Nice to have some longitudinal (rather than cross-sectional) research for a change. Though certainly some caveats regarding (the decent, but could be bigger) sample population size of 317, and USAn population demographics generalizability. It will be interesting to see the next data tranche in another lustrum.
Quotes are from the preprint pdf, which is linked to here (and includes a short summary). Stray numbers are from reference citations, but hopefully I got all of those deleted for readability:
Increasing numbers of children are socially transitioning to live in line with their gender identity, rather than the gender assumed by their sex at birth—a process that typically involves changing a child’s pronouns, first name, hairstyle, and clothing. Some concerns about childhood social transitions have been raised, including that these children may not continue to identify as transgender, rather they might “retransition” (also called a “detransition” or “desistence”), which some suggest could be distressing for the youth. Research has suggested that ages 10-13 years may be particularly key times for retransition and that identity may be more stable after this period for youth who show early gender nonconformity.
Other clinicians argue that early social transitions can be beneficial for some gender-diverse youth. Some clinicians and scholars who support early childhood social transitions encourage families to remain open to later retransitions, which are seen by some as part of a youth’s exploration of their gender.
Unfortunately, very little data about retransitions exist in the scientific literature…
Five years after an initial binary social transition, 7% of youth had retransitioned at least once. Most youth (94%) were living as binary transgender youth at the time of data analysis, including 1.3% who retransitoned initially to cisgender or nonbinary and then retransitioned back to binary trans identities. A small number of youth were living as cisgender youth (2.5%) or nonbinary youth (3.5%). We observed comparable rates when examining all participants who began the study (n=317), those who continue to be in regular contact with the research team (n=291), those who had gone at least 5 years since initial social transition (n=200), and those who started the study before beginning puberty blockers (n=280). We found no differences as a function of participant sex at birth. We observed slightly higher rates of retransition, and particularly later cisgender identity, amongst youth who initially socially transitioned before age 6. However, even in these youth, retransition rates were very low.
TLDR: For those who socially transition before puberty, detransition to gender assigned at birth is rare – rarer than retransition to NonBinary. Even rarer for those who transition after puberty (vide references in pdf).
This data confirms previous clinical data that social transitioning is not a neutral act.
Children who are confirmed in their change of gender identity, given new name, clothes, accommodations at home and at school in regards to their gender identity – are obviously less likely to continue to explore their own feelings and change their minds. Especially after receiving accolades and accommodations by trusted adults.
If this relates to a recently published article in the NY Times, this study followed children from the age of average 6.5yrs at beginning of social transition, and reviewed them at 11.5 yrs.
At the end of the study, they are only just beginning puberty. They often are still unaware of sexual development, function and sensation and the impact of what transition means. This is a time when to continue along their trajectory they will not doubt look at blocking puberty and requesting medical assistance for that.
Social transition at the beginning age around 6.5yrs is easy. Pre-pubertal children are similar in size and presentation (with or without hair/clothing stereotypes). Children who have been accommodated for five years with the trusted adults in their lives telling them they are the opposite sex, will no doubt be distressed by the advent of puberty as their body betrays that lie. They will then demand puberty blockers etc…
That is why reviews of literature have concluded social transitioning in young children to be harmful. Because it concretises what might be a transient identity. It also suspends children in a lie, for a period of years, which is unable to be maintained when puberty hits, and their body starts to change.
Other clinicial data has shown that 80-85% of gender dysphoric children desist with a watch and wait approach, combined with exploratory therapy that investigates all aspects of a child's life. Most who desist will in early adulthood recognise that their sexual-orientation is not heterosexual, and their discomfort with their bodies was – in part – related to that growing awareness.
There's a review of the article here, with some further links.
Given that several countries have reviewed the available clinical data, and found that affirmation only transition is harmful for minors (including social transition), why are we not asking for a review here in NZ.
Iatrogenic harm is not a irregular occurrence. It often happens when medical data for protocols is not robust.
I don't see anything to celebrate when we concretise children into a medical pathway that may medicalise them for life. Or requires everyone they have contact with to accommodate them. Especially when the treatment may impact on their ability to have full sexual function, sensation and fertility.
