodies are being deliberately damaged to look the part, and in they go in coordinated teams to beg especially from tourists. Around the corner waits the "boss" perhaps in the comfort of his car.
Or so I read a few years ago. True?
There is some truth to this. Opportunists (aka capitalists) – guess what – they seize on opportunities. A buck to be made often outweighs any moral imperative – if it was ever there to begin with.
Some countries are still full of land mines – and thus amputees. Should we abandon all in case they've tricked us out of a few bucks – while bankers steal billions?
There are also reports of parents who maim the child. This is a world we can barely grasp let alone understand. I've known more hardship than you've had hot dinners, and I am stunned by the lengths some are driven to.
What level of hardship brings such practice about?
What level of psychopathy is prevalent in (the society and) the capitalists who use such hardship to capitalise?
We can't even imagine that world, but we sure like to judge it.
We definitely need to move the con artists along. From government, civil service, business, banking, media…
We need better opportunities and less opportunists. A systemic overhaul from top to bottom.
Btw @ WtB…..no truer comment ever spoken! (especially the "……..we sure like to judge it".
AND the next bit as well: "We definitely need to move the con artists along. From government, civil service, business, banking, media…"
We actually have/or have had till recently, people in our civil service who couldn't tell the difference between a Muslim or a Sikh, or indeed a Hindu or a Christian with a sweat band! They're all bloody "rag" or "onion heads" to them. (I've heard it first hand! Nor can they tell the difference between arranged marriages and forced marriages; or scam relationships and the genuine; or exploiters and the exploited – LET ALONE why and how it's all become normalised.
As a Koiwoi, I feel the shame at our allowing it all to happen, and worse still why we're so bloody slow to fix it – even when a few simple things could be done tomorrow
Depends entirely where you are. Large cities with extreme poverty. In many rural areas and smaller cities and downs, if parents or anyone else got caught doing this, they'd be driven out of town – possibly worse
The pressure to survive causes some people to kill elephants. Others use their kids to beg and maybe live another day. Hard to imagination in our country but there must be some families who feel totally helpless.
Unbelievable that the government was considering bailing out Westland Milk Products if the Yili sale failed…
ffs, corporate welfare and bailouts for big capital, just like the global financial crisis where those that caused the problem got bailed out…. what a fikkin' yoke
rinse and repeat
save big capital, shit on the little people
is about time big capital had some of its ownership and rights peeled away if it expects little people to save it all the time
The problem with your analysis is that Westland Milk Products is not a "Capitalist" organisation as the word is normally interpreted. It isn't "big capital" at all. If it was it could have survived.
It is a co-operative. As such it finds it very difficult to raise more capital if it is required. A normal firm can issue new shares to people who are willing to buy them. A co-operative like this one can't. They can only raise money by withholding it from the payout to their suppliers. That means all of them equally, rather than selling new shares to willing buyers.
Anyone who believes that co-op's are the way to go should keep that fact in mind. They can crash very easily.
"It isn't "big capital" at all. If it was it could have survived."
Probably not…poor decision making led to its demise, its structure wasnt the cause but it did limit its options.
Indeed if it was owned by 'big capital' it probably would have been sold years ago, or been wound up.
Was CBL Insurance,Dick Smith,Feltex,Mainzeal ,Wynyard…could go on all day Big Capital?
Theycouldn't survive,but luckily all the principal players did O.K!All done in the best…possible taste!
So can shareholder companies.
But they seem to be able to access bank loan, "capital" even to pay "unearned" dividends, or for share buy backs.
The banks attitude to co-ops, and indeed many small businesses, when they can lend at far less risk, on speculative land, appears to be part of the problem.
An argument to revive a State "development bank".
Looking at North Dakota, where local banks have been legislated to serve the community, not the other way around.
This is one of the dumbest posts on here for a while
IYO
Thor, the scandinavian storm god, rarely features in local politics and culture here – despite escalating climate change. News that Stuff got rapped over the knuckles for connecting him to the Chch mosque massacre is a bit of a surprise.
"The Media Council has ruled that Stuff's linking of a Thor-worshipping group with the Christchurch mosque shootings was unfair". https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/113961735/thorworshipping-article-unfair–media-council
Perhaps time's a-coming when burnt offerings to Thor will be used by coastal folk to ward off tornadoes coming in from the Tasman. Magical thinking has been resisting attempts by the upstart, rationality, to dislodge its hegemony for several centuries now. Ramp up those barbies, you westies!
Perhaxis not franko.
DF
Enjoyable read. When we can't achieve anything because of sloth from fellow human beings, and the might and power of the Wealth-Cult not willing to do anything that can't produce a profit, then it will be good to have gatherings where we can offer prayers and offerings, exchange ideas for coping, have some songs and fermented stuff, and give and get some hugs and handshakes. Not a bad idea.
So National are aiding criminals, their leave it to market ideology, let private charity keep the homeless fed. General welfare, homes to live in, and if we don't, Chinese gangs fait homelessness! begging is now a income! Thanks National. Suppose we put them in jail at considerable cost. GDP spikes up. Wow what a unimaginable cretinous ideology.
foreign media have reported information showing our sub-humane mass murderer seems to be more connected ………… than our 'lone wolf ' media would have you believe …
Who knows what is behind the lack of NZ reporting on this support network of his ….but he was friendly with the fascists our Govt and the west supports. .,…
https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/geopolitics/article/3002927/was-christchurch-shooter-part-white-supremacist-network
https://thegrayzone.com/2018/04/07/the-us-is-arming-and-assisting-neo-nazis-in-ukraine-while-congress-debates-prohibition/
Did our media tell us that the Avoz neo nazis were involved in the ukraine election … https://freedomhouse.org/blog/why-militia-monitoring-ukraine-s-presidential-election With Avoz neo nazi goons hanging around polling stations
Our media kept quiet about a few things to do with the Ukraine election
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N85l3G7P3c
Also …. did our media inform us of this …. And I wonder if the Turkish people knew??
His passport should have raised red flags …. Afghanistan ,Pakistan, turkey, Israel …. Bulgarian intelligence said he was reported to have visited Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro, and Croatia in December 2016.
France, Spain and Portugal.
north fucking Korea ???
