The first of many. https://i.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/109110152/canteens-taranaki-branch-may-face-closure-after-proposed-restructure
Taranaki is just one of the regions, towns and cities about to lose its AYA cancer service with the majority of CanTeen’s specialist care workers facing redundancy. Regional face-to-face patient support services to be axed and replaced by an online “portal”.
Ironically, the AYA conference currently taking place in Australia stresses the importance of face-to-face support to ensure optimum outcomes for young cancer patients. Third world stuff.
Agree – it is not working for many and the solutions proposed don’t address it in relation to tangata whenua.
The chair of Suicide Prevention Australia and the Auckland District Māori Council says Māori are sick of turning up for a karakia and cup of tea and then being told to leave the table.
Matthew Tukaki says that’s his immediate response to He Ara Oranga, the report of the Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction.
He says there was a compete disregard of the need for Māori co-design of mental health and suicide prevention initiatives, and all the power remains in the hands of the Health Ministry.
What was needed was an investigation into the failure of the health system for Māori.
“The highest suicide rate per head of population in the world is our people. The largest number of people who are filtering through the mental health system per head of population are our people. The highest number of people who are facing everything from addiction to P and alcoholism and all the rest, they’re our people so why in god’s green earth were our stories and our narratives as a first nations people overwhelmed by everybody else,” Mr Tukaki says…
You popped into my mind last Sunday Marty. I watched the final ‘The Hui’ for the year. The entire show featured Mike King addressing a Whanganui school with a predominately Maori roll.
Wow, so much of what he said rang so true for me. He led me to consider things I never had. By the end of the show I had my pick for New Zealander of the Year.
Best TV I’ve seen for some time, the medium used as it should be. If you haven’t seen it, please have a look Marty. If you did catch it, I’d like to hear your thoughts please. It’s free to watch on demand but I’m not able to provide a direct link as watching a TV 3 show on demand requires a free registration and log-in to the service…this content makes the ads worth tolerating.
Cool veuto, it changed the way I see many things. Like the futility of prohibition of the vices that harm us. Mike puts it like this: “Drugs, alcohol and bullying others weren’t a problem for me, they were a solution.”
I think it’s worthy of being at the top of your list veuto.
Hey Marty,
While I haven’t seen it yet, although I will as it is been recommended to me three times, I can’t help but feel that not feeling connected contributes.
Whether that connection is to a job, interest/hobby, community group or primarily family.
The history for Maori since WW2 is terrible.
Having lost their best in foreign wars, they were told leave your rural/marae/communal way of life, and come live in the cities. Work in the factories. Until we close them.
Do that, (leave your traditional/familiar way of being and go to an isolated way of life), to anyone they will be lost.
Yes I do this the disconnect is a real part of the problem. It’s good you bring it up because we must look multi dimensionally at this imo and consider the spiritual and other other non materialistic aspects of living a life.
These statistics are an utter tragedy and disgrace.
I work in the area. I try to do my best for all my patients and deliver evidenced based strategies……..I realize the context of colonization that is uniquely stressful and that people get triggered into mental health problems when they are under stress. One of the things I am really aware of is the negative believe about self Maori have internalized due to racism.
It’s an overwhelming problem. We need to change our social environment. But we need good treatment by skilled practitioners when people become unwell
Totally agree. There are so many converging and connecting aspects to this tragedy – we’ve got to holistically look at this and do what you and Mike king are doing – talk to people, work with them and help them and educate them. Kia kaha to you and Kia ora for your mahi.
Kia Ora Marty Mars. I feel privileged to work in the area and see people get their mental health back. If you don’t have your mental health, you have nothing.
It’s quite upsetting to think that things have got worse since I started out. They have undoubtedly got worse over the 9 years of National. Funding for mental health in primary care slashed. A training course that was world class axed, access to crisis services increasingly difficult
Just in case the sickening platitudes being spewed out for the war criminal and racist George H.W. Bush by all media including our own supposedly neutral RNZ are starting grate on your nerves, here is the balance that all our media lack the capacity to deliver…
‘The Ignored Legacy of George H.W. Bush: War Crimes, Racism, and Obstruction of Justice’
Adrian T
Thanks. At last something that’s relevant and balanced USA news. The sickening tsunami from the USA when we are supposed to be global, internationally savvy, shows us up as colonials wanting to be attached perhaps as a major territory. We seem lost and seeking a port, and in the absence of that following the nearest USA cruise ship as The Dingy Dinghy.
@greywarshark
I often wonder whether a new local media service that offered fair and balanced news might actually do quite well..imagine this scenario for a moment…
You wake up, turn on your radio to this new radio programme, they announce the funeral of HW Bush in the hourly news bulletin in a neutral way, then proceed over the next couple of hours to have one puntit who tells us all the good things Bush did, then another pundit who unpacks HW Bush’s unsavoury actions as POTUS, our hard hitting presenter grills both of them to make sure their facts and figures are in order. Then we have the daily report on Workers news and issues, ending with a comment from a reputable economist, followed by the Market update which ends (as it often does) with comments from a paid bank economist.. now that would be an interesting comparison to keep a track of…anyway I am sure you can see where I am going with this.
Email to Jim Mora this morning submitting a One Quick Question for their consideration….
Hello Jim, or Jim’s helper, I have a question for your segment.
Why does media, (including RNZ) not cover the life of the deceased former POTUS George H.W. Bush with any kind of balance?
Of course it is right to cover his good points, and the better parts of his character, but why can’t the media also cover the many negative points of his presidency which negatively impacted hundreds of thousands of humans (especially in South America and The Middle East), do they not deserve this same right of media coverage?
I understand that, but HW Bush is not a private citizen, he was leader of the most powerful country in the world, I see absolutely no reason why his record in that role can’t be commented on in a fair and balanced way during this time, other wise his legacy will (actually IS as we speak) be completely whitewashed by a compliant media, just as Regan was, and just as we have seen lately with terrorist John Mccain.
Yes, some will honour America’s youngest ever military jet pilot, others will consider the airman that fires missles into villages of innocents at age 20. The most touching thing about his passing for me was the loyalty of his Labrador. I guess I’m just saying that right or wrong, for most, the right thing to do is to wait until his corpse is cold before sledging the guy and his legacy.
We’re all snowflakes Grey. The staunchest of us melt. The easiest way to knock cage fighting legend Mark Hunt out is to lay a hand on his daughter. The frequency of the melting light varies but we’re all snowflakes
Sorry, but fuck him, do you seriously think the media will ever get around to discussing the thousands of humans who were killed, maimed, raped and destroyed as a direct result of HIS decisions? no they will leave the public with the vision of a American hero who was gentle man with a loyal dog who loved his family…the right thing to do is be honest about what he did and who he did it too…today not tomorrow, because as we know tomorrow will never comes for the MSM to present even the slightest balance around the legacy of the racist, war criminal H.W. Bush.
As far as I concerned people like him are the enemy of most humans and for that matter the future of the planet as a whole.
BTW I love my dogs, and have had dogs all my life, so I also know dogs give their loyalty pretty easily, I wouldn’t read too much into his loyal dog thing myself.
I don’t despise the individual as much as you do Adrian, I don’t think most do. You highlighted ‘HIS Decisions’. He didn’t walk into an Oval Office meeting one morning and declare ‘Gather around Generals, this week we’re bombing these bastards.’ It was a Whitehouse/Pentagon team effort.
I admired the loyalty of his dog because it prompted me to hug mine.
David Mac
Don’t stand for office for anything because I will blame you for what you do or don’t do that’s bad. That’s the rub, and having a dog doesn’t preclude you from the results of the people’s disappointment.
I get sad about parents trying to save their little children, dying in pain or running away, starving, and having their living destroyed and if their sons manage to get away, not being accepted anywhere or locked up somewhere like Manus Island.
I’ve looked at that excellent link on Bush senior you put up.
I noticed the malicious infrastructure bombing (as opposed to the necessary strategic bombing, which was also malicious) and how it was done to cause the maximum pressure and hardship on the Iraqi people and their leaders. (1991)
There seems to be a trend here looking at post WW2 to what was done in Iraq. Was Bush worse than the others – seems like BAU savagery crops up throughout.
WW2 Roosevelt dies and Harry Truman takes over. He wants to finish the war quickly so after a couple of days of conference and planning, drops two atom bombs on Japan (because they have got them, cuts any Japanese resistance, and is opportunity to trial the bombs and indicate to Germany their prowess). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidency_of_Harry_S._Truman
(1945)
And I remembered about North Korea where the US Air Force bombed North Korean (against UN? agreements) irrigation infrastructure so affecting their food growing ability causing hardship. (1950+) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_North_Korea_1950-1953
“seems like BAU savagery crops up throughout” exactly right, and great point, so by letting the media just eulogize HW Bush, with no reference to the devastation, destruction and misery HIS orders/policies and decisions have caused, just normalizes this type of brutal leadership.. it’s like, well you know he did some fucked up things, you know, lied out in the open, ran an openly racist political campaign, rained bombs on innocent humans etc etc..but you know, they all do it.
But it is not normal to do these things to other human beings, that should be the message our media delivers today, well they could at least even hint at it FFS.
How are we ever going to evolve to be better humans, when these idiots in the media don’t at least help a little to shine a path to a better more fair and just humanity? and worse, it seems a lot of the time our media is actually dragging us backwards.
Yes Adrian T
My own thoughts. Won’t say more but it is interesting to be gently reminded to be nice because he’s dead and wait before criticising.
There is a guidebook of etiquette on how long to extend the period of mourning and sanctity before acknowledging the truth, in a country of free speech?
I know I won’t get a response, no it more of a therapeutic action for me, helps release a bit of tension so I can get on with my day, which reminds me…
A quick shout out to the good people of Blenheim. I accidentally left my phone on a bench in the main street. I went to the Police station, mainly to get a report recorded for the insurance claim, and was gobsmacked to find that some good citizen had handed it in a few minutes earlier.
So thanks, Blenheim, you rock. For any readers who visit the town, my recommendation for coffee and eats is the truly wonderful Ritual Cafe, Maxwell Rd. If readers fancy a beer, the Waterfront (the old Royal) and the Yard Bar are the go. And if you lose anything, the local Police are definitely there to help.
And while we are lauding Blenheim’s good points – a plug for Turkish restaurant Akbabas at 2 Maxwell Road, Blenheim. Good people and good food. https://www.akbabaskebabs.co.nz/our-story/
The good people of Blenheim thank you. There is a bit more to the town and the eateries and bars mentioned.
There are craft breweries and bars, wineries, the PM has announced a year round version of the Coastal Express with upgraded train stations, great walks, tramps, fishing, hunting, and theatre.
Just like the rest of NZ, really……..
The main advantage though is a population of 45,000 in an area the size of Israel.
Great weather and lifestyle attracts senior citizens and Marlborough has the highest numbers of senior citizens in the country per capita. With 1% of the country’s population Grey Power Marlborough has 9% of the nation-wide Grey Power membership.
So 9% of the voices of boomer generation who owe the rest of us many thanks for being able to retire in sunny climes, while younger generations toil away unable to afford a decent house in colder and damper areas to pay for your retirement.
Good to know what areas to be suspect of when the super issue is raised
I think, in your penny’s worth, that you may just have not realised that today’s seniors have paid taxes all their lives, I can recall 60% top rate being paid, and willingly, to pay for the generation that went before us who came out of the Depression era and were supported properly in their turn by us.
So enough of the intergenerational rivalry crap, Tuppence. Envy will consume you, narcissism will afflict you, entitlement and consumerism eat at your very vitals.
Respect your elders, Tuppence. After all, they reared you, taught you what you know, changed your nappies, tolerated your tantrums and excused your ignorance.
As did my parents in their turn.
If I didn’t think you were trolling, I’d pity you………
Thank you mac1 – husband and I are certainly part of that cohort – paid plenty of pretty high tax in our working life and still pay tax on our superannuation payments, withholding tax (however modest) and GST on day to day purchases.
“Generation Snowflake, or Snowflake Generation, is a neologistic term used to characterize the young adults of the 2010s as being more prone to taking offense and less resilient than previous generations, or as being too emotionally vulnerable to cope with views that challenge their own.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Snowflake
Growing up insulated by technology, this new generation gets traumatised by differences between people. Humans learn to socialise by living in communal environments. Gen Snowflake has matured without that learning, apparently. Now we are beginning to see political consequences of their tech-warp effect.
“The term “Generation Snowflake”, or its variant “Snowflake Generation”, probably originated in the United States and came into wider use in the United Kingdom in 2016 following the publication of Claire Fox’s book I Find That Offensive!. In it she wrote about a confrontation between Yale University students and faculty Head of College, Nicholas Christakis. The confrontation arose after Christakis’s wife, Erika Christakis, a lecturer at the university, had suggested students should “relax a bit rather than labeling fancy dress Halloween costumes as culturally insensitive”, according to Fox. Fox described the video showing the students’ reaction as a “screaming, almost hysterical mob of students”. Fox said the backlash to the viral video led to the disparaging moniker “generation snowflake” for the students.”
“Snowflake generation” was recognised as one of Collins Dictionary’s 2016 words of the year. Collins defines the term as “the young adults of the 2010s, viewed as being less resilient and more prone to taking Offense than previous generations”.
“Similarly, in 2016 the Financial Times included snowflake in their annual Year in a Word list, defining it as “a derogatory term for someone deemed too emotionally vulnerable to cope with views that challenge their own, particularly in universities and other forums once known for robust debate” and noting that the insult had been aimed at an entire generation.”
“The term snowflake has been used to refer to children raised by their parents in ways that give them an inflated sense of their own uniqueness. This usage of snowflake has been attributed to Chuck Palahniuk’s 1996 novel Fight Club, and its 1999 film adaptation. Both the novel and the film include the line “You are not special. You are not a beautiful and unique snowflake.” In January 2017, Palahniuk claimed credit for coining snowflake, adding that the young adults of the 2010s exhibit “a kind of new Victorianism”. An article published by Merriam-Webster stated that Palahniuk was not the first person to use snowflake metaphorically, saying, “It’s the stuff of self-help books and inspirational posters and elementary school assurances. The imagery before negation is lovely; we are each unique snowflakes, each worth treasuring because each is uniquely beautiful.”
So there’s a positive side, but. Everyone is unique. Just a question of acceptance being more sensible than self-promotion. And, given that Lasch’s diagnosis of the culture of narcissism (1979) applies to all generations born since WWII, this positive side isn’t really the point. Politics is a team sport, and those who play must conform to team rules. Gen Snowflake doesn’t want to play. Will they grow old apolitical? Or will their strident self-assertion constellate a common ground?
The people who complain about snowflakes are the real snowflakes. They just need to realise that they have had enough and are not taking any crap anymore.
Totally – and the ones who sneer at supposed snowflakes are usually the ones imposing or benefiting from the crappy conditions that the snowflakes are complaining about.
Just the usual human dynamic of power and domination by one person over another.
“By setting up more roadblocks and hurdles for landlords, and raising compliance costs, many landlords have decided not to rent out their properties. As a result more people are forced to rely on publicly funded social housing.”