"TLDR: For those who socially transition before puberty, detransition to gender assigned at birth is rare – rarer than retransition to NonBinary. Even rarer for those who transition after puberty (vide references in pdf)."
This is not the evidence you interpret this as. This reinforces the long-held view that social transition for children is a harmful act in terms of long-term outcomes.
Thanks Molly, was just about to respond to this research.
As usual you covered it perfectly.
Confounding factors that stood out to me was these kids parents "approved" of their transition. Mean age of 8.1. Some had began transitiong at 6 years old. To me it appears that these kids were gender non conforming and their high income earning parents affirmed their gender identity, unlike in the 60s and 70s when gender non conforming kids were left to be tom boys, but everyone one knew they were female. it wasn't a problem.
What was the process by which these kids transitioned? Did their parents tell them because they were gender non conforming they must be the opposite sex.
Just as a related aside can anyone really take the term "sex assigned at birth" seriously? Sex can be determind in the womb pretty early on and that doesn't change.
This relates to the Olson et al (2022) preprint paper for the American Academy of Pediatrics official journal (rather directly, but that's scientists for you) called Pediatrics entitled: Gender Identity 5 Years After Social Transition. I have no idea if the NY Times republished it (I don't maintain an account there), but it seems unlikely given its length and journalistic style. The SEGM piece refers to this Pediatrics research article in any case, but seems to be mostly quibbling rather than presenting contrary evidence (as is the norm in scientific discourse).
So I decided to see who this Society for Evidence Based Gender Medicine actually were behind the facade. As you were apparently unaware that; Ani O'Brien was anything to do with SUFW, nor even that; the Q in LGBTQ+ stood for Queer, until recently, this may be news to you as well; Molly.
It is not too surprising that the SEGM would be trying to discredit an AAP article as:
their participation in the field of transgender related medicine is so contentious that in early August they were denied a spot at the annual conference for the American Academy of Pediatrics…
SEGM's standards for what constitutes a legitimate evidence base, versus what constitutes invalidation of research findings depend on whether the evidence supports banning transition healthcare. On the one hand, Lisa Littman's widely discredited research is advanced as proof of a phenomenon happening (against the revised conclusions) whereas on the other hand, a single downgraded study elsewhere is used to make sweeping and generalised attacks discrediting trans surgical interventions as a whole. This is not an evidence based approach…
SEGM appear to be among a growing bubble of fringe groups exploiting widespread ignorance about mainstream scientific consensus on gender medicine to push an agenda driven approach to understanding scientific evidence.
But perhaps you can provide links to the Clinical Data from more reputable sources that supports your statement that: "Other clinicial {sic} data has shown that 80-85% of gender dysphoric children desist with a watch and wait approach, combined with exploratory therapy that investigates all aspects of a child's life"?
N.B. Your inability to understand NonBinary gender identities says more about your ability to understand, than it does about the reality of said identities.
Will write a post to address this, Temp Orary, if TS doesn't mind.
(And put in links etc there). There's a lot of information for those looking into it to unpick. I'll try and get something done in the next few days.
I will just mention that your comment (as so many comments on this topic) is two thirds trying to discredit the source – even while posting a non-neutral source of your own. Kudos on the sheer affrontery. I've already read the critique of SEGM from transsafety. I believe, it too, to be a nonsense.
For the new to the game, SEGM contains many links to original sources, but some of the contributors don't meet the desired compliance requirements of gender ideology activists.
Anyway, will get on with my day, and work on a post.
"What does Queer mean that isn't covered by L, G and B?
Why do you think a support movement for L, G and B would add to its acronym a term that has such negative connotations historically for them to represent a group that they are not part of?
Still no definition of Queer BTW."
I also had follow up questions re: your definitions of +, and intersex.
Where has personal responsibility gone? From the media, we see videos of these raids, and often hear that they are youth who should not have been driving, but look at how exciting it appears to a young gamer . . . Who made the vehicles available, or did not secure the keys? Who was the idiot that displays expensive and readily saleable goods behind only a sheet of glass overnight? Why have we not heard stories of insurance premiums going up massively for the costs of the raids? I feel sorry for the small business owner with a shopfront next to the footpath , but can the front of the building not have a steel frame to a doorway that is too narrow for a vehicle, and steel reinforcing for the rest of the vulnerable external wall? It seems all National have are bashing the government and police – no solutions except tax cuts – how will that help?