A secret review of the failings of Jihadi Rebecca Kitteridge .and our blind five white eyes cyber spooks will be a white wash
Good work.
Cheers WTB ,,,, Although I agree with the media blackout of any fame towards our subhuman civilian murderer …. It could also play into the hands of any cover up.
He did have a media profile … on the non encrypted open web….. yet he seems to have been looked at with a blind eye and deaf ear…. But then again I suppose its not just us
https://www.propublica.org/article/white-hate-group-campaign-of-menace-rise-above-movement
Racist, Violent, Unpunished: A White Hate Group’s Campaign of Menace
They train to fight. They post their beatings online. And so far, they have little reason to fear the authorities.
The death threat against Winston also takes on a higher threat level ….. still low, but no longer at the level of being a mocking or laughing matter from National party supporters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fpt3ImXIImY
and 2 mins 27 secs …. bombs on mosques … on a guitar
…. At a Azov youth camp https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wAgTGZ0FHY
It's particularly despicable bringing children in to this but that is the MO – influencing susceptible minds to their nonsense. A sound mind aint wearing a bar of it. Then there's all the
patrioticidiotic chest thumping and imaginary threat assessments to continue the lie they're all victims…Same shit the wannabe Nazi's here do, only the weaponry is not so prevalent.
Apparently I am a RACE TRAITOR! The marrees are gonna get us!
But really, they are delusional dim-witted shitheels. Any with half a clue are there for the money/ties, not the beer soaked chanting sessions. Unfortunately now very dangerous with social media lending them a distorted echo chamber to validate their moronic views, and the ability to network with purely evil players and finance.
Capitalism's new toy. Nationalism – and the sociopaths it attracts.
https://thesoufancenter.org/intelbrief-the-transnational-network-that-nobody-is-talking-about/
Personally I think the truth is somewhere in the middle between "lone wolf" and "a white supremacist foreign fighter" … Arse covering in a secret Nz investigation ….does not encourage me that we will get the full truth.
our media is shit …. and it seems you get better more informative reporting on NZ …. from overseas sources
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VuLILCu6vs
http://spitfirelist.com/for-the-record/ftr-1073-azov-on-our-mind-ukrainian-fascism-extends-its-tentacles-return-of-the-prodigal-black-sun/
Do you know what the Ukraine is? It's a sitting duck. A road apple. The Ukraine is weak. It's feeble. I think it's time to put the hurt on the Ukraine.
It would be to Russia advantage to demonise the Ukraine. So, I'd take all this with a grain of salt considering how much fake news spews out of Russia.
People on the internet are quite happy to tell lies about what symbols people are wearing or making.
I believe john Pilger … who is not russian
…. And Azov ….. self proclaimed fascists
http://johnpilger.com/articles/why-the-rise-of-fascism-is-again-the-issue
Which links were to Russian media?
Bloody russians …. they even control facebook …. 😉
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/facebook-new-zealand-neo-nazis-white-supremacists-a8837886.html
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/facebook-britain-first-page-far-right-advert-paul-golding-adverts-a8828386.html
…. and BM may have repeated that lie here at TS
Dumb kiwis keep making same stupid mistake, due to business-as-usual. "A radical division between exotic commercial forests and indigenous conservation forests in Aotearoa New Zealand has meant that the possibility of truly sustainable, 'close to nature' silviculture has been almost entirely ignored." https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/113901209/listen-to-what-the-history-of-our-trees-is-telling-us
"From the late 1980s, when privatisation took hold and many state forests were sold to private enterprise, even those exotic forests that had been planted to stabilise highly erodible landscapes were sold, and harvested. In regions like the East Coast, with some of the most fragile soils in the world, this led to devastating erosion, choking rivers and coastlines with sediment and slash, flooding, and ruining farmland."
"In 1988, after Cyclone Bola ravaged the region, more exotic forests were planted in an effort to stabilise the land, and these are now also being harvested, with predictably disastrous effects, as we saw in Tolaga Bay last year. That kind of planting is still going on."
Adapt to survive thinking cannot enter heads if business & govt planners continue to ignore the changing world around them. Relevant ministers need to signal a change of course to all involved.
"In New Zealand, almost all silvicultural research, expertise and commercial forestry is devoted to exotic, short-rotation monocultures, despite the devastating environmental impacts seen in regions such as the East Coast, Coromandel, Northland and Marlborough. Back in the 1950s, on the other hand, countries like Germany realised that 'close to nature' silviculture, based on indigenous mixed forests, with no clear felling, little spraying and an emphasis on natural regeneration, was a smart alternative to exotic plantation forests. Today almost three quarters of German forests are in mixed stands, with an emphasis on biodiversity and soil enrichment."
some more 'hardworking Kiwis at it again'..where there's muck,you'll always find a Sir!
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12005410
Brits seize Iranian oil tanker on behalf of US BS.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/world/114029327/british-commandos-seize-iranian-oil-tanker
Apparently there's a name for that-piracy.
Perhaps Britain needs to get a supply of guillotines from the French and systematically start chopping off the heads of the crazies who try to run the country …into the ground. Reading Ellis Peters and the Cadfael series of the 12th century they were eternally fighting between themselves – two contenders Stephen and cousin Maud – or with the Norman French I think. Eight centuries later we still haven't got things sussed. But there is a difference, we haven't got eight centuries left to bugger around, fail, try again,,,,in endless iteration. WW2 was the extreme example of this, we didn't learn from it except use modern technology to make better trebuchets.
The bloody elites are only happy when other people's blood is being spilled. There have been recent comments about the USA elite getting their waivers from serving in their Forces. I suppose it is the same in the UK though the Royal men do take part in soldiering, flying etc.
But learning how to live and let live sustainably, that hasn't happened and the well educated UK parliament haven't learned how to do that so they think they will start a new wave of trials and failures as if they have centuries of stable climate, resources and demographics ahead of them.
Just bloody disgraceful that Britain would renew tensions and not seek viable agreements. They haven't the strength of mind and body to show the finger to the USA, who are so off-compass that they will fall over the Rim soon. (TP Discworld people will have a better grasp of political maneouvering than the well-paid pollies. Their payment system gives the wrong signals – they should be paid on good results that lead to a happy working nation.)
I must confess to some mild curiosity about why convergence moonbats are going gaga over Tulsi, but Marianne Williamson is getting ignored.