Nothing to do with the fact that so many people are now priced out of the private market, and the social housing waiting list is now the longest it has ever been due the combination of a)this and b)the systematic sell-off of State Housing under the last regime? Simon O’Conner, your sudden concern for the vulnerable is touching.
I think the quote and your thoughts are 2 edges of the same sword Kay.
One of the reasons people are being priced out of the private rental market is because landlords are considering “For it to be worth my while, I’ll need to up the rent $150 on my place.”
Our current government rest on: ‘It’s a supply and demand thing, we’re in this mess because the other jokers did nothing for a decade’. This does absolutely nothing about addressing the problem and is entirely about ‘Don’t blame me, it’s his fault.’
I try hard to be an optimist, but I’m struggling with our housing outlook. National passed a law requiring all landlords in NZ to insulate their rentals by July 31st next year. Those that don’t can expect heavy fines and if called out, required to pay exemplary damages to tenants that take their non complying landlord to the tribunal. For some tenants, the largest cash sum they’ve ever had in their lives.
Up in the Far North where the landscape is rich and job prospects poor, many families live in older simple baches that the owners were using less for holidays as their kids found other things to do. Rather than sell many hang on to them for the next generation of kids, for 3 generations to spend Christmases there. In the meantime, many have become low cost housing for those of us that live up here on tight budgets.
I’m concerned for the many people up here in the sub-tropical Far North that come next July, will be living in illegal houses.
https://www.labour.org.nz/housing
“KiwiBuild homes will only be sold to first home buyers. To avoid buyers reaping windfall gains, a condition of sale will require them to hand back any capital gain if sold on within 5 years.”
So a Labour election pledge was broken by 2 labour ministers (Tywford & Robertson) and then re instated by the PM.
When should an election promise be kept and when is it ok to break a promise ??
What that min Tywford announces that there would be a reduced 3 year cap gain time limit, that he had no authority to make, that was also in conflict with an election promise. That our PM also was not aware of.
Not sure what else anyone needs to know but I am open to hear alternative views 🤔 https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12156833
Here is a link to the changes that the govt made.
“But speaking to media this afternoon, Twyford said the Government had changed the rules.“ so who is this government that had changed the rules ??
But the link I supplied ex nzherald had a quote from min Tywford. “But speaking to media this afternoon, Twyford said the Government had changed the rules.”
The GOVERNMENT (my bold not shouting” so the government is at odds with he PM ??🤔I am confused, does the PM not agree with her government?
But the link I supplied ex nzherald had a quote from min Tywford. “But speaking to media this afternoon, Twyford said the Government had changed the rules.”
The GOVERNMENT (my bold not shouting” so the government is at odds with he PM ??🤔I am confused, does the PM not agree with her government?
“but with unsubstantiated allegations about how the PM feels about it.” not sure how I can assist. I imagine our PM is unimpressed as
How can a minister change the rules which was in breach of the Labour manifesto
How can we, the voter trust Labour to keep their promises ?
But I imagine any lack of justification will be taken as Labour lied to us. 🤥
You are being quite unfair to Ms Ardern by suggesting that she wasn’t involved in the decision.
She was going to consider the matter as soon as she had settled the most important thing on her agenda. https://spy.nzherald.co.nz/spy-news/pm-reveals-plans-for-baby-neves-first-xmas/
I’m sure that as soon this is sorted out, which shouldn’t take more than a couple of weeks, she will look at what Twyford has been up too.
What do trivial things like Kiwibuild matter anyway? After all, when people see the places they don’t buy them and refuse to go through with the purchase.
Perhaps someone can explain to me how studio apartments can really be affordable at $380,000 or one bedroom places at $500,000 are “affordable for first home buyers” anyway?
Is that really meant to get young families into homes, as Twyford promised?
With all the Santa hood ha of late I though some here would be interested to know that little old reatihi lead the way with last years Santa being a Maori woman. Not a ripple was made . Good a?
There has been a couple of cases here in Australia, where the Unions and various State and Federal Government Departments have gone in to bat for the Chinese workers and have come down hard the companies/ firms that have employed the Chinese workers over wages and entitlements. Further investigations by the Unions involve and the relevant Government Dept’s have also found that the worker are here illegally because of breaches in their Visas obtained by the companies that the poor workers are working for.
During the last mining boom and the current up lift in mining atm, a number of companies are trying to bring Chinese workers to help construct the various mining projects to keeps cost downs aka wages and WHS etc. But the Unions have kept this in check so far.
So without strong Unions and strong Government Departments in NZ this is going to happen in a regular basis unless the Unions and Government isn’t prepared to step up enforce or strengthen the various laws and ensure that the NZ workers get a fair go/ deal. The same could be said IRT to training future NZ workers in whatever trade discipline he or she chooses as would also further erode pay and conditions and WHS which quite possibly lead to further outcomes like these Chinese workers atm.
“Wanzhou Meng, the deputy chair of Huawei’s board and the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested in Vancouver, the Globe and Mail reported. The arrest was at the request of US authorities. “Wanzhou Meng was arrested in Vancouver on December 1. She is sought for extradition by the United States, and a bail hearing has been set for Friday,” US Justice department spokesperson Ian McLeod said.” https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/world/109139920/huaweis-chief-financial-officer-arrested-in-canada
Interesting that they sat on the news for five days. Maybe China threatened Canada with feng shui if they didn’t release her & Canadian experts took a while to evaluate the threat.
Not for CC reasons unfortunately, but because it was cheaper to heavily subsidise the service than try and increase network capacity. There’s a few places (Frankton Road is one) where that’s not possible.
One line I heard was that the $2.00 charge is only there because NZTA didn’t have a way of doing it for free. $2.00 would hardly cover the costs of handling the money anyway.
The comments are the first dozen or so messages of support on the petition page in support of Julian Assange and free speech and journalism. Sorry, I should have tidied up all the little admin. odds and ends, but the message is clear, I think: a lot of people want to see the Grauniad face consequences for its fraudulent reporting, i.e. its flagrant disinformation campaign against someone who is, in stark contrast to the likes of Emma Brockes and Luke Harding and James Ball, a real journalist.
Yes you’re right, I don’t understand what criminal libel is….If it’s criminal I’m thinking it’s a matter for the Police to look into and I already make a regular donation to them.
A student, ahhh that explains it, I’ve not seen anyone else use the term ‘Grauniad’.
I would certainly like to see the Guardian taken to account for publishing unverifiable tabloid bullshit that suits the aims of those who want to take Assange down
Take Assange down and all journalists worth the name are in the firing line.
For those who still can’t get it past their faulty belief system, Assange is a journalist
“Extraneous”? I would have thought that the supportive comments of those democratically minded lovers of journalism was the very heart of this matter. The attempt to destroy Assange is an attempt to silence all of us.
And please look up the definition of journalist. It’s not what you think it is.
Crikey, you had to go all the way back to 2014 for that zinger? I’m impressed I haven’t said anything more recent you could have used. btw, shutting down a media organisation is not what “democratically minded lovers of democracy” do.
Meanwhile, in real journalist news, here’s some dead people:
The Grauniad is, sadly, a propaganda arm of the British state.
I don’t think it should be closed down, but I certainly think that liars like Luke Harding should be fired, and also that rubbish editor. Rubbisher’s his name, isn’t it.
“The International Energy Agency’s data also shows rising emissions in 2018. Its executive director, Fatih Birol, said: “This turnaround should be another warning to governments as they meet in Katowice this week.””
Why bother giving govts more warnings? Since when has that ever worked? “The “dark news” of rising emissions is merging with two other alarming trends, according to Prof David Victor, at the University of California, San Diego, in an article with colleagues also published in Nature on Wednesday.”
“Falling air pollution is enabling more of the sun’s warmth to reach the Earth’s surface, as aerosol pollutants reflect sunlight, while a long-term natural climate cycle in the Pacific is entering a warm phase. Victor said: “Global warming is accelerating. [These] three trends will combine over the next 20 years to make climate change faster and more furious than anticipated.””
“The Global Carbon Budget, produced by 76 scientists from 57 research institutions in 15 countries, found the major drivers of the 2018 increase were more coal-burning in China and India as their economies grew, and more oil used in more transport. Industry also used more gas. Renewable energy grew rapidly, but not enough to offset the increased use of fossil fuel.”
A couple of interesting reports IRT to CC, one on the ice melt in Greenland and the other the NZDF and likely CC effects they NZDF is now likely to in counter as the science starts to firm up its evidence IRT CC.
Awa’ an’ bile yer heid ‘n’ pick a windae, yer leavin’ wi’ yer foodbank, ye piece o’ tory jobby . *
. ANGRY protestors chased Scotland’s only Conservative MP out of town after he turned up to open a food bank.
Protestors shouted “Shame on you” and screamed at Scottish Secretary David Mundell after he sneaked out the back door of the Trussell Trust-operated facility in the Dumfries and Galloway town.
They surrounded the white Ford Focus motor he was in, which had to slowly edge its way through the raging mob with the help of a police escort.
People banged on the windows and at first refused to let the vehicle move, until four uniformed police officers arrived to part the crowd.
sounds just like the film I Daniel Blake. Privileged idiots creating hell on earth for those without an influential voice.
Lucky for english and key that those living in cars and recorded as having a roof over their heads didn’t turn up at parliament in protest, but the first rule of destroying opposition to poverty fightback is to remove the means, so they could not afford the petrol. Unlike the tractors and the trucks, all backed by big money to attack Labour Governments.
Funny atmosphere in QT today. Subdued? Quiet? Questions delivered and answers polite and full. Though the Paula Bennett attack about “leaking” the address of the estranged wife, the Opposition were told repeatedly that the said women did not seek or accept secrecy. So Bennett and Woodhouse were chasing a non target.
With any Parliamentary opposition dead until at least 2020,
a popular government,
really low unemployment,
lots and lots of money to spend,
and the most progressive legislative agenda New Zealand has had in 50 years, well ……………………………………..
……………………. maybe we’re running out of things to complain about!
“Protecting the Umpire
by Andrew Geddis
Did you know that Parliament could imprison you for saying that Trevor Mallard is biased in favour of Jacinda Ardern over Simon Bridges? But it (almost certainly) won’t….
…So, for example, consider political editor Audrey Young’s published account of Thursday’s events in the Herald: “Parliament’s Speaker, Trevor Mallard, has an inbuilt bias against National Party leader Simon Bridges and a soft spot for Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.” Such a public accusation of overt favouritism on the part of the Speaker likely could be punished as a contempt, if Parliament wanted to do so….”
Would love to see that happen now and again to certain individuals, just to keep everyone on their toes and just the GG the Speaker does some awesome/ powerful rules/ powers in their playbook that a lot of people don’t know unless you are like old mate Andrew Geddis..
Suppose a clever lawman like Young Simon or for that matter Old A Young would know the rules, unless their aim is the Dead Cat thing.
Audrey is pretty biased herself isn’t she?
Now I am wondering if, behind the scenes today, something is happening to the Leadership. After all, Simon did declare Jamie as the Leaker in spite of his denial and now Simon’s judgement must be in further question. Might explain the deflated National Caucus today? No histrionics and few interjections
Certainly some-one should have! The Speaker also showed firm control again today, and with the double dismissals yesterday, the bullies of the opposition
got shown the consequences of thoughtless, undisciplined and self-centred behaviour.
It raises the question, though, who would be counselling Bridges and Brownlee, the opposition leader and shadow leader of the House? The National Party president? English? Key? Shipley? Bulger? The Business Round Table? Australian bankers? American oil interests? Insert your national/international conspiracy theory here?
So Gracie managed to make it through South America, yet she’s missing in NZ. This is seriously a very nasty place for women. Hopefully, all women are looking for her. Hoping for a good outcome.
The Public servants had predicted that there m8 would win big boxes of tissues were required after the election .Ka pai Jacinda .
Public servants responsible for the transition between governments failed to support new ministers as no-one had planned for a full scale, new administration.Officials were caught on the hop after last year’s general election, having planned for change no greater than a Cabinet reshuffle – that caused problems like being unable to supply laptops and mobile phones and a lack of experienced staff for incoming ministers
I see it been 2 years since the BANKERS MAN shonky got pushed out of our Parliament .links below ka kite ano
Kia ora Newshub I say that the education systems needs a big shake up for the money invested we are not getting very good results for the lower classes of students minority cultures are not even getting a 30% pass rate into a higher paying jobs we have to import those skills and in the process the lower classes youth are ending on the scrap heap.
The Westpac Helicopter serves is run by retired WHO guess and you will be correct Eco Maori nemeses they have the same raciest attitude to because he is out of the force he has lost his suppression cover .
We must keep our bio security up and keep the threats out of Aotearoa it will destroy our farming and horticulture.
I say Lady Ga Ga and Bradleys movie A Star Is Born is a awesome move you know the old saying silence about a problem is like rot it just keep’s snowballing into a big mess if you watch the movie you will get what I getting at.
Mann I see how the justice system works I will be doing a post on this subject later Hollie .
There you go trump spraying wai on the rest of the World the good Chinese lady from Huawei being arrested in Canada wtf trump and his admin does not give a stuff about Aotearoa’s well being they just want to cling to power weather .
The Yemen crises has more string attached than that it is a big proxy war Mess and the poor children are dieing in there tens of thousands probley hundreds of thousands as they cover up the facts idiots.
Lloyd that will be a good movie he must not have been looking in the correct place A .
lol E hoa Ka kite ano
Kia ora from Storm & Anna The Crowd Goes Wild .
Wai it should be a good boxing match .
The Gypsies did have a very good come back fight when one thinks of the time he had off boxing is a sport were one needs to be quite fit to go the distance .
Ka pai to the Black sticks.
Storm the preseason training seams quite strenuous .
Brad Weber had a good season I have had a couple in the club .
I was hoping you did a story on Shawn I gave him a bit of Eco tau toko and he pihau one with any intelligence knows it takes two to have a problem enough said.
Ka kite ano
I had to got to Auckland on Whano duties and the sandflies know exactly why and the still swarm around us endangering my mokopunas they don’t give a stuff . They get there m8 to play cat and mouse with me —-me off trying to get my license taken off me the PEE heads ano to kai ka kite ano P.S only the wealthy get justice us poor people just get shit on by this system
The state of the United Kingdom is fractured, torn up, shredded. The Empire is gone, it died a long time ago. And yet, the country is still tracking with a lead in favour of the ones who play to the ingrained, class-bound division for political gain. It is a disgrace ...
It should be obvious by now but let’s be clear: The same folk who regularly traffic in disinformation, misinformation and “fake news” are also those who most strongly claim that their freedom of expression rights are being violated when moves are made to curb hate speech (as opposed to protected ...
Michael SchulsonWhen Shane Burcaw flies on an airplane, he brings along a customized gel cushion, a car seat, and about 10 pieces of memory foam. The whole arsenal costs around $1,000, but for Burcaw it’s a necessity. The 27-year-old author and speaker — who, alongside his fiancée, Hannah ...
