It is going to be interesting to see if the anti-abortion crowd have any clout or if they'll be exposed like the gun lobby as full of humbug and hot air. I am picking the government will find surprisingly little resistance to the law reforms it is proposing.
Right to life. Life doesn't get a choice of whom talks for it! really. What would life say when the foetal whisper asks them? When the mother knows best, the lifers who neither ask for, explain how, or expect debate upon the issue, are told by the baby whisper, the mum that abortion is best. Are they really lifers, when choosers say without prodding, that abortion being a medical procedure should not be over used, that choosers are antilife. Mums die giving birth, mums have to live with the reality of aborting or not. Yes, not abort can be a fatal choice too. So what are we to do when bottom of the cliff ambulance chasers declare they are the only unborn whispers. Miscarriages, caused by industrualization, abort by big corp? Or driving accidents? Sure a women can have god abort, the local drunk, or big industry, but not the choice themselves despite the plain fact that they will live with decision, not the prolifer sic. A senior exec, a drunk, hell even the nonexistent god all are more culpable to their statements that the prolifer who cuts and runs at all the deaths from pregnancy, all the disasters of choosing to keep the baby. The question therefore really do you believe infreed will, that an inalienable right to choose, exists. Or that we free people's should favor religion. Lifers are pro life, they aren't even proliberty, or God. It's just a disgusting display of vanity being better people. Nobody wants an abortion, that the lie they push.
so what is it: conscious vote or referendum? Would have thought Jacinda and co sorted this out before calling a media conference. Or is that mere detail?
David Seymour of all people show Jacinda Ardern and Labour what standing up to China looks like, as it turns out that Labours pragmatism also extend to allowing the Chinese dictatorship to encourage violence on our own shores in the name of protecting the almighty dollar and business…guttless fucking liberals.
'China Consulate praises 'patriotism' of students in Auckland' Universityscufflehttps://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2019/08/china-consulate-praises-patriotism-of-students-in-auckland-university-scuffle.html
One can only imagine the shit hitting the fan on this site if this had happened under Nationals watch…or the moral outrage if this had been Russia or the US encouraging this violence vis a vie Putin/Trump..disappointing but not unexpected at how fluid some peoples moral and ethical positions are.
What a stupid wrongheaded piece of logic..if one extrapolates your position, you are saying that any citizen who is not in a position of power of some sort or another is a nobody and I assume shouldn't be heard.
@Sacha, So to be clear, you are fine with the Chinese dictatorship encouraging violence on New Zealand soil?
So I assume then you would just as fine if it where Putin or Trump encouraging violence on New Zealand soil..or is it just OK if we have X amount of trade with the country in question?
If this is the case, how much trade does a country have to do with New Zealand before it's OK with you and Labour NZ to allow this state sanctioned violence…give us a number, an amount you think if fair for us to sell our morals and dignity…I am interested to know that dollar value you think your (and NZ's) morals and ethical values are worth selling for on the open market of free trade?
When real judges judge based on assumptions we know justice is not going to be served (well).
The same applies to our own judgements and ‘natural justice’ and we need to be careful with our assumptions, opinions, prejudices, and the likes, before we jump to conclusions IMHO.
There's the problem, right there. It's a common problem and those who practice "assuming" usually can't see what they've done, even when it's pointed out to them. See, walk and chew!
There's nothing wrong with the logic. Seymour is standing up to China now he's an opposition MP and the NZ government can't be held responsible for his statements. When he was part of the government and the NZ government therefore could be held responsible for his statements, he behaved differently – rather like the government is behaving now, for example.
OK so we agree, both Labour and National and their proxies place higher value on uninterrupted trade and commerce than they do on standing up for any kind of supposed moral or ethical position that most New Zealanders would probably expect a sitting government to defend and stand for as sovereign nation.
As suggested earlier, typical liberal behaviour…always profits before people, both the ideology of National and sadly our own spineless useless third way Labour party, no wonder they are polling so badly.
What stupidity. Diplomacy is not all about public sabre-rattling – often more can be achieved by polite, private, but firm, discussions. This is not an issue that I would any New Zealand government to be publicly involved in. New Zealand's position regarding Hong Kong is undoubtedly known to China.
Are you saying that standing up to China who have publicly supported the assault of a protester on New Zealand soil is saber rattling?
I would say that China are the ones who are openly saber rattling, and bulling,obviously testing this weak government on it's resolve…but for some bizarre reason most Labour sycophants here seems to think that is quite OK?
What a bunch of arselickers…grow some fucking backbone for crying out loud.
I'm curious, if we are willing to turn a blind eye to State endorsed violence being perpetrated upon foreign born visitors/residents in New Zealand at what point would we intervene.
I seem to recall some New Zealand citizens on TS being really really really upset at the thought of the Russian State supposedly targeting Russians in the UK..maybe we should clarify the rules with the Chinese ..a bit of niggle, a bit of biff, thats okay..but you know, keep it seemly pretty please..
Meantime I would imagine the female victim of this State endorsed violence is shit scared of returning to Hong Kong….then again I'm not sure anywhere is safe..
Every New Zealand government of any stripe is basically a Kakapo when it comes to China – it's only natural defense mechanism is to freeze in place when scared.
I don't think so – there was Lange and anti-nuclear standing up to the US and Australia straight and strong.. plus Kirk facing down the French with two frigates. Plus Clark refusing to join the 'coalition of the aggressive'. It seems Jacinda is a rung or two below these previous strong Labour leaders. (Nat leaders don't come close of course)
We are not that small and powerless you know.. we command a place on the globe and have influence…
and we need to stand up when required, like we have done in the past.
China takes half our exports and props up our housing market as well by providing most of the people in the new fifth column that keeps the housing ponzi spluttering along.
Upsetting them will take a lot of balls and an existential threat.
I haven't tried to influence the GP since winning the battle against the leftists on the waka-jumping legislation. Since I've won every major battle against groupthink that I've undertaken in the Greens, your misread doesn't bother me.
Okay there's the leftist alignment still in place, but since I've already owned up to convincing the GP to adopt it back when it was actually necessary (several times here), I just have to wear the karmic consequence until the Greens decide to retreat from isolation…
""We're likening our response to climate change as our response to Te Korokoro o te Parata, to move beyond that challenge and survive," says Te Arawa Lakes Trust Environmental Manager Nicki Douglas."
The legal threat and the big opportunity in Māori engagement on climate change response
In the clip on that page he says "these sinister ideologies must be defeated". Better late than never. I look forward to all the commentators here who have in the past called him a racist white supremacist (while consistently providing no proof of that) apologising in unison for getting it wrong. What? Really? You mean they'll keep on denying the facts?
James will be busy composing his explanation as to why Sarah Dowie isn't to be investigated/charged with inciting a person to self-harm. Coz James is very sensitive to cover-ups.
i find it sad how many on here accept accusations as fact (some even after it’s been proven false) if it’s a national member – yet are happy to ignore such a large issue and so many complaints of a serious nature in labour’s office. ‘Not proven mate – we ran another dodgy process – move on – no appeals’
Like the five victims of the other mass sexual assault at a labour youth camp – that is still unproven- but lucky after labour did little the police got involved and now he’s in court in a few weeks.
Lets all hope name suppression isn’t granted if he gets convicted.
Perhaps the police will get involved in this one as well.
[Off topic James. Please deal with this topic in open mike – MS]
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
"Lets all hope name suppression isn’t granted" suggests to me you are not interested in the good of an intelligent positive resolution for all involved but a vindictive partisan political outcome.
Same as they did when a man was found running naked down the street claiming rape / sexual assault from Darren Hughes at labour’s deputy leaders house.
I guess you would be ok with that one tho huh?
[Off topic James. Please deal with this topic in open mike – MS]
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Radio stations usually have a 'back up track' in case they have to vacate the building for such as a fire alarm. I woke in the night and newstalkZB had the situation. They had a carping, grating track on which had the intellectual level of a child, (at the time any kid should've been in bed though).
I don't know where they got it or if they could their money back for the faulty product. Apparently it was a 'Bruce Russell.'
The level of seriousness of the senior Labour staffer's claimed behaviour would surely have warranted a police investigation but apparently it hasn’t happened.
Then I saw the origins of the story. Newstalk ZB plus Barry Soper and Mike Hosking.
I recall the first stand up interview with P.M.Jacinda Ardern, where Soper tried to throw her off balance. He failed and you could see the anger and hatred written all over his face. It's been there ever since.
If, as I suspect, it is a story which has been distorted for political purposes, then it is incumbent on the party personnel involved to front up with the results.
Indeed, some (the usual) culprits in MSM try to politicise, polarise, and sensationalise this situation. Unfortunately, a few commenters here are trying to do the same thing. Even more unfortunately, it seems to be working and is driving a wedge between good people some of whom are being accused of being an “enabler” of sexual violence. In my view, this does absolutely nothing to deal with the issue of sexual violence.
However, Soper said he'd discovered the man at the centre of the allegations had hired a lawyer who told him "that he is innocent, there was an inquiry, he has nothing to answer for and they warned us to leave this issue alone otherwise they will be suing".
Call their bluff. Make them sue. The whole sad and sorry saga aired in a Court of Law.
I hesitate to refer you to last night's Daily Review and the very long thread under 2 loosely based on an earlier Tova O'Brien Newshub "Exclusive", i.e.
Here are two excerpts from the Newshub report which make me smell a rat:
As far back as August 2018, Labour Party president Nigel Haworth was informed the staffer told a woman she was elected within the party because she "would be nice to sleep with".
He was also told a senior ministerial staffer had warned an alleged victim that if she told anyone about the staffer's behaviour she would be shut-down.
I had a shocking experience back in the early 1990s (and I later realised it had occurred previously) where a malicious woman laid complaints against me to my Public Service bosses (and elsewhere) which caused me to be placed under surveillance and routinely bullied and intimidated. She had twisted and distorted my actions and words to fit a totally false narrative. Her motivation had been in large part political.
This is why I'm deeply suspicious of the extent of the claims being made in this case. But I agree, we will have to wait and see what the outcome is before we can pass firm judgement.
Something sounds fishy alright. Of course even if the issue turns out to be hollow, the damage will already have been done. Can you imagine Soper withdrawing and apologising?
"Newstalk ZB political editor Barry Soper said that there were 12 alleged complainants and the allegations involved not only sexual assault, but also rape and offers to pay for sex."
I agree we need to wait and see the outcome (If Labour actually release it, which given their "Most open and transparent govt ever" record, is highly unlikely), but it would have to be a pretty massive conspiracy theory if there wasn't some truth to it.