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/05/politics/marianne-williamson-vogue-photoshoot-trnd/index.html
You'd be a Marianne Williamson type. She's a flake, insubstantial as hell.
Morrissey You seem to be getting into the hard stuff when it comes to criticism. You might have to limit your spleen Breen, for the sake of maintaining a healthy mind, too much negativity dumbs down others or makes everyone unhappy. Try singing Bobby McFerrin at least once a day, he is being both satirical and realistic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fCqG8QJIAU
Fair comment, my friend, but I would remind you that this fellow "Andre" attacked—not criticized, simply attacked—one of the few decent politicians in the western world, and called her supporters "convergence moonbats". I merely challenged his complacent and dishonest post, and reminded him that he is not going to get away with such inflammatory nonsense on this forum.
[I cannot see the “attack” @ 9 on “one of the few decent politicians in the western world”, which is simply your opinion. You did not “merely challenge[d]” but posted some of your own “inflammatory nonsense” @ 9.1. Please do not start flame wars on this site – Incognito]
I haven't the faintest idea what a "convergence moonbat" is supposed to be, and now I is one
It’s a facile concept, desperately posited by the suffering survivors of the doomed Clinton campaign of 2016. Another version of it is the “horseshoe theory.”
It’s a [] concept, [] posited by the [] survivors of the [] Clinton campaign of 2016.
FIFY – still iffy about the word survivors.
See how many pleas to emotion I removed from your one sentence. I'm not saying don't emote, I'm saying you go OTT.
Thanks, Bleeple. Yes, it does work just as well without all the adjectives. Have you considered a career in publishing?
Been there done that editing a community paper. Then went on the 'last great drinking jag' culminating in hospitalisation and loss of job.
I'm a shocker myself at times with overly emotive language. It can just flow aye. Folks here have been instrumental in helping me rein it in, which ultimately helps me be a better communicator.
The message is lost when ears are burning.
Sometimes I find it nigh on impossible to turn it off. Misinformation especially deliberate gets the blood boiling.
Agree, Bleeple. I know I write better when I discipline myself, and cut back on the abuse.
Keep up your writing, by the way—I've enjoyed your little vignettes of Wellington bowery life—shades of George Gissing, Geoff Cochrane, and Charles Bukowski!
Morrissey Have you – why not normalise your daily output?
I did wonder about convergence moonbats – what are those, and why is he so qualified to throw soubriquets around so freely? (I had to look up google for that one – love these odd words. Sounds like small bricks in French and fits the niche well!) Bobby McFerrin is great. And i use him to lighten me quite often, have to follow my own advice!
He throws around the soubriquets all right, Mr Shark. That's all he's got, however. Le pauvre garçon est un peu poney à un tour.
All Bats are moon-bats.
Similar to Demi Lardner's line. Night Owl, which, by the way, is just an owl.
P.S. It's not true – all bats being nocturnal. There are day bats. I've met a few silly old day bats myself!
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2018/11/daytime-bats-help-explain-nocturnal-evolution/
See my Moderation note @ 10:22 AM.
Seen and noted. Thanks for the warning, sir!
Tulsi is a right wing democrat being pushed by a well organised social media campaign. Beware.
She's an intelligent and gracious Democrat who has, like anyone with a brain, expressed grave skepticism about the decision of the Democratic "leadership" to pursue this mad fantasy of Russian meddling. That is, by itself, enough for her to incur the hatred and enmity of Nancy Pelosi and her cronies.
She has also pointed out there is no evidence to support the insistence of the Democratic “leadership” that Syrian government forces, and not the U.S.-backed Al Nusra and Al Qaeda terrorists, used chemical weapons.
Now, how is she "right wing", exactly?
morrissey….she has fought long and hard against lgbt rights and was a staunch supporter of the bill that condemned the boycott israel movement
Whodat dredre?
Tulsi Gabbard is a pro-military, pro-droning, pro-hindu-nationalist, pro-authoritarian, ok with torture, homophobic (historically at least) Representative from Hawaii who holds social positions now fairly common within the Democrats such as $15 minimum wage. She's twigged to the idea that mouthing a few anti-interventionist words is sufficient to attract loud and blinkered support from a few vocal enthusiasts (including the likes of David Duke, Richard Spencer, Steve Bannon etc) that happily blind themselves to her unsavory positions on other topics. She got a massive poll boost from her debate performance, lifting her from 0.6% support all the way to 0.7%.
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/where-kamala-harriss-new-voters-came-from/
Marianne Williamson is indeed "a flake, insubstantial as hell" as the mozzie aptly described her. She's apparently some sort of anti-vax New Age self-help guru that has worked for Oprah, and is running as a Democratic candidate for president. Although it's in no way apparent why, as she doesn't seem to have any ideas or even opinions around most topics a president has to deal with. Currently sitting around 0.2% in polling.
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2020-primaries/democratic/national/
I would have thought the residual “crystal energy” set would still have been quite a lot larger than 0.2% of Dems, but hey, maybe they’re a lot more pragmatic and holistic in choosing who to support.
Hey Andre, I know it's too early but are you forming any impression of a likely winner emerging from the rather nondescript pack of contenders?
Warren seems to have said a few intelligent things in the past, yet was apparently unimpressive in recent performance, and Sanders likewise failed to impress in the debate. If you feel picking a winner at the stage is too much like going out on a limb, I agree, just wondering if the Dems are competing to underwhelm the third of the electorate who are non-aligned…
Looks to me like Bernie and Biden are running on their set-in-stone ideas and reputations locked in over their decades of service, and that's starting to show to an electorate that's moved past what they have to offer. They're both dropping in the polls, and I don't think either has the mental flexibility anymore to turn it around.
At the moment it looks to me like it's between Warren and Harris. Warren offers preparation and plans and enough experience in DC to prove she can get things done, but is sadly a bit dry and boring, professorial even, to be really broadly appealing and inspiring.
Whereas Harris is more dynamic, better able to react accurately on the fly, enough government experience to be credible, but on the downside there are things in her backstory that a determined troll campaign could blow out of proportion to smear her.
Buttigieg is the dark horse running the outside lane, but it's hard to see him having enough on his own merits to come through unless all four ahead of him crash and burn.
