– The Ministry of Works together with the Electricity Corporation was responsible for the wholesale destruction of both the Waikato and Clutha rivers, which are our largest. Try and get the book "Who Killed The Clutha?", which is the history of 100 years of damming on that river.
– The RMA and its replacement due to come into Parliament this week. The last time anyone tried a full-on dam was Ruataniwha. Even Supreme Court action failed to deter the government of the day this was a bad idea. No public agency will try for a new dam within our legislative framework current or future. The Ministry of the Ministry of Works, once you get past glorying in monumental concrete, is a history of environmental destruction on a stupendous scale.
– Agglomerated Ministries and government agencies get to a certain level of scale and fail to deliver benefits. Is anything getting better under health? What about agglomerated water? Or agglomerated Auckland? Or agglomerated public media? Or agglomerated MBIE? Or indeed any of the others coming.
There are a few upgrades to existing dams, such as the Arnold River on the west coast. The last big one was fully completed in the early 1990s. Their social license simply ran out.
But actually it's time some of the older dams were ripped down, like Roxburgh, and let the rivers flow back the way they should.
The one coming up and getting a full Cabinet "go to full plan" decision in December is the NZ Battery Project, which requires raising on an existing dam, with zero Clutha impact. I suspect that will continue into a National government because the Transpower team are fairly smart.
The MoW did a pretty good job of the Waitaki &b Ohau schemes, even if they did neglect to protect eel migration. (On which note Niwa have solved half the great mystery of eel spawning – just haven't got full elver growth yet).
Where they failed the government in power owe the greater part of the responsibility.
When we had a MoW we didn't see pitiful corrupt shit like $50 million being spent on not building a cycle bridge, or 20-30 year talkfests instead of building railway lines.
The self-styled technocracy have not covered themselves in glory.
What the old Ministries did despite their flaws, and what import substitution manufacturing regimes, such as car assembly did, was provide full time work, for thousands of working class people for many decades. As did provincial “County Councils” and City Councils with their own road repair and infrastructure maintenance teams.
A 21st century publicly owned infrastructure and construction Ministry would be a great thing. Fulton Hogan always seem to be at their busiest when there are unused funding allocations…
Rogernomics greatest shame perhaps was that the many thousands discarded with the collapse of manufacturing and flogging off of public sector assets–via macro economic decisions beyond workers immediate ability to influence–were never seriously retrained or catered for. No, they were demonised as dole bludgers, as are their descendants of the permanent underclass, and then ground into the dust with markets rents for state houses, paid tertiary, Police racial profiling, and Richardson’s MOAB.
Got it ..very profound and correctly stating the impact of those times.
Those reforms ripped the guts out of the middle/working classes in many small towns. In some small towns with high Maori populations Maori were hugely affected and probably never recovered.
I know in my PS workplace we had many jobs that catered for less abled workers who became part of our work lives. A permanent head I worked with was profoundly upset when, finally after protecting these workers against all manner of sinking lids, slash 3% off staffing programmes, finally had to let these staff go when SSC, at the Govts behest, came in for reviews of those in support roles. As we kept in touch after our colleagues left we knew many never ever got another job in the whole of their remaining working lives.
Number of my South & West Auckland colleagues never got “proper” jobs again either after Roger’s wrecking ball and the Nats ’91 union busting ECA. Demolition, scavenging, film industry, labour only contracting, service industry, building, move to the provinces–subsistence style etc. was their career path.
I turned previous volunteer cut & paste layout skills into digital publishing when Mac computers and software made it possible, still do it from the Far North.
"Those reforms ripped the guts out of the middle/working classes in many small towns. In some small towns with high Maori populations Maori were hugely affected and probably never recovered."
Its more clear than probably. The costs of longer term unemployment are not only the income lost during the period of unemployment but also the difference in career path due to limited work history. To some extent this will also occur even for people who managed retraining, because they then start again from a similar position as recent entrants into that line of work.
To some extent this will also occur even for people who managed retraining, because they then start again from a similar position as recent entrants into that line of work.
Oh..really? Your example of the Clutha…and the Clyde dam was primarily Muldoons Think Big mistake.
Norm Kirks Labour had originally wanted a low dam….which would have been so much better. And saved not only land, but a huge amount of wasted $millions.
In the old MOW, NZ had a great amount of skilled People, from Trades through to Engineers. We lost all that. Many to…the likes of Downers and other private companies etc….
Dams werent the only Projects MOW did…..you seem hung up on that. Also I dont see the NZ Battery Project as being quite the sure thing you assume. Still many questions to be answered.
Anyway this from 2010..
Coast perfect for hydro generation
Unfortunately hydro- electricity is often associated in New Zealand with the permanent flooding of agricultural or highly scenic river valleys. This need not be so.
In Europe hydro construction has continued and not one major valley has been lost in the last 50 years.
Dozens of schemes exist where water is diverted from a high valley through a tunnel and at the exit point penstocks and a generating station are constructed.
Sorry to hear this … his long essay, Obama at Manassas in the New Left Review (March-April 2009), was a tour de force in popularising & summarising the changing demography & geography of the presidential vote in a highly colourful & highly accessible way.
Here's one vibrant passage I've always remembered:
Psephology—the statistical analysis of elections—is an inscrutably American obsession, like chewing tobacco or varmint hunting. Although Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair and Ehud Barak have all toyed with the dark art, and a Brit originally coined the Greek-cognate term in the 1950s, only those native-born in a Louisiana bayou or a Washington law firm are likely to possess the consummate instinct for extracting winning strategies from a few shavings of an electoral vote. Some have compared voting analysis to the subtle skill of a sommelier, but it is actually more akin (to extend the French analogy) to the acute attentiveness of Louis XIV’s physicians to the contents of the royal chamber pot
Some impressive – and highly colourful -analysis of more recent elections too.
Quote attributed to US Airforce General Curtis LeMay
LeMay tried to walk back this brutal quote, saying that he meant that the US had the potential to bomb Vietnam back to the Stone Age, and blamed his ghost writer for the misquote.
…..he reportedly said, in the mid-60s, that, in order to win the Vietnam war (which was dragging endlessly on during that period) the US military should, “bomb the North Vietnamese back into the Stone Age.”
…. “I never said we should bomb them back to the Stone Age. I said we had the capability to do it….
…..LeMay then elaborated on this, saying that he thought the best strategy would be to annihilate North Vietnamese infrastructure,
……he blamed his ghost writer for misunderstanding the subtleties of what he was saying, and putting the emphasis on bombing the North Vietnamese people.
A war strategy so brutal that it's author tried to distance himself from it.
When the US war in Vietnam became bogged down, LeMay said the US's best strategy was to destroy their infrastructure.
No Russian Federation military or political leader has been quoted as saying, 'Bomb them back to the Stone Age'. But they are carrying out General LeMay's policy in practice.
Kyiv prepares for a winter with no heat, water or power
The mayor of Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, is warning residents that they must prepare for the worst this winter if Russia keeps striking the country’s energy infrastructure
BySAM MEDNICK Associated Press
November 7, 2022, 9:16 AM
…mayor of Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, is warning residents that they must prepare for the worst this winter if Russia keeps striking the country’s energy infrastructure — and that means having no electricity, water or heat in the freezing cold cannot be ruled out.
“We are doing everything to avoid this. But let’s be frank, our enemies are doing everything for the city to be without heat, without electricity, without water supply, in general, so we all die…..
Imagine how your family would cope in Auckland without water or power.
Curtis LeMay's brutal policy of destroying Vietnam's infrastructure, didn't save the US imperialists from defeat in Vietnam, it won't save the Russian Federation imperialists from defeat in Ukraine.
David Wallace Wells, who wrote the apocalyptic climate prediction book The Uninhabitable Earth 5 years ago, writes about some stunning turnarounds we've achieved. Obviously not enough, but shows what we can do.
We've cut the prediction of the worst in half, in just 5 years. We know a bit more about what to expect so we can plan. Protest, lobbying and relentless advocacy WORKS! The overton window has shifted significantly. Renewables have drastically declined in price. We might – might – just have a chance, which is better than before.
BTW, it's still pretty grim – just more hopeful by comparison. The point is to show what can be achieved, if/when we rapidly increase efforts. Not the time to kick back.
(From article) The idea that fossil fuels are inherently 'bad' is not as much a thing among the global South and underdeveloped. It's the West's profligate use of them that makes people angry: "climate coloniality". When renewables become economically strong enough, there may well be attacks on fossil nations, and alliances between renewable nations (which will too become stronger).
The danger and effects haven't stopped, they will increase long before the climate even stabilises. Disruption and heartache will continue, but we can limit the worst and prepare. Climate despair is the worst thing next to disdain.
I think Mr Little is busy in a meeting with Health NZ discussing their anti racist programme (sarc) and tonight will be attending the drag kareoke for staff, so the real health system will just have to wait its turn, like the mental health patients in ED……..
However, I don't think that you'd find a health professional who didn't agree that wait times in any hospital are markedly worse than they were 10 years ago. And that the stress on the staff is correspondingly worse.
And, yes, there are lots of reasons for this.
I spent nearly 10 hours with my elderly mother in NS hospital ED a couple of months ago – after a bad fall. Watching the obvious stress on the staff with the ever-increasing numbers coming through the door (this wasn't even a busy time); as well as the distress of unwell people who didn't feel that they were getting the care they needed in a timely fashion (or at all – we watched people walk out the door).