We are very pleased to publish this submission is from Lucinda Stoan. She is a social justice activist, mother, and educator, based in Washington State in the US. This detailed and comprehensive source-linked overview of trans issues and what is at stake will be useful for many people, especially in ...
New Zealand's Underarm Banker: It bears recalling that the “independence” of the Reserve Bank Governor was for decades held up by neoliberal capitalists as the most compelling justification for passing the Reserve Bank Act. Interesting, is it not, how the ruling class’s support for the Bank’s independence lasted no longer than ...
Rubbish In, Rubbish Out: Put all this together, and it’s difficult to avoid the conclusion that anyone who responds positively to a pollster’s request to “answer a few questions” is just ever-so-slightly weird. Desperately lonely? Some sort of psephological train-spotter? Political party member primed to skew the poll for or against ...
“Free at last, Free at last, Thank God almighty we are free at last.” ― Martin Luther King Jr. A long and bitter court feud between former Conservative Party leader Colin Craig and Jordan Williams has been settled, with an apology and compensation from Williams. On Tuesday, Craig sent out ...
Some people seem to want to close down any critical discussion of the current research into the relationship between water fluoride and child IQ. They appear to argue that claims made by researchers should not be open to critical review and that the claims be accepted without proper consideration ...
The government has been congratulating itself over the passage of the Zero Carbon Act, which sets out long-term emissions targets. Meanwhile, Climate Action Tracker has the shameful reality: those targets are insufficient:While New Zealand is showing leadership by having passed the world’s second-ever Zero Carbon Act in November 2019, under ...
The government introduced a Racing Industry Bill today. As an urban who horse racing as pointless-to-cruel, and gambling as a tax on stupidity and/or hope, this isn't normally a bill which would interest me in the slightest, beyond grumpiness at more government money for a dying industry. But there is ...
Check. Check. One, two, three, four. Is this thing ON? Hello readers, I logged in last night (yeah, it’s been a while) to mark THE END of the landmark legal case, Jordan Williams v Colin Craig, which (gulp) reached The Supreme Court, in which New Zealand’s most-defamed man was suing the politician he ...
Before The Birth: Israel’s most fervent supporters set their clocks ticking in Biblical times. They cite the kingdoms of David and Solomon as proof that, in the words of the Exodus movie’s theme-song: “This land is mine.” The majority of Israel’s backers, however, start their clocks in 1933 – the year Adolf ...
In an unreliable, strange and confusing world, Public Address is proud to present a measure of comfort and stability by annually asking everyone what words or phrases sum up the year that's been – and then giving some of them consumer goods as prizes for being clever or simply lucky.Well, ...
Both my parents are pretty handy – and they seem to have the right tools for most jobs in the garage and they know how to fix practically anything. A similar story could be told about their generation’s experience in the workforce – being a generalist was not unusual and ...
When it was revealed that NZ First had tried to enrich itself from public office via the Provoncial Growth Fund, the Prime Minister assured us that everything was OK as Shane Jones, the Minister responsible for the fund, had recused himself. Except it seems that that recusal came very late ...
Today is a Member's Day, and probably the last one of the year. After the marathon of the End of Life Choice Act, most of the bills up for debate today are uncontentious. First up is the second reading of Chlöe Swarbrick's Election Access Fund Bill. This will be followed ...
The Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee has reported back on the government's odious and tyrannical control orders bill. As expected, the fraudulent select committee process has made no significant changes (partly because they couldn't agree, but mostly because it was a stitch-up from the start, with no intention of ...
Yesterday, the government released its draft Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill, which will be put to a non-binding referendum at the next election. I'm not a drug policy expert, but Russell Brown is, and he thinks its pretty good. And pretty obviously, it will be a massive improvement on the ...
As you're probably aware, the draft bill outlining the proposed legal cannabis regime to be put to a referendum late next year was published yesterday, and has already attracted a flurry of comment. It's notable that a good deal of the comment is about proposals that aren't actually new.A minimum ...
One of the big problems in New Zealand climate change policy is the government working at cross-purposes with itself. It wants to reduce fossil fuel use, but encourages oil and gas exploration. It wants to reduce transport emissions, but then builds enormous new roads. The problem could be avoided if ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzAccording to the United Nations, food shortages are a threat ...
Last year, the government announced it was ending offshore oil exploration by no longer issuing new permits. The idea was that the industry would then die off as permits expired. Except almost immediately the government revealed its bad faith, by saying they would extend permits and alter conditions to keep ...
The government introduced the Education and Training Bill to Parliament yesterday. Its a massive bill, which replaces both existing Education Acts, as well as various other bits of legislation (including some which are still proceeding through the House). I'll leave the serious analysis to teachers and people who actually know ...
Amelia SharmanThere’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to micro-credentials, those bits of bite-sized learning that can help workers stay on top of technological change. What’s a micro-credential? While definitions vary, micro-credentials can be understood as short courses that allow people to learn new skills or have an existing competency recognised. ...
All Smiles Now: Claire Szabo is taking up her presidential role after serving as the CEO of Habitat For Humanity. Which is absolutely perfect! After KiwiBuild was so comprehensively mismanaged by Phil Twyford, the party has not only elected a new president from a thoroughly respectable not-for-profit, but one who ...
While much of the NZ left has transitioned to postmodern and identity politics in relation to transgender ideology, there are some very good articles about that deploy Marxist methodology in relation to this subject. The one below is from the British marxist group Counterfire and appeared on their site here ...
by Daphna Whitmore At Golden Oaks, a luxurious country retreat in the Hudson Valley, pregnant women have the best care money can buy. From the organic food, personalised exercise programmes, private yoga instruction and daily massages Golden Oaks looks like a country lodge for the upper class. Set some time ...
When Labour was running for election in 2017, it felt it needed to demonstrate "fiscal responsibility" and signed itself up to masochistic "budget responsibility rules". It was a fool's errand: the sorts of voters who demand fiscal responsibility are also the sorts of voters who believe that labour can never ...
Writing in Stuff, Joel MacManus looks at what we need to do to meet the Zero Carbon Act's targets. The core of it:1. Convert 85 per cent of vehicles on the road to electric. 2. Eliminate fossil fuels from all industrial heating up to 300 degrees Celsius. 3. Double our ...
Professors Janet Hoek and Richard Edwards, Emeritus Professor Phil Gendall, Jude Ball, Dr Judith McCool, Anaru Waa, Dr Becky FreemanRecent media reports have presented conflicting evidence on youth vaping in NZ. While some NZ school principals report concerns about increasing vaping on school grounds and confiscating vapes, ASH Year ...
“America the Beautiful!”, staunch defender of democracy, freedom and… a whole lot of despotic tyrants that play nice with what is called “the Washington Consensus.” America is indeed capable of immense good, but like any Nation, and most assuredly any aspirant to the mantle of Empire, great, immense evil. All ...
Image credit:The beginner’s guide to blogging I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the blog format is altered. If your blog is ...
1080 is used to control pests in NZ. Its use is contested by a noisy few. A new report claims high levels of 1080 in rats washed up on a beach. Flora and Fauna of Aotearoa (F&F) won’t name the laboratory that did their testing. It has sparked a hunt ...
What Kind Of Empire? The thing for Kiwis to decide is what kind of empire they want to belong to. The kind that, while offering its own citizens democratic rights, demands absolute obedience from its “friends”? Or, the kind that, while authoritarian at home, takes a relaxed attitude to the ...
It hasn't been a good week for the Conservatives, pollwise. All major recent polls are showing their lead shrinking.Comparing each pollster's current (between 29/11 and 22/11) and previous most recent poll.Com Res - Conservative lead down 3 points.You Gov - Conservative lead down 1 point.Kantar - Conservative lead down 4 ...
Within quick succession, Countdown maths wizard and twitterer Rachel Riley, alleged comedian David Baddiel and prominent lawyer Andrew Julius have all expressed very similar opinions / ideas:
These #3billboards are going round London today, organised by ex-Labour people, horrified by what their party has become. Their principles haven’t changed, they’re ...
So, there have been a bunch of bad polls out for Labour, and even the Leftie's friend, Survation, have recently given the Conservatives a rip-snorting 11% lead. You Gov's much vaunted MRP poll - which pretty much nailed the result in 2015 - is currently predicting a comfortable majority for ...
The European Parliament has voted overwhelmingly to declare a climate emergency:The European parliament has declared a global “climate and environmental emergency” as it urged all EU countries to commit to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The vote came as scientists warned that the world may have already crossed ...
Pure Fear: Worse than Heroin, this drug’s addictive power was terrifying. People under its influence didn’t drift off to Elysium. Nor did it persuade inadequate individuals that they could conquer the world. No, this drug – pure crystal methamphetamine, “P” for short – unlocked the gates of Hell itself. It ...
As the rate of measles infection, and of deaths, continues to climb in Samoa, antivaccination activists infectious disease proponents seem intent on doubling down on their claims about vaccination. (Check pretty much any news-media FB post about measles & you’ll see exactly what I mean.) Unfortunately, some of them have ...
Samoa are experiencing a devastating measles epidemic. It is possible that 2-3% of the population will ultimately be infected by the time it is over. Hopefully the mass immunisation campaign currently under way can mitigate some of this, for many it is too late. The first question many people ask ...
Meghan Murphy is a Canadian writer and journalist She runs the Feminist Current website which she founded in 2012. She was a keynote speaker for the Feminism2020 conference in Wellington this month. When Massey University cancelled the original venue booking Feminism2020 was hosted in Parliament by MP David Seymour. Meghan ...
Text and photos by Gearóid Ó Loingsigh Colombia has lived through one week of protests against the economic measures taken by president Duque. What looked like a protest that would fizzle out after its first day on November 21st is still going strong. Part of the reason for the continuance ...
Around a million billion pass through you each second, almost all originating from our sun, but few of them are likely to interact with you enroute. I was reading in a physics magazine earlier in the week about the nature of neutrinos. These are extremely numerous elementary particles, but only ...
By Pallab GhoshThere’s value in covering new research advances, even when the underlying science is unsettled. But there are also risks.The recent announcement that scientists discovered water on the planet K2-18b, 110 light years away, prompted a media swoon. News stories, including a piece written by me, billed ...
I wrote this review a couple of years ago when I was still in the process of getting my head around the politics of transgenderism, and specifically the claim that intersex conditions lend support to the notion that sex is ‘socially constructed’. Since writing this review I have come across ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzHow much does our use of air travel contribute to the ...
Minor planet/asteroid (2309) Mr. Spock is named not for the character in Star Trek, but for a cat that was itself imperturbable, logical, intelligent and had pointed ears. In a preceding blog post I introduced one of my favourite asteroids, (2472) Bradman, and also mentioned (6581) Sobers amongst a few ...
Today the death toll from measles in Samoa rose to 32. All but four of the dead were less than 5 years old. Absolutely terrible, heartbreaking, news. That statistic alone should be enough to give the lie to the common claim by antivaccination activists plague enthusiasts that “measles is a ...
by Gearóid Ó Loingsigh It is late here in Bogotá, almost 11.30pm on Monday the 25th of November as I write this. The day began full of hope with yet more massive marches throughout the country, a mix of the International Day of Non-Violence Against Women and the National Strike. ...
Anti-fluoride activists are rubbing their hands in glee over what they claim is “yet another study” showing fluoride harms the brains of children. But their promotion relies on IQ relationships which the paper’s authors acknowledge disappearing when outliers or other factors are considered. And they completely ignore other relationships ...
The feature below is the conclusion of A History of Economic Thought, whose author was a leading Marxist economist in Russia in the early 20th century, Isaac Ilyich Rubin. The book arose from a course he ran at Moscow University following the Russian Revolution. First published in Russian in 1929, ...
There are many thousands of asteroids with formal names, some humdrum but other more noteworthy (depending on your predilections). One of my favourites, the name of which I was involved in suggesting, is (2472) Bradman, named for the Australian cricketing great. As a minor planet (synonym: asteroid) spotter, I have ...
Tory manifesto: big on austerity, low on promise, non-existent on delivery. The Tories: the party so big on ambition they couldn't be arsed writing a manifesto. MLK: "I have a dream!"BJ: "I'll just have a nap." Labour: Broadband!Tories: Narrow minds! Labour have hope, dreams and ambition. The Tories will save ...
The Ministry of Health has announced that “people under the age of 50 travelling from New Zealand to Samoa, Tonga, Philippines and Fiji” are now on the list of national priorities for MMR vaccination. Given the outbreaks of measles in Samoa, Tonga, Philippines and Fiji, the Ministry of Health is ...
Hong Kong has been protesting for six months for, demanding democracy, human rights, and an end to police violence. Today, they went to the polls in district council elections - a low-level of government with virtually no power, similar to community boards in New Zealand. But while the positions themselves ...
Text and photos by Gearóid Ó Loingsigh On Friday 22nd of November a curfew came into effect and troops were deployed on the streets, here in Bogota. It was the first time since September 1977 that a curfew had been imposed on the city. The decision was a cynical pre-planned ...
Meanwhile, while the government is planning to restore voting rights to prisoners, National is promising to turn our prisons into US-style slave-labour camps:The Opposition is proposing compulsory education, training or employment for prisoners who are serving sentences of two years or more. [...] On Sunday, National Party Leader Simon Bridges ...
Excerpts from Being and Being Bought, by Kajsa Ekis Ekman Spinifex Press, 2013. Ekman, a Swedish journalist and critic, brings together a Marxist and feminist analysis of prostitution and surrogacy in this groundbreaking book. This is the second part of a synopsis and brief commentary of the book by Daphna ...
Dalmeet Singh ChawlaIn 2008, psychologists proposed that when humans are shown an unfamiliar face, they judge it on two main dimensions: trustworthiness and physical strength. These form the basis of first impressions, which may help people make important social decisions, from who to vote for to how long a ...
Claas Kirchhelle, University of Oxford; Adam Roberts, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, and Andrew Singer, Centre for Ecology & HydrologyAntibiotics are among the most important medicines known to humankind, but we are running out of this crucial resource. Decisive action is needed if we are to retain access to ...
Things That Make You Go - Hmmmm: “All right. Let me come at this another way. I’m guessing that what you’ve got in that box contains names, dates, bank account numbers – all the details you need to put Winston Peters and Jacinda Ardern squarely in the cross-hairs. So, the first ...
Coasters Turn Out In Droves: It’s precisely the widening gulf between those with actual experience of things like guns, chainsaws and drilling machines, and those who regulate their use, that accounts for the angry crowd at Greymouth’s Messenger Park on Sunday, 17 November 2019. In the rarefied atmosphere where decisions ...
There are perennial arguments about the circumstances of the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963, and in particular whether more than one shooter is required by the evidence (such as the Zapruder film). Those who know little about physics frequently claim that the sharp backwards motion of JFK’s head as ...
Apparently, some people enjoy washing their cars. Each to his or her own, I suppose. I mean, some people like duck shooting, some people follow Coronation Street, and some people’s idea of a good day out is to sit on a grass bank at Seddon Park and watch cricket all ...