I accept there is likely to be a grain of truth, but the level of seriousness could have been ratcheted up a notch or three to make it appear worse than it was. If so, it was done for political purposes and the journos involved only increase that suspicion.
Example:
The staffer's alleged comment "she would be nice to sleep with". He said something I'm sure, but it could have been in the form of a quip and the actual wording altered.
"There are 12 complaints". The article indicates there were 12 complaints following an incident some time ago; there has been one complaint recently, and four resignations recently – with an implication without any facts that these may possibly be somehow related. Very often complainants will not want any publicity, whatever the results of an enquiry – it is reasonable to expect that privacy of those involved will be protected – (but not to protect the political party or parliamentary services). Being a good employer has obligations; we should not criticise an employer for not bending over backwards to sate our prurient interests. Let us be cautious . . .
You do know that the Labour Party and the Labour-led Government are not the same thing, don’t you? You seem be confused about it all or you are trying to confuse. You see, James also struggled with the distinction between a member of a party and an MP. Sometimes it pays to be a pedant and strive for accuracy …
You would have thought so. The days when women were too frightened to go to the police for fear of being disbelieved are now over. The cops have changed their culture re-rape cases in large part due to Louise Nicholas.
They say they have given up on the Labour Party so why didn't one of them turn to the police? Instead they go running off to the rightest of right wing media. That's what is fishy.
So a woman’s choice to go to the police or not directly links to her credibility according to Anne.
[You put that as an assertion, not as a question, which means that you were making up shit again. However, it is even worse that you did this on a sensitive topic and to a commenter who had shared her personal experience @ 9.3.1 with a work bully in the Public Service who “had twisted and distorted my actions and words to fit a totally false narrative. Her motivation had been in large part political.” That sounds remarkably similar to your behaviour here, certainly over the last couple of days. Take a week off and stop stirring – Incognito]
Ordinary people need to care about what the elites are doing to the planet and its animals, and play our part in protecting and sustaining both. Ane remember if we don't stay aware and take care, we are next. Countries are being bombed almost out of existence, and the people left from the wrecks of their homes, fields, and water sources – where do they go? Stay alert, stay alive, or we will be next. And share some of what we have where there is need. That's the important theme of these days I believe.
RNZ’s Alison Ballance, a zoologist and film maker, has been documenting the highs and lows of kākāpō conservation over 22 podcast episodes. When asked about the value for money spent on trying to save this funny little parrot, she says – “they’re priceless”.
Conservation biologist Rochelle Constantine is another looking for solutions to save species – her speciality is in the marine environment. She has a successful track record of helping with conservation efforts for Brydes whales in the Hauraki Gulf….
DOC categorised the whales as nationally critical, which is when population numbers dip below the 200 mark. “This is the highest listing you can get for a conservation concern.”
When a number of the mammals started washing up dead, Constantine investigated. “When we did a necropsy on them it became pretty apparent that a lot of these whales, up to 84 percent, were dying from ship strike. Clearly large vessels.”…
Constantine says a working group of DOC, local iwi, shipping companies, Ports of Auckland and academics were able to gather, argue freely and reach a solution. International shipping companies agreed to voluntarily slow to a pace of 10 knots when entering the port.
If we try, we may find a solution, and have cause for another high-five. Multiply those, and we have done our best to overcome today’s problems – and be ready for the next!
South Otago mayor supports Hipkin's reforms. From Stuff
Cadogan said many of the other polytechnics had been quite accepting of Thursday's announcement and he would prefer a similar approach from those in the deep south."At the moment we should be working to discuss the positives and what we can do to position us for the future."
He said SIT's strength put it in a strong position when working through the detail of the merger.Rather than fighting it, Cadogan said the focus should centre on working with the Establishment Board for a positive outcome for the lower South Island.
He has applauded Hipkins' "bold" move to restructure what Cadogan said was a broken polytechnic and training institute system.
He said he had watched closely over the past five years as that broken model had delivered 'misery' on Telford, a Balclutha based training campus. First when Telford came under Lincoln University, and then under Taratahi.Telford was granted a lifeline by the SIT this year when the Government agreed for SIT to take over the running of Telford for a year.
Telford and the like must not be allowed to fade away with a lack of concern and proper funding. After all why would people go to university to gain higher specialised learning when there are no jobs in NZ for them when they graduate? If NZ is not interested in being a thriving country of capable people at an advanced level of development drawing on a range of educational disciplines, why should students invest their good money in our education system? It could be that there will be more foreign students than NZ ones the way that National and RW Labour had been driving the higher education system – towards a cliff.
A great documentary on the Maori Channel last night. This is the sort of compulsory viewing that we don't see on 1,2, or 3. And if you watch this you'll see why.
For real journalism, it's necessary to follow the alternative media outlets, many of them online. We are lucky to have Democracy Now! on Freeview, then there areThe Young Turks, The Real News, Consortium News, and others. Some of these are quite long – the latest CN report on youtube being 2.5hrs long, and featuring Kim Dotcom, William Binney, Mike Gravel, and George Szamuely. I know many are turned of by KDC but Binney is a voice of reason and always worth listen to.
Now is the time to build that infrastructure that the evidence shows that we need, so come on government, and keep doing your keep-fit exercises Robertson. We don't want fat, contented finance ministers round here.
Keep Our Assets Canterbury (KOA) will announce it is standing John Minto in a campaign for the Christchurch mayoralty at a media conference to be held
Today Tuesday 6th August, 2pm at WEA (Room 3), 59 Gloucester Street
We have decided to stand John because Christchurch faces unprecedented challenges:
Global warming from greenhouse gas emissions has created a climate catastrophe which threatens us all.
Our precious drinking water is tainted with contaminants and threatened by nitrates.
Deep divisions across the city mean many people struggle on poverty incomes without dignity or self-respect. Housing conditions and social impacts for many are as bad as the 1930s depression
Is the tide ready to turn on US gun control? When even 45 is obliged to express concern the matter is coming to a head. It may be that strategic repeal of legislation defunding research into gun deaths would be a productive step.
With immigration as high as it is, new people will be looking to make some changes on our electoral system where it is moribund. Such as a longer term – 4 years makes sense to me, 5 mmm bit long. But 4 years enables the resident government to probably get good policies through and ticking before the next election.
However, it should be noted that the composition of New Zealand electorates has changed dramatically since then. Particularly in the 1990s, when the changes to immigration policy based on the selection of immigrants based on skills, not country of origin, were introduced in 1986 and 1987, and the proportion of the ethnic migrant population significantly increased.
According to a recent population projection by Statistics NZ, nationally the Asian population will make up 21 percent of the population by 2038 (up from 12 percent in 2013).
Herald online (aka the Hosking Blower) is doing its best to ignore the Labour Stats released today. The lowest unemployment and biggest rise in wages for 10 years since, well since the last Labour government actually.
They also now have an unsubstantiated headline running re another matter but have removed the content, the whole page should be gone instead just the accusation remains.
I am fed up with media thinking they are judge and jury on matters that are not even before police let alone up for judgment.
so wages went up over 4%lat year… great for those who benefited, and teachers were rewarded with no pay increase over the same period, and now they should be thankful for what they Fought tooth and nail to achieve. I gather that given what has just been achieved that teachers, nurses etc will be going backwards in real terms😤
US ramps up the pressure for regime change in Venezuela. The Chinese and Russian reply will be interesting. Am guessing the UN will be its usual spineless self on this.
"On Tuesday Bolton, and US Commerce Secretary, Wilbur Ross, represent the United States at the International Conference for Democracy in Venezuela."
Nice of Maduro to be so warm & cozy with Trump by inviting two of his cabinet ministers to come & chat about democracy. I presume he's still struggling to figure out how to do it, and needs high-level explanations from the experts…
Great a change to our drug laws The police at there own discretion can send drugs addicts to get drug rehabilitation.
The problem I have is that this law actually gives the police more power to manipulate these people ie you do this you get to go to a rehab facility if not off to the hinaki jail. Its good that the police are going to target the organized drug sellers ka pai they are poisoning tangata with PEE.
You see whanau they use people like that to try and intimidate me brown people gangster the Hawskbay lot must have a close link to the gangster they are throwing them at me all the time here.
A intelligent person will know that the ORC drop is needed with the trade war going on with Te Papatuanuku 2 biggest economies that could drag Aotearoa economies to a slower growth rates It's not ROCKET SCIENCE.
You have just lost all your credibility looking through your $$ glasses making that statement about trump.
Aziza that is cool a phone with A accessories becomes a computer I gather that the device will be able to cast the phone screen to a big monitor for lectures and large ordinances . ???? One can already do that with a Chrome Cast.or smart TV????????. we need more information on the device
We must protect these beautiful creatures of Tangaroa and stop the trade in shark fins . Humans only live on Papatuanuku for a fraction of time compared to other fantastic creatures of Papatuanuku and Tangaroa we must preserve our whenua land and Tangaroa sea for all creatures not just thinking about WEALTHY humans alone we are all in this environment TOGETHER.
400-year-old Greenland shark is oldest vertebrate animal
This article is more than 2 years old
Shark, which would have reached sexual maturity at around 150 years, sets new record for longevity as biologists finally develop method to determine age
She was born during the reign of James I, was a youngster when René Descartes set out his rules of thought and the great fire of London raged, saw out her adolescent years as George II ascended the throne, reached adulthood around the time that the American revolution kicked off, and lived through two world wars. Living to an estimated age of nearly 400 years, a female Greenland shark has set a new record for longevity, scientists have revealed.
Forget Nessie, now is the time to spot basking sharks in Scottish waters
The discovery places the lifespan of the Greenland shark far ahead of even the oldest elephant in captivity, Lin Wang, who died aged 86. It is also far longer than the official record for humans, held by 122-year-old Frenchwoman
“That indicates that most of our analysed sharks were actually older than the time mark, meaning that they were older than 50 years,” said Nielsen
The scientists then combined the carbon dating results with estimations of how Greenland sharks grow, to create a model that allowed them to probe the age of the 25 sharks born before the 1960s.
Their findings revealed that the largest shark of the group, a female measuring just over five metres in length, was most likely around 392 years old, although, as Nielsen points out, the range of possible ages stretches from 272 to 512 years.
“The Greenland shark is now the best candidate for the longest living vertebrate animal,” he said. Ka kite ano link below.
Its cool that Aotearoa gave Sir Brian a service that he deserved 5000 people attended ka pai.
Some people are going to be unhappy about the drugs floating ashore in Auckland good job.
I agree with Joe Biden.