Really, no one is interested in which hospital is 'worst' – what we want to see is a coherent plan for making all of them better. Taskforces won't do it. You need actual staff members, and care beds (whether inside or outside the hospital system).
Belladonna the catastrophe that is the health work force crisis is terrifying and it should have been the very first thing Labour attended to way back in 2017 when Ian Powell told David Clark there was a Health workforce crisis.
Labour have f..ked around with new Health Authorities and getting bureacrats to write long documents on racism in the health force , when even at the end of long documents they have to concede that there is not conclusive evidence that racism leads to poor health outcomes for Maori. I quoted it yesterday on OM I think it was and happy to re-write it on request.
Little can't even resolve a pay dispute with the nurses union (and dissed them). Little should be sacked. While I can't be sure, it is likely Reti will do better. At least he was talking about a third medical school
Stop blaming Little for everything Anker. The health situation in NZ has been steadily deteriorating for at least two decades – probably much longer. Yes, it has now reached a critical point and that in large part has been due to Covid. Placing all the blame on the current government and its minister is unrealistic.
The government is fighting an uphill battle to attract more overseas nurses and doctors but they are having to compete with the rest of the planet in a finite world. We are far from alone in our health sector problems.
As far as the nurses pay battles are concerned. They had an offer of a major pay increase less than two years ago and turned it down did they not? Of course they are worthy of more, but once again this is a finite situation. There are other sectors of society equally deserving of a slice of the ever diminishing size of the cake – and that once again is due to international problems and by no means all the fault of the current government.
“I have to say, as a former union leader involved in negotiating settlements, it is very unusual for a union to re-litigate terms of settlement that they have already signed up to,”
"Little flatly denied there was any promise of back pay. In the end, there’s only one agreement that counts – it’s the one done on December 2021"
Really? Reti is on record as saying that doctors should be able to charge patients whatever they want, which means we will have doctors fees of up to $150-200. Not too sure how people can afford that.
He also despises the concept of public healthcare and looks up to the USA system, where people die if they cannot afford insurance.
Absolutely. Some…(even on the Standard )…have seen him as the kinder, caring face of the nats. Bullshit its just a mask…and if he was kinder and caring he wouldnt be a nat.
nats have always seen Our NZ Health system as something to be reduced..even privatised.
"The Government is rolling out a suite of targeted measures to train more health workers domestically and bring more doctors and nurses into the country to help address immediate workforce pressures"
“On March 31 this year, 1,765 more doctors and 4,277 more nurses were working for Health New Zealand than there were when we came into Government in 2017.
So we've reached 2010 from your initial link from 2009 — anything recent – to match the current reports from Middlemore from this year (linked above) – where people actually have died?
I've (sadly) had a lot of time in and out of NSH over the last 20 years – with a wide range of family and friends. I wouldn't rate it especially poorly. Though it's suffering from the same problems all hospitals are ATM – with understaffing, limited beds (often because it's not possible to discharge people safely), and overwhelmingly increased demand on the ED.
If you're interested in historic trends – here's one saying that the Middlemore issues aren't Covid-caused – but have been imminent for more than a decade.
My three most recent ED experiences, I'd rate as: Starship (best), NS Hospital, Auckland (last, by a long way – largely due to the unmanageably violent/drunk/high people the staff had to cope with).
"the current reports from Middlemore from this year (linked above) – where people actually have died" Are you claiming this has never happened before?
The people I know, including family members have had a different experience from you and do not rate North shore hospital well at all. Hospitals have always had to deal with "violent/drunk/high people" Many of the problems you have listed are not new hence the new health reforms.
The video points out that the main issue with hydrogen production is that it usually involves hydrocarbons to produce it. Hence, until this problem is solved, hydrogen isn't a viable replacement for hydrocarbons in that the hydrogen production process uses more hydrocarbons than hydrogen use can save.
However, the video explains how the Japanese have come up with an intrinsically safe nuclear reactor. The intrinsically safe aspect was vital for them due to recent history that is well known. This reactor is able to economically produce hydrogen as part of its process.
So, if we can all get our heads around intrinsically safe nuclear reactors, it looks like there could be a lot of promise in this concept.
Maybe. How many wonderfully promising potential new cancer cures have you heard about in your lifetime? Not that I'm an out and out techno-sceptic – our reluctance to move away from BAU economics will likely mean we delay and delay until multiple interlocking crises demand miraculous technology solutions. If they exist they will be welcome of course – though if they are not put into the public domain but remain in private ownership, they'll drive inequality to stratospheric levels.
I think this actually a working prototype. They have deliberately set melt-down conditions where the cores get to maximum temperatures. But the composition of the nuclear rods has easily stood up to those conditions.
The Japanese are very cautious with nuclear since their experience with Fukushima. So, they would have to be absolutely about safety certain to use the technology on safety grounds.
If we are serious about saving the planet, then hydrogen is the logical fuel to replace hydrocarbons for industrial use. If hydrogen can be produced safely and economically with this type of technology, then I think we need to put pragmatics over ideology.
I’m very concerned that your ‘safe’ radioactive waste could lead to mutations in cockroaches creating Cockzilla and then our climate will be truly stuffed
Don't want to add to your vexed state, but I thought I had read that water vapour is one of the worst greenhouse gases. Our planet produces huge amounts already – is it predictably wise for us to entertain the idea burning blistering billions of tons of hydrogen, adding to the total water vapour?
Meanwhile, we can continue to make more efficient use of energy, and even use less energy – we've done it before (Target 10%) and it wasn't the end of the world.
Detransitioners may be a small group—even the highest estimates are in the hundreds, compared with an estimated number of transgender-identified people in the low millions—but they have been influential in pushing their denial that trans identity is real.
Publicly, detransitioners disavow not only their individual transition histories but also the fact that transition helps trans people worldwide to live comfortably in their own skin. Although a few men also identify as detransitioned, most of the community congregates in sex-exclusive online forums for detransitioned women only. They believe gender dysphoria is common among women and disappears when they learn to love and accept their female bodies.
Detransitioned women have gained influence because of strong interest in their stories by both anti-trans activists and some journalists.
Double radical mastectomies on young girls are gender affirming care that will see their healthy boobs amputated and for some detransitioners that will be in issue in the future.
To make it sound nicer and friendlier the gender medical industry that makes top dollar on such people – young and old – call it 'top surgery', or very orwellian as 'chest contouring'. As some ask, why did no one prevent me from having boobs cut off, my uterus removed and my female hormones replaced by synthetic testesterone. And a lot of the destransitioners are young women in their early 20 who were socially transitioned, puberty blocked (some), and on cross hormones by their mid teens with the life saving sexual organ amputation surgeries added quickly there after. And oops, then they wake up and realise that non of that is reversible, and that they will in many cases be lifelong customers to various pharmaceutical companies for testesterone, and other medications.
ditto for the boys that wake up and realise they are on their fifth revision of their sexual re-assignement surgery and they still don't have anything even just loosely resembling a 'vagina'. But they all have issues urinating and such. They too are unhappy, the detransitioners.
But then we don't count the ones that are unhappy, that would be unkind to the happy ones and may make some think a bit harder and further then just 'affirmation is kindness' and YOU want to be KIND!
So if the knee surgeries on old, crunchy, broken knees result in such high regret I suggest that they try having knee surgeries or amputations – leg contouring or limb surgery would be a good term – on healthy knees to see if they have a lesser regret. After all, its all the same, right?
Mind best would be to not compare a surgery such as knee operations to removal of uterueses, breasts, penises and scrotums, as clearly other then they being surgeries they have nothing in common. You can still be somewhat mobile with a bung knee, but you will not have sex or children with missing / cut of sexual / reproductive organs.
But then, i am unkind in my believe that mental illness can not be fixed with amputations and removal of sexual and reproductive organs on children. What adults do with their bits n bobs is their own, and even then the Therapist that sign them off on these surgeries should be making sure that the issue is not other trauma, other mental illness and is indeed a very strong case of Body disphoria / dismorphic disorder to warrant this type of intervention, as adults too experience regret.
Arkie, women with breast cancer in NZ are initially refused a double mastectomy if it is not considered medically warranted. Even the benefit to the patient of improved mental well-being is not considered – given that they already have a diagnosis of a disease that kills 1 in 5 of the 3500 diagnosed every year within five years.
There is a marked difference between a surgery for a medically diagnosed disease, and one that is demanded without diagnosis other than self-declaration.
The cost to the medical system for medical and surgical transition is high, both at initial intervention stage, and later stages. In fact it can be a lifelong requirement for state funded healthcare, for a person who otherwise would not need such care or use of limited resources.
"Autonomy in the context of transgender healthcare involves transgender people being able to able to make informed choices for themselves regarding gender affirming care and being free from experiencing harmful pathologisation and other barriers to accessing this care."
"Historically transgender healthcare has suffered from the pathologising of gender diversity and the inappropriate labelling of gender/cultural identity and expression as a diagnosed mental health illness. The resulting legacy of this pathologisation is a tension in health services between the need to avoid further stigmatisation while simultaneously acknowledging the importance of the wider concept of mental health as part of holistic healthcare delivery. The practice of informed consent in relation to gender affirming healthcare is important because it reaffirms the self-determination of the transgender person and their knowledge of their needs, identities, and self. Informed consent enables the health provider to work alongside the transgender person in a flexible and responsive way."