Last week we learned that New Zealand First had apparently tried to enrich itself from public office, with a dodgy forestry company linked to a number of NZ First figures sticking its hand out repeatedly for government money. Today in Question Time Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones had his ...
Finally, governments seem slowly to be beginning to act on climate change. But its not enough. While they're publicly signing up to targets, they're planning to destroy the world by continuing fossil fuel extraction:The world’s nations are on track to produce more than twice as much coal, oil and gas ...
Stuff has begun interviewing NZ First's secret donors, and it turns out that its as bad as we expected. They start with racing industry figure Garry Chittick, who is predictably grumpy about NZ First's coalition choices. Meanwhile, I'm looking at the list of pork NZ First has effectively given its ...
Mark Patterson, Spokesperson for Primary Industries New Zealand First spokesperson for Primary Industries, Mark Patterson, has called for awareness to be raised and more stringent biosecurity checks to be put in place for African Swine Fever (ASF), a widespread virus that is uncontrolled in most of Asia and a serious ...
Jenny Marcroft MP, Spokesperson for Human Rights A critical step has been taken to end gender based violence against women and girls in Parliament this evening. New Zealand First Spokesperson for Human Rights Jenny Marcroft MP has welcomed the passing of the first reading of the Crimes (Definition of Female ...
New Zealand First MP Shane Jones says it's time to recognise market forces haven't led to the expected reduction in Māori smoking rates and try a new approach. The Party had recently invoked the agree to disagree clause in their Coalition Agreement with the Labour Party, and will not support ...
Live from the Whanganui Opera House, on the final day of the 2019 Labour Party Conference, Jacinda Ardern announced the largest investment in school property in 25 years. ...
The Coalition Government will be banning foreign donations to political parties and candidates, ahead of next year’s general elections. Legislation will be introduced to Parliament and passed under urgency – emphasising the need for such restrictions to safeguard our democracy. The bill introduces a new requirement that party secretaries and ...
Associate Transport Minister Shane Jones opened Taipā's $19 million bridge recently, improving transport infrastructure in the Northland region. The two-lane bridge is 107m long with a 2.5m-wide shared walking and cycling path, and will reduce the congestion that the old one-lane bridge was notorious for. The project had also included ...
The Overseas Investment Office have rejected the application of Mercury Agriculture LP, which is 92 per cent controlled by Canadian interests, to purchase more than 2000 hectares of South Canterbury and Otago land. Mercury wanted to buy 2000ha at Rangitata, 1494ha near Ashburton, 816ha near Cromwell and 212ha near Temuka. ...
This weekend was Labour's 103rd Party Conference! We welcomed over 500 of our Labour whānau in red to Whanganui, where we reflected on the last two years in Government, and looked ahead to 2020 and beyond. We know the long-term challenges facing New Zealand won't be tackled overnight, but we're making ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced that the Provincial Growth Fund will invest $9.6 million to seal the final unsealed section of State Highway 43 from Stratford to Taumarunui. The Minister said sealing the 12-kilometre gravel section of the highway – also called the “Forgotten World Highway” - through ...
Former Finance Minister and former chair of the Tax Working Group, Sir Michael Cullen, has voiced his support for New Zealand First’s decision to oppose the planned increase in tobacco excise tax. In an interview with The Weekend Collective, he said that increasing the price was no longer effective in ...
Māori are natural storytellers. On the marae we use stories to tell our history, to teach the next generation life lessons and to let people know, in our most creative of ways, who we are and where we have come from. ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, New Zealand First Leader New Zealand First has invoked the ‘Agree to Disagree’ provisions of the Coalition Agreement because it cannot support the announced 11.46 percent increase in the tobacco excise from 1 January 2020. “Studies show that the automatic tobacco excise increases are having less effect ...
Taupō-based company Geo40 has made a breakthrough in extracting near battery-grade lithium from geothermal fluid which its says could be a gamechanger. Its chief executive John Worth said the earth mineral was highly prized, with battery-grade lithium selling for US$10,000 (NZ$15,600) a tonne. Geo40 was founded in 2010 to find ...
Crown research institute AgResearch Ltd, as part of its Future Footprint plan, had intended to relocate top scientists and support staff — particularly those focused on sheep genetics and genomics — from Invermay to Lincoln. However, those plans seem to have been shelved at the request of the Coalition Government. ...
Ten engineering firms in Southland are receiving a total of $2.13 million in Provincial Growth Fund funding to lift productivity and create new jobs. Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced in Invercargill that the 10 engineering and manufacturing firms would receive funding to assist them with buying equipment that ...
The number of new residents to New Zealand is the lowest it has been in nearly two decades and it has earned the ire of the immigration industry. The industry alleges that 'Trump-style extreme vetting' is being put in place aimed at keeping a lid on immigration numbers. June Ranson, ...
The Royal New Zealand Air Force is one step closer to modernising its fleet after the United States State Department recently approved the sale of five new C-130J Hercules aircraft to New Zealand. Arms manufacturer Lockheed Martin, in Fort Worth, Texas, will provide the aircraft, but as a "foreign military ...
Forestry Minister Shane Jones wants to create a log barging facility at Hicks Bay and turn the area into a Special Economic Zone. The move would be part of protecting New Zealand's forests from being depleted by India and China, he said. It follows his announcement last week to strengthen ...
New Zealand First supports the changes recommended by the Winter Grazing Taskforce to improve animal welfare outcomes through the winter months, and the establishment of a pan-sector action group to implement them. New Zealand First Primary Industries Spokesperson Mark Patterson says the report highlights areas of concern about the animal ...
Former prime ministers Helen Clark and Sir John Key, formerly from the Labour and National parties respectively, have joined forces in support of New Zealand First’s plan to relocate Auckland's port to Whangārei. While Ms Clark and Sir John spent their political careers on opposite sides of the political divide, ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is in Japan for the Foreign Ministers' meeting of the G20 grouping of countries as one of nine "invited" countries. He has used the opportunity to cast a spotlight on the plight of Pacific countries, calling out countries which still offered subsidies or Government assistance to ...
It's been a great week of progress: we've celebrated Children's Day, we've made communities safer with 1800 new police, and we've seen almost 90% of eligible schools take up Government funding to scrap school donations - taking pressure off the families of more than 416,000 students. ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister of Forestry The Government will further strengthen New Zealand’s wood processing sector as part of our focus on ‘value over volume’ in our forestry industry, Forestry Minister Shane Jones says. Minister Jones will today meet with forestry representatives in Northland to signal new measures to help the ...
New Zealand First are celebrating the announcement of an investment of $3.5 million into five new trapping devices. These are a range of bait and trap devices, all designed to be left unattended for long periods of time. NZ First conservation spokesperson Jenny Marcroft says that this latest development will ...
Jenny Marcroft, Spokesperson for Conservation New Zealand First is proud to announce the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) has allocated $3.5 million to develop innovative predator control approaches which will reduce the need for repeated 1080 use. $19.5 million of PGF funding was announced for Predator Free 2050 Limited in February ...
Darroch Ball, Spokesperson for Police New Zealand First is proud to have delivered on a key Coalition Agreement commitment to adding 1800 new frontline police, with the graduation of Recruit Wing 332 in Porirua today. Law and Order Spokesperson Darroch Ball says increasing police numbers and boosting their resources was one ...
Clayton Mitchell, Spokesperson for Consumer Affairs The ‘wheel clamping’ Bill that will cap clamper fees to $100 passed its third readinginParliament today. New Zealand First welcomes The Land Transport (Wheel Clamping) Amendment Bill to combat predatory wheel clamping behaviour in what is currently a largely unregulated business. Cowboy clampers are: gouging ...
Jenny Marcroft, Spokesperson for Health New Zealand First welcomes the passage of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission Bill through its first reading in Parliament. “Today’s progress takes serious action on the mental health and addiction crisis the country is facing,” says New Zealand First Health Spokesperson Jenny Marcroft. “The re-establishment ...
Mark Patterson, Spokesperson for Primary Industries Today the Government announced the delivery of the promise to protect New Zealand interests by applying a new National Interest Test to the sales of our most sensitive and high risk assets to overseas buyers. This further strengthening of the Overseas Investment Act will ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced further support as the Government of Samoa responds to a serious measles outbreak. “New Zealand will deploy a further 18 vaccination nurses, bringing the total to 30 working in Samoa over the next ...
The Coalition Government is delivering on its promise to protect New Zealanders’ interests by applying a new national interest test to the sales of our most sensitive and high-risk assets to overseas buyers. Under current Overseas Investment Act (OIA) rules, assets such as ports and airports, telecommunications infrastructure, electricity and ...
Rt Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First Allegations raised this morning by Stuff Limited / Fairfax concern a party matter but I am confident that New Zealand First has operated within electoral laws, now and for the last 27 years. Declarable donations were declared to the Electoral Commission. Our ...
The chairman of the Upper North Island Supply Chain Strategy (UNISCS) working group, Wayne Brown, has hit back at critics of his group’s recommendations to relocate the Ports of Auckland cargo operations to Whangarei’s deepwater port of Northport. The working group's recommendation to close Auckland waterfront to all but cruise ...
International education continues to thrive as the Government focuses on quality over quantity, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said. The tuition revenue from international education increased to $1.16 billion last year with the average tuition fee per student increasing by $960. The total number of international students enrolled in New Zealand ...
Health Minister Dr David Clark says new appointments to DHBs represent a significant changing of the guard, with 13 new chairs including four Māori chairs. Today 76 appointments have been announced to complement elected board members, as well as eight elected members appointed as either chair or deputy chair. Four ...
Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Fletcher Tabuteau, is travelling to Germany, Poland, Austria, and Spain next week to bolster New Zealand’s political and trade relationships in Europe. While in Spain, Mr Tabuteau will represent New Zealand at the 14th Asia-Europe (ASEM) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Madrid. “New Zealand strongly supports ...
“I’ve spoken to Minister Faafoi, who has apologised for his poor handling of this issue,” Jacinda Ardern said. “I have confidence in Kris as a hardworking and effective Minister, but this should have been dealt with in a much clearer manner, and I’ve made my views on that very clear ...
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters met with Tongan Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pohiva Tu'i'onetoa in Wellington today. The pair signed a Statement of Partnership setting out joint priorities for cooperation out to 2023. “We welcomed Prime Minister Tu'i'onetoa on his first visit to New Zealand as Prime Minister. Tonga ...
The Minister of Police Stuart Nash says his sympathies are with the family of a man who died after being shot by Police in Kurow. “Initial reports are that Police were called by a family member to help the man who was threatening to harm himself,” Mr Nash says. “However ...
Healthier waterways, better productivity and farmer wellbeing are front and centre in a new project involving more than 1000 Southland farmers and growers. Minister of Agriculture Damien O’Connor today announced that the Thriving Southland Change and Innovation Project is the first region-wide extension programme supported by the $229 million Sustainable ...
Work to look after nature and restore freshwater quality in Te Hoiere/Pelorus River catchment is getting a significant boost, thanks to new Government funding support Minister for Conservation Eugenie Sage announced in Canvastown today. “Every New Zealander should be able to swim in their local river without getting sick, and ...
Eight Queen’s Counsel have been appointed under a process that includes the new criterion of a commitment to improving access to justice, Attorney-General David Parker announced today. “The new criterion was included this year. It emphasises that excellence and leadership in the profession can be seen through a wider, community ...
Onslow College in Wellington will get 20 new classrooms for more than 400 students, Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced today. The much-needed investment will relieve growth pressure the school has been experiencing for some time. Seven existing classrooms which have deteriorated over time will also be replaced, bringing the total ...
More than 250 young New Zealanders will add international experience to their education, thanks to the latest Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Asia (PMSA) and Latin America (PMSLA), Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced today. This round of scholarships supports 252 recent graduates or current students to undertake study, research or internships ...
Consumers will benefit from a more competitive, transparent retail fuel market as a result of changes the Government will be making in response to the findings of the Commerce Commission’s study of the fuel sector. “We accept the Commission’s findings and, as the Prime Minister has said, we’re ready to ...
Five new cancer medicines have now been funded this year, meaning thousands of people have more treatment options PHARMAC has today announced that it has approved two new medicines for funding – fulvestrant for breast cancer and olaparib for ovarian cancer. This follows earlier decisions on advanced lung cancer treatment alectinib, ...
The Minister of Local Government, Hon Nanaia Mahuta says the Government will consider making changes to local electoral legislation before the 2022 elections to fix the problems that have arisen where elections are settled by a coin toss. The Minister says the recount process in the Murupara- Galatea ward at ...
New Zealand will sign up to new international maritime regulations to reduce ship emissions and lift air quality around ports and harbours, Associate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter announced today. Subject to completion of the Parliamentary treaty examination process, New Zealand will sign up to Annex VI of MARPOL, an ...
New legislation to transform our urban areas and create sustainable, inclusive and thriving communities will tomorrow be introduced to Parliament, Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford said. “The Urban Development Bill gives Kāinga Ora-Homes and Communities the tools it needs to partner with councils, communities, mana whenua and private developers to ...
Today’s launch of He taonga te Tamaiti: Every child a taonga: The Early Learning Action Plan 2019-2029 provides the foundation for long-lasting changes to early learning, Education Minister Chris Hipkins says. “Early learning will be one of the Government’s top education priorities going into 2020,” Chris Hipkins said. ...
Major decisions made by the Government will now be considered under a climate change lens, Minister for Climate Change James Shaw announced today. “Cabinet routinely considers the effects of its decisions on human rights, the Treaty of Waitangi, rural communities, the disability community, and gender – now climate change will ...
Education Minister Chris Hipkins today announced the appointment of Māori education specialist Dr Wayne Ngata and Business NZ head Kirk Hope to the Board of the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC). Dr Alastair MacCormick has been reappointed for another term. “Wayne Ngata, Kirk Hope and Alastair MacCormick bring a great deal ...
The next phase of the Pike River Re-entry project is underway, Minister Responsible for Pike River Re-entry Andrew Little says. “Fresh air will be pumped into the Pike River Mine drift this week, following acceptance of the plan for re-entry beyond the 170m barrier by New Zealand’s independent health and ...
New Zealand consumers will have greater certainty about their insurance cover when they need to make claims as a result of proposed government changes. “Insurance is vitally important in supporting consumers and businesses to be financially resilient when unexpected events happen,” Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Kris Faafoi said. ...
The Crown is providing an opportunity for the hapu of Ngāpuhi to rebuild its framework from the ground up for collective negotiations to deal with its historical Treaty claims, Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Andrew Little and Minister for Māori Development Nanaia Mahuta announced today. The Crown is also ...
A Bill enabling referendums to be held with the 2020 General Election has passed its third reading. Justice Minister Andrew Little says the Act is important for upholding the integrity of New Zealand’s electoral process. “The Government has committed to holding a referendum on legalising recreational cannabis at the next ...
The first release of public information on the two referendums to be held at next year’s General Election was made today with an informative new Government website going live. Additionally, the draft Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill has been released, showing the strict controls on cannabis that will apply if ...