It would be cool if Lumsden South Land got there maturity units back its quite hard for Wahine to give birth having to travel far to a hospital would add more stress to mum and baby.
Ka kite ano it been warm weather here today can not say the same about the authority's
Its a great move Wally to lower the police numbers at Ihumatao .
Kirama I can read you piece of piss .
It should be good to have a top down approach to our polytechnics and other training organizations 16 being run under one umbrella we need to give our youth the correct skills to help them climb up high on their ladders of life.
Tracy I think it's awesome that te tamariki are going be accessed at 7 years old to see if they have dyslexic a lot of times there parents have not figured out that their tamariki has a learning disorder. When one knows there is a problem well that is when things can be put in place to solve it.
I remember my Mama trying to teach me to spell it was hard mahi for her.
Awesome Pacific Art is being displayed at the Auckland museum the place with the largest Pacific population in te Papatuanuku beautiful looking Art to .
Spirit Wrestler Art studio who is hosting and helping Pacific artists to market their great Art cool Piripi
The way it works is that 99.9 % of TE TANGATA get to see the TRUTH about climate change and we put pressure on the authorities to change the way we live ie carbon neutral. Students strike is changing the political minds on climate change. Once trump is voted out American will switch back to mitagating climate change China is making huge changes to combat climate change thanks to them SOLAR POWER is the cheapest form of Electricity generation. European is changing the way they live to they are 10 years ahead of most countries with their Mitigation of climate change. climate change And is India they are building the Papatuanuku biggest SOLAR Farms Eco calls them because we are harvesting energy straight from TE RA stop being a naysayer it Friday days off for you.
Its great that Brendon Hartley is driving in E Car racing E cars are faster cleaner and the FUTURE of private transportation.
I think paula is manufacturing that situation I agree she is politicizing the situation just to gain votes. The Coalition government didn't attack national over the Ross situation that national had .That's the difference between the left and the right the right will throw anything under the bus to get votes the left no what RESPECT is .national would have had the cops arrest everyone at Ihumatao.
Aotearoa Farmers lead the Papatuanuku with their farming practices they don't get massive subsidies to keep on farming un sustainable like the rest of Papatuanuku the production efficiency gains over 30 years has been MASSIVE.
Eco Maori has Already given up flying on Planes you know 2 reasons.
Sir David Fagin is a great ambassador for Aotearoa all his feats in winning Papatuanuku Shearing competition. The previous government have dropped the ball on training and providing the correct skills .
I think it's stupid that we have to import workers how stupid or callous by the people who have been ruling Aotearoa .
Here you go whanau people are already suffering because of the Oil barons blocking tangata reality and the TRUTH about the scientific facts on Human caused climate change. Water is getting scarce as Papatuanuku heats up the problem of water for the common poor tangata is going to multiply very fast.
'People are dying': how the climate crisis has sparked an exodus to the US
As part of the Running Dry series, the Guardian looks at how drought and famine are forcing Guatemalan families to choose between starvation and migration
At sunrise, the misty fields around the village of Guior are already dotted with men, women and children sowing maize after an overnight rainstorm.
After several years of drought, the downpour brought some hope of relief to the subsistence farmers in this part of eastern Guatemala.
But as Esteban Gutiérrez, 30, takes a break from his work, he explains why he is still willing to incur crippling debts – and risk his life – to migrate to the United States.
“My children have gone to bed hungry for the past three years. Our crops failed and the coffee farms have cut wages to $4 a day,” he says, playing nervously with the white maize kernels in a plastic trough strapped to his waist
The United Nations report is good but it doesn't mean Aotearoa should not stop farming the way we do. I say we could reduce our farming carbon footprint quite a lot if we focused on that task .
Ka pai to our Coalition Governments for making big companies responsible for their recycling that will make them make their products and packaging more recyclable Awesome.
I don't think Wahine should be consuming to much alcohol during breast feeding the Wahine in my whanau pump breast milk before they drink and don't feed off their bread for a day .
Radio Hauraki was a great way to break the way Aotearoa handled the radio waves. Condolences to Mr Mcgain Whanau he was part of the changes that needed to happen with Aotearoa Radio.
There you go shonky had the government agency hire a private eye company spie on good Kiwis .
That was a big mess in that Australian truck crash.
Good on Tama Iti for going to Ihumatao and see for himself what the kauppa is Eco Maori has a lot of respect for Tama .
Ka pai To Kuakaupapa the total immersion in Te reo came just in time to save our te reo and Maori Culture from collapsing my generation and my mother generation lost te reo now we have heaps of tamariki who can carry our cultural into THEIR FUTURE its cool that the teachers are getting pay parity
I DON'T think that nurse or anyone should be shunned for speaking te reo I don't do that to anyone. Heads turn when I greet people with a kia ora .
The measles is still going on in the year 2019 who dropped the ball on that dease .
I think it's great to have the wayward young people getting a lesson in respect and learning how to be a good citizen of Aotearoa in the army based camps Ron.
Mana Wahine Cherise great that you won the bucthers championship tangata whenua are good at bucthering meat I prosessed my first mutton at 12 years old me and a m8 the same age .
I have now lived long enough to see a cabinet minister go both barrels on their Prime Minister and not get sacked.It used to be that the PM would have a drawer full of resignations signed by ministers on the day of their appointment, ready for such an occasion. But ...
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The proposed Waimate garbage incinerator is dead: The company behind a highly-controversial proposal to build a waste-to-energy plant in the Waimate District no longer has the land. [...] However, SIRRL director Paul Taylor said the sales and purchase agreement to purchase land from Murphy Farms, near Glenavy, lapsed at ...
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Not since 1988 when Richard Prebble openly criticised David Lange have we seen such a challenge to a Prime Minister as that of David Seymour to Christopher Luxon last night. Prebble suggested Lange had mental health issues during a TV interview and was almost immediately fired. Seymour hasn’t gone quite ...
Three weeks in, and the 24/7 news cycle is not helping anyone feel calm and informed about the second Trump presidency. One day, the US is threatening 25% trade tariffs on its friends and neighbours. The reasons offered by the White House are absurd, such as stopping fentanyl coming in ...
This video includes personal musings and conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Wherever you look, you'll hear headlines claiming we've passed 1.5 degrees of global warming. And while 2024 saw ...
Photo by Heather M. Edwards on UnsplashHere’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s politics and economy in the week to Feb 10 below. That’s ahead of live chats on the Substack App and The Kākā’s front page on Substack at 5pm with: on his column in The ...
Is there anyone in the world the National Party loves more than a campaign donor? Why yes, there is! They will always have the warmest hello and would you like to slip into something more comfortable for that great god of our age, the High Net Worth Individual.The words the ...
Waste and fraud certainly exist in foreign aid programs, but rightwing celebration of USAID’s dismantling shows profound ignorance of the value of soft power (as opposed to hard power) in projecting US influence and interests abroad by non-military/coercive means (think of “hearts and minds,” “hugs, not bullets,” “honey versus vinegar,” ...
Health New Zealand is proposing to cut almost half of its data and digital positions – more than 1000 of them. The PSA has called on the Privacy Commissioner to urgently investigate the cuts due to the potential for serious consequences for patients. NZNO is calling for an urgent increase ...
We may see a few more luxury cars on Queen Street, but a loosening of rules to entice rich foreigners to invest more here is unlikely to “turbocharge our economic growth”. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Let us not dance daintily around the elephant in the room. Our politicians who serve us in the present are not honest, certainly not as honest as they should be, and while the right are taking out most of the trophies for warping narratives and literally redefining “facts”, the kiwi ...
A few weeks ago I took a look at public transport ridership in 2024. In today’s post I’m going to be looking a bit deeper at bus ridership. Buses make up the vast majority of ridership in Auckland with 70 million boardings last year out of a total of 89.4 ...
Oh, you know I did itIt's over and I feel fineNothing you could say is gonna change my mindWaited and I waited the longest nightNothing like the taste of sweet declineSongwriters: Chris Shiflett / David Eric Grohl / Nate Mendel / Taylor Hawkins.Hindsight is good, eh?The clarity when the pieces ...
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashHere’s what we’re watching in the week to February 16 and beyond in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty:Monday, February 10The Kākā’s weekly wrap-up of news about politics and the economy is due at midday, followed by webinar for paying subscribers in Substack’s ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, February 2, 2025 thru Sat, February 8, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
Today, I stumbled across a Twitter Meme: the ending of The Lord of the Rings as a Chess scenario: https://x.com/mellon_heads/status/1887983845917564991 It gets across the basic gist. Aragorn and Gandalf offering up ‘material’ at the Morannon allows Frodo and Samwise to catch Sauron unawares – fair enough. But there are a ...
Last week, Kieran McAnulty called out Chris Bishop and Nicola Willis for their claims that Kāinga Ora’s costs were too high.They had claimed Kāinga Ora’s cost were 12% higher than market i.e. private devlopersBut Kāinga Ora’s Chair had already explained why last year:"We're not building to sell, so we'll be ...
Stuff’s Political Editor Luke Malpass - A Fellow at New Zealand IniativeLast week I half-joked that Stuff / The Post’s Luke Malpass1 always sounded like he was auditioning for a job at the New Zealand Initiative.Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. For a limited time, subscriptions are 20% off. Thanks ...
At a funeral on Friday, there were A4-sized photos covering every wall of the Dil’s reception lounge. There must have been 200 of them, telling the story in the usual way of the video reel but also, by enlargement, making it more possible to linger and step in.Our friend Nicky ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is methane the ...
The Government’s idea is that the private sector and Community Housing Providers will fund, build and operate new affordable housing to address our housing crisis. Meanwhile, the Government does not know where almost half of the 1,700 children who left emergency housing actually went. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong ...
Oh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youOh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youSongwriters: Alexander Ebert / Jade Allyson CastrinosMorena,I’m on a tight time frame this morning. In about an hour and a half, I’ll need to pack up and hit the road ...
This is a post about the Mountain Tui substack, and small tweaks - further to the poll and request post the other day. Please don’t read if you aren’t interested in my personal matters. Thank you all.After oohing-and-aahing about how to structure the Substack model since November, including obtaining ...
This transcript of a recent conversation between the Prime Minister and his chief economic adviser has not been verified.We’ve announced we are the ‘Yes Government’. Do you like it?Yes, Prime Minister.Dreamed up by the PR team. It’s about being committed to growth. Not that the PR team know anything about ...
The other day, Australian Senator Nick McKim issued a warning in the Australian Parliement about the US’s descent into fascim.And of course it’s true, but I lament - that was true as soon as Trump won.What we see is now simply the reification of the intention, planning, and forces behind ...