I can't say I'm a big fan of blaming someone for being a victim of a crime as it can go down some highly unpleasant pathways. I'm sure insurance companies will find ways to push people in those directions if they haven't already, but it's a fine line between that and victim-blaming.
Two of the ram raids in our local shopping centre, targeted a liquor store (for the obvious reason) and a dairy (cigarettes).
In both cases, it's not really possible for the stock to be any more secured than it already is (it's already in locked cabinets – but people who are prepared to use a car as an entry weapon, aren't going to be deterred by locks)
Shop owners would *love* to be able to put bollards on the footpath outside – but Council won't approve it (infringes on the footpath and impedes pedestrian access (apparently).
In both cases – the actual damage done to the shops and the wanton destruction of stock (apart from what was actually stolen) was significantly greater than the value of the items stolen.
Have to say, it sounds to me like adrenaline rush, rather than robbery, is the primary motive.
And the cars are almost always stolen.
There are apparently zero consequences for these under-age criminals-in-training. So, why wouldn't they?
Personal responsibility? How about sheeting it home to the parents/caregivers rather than victim-blaming the small shopkeepers?
I have always cringed when I have heard ministers of health and education speak of 'kids'. Kids are baby goats, show some respect for children. Now we have a Minister of Police who speaks of 'cops' instead of police officers and then talks about throwing people into clink. Now I have just heard Suzie Ferguson start an interview about the number of cops. It is contagious. Suzie should know better.
Also we simply must teach our young men to properly tip hats to ladies, bring back Listen With Mother, and teach the help to properly cinch our corsets.
Well janice like it or not that kind of language is what pretty much all of us use every day with lots of obscenities thrown in as well ! I wouldnt worry about suzie ferguson's ditze vacuousness either since in the fare dished up for our digestion every morn by rnz's dolop of infotainment she's just par for the course !!
I often think how nice it'd be to sack the lot of them .Let all the overpaid posers go get jobs at cnn or bbc which they love so much and give nz back a serious news service again sans all the hoopla fanfare musac drumbeats and general breathless bullshit !
NZ Herald, 7 May 2022, p C1: "It's raining money for water consultants" (report states that the government has spent $21 million on consultants and contractors to sell the idea of the Three Waters reforms to the public).
Surely officials and the relevant minister should be capable of explaining the proposals without blowing vast sums of taxpayer dollars on expensive promotions?
The merit (or otherwise) of the programme should also be clear.
Years ago National PM Keith Holyoake (according to Rob Muldoon) said that any minister who could not score off a question in the House was not up to the job. It seems that these days no minister can function without the support of an army of PR spin doctors.
The falling school attendance is likely going to be a social disaster down the track if we cant turn it around and fast… could well see a big decline in literacy and numeracy etc.
The declines will run far deeper than literacy etc. It will impact all of our systems negatively. Education, health, justice, social services…
I've met several illiterate men in jail. It's a massive handicap. And the justice dept was not educating (rehabilitating) them, though some were still young and reasonably intelligent.
We'll find plenty of these currently truant kids in jails, rehabs and outside parliament flinging shit in the not so distant future. And they'd be right to fling shit if there's not someone at least giving a damn and trying to herd them back into a classroom.
i have had the pleasure in the past teaching adults to read and write……i have met many of them face to face….all worked…nearly all had stunning intellects and many more again could if you like listen to your car and tell you the number 4 shell bearing was rooted and take it all apart and back together without a manual…..its attitude that counts despite what has happened to you in the long run
One of the comments I heard from the incomparable Celia Lashlie at an event about raising boys – was that one of the most important actions to keep them on the rails was to keep them in school. It was great if they were learning there. But even if they weren't actually being physically present in school was a protection in itself.
Kids wagging are kids on the streets and at high risk of getting into worse company.
If our unemployment is so low, trading conditions so good, productivity and wages increasing, and billions more coming for all manner of projects, what would it take to persuade the business community that Labour are actually doing a good job?
…what would it take to persuade the business community that Labour are actually doing a good job?