Interesting that you don't rate Beto. A while back I saw videos of him performing quite well, enough to work a crowd successfully, but I gather he didn't impress in the debate. Wouldn't rule out a tactical move toward caution explaining that. Allow others to get front-runner status, come from behind in a late run.
If I was a wealthy bank-roller of the Democrats, I'd give them all intensive media training. Problem with the primadonna syndrome is you get contenders who don't believe they need it. However that just polishes any gloss. What the Democrats really need is better ideas – particular those likely to trigger the zietgiest.
My impression of Beto is his backstory and the things he likes to talk about are a good fit for representing Texas interests in the Senate. But he doesn't seem to have much to show he's up to the challenge of grabbing leadership of the country and steering it in a new direction.
Beto has the ability to fail to answer questions in English and Spanish – surely a politician's politician.
I reckon he's not a bad pick. But he shot himself in the debate.
I'm a Mayor Pete fan, but don't value his chances much.
A demonstration of why the RBNZ is correct to call for increased reserves
https://www.interest.co.nz/opinion/100549/kiwibank-chief-economist-jarrod-kerr-why-fiscal-austerity-our-greatest-mistake
$33.5m to Tauranga Airbnbs in 11 months.
The equivalent earned from residential letting at $30K per annual long term tenancy is 1000 houses not available for local workers to rent.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/property/news/article.cfm?c_id=8&objectid=12241396
There is no debate. There is inaction borne of both greed and fear from authorities though. You see this a lot with new disruptive technologies – decision makers wracked with indecision and too scared or unwilling to govern.
See more about Airbnb’s effects here
You've pinned this nasty boring insect Airbub which with uber is a new disruptive technology that will steal our very lives if we don't control them.
White anting a society and its forms of work and mutuality that is what they do. And the government has been blackmailed by the uncaring c-off to let them get on with whatever they want to do, squeeze us till it hurts, and then sell our blood. Sound OTTT, the examples are there and will increase.
`But is it? The people staying in the $600 a week AirBnbs need to stay somewhere, the motels etc aren't exactly empty. If it is all long term rentals accessed through AirBnb it must be for people who need long term accommodation with out paying rapacious bloody "letting agents " their huge cuts. Maybe the hysteria is being fueled by these self same ethnicly bypassed letting agents fucked off with missing out on their cut. Even the language and media manipulation has all the hallmarks of a professional PR bullshit campaign.
Take into account also how much of the take is individual rooms for a day or so in private houses, which would not be available for long term tenancies anyway. We use AirBnB and meet some interesting locals and get a good take on local conditions. For older superannuitants or young couples trying to buy their own home or even a bit of spare income to help out with the kids AirBnb is a small Godsend for people to help them out .
In Muttonbird's 2nd link is a snapshot of the Airbnb scene in New York. 57% of listings are for the entire home. 53% of listings let for 60 days or more a year.
Interesting Adrian Think on Air bnb for me.
In the coastal Far North an Airbnb/Bookabach etc property returns about a third of the income when compared to letting the property to a long-term tenant. The overheads take a big hike if going the Airbnb route. Admin, power, internet, water, gas, garden maint, providing linen, laundry, cleaning, sundries (shampoo, toilet paper etc). Little recourse for damage or theft and doubled management costs.
The main advantage is that owners can continue to enjoy the holiday house. Few people want to know about a stay in the Far North for about 7 months of the year. Airbnb returns seem stronger when centrally located in our major centres.
I don't blame Airbnb operators for trying to get the best return they can on their assets. Is this not something we all do? I'm after the best price I can get when I'm flogging off unused gear on Trademe.
Exactly David. attacks on AirBnB and Uber simply for being are misdirected, AirBnb is simply a letting agent with actually a bit more security for damage etc as nobody will let in someone with a bad record and Uber is just a another taxi service, the like of which have existed for decades like Mini-cabs in London.
The difference being that Airbnb has developed some sort of social conscience and appears to be profitable for most participants.
Uber, on the other hand seems to be about destroying everything in an attempt to create a global monopoly, without which they will never be profitable. Before too long that model will run out of investor and supplier confidence, and social license.
Uber – just another taxi service. It is more like levering up the paving stones on a footpath that have been there for ages providing a service and the new replacement doesn't match the input of ages into the past, or those whose job has been to maintain the service. Companies just can't be welcomed to take over a system that serves the community and recycles the money put into it around that community.
Airbnb to their credit are facing up to the effects their platform has on communities. In Queenstown they are fully supportive of the council's efforts to introduce a 5% levy on commercial accomodation providers We had a postal referendum on this and the the result was overwhelmingly in support, 42% voted, 81% in favour Some of the traditional providers were't quite as supportive.
Airbnb's advent coincided with the usual accomodation pinch point this cycle and fingers were vigorously pointed in Airbnb's direction. That's quietened down now with Council enforcing existing planning rules and doing some fine tuning of those rules. Airbnb have been active participants in the process to look after their and their hosts interests, but are pretty open with Council about what is going on. It's not in Airbnb's interests for it to turn into a shitfight.
In previous times cribs would have been let out during periods when the owners didn't need them. This resulted in a situation where a large proportion of the rental market was out in the street (literally) every school holidays. My partner grew up here and talks of moving house many times in the rental shuffle through the 70's and 80's. Queenstown's rental market has traditionally been either cribs (holiday houses) or rundown properties slated for re-development, neither terribly secure or long term. There's never been any real development of long term rentals. This is changing with a developers entering the rental market now, Kiwibuild, and possible extensions thereof are helping.
Another aspect of our rental market is the 1-24 month lifestyle resident, or long term tourist. These are generally more up-market and may not take employment, and are just as disruptive of rental market. This group takes a proportion of the Airbnb properties.
Tulsi is a right wing democrat being pushed by a well organised social media campaign. Beware.
This may have appeared here before but it is too important to miss IMO:
Open letter: Oranga Tamariki social workers in 'terrible, almost untenable position'
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/113731528/open-letter-oranga-tamariki-social-workers-in-terrible-almost-untenable-position
I totally agree that this is a Must Read, Incognito. Thanks for bringing it to attention as I had not picked it up earlier. Don't often visit Stuff, Herald etc these days.