Among the many other problems associated with Musk/DOGE sending a fleet of teenage and twenty-something cultists to remove, copy and appropriate federal records like social security, medicaid and other supposedly protected data is the fact that the youngsters doing the data-removal, copying and security protocol and filter code over-writing have ...
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tuneBird fly high by the light of the moonOh, oh, oh, JokermanSong by Bob Dylan.Morena folks, I hope this fine morning of the 7th of February finds you well. We're still close to Paihia, just a short drive out of town. Below is the view ...
It’s been an eventful week as always, so here’s a few things that we have found interesting. We also hope everyone had a happy and relaxing Waitangi Day! This week in Greater Auckland We’re still running on summer time, but provided two chewy posts: On Tuesday, a guest ...
Queuing on Queen St: the Government is set to announce another apparently splashy growth policy on Sunday of offering residence visas to wealthy migrants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, February 7:PM Christopher ...
The fact that Waitangi ended up being such a low-key affair may mark it out as one of the most significant Waitangi Days in recent years. A group of women draped in “Toitu Te Tiriti” banners who turned their backs on the politicians’ powhiri was about as rough as it ...
Hi,This week’s Flightless Bird episode was about “fake seizure guy” — a Melbourne man who fakes seizures in order to get members of the public to sit on him.The audio documentary (which I have included in this newsletter in case you don’t listen to Flightless Bird) built on reporting first ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk The 119th Congress comes with a price tag. The oil and gas industry gave about $24 million in campaign contributions to the members of the U.S. House and Senate expected to be sworn in January 3, 2025, according to a ...
Early morning, the shadows still long, but you can already feel the warmth building. Our motel was across the road from the historic homestead where Henry Williams' family lived. The evening before, we wandered around the gardens, reading the plaques and enjoying the close proximity to the history of the ...
Thanks folks for your feedback, votes and comments this week. I’ll be making the changes soon. Appreciate all your emails, comments and subscriptions too. I know your time is valuable - muchas gracias.A lot is happening both here and around the world - so I want to provide a snippets ...
Data released today by Statistics NZ shows that unemployment rose to 5.1%, with 33,000 more people out of work than last year said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. “The latest data shows that employment fell in Aotearoa at its fastest rate since the GFC. Unemployment rose in 8 ...
The December labour market statistics have been released, showing yet another increase in unemployment. There are now 156,000 unemployed - 34,000 more than when National took office. And having thrown all these people out of work, National is doubling down on cruelty. Because being vicious will somehow magically create the ...
Boarded up homes in Kilbirnie, where work on a planned development was halted. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 5 are;Housing Minister Chris Bishop yesterday announcedKāinga Ora would be stripped of ...
This week Kiwirail and Auckland Transport were celebrating the completion of the summer rail works that had the network shut or for over a month and the start of electric trains to Pukekohe. First up, here’s parts of the press release about the shutdown works. Passengers boarding trains in Auckland ...
Through its austerity measures, the coalition government has engineered a rise in unemployment in order to reduce inflation while – simultaneously – cracking down harder and harder on the people thrown out of work by its own policies. To that end, Social Development Minister Louise Upston this week added two ...
This year, we've seen a radical, white supremacist government ignoring its Tiriti obligations, refusing to consult with Māori, and even trying to legislatively abrogate te Tiriti o Waitangi. When it was criticised by the Waitangi Tribunal, the government sabotaged that body, replacing its legal and historical experts with corporate shills, ...
Poor old democracy, it really is in a sorry state. It would be easy to put all the blame on the vandals and tyrants presently trashing the White House, but this has been years in the making. It begins with Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan and the spirit of Gordon ...
The new school lunches came in this week, and they were absolutely scrumptious.I had some, and even though Connor said his tasted like “stodge” and gave him a sore tummy, I myself loved it!Look at the photos - I knew Mr Seymour wouldn’t lie when he told us last year:"It ...
The tighter sanctions are modelled on ones used in Britain, which did push people off ‘the dole’, but didn’t increase the number of workers, and which evidence has repeatedly shown don’t work. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, ...
Catching you up on the morning’s global news and a quick look at the parallels -GLOBALTariffs are backSharemarkets in the US, UK and Europe have “plunged” in response to Trump’s tariffs. And while Mexico has won a one month reprieve, Canada and China will see their respective 25% and 10% ...
This post by Nicolas Reid was originally published on Linked in. It is republished here with permission. Gondolas are often in the news, with manufacturers of ropeway systems proposing them as a modern option for mass transit systems in New Zealand. However, like every next big thing in transport, it’s hard ...
This is a re-post from The Climate BrinkBoth 2023 and 2024 were exceptionally warm years, at just below and above 1.5C relative to preindustrial in the WMO composite of surface temperature records, respectively. While we are still working to assess the full set of drivers of this warmth, it is clear that ...
Hi,I woke up feeling nervous this morning, realising that this weekend Flightless Bird is going to do it’s first ever live show. We’re heading to a sold out (!) show in Seattle to test the format out in front of an audience. If it works, we’ll do more. I want ...
From the United-For-Now States of America comes the thrilling news that a New Zealander may be at the very heart of the current coup. Punching above our weight on the world stage once more! Wait, you may be asking, what New Zealander? I speak of Peter Thiel, made street legal ...
Even Stevens: Over the 33 years between 1990 and 2023 (and allowing for the aberrant 2020 result) the average level of support enjoyed by the Left and Right blocs, at roughly 44.5 percent each, turns out to be, as near as dammit, identical.WORLDWIDE, THE PARTIES of the Left are presented ...
Back in 2023, a "prominent political figure" went on trial for historic sex offences. But we weren't allowed to know who they were or what political party they were "prominent" in, because it might affect the way we voted. At the time, I said that this was untenable; it was ...
I'm going, I'm goingWhere the water tastes like wineI'm going where the water tastes like wineWe can jump in the waterStay drunk all the timeI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayAll this fussing and fighting, man, you know I sure ...
Waitangi Day is a time to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and stand together for a just and fair Aotearoa. Across the motu, communities are gathering to reflect, kōrero, and take action for a future built on equity and tino rangatiratanga. From dawn ceremonies to whānau-friendly events, there are ...
Subscribe to Mountain Tūī ! Where you too can learn about exciting things from a flying bird! Tweet.Yes - I absolutely suck at marketing. It’s a fact.But first -My question to all readers is:How should I set up the Substack model?It’s been something I’ve been meaning to ask since November ...
Here’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s political economy on politics and in the week to Feb 3:PM Christopher Luxon began 2025’s first day of Parliament last Tuesday by carrying on where left off in 2024, letting National’s junior coalition partner set the political agenda and dragging ...
The PSA have released a survey of 4000 public service workers showing that budget cuts are taking a toll on the wellbeing of public servants and risking the delivery of essential services to New Zealanders. Economists predict that figures released this week will show continued increases in unemployment, potentially reaching ...
The Prime Minister’s speech 10 days or so ago kicked off a flurry of commentary. No one much anywhere near the mainstream (ie excluding Greens supporters) questioned the rhetoric. New Zealand has done woefully poorly on productivity for a long time and we really need better outcomes, and the sorts ...
President Trump on the day he announced tariffs against Mexico, Canada and China, unleashing a shock to supply chains globally that is expected to slow economic growth and increase inflation for most large economies. Photo: Getty ImagesLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate ...
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashHere’s what we’re watching in the week to February 9 and beyond in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty:Monday, February 3Politics: New Zealand Government cabinet meeting usually held early afternoon with post-cabinet news conference possible at 4 pm, although they have not been ...
Trump being Trump, it won’t come as a shock to find that he regards a strong US currency (bolstered by high tariffs on everything made by foreigners) as a sign of America’s virility, and its ability to kick sand in the face of the world. Reality is a tad more ...
A listing of 24 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, January 26, 2025 thru Sat, February 1, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
What seems to be the common theme in the US, NZ, Argentina and places like Italy under their respective rightwing governments is what I think of as “the politics of cruelty.” Hate-mongering, callous indifference in social policy-making, corporate toadying, political bullying, intimidation and punching down on the most vulnerable with ...
If you are confused, check with the sunCarry a compass to help you alongYour feet are going to be on the groundYour head is there to move you aroundSo, stand in the place where you liveSongwriters: Bill Berry / Michael Mills / Michael Stipe / Peter Buck.Hot in the CityYesterday, ...
Shane Jones announced today he would be contracting out his thinking to a smarter younger person.Reclining on his chaise longue with a mouth full of oysters and Kina he told reporters:Clearly I have become a has-been, a palimpsest, an epigone, a bloviating fossil. I find myself saying such things as: ...
Warning: This post contains references to sexual assaultOn Saturday, I spent far too long editing a video on Tim Jago, the ACT Party President and criminal, who has given up his fight for name suppression after 2 years. He voluntarily gave up just in time for what will be a ...
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill which would restore decision-making power to local communities regarding the fluoridation of drinking water. The ‘Fluoridation (Referendum) Legislation Bill’ seeks to repeal the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 that granted centralised authority to the Direct General of Health ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill aimed at preventing banks from refusing their services to businesses because of the current “Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Framework”. “This Bill ensures fairness and prevents ESG standards from perpetuating woke ideology in the banking sector being driven by unelected, globalist, climate ...
Erica Stanford has reached peak shortsightedness if today’s announcement is anything to go by, picking apart immigration settings piece by piece to the detriment of the New Zealand economy. ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...
Labour is relieved to see Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her government’s terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers – temporarily. ...
It is the first week of David Seymour’s school lunch programme and already social media reports are circulating of revolting meals, late deliveries, and mislabelled packaging. ...
The Green Party says that with no-cause evictions returning from today, the move to allow landlords to end tenancies without reason plunges renters, and particularly families who rent, into insecurity and stress. ...
The Government’s move to increase speed limits substantially on dozens of stretches of rural and often undivided highways will result in more serious harm. ...
In her first announcement as Economic Growth Minister, Nicola Willis chose to loosen restrictions for digital nomads from other countries, rather than focus on everyday Kiwis. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. “As schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamariki’s review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 What’s Up hotline. “When I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...
A bill to make revenue collection on imported and exported goods fairer and more effective had its first reading in Parliament, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. “The Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill modernises the way in which Customs can recover the costs of services that are needed ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has achieved significant progress in completing applications for New Zealand citizenship. “December 2024 saw the Department complete 5,661 citizenship applications, the most for any month in 2024. This is a 54 per cent increase compared ...
