Interesting story from the Intercept about the use of special ' portals ' in use by both Twitter and Facebook to facilitate manipulation of media by agents of DHS and other agencies .
Fun phrases such as " need to regulate the cognitive infrastructure " are enthusiastically bandied about by the agents involved but its just called censorship in layman's language
I guess there will be quite a few supporters here for this sort of ' intervention 'as our own PM is championing the cause ?
Amazing that some consider "disinformation (false information spread intentionally)" could be harmful – simply amazing. After all, disinformation is in the eye of the beholder ("Perception is Reality") – what possible harm could it actually do?
Imho, the preferred method of countering anyone spreading false information is to provide true information – whether this is always an effective method is up for debate.
Btw, to whoever is putting VFF disinformation flyers in my letterbox – please stop.
Now, folks, let us remind you of some things. We don’t like LPD. We don’t particularly like Democrats. While we support Adam Morfeld in this race, we would be more than happy to slice off his balls with a rusty bread knife if he sexually assaulted someone. And we believe that women should be heard.
Heard, that is, until you realize that this accuser is a Notorious Local Psychopath (NLP) with a years-long track record of trying to shit on anyone who in her own demented mind has crossed her in some way—real or imagined.
One of NLP’s recent targets is a middle school age girl who lives in her apartment building. She claims the middle schooler has threatened to rape her and murder her baby with a sword, but witnesses say it was NLP who threatened the girl. Another target is a man in Wyoming who NLP developed some kind of Fatal Attraction/Single White Female hate boner for. The man runs a YouTube channel about home schooling and frugal living that was started by his wife. He took over after his wife died of cancer. NLP allegedly called and texted him and his children repeatedly. She allegedly claimed to have been in their house when they were not home, and asked whether his wife lost control of her bowels when she died.
I guess there will be quite a few supporters here for this sort of ' intervention 'as our own PM is championing the cause ?
Is this the Christchurch Call you are meaning? This was set in motion by the killing of 51 defenceless people here in NZ. In this she was joined by Macron whose country had suffered from terrorists as well. What on earth is the problem with asking agencies making money from people thoughts to institute basic speech 'hygiene' roles.
Some free speech proponents seem to think free speech means being able to say the most ghastly things about other people, possibly inciting others. Free speech does not mean freedom from consequences.
Have not watched the Intercept. The earlier Youtube link gave me such a fright I have vowed not to watch any other possible RW dribble.
I followed the anti vax agenda from very, very early on and it meant having to read lots of unhinged, anti people media. While I did this dis/mis- information investigation for my own interest and with a purpose I am far from wanting to see it in everyday life.
I also don't think you have introduced it (Intercept) well enough and you certainly have not discussed the topic well enough so people don't have to watch the film to be able to participate.
Yes I did see it. Companion piece to the one about the the 'protest/riot' at parliament
Tory Whanau is head down and bottom up as far as I can see/hear. Which is what I want. Can't bear the 'rah, rah looka me looka me', I have to be in your face every five minutes like her counterpart in Auckland but I guess 'horses for courses'.
Her connections into our community will be invaluable.
I was very impressed that she has chosen one of our local ward councillors as her deputy, Laurie Foon. Laurie is a former owner/designer of a fashion shop in Wellington that used sustainable methods in its fashion long before the slow fashion etc movement became popular. Our ward also elected Nureddin Adurahman who came from Ethiopia as a refugee, to the Council.
Somali and Ethiopian immigrants settled in my community and meet for coffee and 'changing the world' at one of our cafes here in Newtown. So face recognition I am sure for Nureddin will have been a help as he is out and about. .
Tory Whanau is head down and bottom up as far as I can see/hear. Which is what I want. Can't bear the 'rah, rah looka me looka me', I have to be in your face every five minutes like her counterpart in Auckland but I guess 'horses for courses'.
Sorry, but what Planet are you living on ?
Deeply narcissistic Corporate Lobbyist …
… but then that’s precisely your kind of “Left” (LOL) isn’t it . Affluent, power-hungry, highly performative virtue-signaling … inherently, ruthlessly self-interested.
So the personal negativity against me continues. To be frank I am mighty sick of you making up things about me that are so wide of the mark is not funny. I'm still laughing about your All Black comment from the last bout of negativity. So far off the mark it was crazy.
I am sure you do not live in Wellington as I have not heard the terms you are using. Most of the people I have spoken to where I have mentioned this bad so called lobbyist have felt that knowing one's way around the corporate scene is an asset. But then that is Wellington for you.
And Aucklanders have elected a person that so stunningly represents the stereotype …….
“Variety's the very spice [and a fact] of life, that gives it all its flavour.” – Cowper
I like the sound of my own voice – but does that make me a narcissist?
I was on the phone to a friend recently, blathering away as usual, when I realised that there was no one on the other end of the line. How long ago had this happened? I checked my phone and discovered, to my horror, that the call had ended almost five minutes ago.
…
Everyone has some narcissistic traits, he says, but a narcissist is someone who lets it govern their personality. When it tips over into a problem, he says, is when you have narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). These people exhibit what Malkin calls the triple E: they are so driven to feel special that they will exploit other people; they are so entitled they think other people should bend to their will; and empathy impairment can make them blind to the feelings of others, usually to the detriment of personal relationships.