Any thoughts of upgrading it to a post – just 'as is', as it speaks very strongly without need for summary or explanation?
I agree this could do with more exposure. It's a rock-and-a-hard-place for people doing a bloody hard job. Oversight is all good and well. 'Media oversight', on the other hand…
'Media oversight', on the other hand…
Even the writer of the article conceded all was not proper in the 'uplift' filmed by Reid. I'd not be too quick to condemn a journalist trying to get some much needed attention to what is going on.
"…a court-ordered custody order and the managed removal of a child. I'm aware that this is not always done perfectly, and I'm glad the publicised uplift in Hastings is being reviewed. The doco appears to show serious procedural issues in that instance, but it's also heavily edited and completely one-sided. Let's see what the review says and keep an open mind. "
What struck me was the level of professional disrespect shown by the CYFS(by any other name) to the two midwives. And the lawyer. These were professionals with direct involvement with the family (unlike the social workers in the uplift squad) and their opinions were completely ignored. this was unforgivable behaviour from the social workers and I hope they all are sent for re training.
The other aspect of this is the number of people who came forward and said….'Yes, sometimes kids are not safe with their birth family and no, we don't want anymore Kahui twins or Lillybings….but we've seen how too many social workers behave like lazy, ignorant bullies or incompetent twits.' Or words to that effect.
The good social workers will be fine. The ones who are capable of seeing the bigger picture and the ones who don't just uplift children and dump them with foster parents….who actually think about the long term.
After nearly a decade of fostering for CYFs, including being directly involved with a case remarkably similar to the Reid article, I feel qualified to say I see much accuracy in what was depicted. Shame on them.
+ 1 yep – the video showed massive disrespect for mana and that is not acceptable really. This will improve things I believe and it needs to because it is BROKEN now imo.
And if or no other reason…it is a textbook scenario known to all in the child protection field….remove a baby from a young mum and give her little hope of ever having her baby returned and she'll just go off and get hapu again. You can practically bank on it.
On the other hand, put a plan in place where mum and baby live in suitable surroundings with support and supervision (as was the plan for this young mum) and better still engage the wider whanau…like'… clean up your collective shit for the sake of the next generation.' (like seemed to be happening in the Reid article) and the odds of a much more positive outcome increase exponentially.
But. Good old CYFS. Buggers it up again. And they talk about inter-generational dysfunction in these families….seems like one generation of social workers are passing their bad practices down to the next.
Now what's that saying about keeping on doing the same thing over and over again and getting the same result?
Madness.
I don't believe Māori will tolerate 3 Māori babies being taken off their mothers or whānau every week anymore.
Do you and/or Rosemary want to do a Guest Post on this? Both of you can provide a unique angle, which does not get adequate representation in MSM and thereby help to change things for the better for Māori and the children involved.
For me – thanks – I am working night shifts and I look after the kids during the day so I'm very busy and don't think I could do the topic justice. And I feel distinctly uncomfortable either putting myself, or Māori vulnerabilities, under the spotlight on this forum – apart from my comments which I put up when I can.
I fully respect that, thanks.
Good judgement.
What I was trying to imply…
There's a big difference between a bit of investigative journalism to raise awareness – and a media pile on.
I read that the other day and have concerns that there seems to be a concerted effort by Media and pressure groups to ridicule Oranga Tamariki. Melanie Reid is on a damaging course. It seems to be simplistic to paint the uplifting as purposeless and vindictive. I hope that the Enquiries paint a balanced fair picture.
You will have read this ianmac…. https://orangatamariki.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/OIA-responses/children-in-care/20190628-Babies-and-children-entering-Oranga-Tamariki-care.pdf
…found here… https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/393208/oranga-tamariki-stats-increase-in-maori-children-taken
The misrepresentation starts early…
We are a new Ministry… No. You're not new. You have been rebranded.
…that bringing a child into our care can be traumatic for the child and their whānau. It is not a decision we take lightly, and there are, quite rightly, a strong set of checks and balances in the process to ensure that the right decision is made.
No. The checks and balances were not strong enough in the case that Reid focused on.
Wherever it is safe and possible to do so, the child’s parent(s), whānau and other people supporting the whānau will be involved in this decision. Well, er, no. Not in the case highlighted by Reid. CYFS (by any other name) were not the only professionals intimately involved with the young mother and her baby. The input of the midwives and the lawyer was treated with contempt by the social workers.
We are strengthening our confidence and competence to engage more effectively with Māori to improve outcomes for their tamariki and whānau, and fulfil our responsibility to better understand and reflect the people and communities we work with.
Doing better for Māori children is a key priority for Oranga Tamariki and there is new legislation requiring this coming into force from 1 July 2019. Section 7AA is a new section of the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989, which sets out our responsibilities to improve outcomes for tamariki Māori and their whānau, and requires Oranga Tamariki to report annually on the progress made. At this heart of this is working with whānau, hapū, iwi and kaupapa Māori providers to ensure we uphold the mana and whakapapa of tamariki Māori and the whānaungatanga responsibilities of whānau, hapū and iwi.
All this planning and all this insight yet you, CYFS (by any other name), failed to see the shit storm gathering force on the horizon.
Back in February 2017 The New Zealand College of Midwives submitted to the The Children, Young Persons, and Their Families (Oranga Tamariki) Legislation Bill and expressed the concern that..
The College has noted that early supportive intervention and preventative work has been seriously underfunded, and this has unfortunately led to the main intervention focus of child protection and the removal of children from their families/whānau. Alongside this is a focus on what is described as the ‘most vulnerable children.’ Extending the focus to support and protection of families/whānau and early help, requires a serious commitment on behalf of government to adequate funding and recognition that whānau who are struggling need support before their situations become acute. It signifies a failure of the system if it becomes concerned only when the family/whānau are at the point where social workers and services are unable to support them to ‘turn the curve.’
Bearing in mind that that submission was made under National Rule, how did you think, CYFS(by any other name), the midwives were going to react when the word got around that the uplift of newborns was continuing unabated under the so called Coalition Of Lovingkindness?
An intelligent and sensitive organisation would have made damn sure that those checks and balances were done doubly properly and all professionals close to the mother and baby were involved. Especially the midwives.
Funny that that baby removal which was painted as without warning, and yet Reid and a camera team were there ready and waiting.