Reversals to Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions begin tonight and will be in place by 1 July, says Minister of Transport Chris Bishop. “The previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads. “National campaigned on ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced Budget 2025 – the Growth Budget - will be delivered on Thursday 22 May. “This year’s Budget will drive forward the Government’s plan to grow our economy to improve the incomes of New Zealanders now and in the years ahead. “Budget 2025 will build ...
For the Government, 2025 will bring a relentless focus on unleashing the growth we need to lift incomes, strengthen local businesses and create opportunity. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today laid out the Government’s growth agenda in his Statement to Parliament. “Just over a year ago this Government was elected by ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour welcomes students back to school with a call to raise attendance from last year. “The Government encourages all students to attend school every day because there is a clear connection between being present at school and setting yourself up for a bright future,” says Mr ...
The Government is relaxing visitor visa requirements to allow tourists to work remotely while visiting New Zealand, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and Tourism Minister Louise Upston say. “The change is part of the Government’s plan to unlock New Zealand’s potential by shifting the country onto ...
The opening of Kāinga Ora’s development of 134 homes in Epuni, Lower Hutt will provide much-needed social housing for Hutt families, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I’ve been a strong advocate for social housing on Kāinga Ora’s Epuni site ever since the old earthquake-prone housing was demolished in 2015. I ...
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay will travel to Australia today for meetings with Australian Trade Minister, Senator Don Farrell, and the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF). Mr McClay recently hosted Minister Farrell in Rotorua for the annual Closer Economic Relations (CER) Trade Ministers’ meeting, where ANZLF presented on ...
A new monthly podiatry clinic has been launched today in Wairoa and will bring a much-needed service closer to home for the Wairoa community, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.“Health New Zealand has been successful in securing a podiatrist until the end of June this year to meet the needs of ...
The Judicial Conduct Commissioner has recommended a Judicial Conduct Panel be established to inquire into and report on the alleged conduct of acting District Court Judge Ema Aitken in an incident last November, Attorney-General Judith Collins said today. “I referred the matter of Judge Aitken’s alleged conduct during an incident ...
Students who need extra help with maths are set to benefit from a targeted acceleration programme that will give them more confidence in the classroom, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Last year, significant numbers of students did not meet the foundational literacy and numeracy level required to gain NCEA. To ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced three new diplomatic appointments. “Our diplomats play an important role in ensuring New Zealand’s interests are maintained and enhanced across the world,” Mr Peters says. “It is a pleasure to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ...
Ki te kahore he whakakitenga, ka ngaro te Iwi – without a vision, the people will perish. The Government has achieved its target to reduce the number of households in emergency housing motels by 75 per cent five years early, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. The number of households ...
The opening of Palmerston North’s biggest social housing development will have a significant impact for whānau in need of safe, warm, dry housing, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. The minister visited the development today at North Street where a total of 50 two, three, and four-bedroom homes plus a ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced the new membership of the Public Advisory Committee on Disarmament and Arms Control (PACDAC), who will serve for a three-year term. “The Committee brings together wide-ranging expertise relevant to disarmament. We have made six new appointments to the Committee and reappointed two existing members ...
Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora, good morning, talofa, malo e lelei, bula vinaka, da jia hao, namaste, sat sri akal, assalamu alaikum. It’s so great to be here and I’m ready and pumped for 2025. Can I start by acknowledging: Simon Bridges – CEO of the Auckland ...
The Government has unveiled a bold new initiative to position New Zealand as a premier destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) that will create higher paying jobs and grow the economy. “Invest New Zealand will streamline the investment process and provide tailored support to foreign investors, to increase capital investment ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced the largest reset of the New Zealand science system in more than 30 years with reforms which will boost the economy and benefit the sector. “The reforms will maximise the value of the $1.2 billion in government funding that goes into ...
Turbocharging New Zealand’s economic growth is the key to brighter days ahead for all Kiwis, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. In the Prime Minister’s State of the Nation Speech in Auckland today, Christopher Luxon laid out the path to the prosperity that will affect all aspects of New Zealanders’ lives. ...
The latest set of accounts show the Government has successfully checked the runaway growth of public spending, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. “In the previous government’s final five months in office, public spending was almost 10 per cent higher than for the same period the previous year. “That is completely ...
The Government’s welfare reforms are delivering results with the number of people moving off benefits into work increasing year-on-year for six straight months. “There are positive signs that our welfare reset and the return consequences for job seekers who don't fulfil their obligations to prepare for or find a job ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By A J Brown, Professor of Public Policy & Law, Centre for Governance & Public Policy, Griffith University Australia has turned the corner on its decade-long slide on Transparency International’s annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), once again ranking in the top ten least ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicole Bridges, Senior Lecturer in Public Relations and Director of Academic Program – Communication, Creative Industries, Screen Media, Western Sydney University Stock Rocket/Shutterstock For new parents struggling with challenges such as breastfeeding and sleep deprivation, social media can be a great ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Scott French, Senior Lecturer in Economics, UNSW Sydney US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have stated an exemption for Australia from Trump’s executive order placing 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminium imported into the US is “under consideration”. ...
Analysis - Christopher Luxon's attempts to turn the tables back on the Opposition at Question Time today went down like a lead balloon, Jo Moir writes. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brenton Griffin, Casual Lecturer and Tutor in History, Indigenous Studies, and Politics, Flinders University American Primeval/Netflix On January 24, leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, more commonly known as the Mormon Church, penned a statement condemning the ...
It comes as Whangārei District Council is under fire from the Director General of Health Dr Diana Sarfati after it voted in December against adding fluoridation to the water. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Strangio, Emeritus Professor of Politics, Monash University Is history repeating itself in Labor’s fortress state of Victoria? At the 1990 federal election, Bob Hawke’s Labor government had a near-death experience when it lost nine seats in Victoria. A furious Hawke laid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Nissen, HERA Program Director – Health Workforce Optimisation Centre for the Business & Economics of Health, The University of Queensland Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock If you’ve tried to get an appointment to see a GP or specialist recently, you will likely have felt ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peta Ashworth, Professor and Director, Curtin Institute for Energy Transition, Curtin University Large power grids are among the most complicated machines humans have ever devised. Different generators produce power at various times and at various costs. A generator might fail and another ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bronwyn Orr, Veterinarian, Southern Cross University Mitchell Orr/Unsplash Late last year, rumours swirled online that HomeSafeID, a private Australian pet microchip registry, had stopped operating. On Feburary 5 2025, a notice appeared on the HomeSafeID website, ostensibly from the site’s ...
The government is taking far too long to allocate the 1500 social homes it announced nine months ago and the hold up is stalling desperately-needed homes, says a community housing provider. ...
The agency is setting a 12-week limit on how much rent debt a tenant can accumulate as part of a change in approach that will also see almost half of the outstanding dept wiped away. ...
The media is rife with headlines about people killing animals for kicks. Please don’t.In memory of an Auckland swan, a Bay of Plenty octopus and a Taranaki striped marlin.Imagine this. It’s 7.15am. You’re paddling around on a serene lake with your sweetheart. It seems likely that she’ll give ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra US President Donald Trump has agreed to “consider” exempting Australia from the 25% tariff he has imposed on imports of steel and aluminium to the US. Trump gave the undertaking during a wide-ranging 40-minute ...
Pacific Media Watch Israeli police have confiscated hundreds of books with Palestinian titles or flags without understanding their contents in a draconian raid on a Palestinian educational bookshop in occupied East Jerusalem, say eyewitnesses. More details have emerged on the Israeli police raid on a popular bookstore in occupied East ...
By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist China and the Cook Islands’ relationship “should not be disrupted or restrained by any third party”, says Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun, as opposition leaders in Rarotonga express a loss of confidence in Prime Minister Mark Brown. In response to questions from the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Ogden, Associate Professor in Global Studies, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Donald Trump is moving rapidly to change the contours of contemporary international affairs, with the old US-dominated world order breaking down into a multipolar one with many centres of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ronnie Das, Associate Professor in Data Analytics, The University of Western Australia In the recent Border-Gavaskar series against India, Steve Smith agonisingly missed out reaching 10,000 Test runs in front of his home crowd at the Sydney Cricket Ground, falling short by ...
In a brand new documentary series for The Spinoff, comedians and best friends Brynley Stent and Kura Forrester embark on a cross-country quest to find love. Bryn & Ku’s Singles Club is a brand new documentary series for The Spinoff following award-winning comedians and friends Brynley Stent and ...
🚐 Bryn and Ku pack their bags and swap the bleak dating scene of Tāmaki Makaurau for some meet and mingle events in Ōtautahi that will take them out of their comfort zone. ❣️ Bryn & Ku’s Singles Club follows comedians Brynley Stent and Kura Forrester as they head out ...
"The relationship between China and the Cook Islands does not target any third party," the Chinese Foreign Ministry says, as opposition leaders in Rarotonga plan protest. ...
From tradwives to ‘petite blonde’ preferences, this season feels like a throwback for all the wrong reasons, writes Alex Casey. First of all: I know. Complaining about bad stuff on Married at First Sight Australia is like complaining that water is wet. But I’ve been bobbing around in these waters ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a public servant who’s ‘trying to get better’ explains her approach to spending and saving. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here.Gender: Female. Age: 24. Ethnicity: Pākehā and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zena Assaad, Senior Lecturer, School of Engineering, Australian National University Ziv Lavi/Shutterstock Last week, Google quietly abandoned a long-standing commitment to not use artificial intelligence (AI) technology in weapons or surveillance. In an update to its AI principles, which were first ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brenainn Simpson, PhD Candidate, The University of Queensland Florian Nimsdorf / Shutterstock About 400 kilometres northwest of Sydney, just south of Dubbo, lies a large and interesting body of rock formed around 215 million years ago by erupting volcanoes. Known as ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mareike Riedel, Senior lecturer in law, Macquarie University The dramatic rise in antisemitic incidents has dominated headlines in Australia in recent months, with calls for urgent action to address what many are calling a crisis. The Executive Council of Australian Jewry ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane McAdam, Scientia Professor and ARC Laureate Fellow, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW Sydney For a long time, it seemed refugee law had little relevance to people fleeing the impacts of climate change and disasters. Nearly 30 years ago, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maggie Kirkman, Senior Research Fellow, Global and Women’s Health, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University Krakenimages.com/Shutterstock You’ve heard of the gender pay gap. What about the gap in medical care? Cardiovascular diseases – which can lead to heart ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Iain White, Professor of Environmental Planning, University of Waikato Getty Images Urban planning has a long history of promoting visionary ideas that advocate for particular futures. The most recent is the concept of the 15-minute city, which has gained traction globally. ...