The Government is taking action to protect New Zealand from foreign interference in our elections by banning foreign donations to political parties and candidates, Justice Minister Andrew Little announced today. Legislation will be introduced to Parliament this afternoon and passed under urgency. “There’s no need for anyone other than New ...
Governments and tech companies are holding a two-day workshop, hosted by YouTube/Google in Wellington, to test the Christchurch Call Shared Crisis Response Protocol. The workshop aims to refine and strengthen the response in the event of a terrorist attack with online implications. Companies, governments, civil society experts and NGOs will ...
The new independent Cancer Control Agency has formally opened today, delivering on the Government’s plan to improve cancer care in New Zealand. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Minister of Health David Clark marked the occasion by announcing the membership of the Advisory Council that will be supporting ...
Small businesses who deal with government departments are set to be paid faster and have improved cash flow as a result, under a new strategy released today. The Government is backing recommendations from the Small Business Council (SBC) and has agreed to implement three initiatives immediately to support business and ...
The Education and Training Bill 2019, introduced in Parliament today, proposes the biggest education changes in decades and is an important step towards improving success for all our learners, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said. “The Bill’s rewrite of education legislation is long overdue. Indeed one Education Act, parts of which ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio will travel to Bali to represent New Zealand at the 12th Bali Democracy Forum that will be held on the 5-6 December. “The Forum is a valuable opportunity for Asia-Pacific countries to share experiences and best practice in building home-grown democracy and fostering ...
A package of new and expanded technology and other tools will encourage responsible camping and help communities and local councils better manage freedom camping this summer, Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis announced today. “Our Government has been investing to improve the freedom camping experience for everyone because we want to support ...
The government is laying the groundwork to understanding our genes – work that can help us tackle some of our biggest health challenges, like heart disease and diabetes, says Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods. $4.7 million has been invested in the Genomics Aotearoa Rakeiora programme. The programme will ...
Nearly every state schools will receive a capital injection next year valued at $693 per student to bring forward urgent school property improvements, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced today. The one-off cash injection is the first project to be announced from the Government’s infrastructure package ...
The Government has decided to bring forward major investments in New Zealand’s infrastructure to future proof the economy. “Cabinet has agreed to a significant boost to infrastructure investment. I have directed the Treasury to help bring together a package of projects that can be brought into the Government’s short and ...
It is a great pleasure to be with you today in Whanganui. Like the Prime Minister I grew up with the TV clip of Selwyn Toogood booming “What do you say Whanganui, the money or the bag?” to an unsuspecting ‘It’s in the Bag’ audience. For those under the age ...
New Zealand’s newest Great Walk, the Paparoa Track, was officially opened in Blackball today by the Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage alongside the family members of the Pike 29 and Ngāti Waewae. Local mayors and MP for the West Coast Hon Damien O’Connor were also in attendance. “Paparoa National Park ...
Minister of Defence Ron Mark turned the first sod of earth on the infrastructure works for the new P-8A Poseidon fleet at RNZAF Base Ohakea today. “The Coalition Government’s investment in Ohakea will ensure the Royal New Zealand Air Force can manage, maintain and task the new fleet efficiently ahead ...
Civil Defence Minister Hon Peeni Henare today announced the establishment of the new National Emergency Management Agency from 1 December 2019. The National Emergency Management Agency will replace the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management. It will be an autonomous departmental agency, hosted by the Department of the Prime ...
New Zealand tertiary students with top grades and a passion for space will once again be offered the opportunity to work with the world’s best and brightest at NASA, Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford announced today. Recipients of the New Zealand Space Scholarship are nominated by the Ministry of Business, ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further support to Samoa in the wake of an ongoing measles outbreak in the country. Additional medical supplies and personnel, including a third rotation of New Zealand’s emergency medical assistance team (NZMAT), further nurse vaccinators, intensive care (ICU) specialists and Samoan-speaking medical professionals, will ...
After 40 years at the frontline, the University of Otago's Professor Marie Crowe discusses her research on treatments beyond medicine to alleviate symptoms of mood disorders like bipolar and depression. ...
Everything you need to know about the suspension of buses in Auckland and the industrial action standoff that it springs from.What’s going on?Yesterday saw the cancellation of thousands of bus trips and a lot of people standing around at Auckland bus stops looking puzzled after services operated by NZ Bus ...
ASMS message to DHB Chairs and appointees The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) welcomes the District Health Board Chairs and board appointees announced by Health Minister David Clark. ...
Eight Queen’s Counsel have been appointed under a process that includes the new criterion of a commitment to improving access to justice, Attorney-General David Parker announced this week. The new criterion, he explained, ” … emphasises that excellence and leadership in the profession can be seen through a wider, community ...
“CEAC – University of Auckland asks ‘Can democracy survive’? Subject; Can democracy survive? https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2019/12/03/can-democracy-survive-.html Citizens Environmental Advocacy Centre Incorporated (CEAC) Press release 8th December ...
The Minister of Health’s announcement to appoint a new chair to the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board has come as a surprise and with some disappointment, especially given he had personally asked me to stand again with his confidence to continue in ...
Hell’s bells it’s Gone By Lunchtime, with Annabelle Lee, Ben Thomas and Toby Manhire shooting the breeze on Kris Faafoi, Jason Kerrison, Winston Peters, NZ First donations, a cannabis referendum, and the year to come.Just when you thought politics was tucking under the duvet for Christmas, along comes the guy ...
Tis the season for hangovers, so we convinced some of New Zealand’s most experienced consumers of food and/or drink (OK, Spinoff staff and a bunch of chefs/hospo people) to share their tried-and-true culinary remedies.A hangover is a very individual thing. For some, it manifests as a splitting headache and extreme ...
Before Britain’s Got Talent: Champions hits our screens tonight, let’s take a fond look back at some of the show’s weirdest and most wonderful acts.Place your hands on your Golden Buzzer, because Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions kicks off this weekend. Champions is BGT bigger and better than it’s been before, ...
Following the raging success of the 2018 non-goat ethical Christmas gift guide, here for you today – responsibly wrapped in reusable gift wrap – is the 2019 list of ethical, sustainable, socially conscious, or charitable gift ideas to satisfy all kinds of family members and budgets.Budget Category: ‘Can we pay ...
Lime brought e-scooters to Auckland and changed the way we travel in less than a year. Now, the council is replacing it and Wave with three new contenders. Josie Adams goes to the Lime warehouse to say goodbye to the original scooters.In a warehouse in Eden Terrace, almost a thousand ...
Analysis - The government's first crack at cannabis legislation runs into trouble, a foreign donations bill is rammed through Parliament and a select committee refuses to listen to former NZ First officeholders. ...
Dr Ben Jansen is Oceania's leading prescriber of cannabis medicines, and a co-founder of the Hemp Foundation.org.nz “I’d like to thank the Labour Party and Chris Woodney. Thanks to his policy remit at Labours national conference, and Labours full support, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hannah Soong, Senior Lecturer in Teacher Education Practice, School of Education, University of South Australia Australian 15 year olds were around three and a half years behind their counterparts in China in maths, according to the OECD’s latest results for education systems ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dimitri Perrin, Senior Lecturer, Queensland University of Technology More than a year ago, the world was shocked by Chinese biophysicist He Jiankui’s attempt to use CRISPR technology to modify human embryos and make them resistant to HIV, which led to the birth ...
Cabinet minister Kris Faafoi has apologised to the Prime Minister for his messages to Jason Kerrison regarding an immigration case, but will not lose his job. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julian Meyrick, Professor of Creative Arts, Flinders University The decision to merge the Department of Communications and the Arts with Transport, Infrastructure and Regional development (dropping the “Arts” entirely) ends a year in which Australian politics has been deeply confused over its ...
A historic referendum on independence has been completed in Bougainville. Johnny Blades of RNZ was there. People in the autonomous Papua New Guinea region of Bougainville have voted in an historic independence referendum. The long-anticipated referendum is the ultimate provision of 2001’s Bougainville Peace Agreement, which followed a brutal, protracted ...
Dairy farmers had some Xmas cheer this week, as dairy giant Fonterra told them the forecast payout would be the fourth-highest-ever, at the mid-point of its farmgate milk price range. The $7.30kg/ms means the cash payout for the season will reach $11.2bn, a rise of about $400m from the earlier forecast. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Caitlin Syme, PhD in Vertebrate Palaeontology, The University of Queensland When you find dinosaur skeletons, how can you tell how old the dinosaur was? Like, if the skeleton is from a child dinosaur or an adult dinosaur? – Henry, aged 8. ...
The Council of Licenced Firearms Owners (COLFO) has had to clarify the law with Police and receive their reassurance that while the amnesty for ammunition was not extended to 20 December, Police will act as if it has been. ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 We Are Here: An Atlas of Aotearoa by Chris McDowall & Tim Denee (Massey University Press, $70)Superlative ...
This week a petition with more than 15,000 signatures was presented at parliament to Nicola Willis, MP and opposition spokesperson for Early Childhood Education. Also attending were Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick and Hon Nikki Kaye. ...
It’s that time of year again when, for the third year running, a new A Christmas Prince movie is released. Sam Brooks was in front of a TV screen for the latest instalment’s debut on Netflix last night, and here catalogues the many stupid, wild, and wildly stupid things he ...
One of the most highly rated members of Jacinda Ardern’s Cabinet is under pressure over assurances given in relation to an immigration case. How bad could it get, asks Toby Manhire.There has never been a New Zealand prime minister more engaged with contemporary homegrown music than Jacinda Ardern. She’s forever ...
Kris Faafoi, Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media; Minister ofCommerce and Consumer Affairs;Minister of Government Digital Services; Associate Minister forHousing; MP for Mana.The latest allegations of a corruption scandal involving a Cabinet minister suggests this government is far too loose when it comes to providing access to power ...
The National Party cannot credibly critique the Government’s hikes to fuel tax while it refuses to commit to reversing these hikes, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union. Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says, “Simon Bridges has lambasted ...
Newspaper staff were among those to express dismay and fury during the frenzy of denunciations that followed publication of an ill-considered cartoon about Samoa and the measles epidemic. The Spinoffrecorded their reactions under the heading ODT cartoonist infuriates his colleagues with Sāmoa measles epidemic ‘joke’. It also reproduced the ...
New Zealand Police Association condemns comments made by People Against Prisons Aotearoa following the fatal police shooting of an armed man who had made threats of suicide. ...
A new poem by Harry Ricketts. The Writing Life You want to write.You want to be published.You want to be read. You want to be a cult figure.You want to be reviewed.You want to write. You want to win prizes.You want to be anthologised.You want to be read. You want to be taught in schools ...
As Christmas is near, it’s time to set the record straight on some of the most commonly misunderstood aspects of employment law that apply to the festive season. ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Kris Faafoi immigration case Fiona Connor and Tova O’Brien (Newshub): ‘I’m on it bro’: Messages show Kris Faafoi offering help to ...
The Minister of Local Government Nanaia Mahuta has announced changes to prevent Māori wards being voted down by referendums are off the table, saying she believes such a change is not possible within the coalition. ...
It’s officially the festive season, and what does that mean? An office Secret Santa with a budget of $20 and you’ve picked your boss. Instead of settling for a bottle of average wine and a ribbon, follow our essential guide on what to get those unique workmates.At last year’s Secret ...
The shooting of a suicidal man in Southland shows that police armament is dangerous, says criminal justice group People Against Prisons Aotearoa. The shooting comes just over a month into the controversial trial of heavily armed police teams in 3 regions ...
The Prime Minister should deal urgently with reports Cabinet Minister Kris Faafoi offered to help a friend over an immigration case, National Party leader Simon Bridges says. ...
The families of top former All Blacks are likely to donate their loved ones’ brains to research so the effect of head impacts in sport can be studied. ...
A woman who went on a Tinder date with the man who murdered Grace Millane tells her story, and issues a warning to other women to trust their instincts when something doesn’t feel right.First published on Newshub.co.nzI went on a date with Grace Millane’s killer while her body lay in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gottfried Lechner, Associate Professor and Director of the Institute for Telecommunications Research, University of South Australia, University of South Australia Satellites are becoming increasingly important in our lives, as they help us meet a demand for more data, exchanged at higher speeds. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Terry Goldsworthy, Associate Professor in Criminology, Bond University According to the latest figures, homicides in Australia are at historic lows and compare well against international trends. So what do the trends tell us and why is the homicide rate in Australia declining? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy O’Rourke, Senior Lecturer, School of Architecture, The University of Queensland Welcome to the next article in our Designing Hospitals series, where we explore how architecture and design shape our hospitals and medical centres. Today, we look at what Indigenous people tell ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, UNSW The latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results are bad news for Australian students, parents, employers and policymakers. Pretty much everyone. Australian 15-year-olds are now below the OECD average in mathematics, and our results in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danielle Clode, Senior Research Fellow in Creative Writing, Flinders University It is only mid-November but we have to walk early to avoid the heat. A northerly wind picks up clouds of dust and pollen, sending dirty billows across the paddocks. The long ...
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Changes coming to fuel market, anti-vaxxer arrested in Samoa, and banks told to hold more capital.New recommendations to increase competition in the fuel market have been made by the Commerce Commission, reports the NZ Herald. Their conclusion is that it isn’t competitive ...
This week's biggest-selling New Zealand books, as recorded by the Nielsen BookScan New Zealand bestseller list and described by ReadingRoom literary editor Steve Braunias. ...
An alliance of top researchers is trying to keep New Zealand ahead of complex health challenges from overuse of antibiotics, threats to freshwater quality and emerging infectious diseases. ...
The birthplace of the Labour Party is once again at the forefront of a new movement, this time harnessing the power of the collective to step away from coal towards a low carbon future.Blackball is a small place with a huge history. This week the town, 29 kilometres from Greymouth, ...
Life expectancy is increasing all the time, and now actuaries and retirement experts say young people need far more information on what they’ll need to do with their money if they live to 100. Don’t worry, we’re here to help. The message from the Retirement Income Interest Group of the New ...
German politician Joschka Fischer has had a remarkable career. From street violence and helping to set up the Green party, he matured into the foreign minister and vice-chancellor of a united Germany, serving until 2005. His understanding of power politics led him to support the use of force in the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Scott Morrison said it with a straight face, and repetition for emphasis. “I’m very pleased, very pleased, with the performance of all of my ministers,” he declared on Thursday. This ringing if unconvincing universal endorsement ...
PARENTS AROUND THE WORLD PLEA FOR URGENT CLIMATE ACTION 222 parents groups from 27 countries have released a heartfelt joint plea calling on negotiators at this year’s UN climate summit – COP25 – in Madrid to push for ambitious and urgent ...
Government proposals to overhaul insurance contract laws should make the whole process of taking out insurance easier and simpler to understand for consumers, says Financial Advice New Zealand. ...
Despite New Zealand First lobbying hard at the Cabinet table, the Finance Minister says the case to move Auckland's port operations north has not yet been made. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Tomnay, Assoc. Professor / Director of Centre for Excellence in Rural Sexual Health, University of Melbourne Around one in six Australian women have had an abortion by their mid-30s. These women come from all age groups and demographics: some are mothers ...