Good on you Shanreagh. And Yea I think Tory Whanau will be the Change for the better that Wellington badly needed.
And try to ignore the quite sad, albeit negative commenter.
If you feel possible, I'd like you to keep giving some updates on how you think Wellington is going ? I value your Input. Cheers : )
I'm still smiling & chuffed at Tory getting in, at her deputy being one of our ward councillors and the other ward councillor being Nureddin Abdurahman.
Shanreagh : What is DHS ? Department of Homeland Security set up after 911
This article i neglected to say , my bad ,is called Truth Cops and is by two journalists called Lee Fang and Ken Kippelstein both of whom afaik work for The Intercept .They look fairly credible to me but doubtless the morality police will inform us if it is otherwise !!
The article has nothing to do with the terror attack in CC or terror attacks in the US but rather attempts by gov agencies in the US , putting it in simple terms , to influence and ' shape perspectives '.Obviously and ominously ! these would include ' political perspectives '
Personally for the record i have no axes to grind as far as the anti vax movement in nz goes having got all the requisite jabs myself and far from holding any serious grudges against JA i have regarded anti signage of the aforementioned with a kind of disattached bemusement as ive travelled about although in saying that i'd have to add that fairly serious divisions in our society in general are evident and are of concern .
All of a sudden or so it seems to me there is an unreasonable fear by people that exposure to some information is gonna herald or usher in some sort of breakdown of normal functioning cognitive reasoning which i think is both sad and chickenshit .
Well there you go…..had you included all the stuff about the link first off I may have watched it.
I found though that the previous piece you linked to and I unwittingly read, was of the same ilk ie slightly unhinged as was the anti vax stuff that I did not/could not watch it. I drew an analogy about the vax to show that the last link from you was crazy and I did not need/want to expose myself to any more. My para was not to query whether you or anyone else was anti vax??
The whole thing about perception is slightly naive.
Isn't that what every advertisement, every leader-writer, every editor, every politician, every government works in?
For instance in Wellington last year we were invited to give comments on intensification of residential use. The fact that this was obviously and clearly approved as a concept by Govt and then conveyed to local authorities meant that someone in the intro to the comments had already made up their minds that this was OK and we got this perception loud and clear in the information given.
The whole atmosphere about how people had got some things so wrong around the anti vax/protest time renewed calls for schools syllabuses to include topics about propaganda, information management/perception management and how to fact check etc.
Perception management is widespread. Mostly benign, if you know how to deal with it.
I am not sure if you are referring to social media Shanreigh, but as Gordon Campbell says much has been made of the threat posed by social media. He's not convinced. Interesting coming from a leftie.
One of the problems about shutting down free speech is it forces people underground. Personally I think marginalizing people in this way will more likely lead to radicalization. Yes there should be consequences for free speech and the consequences should be that people get called out, challenged and debated. When I say called out, I don't mean the current propensity to label someone (which in this climate often means de platforming them). First you label them (some popular labels being transphobe, racist, mysogynist) then you don't engage in debate. I think this is highly polarizing.
If you think controlling what people say is going to fix say racism I am going to have to say I very much disagree. Do you think Bluebird foods, who sacked a worker for saying (on their private FB page) in response to Whittakers Te Reo chocolate that she was sick to death of Maori language everywhere she went (not a direct quote) is going to promote race relations? Because I don't think it will.
Besides, who gets to decide what is acceptable or not.
We currently have laws that put limits on free speech. Defamation laws and inciting violence laws. One of the problems with trying to restrict free speech that doesn't mean this criteria, but expresses hatred is that is endemic. This website is not immune.
I hope you are right about Tory W. Time will tell as it will with Wayne B. I wish them both well, god knows both Wellington and Auckland have some pretty big issues that need fixing.
I am not talking about social media. I've got no real views on it.
As far as racism, sexism and all the other isms. We surely don't need to debate whether these have a place in our world. They don't. We have the Human Rights legislation, the role of human rights flowing from the UN, and brought about by the great distaste and hope the human race never has/had to fight another ware like the world did against the Nazis where their war was against people of a different religion. These are supposed to recognise that it is never Ok to discriminate. Un regulated so-called free speech can do just this.
Clearly though people do slip up or test the boundaries. That does not mean that we need to debate the concept of human rights as a result. We look at the why, why have such views come about, Do we need to care more for the teaching of critical thinking…
Free speech can exist in a world where human rights exist. We do not have to give voice to every distasteful though we have against someone who is different from us. Neither do we need to engage with someone who does as if they had a point worth debating, they don't. We can engage on the basis of trying to correct a misapprehension though.
Good parenting, good education also has an important role.
I don't have a view on the Bluebird person except to say that ill conceived views can cause a lessening of views about the reputation of a corporate. Reputation management ie a subset of perception management, is greatly cared for by corporates. Israel Folau was another who felt his views on homosexuality were worth sharing with the world, his sponsor did not.
There have been employment law cases (that I used to have my finger on) that said this much. Unless the person had tied their FB setting down tightly then a post on FB is a post to the world.