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As support for the coalition dips, the PM and his soon-to-be-deputy have engaged in a public war of words. Stewart Sowman-Lund has the details in today’s edition of The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Support slips If there was ever a political honeymoon, or ...
Failure by successive governments has left the South Island’s freshwater in a near disastrous state, the High Court has been told, in a case that could force the Crown to jointly manage water bodies with Ngāi Tahu.Individual Ngāi Tahu leaders, and the collective group Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, are ...
It is going to be interesting to see if the anti-abortion crowd have any clout or if they'll be exposed like the gun lobby as full of humbug and hot air. I am picking the government will find surprisingly little resistance to the law reforms it is proposing.
Could be just the thing to whip up another religious political party..
I do hope so. Always enjoy watching the religious bigot parties implode into scandals and hypocrisy.
Right to life. Life doesn't get a choice of whom talks for it! really. What would life say when the foetal whisper asks them? When the mother knows best, the lifers who neither ask for, explain how, or expect debate upon the issue, are told by the baby whisper, the mum that abortion is best. Are they really lifers, when choosers say without prodding, that abortion being a medical procedure should not be over used, that choosers are antilife. Mums die giving birth, mums have to live with the reality of aborting or not. Yes, not abort can be a fatal choice too. So what are we to do when bottom of the cliff ambulance chasers declare they are the only unborn whispers. Miscarriages, caused by industrualization, abort by big corp? Or driving accidents? Sure a women can have god abort, the local drunk, or big industry, but not the choice themselves despite the plain fact that they will live with decision, not the prolifer sic. A senior exec, a drunk, hell even the nonexistent god all are more culpable to their statements that the prolifer who cuts and runs at all the deaths from pregnancy, all the disasters of choosing to keep the baby. The question therefore really do you believe infreed will, that an inalienable right to choose, exists. Or that we free people's should favor religion. Lifers are pro life, they aren't even proliberty, or God. It's just a disgusting display of vanity being better people. Nobody wants an abortion, that the lie they push.
so what is it: conscious vote or referendum? Would have thought Jacinda and co sorted this out before calling a media conference. Or is that mere detail?
David Seymour of all people show Jacinda Ardern and Labour what standing up to China looks like, as it turns out that Labours pragmatism also extend to allowing the Chinese dictatorship to encourage violence on our own shores in the name of protecting the almighty dollar and business…guttless fucking liberals.
'China Consulate praises 'patriotism' of students in Auckland' Universityscufflehttps://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2019/08/china-consulate-praises-patriotism-of-students-in-auckland-university-scuffle.html
ACT leader David Seymour demands Chinese Consulate General explain 'encouraging violent behaviour'https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2019/08/act-leader-david-seymour-demands-chinese-consulate-general-explain-encouraging-violent-behaviour.html
One can only imagine the shit hitting the fan on this site if this had happened under Nationals watch…or the moral outrage if this had been Russia or the US encouraging this violence vis a vie Putin/Trump..disappointing but not unexpected at how fluid some peoples moral and ethical positions are.
You can afford to make noise when you are a nobody.
What a stupid wrongheaded piece of logic..if one extrapolates your position, you are saying that any citizen who is not in a position of power of some sort or another is a nobody and I assume shouldn't be heard.
China is smart enough to know who to pay attention to.
Are they? I thought they were human like the rest of us ….
A small child would spot the yapping of a chihuahua.
@Sacha, So to be clear, you are fine with the Chinese dictatorship encouraging violence on New Zealand soil?
So I assume then you would just as fine if it where Putin or Trump encouraging violence on New Zealand soil..or is it just OK if we have X amount of trade with the country in question?
If this is the case, how much trade does a country have to do with New Zealand before it's OK with you and Labour NZ to allow this state sanctioned violence…give us a number, an amount you think if fair for us to sell our morals and dignity…I am interested to know that dollar value you think your (and NZ's) morals and ethical values are worth selling for on the open market of free trade?
Never said that.
It most certainly looks that way…
I trust that others here can read better.
Your implied defense of Labours silence is what I am sure most will judge your comments, thereby your position by.
Most people can walk and chew gum at the same time.
When real judges judge based on assumptions we know justice is not going to be served (well).
The same applies to our own judgements and ‘natural justice’ and we need to be careful with our assumptions, opinions, prejudices, and the likes, before we jump to conclusions IMHO.
"So I assume then "
There's the problem, right there. It's a common problem and those who practice "assuming" usually can't see what they've done, even when it's pointed out to them. See, walk and chew!
There's nothing wrong with the logic. Seymour is standing up to China now he's an opposition MP and the NZ government can't be held responsible for his statements. When he was part of the government and the NZ government therefore could be held responsible for his statements, he behaved differently – rather like the government is behaving now, for example.
OK so we agree, both Labour and National and their proxies place higher value on uninterrupted trade and commerce than they do on standing up for any kind of supposed moral or ethical position that most New Zealanders would probably expect a sitting government to defend and stand for as sovereign nation.
As suggested earlier, typical liberal behaviour…always profits before people, both the ideology of National and sadly our own spineless useless third way Labour party, no wonder they are polling so badly.
What stupidity. Diplomacy is not all about public sabre-rattling – often more can be achieved by polite, private, but firm, discussions. This is not an issue that I would any New Zealand government to be publicly involved in. New Zealand's position regarding Hong Kong is undoubtedly known to China.
Are you saying that standing up to China who have publicly supported the assault of a protester on New Zealand soil is saber rattling?
I would say that China are the ones who are openly saber rattling, and bulling,obviously testing this weak government on it's resolve…but for some bizarre reason most Labour sycophants here seems to think that is quite OK?
What a bunch of arselickers…grow some fucking backbone for crying out loud.
It's certainly an effective way to let the local Chinese community know who's running the show.
I'm curious, if we are willing to turn a blind eye to State endorsed violence being perpetrated upon foreign born visitors/residents in New Zealand at what point would we intervene.
I seem to recall some New Zealand citizens on TS being really really really upset at the thought of the Russian State supposedly targeting Russians in the UK..maybe we should clarify the rules with the Chinese ..a bit of niggle, a bit of biff, thats okay..but you know, keep it seemly pretty please..
Meantime I would imagine the female victim of this State endorsed violence is shit scared of returning to Hong Kong….then again I'm not sure anywhere is safe..
https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/03/29/the-disappeared-china-renditions-kidnapping/
You would know.
Indeed.
Exactly Adrian, I agree 100%. I am astounded that Jacinda's government has not done something public about this.
Another weakness showing. And poor governance on this matter.
Jacindaites better watch out her useless weak spots don't catch up on her
Every New Zealand government of any stripe is basically a Kakapo when it comes to China – it's only natural defense mechanism is to freeze in place when scared.
A Rod Donald-led Government wouldn't have kakapo'd it.
I don't think so – there was Lange and anti-nuclear standing up to the US and Australia straight and strong.. plus Kirk facing down the French with two frigates. Plus Clark refusing to join the 'coalition of the aggressive'. It seems Jacinda is a rung or two below these previous strong Labour leaders. (Nat leaders don't come close of course)
We are not that small and powerless you know.. we command a place on the globe and have influence…
and we need to stand up when required, like we have done in the past.
Jacinda is starting to look weak and useless imo
China takes half our exports and props up our housing market as well by providing most of the people in the new fifth column that keeps the housing ponzi spluttering along.
Upsetting them will take a lot of balls and an existential threat.
Yeah sure, I see that. And China has form in using levers like that if they don't like what others don't like about them.
But this is an age-old issue isn't it. It is like standing up to the bully in the classroom….
… don't stand up and forever be marked down and declining
not the route to take
Jacinda needs to stand up imo, and strongly
" props up our housing market"
Foreign buyers like those from China are essentially banned from buying houses AND land.
plus larger parcels are being investigated for a change
https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/business/overseas-owned-business-to-pay-over-500k-in-fines-for-buying-five-hectares-of-auckland-land/
Jacinda is starting to look weak and useless imo
Just wait. As soon as the communists invade Hong Kong she'll grow a spine & call it Winston.
What !
Make sense man …no wonder you dont make any traction in the Green Party.
I haven't tried to influence the GP since winning the battle against the leftists on the waka-jumping legislation. Since I've won every major battle against groupthink that I've undertaken in the Greens, your misread doesn't bother me.
Okay there's the leftist alignment still in place, but since I've already owned up to convincing the GP to adopt it back when it was actually necessary (several times here), I just have to wear the karmic consequence until the Greens decide to retreat from isolation…
" she'll grow a spine & call it Winston." ….a classic line right there.
""We're likening our response to climate change as our response to Te Korokoro o te Parata, to move beyond that challenge and survive," says Te Arawa Lakes Trust Environmental Manager Nicki Douglas."
The legal threat and the big opportunity in Māori engagement on climate change response
https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/climate-news/114282945/the-legal-threat-and-the-big-opportunity-in-mori-engagement-on-climate-change-response
"President Donald Trump called on the nation to condemn racism and white supremacy in a speech on Monday". https://edition.cnn.com/2019/08/05/politics/donald-trump-mass-shooting-response/
In the clip on that page he says "these sinister ideologies must be defeated". Better late than never. I look forward to all the commentators here who have in the past called him a racist white supremacist (while consistently providing no proof of that) apologising in unison for getting it wrong. What? Really? You mean they'll keep on denying the facts?
It was surprising but very pleasing to read that Trump had condemned racism and white supremacy.
Without it, these groups had been emboldened, threatening us all.
He also claimed the cause of the frequent mass murders is just individual mental health. Guess which message his supporters will hear?
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2019/08/exclusive-labour-forced-to-review-investigation-into-bullying-sexual-assault-allegations-against-staffer.html
four positions available as labour staffers.
Applicants must be willing to be sexually harassed, bullied and / or sexuality assaulted.
Promotions will be given to staff who “look good to sleep with”.
Applications to senior labour staffer who will be given your personal details and application letter.
Your timing with with this is a bit off today micky
[Off topic James. Please deal with this topic in open mike – MS]
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Unproven allegations are just that. Maybe you believe all those allegations from Jami Lee Ross. Do try harder, James.
James will be busy composing his explanation as to why Sarah Dowie isn't to be investigated/charged with inciting a person to self-harm. Coz James is very sensitive to cover-ups.
i find it sad how many on here accept accusations as fact (some even after it’s been proven false) if it’s a national member – yet are happy to ignore such a large issue and so many complaints of a serious nature in labour’s office. ‘Not proven mate – we ran another dodgy process – move on – no appeals’
Like the five victims of the other mass sexual assault at a labour youth camp – that is still unproven- but lucky after labour did little the police got involved and now he’s in court in a few weeks.