Nothing will ever persuade them. They will never forgive that our excellent pandemic response was a result of telling the business community to be quiet and do as they were told for a brief period. They fear that sort of contagion spreading – and history is being rewritten as we speak by their media arm (NZME, NZ Herald) to create the impression that the pandemic response was rubbish.
Nothing, the Clark government had the same problem despite surpluses, high growth and low unemployment during their term. Business confidence in the futures of their own businesses is high, but confidence in the overall economic direction is low, leaving survey outcomes that are inconsistent (or even contradictory) with each other.
The Herald and other second rate media outlets have declared war on this government. The world class pandemic response was not good enough for them. The new industry bargaining “fair pay agreements” bill is making them shit themselves. The prospect of collapsing demand for million dollar mortgages & lack of a ready supply of cashed up migrants makes them cry into their Weetbix. The recent revelations about slavery and disgusting exploitation of “essential workers” rife throughout the economy, and the supposed “labour shortages” are making them piss and moan.
National and their mates hate workers, want them to have low wages and pay all the tax, while the fat cats avoid their responsibilities and get richer.
All of those were covered as the wife/parent of NZ citizens (healthcare during a pregnancy is covered for unborn babies who will be NZ citizens by birth when they are born regardless of parental immigration status; wouldn't come up for the state house, benefits or working for families if the husband/father was the applicant), so I doubt anyone thought to check, or even if they did, wouldn't have anything to report because eligibility could be established in other ways if specifically asked.
Though I don't own one, I'm sure you are correct. But isn't the idea to piss-off the owners of SUVs, especially those who are "playing" by owning them?
That the group disapprove of EVs doesn't concern me. I also have reservations about them.
I do though, think the group is making a mistake by leaving an explanatory note.
That makes their protest seem very "preachy" and easier to dismiss.
Yep the road to peace is fight till the last ukrainian swamp the place with ever more weapons and tank your own and everybody else's economies way to go !!
The bus subsidy is nice in principle, but the way that the ORC is implementing it is, well; orcish! Look at this nonsense (once you press the: Bus Alerts, button; it didn’t come over with the link) – the simple method (for bus passengers) would be to have the timetables updated to account for cancelations. But no, instead you have to juggle back and forth through multiple tabs (good luck on a mobile) to decipher possible times for routes.
Fair enough that drivers who have COVID can't drive – though you'd think that management might have been able to predict that in a Pandemic and hire more drivers in preparation (but with the work pay and conditions, there's not much interest). As for planning for increased usage with the public transport subsidy:
ORC transport manager Doug Rodgers said the council was pleased to be able to offer the half-price fares "and expect more people will want to jump on, especially at peak times".
"However, services are already disrupted, so if more people catch the bus than usual, we may hit full capacity on individual routes well before they get to their destination.
“Due to drivers isolating or being ill due to Covid, a national driver shortage and the recent increase in capacity provided for school services, we will be unable to provide extra services," Mr Rodgers said.
Yet with all its incompetence and public frustration, the ORC still clings onto the the Dunedin bus service despite the DCC having expressed interest in running it themselves. The standard large vehicles that can be shuffled around Otago providers, are simply too big for many Dunedin streets:
Dunedin Mayor Aaron Hawkins said the case for sticking with regional council control had not been made convincingly, "and until it is it’s hard to have a real conversation about future arrangements".
The only other thing worth discussing at such a meeting would be how the regional council saw the city having meaningful decision-making influence over the bus service, he said…
Regional council chairman Andrew Noone said continuing dialogue would be useful.
Deputy chairman Michael Laws said it was anachronistic for regional councils to have responsibility for public transport.
Regional councillor Hilary Calvert said the councils should be clear about where the responsibilities of each lay…
City councillor {& 2nd place for mayor in 2019} Lee Vandervis said the regional council had been clear it did not want the Dunedin City Council trying to run the bus service or take over public transport.
Unfortunately public health workers are seen as a cost not a profit making enterprise, industrial action unsupported by sympathy strikes in the profit making sector of the economy is doomed to failure.
To win their strike action the health workers need the support of the private sector unions to really press their case..
Zimbabwe had the best public health system in Africa.