No I am not debating whether racism or sexism has a role in our world. But the reality as you expressed on this site a couple of days back is that NZ is racist. I think it is less racist than what you may think, although I can’t know this for sure, and part of my evidence is the health service and the outpouring of support for the Musleim community after the outrage.
So what do we do about racism? May people criminals? Who defines what exactly is racism? Sexism? I know the woke definition of transphobia and I think it is just a way to shut people down.
"My suggestion was that we call it out, challenge it, question why people have their views (for example why was the bluebird employee sick of Te Reo). Because the hate speech laws will/could make it a crime to say racist or sexist things (who knows how they will define it, when the PM couldn't define it when she said "you know it when you see it").
The first I heard of the Bluebird employee was when Bluebird said they were investigating the worker (she claims she grew up in Northland and doesn’t consider herself racist). Bluebird had a complaint about it from someone who went out of thir way to find out where the woman worked and then complained. So if BB hadn’t have drawn attention to it, it would likely have gone unnoticed. Do you think the woman should have lost her job for what she said? I don’t. And I think BB would be hard pressed to prove reputational damage.
I have only just begun to research CRT, but from what I have read, it doesn’t decrease racism and perhaps may backfire (this intuitively makes sense to me). If anyone can provide me with some links that show otherwise, I would open to reading it.
I think it [NZ] is less racist than what you may think, although I can’t know this for sure…
It's not essential to be a target of racism to perceive racism, but it can help. Of course we can’t shut all racists down, but where’s the harm in making examples of a few high-profile cases? Maybe ask the target(s).
sorry / he said / I've hurt my family / I may have hurt yours /
yes / we scrapped in the car over it / there was yelling / by the time we got to the end of the Mangere motorway / I was crying / who is this redneck with the big brown shoulders sitting next to me / anti PC /darker than me / defending freedom of speech / but I don't want it to be all right /
/ I don't want my kids to have stanzas of darkie memories /
sorry / Paul Holmes said / I could see that he meant it / I felt sad for him / and happy / I signed the petition to say he should get sacked / I am a manager in a govt. department / not Matlock / not the PM / just a member of the chocolate soldier movement / melting in the middle
As Waititi said – "a cheeky giggle" – or, indeed, a "cheeky darkie" – "gives others the message that it's okay."
Holmes 'cheeky darkie' complaints dismissed
The authority did not uphold complaints about Holmes' comments on female journalists. Holmes had asked whether the number of female journalists was making journalism "ignorant and bitchy" and if newspapers were particularly judgmental at certain times of the month.
there will be quite a few supporters here for this sort of ' intervention '
No – not really. People on the left are wary of surveillance, because historically most of it has been directed against people like us. However, to not acknowledge that the US has a problem with domestic terrorism and random shooters, and that the State has an obligation to protect its people, is delusional extremism in itself – often smuggled in under the false flag of 'free speech'. Some sort of difficult balance has to be found.
And people on the left believe that the best counter to misinformation is not censorship, but a well-funded, well-regulated public broadcaster with strong firewalls in place against government interference. But as we have seen National opposes the attempt to create such a thing via the TVNZ-RNZ merger. And clearly, that's because the tide of misinformation in NZ mostly flows in National's favour via the Herald-ZB-Newshub nexus.
That Westworld article was written in 2019. I predict that some 'urine therapy' advocates will have claimed it can ward off 'the Covid' – well whaddayaknow.
Good move by Grant Robertson at the Labour Party conference to raise "Liz" Luxon's plan to give generous tax relief to the well off and $2-3 a week to those not earning a high income. Robertson gets his point across very well and with humour. Keep it up highlighting the inequity of National's intentions!
Luxon should be embarrassed, but of course is not and appears very smug about his intentions, should National win next year.
Maybe Luxon had introduced a new gender identity i.e lizard. Afterall Bristol University put out a statement for staff about using pro nouns that included Cat gender. I kid you not.
There is a significant decrease in the asset value of the government since the update on the June year,with ACC,NZSF and housing assets depreciating as well as debt increases and higher interest payments coming into the bond tenders.
Party conferences are quite revealing, as they are entirely presented by the parties themselves, not distorted through the media lens.
At every National conference, the leader will be joined on stage by an adoring spouse (usually wife) and children. Whereas Ardern is joined by the Cabinet, and her daughter is nowhere to be seen.
Perhaps the most baseless of all the attacks on the PM is that she parades her family for photo ops and votes. The opposite is true, and always has been. The lie is projection.
Observer not sure I have seen Luxon's wife or kids, but maybe that's because you wouldn't see me at a National Party conference…..
do remember 2017 with Bill English bringing out the family (one who sung some opera) and some wit drew a paralel to the Sound of Music………….
I am not sure voters care too much about families and kids except their own.
The child care subsidy is clever, because likely not to be inflationary. but the rest of us still have to cope with rising food and housing costs. Good to know the middle class aren't overlooked. What about beneficiaries who don't work? Oh well, maybe another time.
ps I may be mistaken here as I haven't read all the details.
Newshub poll at 6 pm. Given the overall trend, probably bad for Labour. But it's the outsiders that are more interesting, are the "plague on both your houses" voters gravitating towards any particular party?