Lets all hope name suppression isn’t granted if he gets convicted.
Perhaps the police will get involved in this one as well.
[Off topic James. Please deal with this topic in open mike – MS]
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
"Perhaps the police will get involved in this one as well. "
As they did the Sarah Dowie case?
Why do YOU think that one was dropped, James?
"Lets all hope name suppression isn’t granted" suggests to me you are not interested in the good of an intelligent positive resolution for all involved but a vindictive partisan political outcome.
i don’t have to – the police already said why.
Same as they did when a man was found running naked down the street claiming rape / sexual assault from Darren Hughes at labour’s deputy leaders house.
I guess you would be ok with that one tho huh?
[Off topic James. Please deal with this topic in open mike – MS]
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Just say no to drugs jimbo, always the wise choice.
Radio stations usually have a 'back up track' in case they have to vacate the building for such as a fire alarm. I woke in the night and newstalkZB had the situation. They had a carping, grating track on which had the intellectual level of a child, (at the time any kid should've been in bed though).
I don't know where they got it or if they could their money back for the faulty product. Apparently it was a 'Bruce Russell.'
Something smells big time here.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12255887
The level of seriousness of the senior Labour staffer's claimed behaviour would surely have warranted a police investigation but apparently it hasn’t happened.
Then I saw the origins of the story. Newstalk ZB plus Barry Soper and Mike Hosking.
I recall the first stand up interview with P.M.Jacinda Ardern, where Soper tried to throw her off balance. He failed and you could see the anger and hatred written all over his face. It's been there ever since.
If, as I suspect, it is a story which has been distorted for political purposes, then it is incumbent on the party personnel involved to front up with the results.
Indeed, some (the usual) culprits in MSM try to politicise, polarise, and sensationalise this situation. Unfortunately, a few commenters here are trying to do the same thing. Even more unfortunately, it seems to be working and is driving a wedge between good people some of whom are being accused of being an “enabler” of sexual violence. In my view, this does absolutely nothing to deal with the issue of sexual violence.
However, Soper said he'd discovered the man at the centre of the allegations had hired a lawyer who told him "that he is innocent, there was an inquiry, he has nothing to answer for and they warned us to leave this issue alone otherwise they will be suing".
Call their bluff. Make them sue. The whole sad and sorry saga aired in a Court of Law.
I hesitate to refer you to last night's Daily Review and the very long thread under 2 loosely based on an earlier Tova O'Brien Newshub "Exclusive", i.e.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2019/08/exclusive-labour-forced-to-review-investigation-into-bullying-sexual-assault-allegations-against-staffer.html
Personally at present, I am trying to keep an open (slightly) mind on this situation …
Hi veutoviper,
Here are two excerpts from the Newshub report which make me smell a rat:
I had a shocking experience back in the early 1990s (and I later realised it had occurred previously) where a malicious woman laid complaints against me to my Public Service bosses (and elsewhere) which caused me to be placed under surveillance and routinely bullied and intimidated. She had twisted and distorted my actions and words to fit a totally false narrative. Her motivation had been in large part political.
This is why I'm deeply suspicious of the extent of the claims being made in this case. But I agree, we will have to wait and see what the outcome is before we can pass firm judgement.
Something sounds fishy alright. Of course even if the issue turns out to be hollow, the damage will already have been done. Can you imagine Soper withdrawing and apologising?
There are 12 complainants
"Newstalk ZB political editor Barry Soper said that there were 12 alleged complainants and the allegations involved not only sexual assault, but also rape and offers to pay for sex."
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12256021
I agree we need to wait and see the outcome (If Labour actually release it, which given their "Most open and transparent govt ever" record, is highly unlikely), but it would have to be a pretty massive conspiracy theory if there wasn't some truth to it.
I accept there is likely to be a grain of truth, but the level of seriousness could have been ratcheted up a notch or three to make it appear worse than it was. If so, it was done for political purposes and the journos involved only increase that suspicion.
Example:
The staffer's alleged comment "she would be nice to sleep with". He said something I'm sure, but it could have been in the form of a quip and the actual wording altered.
"There are 12 complaints". The article indicates there were 12 complaints following an incident some time ago; there has been one complaint recently, and four resignations recently – with an implication without any facts that these may possibly be somehow related. Very often complainants will not want any publicity, whatever the results of an enquiry – it is reasonable to expect that privacy of those involved will be protected – (but not to protect the political party or parliamentary services). Being a good employer has obligations; we should not criticise an employer for not bending over backwards to sate our prurient interests. Let us be cautious . . .
You do know that the Labour Party and the Labour-led Government are not the same thing, don’t you? You seem be confused about it all or you are trying to confuse. You see, James also struggled with the distinction between a member of a party and an MP. Sometimes it pays to be a pedant and strive for accuracy …
I'm going to try to avoid discussing this issue with the salivating tories.
You don't need a telescope to see where they're coming from. Any conflation or inaccuracy from them is by design, in my opinion.
There are a broad range of behaviours described, some of which are completely unacceptable in a workplace or a party, let alone both.
"I'm going to try to avoid discussing this issue with the salivating tories."
Ditto. Bloody tempting though eh! It's interesting to just watch at times.
tou thinking it’s a conspiracy with seven people making complaints?
Surely at least one of them (if serious) would have gone to police?
You would have thought so. The days when women were too frightened to go to the police for fear of being disbelieved are now over. The cops have changed their culture re-rape cases in large part due to Louise Nicholas.
They say they have given up on the Labour Party so why didn't one of them turn to the police? Instead they go running off to the rightest of right wing media. That's what is fishy.
The cops have changed their culture re-rape cases in large part due to Louise Nicholas.
Yeah, nah.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12110733bra
(Don't panic. From the pen of Kirsty Johnston.)
So a woman’s choice to go to the police or not directly links to her credibility according to Anne.
[You put that as an assertion, not as a question, which means that you were making up shit again. However, it is even worse that you did this on a sensitive topic and to a commenter who had shared her personal experience @ 9.3.1 with a work bully in the Public Service who “had twisted and distorted my actions and words to fit a totally false narrative. Her motivation had been in large part political.” That sounds remarkably similar to your behaviour here, certainly over the last couple of days. Take a week off and stop stirring – Incognito]
See my Moderation note @ 8:51 PM.
That might depend on the connexions of the alleged offender.
Maybe, but it hasn't stopped them from being interviewed by Soper for public consumption.
Radionz – https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/the-detail/story/2018706959/what-s-the-point-in-trying-to-save-a-dying-species
Ordinary people need to care about what the elites are doing to the planet and its animals, and play our part in protecting and sustaining both. Ane remember if we don't stay aware and take care, we are next. Countries are being bombed almost out of existence, and the people left from the wrecks of their homes, fields, and water sources – where do they go? Stay alert, stay alive, or we will be next. And share some of what we have where there is need. That's the important theme of these days I believe.
RNZ’s Alison Ballance, a zoologist and film maker, has been documenting the highs and lows of kākāpō conservation over 22 podcast episodes.
When asked about the value for money spent on trying to save this funny little parrot, she says – “they’re priceless”.
Conservation biologist Rochelle Constantine is another looking for solutions to save species – her speciality is in the marine environment.
She has a successful track record of helping with conservation efforts for Brydes whales in the Hauraki Gulf….
DOC categorised the whales as nationally critical, which is when population numbers dip below the 200 mark.
“This is the highest listing you can get for a conservation concern.”
When a number of the mammals started washing up dead, Constantine investigated.
“When we did a necropsy on them it became pretty apparent that a lot of these whales, up to 84 percent, were dying from ship strike. Clearly large vessels.”…
Constantine says a working group of DOC, local iwi, shipping companies, Ports of Auckland and academics were able to gather, argue freely and reach a solution.
International shipping companies agreed to voluntarily slow to a pace of 10 knots when entering the port.
If we try, we may find a solution, and have cause for another high-five. Multiply those, and we have done our best to overcome today’s problems – and be ready for the next!
South Otago mayor supports Hipkin's reforms. From Stuff
Cadogan has it right and is calling out the Southern mayors and other players for their political posturing.
Wouldn't be the first time Otago saw a chance to grab some southern assets bobs.
Telford and the like must not be allowed to fade away with a lack of concern and proper funding. After all why would people go to university to gain higher specialised learning when there are no jobs in NZ for them when they graduate? If NZ is not interested in being a thriving country of capable people at an advanced level of development drawing on a range of educational disciplines, why should students invest their good money in our education system? It could be that there will be more foreign students than NZ ones the way that National and RW Labour had been driving the higher education system – towards a cliff.
A great documentary on the Maori Channel last night. This is the sort of compulsory viewing that we don't see on 1,2, or 3. And if you watch this you'll see why.
All Governments Lie: Truth, Deception, and the Spirit of I.F. Stone
Yes aj. A terrifying documentary which shows the decline of honesty in journalism. Shades of The Herald apparent policy.
You have to sign on to watch free:
https://www.maoritelevision.com/shows/feature-documentaries/S01E001/all-governments-lie-truth-deception-and-spirit-i-f-stone
For real journalism, it's necessary to follow the alternative media outlets, many of them online. We are lucky to have Democracy Now! on Freeview, then there areThe Young Turks, The Real News, Consortium News, and others. Some of these are quite long – the latest CN report on youtube being 2.5hrs long, and featuring Kim Dotcom, William Binney, Mike Gravel, and George Szamuely. I know many are turned of by KDC but Binney is a voice of reason and always worth listen to.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/396051/nzx-opens-down-1-point-3-percent-after-us-hit-by-falling-yuan
Now is the time to build that infrastructure that the evidence shows that we need, so come on government, and keep doing your keep-fit exercises Robertson. We don't want fat, contented finance ministers round here.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2019/08/06/minto-for-mayor-for-a-future-which-makes-sense/
Keep Our Assets Canterbury (KOA) will announce it is standing John Minto in a campaign for the Christchurch mayoralty at a media conference to be held
Today Tuesday 6th August, 2pm at WEA (Room 3), 59 Gloucester Street
We have decided to stand John because Christchurch faces unprecedented challenges:
We have decided
Are you part of KOA or is that all meant to be a quote from them?
The whole thing is a quote from the link above.
Okay I should have put quote marks to be sure.
Thanks.
Minto for Mayor!
This is fun!
Is the tide ready to turn on US gun control? When even 45 is obliged to express concern the matter is coming to a head. It may be that strategic repeal of legislation defunding research into gun deaths would be a productive step.