Under Mugabe dictatorship the public health sector was underfunded, when the Nurses and Drs struck for more funding. Mugabe just privatised the whole sector. When Mugabe himself became ill, like other member of the Zimbabwe wealthy elite, Mugabe sought medical treatment overseas.
Mugabe died while receiving treatment in a private hospital in Singapore
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 ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
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. ...
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 ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
I was initially resistant to the idea often suggested to me that the Government should deliver an arts strategy. The whole point of the arts and creativity is that people should do whatever the hell they want, unbound by the dictates of politicians in Wellington. Peter Jackson, Kiri Te Kanawa, Eleanor ...
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 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
I’m on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help! Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,May I start with the least original conversation opener you’re likely to hear around the motu at the moment, particularly in Wellington: ...
“Never again - No AUKUS” was the message of the wreath laid at this morning’s national ANZAC Day commemorative service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this morning by the Stop AUKUS group. ...
Nice to have some longitudinal (rather than cross-sectional) research for a change. Though certainly some caveats regarding (the decent, but could be bigger) sample population size of 317, and USAn population demographics generalizability. It will be interesting to see the next data tranche in another lustrum.
Quotes are from the preprint pdf, which is linked to here (and includes a short summary). Stray numbers are from reference citations, but hopefully I got all of those deleted for readability:
https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/doi/10.1542/peds.2021-056082/186992/Gender-Identity-5-Years-After-Social-Transition
TLDR: For those who socially transition before puberty, detransition to gender assigned at birth is rare – rarer than retransition to NonBinary. Even rarer for those who transition after puberty (vide references in pdf).
This data confirms previous clinical data that social transitioning is not a neutral act.
Children who are confirmed in their change of gender identity, given new name, clothes, accommodations at home and at school in regards to their gender identity – are obviously less likely to continue to explore their own feelings and change their minds. Especially after receiving accolades and accommodations by trusted adults.
If this relates to a recently published article in the NY Times, this study followed children from the age of average 6.5yrs at beginning of social transition, and reviewed them at 11.5 yrs.
At the end of the study, they are only just beginning puberty. They often are still unaware of sexual development, function and sensation and the impact of what transition means. This is a time when to continue along their trajectory they will not doubt look at blocking puberty and requesting medical assistance for that.
Social transition at the beginning age around 6.5yrs is easy. Pre-pubertal children are similar in size and presentation (with or without hair/clothing stereotypes). Children who have been accommodated for five years with the trusted adults in their lives telling them they are the opposite sex, will no doubt be distressed by the advent of puberty as their body betrays that lie. They will then demand puberty blockers etc…
That is why reviews of literature have concluded social transitioning in young children to be harmful. Because it concretises what might be a transient identity. It also suspends children in a lie, for a period of years, which is unable to be maintained when puberty hits, and their body starts to change.
Other clinicial data has shown that 80-85% of gender dysphoric children desist with a watch and wait approach, combined with exploratory therapy that investigates all aspects of a child's life. Most who desist will in early adulthood recognise that their sexual-orientation is not heterosexual, and their discomfort with their bodies was – in part – related to that growing awareness.
There's a review of the article here, with some further links.
https://segm.org/early-social-gender-transition-persistence
Given that several countries have reviewed the available clinical data, and found that affirmation only transition is harmful for minors (including social transition), why are we not asking for a review here in NZ.
Iatrogenic harm is not a irregular occurrence. It often happens when medical data for protocols is not robust.
I don't see anything to celebrate when we concretise children into a medical pathway that may medicalise them for life. Or requires everyone they have contact with to accommodate them. Especially when the treatment may impact on their ability to have full sexual function, sensation and fertility.
"TLDR: For those who socially transition before puberty, detransition to gender assigned at birth is rare – rarer than retransition to NonBinary. Even rarer for those who transition after puberty (vide references in pdf)."
This is not the evidence you interpret this as. This reinforces the long-held view that social transition for children is a harmful act in terms of long-term outcomes.
NB. Non-binary is a nonsense.
Thanks Molly, was just about to respond to this research.
As usual you covered it perfectly.
Confounding factors that stood out to me was these kids parents "approved" of their transition. Mean age of 8.1. Some had began transitiong at 6 years old. To me it appears that these kids were gender non conforming and their high income earning parents affirmed their gender identity, unlike in the 60s and 70s when gender non conforming kids were left to be tom boys, but everyone one knew they were female. it wasn't a problem.