Post Mastectomy Reconstruction surgery is also a Gender Affirming procedure. One that has far more regret associated with it than GAS for trans people. The focus on trans procedures is disproportionate.
The guidelines you have linked to are for Medical Professionals, the ones who provide the diagnoses and referrals needed so that trans people can access medical procedures.
"Post Mastectomy Reconstruction surgery is also a Gender Affirming procedure. "
No, arkie.
It is – like all non-medically required surgeries – a cosmetic procedure, that follows a clinically indicated mastectomy.
Women with breasts or without them don't need further surgery to affirm their sex.
The fact that you see reconstruction for breast cancer patients as "gender affirming surgery" is indicative of a poor understanding of women.
“The guidelines you have linked to are for Medical Professionals, the ones who provide the diagnoses and referrals needed so that trans people can access medical procedures.”
Those guidelines along with those from the source document from WPATH refer to the professionals following the direction of the patient.
Haven't watched this all the way through, and for those unused to Exulansic – it might be a bit hard going, but the telling part of this video for me is the justifications and equivocating of the medical professionals at Boston Children's Hospital when speaking about transitioning children.
Putting faith in such ideologues to do the right thing for children is why so much damage will be done. And the ones who will pay the price for this type of evangalism, is the children they are entrusted with.
The doctor speaking of the earning and profitability potential in the revisions of sexual re-assignment surgery is simply chilling. They need a 'lot of after care', indeed they do. Jazz Jennings, very famous Transchild/Transwomen of TLC – the learning channel – is a case in point. They had their bottom surgery done about 4 years ago – by Marica Bowers of all surgeons, and i think they are on re-vision four or five of the initial surgery. Jazz went from healthy young and happy to obese, sick and in constant pain with various doctors doctoring. One can only ever hope for the very best outcome of any of these interventions as the other alternative is just too horrible to contemplate.
Pulling his hairline down to his lower jaw was a masterpiece of plastic surgery, but in my mind he’s still the cute adorable and slightly awkward Emo Musk.
The review including literature from transitions made for a completely different demographic than what we are currently seeing, for those who underwent non-affirmation only healthcare. and was limited by the failure of many clinics to do standard follow up of their patients for any extended lengths of time.
With those limitations it is a poor justification for the affirming healthcare model that psychologically, medically and surgically transitions children and young people. (Let's not even get into the dwindling medical resources, that will be further diminished by the production of lifelong medical patients, who seek to change healthy functioning bodies to a medically and surgically modified one).
"As a group of psychotherapists working in the area of gender, we have concerns about the arguments and statistics presented in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health's Editorial.1
We believe that using the outdated statistic that 1% of people who transition will regret their decision is highly irresponsible, and lacks the rigour for which the Lancet group of journals is known. This 1% refers primarily to studies of adults who transitioned in an era when medical transition was only taken under strict protocol.2 We now find ourselves in a markedly different era, characterised by a 1727% rise in the numbers of children seeking to transition,3 and a gender-affirmative approach, which has been adopted almost universally, making the proffered 1% statistic anachronistic.4 We do not believe puberty blockers are a safe and appropriate option, as supported by a blog by Carl Heneghan and Tom Jefferson,5 especially given that the use of this highly experimental treatment path is being reconsidered by progressive countries in Europe. The Karolinska Institute in Sweden, long considered gold-standard in providing transgender health care, no longer uses puberty blockers;6 nor does Finland promote their use.7 Additionally, a judicial review in the UK found puberty blockers to be an inappropriate option for most children younger than 16 years.8
We urge The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health to take this opportunity to engage with this issue, rather than publishing, in our opinion, inaccurate and careless Editorials."
Go on Redit. The numbers are in the tens of thousands there. My understanding is that there is strict criteria there.
Have you read the Cass report Sacha? Have you bothered listen to even one detransitioner story? Seen the women who have had double mastectomies? Are now infertile cause they have had their wombs removed? Did you read the article in Stuff about the Australian woman who is suiong her psychiatrist who pled her having breasts and womb removed?
Transactivists, similarly, believe their right to self-determination is limited only by their imagination — never by anyone else’s rights. Just as Jake Angeli can dress up as a Native American warrior to symbolize the white colonizer’s imaginary right to stolen land, Charlotte Clymer can put on some lipstick and pick up a gold lamé purse in order to lay symbolic claim to a womanhood that exists only in the mind of sexist men. The way to an ‘authentic’ self is not through radical self-acceptance, the rejection of dehumanization, the telling of truth to power, or the building of strong and loving human relationships, but by buying an outside that somehow ‘matches’ your insides.
Breaks your heart. The medical establishment has been wrecked by TRA bullies threatening the livelihoods of doctors who don't submit to the unquestioning affirmation model. Leading to a predictable rise in transition regret.
The entity needed to have a public service mission written into its legislation so it would not pursue the creation of certain genres – for example, cheap, high-rating reality television – to outcompete other media companies for audiences and advertising revenue, said Dr Peter Thompson, a media expert from Victoria University of Wellington.
…
The new entity could be mandated to accept programmes and run them on its platforms, Thompson said. One way to introduce this would be to write in a public service “publisher” role for the entity, in which it would be obliged to distribute its commissioned content.
Nz media organs, sponsored by banks and real estate industry, spreading relentless negative spin. Then pretending butter wouldn't melt in their mouths. Tova is throwing rocks at Labour, ignoring all of its hard work, and giving National a free pass.
Sure, criticise the government. But you're fucking delusional if you think sacking them will fix anything. Please show me the National party policy to control banks, implement CGT, stop inflation etc.
Don't just give the Natz a free pass. They are proven liars.
NAct have openly stated their contempt for working people. They only represent the propertied landlord class now.
Multinational corporations are circling Aotearoa like sharks, and National wants to help them suppress wages, inflate prices, snap up all of our public assets. All for the sake of a quick buck for themselves
Absolute agreement on my part, roblogic. My worst fear is that your target audience never read the Standard. Given educational decline, few of them are likely to do any reading at all now..
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Boarded up homes in Kilbirnie, where work on a planned development was halted. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 5 are;Housing Minister Chris Bishop yesterday announcedKāinga Ora would be stripped of ...
This week Kiwirail and Auckland Transport were celebrating the completion of the summer rail works that had the network shut or for over a month and the start of electric trains to Pukekohe. First up, here’s parts of the press release about the shutdown works. Passengers boarding trains in Auckland ...
Through its austerity measures, the coalition government has engineered a rise in unemployment in order to reduce inflation while – simultaneously – cracking down harder and harder on the people thrown out of work by its own policies. To that end, Social Development Minister Louise Upston this week added two ...
This year, we've seen a radical, white supremacist government ignoring its Tiriti obligations, refusing to consult with Māori, and even trying to legislatively abrogate te Tiriti o Waitangi. When it was criticised by the Waitangi Tribunal, the government sabotaged that body, replacing its legal and historical experts with corporate shills, ...
Poor old democracy, it really is in a sorry state. It would be easy to put all the blame on the vandals and tyrants presently trashing the White House, but this has been years in the making. It begins with Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan and the spirit of Gordon ...
The new school lunches came in this week, and they were absolutely scrumptious.I had some, and even though Connor said his tasted like “stodge” and gave him a sore tummy, I myself loved it!Look at the photos - I knew Mr Seymour wouldn’t lie when he told us last year:"It ...
The tighter sanctions are modelled on ones used in Britain, which did push people off ‘the dole’, but didn’t increase the number of workers, and which evidence has repeatedly shown don’t work. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, ...
Catching you up on the morning’s global news and a quick look at the parallels -GLOBALTariffs are backSharemarkets in the US, UK and Europe have “plunged” in response to Trump’s tariffs. And while Mexico has won a one month reprieve, Canada and China will see their respective 25% and 10% ...
This post by Nicolas Reid was originally published on Linked in. It is republished here with permission. Gondolas are often in the news, with manufacturers of ropeway systems proposing them as a modern option for mass transit systems in New Zealand. However, like every next big thing in transport, it’s hard ...
This is a re-post from The Climate BrinkBoth 2023 and 2024 were exceptionally warm years, at just below and above 1.5C relative to preindustrial in the WMO composite of surface temperature records, respectively. While we are still working to assess the full set of drivers of this warmth, it is clear that ...
Hi,I woke up feeling nervous this morning, realising that this weekend Flightless Bird is going to do it’s first ever live show. We’re heading to a sold out (!) show in Seattle to test the format out in front of an audience. If it works, we’ll do more. I want ...
From the United-For-Now States of America comes the thrilling news that a New Zealander may be at the very heart of the current coup. Punching above our weight on the world stage once more! Wait, you may be asking, what New Zealander? I speak of Peter Thiel, made street legal ...
Even Stevens: Over the 33 years between 1990 and 2023 (and allowing for the aberrant 2020 result) the average level of support enjoyed by the Left and Right blocs, at roughly 44.5 percent each, turns out to be, as near as dammit, identical.WORLDWIDE, THE PARTIES of the Left are presented ...
Back in 2023, a "prominent political figure" went on trial for historic sex offences. But we weren't allowed to know who they were or what political party they were "prominent" in, because it might affect the way we voted. At the time, I said that this was untenable; it was ...