We do not know what the causes were, just the effect. Privacy trumps public interest?
“Only the poor break laws – the rich evade them.” – T-Bone Slim
David Hisco, Nigel Murray, Jenny Shipley, Peter Whittall – are their enough rich people to save the world? If we 'feed the rich', will we grow more?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfBFL2ScXHw
https://prospect.org/article/what-taxing-rich-could-yield
The first thought of people reaching dizzy highs in employment must be, "Phew. I am very rich and very important so I will be exempt from prosecution no matter how much I cheat."
If you need a laugh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6vvpQEaRdk&ab_channel=thejuicemedia
Simon Schama frothed and ranted against Jeremy Corbyn this morning, while Kim Hill maintained a silence closely resembling collusion and agreement.
RNZ National, Saturday 6 July 2019, 9:10 a.m.
The first part of this interview by Kim Hill goes as you would expect it to: Simon Schama is a smooth talker, and formidably well informed about art. He sports an impressive résumé, and he loves telling a good story. One of the stories he tells is of meeting Henry Kissinger, who when Schama arrived at his apartment was preoccupied with feeding his dog. "I tried my best not to like him," Schama remembers fondly to Kim Hill, but he was charmed by the great man. "Kissinger is not all bad."
That endorsement of a notorious war criminal is a brief hint of the moral vacuum at the heart of this glib and superficially clever chatterbox. At one point he criticizes President Trump—"stupid", he sniffs contemptuously—for moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem; this was wrong, Schama claims, because it "undermined even further the Palestinian Authority." Schama doesn't care a jot for the people of the Occupied Territories; a ferocious supporter of the Israeli state, he is merely concerned about the influence of the collaborationist P.A. After that, he slips smoothly into equating opposition to Israel with being anti-Jewish. The attack on Corbyn, equally dishonest, flows naturally from that.
Following are selected highlights, or lowlights, of the interview, starting with his arch and pretentious comments about art and climaxing with that mad blitzkrieg against the leader of the British Labour Party….
KIM HILL: Um, "the besetting sin of contemporary art," you have said, "is its callow, orgiastic narcissism."
SIMON SCHAMA: I don't know about "narcissism." I wouldn't defend that over-fearfully.
KIM HILL: You were involved in the Paris protests in 1968! You have described yourself in those days as "a barbarically feckless youth, stoned on self-righteousness."
……….
SIMON SCHAMA: I reviewed Henry Kissinger's book Diplomacy. I didn't think it was as good as it could have been. He rang me and invited me to his apartment to talk about it. I was thinking of the bomber of Cambodia, and I tried my best not to like him. But when he answered the door, he was feeding his dog. Kissinger is not all bad. ….
SIMON SCHAMA: The Russians and the North Koreans have got Trump to do exactly what they want…. By and large since 1945, America's commitment to its alliances has actually kept the peace. But Trump doesn't know anything about diplomacy. …dismantling the hard-won Iran Nuclear Deal…. moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem has undermined even further the Palestinian Authority. …
KIM HILL: Do you think there is anything to these allegations of antisemitism against Jeremy Corbyn?
SIMON SCHAMA: There are very, very good people in the Labour Party, like Tom Watson. Jeremy Corbyn has been extraordinarily culpable in not paying attention to the POISON coursing through the veins of the Labour Party. … Young MPs like Luciana Berger have been subjected to DEATH THREATS! … I don't think he wants to drive Jews into concentration camps, I'm sure he doesn't. … Criticism of Israel morphs into anti-Semitism. …. He's dug his heels in SO MUCH. I don't know quite what we call it, but it amounts to vicious, malignant intransigence. … The Protocols of Zion, that terrible forgery, has never had so many readers—-
KIM HILL: Seriously?
SIMON SCHAMA: Yeah. On the Web.
KIM HILL: Oh, the Web is making us STUPID, and believers in mad conspiracy theories….
… ad nauseam.
After this abortion, I sent Kim Hill the following email, which she read out on air just after the 10 o'clock news….
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday/audio/2018702951/simon-schama-historian-and-author-s-love-affair-with-words
Schama is Jewish, you pillock – of course he doesn't think Corbyn's done enough to combat anti-semitism in the Labour Party. That doesn't make him a "smooth and sinister liar," it makes him "someone with an opinion Morrisey doesn't like."
I'm not quite sure what morsissey wants of the palestinian authority – suicide stone thrower squads and tunneling bombers praps.
That statement was as flagrantly dishonest and offensive as anything said by Simon Slick this morning. Shame on you, Raggy.
By the way, what’s a “suicide stone thrower”?
That was the empty flatulating gumflapping you seem to employ to boost your sense of moral selfworth morpissey. What do you expect the palestinian authority to do?
https://preview.redd.it/z1voyshh4yaz.jpg?width=960&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=91a180f49171faf82ac7b34827da66c898ed0c6c
Thanks for that photo, my friend. It also serves as an analogy for Kim Hill's effectiveness in that "interview" this morning. Except, of course, that she didn't even throw a pebble at that engine of lies and propaganda. A pity, because his statements were almost all false, and would have collapsed if he had been asked to back them up with any evidence.
Our media frustrates me ……. as it allows a level of ignorance that allows the Gosmans , wayne mapps or SIMON SCHAMAs …. to peddle bullshit.
Kim Hill could have actually informed New Zealanders …and held the dishonest zionists feet to the fire ….. with questions about ….
https://972mag.com/israel-arrests-six-palestinian-journalists-for-incitement/137093/
https://972mag.com/palestinian-minors-israel-prison/142144/
https://electronicintifada.net/content/israel-arming-neo-nazis-ukraine/24876
She could have even asked about Israels Apartheid Bomb ….. the nuclear weapons they co-developed with South Africa … and usa moles
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/US-suspected-Israeli-South-African-nuclear-test-474765
https://www.theglobalist.com/how-israel-helped-a-then-rogue-state-go-nuclear/
http://www.warscapes.com/reportage/decay-third-kingdom-israeli-nuclear-development-and-future-negev-desert-part-two
Maybe kim hill thought she was mike hosking …. and Schama became John Key …. he got a soft stroking in a pony tail of an interview ,,,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2FrtPwqlNU
Jews in Britain don't "of course" think that at all. You've—no doubt deliberately—conflated right wing haters of Corbyn with Jewish opinion.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-47322921
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/jewish-labour-supporters-write-letter-support-corbyn
Are you really serious, it is and has always been the Tories who have had a long a sordid history of anti-semitism in the UK, when was the last time Kim Hill, The Guardian or for that matter any MSM outlet has done a piece on that?