Labour have about a year to turn things around. Judging by the policy announcements made today, doesn't really look like it's making much of an effort.
Waiting for the Budget I suspect. Waste of time putting out the good announcements a year out when in government, runs into the problem of "But what have you done for me lately" at the actual election.
Im not expecting anything big, but the childcare subsidy sounds like something that National could have annonced, and will just end up adding to the profit margins of the likes of Kidicorp, etc.
Disagree with your opinion and National didn't believe in giving people a choice.
"The Minister of Social Development says that as of next July, beneficiaries who fail to take reasonable steps to keep their children in certified early childhood care for at least 15 hours a week, from age 3 until they go to school, will have their benefits halved"
Very grateful to see that sanity has prevailed – and that NZF are well back behind the 5% threshold.
Making the Horizon poll look very much like a rogue result.
NZF is a tick up from polling earlier this year – but certainly doesn't seem to be attracting significant support from any of the 4 larger parties (Lab/Nat/Grn/ACT)
The 'plague on all your houses' vote appears to be staying home….
Random polls this year have given them up to 4% – setting aside the nearly 7% from the Horizon outlier poll.
I'd say their current poll result puts them well within the rest of the polling this year – crucially under 5%.
Do you really want Winston back in parliament? Or is that just a cross you'd be prepared to bear in order to get a Labour/Green coalition over the line?
Yes its a cross I would bear to get Lab/green over the line.
And you ? would you rather a Nat/ Act government just to keep NZF out of parliament? or do you just see NZF as an impediment to Act/Nat forming a government.
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Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
I’m on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help! Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,May I start with the least original conversation opener you’re likely to hear around the motu at the moment, particularly in Wellington: ...
“Never again - No AUKUS” was the message of the wreath laid at this morning’s national ANZAC Day commemorative service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this morning by the Stop AUKUS group. ...
Until this month, Auckland swimmer Hazel Ouwehand had never met a qualifying time in an Olympic event for a New Zealand team, even as a junior. Now she’s very likely off to the Paris Olympics after swimming well under the qualifying standard in the 100m butterfly twice – both in ...
While Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell.First published in 2022.The high school’s head girl and ...
Australian and New Zealand volunteers fought together in the Waikato War, yet still its place in the Anzac tradition is unacknowledged by our defence forces or Returned Services Association.First published in 2018.When I was a boy cub I attended Anzac Day services in the South Auckland suburb of ...
A poem by Wellington writer Tayi Tibble.Hoki Mai She kisses him goodbye with her eyes still wet and alight from their last swim in the Awatere river. At the train station celebration, she leads the Kapa Haka but her voice keeps breaking under and over itself like waves. ...
A poem from Bill Manhire’s 2017 book of verse Some Things to Place in a Coffin.My World War I Poem Inside each trench, the sound of prayer. Inside each prayer, the sound of digging. Image courtesy of Auckland War Memorial Museum. ...
There are three books I have wolfed down in one sitting over the last two years. Colleen Maria Lenihan’s gorgeous and sad debut Kōhine, Noelle McCarthy’s memoir Grand about becoming her mother and then unbecoming her, and now Hine Toa, a staunch yet gentle self-portrait by living legend Ngāhuia te ...
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Asia Pacific Report Students and activist staff at Australia’s University of Sydney (USyd) have set up a Gaza solidarity encampment in support of Palestinians and similar student-led protests in the United States. The camp was pitched as mass graves, crippled hospitals, thousands of civilian deaths and the near-total destruction of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James B. Dorey, Lecturer in Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong Australian teddy bear bees are cute and fluffy, but get a look at that massive (unbarbed) stinger! James Dorey Photography Most of us have been stung by a bee and we ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jen Roberts, Senior Lecturer, School of Humanities and Social Inquiry, University of Wollongong Aussie~mobs/FlickrVictor Farr, a private in the 1st Infantry Battalion, was among the first to land at Anzac Cove just before dawn on April 25 1915. Victor Farr ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Gregory Moore I had the good fortune to care for the sugar gum at The University of Melbourne’s Burnley Gardens in Victoria where I worked for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Ong ViforJ, ARC Future Fellow & Professor of Economics, Curtin University Just when we think the price of rentals could not get any worse, this week’s Rental Affordability Snapshot by Anglicare has revealed low-income Australians are facing a housing crisis like ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tracey Holmes, Professorial Fellow in Sport, University of Canberra When the news broke last weekend that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive to a banned drug in early 2021 and were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympic Games six months later ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cally Jetta, Senior Lecturer and Academic Lead; College for First Nations, University of Southern Queensland Australian War MemorialAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people, as well as sensitive historical information ...
RNZ News Melissa Lee has been ousted from New Zealand’s coalition cabinet and stripped of the Media portfolio, and Penny Simmonds has lost the Disability Issues portfolio in a reshuffle. Climate Change and Revenue Minister Simon Watts will take Lee’s spot in cabinet. Simmonds was a minister outside of cabinet. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Lindenmayer, Professor, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University laurello/Shutterstock Some reports and popular books, such as Bill Gammage’s Biggest Estate on Earth, have argued that extensive areas of Australia’s forests were kept open through frequent burning by ...