I'm going, I'm goingWhere the water tastes like wineI'm going where the water tastes like wineWe can jump in the waterStay drunk all the timeI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayAll this fussing and fighting, man, you know I sure ...
Waitangi Day is a time to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and stand together for a just and fair Aotearoa. Across the motu, communities are gathering to reflect, kōrero, and take action for a future built on equity and tino rangatiratanga. From dawn ceremonies to whānau-friendly events, there are ...
Subscribe to Mountain Tūī ! Where you too can learn about exciting things from a flying bird! Tweet.Yes - I absolutely suck at marketing. It’s a fact.But first -My question to all readers is:How should I set up the Substack model?It’s been something I’ve been meaning to ask since November ...
Here’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s political economy on politics and in the week to Feb 3:PM Christopher Luxon began 2025’s first day of Parliament last Tuesday by carrying on where left off in 2024, letting National’s junior coalition partner set the political agenda and dragging ...
The PSA have released a survey of 4000 public service workers showing that budget cuts are taking a toll on the wellbeing of public servants and risking the delivery of essential services to New Zealanders. Economists predict that figures released this week will show continued increases in unemployment, potentially reaching ...
The Prime Minister’s speech 10 days or so ago kicked off a flurry of commentary. No one much anywhere near the mainstream (ie excluding Greens supporters) questioned the rhetoric. New Zealand has done woefully poorly on productivity for a long time and we really need better outcomes, and the sorts ...
President Trump on the day he announced tariffs against Mexico, Canada and China, unleashing a shock to supply chains globally that is expected to slow economic growth and increase inflation for most large economies. Photo: Getty ImagesLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate ...
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashHere’s what we’re watching in the week to February 9 and beyond in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty:Monday, February 3Politics: New Zealand Government cabinet meeting usually held early afternoon with post-cabinet news conference possible at 4 pm, although they have not been ...
Trump being Trump, it won’t come as a shock to find that he regards a strong US currency (bolstered by high tariffs on everything made by foreigners) as a sign of America’s virility, and its ability to kick sand in the face of the world. Reality is a tad more ...
A listing of 24 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, January 26, 2025 thru Sat, February 1, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
What seems to be the common theme in the US, NZ, Argentina and places like Italy under their respective rightwing governments is what I think of as “the politics of cruelty.” Hate-mongering, callous indifference in social policy-making, corporate toadying, political bullying, intimidation and punching down on the most vulnerable with ...
If you are confused, check with the sunCarry a compass to help you alongYour feet are going to be on the groundYour head is there to move you aroundSo, stand in the place where you liveSongwriters: Bill Berry / Michael Mills / Michael Stipe / Peter Buck.Hot in the CityYesterday, ...
Shane Jones announced today he would be contracting out his thinking to a smarter younger person.Reclining on his chaise longue with a mouth full of oysters and Kina he told reporters:Clearly I have become a has-been, a palimpsest, an epigone, a bloviating fossil. I find myself saying such things as: ...
Warning: This post contains references to sexual assaultOn Saturday, I spent far too long editing a video on Tim Jago, the ACT Party President and criminal, who has given up his fight for name suppression after 2 years. He voluntarily gave up just in time for what will be a ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is global warming ...
Our low-investment, low-wage, migration-led and housing-market-driven political economy has delivered poorer productivity growth than the rest of the OECD, and our performance since Covid has been particularly poor. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty this ...
..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.As far as major government announcements go, a Three Ministers Event is Big. It can signify a major policy development or something has gone Very Well, or an absolute Clusterf**k. When Three Ministers assemble ...
One of those blasts from the past. Peter Dunne – originally neoliberal Labour, then leader of various parties that sought to work with both big parties (generally National) – has taken to calling ...
Completed reads for January: I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson The Black Spider, by Jeremias Gotthelf The Spider and the Fly (poem), by Mary Howitt A Noiseless Patient Spider (poem), by Walt Whitman August Heat, by W.F. Harvey Charlotte’s Web, by E.B. White The Shrinking Man, by Richard Matheson ...
Do its Property Right Provisions Make Sense?Last week I pointed out that it is uninformed to argue that the New Zealand’s apparently poor economic performance can be traced only to poor regulations. Even were there evidence they had some impact, there are other factors. Of course, we should seek to ...
Richard Wagstaff It was incredibly jarring to hear the hubris from the Prime Minister during his recent state of the nation address. I had just spent close to a week working though the stories and thoughts shared with us by nearly 2000 working people as part of our annual Mood ...
Odd fact about the Broadcasting Standards Authority: for the last few years, they’ve only been upholding about 5% of complaints. Why? I think there’s a range of reasons. Generally responsible broadcasters. Dumb complaints. Complaints brought under the wrong standard. Greater adherence to broadcasters’ rights to freedom of expression in the ...
And I said, "Mama, mama, mama, why am I so alone"'Cause I can't go outside, I'm scared I might not make it homeWell I'm alive, I'm alive, but I'm sinking inIf there's anyone at home at your place, darlingWhy don't you invite me in?Don't try to feed me'Cause I've been ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ star is on the rise, having just added the Energy, Local Government and Revenue portfolios to his responsibilities - but there is nothing ambitious about the Government’s new climate targets. Photo: SuppliedLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate ...
It may have been a short week but there’s been no shortage of things that caught our attention. Here is some of the most interesting. This week in Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt took a look at public transport ridership in 2024 On Thursday Connor asked some questions ...
The East Is Red: Journalists and commentators are referring to the sudden and disruptive arrival of DeepSeek as a second “Sputnik moment”. (Sputnik being the name given by the godless communists of the Soviet Union to the world’s first artificial satellite which, to the consternation and dismay of the Americans, ...
Hi,Back on inauguration day we launched a ridiculous RFK Jr. “brain worms” tee on the Webworm store, and I told you I’d be throwing my profits over to Mutual Aid LA and Rainbow Youth New Zealand. Just to show I am not full of shit, here are the receipts. I ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: on the week in geopolitics, including the latest from Donald Trump over Gaza and Ukraine.Health expert and author David Galler ...
In an uncompromising paper Treasury has basically told the Government that its plan for a third medical school at Waikato University is a waste of money. Furthermore, the country cannot afford it. That advice was released this week by the Treasury under the Official Information Act. And it comes as ...
Back in November, He Pou a Rangi provided the government with formal advice on the domestic contribution to our next Paris target. Not what the target should be, but what we could realistically achieve, by domestic action alone, without resorting to offshore mitigation. Their answer was startling: depending on exactly ...
Photo by Mauricio Fanfa on UnsplashKia oraCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with myself , plus regular guest David Patman and ...
I don't like to spend all my time complaining about our government, so let me complain about the media first.Senior journalistic Herald person Thomas Coughlan reported that Treasury replied yeah nah, wrong bro to Luxon's claim that our benighted little country has been in recession for three years.His excitement rose ...
Back in 2022, when the government was consulting internally about proactive release of cabinet papers, the SIS opposed it. The basis of their opposition was the "mosaic effect" - people being able to piece together individual pieces of innocuous public information in a way which supposedly harms "national security" (effectively: ...
With The Stroke Of A Pen:Populism, especially right-wing populism, invests all the power of an electoral/parliamentary majority in a single political leader because it no longer trusts the bona fides of the sprawling political class among whom power is traditionally dispersed. Populism eschews traditional politics, because, among populists, traditional politics ...
I’ve spent the last week writing a fairly substantial review of a recent book (“Australia’s Pandemic Exceptionalism: How we crushed the curve but lost the race”) by a couple of Australian academic economists on Australia’s pandemic policies and experiences. For all its limitations, there isn’t anything similar in New Zealand. ...
Mr Mojo Rising: Economic growth is possible, Christopher Luxon reassures us, but only under a government that is willing to get out of the way and let those with drive and ambition get on with it.ABOUT TWELVE KILOMETRES from the farm on the North Otago coast where I grew up stands ...
You're nearly a good laughAlmost a jokerWith your head down in the pig binSaying, 'Keep on digging.'Pig stain on your fat chinWhat do you hope to findDown in the pig mine?You're nearly a laughYou're nearly a laughBut you're really a crySongwriter: Roger Waters.NZ First - Kiwi Battlers.Say what you like ...
This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Climate denial is dead. Renewable energy denial is here. As “alternative facts” become the norm, it’s worth looking at what actual facts tell us about how renewable energy sources like solar and wind are lowering the price of electricity. As ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...
Labour is relieved to see Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her government’s terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers – temporarily. ...
It is the first week of David Seymour’s school lunch programme and already social media reports are circulating of revolting meals, late deliveries, and mislabelled packaging. ...
The Green Party says that with no-cause evictions returning from today, the move to allow landlords to end tenancies without reason plunges renters, and particularly families who rent, into insecurity and stress. ...
The Government’s move to increase speed limits substantially on dozens of stretches of rural and often undivided highways will result in more serious harm. ...
In her first announcement as Economic Growth Minister, Nicola Willis chose to loosen restrictions for digital nomads from other countries, rather than focus on everyday Kiwis. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to stand firm and work with allies to progress climate action as Donald Trump signals his intent to pull out of the Paris Climate Accords once again. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. “As schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamariki’s review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 What’s Up hotline. “When I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...
A bill to make revenue collection on imported and exported goods fairer and more effective had its first reading in Parliament, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. “The Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill modernises the way in which Customs can recover the costs of services that are needed ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has achieved significant progress in completing applications for New Zealand citizenship. “December 2024 saw the Department complete 5,661 citizenship applications, the most for any month in 2024. This is a 54 per cent increase compared ...