Man if you don't understand that this is purely an ideological battle for the media who are cynically using the racist Israeli lobby for their own purpose, it has sweet fuck all if anything to do with anti-semitism, then all I can say is.. well sir, can I sell you a used car… one lady owner….
I don't recall endorsing Schama's opinion or sharing it, just pointing out that it's unsurprising he holds that opinion. I expect he's none too chuffed with the Tories when it comes to ethnic bigotry either.
You claimed that Schama was "of course" obliged to spout vicious nonsense because he's Jewish. If that's not endorsing him, then what were you doing?
You claimed that Schama was "of course" obliged to spout vicious nonsense because he's Jewish.
In some alternate Morrissey-fantasy universe, perhaps. In this real, actually-existing one, of course Schama isn't happy with Corbyn's response to complaints of anti-semitism, because British Jews are highly likely to be unhappy with it. "Vicious nonsense" is your personal opinion, which has a net value of $0.00 outside your own head.
You could also usefully ponder the question of how members of other ethnic groups might take your view that their thoughts on the bigotry they're subjected to is "vicious nonsense." Just for once, as an experiment, like.
" I expect he's none too chuffed with the Tories when it comes to ethnic bigotry either. "…Funny how we wouldn't know that. probably because he never mentioned it..no just the usual bullshit about Labour/Corbyn…that's the point.
Morrissey Kim may have stayed quiet because she wanted to let him explain himself with few prompts. She operates differently to you, can be quite subtle.
I agree with you, Mr Shark: she can indeed be quite subtle. I do enjoy her programme, and I think she is far superior to her godawful temp. Noelle McCarthy.
She does have some grave faults, though, such as a propensity to automatically and uncritically recycle official bilge, and a certain degree of indolence, which was disastrous for her when she came across someone really sharp sixteen years ago….
https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/face-to-face-with-kim-hill-john-pilger-2003
stoned on self-righteousness – how does that feel morsissey?
Dunno, Baggers. Ask Simon Schama. But don't expect an honest or enlightening answer, despite the fact he'll keep talking and talking and talking.
"the besetting sin of contemporary art," you have said, "is its callow, orgiastic narcissism."
I'd vote for a) the whore of commerce
or b) totally irrelevant to culture.
But that's just knee-jerk stuff. I'd hope to come up with a more profound dismissal given time…
A pity it wasn't you interviewing him, Dennis. You rightly have divined that there's not a lot of substance behind Schama's scholarly front. Kim Hill was putty in his hands, and treated him with the same deference she showed for other scoundrels from that part of the world, like Jonathan Freedland, Luke Harding, and A.A. Gill.
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2019/04/freedland-uncritically-interviewed-by.html
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2019/07/kim-hill-derided-peter-boykin-but-fawns.html
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2019/07/letter-to-kim-hill-after-she-failed-to.html
Thank you Morrissey, your letter on RNZ this morning is the best thing I have heard on Kim's reactionary show for quite a while..quite a highlight,, actually I was at first surprised that she read it out, as it pointed out quite nicely her obvious flaws, but then on reflection I came to the conclusion that she has gone so far down the rabbit hole of just parroting and giving unquestioned platform to that kind of bullshit, that wouldn't be able to see anything wrong with it..sad really, I used to admire her greatly.
Thanks, Adrian. Actually, to give Kim Hill her due, she almost always reads out my emails to her—and no, I don't write one to her regularly! She's only expressed consternation or anger towards me on one occasion….
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/who-is-more-violent-and-despicable.html
morrissey….thank you for that….i can never quite understand why kim hill doesnt take these people to task….corbyn has been anti racism all his political life….meanwhile the genuine racism against moslems from the Tories is swept under the carpet.
But attacking Corbyn as a racist is all they have….he will be PM before xmas
I wonder how the S.F.O is dealing with the investigation of the National party's violation of electoral law over the donation from Zhang Yikun ?
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2019/07/05/dave-macpherson-serious-fraud-office-sends-terrible-message-over-former-waikato-dhb-ceos-200k-ripoff/
Far too expensive to even investigate mosy. SFO lookin after the taxpayer as per.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday/audio/2018702949/dr-merlyn-hay-vet-who-discovered-m-bovis
This scientist, and woman, for a NZ Order of Merit and also a Damehood.
She has done more for NZ than Roger the dodger.
Dr Merlyn Hay, a name with special powers?
This will be really interesting when the audio goes up on Radionz. He has something very interesting to say about managing predators and where cats useful place is in the chain; there is a chain to consider, not just knee jerk 'cats are bad'.
11:05 John Flux – Lifelong ecologist
John Flux in Iran in 1977 with a road kill hare Photo: Supplied
Internationally respected New Zealand ecologist John Flux has spent his life studying hares, starlings, and even his own cats.
His study of starlings in Belmont Regional Park, near Wellington, has become one of the longest continuous ecological studies in the world, running from 1970 to today.
At its peak he and his wife Meg would examine 500 starling nest boxes, located in munitions bunkers built by the US military in 1942.
John still climbs a ladder each year to check on 50 nesting boxes to see what effect climate change is having on the timing of egg laying.
He's recently authored a paper in the European Journal of Ecology about what humans might learn from the fate of feral populations of domesticated rabbits.
humans might learn
Always possible, I suppose, though past experience doesn't give us much hope…
The Auckland ratepayers open ended cheque for the Americas cup and the cost to the environment in dumping sludge dredged for the village outside Great Barrier Island.
Oh if you don’t want to pay then maybe no event !
Sounds familiar.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/377659/aucklander-ratepayers-to-fork-out-another-14-point-5-million-for-america-s-
7.1 (preliminary est) hits ridgecrest 6.4 was a foreshock.
https://twitter.com/LastQuake/status/1147351492111847424
oh.
https://twitter.com/CavasShips/status/1147357989428506624
I'm not impressed by Trump's blame game today: "Trump blamed a faulty teleprompter for his claim during remarks he made at a July 4th event that the Continental Army "took over the airports" during the Revolutionary War."