What was the process by which these kids transitioned? Did their parents tell them because they were gender non conforming they must be the opposite sex.
Just as a related aside can anyone really take the term "sex assigned at birth" seriously? Sex can be determind in the womb pretty early on and that doesn't change.
This relates to the Olson et al (2022) preprint paper for the American Academy of Pediatrics official journal (rather directly, but that's scientists for you) called Pediatrics entitled: Gender Identity 5 Years After Social Transition. I have no idea if the NY Times republished it (I don't maintain an account there), but it seems unlikely given its length and journalistic style. The SEGM piece refers to this Pediatrics research article in any case, but seems to be mostly quibbling rather than presenting contrary evidence (as is the norm in scientific discourse).
So I decided to see who this Society for Evidence Based Gender Medicine actually were behind the facade. As you were apparently unaware that; Ani O'Brien was anything to do with SUFW, nor even that; the Q in LGBTQ+ stood for Queer, until recently, this may be news to you as well; Molly.
It is not too surprising that the SEGM would be trying to discredit an AAP article as:
https://transsafety.network/posts/segm-uncovered/
But perhaps you can provide links to the Clinical Data from more reputable sources that supports your statement that: "Other clinicial {sic} data has shown that 80-85% of gender dysphoric children desist with a watch and wait approach, combined with exploratory therapy that investigates all aspects of a child's life"?
N.B. Your inability to understand NonBinary gender identities says more about your ability to understand, than it does about the reality of said identities.
Will write a post to address this, Temp Orary, if TS doesn't mind.
(And put in links etc there). There's a lot of information for those looking into it to unpick. I'll try and get something done in the next few days.
I will just mention that your comment (as so many comments on this topic) is two thirds trying to discredit the source – even while posting a non-neutral source of your own. Kudos on the sheer affrontery. I've already read the critique of SEGM from transsafety. I believe, it too, to be a nonsense.
For the new to the game, SEGM contains many links to original sources, but some of the contributors don't meet the desired compliance requirements of gender ideology activists.
Anyway, will get on with my day, and work on a post.
NB in regards to:" As you were apparently unaware that; Ani O'Brien was anything to do with SUFW,"…
That's a misrepresentation.
What I said was:
"You may wish to associate me with Judith Collins previous press secretary, whoever that is. "
I do know who Ani O'Brien is. I do know she is associated with SUFW.
I didn't know she was Judith Collins previous press secretary.
I do believe that misrepresentation is a charitable interpretation of what you are doing here.
For clarity, suggest next time you just use the name Ani O'Brien.
"the Q in LGBTQ+ stood for Queer, until recently, this may be news to you as well; Molly"
No. I understood what the Q stood for as a word. I was asking for the definition of that word, as you saw it.
My question was:
"What does Queer mean that isn't covered by L, G and B?
Why do you think a support movement for L, G and B would add to its acronym a term that has such negative connotations historically for them to represent a group that they are not part of?
Still no definition of Queer BTW."
I also had follow up questions re: your definitions of +, and intersex.
So far, nothing forthcoming.
Another ram raid this time in Panmure so that's at least two over the weekend.
Lets hope the extra money is used to make a difference and actually stop these.
Another Auckland ram raid: Panmure store damaged in burglary overnight – NZ Herald
Since these recent ram raids began, what actually has been the arrest rate for the perpetrators?
I found this article from April 13!
https://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/300564968/more-than-80-people-arrested-for-ram-raids-since-february-1
Where has personal responsibility gone? From the media, we see videos of these raids, and often hear that they are youth who should not have been driving, but look at how exciting it appears to a young gamer . . . Who made the vehicles available, or did not secure the keys? Who was the idiot that displays expensive and readily saleable goods behind only a sheet of glass overnight? Why have we not heard stories of insurance premiums going up massively for the costs of the raids? I feel sorry for the small business owner with a shopfront next to the footpath , but can the front of the building not have a steel frame to a doorway that is too narrow for a vehicle, and steel reinforcing for the rest of the vulnerable external wall? It seems all National have are bashing the government and police – no solutions except tax cuts – how will that help?