Reversals to Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions begin tonight and will be in place by 1 July, says Minister of Transport Chris Bishop. “The previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads. “National campaigned on ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced Budget 2025 – the Growth Budget - will be delivered on Thursday 22 May. “This year’s Budget will drive forward the Government’s plan to grow our economy to improve the incomes of New Zealanders now and in the years ahead. “Budget 2025 will build ...
For the Government, 2025 will bring a relentless focus on unleashing the growth we need to lift incomes, strengthen local businesses and create opportunity. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today laid out the Government’s growth agenda in his Statement to Parliament. “Just over a year ago this Government was elected by ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour welcomes students back to school with a call to raise attendance from last year. “The Government encourages all students to attend school every day because there is a clear connection between being present at school and setting yourself up for a bright future,” says Mr ...
The Government is relaxing visitor visa requirements to allow tourists to work remotely while visiting New Zealand, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and Tourism Minister Louise Upston say. “The change is part of the Government’s plan to unlock New Zealand’s potential by shifting the country onto ...
The opening of Kāinga Ora’s development of 134 homes in Epuni, Lower Hutt will provide much-needed social housing for Hutt families, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I’ve been a strong advocate for social housing on Kāinga Ora’s Epuni site ever since the old earthquake-prone housing was demolished in 2015. I ...
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay will travel to Australia today for meetings with Australian Trade Minister, Senator Don Farrell, and the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF). Mr McClay recently hosted Minister Farrell in Rotorua for the annual Closer Economic Relations (CER) Trade Ministers’ meeting, where ANZLF presented on ...
A new monthly podiatry clinic has been launched today in Wairoa and will bring a much-needed service closer to home for the Wairoa community, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.“Health New Zealand has been successful in securing a podiatrist until the end of June this year to meet the needs of ...
The Judicial Conduct Commissioner has recommended a Judicial Conduct Panel be established to inquire into and report on the alleged conduct of acting District Court Judge Ema Aitken in an incident last November, Attorney-General Judith Collins said today. “I referred the matter of Judge Aitken’s alleged conduct during an incident ...
Students who need extra help with maths are set to benefit from a targeted acceleration programme that will give them more confidence in the classroom, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Last year, significant numbers of students did not meet the foundational literacy and numeracy level required to gain NCEA. To ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced three new diplomatic appointments. “Our diplomats play an important role in ensuring New Zealand’s interests are maintained and enhanced across the world,” Mr Peters says. “It is a pleasure to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ...
Ki te kahore he whakakitenga, ka ngaro te Iwi – without a vision, the people will perish. The Government has achieved its target to reduce the number of households in emergency housing motels by 75 per cent five years early, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. The number of households ...
The opening of Palmerston North’s biggest social housing development will have a significant impact for whānau in need of safe, warm, dry housing, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. The minister visited the development today at North Street where a total of 50 two, three, and four-bedroom homes plus a ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced the new membership of the Public Advisory Committee on Disarmament and Arms Control (PACDAC), who will serve for a three-year term. “The Committee brings together wide-ranging expertise relevant to disarmament. We have made six new appointments to the Committee and reappointed two existing members ...
Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora, good morning, talofa, malo e lelei, bula vinaka, da jia hao, namaste, sat sri akal, assalamu alaikum. It’s so great to be here and I’m ready and pumped for 2025. Can I start by acknowledging: Simon Bridges – CEO of the Auckland ...
The Government has unveiled a bold new initiative to position New Zealand as a premier destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) that will create higher paying jobs and grow the economy. “Invest New Zealand will streamline the investment process and provide tailored support to foreign investors, to increase capital investment ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced the largest reset of the New Zealand science system in more than 30 years with reforms which will boost the economy and benefit the sector. “The reforms will maximise the value of the $1.2 billion in government funding that goes into ...
Turbocharging New Zealand’s economic growth is the key to brighter days ahead for all Kiwis, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. In the Prime Minister’s State of the Nation Speech in Auckland today, Christopher Luxon laid out the path to the prosperity that will affect all aspects of New Zealanders’ lives. ...
The latest set of accounts show the Government has successfully checked the runaway growth of public spending, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. “In the previous government’s final five months in office, public spending was almost 10 per cent higher than for the same period the previous year. “That is completely ...
The Government’s welfare reforms are delivering results with the number of people moving off benefits into work increasing year-on-year for six straight months. “There are positive signs that our welfare reset and the return consequences for job seekers who don't fulfil their obligations to prepare for or find a job ...
Jon Kroll and Aimee McCammon have been appointed to the New Zealand Film Commission Board, Arts Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “I am delighted to appoint these two new board members who will bring a wealth of industry, governance, and commercial experience to the Film Commission. “Jon Kroll has been an ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has hailed a drop in the domestic component of inflation, saying it increases the prospect of mortgage rate reductions and a lower cost of living for Kiwi households. Stats NZ reported today that inflation was 2.2 per cent in the year to December, the second consecutive ...
Two new appointed members and one reappointed member of the Employment Relations Authority have been announced by Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden today. “I’m pleased to announce the new appointed members Helen van Druten and Matthew Piper to the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) and welcome them to ...
Pacific Media Watch President Donald Trump has frozen billions of dollars around the world in aid projects, including more than $268 million allocated by Congress to support independent media and the free flow of information. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has denounced this decision, which has plunged NGOs, media outlets, and ...
Otago University professor of international relations Robert Patman says New Zealand should provide a robust response to Donald Trump's Gaza plan, and also "should stop tip-toeing" around Trump. ...
The new minister of transport has opened the door for public consultation on at least some of the speed limit changes the government said would be automatic. ...
Officially, they’re called ‘memecoins,’ but Kōura Wealth founder Rupert Carlyon says the crypto world has another name for them: ‘shitcoins’.In digital finance, that phrase is used for tokens that have no true value – in essence, a money-grab.A few days before his inauguration, US President Donald Trump launched his own ...
Madeleine Chapman reflects on the week that was. Guy Williams has made a whole show off the joke that he is a “volunteer” journalist. So getting publicly owned by David Seymour while trying to act as a journalist is a good and timely reminder not to underestimate the nuance and ...
Many of Sāmoa’s beloved dishes are the result of cultural collaboration, writes Madeleine Chapman. All photos by Jin FelletIf you ever find yourself at a barbecue in a Sāmoan home, there’s 99% chance that sapasui (chop suey) will be on the table. For the past century, sapasui has ...
The funnyman takes us through his life in television, including Jono and Ben mayhem, live Telethon flubs, and funnelling all those experiences into his new comedy Vince. There’s an inciting incident in Three’s new comedy Vince where morning television presenter Vince Walters (Jono Pryor) is visiting sick kids in hospital ...
People often claim they just want Waitangi Day to be a celebration. At Waitangi, away from the headlined political acrimony and the marae ātea, celebrating is what most people are doing. The Spinoff Essay showcases the best essayists in Aotearoa, on topics big and small. Made possible by the generous ...
Is there anything more fashionable than a Māori get together? One of the best things about Northland is that nobody cares what they look like — probably because they’re all naturally more stylish than the rest of us, famously. Māori from the Far North, especially. In 27 degree heat, wearing ...
MONDAY“Name,” barked a representative of the lower orders.I regarded him with a look of stern disapproval, and told him from up high, “May I remind you that I have name suppression. I shall also thank you to ask with more respect as befits a former president of the Act Party, ...
Books of Mana: 180 Māori-Authored Books of Significance, edited by Jacinta Ruru, Angela Wanhalla and Jeanette Wikaira has just been released by Otago University Press. In this essay, Books are Taonga, Jeanette Wikaira explores her personal relationship to books and their value.For me, books are taonga. The knowledge ...
I’ve been in love with him since last July, but it’s only now in this tepid hotel room that I find myself wondering why. The first thing he does when we arrive is smoke a cone in the bathroom – he emerges, hacking up a lung, fists thrust into his ...
Get to know Tara, our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Tara’s human for their support! Dog name: Tara Age: Two Breed: Mostly Border Collie and a little bit Catahoula Leopard dog If dog ...
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Hydropower
I think we in NZ have all the ability and expertise to do this.
Would be great if Labour and Greens start a NZ Public Works…akin to the old Ministry of Works. We built so much back in the day. Can do it again !
Cmon Labour. This would work. Public Works NZ again.We can do this . Labour and Greens United ! Fight back against nact.
So many reasons this is a bad idea.
– The Ministry of Works together with the Electricity Corporation was responsible for the wholesale destruction of both the Waikato and Clutha rivers, which are our largest. Try and get the book "Who Killed The Clutha?", which is the history of 100 years of damming on that river.
Hydroelectric power New Zealand | Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE)
– The RMA and its replacement due to come into Parliament this week. The last time anyone tried a full-on dam was Ruataniwha. Even Supreme Court action failed to deter the government of the day this was a bad idea. No public agency will try for a new dam within our legislative framework current or future. The Ministry of the Ministry of Works, once you get past glorying in monumental concrete, is a history of environmental destruction on a stupendous scale.