Open Mike 06/12/2018 
The state of the United Kingdom is fractured, torn up, shredded. The Empire is gone, it died a long time ago. And yet, the country is still tracking with a lead in favour of the ones who play to the ingrained, class-bound division for political gain. It is a disgrace ...11 hours ago
It should be obvious by now but let’s be clear: The same folk who regularly traffic in disinformation, misinformation and “fake news” are also those who most strongly claim that their freedom of expression rights are being violated when moves are made to curb hate speech (as opposed to protected ...13 hours ago
Michael Schulson When Shane Burcaw flies on an airplane, he brings along a customized gel cushion, a car seat, and about 10 pieces of memory foam. The whole arsenal costs around $1,000, but for Burcaw it’s a necessity. The 27-year-old author and speaker — who, alongside his fiancée, Hannah ...20 hours ago
We are very pleased to publish this submission is from Lucinda Stoan. She is a social justice activist, mother, and educator, based in Washington State in the US. This detailed and comprehensive source-linked overview of trans issues and what is at stake will be useful for many people, especially in ...2 days ago
Newshub last night reported that Broadcasting Minister Kris Faafoi had apparently promised to help out a mate with an immigration issue. While its normal for people to approach MPs for assistance in this area, when you're a Minister, the rules are different: as the Cabinet Manual says, Ministers must "at ...2 days ago
New Zealand's Underarm Banker: It bears recalling that the “independence” of the Reserve Bank Governor was for decades held up by neoliberal capitalists as the most compelling justification for passing the Reserve Bank Act. Interesting, is it not, how the ruling class’s support for the Bank’s independence lasted no longer than ...2 days ago
“Free at last, Free at last, Thank God almighty we are free at last.” ― Martin Luther King Jr. A long and bitter court feud between former Conservative Party leader Colin Craig and Jordan Williams has been settled, with an apology and compensation from Williams. On Tuesday, Craig sent out ...2 days ago
Some people seem to want to close down any critical discussion of the current research into the relationship between water fluoride and child IQ. They appear to argue that claims made by researchers should not be open to critical review and that the claims be accepted without proper consideration ...3 days ago
In an unreliable, strange and confusing world, Public Address is proud to present a measure of comfort and stability by annually asking everyone what words or phrases sum up the year that's been – and then giving some of them consumer goods as prizes for being clever or simply lucky.Well, ...3 days ago
While much of the NZ left has transitioned to postmodern and identity politics in relation to transgender ideology, there are some very good articles about that deploy Marxist methodology in relation to this subject. The one below is from the British marxist group Counterfire and appeared on their site here ...5 days ago
“America the Beautiful!”, staunch defender of democracy, freedom and… a whole lot of despotic tyrants that play nice with what is called “the Washington Consensus.” America is indeed capable of immense good, but like any Nation, and most assuredly any aspirant to the mantle of Empire, great, immense evil. All ...6 days ago
Image credit: The beginner’s guide to blogging I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the blog format is altered. If your blog is ... 7 days ago
It hasn't been a good week for the Conservatives, pollwise. All major recent polls are showing their lead shrinking.Comparing each pollster's current (between 29/11 and 22/11) and previous most recent poll.Com Res - Conservative lead down 3 points.You Gov - Conservative lead down 1 point.Kantar - Conservative lead down 4 ...1 week ago
Mark Patterson, Spokesperson for Primary Industries New Zealand First spokesperson for Primary Industries, Mark Patterson, has called for awareness to be raised and more stringent biosecurity checks to be put in place for African Swine Fever (ASF), a widespread virus that is uncontrolled in most of Asia and a serious ...3 days ago
Live from the Whanganui Opera House, on the final day of the 2019 Labour Party Conference, Jacinda Ardern announced the largest investment in school property in 25 years. ...5 days ago
International education continues to thrive as the Government focuses on quality over quantity, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said. The tuition revenue from international education increased to $1.16 billion last year with the average tuition fee per student increasing by $960. The total number of international students enrolled in New Zealand ...10 hours ago
After 40 years at the frontline, the University of Otago's Professor Marie Crowe discusses her research on treatments beyond medicine to alleviate symptoms of mood disorders like bipolar and depression. ...22 mins ago
Everything you need to know about the suspension of buses in Auckland and the industrial action standoff that it springs from.What’s going on?Yesterday saw the cancellation of thousands of bus trips and a lot of people standing around at Auckland bus stops looking puzzled after services operated by NZ Bus ...41 mins ago
The National Party says tougher regulations on banks could cost families with a mortgage nearly $2000 extra per year. ...12 hours ago
ASMS message to DHB Chairs and appointees The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) welcomes the District Health Board Chairs and board appointees announced by Health Minister David Clark. ...14 hours ago
Eight Queen’s Counsel have been appointed under a process that includes the new criterion of a commitment to improving access to justice, Attorney-General David Parker announced this week. The new criterion, he explained, ” … emphasises that excellence and leadership in the profession can be seen through a wider, community ...16 hours ago
"The neighbour takes my hand and walks me over the concrete to my parent’s back door": a look inside Hell by Alisha Tyson. ...23 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hannah Soong, Senior Lecturer in Teacher Education Practice, School of Education, University of South Australia Australian 15 year olds were around three and a half years behind their counterparts in China in maths, according to the OECD’s latest results for education systems ...1 day ago
Dairy farmers had some Xmas cheer this week, as dairy giant Fonterra told them the forecast payout would be the fourth-highest-ever, at the mid-point of its farmgate milk price range. The $7.30kg/ms means the cash payout for the season will reach $11.2bn, a rise of about $400m from the earlier forecast. ...2 days ago
The Government is investing up to $9 million in a project that it says will help Southland farmers use their land more sustainably. ...2 days ago
Donation legislation, the infinite monkey theory and the angriest man in NZ politics. Not to mention Paula Bennett's black-market oregano. ...2 days ago
You do not have to sacrifice short term returns in order to invest sustainably. ...2 days ago
Winston Peters says the NZ First foundation is similar to the National Party’s foundation. Here’s how it isn’t. ...2 days ago
The families of top former All Blacks are likely to donate their loved ones’ brains to research so the effect of head impacts in sport can be studied. ...2 days ago
The Finance Minister Grant Robertson won’t be drawn on how much new capital requirements for banks will hit consumers. ...2 days ago
Yet again, NZ schools have received a 'fail' when it comes to bullying but there could be an evidence-based solution. ...2 days ago
This week's biggest-selling New Zealand books, as recorded by the Nielsen BookScan New Zealand bestseller list and described by ReadingRoom literary editor Steve Braunias. ...2 days ago
An alliance of top researchers is trying to keep New Zealand ahead of complex health challenges from overuse of antibiotics, threats to freshwater quality and emerging infectious diseases. ...2 days ago
Sky Sport News presenter Kate King previews a massive weekend for Kiwi sportswomen ...2 days ago
A handy guide to all you need to know about impeachment. ...2 days ago
NZ is seeing an increasing number of retail 'events' imported from overseas - how long before our spending is exhausted? ...2 days ago
German politician Joschka Fischer has had a remarkable career. From street violence and helping to set up the Green party, he matured into the foreign minister and vice-chancellor of a united Germany, serving until 2005. His understanding of power politics led him to support the use of force in the ...2 days ago
Despite New Zealand First lobbying hard at the Cabinet table, the Finance Minister says the case to move Auckland's port operations north has not yet been made. ...2 days ago
The first of many.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/109110152/canteens-taranaki-branch-may-face-closure-after-proposed-restructure
Taranaki is just one of the regions, towns and cities about to lose its AYA cancer service with the majority of CanTeen’s specialist care workers facing redundancy. Regional face-to-face patient support services to be axed and replaced by an online “portal”.
Ironically, the AYA conference currently taking place in Australia stresses the importance of face-to-face support to ensure optimum outcomes for young cancer patients. Third world stuff.
According to out mate James, it’s just cutting the fat.
Why start trolling FOR James? You have plenty of your own opinions millsy. Let’s hear your thunks.
repost from last night
Agree – it is not working for many and the solutions proposed don’t address it in relation to tangata whenua.
https://www.waateanews.com/waateanews/x_news/MjA3MzU/He-Ara-Oranga-overwhelmed-by-mainstream
You popped into my mind last Sunday Marty. I watched the final ‘The Hui’ for the year. The entire show featured Mike King addressing a Whanganui school with a predominately Maori roll.
Wow, so much of what he said rang so true for me. He led me to consider things I never had. By the end of the show I had my pick for New Zealander of the Year.
Best TV I’ve seen for some time, the medium used as it should be. If you haven’t seen it, please have a look Marty. If you did catch it, I’d like to hear your thoughts please. It’s free to watch on demand but I’m not able to provide a direct link as watching a TV 3 show on demand requires a free registration and log-in to the service…this content makes the ads worth tolerating.
https://www.threenow.co.nz/shows/the-hui/125685
Ha, I wrote this an hour ago, I started watching it again and couldn’t stop. Powerful stuff.
Thanks for that, David Mac.
I was thinking the other day about making a list of reading/watching over the slow Summer break.
Your comment prompted me to create a Word doc for the list and your comment plus link in now first on the list.
Cool veuto, it changed the way I see many things. Like the futility of prohibition of the vices that harm us. Mike puts it like this: “Drugs, alcohol and bullying others weren’t a problem for me, they were a solution.”
I think it’s worthy of being at the top of your list veuto.
Powerful as, brought me to tears. Best piece on NZ TV for 2018
Me too Cinny, his honesty made mine tears of hope. Hope that more of us can learn to cook with Mike’s simple recipe.
Wow Kia ora David Mac. Awesome, so needed, so much aroha. I probably wouldn’t have watched it without your recommendation so thanks again.
Sweet Marty. Before watching I wondered why Mike King walked away from his comedic fame. I wonder no more.
Hey Marty,
While I haven’t seen it yet, although I will as it is been recommended to me three times, I can’t help but feel that not feeling connected contributes.
Whether that connection is to a job, interest/hobby, community group or primarily family.
The history for Maori since WW2 is terrible.
Having lost their best in foreign wars, they were told leave your rural/marae/communal way of life, and come live in the cities. Work in the factories. Until we close them.
Do that, (leave your traditional/familiar way of being and go to an isolated way of life), to anyone they will be lost.
Yes I do this the disconnect is a real part of the problem. It’s good you bring it up because we must look multi dimensionally at this imo and consider the spiritual and other other non materialistic aspects of living a life.
These statistics are an utter tragedy and disgrace.
I work in the area. I try to do my best for all my patients and deliver evidenced based strategies……..I realize the context of colonization that is uniquely stressful and that people get triggered into mental health problems when they are under stress. One of the things I am really aware of is the negative believe about self Maori have internalized due to racism.
It’s an overwhelming problem. We need to change our social environment. But we need good treatment by skilled practitioners when people become unwell
Totally agree. There are so many converging and connecting aspects to this tragedy – we’ve got to holistically look at this and do what you and Mike king are doing – talk to people, work with them and help them and educate them. Kia kaha to you and Kia ora for your mahi.
Kia Ora Marty Mars. I feel privileged to work in the area and see people get their mental health back. If you don’t have your mental health, you have nothing.
It’s quite upsetting to think that things have got worse since I started out. They have undoubtedly got worse over the 9 years of National. Funding for mental health in primary care slashed. A training course that was world class axed, access to crisis services increasingly difficult
Just in case the sickening platitudes being spewed out for the war criminal and racist George H.W. Bush by all media including our own supposedly neutral RNZ are starting grate on your nerves, here is the balance that all our media lack the capacity to deliver…
‘The Ignored Legacy of George H.W. Bush: War Crimes, Racism, and Obstruction of Justice’
https://theintercept.com/2018/12/01/the-ignored-legacy-of-george-h-w-bush-war-crimes-racism-and-obstruction-of-justice/
Adrian T
Thanks. At last something that’s relevant and balanced USA news. The sickening tsunami from the USA when we are supposed to be global, internationally savvy, shows us up as colonials wanting to be attached perhaps as a major territory. We seem lost and seeking a port, and in the absence of that following the nearest USA cruise ship as The Dingy Dinghy.
@greywarshark
I often wonder whether a new local media service that offered fair and balanced news might actually do quite well..imagine this scenario for a moment…
You wake up, turn on your radio to this new radio programme, they announce the funeral of HW Bush in the hourly news bulletin in a neutral way, then proceed over the next couple of hours to have one puntit who tells us all the good things Bush did, then another pundit who unpacks HW Bush’s unsavoury actions as POTUS, our hard hitting presenter grills both of them to make sure their facts and figures are in order. Then we have the daily report on Workers news and issues, ending with a comment from a reputable economist, followed by the Market update which ends (as it often does) with comments from a paid bank economist.. now that would be an interesting comparison to keep a track of…anyway I am sure you can see where I am going with this.
If only!
Scoop.
Email to Jim Mora this morning submitting a One Quick Question for their consideration….
Hello Jim, or Jim’s helper, I have a question for your segment.
Why does media, (including RNZ) not cover the life of the deceased former POTUS George H.W. Bush with any kind of balance?
Of course it is right to cover his good points, and the better parts of his character, but why can’t the media also cover the many negative points of his presidency which negatively impacted hundreds of thousands of humans (especially in South America and The Middle East), do they not deserve this same right of media coverage?
Just wondering?
Best
Adrian Thornton.
I think it’s a social construct Adrian. Mora approaches it the way he does for the same reason nobody starts a eulogy with ‘George was an arsehole’.
I understand that, but HW Bush is not a private citizen, he was leader of the most powerful country in the world, I see absolutely no reason why his record in that role can’t be commented on in a fair and balanced way during this time, other wise his legacy will (actually IS as we speak) be completely whitewashed by a compliant media, just as Regan was, and just as we have seen lately with terrorist John Mccain.
Yes, some will honour America’s youngest ever military jet pilot, others will consider the airman that fires missles into villages of innocents at age 20. The most touching thing about his passing for me was the loyalty of his Labrador. I guess I’m just saying that right or wrong, for most, the right thing to do is to wait until his corpse is cold before sledging the guy and his legacy.
David Mac
You old softy eh.
We’re all snowflakes Grey. The staunchest of us melt. The easiest way to knock cage fighting legend Mark Hunt out is to lay a hand on his daughter. The frequency of the melting light varies but we’re all snowflakes
Sorry, but fuck him, do you seriously think the media will ever get around to discussing the thousands of humans who were killed, maimed, raped and destroyed as a direct result of HIS decisions? no they will leave the public with the vision of a American hero who was gentle man with a loyal dog who loved his family…the right thing to do is be honest about what he did and who he did it too…today not tomorrow, because as we know tomorrow will never comes for the MSM to present even the slightest balance around the legacy of the racist, war criminal H.W. Bush.
As far as I concerned people like him are the enemy of most humans and for that matter the future of the planet as a whole.
BTW I love my dogs, and have had dogs all my life, so I also know dogs give their loyalty pretty easily, I wouldn’t read too much into his loyal dog thing myself.
