– 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..
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 26 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
You can’t have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this Anzac Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
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.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGl7t1S3F6o&t=2s
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):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Key8y1yg2yQ
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..