Analysis - Christopher Luxon framing the demotion of two ministers as the portfolios getting "too complex" is a charitable way of saying they weren't up to the job. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra With Jim Chalmers’s third budget on May 14, Australians will be looking for some more cost-of-living relief – beyond the tax cuts – although they have been warned extra measures will be modest. As ...
Analysis: Melissa Lee has lost the media portfolio and her spot in Cabinet after multiple failed attempts to find solutions for a media industry in crisis. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister announced Lee would be losing her spot in Cabinet along with her media and communications ministerial portfolio. The job ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Wilmot, Senior Lecturer, Film, Deakin University Among the many Australian who served during the second world war, there is a small group of people whose stories remain largely untold. These are the Muslim men and women who, while small in number, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Saunders, PhD Candidate, University of Canberra There has been much analysis and praise of Justice Michael Lee’s recent judgement in Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation case against Channel Ten. Many people were openly relieved to read Lee’s “forensic” and “nuanced” application of law ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathy Gibbs, Program Director for the Bachelor of Education, Griffith University zEdward_Indy/Shutterstock Around one in 20 people has attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It’s one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood and often continues into adulthood. ADHD is diagnosed ...
The Fairer Future coalition of anti-poverty groups say Whaikaha must be properly funded going forward, and that to argue that poor financial management of the new Ministry is a red herring by the Prime Minister. ...
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https://theintercept.com/2022/10/31/social-media-disinformation-dhs/
Interesting story from the Intercept about the use of special ' portals ' in use by both Twitter and Facebook to facilitate manipulation of media by agents of DHS and other agencies .
Fun phrases such as " need to regulate the cognitive infrastructure " are enthusiastically bandied about by the agents involved but its just called censorship in layman's language
I guess there will be quite a few supporters here for this sort of ' intervention 'as our own PM is championing the cause ?
Amazing that some consider "disinformation (false information spread intentionally)" could be harmful – simply amazing. After all, disinformation is in the eye of the beholder ("Perception is Reality") – what possible harm could it actually do?
Imho, the preferred method of countering anyone spreading false information is to provide true information – whether this is always an effective method is up for debate.
Btw, to whoever is putting VFF disinformation flyers in my letterbox – please stop.
Gosh, there's a panel designed to police misinformation.
/
https://twitter.com/SeeingRedNE/status/1588980116272467968
Now, folks, let us remind you of some things. We don’t like LPD. We don’t particularly like Democrats. While we support Adam Morfeld in this race, we would be more than happy to slice off his balls with a rusty bread knife if he sexually assaulted someone. And we believe that women should be heard.
Heard, that is, until you realize that this accuser is a Notorious Local Psychopath (NLP) with a years-long track record of trying to shit on anyone who in her own demented mind has crossed her in some way—real or imagined.
One of NLP’s recent targets is a middle school age girl who lives in her apartment building. She claims the middle schooler has threatened to rape her and murder her baby with a sword, but witnesses say it was NLP who threatened the girl. Another target is a man in Wyoming who NLP developed some kind of Fatal Attraction/Single White Female hate boner for. The man runs a YouTube channel about home schooling and frugal living that was started by his wife. He took over after his wife died of cancer. NLP allegedly called and texted him and his children repeatedly. She allegedly claimed to have been in their house when they were not home, and asked whether his wife lost control of her bowels when she died.
https://seeingrednebraska.com/fascism/klin-broadcasts-scurrilous-rape-accusation-to-benefit-republican-incumbent-pat-condon/
Is this the Christchurch Call you are meaning? This was set in motion by the killing of 51 defenceless people here in NZ. In this she was joined by Macron whose country had suffered from terrorists as well. What on earth is the problem with asking agencies making money from people thoughts to institute basic speech 'hygiene' roles.
Some free speech proponents seem to think free speech means being able to say the most ghastly things about other people, possibly inciting others. Free speech does not mean freedom from consequences.
Have not watched the Intercept. The earlier Youtube link gave me such a fright I have vowed not to watch any other possible RW dribble.
I followed the anti vax agenda from very, very early on and it meant having to read lots of unhinged, anti people media. While I did this dis/mis- information investigation for my own interest and with a purpose I am far from wanting to see it in everyday life.
I also don't think you have introduced it (Intercept) well enough and you certainly have not discussed the topic well enough so people don't have to watch the film to be able to participate.
PS who is DHS, who are the ‘other agencies’?
Hi Shanreagh. How are things with new Mayor Tory ? Hope she gets a good go at it : ) Re your comment #2 did you see the NZ Doco about…Haters in nz ?
Was some I did not know…good to see exposed. And see the Investigative Reporters/Researchers (and quite brave actually with threats against them)
Yes I did see it. Companion piece to the one about the the 'protest/riot' at parliament
Tory Whanau is head down and bottom up as far as I can see/hear. Which is what I want. Can't bear the 'rah, rah looka me looka me', I have to be in your face every five minutes like her counterpart in Auckland but I guess 'horses for courses'.
Her connections into our community will be invaluable.