I don’t despise the individual as much as you do Adrian, I don’t think most do. You highlighted ‘HIS Decisions’. He didn’t walk into an Oval Office meeting one morning and declare ‘Gather around Generals, this week we’re bombing these bastards.’ It was a Whitehouse/Pentagon team effort.
I admired the loyalty of his dog because it prompted me to hug mine.
David Mac
Don’t stand for office for anything because I will blame you for what you do or don’t do that’s bad. That’s the rub, and having a dog doesn’t preclude you from the results of the people’s disappointment.
I get sad about parents trying to save their little children, dying in pain or running away, starving, and having their living destroyed and if their sons manage to get away, not being accepted anywhere or locked up somewhere like Manus Island.
@David Mac
Here you go pal, here’s another guy who was just part of a team effort that might prompt you to go and hug your dog…
I’ve looked at that excellent link on Bush senior you put up.
I noticed the malicious infrastructure bombing (as opposed to the necessary strategic bombing, which was also malicious) and how it was done to cause the maximum pressure and hardship on the Iraqi people and their leaders. (1991)
There seems to be a trend here looking at post WW2 to what was done in Iraq. Was Bush worse than the others – seems like BAU savagery crops up throughout.
WW2 Roosevelt dies and Harry Truman takes over. He wants to finish the war quickly so after a couple of days of conference and planning, drops two atom bombs on Japan (because they have got them, cuts any Japanese resistance, and is opportunity to trial the bombs and indicate to Germany their prowess). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidency_of_Harry_S._Truman
(1945)
And I remembered about North Korea where the US Air Force bombed North Korean (against UN? agreements) irrigation infrastructure so affecting their food growing ability causing hardship. (1950+)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_North_Korea_1950-1953
1955-1975
Vietnam War
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War
“seems like BAU savagery crops up throughout” exactly right, and great point, so by letting the media just eulogize HW Bush, with no reference to the devastation, destruction and misery HIS orders/policies and decisions have caused, just normalizes this type of brutal leadership.. it’s like, well you know he did some fucked up things, you know, lied out in the open, ran an openly racist political campaign, rained bombs on innocent humans etc etc..but you know, they all do it.
But it is not normal to do these things to other human beings, that should be the message our media delivers today, well they could at least even hint at it FFS.
How are we ever going to evolve to be better humans, when these idiots in the media don’t at least help a little to shine a path to a better more fair and just humanity? and worse, it seems a lot of the time our media is actually dragging us backwards.
Yes Adrian T
My own thoughts. Won’t say more but it is interesting to be gently reminded to be nice because he’s dead and wait before criticising.
There is a guidebook of etiquette on how long to extend the period of mourning and sanctity before acknowledging the truth, in a country of free speech?
No doubt you understand the mirage ‘must’ be maintained and carefully managed…
Part of an obvious, and in recent times faltering, psychological operation…
CIA Director GHW Bush…Strong family legacy of crimes against humanity…
‘Pappy Bush’
Good luck with getting a response to that.
We forget that Moras Panel should be classed as light entertainment.
If you’ve heard Moras wife on the radio you will realise that wee Jimmy hasnt been allowed to have an original thought for many years.
Cherchez la femme. again!
I know I won’t get a response, no it more of a therapeutic action for me, helps release a bit of tension so I can get on with my day, which reminds me…
A quick shout out to the good people of Blenheim. I accidentally left my phone on a bench in the main street. I went to the Police station, mainly to get a report recorded for the insurance claim, and was gobsmacked to find that some good citizen had handed it in a few minutes earlier.
So thanks, Blenheim, you rock. For any readers who visit the town, my recommendation for coffee and eats is the truly wonderful Ritual Cafe, Maxwell Rd. If readers fancy a beer, the Waterfront (the old Royal) and the Yard Bar are the go. And if you lose anything, the local Police are definitely there to help.
Better living, NZ!
And while we are lauding Blenheim’s good points – a plug for Turkish restaurant Akbabas at 2 Maxwell Road, Blenheim. Good people and good food.
https://www.akbabaskebabs.co.nz/our-story/
The good people of Blenheim thank you. There is a bit more to the town and the eateries and bars mentioned.
There are craft breweries and bars, wineries, the PM has announced a year round version of the Coastal Express with upgraded train stations, great walks, tramps, fishing, hunting, and theatre.
Just like the rest of NZ, really……..
The main advantage though is a population of 45,000 in an area the size of Israel.
Great weather and lifestyle attracts senior citizens and Marlborough has the highest numbers of senior citizens in the country per capita. With 1% of the country’s population Grey Power Marlborough has 9% of the nation-wide Grey Power membership.
And no traffic lights!
So 9% of the voices of boomer generation who owe the rest of us many thanks for being able to retire in sunny climes, while younger generations toil away unable to afford a decent house in colder and damper areas to pay for your retirement.
Good to know what areas to be suspect of when the super issue is raised
I think, in your penny’s worth, that you may just have not realised that today’s seniors have paid taxes all their lives, I can recall 60% top rate being paid, and willingly, to pay for the generation that went before us who came out of the Depression era and were supported properly in their turn by us.
So enough of the intergenerational rivalry crap, Tuppence. Envy will consume you, narcissism will afflict you, entitlement and consumerism eat at your very vitals.
Respect your elders, Tuppence. After all, they reared you, taught you what you know, changed your nappies, tolerated your tantrums and excused your ignorance.
As did my parents in their turn.
If I didn’t think you were trolling, I’d pity you………
Thank you mac1 – husband and I are certainly part of that cohort – paid plenty of pretty high tax in our working life and still pay tax on our superannuation payments, withholding tax (however modest) and GST on day to day purchases.
Fuck off Tuppence
If youre worried about your retirement, get off your lazy arse and start saving
And I dont even come from Blenheim
A.
“Generation Snowflake, or Snowflake Generation, is a neologistic term used to characterize the young adults of the 2010s as being more prone to taking offense and less resilient than previous generations, or as being too emotionally vulnerable to cope with views that challenge their own.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Snowflake
Growing up insulated by technology, this new generation gets traumatised by differences between people. Humans learn to socialise by living in communal environments. Gen Snowflake has matured without that learning, apparently. Now we are beginning to see political consequences of their tech-warp effect.
“The term “Generation Snowflake”, or its variant “Snowflake Generation”, probably originated in the United States and came into wider use in the United Kingdom in 2016 following the publication of Claire Fox’s book I Find That Offensive!. In it she wrote about a confrontation between Yale University students and faculty Head of College, Nicholas Christakis. The confrontation arose after Christakis’s wife, Erika Christakis, a lecturer at the university, had suggested students should “relax a bit rather than labeling fancy dress Halloween costumes as culturally insensitive”, according to Fox. Fox described the video showing the students’ reaction as a “screaming, almost hysterical mob of students”. Fox said the backlash to the viral video led to the disparaging moniker “generation snowflake” for the students.”
“Snowflake generation” was recognised as one of Collins Dictionary’s 2016 words of the year. Collins defines the term as “the young adults of the 2010s, viewed as being less resilient and more prone to taking Offense than previous generations”.
“Similarly, in 2016 the Financial Times included snowflake in their annual Year in a Word list, defining it as “a derogatory term for someone deemed too emotionally vulnerable to cope with views that challenge their own, particularly in universities and other forums once known for robust debate” and noting that the insult had been aimed at an entire generation.”
“The term snowflake has been used to refer to children raised by their parents in ways that give them an inflated sense of their own uniqueness. This usage of snowflake has been attributed to Chuck Palahniuk’s 1996 novel Fight Club, and its 1999 film adaptation. Both the novel and the film include the line “You are not special. You are not a beautiful and unique snowflake.” In January 2017, Palahniuk claimed credit for coining snowflake, adding that the young adults of the 2010s exhibit “a kind of new Victorianism”. An article published by Merriam-Webster stated that Palahniuk was not the first person to use snowflake metaphorically, saying, “It’s the stuff of self-help books and inspirational posters and elementary school assurances. The imagery before negation is lovely; we are each unique snowflakes, each worth treasuring because each is uniquely beautiful.”
So there’s a positive side, but. Everyone is unique. Just a question of acceptance being more sensible than self-promotion. And, given that Lasch’s diagnosis of the culture of narcissism (1979) applies to all generations born since WWII, this positive side isn’t really the point. Politics is a team sport, and those who play must conform to team rules. Gen Snowflake doesn’t want to play. Will they grow old apolitical? Or will their strident self-assertion constellate a common ground?
The people who complain about snowflakes are the real snowflakes. They just need to realise that they have had enough and are not taking any crap anymore.
Yep, the most powerful force known to man, our attitude, our inner critic, our feelings.
It’s easy to dismiss a trans person’s desire to be referred to as ‘she’. To them, it’s the foundation stone of their life.
Snowflakes do tend to coalesce into a hard ball, soft individually but in your face, quite painful when they are in a mass.
You mean like this…
https://www.news.com.au/world/french-government-caves-to-pressure-after-worst-riots-in-decades/news-story/91fe1eeb0f444b3efe87fff4742e714c
Pretty painful individually too
Totally – and the ones who sneer at supposed snowflakes are usually the ones imposing or benefiting from the crappy conditions that the snowflakes are complaining about.
Just the usual human dynamic of power and domination by one person over another.
Most of us arnt complaining about them – we are laughing at them.
Why laugh at them, James?
Does it make you feel ‘big’ around the bbq to ridiculing others ?….
Why laugh at them?
Because they are very funny.
I prefer soy boys as a classification to snow flake for the male variety
Apparently people being “forced” into social housing is all about the burden placed on private landlords by this current government:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1812/S00056/govt-forcing-more-people-into-social-housing.htm
“By setting up more roadblocks and hurdles for landlords, and raising compliance costs, many landlords have decided not to rent out their properties. As a result more people are forced to rely on publicly funded social housing.”
Nothing to do with the fact that so many people are now priced out of the private market, and the social housing waiting list is now the longest it has ever been due the combination of a)this and b)the systematic sell-off of State Housing under the last regime? Simon O’Conner, your sudden concern for the vulnerable is touching.
I think the quote and your thoughts are 2 edges of the same sword Kay.
One of the reasons people are being priced out of the private rental market is because landlords are considering “For it to be worth my while, I’ll need to up the rent $150 on my place.”
Our current government rest on: ‘It’s a supply and demand thing, we’re in this mess because the other jokers did nothing for a decade’. This does absolutely nothing about addressing the problem and is entirely about ‘Don’t blame me, it’s his fault.’
I try hard to be an optimist, but I’m struggling with our housing outlook. National passed a law requiring all landlords in NZ to insulate their rentals by July 31st next year. Those that don’t can expect heavy fines and if called out, required to pay exemplary damages to tenants that take their non complying landlord to the tribunal. For some tenants, the largest cash sum they’ve ever had in their lives.
Up in the Far North where the landscape is rich and job prospects poor, many families live in older simple baches that the owners were using less for holidays as their kids found other things to do. Rather than sell many hang on to them for the next generation of kids, for 3 generations to spend Christmases there. In the meantime, many have become low cost housing for those of us that live up here on tight budgets.
I’m concerned for the many people up here in the sub-tropical Far North that come next July, will be living in illegal houses.
really …
Newshub can reveal he didn’t even run that past the Prime Minister, and understands she only found out about it while watching our TV story.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2018/12/exclusive-pm-jacinda-ardern-to-review-housing-minister-s-kiwibuild-house-flipping-penalty
https://www.labour.org.nz/housing
“KiwiBuild homes will only be sold to first home buyers. To avoid buyers reaping windfall gains, a condition of sale will require them to hand back any capital gain if sold on within 5 years.”
So a Labour election pledge was broken by 2 labour ministers (Tywford & Robertson) and then re instated by the PM.
When should an election promise be kept and when is it ok to break a promise ??
“Newshub can reveal .. ”
An awful lot of opining in that story but not much evidence.
What that min Tywford announces that there would be a reduced 3 year cap gain time limit, that he had no authority to make, that was also in conflict with an election promise. That our PM also was not aware of.
Not sure what else anyone needs to know but I am open to hear alternative views 🤔
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12156833
Here is a link to the changes that the govt made.
“But speaking to media this afternoon, Twyford said the Government had changed the rules.“ so who is this government that had changed the rules ??
The reporter’s statements like these have only her reckons to support them:
“Ms Ardern is unimpressed”
“The public didn’t like Mr Twyford’s rorters rule, but he probably didn’t realise his boss agreed.”
But the link I supplied ex nzherald had a quote from min Tywford. “But speaking to media this afternoon, Twyford said the Government had changed the rules.”
The GOVERNMENT (my bold not shouting” so the government is at odds with he PM ??🤔I am confused, does the PM not agree with her government?
But the link I supplied ex nzherald had a quote from min Tywford. “But speaking to media this afternoon, Twyford said the Government had changed the rules.”
The GOVERNMENT (my bold not shouting” so the government is at odds with he PM ??🤔I am confused, does the PM not agree with her government?
My problem is not whether several Ministers changed a policy, but with unsubstantiated allegations about how the PM feels about it.
Newshub has deleted my link here is their latest link
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2018/12/exclusive-pm-jacinda-ardern-to-review-housing-minister-s-kiwibuild-house-flipping-penalty.
Not to sure why my initial link doesn’t work.
“but with unsubstantiated allegations about how the PM feels about it.” not sure how I can assist. I imagine our PM is unimpressed as
How can a minister change the rules which was in breach of the Labour manifesto
How can we, the voter trust Labour to keep their promises ?
But I imagine any lack of justification will be taken as Labour lied to us. 🤥
“*I imagine* our PM is unimpressed as”
which is a much more honest way of putting it.
👍🏾 Glad I was able to work that out
A future in journalism beckons. 🙂
You are being quite unfair to Ms Ardern by suggesting that she wasn’t involved in the decision.
She was going to consider the matter as soon as she had settled the most important thing on her agenda.
https://spy.nzherald.co.nz/spy-news/pm-reveals-plans-for-baby-neves-first-xmas/
I’m sure that as soon this is sorted out, which shouldn’t take more than a couple of weeks, she will look at what Twyford has been up too.
What do trivial things like Kiwibuild matter anyway? After all, when people see the places they don’t buy them and refuse to go through with the purchase.
Perhaps someone can explain to me how studio apartments can really be affordable at $380,000 or one bedroom places at $500,000 are “affordable for first home buyers” anyway?
Is that really meant to get young families into homes, as Twyford promised?
With all the Santa hood ha of late I though some here would be interested to know that little old reatihi lead the way with last years Santa being a Maori woman. Not a ripple was made . Good a?
Tonight I asked my kid “What race is Santa?”
He immediately responded “A dwarf”
A.
Curious about the context of that peculiar ‘father-to-son’ question.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/17/santa-claus-black-white-christmas-race-debate-fox-news
Poor kid!
Well, I was curious what he would say, and I thought it was a very good answer.
A.
Figures. It sounded dodgy from the start….lots of Chinese needed desperately to built high rise. Whatever.
One thing I can’t stand is these people who think themselves about the law saying things like, “there’s nothing you can do”. Nothing? Nothing at all?