I can't say I'm a big fan of blaming someone for being a victim of a crime as it can go down some highly unpleasant pathways. I'm sure insurance companies will find ways to push people in those directions if they haven't already, but it's a fine line between that and victim-blaming.
Two of the ram raids in our local shopping centre, targeted a liquor store (for the obvious reason) and a dairy (cigarettes).
In both cases, it's not really possible for the stock to be any more secured than it already is (it's already in locked cabinets – but people who are prepared to use a car as an entry weapon, aren't going to be deterred by locks)
Shop owners would *love* to be able to put bollards on the footpath outside – but Council won't approve it (infringes on the footpath and impedes pedestrian access (apparently).
In both cases – the actual damage done to the shops and the wanton destruction of stock (apart from what was actually stolen) was significantly greater than the value of the items stolen.
Have to say, it sounds to me like adrenaline rush, rather than robbery, is the primary motive.
And the cars are almost always stolen.
There are apparently zero consequences for these under-age criminals-in-training. So, why wouldn't they?
Personal responsibility? How about sheeting it home to the parents/caregivers rather than victim-blaming the small shopkeepers?
Chloe Swarbrick rolls out the kind of writing that Jacinda Ardern would have done in her first year as PM.
Chlöe Swarbrick: Climate change has arrived while politicians argue the status quo – NZ Herald
I have always cringed when I have heard ministers of health and education speak of 'kids'. Kids are baby goats, show some respect for children. Now we have a Minister of Police who speaks of 'cops' instead of police officers and then talks about throwing people into clink. Now I have just heard Suzie Ferguson start an interview about the number of cops. It is contagious. Suzie should know better.
Also we simply must teach our young men to properly tip hats to ladies, bring back Listen With Mother, and teach the help to properly cinch our corsets.
Well janice like it or not that kind of language is what pretty much all of us use every day with lots of obscenities thrown in as well ! I wouldnt worry about suzie ferguson's ditze vacuousness either since in the fare dished up for our digestion every morn by rnz's dolop of infotainment she's just par for the course !!
I often think how nice it'd be to sack the lot of them .Let all the overpaid posers go get jobs at cnn or bbc which they love so much and give nz back a serious news service again sans all the hoopla fanfare musac drumbeats and general breathless bullshit !
We can but dream alas
Couldn't agree more Weston but we must insist on Home Counties Accents as well as ties to be worn by wireless announcers. Standards man, standards!
Here here,give that man a hand clap.
thank you for confirming just how fecked up we are….no wonder its all such a mess.
NZ Herald, 7 May 2022, p C1: "It's raining money for water consultants" (report states that the government has spent $21 million on consultants and contractors to sell the idea of the Three Waters reforms to the public).
Surely officials and the relevant minister should be capable of explaining the proposals without blowing vast sums of taxpayer dollars on expensive promotions?
The merit (or otherwise) of the programme should also be clear.
Years ago National PM Keith Holyoake (according to Rob Muldoon) said that any minister who could not score off a question in the House was not up to the job. It seems that these days no minister can function without the support of an army of PR spin doctors.
Nice work if you can get it.
And $51 million for a bike bridge that never went ahead.
The falling school attendance is likely going to be a social disaster down the track if we cant turn it around and fast… could well see a big decline in literacy and numeracy etc.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/school-principals-concerned-for-thousands-of-absent-children/HIWYXXVBVESOCNOWESWYU5BTIM/
The declines will run far deeper than literacy etc. It will impact all of our systems negatively. Education, health, justice, social services…
I've met several illiterate men in jail. It's a massive handicap. And the justice dept was not educating (rehabilitating) them, though some were still young and reasonably intelligent.
We'll find plenty of these currently truant kids in jails, rehabs and outside parliament flinging shit in the not so distant future. And they'd be right to fling shit if there's not someone at least giving a damn and trying to herd them back into a classroom.
i have had the pleasure in the past teaching adults to read and write……i have met many of them face to face….all worked…nearly all had stunning intellects and many more again could if you like listen to your car and tell you the number 4 shell bearing was rooted and take it all apart and back together without a manual…..its attitude that counts despite what has happened to you in the long run
Parenting…or the lack of.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/466753/funding-for-services-to-educate-support-youth-needed-to-combat-ram-raids-say-community-leaders
One of the comments I heard from the incomparable Celia Lashlie at an event about raising boys – was that one of the most important actions to keep them on the rails was to keep them in school. It was great if they were learning there. But even if they weren't actually being physically present in school was a protection in itself.