I was very impressed that she has chosen one of our local ward councillors as her deputy, Laurie Foon. Laurie is a former owner/designer of a fashion shop in Wellington that used sustainable methods in its fashion long before the slow fashion etc movement became popular. Our ward also elected Nureddin Adurahman who came from Ethiopia as a refugee, to the Council.
Somali and Ethiopian immigrants settled in my community and meet for coffee and 'changing the world' at one of our cafes here in Newtown. So face recognition I am sure for Nureddin will have been a help as he is out and about. .
https://policy.nz/2022/wellington-city-council-paekawakawa-southern-general-ward/candidates/nureddin-abdurahman.
.
Sorry, but what Planet are you living on ?
Deeply narcissistic Corporate Lobbyist …
… but then that’s precisely your kind of “Left” (LOL) isn’t it . Affluent, power-hungry, highly performative virtue-signaling … inherently, ruthlessly self-interested.
So the personal negativity against me continues. To be frank I am mighty sick of you making up things about me that are so wide of the mark is not funny. I'm still laughing about your All Black comment from the last bout of negativity. So far off the mark it was crazy.
I am sure you do not live in Wellington as I have not heard the terms you are using. Most of the people I have spoken to where I have mentioned this bad so called lobbyist have felt that knowing one's way around the corporate scene is an asset. But then that is Wellington for you.
And Aucklanders have elected a person that so stunningly represents the stereotype …….
give it a rest mate. Taking potshots at commenters crosses a line.
“Variety's the very spice [and a fact] of life, that gives it all its flavour.” – Cowper
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-disorders/narcissistic-personality-disorder.htm
Good on you Shanreagh. And Yea I think Tory Whanau will be the Change for the better that Wellington badly needed.
And try to ignore the quite sad, albeit negative commenter.
If you feel possible, I'd like you to keep giving some updates on how you think Wellington is going ? I value your Input. Cheers : )
Will do, though not much to report lately.
I'm still smiling & chuffed at Tory getting in, at her deputy being one of our ward councillors and the other ward councillor being Nureddin Abdurahman.
Shanreagh : What is DHS ? Department of Homeland Security set up after 911
This article i neglected to say , my bad ,is called Truth Cops and is by two journalists called Lee Fang and Ken Kippelstein both of whom afaik work for The Intercept .They look fairly credible to me but doubtless the morality police will inform us if it is otherwise !!
The article has nothing to do with the terror attack in CC or terror attacks in the US but rather attempts by gov agencies in the US , putting it in simple terms , to influence and ' shape perspectives '.Obviously and ominously ! these would include ' political perspectives '
Personally for the record i have no axes to grind as far as the anti vax movement in nz goes having got all the requisite jabs myself and far from holding any serious grudges against JA i have regarded anti signage of the aforementioned with a kind of disattached bemusement as ive travelled about although in saying that i'd have to add that fairly serious divisions in our society in general are evident and are of concern .
All of a sudden or so it seems to me there is an unreasonable fear by people that exposure to some information is gonna herald or usher in some sort of breakdown of normal functioning cognitive reasoning which i think is both sad and chickenshit .
I prefer my info UNpasturised !!
t
Well there you go…..had you included all the stuff about the link first off I may have watched it.
I found though that the previous piece you linked to and I unwittingly read, was of the same ilk ie slightly unhinged as was the anti vax stuff that I did not/could not watch it. I drew an analogy about the vax to show that the last link from you was crazy and I did not need/want to expose myself to any more. My para was not to query whether you or anyone else was anti vax??
The whole thing about perception is
slightlynaive.Isn't that what every advertisement, every leader-writer, every editor, every politician, every government works in?
For instance in Wellington last year we were invited to give comments on intensification of residential use. The fact that this was obviously and clearly approved as a concept by Govt and then conveyed to local authorities meant that someone in the intro to the comments had already made up their minds that this was OK and we got this perception loud and clear in the information given.
The whole atmosphere about how people had got some things so wrong around the anti vax/protest time renewed calls for schools syllabuses to include topics about propaganda, information management/perception management and how to fact check etc.
Perception management is widespread. Mostly benign, if you know how to deal with it.
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL2211/S00004/on-inflating-the-threat-posed-by-social-media.htm
I am not sure if you are referring to social media Shanreigh, but as Gordon Campbell says much has been made of the threat posed by social media. He's not convinced. Interesting coming from a leftie.
One of the problems about shutting down free speech is it forces people underground. Personally I think marginalizing people in this way will more likely lead to radicalization. Yes there should be consequences for free speech and the consequences should be that people get called out, challenged and debated. When I say called out, I don't mean the current propensity to label someone (which in this climate often means de platforming them). First you label them (some popular labels being transphobe, racist, mysogynist) then you don't engage in debate. I think this is highly polarizing.
If you think controlling what people say is going to fix say racism I am going to have to say I very much disagree. Do you think Bluebird foods, who sacked a worker for saying (on their private FB page) in response to Whittakers Te Reo chocolate that she was sick to death of Maori language everywhere she went (not a direct quote) is going to promote race relations? Because I don't think it will.
Besides, who gets to decide what is acceptable or not.