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/377614/chinese-construction-workers-brought-to-nz-believe-they-ve-been-conned
There has been a couple of cases here in Australia, where the Unions and various State and Federal Government Departments have gone in to bat for the Chinese workers and have come down hard the companies/ firms that have employed the Chinese workers over wages and entitlements. Further investigations by the Unions involve and the relevant Government Dept’s have also found that the worker are here illegally because of breaches in their Visas obtained by the companies that the poor workers are working for.
During the last mining boom and the current up lift in mining atm, a number of companies are trying to bring Chinese workers to help construct the various mining projects to keeps cost downs aka wages and WHS etc. But the Unions have kept this in check so far.
So without strong Unions and strong Government Departments in NZ this is going to happen in a regular basis unless the Unions and Government isn’t prepared to step up enforce or strengthen the various laws and ensure that the NZ workers get a fair go/ deal. The same could be said IRT to training future NZ workers in whatever trade discipline he or she chooses as would also further erode pay and conditions and WHS which quite possibly lead to further outcomes like these Chinese workers atm.
Great to see Canada acting on Huawei by arresting their CFO Meng Wanzou, for extradition to the US.
now can they please arrest Zuckerberg for distorting global democracy itself.
Ideally China should do that arrest to make it all even.
Await a major diplomatic war.
“Wanzhou Meng, the deputy chair of Huawei’s board and the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested in Vancouver, the Globe and Mail reported. The arrest was at the request of US authorities. “Wanzhou Meng was arrested in Vancouver on December 1. She is sought for extradition by the United States, and a bail hearing has been set for Friday,” US Justice department spokesperson Ian McLeod said.” https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/world/109139920/huaweis-chief-financial-officer-arrested-in-canada
Interesting that they sat on the news for five days. Maybe China threatened Canada with feng shui if they didn’t release her & Canadian experts took a while to evaluate the threat.
Arresting her for what the EU is planning to do , trade with Iran and get around the sanctions
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/dec/05/meng-wanzhou-huawei-cfo-arrested-vancouver
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/05/european-union-dependence-on-dollar-to-be-reduced-under-new-proposals
Luxembourg is about to make all public transport free.
What actions did NZ declare at the climate conference this week?
A little investment fund worth $100m?
FFS
Close to free in Queenstown, $2.00 anywhere with a GO Card.
https://www.orc.govt.nz/public-transport/queenstown-buses/fares-and-gocards
Not for CC reasons unfortunately, but because it was cheaper to heavily subsidise the service than try and increase network capacity. There’s a few places (Frankton Road is one) where that’s not possible.
One line I heard was that the $2.00 charge is only there because NZTA didn’t have a way of doing it for free. $2.00 would hardly cover the costs of handling the money anyway.
I guess Queenstown is to New Zealand what Luxembourg is to Europe.
Got to start somewhere; you gave a good example.
Help Wikileaks sue the Grauniad
for publishing that slander by Luke “Fuckwit” Harding.
https://www.gofundme.com/wikileaks-suing-the-guardian-over-manafort-story
[Removed the extraneous guff, Moz. And please look up the definition of journalist. It’s not what you think it is. TRP]
What the h*ll is this comment supposed to be?
A.
The comments are the first dozen or so messages of support on the petition page in support of Julian Assange and free speech and journalism. Sorry, I should have tidied up all the little admin. odds and ends, but the message is clear, I think: a lot of people want to see the Grauniad face consequences for its fraudulent reporting, i.e. its flagrant disinformation campaign against someone who is, in stark contrast to the likes of Emma Brockes and Luke Harding and James Ball, a real journalist.
Do you want me to donate money towards a threat to freedom of speech by prosecuting someone for speaking freely?
Are you Morrissey?
Do you want me to donate money towards a threat to freedom of speech by prosecuting someone for speaking freely?
You don’t understand what criminal libel is.
Are you Morrissey?
Morrissey Breen was a student of mine some years ago.
no longer part of UK law?
noice
“Morrissey Breen was a student of mine some years ago.”
That explains a lot.
Yes you’re right, I don’t understand what criminal libel is….If it’s criminal I’m thinking it’s a matter for the Police to look into and I already make a regular donation to them.
A student, ahhh that explains it, I’ve not seen anyone else use the term ‘Grauniad’.
I think he’s referring to a bit of self-tutelage.
Finds it refreshing to have someone to agree with, even if only a sock.
> I think he’s referring to a bit of self-tutelage.
Self abuse more like
If it’s a sock it’s a sticky one
A.
I’ve not seen anyone else use the term ‘Grauniad’.
That’s because you don’t read Private Eye.
I would certainly like to see the Guardian taken to account for publishing unverifiable tabloid bullshit that suits the aims of those who want to take Assange down
Take Assange down and all journalists worth the name are in the firing line.
For those who still can’t get it past their faulty belief system, Assange is a journalist
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/jun/02/julian-assange-martha-gelhorn-prize
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-11-28/assange-accepts-journalism-award/3698076
https://www.indexoncensorship.org/2017/04/indexawards2008-wikileaks-economist-new-media-award/
and of course played a pivotal part in the publication of the Wikileaks Files
He’s still an honorary member of the Australian Journalist’s union
Removed the extraneous guff…
“Extraneous”? I would have thought that the supportive comments of those democratically minded lovers of journalism was the very heart of this matter. The attempt to destroy Assange is an attempt to silence all of us.
And please look up the definition of journalist. It’s not what you think it is.
Ha! We know what your idea of a journalist is.
Crikey, you had to go all the way back to 2014 for that zinger? I’m impressed I haven’t said anything more recent you could have used. btw, shutting down a media organisation is not what “democratically minded lovers of democracy” do.
Meanwhile, in real journalist news, here’s some dead people:
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/dec/05/journalists-murdered-khashoggi-kuciak-panama-papers
The Grauniad is, sadly, a propaganda arm of the British state.
I don’t think it should be closed down, but I certainly think that liars like Luke Harding should be fired, and also that rubbish editor. Rubbisher’s his name, isn’t it.
I Agee with your “ I don’t think “ Mozz after that you lost me
Just a reminder that democracy is just as much part of the problem as capitalism: “The report estimates CO2 emissions will rise by 2.7% in 2018, sharply up on the plateau from 2014-16 and 1.6% rise in 2017.” https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/dec/05/brutal-news-global-carbon-emissions-jump-to-all-time-high-in-2018
“The International Energy Agency’s data also shows rising emissions in 2018. Its executive director, Fatih Birol, said: “This turnaround should be another warning to governments as they meet in Katowice this week.””
Why bother giving govts more warnings? Since when has that ever worked? “The “dark news” of rising emissions is merging with two other alarming trends, according to Prof David Victor, at the University of California, San Diego, in an article with colleagues also published in Nature on Wednesday.”
“Falling air pollution is enabling more of the sun’s warmth to reach the Earth’s surface, as aerosol pollutants reflect sunlight, while a long-term natural climate cycle in the Pacific is entering a warm phase. Victor said: “Global warming is accelerating. [These] three trends will combine over the next 20 years to make climate change faster and more furious than anticipated.””
“The Global Carbon Budget, produced by 76 scientists from 57 research institutions in 15 countries, found the major drivers of the 2018 increase were more coal-burning in China and India as their economies grew, and more oil used in more transport. Industry also used more gas. Renewable energy grew rapidly, but not enough to offset the increased use of fossil fuel.”
“Democracy” is NOT the problem. Over 80% want action on Anthropogenic global warming.
It is the lack of Democracy!
A couple of interesting reports IRT to CC, one on the ice melt in Greenland and the other the NZDF and likely CC effects they NZDF is now likely to in counter as the science starts to firm up its evidence IRT CC.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/109130891/climate-reality-check-greenland-ice-melt-speeds-up
https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2018-12-06/greenland-ice-sheet-melting-accelerating/10581980
https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/climate-news/109067137/defence-force-we-need-to-prepare-for-climate-change
P.S I’ve just noticed that old mate from No Right Turn has posted the same thing.
http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2018/12/climate-change-threat-to-our-security.html
Here is an article from Scoop and has a PDF link I haven’t gone over yet.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1812/S00063/defence-assessment-on-climate-change-and-security-released.htm
Awa’ an’ bile yer heid ‘n’ pick a windae, yer leavin’ wi’ yer foodbank, ye piece o’ tory jobby . *
.
ANGRY protestors chased Scotland’s only Conservative MP out of town after he turned up to open a food bank.
Protestors shouted “Shame on you” and screamed at Scottish Secretary David Mundell after he sneaked out the back door of the Trussell Trust-operated facility in the Dumfries and Galloway town.
They surrounded the white Ford Focus motor he was in, which had to slowly edge its way through the raging mob with the help of a police escort.
People banged on the windows and at first refused to let the vehicle move, until four uniformed police officers arrived to part the crowd.
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/watch-angry-protesters-chase-scotlands-6130021?
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-33612612
sounds just like the film I Daniel Blake. Privileged idiots creating hell on earth for those without an influential voice.
Lucky for english and key that those living in cars and recorded as having a roof over their heads didn’t turn up at parliament in protest, but the first rule of destroying opposition to poverty fightback is to remove the means, so they could not afford the petrol. Unlike the tractors and the trucks, all backed by big money to attack Labour Governments.
Funny atmosphere in QT today. Subdued? Quiet? Questions delivered and answers polite and full. Though the Paula Bennett attack about “leaking” the address of the estranged wife, the Opposition were told repeatedly that the said women did not seek or accept secrecy. So Bennett and Woodhouse were chasing a non target.
With any Parliamentary opposition dead until at least 2020,
a popular government,
really low unemployment,
lots and lots of money to spend,
and the most progressive legislative agenda New Zealand has had in 50 years, well ……………………………………..
……………………. maybe we’re running out of things to complain about!
Great that the housing crisis is over, a relief
A.
It was a good show by Peters and Hipkins in Q1 and 2. Bennett was left suitably put in her place.
Links to the videos and more re what was said in my comment here.
“Protecting the Umpire
by Andrew Geddis
Did you know that Parliament could imprison you for saying that Trevor Mallard is biased in favour of Jacinda Ardern over Simon Bridges? But it (almost certainly) won’t….
…So, for example, consider political editor Audrey Young’s published account of Thursday’s events in the Herald: “Parliament’s Speaker, Trevor Mallard, has an inbuilt bias against National Party leader Simon Bridges and a soft spot for Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.” Such a public accusation of overt favouritism on the part of the Speaker likely could be punished as a contempt, if Parliament wanted to do so….”
The MPs who flout the rules cannot expect to get away with it though.
https://www.pundit.co.nz/content/protecting-the-umpire
Would love to see that happen now and again to certain individuals, just to keep everyone on their toes and just the GG the Speaker does some awesome/ powerful rules/ powers in their playbook that a lot of people don’t know unless you are like old mate Andrew Geddis..
Suppose a clever lawman like Young Simon or for that matter Old A Young would know the rules, unless their aim is the Dead Cat thing.
Audrey is pretty biased herself isn’t she?
Now I am wondering if, behind the scenes today, something is happening to the Leadership. After all, Simon did declare Jamie as the Leaker in spite of his denial and now Simon’s judgement must be in further question. Might explain the deflated National Caucus today? No histrionics and few interjections
Yes it was very quite today and it does make you wonder if someone had a very quite word to the”No Mates Party” members about yesterday’s antics?
Certainly some-one should have! The Speaker also showed firm control again today, and with the double dismissals yesterday, the bullies of the opposition
got shown the consequences of thoughtless, undisciplined and self-centred behaviour.
It raises the question, though, who would be counselling Bridges and Brownlee, the opposition leader and shadow leader of the House? The National Party president? English? Key? Shipley? Bulger? The Business Round Table? Australian bankers? American oil interests? Insert your national/international conspiracy theory here?
So Gracie managed to make it through South America, yet she’s missing in NZ. This is seriously a very nasty place for women. Hopefully, all women are looking for her. Hoping for a good outcome.
I think we all wish for a happy outcome for this.
I don’t think you can back your stat up and I am sure all good nz men which are by far the majority are praying for a good outcome here as well
> Hopefully, all women are looking for her
Seems vaguely unlikely
A.
Seating arrangement.
https://screenshotscdn.firefoxusercontent.com/images/3cce83d8-b882-4ad5-8e33-0364b8d10b0d.png
On a whano duties to busy to post opinions Ka kite ano
The Public servants had predicted that there m8 would win big boxes of tissues were required after the election .Ka pai Jacinda .
Public servants responsible for the transition between governments failed to support new ministers as no-one had planned for a full scale, new administration.Officials were caught on the hop after last year’s general election, having planned for change no greater than a Cabinet reshuffle – that caused problems like being unable to supply laptops and mobile phones and a lack of experienced staff for incoming ministers
I see it been 2 years since the BANKERS MAN shonky got pushed out of our Parliament .links below ka kite ano
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/377521/beehive-caught-off-guard-by-change-of-government
P.S Thanks to NZFirst & The Greens to for flipping out the neo liberals capitalists party Ka pai ka kite ano
Kia ora Newshub I say that the education systems needs a big shake up for the money invested we are not getting very good results for the lower classes of students minority cultures are not even getting a 30% pass rate into a higher paying jobs we have to import those skills and in the process the lower classes youth are ending on the scrap heap.
The Westpac Helicopter serves is run by retired WHO guess and you will be correct Eco Maori nemeses they have the same raciest attitude to because he is out of the force he has lost his suppression cover .
We must keep our bio security up and keep the threats out of Aotearoa it will destroy our farming and horticulture.
I say Lady Ga Ga and Bradleys movie A Star Is Born is a awesome move you know the old saying silence about a problem is like rot it just keep’s snowballing into a big mess if you watch the movie you will get what I getting at.
Mann I see how the justice system works I will be doing a post on this subject later Hollie .
There you go trump spraying wai on the rest of the World the good Chinese lady from Huawei being arrested in Canada wtf trump and his admin does not give a stuff about Aotearoa’s well being they just want to cling to power weather .
The Yemen crises has more string attached than that it is a big proxy war Mess and the poor children are dieing in there tens of thousands probley hundreds of thousands as they cover up the facts idiots.
Lloyd that will be a good movie he must not have been looking in the correct place A .
lol E hoa Ka kite ano
Kia ora from Storm & Anna The Crowd Goes Wild .
Wai it should be a good boxing match .
The Gypsies did have a very good come back fight when one thinks of the time he had off boxing is a sport were one needs to be quite fit to go the distance .
Ka pai to the Black sticks.
Storm the preseason training seams quite strenuous .
Brad Weber had a good season I have had a couple in the club .
I was hoping you did a story on Shawn I gave him a bit of Eco tau toko and he pihau one with any intelligence knows it takes two to have a problem enough said.
Ka kite ano
I had to got to Auckland on Whano duties and the sandflies know exactly why and the still swarm around us endangering my mokopunas they don’t give a stuff . They get there m8 to play cat and mouse with me —-me off trying to get my license taken off me the PEE heads ano to kai ka kite ano P.S only the wealthy get justice us poor people just get shit on by this system