He claimed it broke down. So that technical malfunction caused him to describe the American troops occupying airports in 1775, he expects viewers to believe. I suspect few viewers will detect any causal logic connecting the two things…
https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-trump-revolutionary-war-airport-memes-20190705-story.html
“Our Army manned the air, it rammed the ramparts, it took over the airports” [NBC]
I imagine the Iranian regime's top guys are trembling in fear right now. The Supreme Leader is likely to have a message descend from his prophet in paradise: cease provoking the infidel, looks like his brain is dysfunctional, he could do anything!
People are noticing.
https://twitter.com/gregolear/status/1146377905783607296
https://twitter.com/TomJChicago/status/1146435213070934016
edit: Having been the primary carer for a dementia patient, this from a couple of days ago clinches it for me.
https://twitter.com/ShotgunZen/status/1135453852617052161
Gee, eh? Dementia onset sometimes sporadic?? The guy can seem lucid enough most of the time then it kicks in for a wee while? Pence must be rubbing his hands in glee…
Sufferers know early on that something is up and when they're sure, they never stop trying to cover up their decline. As things get worse they get more and more determined to pull the wool and refine their tactics to deceive outsiders. This can last for years but eventually, the mask drops and their decline becomes obvious to everyone, not just those closest to them.
The last leg is when they forget they’ve forgotten, believe me, it's a blessing, and it's all down hill from there.
Well, I guess we just wait till a diagnosis becomes official. It's a national security issue as soon as Pence consults with the Secretary of Defense. He'll probably involve Pompeo, since they are both fundamentalists. Watch for a catastrophic Wall St plunge real soon…
@22.2.1
Frying pan to fire stuff.
Shades of Salazar
Time, Friday, Oct. 31, 1969
Therapeutic lying is a thing.
Reminds me of a story about Ronald Reagan in his declining years.
His Secret Service detail used to toss bags of leaves on the ground at one end of the swimming pool. Reagan would come along and laboriously sweep them up and while he was doing so, his detail would be at the other end of the pool tossing more bags of leaves on the ground. It was a way of keeping the old boy occupied while at the same time giving him some physical exercise.
Caption contest please.
Lotsa people having fun.
https://twitter.com/GetLostWithVivi/status/1147235346054336512
https://twitter.com/Chudlife75/status/1147231379844997121
Love that one! We're bound to get a real flood of them tomorrow. The media ought to frame it as a competition of satire, nominate their favourite contender for top satirist.
For those unfamiliar with the China Lake Air Weapons Range or it geography? This geothermal/ volcanic area is to the NW/ NNW of China Lake AWR and the most of the valley has numerous fault lines.
https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/coso_volcanic_field/
Totally out of my depth, but is this the one mentioned at 21.1 above?
Yup. Lots of cool geothermal/volcanic stuff going on all the way up the east side of the Sierra Nevadas.
Then there's Death Valley just to the northeast of China Lake.
Fun fact, the highest (Mt Whitney) and lowest points (Badwater, Death Valley) in the 48 states are both in Inyo County, just to the north of China Lake. Both are due to all the faulting and ground movement continually happening there.
NAWS China Lake is not mission capable,non essential personnel evacuating to safe haven.
NON ESSENTIAL active duty, drilling reservists, civilian employees, and dependents are authorized to evacuate to a radius of 100 miles from safe haven Naval Base Ventura County (NVBC).
https://www.facebook.com/NAWSChinaLake/photos/a.1268422873184518/2819705194722937/?type=3&theater
https://youtu.be/qQfetkoGrpU
Kia ora Newshub.
It's cool that our Coalition Government is funding family care people looking after there disabled family and tamariki 25 a hour sounds good.
A big Earthquake in Los Angeles 7.1 is quite high let's hope that not to much damage is caused by the EarthQuake.
Eco Maori favorite charity The Salvation Army is offering free doctors visit in Waitakare Auckland yes a lot of people can not afford to go to the doctor's.
Yes power is wasted and power bill grow during winter luck our government has given a winter power payments .Eco Maori is going to get Free power from a Micro hydro turbines run from a stream . Ka Pai Tomorrow for showing te tangata how to save money by saving power. Good on Newshub for this positive story
Ka kite ano
Kia ora Te Ao Maori News.
I don't think that whakapapa should be sold anyone's whakapapa.
It's good that the Kohanga reo has settled with Tony Waho.
Awesome that Kaitahi superfood company has won te whanganui business awards.
Ka kite ano
Kia ora The Am Show.
That is awesome our government paying carer's looking after there Whanau who need constant care there are a lot of people struggling to care for there Whanau.
Energy mate hopefully will save people struggling with big power bills a lot of stress.
Cyber security is a very good topic everyone's data can be harvested by the state or others
Ka kite ano
https://youtu.be/u9Dg-g7t2l4
Eco Maori agrees with the United nations we see destruction caused by human caused climate change all the TIME these days
One climate crisis disaster happening every week, UN warns
Developing countries must prepare now for profound impact, disaster representative says
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Climate crisis disasters are happening at the rate of one a week, though most draw little international attention and work is urgently needed to prepare developing countries for the profound impacts, the UN has warned.
Catastrophes such as cyclones Idai and Kenneth in Mozambique and the drought afflicting India make headlines around the world. But large numbers of “lower impact events” that are causing death, displacement and suffering are occurring much faster than predicted, said Mami Mizutori, the UN secretary-general’s special representative on disaster risk reduction. “This is not about the future, ka kite ano link below
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jul/07/one-climate-crisis-disaster-happening-every-week-un-warns
Kia aro The Am Show.
Jeremy Corbin finally making a commitment to abandoned Brexit Eco Maori backs Britian staying in the European Union.
It's good that I'll people could access medicine weed
The smoke tax has good side effects and bad ones imagine if they were banned ????????.
Some people think they have a higher IQ than they actually have it good for there confidence but that phenomen is easy to read.
A fuel tax on gas guzzling cars is needed good on our government for implementing it they are planning to use the tax to make owning electric cars cheaper subsidy from carbon to clean energy user.
Ka kite ano