By Design – A Brief History of the Public Works Department – Ministry of Works 1870 – 1970 | Noonan, Rosslyn J. | Arty Bee's Books (artybees.co.nz)
– Agglomerated Ministries and government agencies get to a certain level of scale and fail to deliver benefits. Is anything getting better under health? What about agglomerated water? Or agglomerated Auckland? Or agglomerated public media? Or agglomerated MBIE? Or indeed any of the others coming.
There are a few upgrades to existing dams, such as the Arnold River on the west coast. The last big one was fully completed in the early 1990s. Their social license simply ran out.
But actually it's time some of the older dams were ripped down, like Roxburgh, and let the rivers flow back the way they should.
The one coming up and getting a full Cabinet "go to full plan" decision in December is the NZ Battery Project, which requires raising on an existing dam, with zero Clutha impact. I suspect that will continue into a National government because the Transpower team are fairly smart.
Let's not do dumb ideas again.
The MoW did a pretty good job of the Waitaki &b Ohau schemes, even if they did neglect to protect eel migration. (On which note Niwa have solved half the great mystery of eel spawning – just haven't got full elver growth yet).
Where they failed the government in power owe the greater part of the responsibility.
When we had a MoW we didn't see pitiful corrupt shit like $50 million being spent on not building a cycle bridge, or 20-30 year talkfests instead of building railway lines.
The self-styled technocracy have not covered themselves in glory.
What the old Ministries did despite their flaws, and what import substitution manufacturing regimes, such as car assembly did, was provide full time work, for thousands of working class people for many decades. As did provincial “County Councils” and City Councils with their own road repair and infrastructure maintenance teams.
A 21st century publicly owned infrastructure and construction Ministry would be a great thing. Fulton Hogan always seem to be at their busiest when there are unused funding allocations…
Rogernomics greatest shame perhaps was that the many thousands discarded with the collapse of manufacturing and flogging off of public sector assets–via macro economic decisions beyond workers immediate ability to influence–were never seriously retrained or catered for. No, they were demonised as dole bludgers, as are their descendants of the permanent underclass, and then ground into the dust with markets rents for state houses, paid tertiary, Police racial profiling, and Richardson’s MOAB.
Got it ..very profound and correctly stating the impact of those times.
Those reforms ripped the guts out of the middle/working classes in many small towns. In some small towns with high Maori populations Maori were hugely affected and probably never recovered.
I know in my PS workplace we had many jobs that catered for less abled workers who became part of our work lives. A permanent head I worked with was profoundly upset when, finally after protecting these workers against all manner of sinking lids, slash 3% off staffing programmes, finally had to let these staff go when SSC, at the Govts behest, came in for reviews of those in support roles. As we kept in touch after our colleagues left we knew many never ever got another job in the whole of their remaining working lives.
Number of my South & West Auckland colleagues never got “proper” jobs again either after Roger’s wrecking ball and the Nats ’91 union busting ECA. Demolition, scavenging, film industry, labour only contracting, service industry, building, move to the provinces–subsistence style etc. was their career path.
I turned previous volunteer cut & paste layout skills into digital publishing when Mac computers and software made it possible, still do it from the Far North.
"Those reforms ripped the guts out of the middle/working classes in many small towns. In some small towns with high Maori populations Maori were hugely affected and probably never recovered."
Its more clear than probably. The costs of longer term unemployment are not only the income lost during the period of unemployment but also the difference in career path due to limited work history. To some extent this will also occur even for people who managed retraining, because they then start again from a similar position as recent entrants into that line of work.
Yes you are correct re 'probably'.
And correct with this as well.
Oh..really? Your example of the Clutha…and the Clyde dam was primarily Muldoons Think Big mistake.
Norm Kirks Labour had originally wanted a low dam….which would have been so much better. And saved not only land, but a huge amount of wasted $millions.
In the old MOW, NZ had a great amount of skilled People, from Trades through to Engineers. We lost all that. Many to…the likes of Downers and other private companies etc….
Dams werent the only Projects MOW did…..you seem hung up on that. Also I dont see the NZ Battery Project as being quite the sure thing you assume. Still many questions to be answered.
Anyway this from 2010..
IMO this would work.
Very sorry to hear of the passing of Mike Davis who wrote City of Quartz, the best Marxist geography of LA I've ever seen.
Mike Davis' blue-collar odyssey to "City of Quartz": From trucker to legendary leftist writer | Salon.com
One for my retirement list is a Marxist geography of Auckland.
.
Sorry to hear this … his long essay, Obama at Manassas in the New Left Review (March-April 2009), was a tour de force in popularising & summarising the changing demography & geography of the presidential vote in a highly colourful & highly accessible way.
Here's one vibrant passage I've always remembered:
Some impressive – and highly colourful -analysis of more recent elections too.
'
'Bomb them back to the stone age'
Quote attributed to US Airforce General Curtis LeMay
LeMay tried to walk back this brutal quote, saying that he meant that the US had the potential to bomb Vietnam back to the Stone Age, and blamed his ghost writer for the misquote.
A war strategy so brutal that it's author tried to distance himself from it.
When the US war in Vietnam became bogged down, LeMay said the US's best strategy was to destroy their infrastructure.
No Russian Federation military or political leader has been quoted as saying, 'Bomb them back to the Stone Age'. But they are carrying out General LeMay's policy in practice.
Imagine how your family would cope in Auckland without water or power.
Curtis LeMay's brutal policy of destroying Vietnam's infrastructure, didn't save the US imperialists from defeat in Vietnam, it won't save the Russian Federation imperialists from defeat in Ukraine.
In case anyone missed this NYT piece (I think it was posted here recently), it's really worth a read or a listen (article has audio of the text).
David Wallace Wells, who wrote the apocalyptic climate prediction book The Uninhabitable Earth 5 years ago, writes about some stunning turnarounds we've achieved. Obviously not enough, but shows what we can do.
We've cut the prediction of the worst in half, in just 5 years. We know a bit more about what to expect so we can plan. Protest, lobbying and relentless advocacy WORKS! The overton window has shifted significantly. Renewables have drastically declined in price. We might – might – just have a chance, which is better than before.
BTW, it's still pretty grim – just more hopeful by comparison. The point is to show what can be achieved, if/when we rapidly increase efforts. Not the time to kick back.
(From article) The idea that fossil fuels are inherently 'bad' is not as much a thing among the global South and underdeveloped. It's the West's profligate use of them that makes people angry: "climate coloniality". When renewables become economically strong enough, there may well be attacks on fossil nations, and alliances between renewable nations (which will too become stronger).
The danger and effects haven't stopped, they will increase long before the climate even stabilises. Disruption and heartache will continue, but we can limit the worst and prepare. Climate despair is the worst thing next to disdain.
Sorry, it was NRT where I saw the article repost (credit where it's due).
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/staff-make-formal-complaint-about-plight-of-north-shore-hospitals-ed-and-mental-health-patients/WIDMIAPE2RH7PIAQOJ6BVDOD2U/
I think Mr Little is busy in a meeting with Health NZ discussing their anti racist programme (sarc) and tonight will be attending the drag kareoke for staff, so the real health system will just have to wait its turn, like the mental health patients in ED……..
Not new.
2009 North Shore hospitals among worst
https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/north-shore-times/47559/North-Shore-hospitals-among-worst
Agree, that it's not new.
However, I don't think that you'd find a health professional who didn't agree that wait times in any hospital are markedly worse than they were 10 years ago. And that the stress on the staff is correspondingly worse.
And, yes, there are lots of reasons for this.
I spent nearly 10 hours with my elderly mother in NS hospital ED a couple of months ago – after a bad fall. Watching the obvious stress on the staff with the ever-increasing numbers coming through the door (this wasn't even a busy time); as well as the distress of unwell people who didn't feel that they were getting the care they needed in a timely fashion (or at all – we watched people walk out the door).
Really, no one is interested in which hospital is 'worst' – what we want to see is a coherent plan for making all of them better. Taskforces won't do it. You need actual staff members, and care beds (whether inside or outside the hospital system).
Belladonna the catastrophe that is the health work force crisis is terrifying and it should have been the very first thing Labour attended to way back in 2017 when Ian Powell told David Clark there was a Health workforce crisis.
Labour have f..ked around with new Health Authorities and getting bureacrats to write long documents on racism in the health force , when even at the end of long documents they have to concede that there is not conclusive evidence that racism leads to poor health outcomes for Maori. I quoted it yesterday on OM I think it was and happy to re-write it on request.
Little can't even resolve a pay dispute with the nurses union (and dissed them). Little should be sacked. While I can't be sure, it is likely Reti will do better. At least he was talking about a third medical school
Stop blaming Little for everything Anker. The health situation in NZ has been steadily deteriorating for at least two decades – probably much longer. Yes, it has now reached a critical point and that in large part has been due to Covid. Placing all the blame on the current government and its minister is unrealistic.
The government is fighting an uphill battle to attract more overseas nurses and doctors but they are having to compete with the rest of the planet in a finite world. We are far from alone in our health sector problems.
As far as the nurses pay battles are concerned. They had an offer of a major pay increase less than two years ago and turned it down did they not? Of course they are worthy of more, but once again this is a finite situation. There are other sectors of society equally deserving of a slice of the ever diminishing size of the cake – and that once again is due to international problems and by no means all the fault of the current government.