With immigration as high as it is, new people will be looking to make some changes on our electoral system where it is moribund. Such as a longer term – 4 years makes sense to me, 5 mmm bit long. But 4 years enables the resident government to probably get good policies through and ticking before the next election.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/395651/should-new-zealand-do-away-with-a-three-year-parliamentary-term
However, it should be noted that the composition of New Zealand electorates has changed dramatically since then. Particularly in the 1990s, when the changes to immigration policy based on the selection of immigrants based on skills, not country of origin, were introduced in 1986 and 1987, and the proportion of the ethnic migrant population significantly increased.
According to a recent population projection by Statistics NZ, nationally the Asian population will make up 21 percent of the population by 2038 (up from 12 percent in 2013).
Herald online (aka the Hosking Blower) is doing its best to ignore the Labour Stats released today. The lowest unemployment and biggest rise in wages for 10 years since, well since the last Labour government actually.
They also now have an unsubstantiated headline running re another matter but have removed the content, the whole page should be gone instead just the accusation remains.
I am fed up with media thinking they are judge and jury on matters that are not even before police let alone up for judgment.
Anyway here is the link to the employment stats.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12256022
so wages went up over 4%lat year… great for those who benefited, and teachers were rewarded with no pay increase over the same period, and now they should be thankful for what they Fought tooth and nail to achieve. I gather that given what has just been achieved that teachers, nurses etc will be going backwards in real terms😤
Horeskin will be working out how to spin this as a bad thing.
charming
US ramps up the pressure for regime change in Venezuela. The Chinese and Russian reply will be interesting. Am guessing the UN will be its usual spineless self on this.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/aug/06/trump-freezes-all-venezuelan-government-assets-in-us
"On Tuesday Bolton, and US Commerce Secretary, Wilbur Ross, represent the United States at the International Conference for Democracy in Venezuela."
Nice of Maduro to be so warm & cozy with Trump by inviting two of his cabinet ministers to come & chat about democracy. I presume he's still struggling to figure out how to do it, and needs high-level explanations from the experts…
Kia Ora The Am Show.
Great a change to our drug laws The police at there own discretion can send drugs addicts to get drug rehabilitation.
The problem I have is that this law actually gives the police more power to manipulate these people ie you do this you get to go to a rehab facility if not off to the hinaki jail. Its good that the police are going to target the organized drug sellers ka pai they are poisoning tangata with PEE.
You see whanau they use people like that to try and intimidate me brown people gangster the Hawskbay lot must have a close link to the gangster they are throwing them at me all the time here.
A intelligent person will know that the ORC drop is needed with the trade war going on with Te Papatuanuku 2 biggest economies that could drag Aotearoa economies to a slower growth rates It's not ROCKET SCIENCE.
You have just lost all your credibility looking through your $$ glasses making that statement about trump.
Aziza that is cool a phone with A accessories becomes a computer I gather that the device will be able to cast the phone screen to a big monitor for lectures and large ordinances . ???? One can already do that with a Chrome Cast.or smart TV????????. we need more information on the device
Ka kite ano
We must protect these beautiful creatures of Tangaroa and stop the trade in shark fins . Humans only live on Papatuanuku for a fraction of time compared to other fantastic creatures of Papatuanuku and Tangaroa we must preserve our whenua land and Tangaroa sea for all creatures not just thinking about WEALTHY humans alone we are all in this environment TOGETHER.
400-year-old Greenland shark is oldest vertebrate animal
This article is more than 2 years old
Shark, which would have reached sexual maturity at around 150 years, sets new record for longevity as biologists finally develop method to determine age
She was born during the reign of James I, was a youngster when René Descartes set out his rules of thought and the great fire of London raged, saw out her adolescent years as George II ascended the throne, reached adulthood around the time that the American revolution kicked off, and lived through two world wars. Living to an estimated age of nearly 400 years, a female Greenland shark has set a new record for longevity, scientists have revealed.
Forget Nessie, now is the time to spot basking sharks in Scottish waters
The discovery places the lifespan of the Greenland shark far ahead of even the oldest elephant in captivity, Lin Wang, who died aged 86. It is also far longer than the official record for humans, held by 122-year-old Frenchwoman
“That indicates that most of our analysed sharks were actually older than the time mark, meaning that they were older than 50 years,” said Nielsen
The scientists then combined the carbon dating results with estimations of how Greenland sharks grow, to create a model that allowed them to probe the age of the 25 sharks born before the 1960s.
Their findings revealed that the largest shark of the group, a female measuring just over five metres in length, was most likely around 392 years old, although, as Nielsen points out, the range of possible ages stretches from 272 to 512 years.
“The Greenland shark is now the best candidate for the longest living vertebrate animal,” he said. Ka kite ano link below.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/aug/11/400-year-old-greenland-shark-is-the-oldest-vertebrate-animal
Some Eco Maori music for the minute.
https://youtu.be/hcaPyViy8wM
The sandflys think Eco Maori Doesn't KNOW who there RATS ARE
Some Eco Maori music for the minute.
https://youtu.be/oLoXFmJBvlk
Kia Ora Newshub.
Its cool that Aotearoa gave Sir Brian a service that he deserved 5000 people attended ka pai.
Some people are going to be unhappy about the drugs floating ashore in Auckland good job.
I agree with Joe Biden.
It would be cool if Lumsden South Land got there maturity units back its quite hard for Wahine to give birth having to travel far to a hospital would add more stress to mum and baby.
Ka kite ano it been warm weather here today can not say the same about the authority's
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
Its a great move Wally to lower the police numbers at Ihumatao .
Kirama I can read you piece of piss .
It should be good to have a top down approach to our polytechnics and other training organizations 16 being run under one umbrella we need to give our youth the correct skills to help them climb up high on their ladders of life.
Tracy I think it's awesome that te tamariki are going be accessed at 7 years old to see if they have dyslexic a lot of times there parents have not figured out that their tamariki has a learning disorder. When one knows there is a problem well that is when things can be put in place to solve it.
I remember my Mama trying to teach me to spell it was hard mahi for her.
Awesome Pacific Art is being displayed at the Auckland museum the place with the largest Pacific population in te Papatuanuku beautiful looking Art to .
Spirit Wrestler Art studio who is hosting and helping Pacific artists to market their great Art cool Piripi
Ka kite ano
Kia Ora The Am Show.
The way it works is that 99.9 % of TE TANGATA get to see the TRUTH about climate change and we put pressure on the authorities to change the way we live ie carbon neutral. Students strike is changing the political minds on climate change. Once trump is voted out American will switch back to mitagating climate change China is making huge changes to combat climate change thanks to them SOLAR POWER is the cheapest form of Electricity generation. European is changing the way they live to they are 10 years ahead of most countries with their Mitigation of climate change. climate change And is India they are building the Papatuanuku biggest SOLAR Farms Eco calls them because we are harvesting energy straight from TE RA stop being a naysayer it Friday days off for you.
Its great that Brendon Hartley is driving in E Car racing E cars are faster cleaner and the FUTURE of private transportation.
I think paula is manufacturing that situation I agree she is politicizing the situation just to gain votes. The Coalition government didn't attack national over the Ross situation that national had .That's the difference between the left and the right the right will throw anything under the bus to get votes the left no what RESPECT is .national would have had the cops arrest everyone at Ihumatao.
Aotearoa Farmers lead the Papatuanuku with their farming practices they don't get massive subsidies to keep on farming un sustainable like the rest of Papatuanuku the production efficiency gains over 30 years has been MASSIVE.
Eco Maori has Already given up flying on Planes you know 2 reasons.
Sir David Fagin is a great ambassador for Aotearoa all his feats in winning Papatuanuku Shearing competition. The previous government have dropped the ball on training and providing the correct skills .
I think it's stupid that we have to import workers how stupid or callous by the people who have been ruling Aotearoa .
Ka kite ano
Some Eco Maori Music for the minute.
https://youtu.be/5Yj4j_lZMBo
Here you go whanau people are already suffering because of the Oil barons blocking tangata reality and the TRUTH about the scientific facts on Human caused climate change. Water is getting scarce as Papatuanuku heats up the problem of water for the common poor tangata is going to multiply very fast.
'People are dying': how the climate crisis has sparked an exodus to the US
As part of the Running Dry series, the Guardian looks at how drought and famine are forcing Guatemalan families to choose between starvation and migration
At sunrise, the misty fields around the village of Guior are already dotted with men, women and children sowing maize after an overnight rainstorm.
After several years of drought, the downpour brought some hope of relief to the subsistence farmers in this part of eastern Guatemala.
But as Esteban Gutiérrez, 30, takes a break from his work, he explains why he is still willing to incur crippling debts – and risk his life – to migrate to the United States.
“My children have gone to bed hungry for the past three years. Our crops failed and the coffee farms have cut wages to $4 a day,” he says, playing nervously with the white maize kernels in a plastic trough strapped to his waist
Ka kite ano link below.
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2019/jul/29/guatemala-climate-crisis-migration-drought-famine
Kia Ora Newshub.
The United Nations report is good but it doesn't mean Aotearoa should not stop farming the way we do. I say we could reduce our farming carbon footprint quite a lot if we focused on that task .
Ka pai to our Coalition Governments for making big companies responsible for their recycling that will make them make their products and packaging more recyclable Awesome.
I don't think Wahine should be consuming to much alcohol during breast feeding the Wahine in my whanau pump breast milk before they drink and don't feed off their bread for a day .
Radio Hauraki was a great way to break the way Aotearoa handled the radio waves. Condolences to Mr Mcgain Whanau he was part of the changes that needed to happen with Aotearoa Radio.
There you go shonky had the government agency hire a private eye company spie on good Kiwis .
That was a big mess in that Australian truck crash.
Ka kite ano
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
Good on Tama Iti for going to Ihumatao and see for himself what the kauppa is Eco Maori has a lot of respect for Tama .
Ka pai To Kuakaupapa the total immersion in Te reo came just in time to save our te reo and Maori Culture from collapsing my generation and my mother generation lost te reo now we have heaps of tamariki who can carry our cultural into THEIR FUTURE its cool that the teachers are getting pay parity
I DON'T think that nurse or anyone should be shunned for speaking te reo I don't do that to anyone. Heads turn when I greet people with a kia ora .
The measles is still going on in the year 2019 who dropped the ball on that dease .
I think it's great to have the wayward young people getting a lesson in respect and learning how to be a good citizen of Aotearoa in the army based camps Ron.
Mana Wahine Cherise great that you won the bucthers championship tangata whenua are good at bucthering meat I prosessed my first mutton at 12 years old me and a m8 the same age .
Ka kite ano