We currently have laws that put limits on free speech. Defamation laws and inciting violence laws. One of the problems with trying to restrict free speech that doesn't mean this criteria, but expresses hatred is that is endemic. This website is not immune.
I hope you are right about Tory W. Time will tell as it will with Wayne B. I wish them both well, god knows both Wellington and Auckland have some pretty big issues that need fixing.
I am not talking about social media. I've got no real views on it.
As far as racism, sexism and all the other isms. We surely don't need to debate whether these have a place in our world. They don't. We have the Human Rights legislation, the role of human rights flowing from the UN, and brought about by the great distaste and hope the human race never has/had to fight another ware like the world did against the Nazis where their war was against people of a different religion. These are supposed to recognise that it is never Ok to discriminate. Un regulated so-called free speech can do just this.
Clearly though people do slip up or test the boundaries. That does not mean that we need to debate the concept of human rights as a result. We look at the why, why have such views come about, Do we need to care more for the teaching of critical thinking…
Free speech can exist in a world where human rights exist. We do not have to give voice to every distasteful though we have against someone who is different from us. Neither do we need to engage with someone who does as if they had a point worth debating, they don't. We can engage on the basis of trying to correct a misapprehension though.
Good parenting, good education also has an important role.
I don't have a view on the Bluebird person except to say that ill conceived views can cause a lessening of views about the reputation of a corporate. Reputation management ie a subset of perception management, is greatly cared for by corporates. Israel Folau was another who felt his views on homosexuality were worth sharing with the world, his sponsor did not.
There have been employment law cases (that I used to have my finger on) that said this much. Unless the person had tied their FB setting down tightly then a post on FB is a post to the world.
No I am not debating whether racism or sexism has a role in our world. But the reality as you expressed on this site a couple of days back is that NZ is racist. I think it is less racist than what you may think, although I can’t know this for sure, and part of my evidence is the health service and the outpouring of support for the Musleim community after the outrage.
So what do we do about racism? May people criminals? Who defines what exactly is racism? Sexism? I know the woke definition of transphobia and I think it is just a way to shut people down.
"My suggestion was that we call it out, challenge it, question why people have their views (for example why was the bluebird employee sick of Te Reo). Because the hate speech laws will/could make it a crime to say racist or sexist things (who knows how they will define it, when the PM couldn't define it when she said "you know it when you see it").
The first I heard of the Bluebird employee was when Bluebird said they were investigating the worker (she claims she grew up in Northland and doesn’t consider herself racist). Bluebird had a complaint about it from someone who went out of thir way to find out where the woman worked and then complained. So if BB hadn’t have drawn attention to it, it would likely have gone unnoticed. Do you think the woman should have lost her job for what she said? I don’t. And I think BB would be hard pressed to prove reputational damage.
I have only just begun to research CRT, but from what I have read, it doesn’t decrease racism and perhaps may backfire (this intuitively makes sense to me). If anyone can provide me with some links that show otherwise, I would open to reading it.
It's not essential to be a target of racism to perceive racism, but it can help. Of course we can’t shut all racists down, but where’s the harm in making examples of a few high-profile cases? Maybe ask the target(s).
https://divyaiwrites.home.blog/2019/06/07/critical-response-to-eating-dark-chocolate-and-watching-paul-holmes-apology-by-karlo-mila/
As Waititi said – "a cheeky giggle" – or, indeed, a "cheeky darkie" – "gives others the message that it's okay."
No – not really. People on the left are wary of surveillance, because historically most of it has been directed against people like us. However, to not acknowledge that the US has a problem with domestic terrorism and random shooters, and that the State has an obligation to protect its people, is delusional extremism in itself – often smuggled in under the false flag of 'free speech'. Some sort of difficult balance has to be found.
And people on the left believe that the best counter to misinformation is not censorship, but a well-funded, well-regulated public broadcaster with strong firewalls in place against government interference. But as we have seen National opposes the attempt to create such a thing via the TVNZ-RNZ merger. And clearly, that's because the tide of misinformation in NZ mostly flows in National's favour via the Herald-ZB-Newshub nexus.
Owning Twitter has led to some surprisingly revelatory tweets from the big man
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Just a bit of fun, and without wanting to lower the tone:
That Westworld article was written in 2019. I predict that some 'urine therapy' advocates will have claimed it can ward off 'the Covid' – well whaddayaknow.
Thank goodness Wikipeedia isn't for sale – yet.
Good move by Grant Robertson at the Labour Party conference to raise "Liz" Luxon's plan to give generous tax relief to the well off and $2-3 a week to those not earning a high income. Robertson gets his point across very well and with humour. Keep it up highlighting the inequity of National's intentions!
Luxon should be embarrassed, but of course is not and appears very smug about his intentions, should National win next year.
Liz Luxon…….Has Grant Robertson just misgendered Christopher luxon???????
Where's Elizabeth Kerekere when you need her?
Liz can be short for Lizard you know!
Visubversa LOL!
Visubversa Quite Clever that!!
Maybe Luxon had introduced a new gender identity i.e lizard. Afterall Bristol University put out a statement for staff about using pro nouns that included Cat gender. I kid you not.
It's a Liz Truss lite Luxon (shared love of tax cuts) thing.