"Let me be clear: the proposal was one they put to the Government. The Nurses Organisation rejected their own proposal"
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/speech/health-minister-andrew-little-responding-new-zealand-nurses-organisations-rejection-latest
“I have to say, as a former union leader involved in negotiating settlements, it is very unusual for a union to re-litigate terms of settlement that they have already signed up to,”
"Little flatly denied there was any promise of back pay. In the end, there’s only one agreement that counts – it’s the one done on December 2021"
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300569099/nurses-consider-going-to-era-over-broken-promise-in-pay-equity-deal#:~:text=Health%20Minister%20Andrew%20Little%20says,deal%20to%20a%20membership%20vote.
Really? Reti is on record as saying that doctors should be able to charge patients whatever they want, which means we will have doctors fees of up to $150-200. Not too sure how people can afford that.
He also despises the concept of public healthcare and looks up to the USA system, where people die if they cannot afford insurance.
Didn't know that about Reti Cheers Millsy
You didn't know that about Shane Reti because it is nonsense … Millsy is lying.
Yes, Reti would like what is known as a 'wallet biopsy' in this country – if you can afford it, you'll get it.
Thank you, but no.
Absolutely. Some…(even on the Standard )…have seen him as the kinder, caring face of the nats. Bullshit its just a mask…and if he was kinder and caring he wouldnt be a nat.
nats have always seen Our NZ Health system as something to be reduced..even privatised.
Since it's 'on record' I'm sure you'll be able to link to the source.
The post was specifically directed at North Shore Hospital, that doesn't have a good rep.
Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand was only implemented on July 1st, the new system is still in the transitional phase.
There is a world wide shortage of health workers.
https://www.healthdata.org/news-release/worldwide-shortage-health-workers-threatens-effective-health-coverage
"The Government is rolling out a suite of targeted measures to train more health workers domestically and bring more doctors and nurses into the country to help address immediate workforce pressures"
“On March 31 this year, 1,765 more doctors and 4,277 more nurses were working for Health New Zealand than there were when we came into Government in 2017.
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/government-plan-boost-health-workers
"New fund targets 20,000 nurses who have left profession"
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/461463/new-fund-targets-20-000-nurses-who-have-left-profession
Just wondering in what way the NS hospital 'doesn't have a good rep'
In terms of waiting times – Middlemore hospital is widely recognised to have even greater infrastructure issues (staffing, beds, and overwhelmed ED).
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/ldr/476824/middlemore-emergency-department-slammed-as-unsafe-for-patients-and-staff
Everyone I know that has gone there wished they had gone somewhere else
"Third World conditions at North Shore Hospital"
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/how-the-hospital-failed-my-daughter/7WO5Q3E7BXFKYUPFGY2NGAFWKI/
So we've reached 2010 from your initial link from 2009 — anything recent – to match the current reports from Middlemore from this year (linked above) – where people actually have died?
I've (sadly) had a lot of time in and out of NSH over the last 20 years – with a wide range of family and friends. I wouldn't rate it especially poorly. Though it's suffering from the same problems all hospitals are ATM – with understaffing, limited beds (often because it's not possible to discharge people safely), and overwhelmingly increased demand on the ED.
If you're interested in historic trends – here's one saying that the Middlemore issues aren't Covid-caused – but have been imminent for more than a decade.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/300714777/systemwide-solutions-needed-to-fix-unsafe-middlemore-ed-doctor-says
My three most recent ED experiences, I'd rate as: Starship (best), NS Hospital, Auckland (last, by a long way – largely due to the unmanageably violent/drunk/high people the staff had to cope with).
"the current reports from Middlemore from this year (linked above) – where people actually have died" Are you claiming this has never happened before?
The people I know, including family members have had a different experience from you and do not rate North shore hospital well at all. Hospitals have always had to deal with "violent/drunk/high people" Many of the problems you have listed are not new hence the new health reforms.
Here is an interesting video about economical methods of hydrogen production that have the potential to replace hydrocarbons in industry and transport.
The video points out that the main issue with hydrogen production is that it usually involves hydrocarbons to produce it. Hence, until this problem is solved, hydrogen isn't a viable replacement for hydrocarbons in that the hydrogen production process uses more hydrocarbons than hydrogen use can save.
However, the video explains how the Japanese have come up with an intrinsically safe nuclear reactor. The intrinsically safe aspect was vital for them due to recent history that is well known. This reactor is able to economically produce hydrogen as part of its process.
So, if we can all get our heads around intrinsically safe nuclear reactors, it looks like there could be a lot of promise in this concept.
Maybe. How many wonderfully promising potential new cancer cures have you heard about in your lifetime? Not that I'm an out and out techno-sceptic – our reluctance to move away from BAU economics will likely mean we delay and delay until multiple interlocking crises demand miraculous technology solutions. If they exist they will be welcome of course – though if they are not put into the public domain but remain in private ownership, they'll drive inequality to stratospheric levels.
I think this actually a working prototype. They have deliberately set melt-down conditions where the cores get to maximum temperatures. But the composition of the nuclear rods has easily stood up to those conditions.
Does it produce intrinsically safe radioactive waste?
Yup, if you’re a cockroach 😉
The Japanese are very cautious with nuclear since their experience with Fukushima. So, they would have to be absolutely about safety certain to use the technology on safety grounds.
If we are serious about saving the planet, then hydrogen is the logical fuel to replace hydrocarbons for industrial use. If hydrogen can be produced safely and economically with this type of technology, then I think we need to put pragmatics over ideology.
You should have left it at your answer @ 6.2.2 to Sacha.
I have a big ideological problem with cockroaches because they have a large carbon footprint, amongst other issues.
https://www.rentokil.co.uk/blog/flatulent-cockroaches-adapt-climate-change
https://www.cockroachzone.com/how-often-does-a-cockroach-fart/
I’m very concerned that your ‘safe’ radioactive waste could lead to mutations in cockroaches creating Cockzilla and then our climate will be truly stuffed
Don't want to add to your vexed state, but I thought I had read that water vapour is one of the worst greenhouse gases. Our planet produces huge amounts already – is it predictably wise for us to entertain the idea burning blistering billions of tons of hydrogen, adding to the total water vapour?
Yes, very good point, which is why we’d need efficient condensers & traps to recycle the water back. Water is a precious commodity too.
“Does it produce intrinsically safe radioactive waste?”
In the video they say that is still an issue to be overcome. So, no, it looks like waste is still a problem.
I have a surefire world-beating business idea, but funding is still an issue to be overcome.
Fusion reactors are also proving a tough nut to crack, but there was something…
I just hope that human behaviour doesn't get in the way of making wise use of all that surplus energy – whenever it becomes available.
https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/per-capita-energy-use
Meanwhile, we can continue to make more efficient use of energy, and even use less energy – we've done it before (Target 10%) and it wasn't the end of the world.
Worth reading up about this much less widely known mess.
https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/05/18/hanford-is-ripe-for-a-radioactive-explosion/
Scaremongering about nuclear waste is a mind virus that ignores a massive potential energy source that can help us to fight CC and move away from oil.
Aiming for perfection is the enemy of "good enough" solutions that offer real progress.
https://twitter.com/jrmygrdn/status/1582354314957578240?s=20&t=OMGBdzIKKzzC9VaRbSbDxQ
https://twitter.com/NuclearHazelnut/status/1537888635667611656?s=20&t=OMGBdzIKKzzC9VaRbSbDxQ
Perfection is the minimal standard for things that are likely to cause mass destruction. See other comments above.
"likely to cause mass destruction"… like hydroelectric dam failures?
https://twitter.com/Quantling/status/1587998853910786049?s=20&t=X7VZXkT9cuTDPxFgff3Xog
Stumbled on this story over the weekend and judging by ongoing comments here some may find it interesting. https://slate.com/human-interest/2021/02/detransition-movement-star-ex-gay-explained.html
Regret rates regarding gender confirmation surgery are 1-2%: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8099405/
Regret rates regarding knee surgery are 10%: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4779800/
maybe if they had their knees amputated – their healthy knees that is – the regret rates for knee surgery would be lower.
Eh?
Haven’t you got it backwards? Or have I?
Double radical mastectomies on young girls are gender affirming care that will see their healthy boobs amputated and for some detransitioners that will be in issue in the future.
To make it sound nicer and friendlier the gender medical industry that makes top dollar on such people – young and old – call it 'top surgery', or very orwellian as 'chest contouring'. As some ask, why did no one prevent me from having boobs cut off, my uterus removed and my female hormones replaced by synthetic testesterone. And a lot of the destransitioners are young women in their early 20 who were socially transitioned, puberty blocked (some), and on cross hormones by their mid teens with the life saving sexual organ amputation surgeries added quickly there after. And oops, then they wake up and realise that non of that is reversible, and that they will in many cases be lifelong customers to various pharmaceutical companies for testesterone, and other medications.
ditto for the boys that wake up and realise they are on their fifth revision of their sexual re-assignement surgery and they still don't have anything even just loosely resembling a 'vagina'. But they all have issues urinating and such. They too are unhappy, the detransitioners.
But then we don't count the ones that are unhappy, that would be unkind to the happy ones and may make some think a bit harder and further then just 'affirmation is kindness' and YOU want to be KIND!
So if the knee surgeries on old, crunchy, broken knees result in such high regret I suggest that they try having knee surgeries or amputations – leg contouring or limb surgery would be a good term – on healthy knees to see if they have a lesser regret. After all, its all the same, right?