Yes, boringly, that was the way I took it! But Liz short for lizard, and misgendering are much more creative.
Labour to address cost of living catastrophe with policy announcements.
Will the announcements be targeted so as not to increases inflation?
Will the announcements be debt funded (increasing fiscal risk and debt inflation)?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/130388925/live-jacinda-ardern-set-to-announce-cost-of-living-policy-as-labour-conference-closes
There is a significant decrease in the asset value of the government since the update on the June year,with ACC,NZSF and housing assets depreciating as well as debt increases and higher interest payments coming into the bond tenders.
Party conferences are quite revealing, as they are entirely presented by the parties themselves, not distorted through the media lens.
At every National conference, the leader will be joined on stage by an adoring spouse (usually wife) and children. Whereas Ardern is joined by the Cabinet, and her daughter is nowhere to be seen.
Perhaps the most baseless of all the attacks on the PM is that she parades her family for photo ops and votes. The opposite is true, and always has been. The lie is projection.
Observer not sure I have seen Luxon's wife or kids, but maybe that's because you wouldn't see me at a National Party conference…..
do remember 2017 with Bill English bringing out the family (one who sung some opera) and some wit drew a paralel to the Sound of Music………….
I am not sure voters care too much about families and kids except their own.
The child care subsidy is clever, because likely not to be inflationary. but the rest of us still have to cope with rising food and housing costs. Good to know the middle class aren't overlooked. What about beneficiaries who don't work? Oh well, maybe another time.
ps I may be mistaken here as I haven't read all the details.
I thought she said all preschool children whose parents pay let them qualify.? I too may have been mistaken.
A copy of her speech would be good .
Newshub poll at 6 pm. Given the overall trend, probably bad for Labour. But it's the outsiders that are more interesting, are the "plague on both your houses" voters gravitating towards any particular party?
Labour have about a year to turn things around. Judging by the policy announcements made today, doesn't really look like it's making much of an effort.
Waiting for the Budget I suspect. Waste of time putting out the good announcements a year out when in government, runs into the problem of "But what have you done for me lately" at the actual election.
You cant make such a judgement though. Don't recall the party's conference ever being a platform to announce a slew of big policies.
Im not expecting anything big, but the childcare subsidy sounds like something that National could have annonced, and will just end up adding to the profit margins of the likes of Kidicorp, etc.
Disagree with your opinion and National didn't believe in giving people a choice.
"The Minister of Social Development says that as of next July, beneficiaries who fail to take reasonable steps to keep their children in certified early childhood care for at least 15 hours a week, from age 3 until they go to school, will have their benefits halved"
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/rotorua-daily-post/news/single-mums-slam-plan-to-enforce-childcare/Q7VV7P7RB5DJ5GSWK3ET46PHCI/
National do not think that parents should stay home and look after their children, unless they are super wealthy.
True that. Often wondered how many within the National party are proponents of eugenics.
Very grateful to see that sanity has prevailed – and that NZF are well back behind the 5% threshold.
Making the Horizon poll look very much like a rogue result.
NZF is a tick up from polling earlier this year – but certainly doesn't seem to be attracting significant support from any of the 4 larger parties (Lab/Nat/Grn/ACT)
The 'plague on all your houses' vote appears to be staying home….
Unfortunately, under National, most workers can forget about getting any decent form of payrise until after 2030.
NZF support has doubled 3.3 up from 1.6 – so is on track to feature in 2023.
A National and Act government is not the sort of sanity Im looking for. – each to their own.
Random polls this year have given them up to 4% – setting aside the nearly 7% from the Horizon outlier poll.
I'd say their current poll result puts them well within the rest of the polling this year – crucially under 5%.
Do you really want Winston back in parliament? Or is that just a cross you'd be prepared to bear in order to get a Labour/Green coalition over the line?
Yes its a cross I would bear to get Lab/green over the line.
And you ? would you rather a Nat/ Act government just to keep NZF out of parliament? or do you just see NZF as an impediment to Act/Nat forming a government.
Just can't stand 'what's in it for Winston' – with his dodgy ethics and pork-barrel politics.
But comfortable with National's dodgy ethics and pork barrel politics.
I understand
No more than with Labour's dodgy ethics and pork barrel politics.
I used to think that the Greens were the only ethical party in parliament – but then James Shaw supported the 'Green' private school….
But Winston is several levels ahead of any of his contemporaries in the fine art /sarc/ of wheeler-dealing.
The shape of things to come?
Collapse of snow crab fisheries not saved by quota style management.
Marine Biologist: Why 11 Billion Snow Crabs Disappeared – YouTube
https://twitter.com/rorybremner/status/1588955381061111808?cxt=HHwWgMC-wYOgjY0sAAAA
https://twitter.com/NoContextBrits/status/1588631974121730048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1588631974121730048%7Ctwgr%5E8f22c8de2a4bfe5d0482e74e61535386d73d1098%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theforum365.com%2Findex.php%3Fapp%3Dcoremodule%3Dsystemcontroller%3Dembedurl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FNoContextBrits%2Fstatus%2F1588631974121730048%3Ft%3D7RjsF4_FFmHEDTJ2jqL3vA26s%3D19