Mind best would be to not compare a surgery such as knee operations to removal of uterueses, breasts, penises and scrotums, as clearly other then they being surgeries they have nothing in common. You can still be somewhat mobile with a bung knee, but you will not have sex or children with missing / cut of sexual / reproductive organs.
But then, i am unkind in my believe that mental illness can not be fixed with amputations and removal of sexual and reproductive organs on children. What adults do with their bits n bobs is their own, and even then the Therapist that sign them off on these surgeries should be making sure that the issue is not other trauma, other mental illness and is indeed a very strong case of Body disphoria / dismorphic disorder to warrant this type of intervention, as adults too experience regret.
Women who have had breast cancer and Post Mastectomy Reconstruction Surgery have a surgery regret rate of 47%: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14768320601124899
Arkie, women with breast cancer in NZ are initially refused a double mastectomy if it is not considered medically warranted. Even the benefit to the patient of improved mental well-being is not considered – given that they already have a diagnosis of a disease that kills 1 in 5 of the 3500 diagnosed every year within five years.
There is a marked difference between a surgery for a medically diagnosed disease, and one that is demanded without diagnosis other than self-declaration.
The cost to the medical system for medical and surgical transition is high, both at initial intervention stage, and later stages. In fact it can be a lifelong requirement for state funded healthcare, for a person who otherwise would not need such care or use of limited resources.
The study I linked to includes full and partial mastectomy patients.
The claim that trans individuals get surgical intervention without a diagnosis is incorrect.
Everyone needs state funded healthcare, access to it shouldn't be restricted under any circumstance.
"The claim that trans individuals get surgical intervention without a diagnosis is incorrect."
Gender affirming healthcare guidelines by PATHA:
https://patha.nz/Guidelines
"Autonomy in the context of transgender healthcare involves transgender people being able to able to make informed choices for themselves regarding gender affirming care and being free from experiencing harmful pathologisation and other barriers to accessing this care."
"Historically transgender healthcare has suffered from the pathologising of gender diversity and the inappropriate labelling of gender/cultural identity and expression as a diagnosed mental health illness. The resulting legacy of this pathologisation is a tension in health services between the need to avoid further stigmatisation while simultaneously acknowledging the importance of the wider concept of mental health as part of holistic healthcare delivery. The practice of informed consent in relation to gender affirming healthcare is important because it reaffirms the self-determination of the transgender person and their knowledge of their needs, identities, and self. Informed consent enables the health provider to work alongside the transgender person in a flexible and responsive way."
Post Mastectomy Reconstruction surgery is also a Gender Affirming procedure. One that has far more regret associated with it than GAS for trans people. The focus on trans procedures is disproportionate.
The guidelines you have linked to are for Medical Professionals, the ones who provide the diagnoses and referrals needed so that trans people can access medical procedures.
@arkie.
"Post Mastectomy Reconstruction surgery is also a Gender Affirming procedure. "
No, arkie.
It is – like all non-medically required surgeries – a cosmetic procedure, that follows a clinically indicated mastectomy.
Women with breasts or without them don't need further surgery to affirm their sex.
The fact that you see reconstruction for breast cancer patients as "gender affirming surgery" is indicative of a poor understanding of women.
“The guidelines you have linked to are for Medical Professionals, the ones who provide the diagnoses and referrals needed so that trans people can access medical procedures.”
Those guidelines along with those from the source document from WPATH refer to the professionals following the direction of the patient.
That's your opinion and you're entitled to it.
But it isn't shared by many breast cancer survivors and medical professionals.
@arkie.
"That's your opinion and you're entitled to it.
But it isn't shared by many breast cancer survivors and medical professionals."
You are still conflating the two to support your poor comparison. Not because it is true.
Women don't require "gender affirming surgery", in the same way they don't need "gender affirming hair-extensions", "gender affirming lipstick" etc.
They are – and remain – women.
Haven't watched this all the way through, and for those unused to Exulansic – it might be a bit hard going, but the telling part of this video for me is the justifications and equivocating of the medical professionals at Boston Children's Hospital when speaking about transitioning children.
Putting faith in such ideologues to do the right thing for children is why so much damage will be done. And the ones who will pay the price for this type of evangalism, is the children they are entrusted with.
https://youtu.be/0JGgxkveUmg
The doctor speaking of the earning and profitability potential in the revisions of sexual re-assignment surgery is simply chilling. They need a 'lot of after care', indeed they do. Jazz Jennings, very famous Transchild/Transwomen of TLC – the learning channel – is a case in point. They had their bottom surgery done about 4 years ago – by Marica Bowers of all surgeons, and i think they are on re-vision four or five of the initial surgery. Jazz went from healthy young and happy to obese, sick and in constant pain with various doctors doctoring. One can only ever hope for the very best outcome of any of these interventions as the other alternative is just too horrible to contemplate.
Amputation between C2 and C3 has the lowest documented regret rate and highest undocumented patient satisfaction
And it's interesting what can be considered gender-affirming surgery if you really think about it.
https://twitter.com/kaceytron/status/1587454693709602816
Pulling his hairline down to his lower jaw was a masterpiece of plastic surgery, but in my mind he’s still the cute adorable and slightly awkward Emo Musk.
Yes, it's unnecessary cosmetic surgery.
The review including literature from transitions made for a completely different demographic than what we are currently seeing, for those who underwent non-affirmation only healthcare. and was limited by the failure of many clinics to do standard follow up of their patients for any extended lengths of time.
With those limitations it is a poor justification for the affirming healthcare model that psychologically, medically and surgically transitions children and young people. (Let's not even get into the dwindling medical resources, that will be further diminished by the production of lifelong medical patients, who seek to change healthy functioning bodies to a medically and surgically modified one).
https://www.ebswa.org/post/title-the-communication-of-evidence-to-inform-trans-youth-health-care
"As a group of psychotherapists working in the area of gender, we have concerns about the arguments and statistics presented in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health's Editorial.1
We believe that using the outdated statistic that 1% of people who transition will regret their decision is highly irresponsible, and lacks the rigour for which the Lancet group of journals is known. This 1% refers primarily to studies of adults who transitioned in an era when medical transition was only taken under strict protocol.2 We now find ourselves in a markedly different era, characterised by a 1727% rise in the numbers of children seeking to transition,3 and a gender-affirmative approach, which has been adopted almost universally, making the proffered 1% statistic anachronistic.4 We do not believe puberty blockers are a safe and appropriate option, as supported by a blog by Carl Heneghan and Tom Jefferson,5 especially given that the use of this highly experimental treatment path is being reconsidered by progressive countries in Europe. The Karolinska Institute in Sweden, long considered gold-standard in providing transgender health care, no longer uses puberty blockers;6 nor does Finland promote their use.7 Additionally, a judicial review in the UK found puberty blockers to be an inappropriate option for most children younger than 16 years.8
We urge The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health to take this opportunity to engage with this issue, rather than publishing, in our opinion, inaccurate and careless Editorials."
Have you read the Cass report Sacha? Have you bothered listen to even one detransitioner story? Seen the women who have had double mastectomies? Are now infertile cause they have had their wombs removed? Did you read the article in Stuff about the Australian woman who is suiong her psychiatrist who pled her having breasts and womb removed?
Of course he didn't. Ideological Totalism Left and Right – The Radical Notion
That is a really brilliant quote Roblogic
Breaks your heart. The medical establishment has been wrecked by TRA bullies threatening the livelihoods of doctors who don't submit to the unquestioning affirmation model. Leading to a predictable rise in transition regret.
The Victims of Wicked Lies – Public Discourse (thepublicdiscourse.com)
MPI won't do anything real to protect fisheries – but small fishermen can do it without them.
Western Australia's oil-soaked govt gets the Juice Media treatment (4m):
Govt's public media changes are not enough yet: https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/130377959/rnztvnz-bill-does-not-do-enough-to-specify-how-public-funding-is-spent–academic
Nz media organs, sponsored by banks and real estate industry, spreading relentless negative spin. Then pretending butter wouldn't melt in their mouths. Tova is throwing rocks at Labour, ignoring all of its hard work, and giving National a free pass.
https://twitter.com/TodayFM_nz/status/1589450632515432448?s=20&t=Dx5m6tP620Y83GVfQ2U_uA
The banks, oil co's, supermarket cartels are taking the piss. And the media has everyone blaming the Govt.
https://twitter.com/MusicalChairs14/status/1589477213531156480?s=20&t=Dx5m6tP620Y83GVfQ2U_uA
More media bias. The bullshit is depressingly obvious to me, but it works on the low information voter who thinks these reporters are their mates.
https://twitter.com/rugbyintel/status/1589446912503328768?s=20&t=H5zPvTNsx2JU5Ebg5R2umw
Masterful self-control by Jacinda there – keeping or feigning good humour in the face of a lazy, ignorant, cynical and wrong fake journalist.
Sure, criticise the government. But you're fucking delusional if you think sacking them will fix anything. Please show me the National party policy to control banks, implement CGT, stop inflation etc.
Don't just give the Natz a free pass. They are proven liars.
NAct have openly stated their contempt for working people. They only represent the propertied landlord class now.
Multinational corporations are circling Aotearoa like sharks, and National wants to help them suppress wages, inflate prices, snap up all of our public assets. All for the sake of a quick buck for themselves
Absolute agreement on my part, roblogic. My worst fear is that your target audience never read the Standard. Given educational decline, few of them are likely to do any reading at all now..