Kids wagging are kids on the streets and at high risk of getting into worse company.
If our unemployment is so low, trading conditions so good, productivity and wages increasing, and billions more coming for all manner of projects, what would it take to persuade the business community that Labour are actually doing a good job?
Scomo is basically trying that narrative in the Aussie …election.
Seems to require something akin to a stroke.
Falling down/seeing a bright light/ hearing the voice of God.
Euripides apparently described it so well that it was adopted at the highest level.
Nothing will ever persuade them. They will never forgive that our excellent pandemic response was a result of telling the business community to be quiet and do as they were told for a brief period. They fear that sort of contagion spreading – and history is being rewritten as we speak by their media arm (NZME, NZ Herald) to create the impression that the pandemic response was rubbish.
In some respects the same could be said of the rest generally dissatisfied with Labour:
“The more things improve, the louder become the exclamations about their badness.”
Nothing, the Clark government had the same problem despite surpluses, high growth and low unemployment during their term. Business confidence in the futures of their own businesses is high, but confidence in the overall economic direction is low, leaving survey outcomes that are inconsistent (or even contradictory) with each other.
The Herald and other second rate media outlets have declared war on this government. The world class pandemic response was not good enough for them. The new industry bargaining “fair pay agreements” bill is making them shit themselves. The prospect of collapsing demand for million dollar mortgages & lack of a ready supply of cashed up migrants makes them cry into their Weetbix. The recent revelations about slavery and disgusting exploitation of “essential workers” rife throughout the economy, and the supposed “labour shortages” are making them piss and moan.
National and their mates hate workers, want them to have low wages and pay all the tax, while the fat cats avoid their responsibilities and get richer.
How can you give birth to 2 children ,live in a State house in NZ and be an overstayer for so long without being…detected?
Woman who has overstayed in NZ for 16 years granted residence due to family ties | Stuff.co.nz
Several million White migrants have managed it for 180 years in plain sight.
Top work on straight out racism there.
All of those were covered as the wife/parent of NZ citizens (healthcare during a pregnancy is covered for unborn babies who will be NZ citizens by birth when they are born regardless of parental immigration status; wouldn't come up for the state house, benefits or working for families if the husband/father was the applicant), so I doubt anyone thought to check, or even if they did, wouldn't have anything to report because eligibility could be established in other ways if specifically asked.
Who the hell are these people?
Surely letting down people's tyres will increase carbon if vehicles then need to be towed etc. And seems like they don't even like electric vehicles!
'These people are just insane': AM hosts lash out at climate change group deflating tyres (msn.com)
They are 3 "AM hosts" so far as I can tell from the link and you're right, they seem to be disconnected from reality.
But it would piss you off if they deflated the tyres on your new EV.
Bit of an own goal really.
Though I don't own one, I'm sure you are correct. But isn't the idea to piss-off the owners of SUVs, especially those who are "playing" by owning them?
That the group disapprove of EVs doesn't concern me. I also have reservations about them.
I do though, think the group is making a mistake by leaving an explanatory note.
That makes their protest seem very "preachy" and easier to dismiss.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's address to the nation commemorating the end of WW2 in Europe.
Ukraine will prevail. Freedom and security will win, just as freedom and security triumphed over servitude, violence and dictatorship 77 years ago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwos2xzaoYg
Yep the road to peace is fight till the last ukrainian swamp the place with ever more weapons and tank your own and everybody else's economies way to go !!
Or depose Poots and throw the towel in.
https://twitter.com/JuliaDavisNews/status/1523036461595242498
The bus subsidy is nice in principle, but the way that the ORC is implementing it is, well; orcish! Look at this nonsense (once you press the: Bus Alerts, button; it didn’t come over with the link) – the simple method (for bus passengers) would be to have the timetables updated to account for cancelations. But no, instead you have to juggle back and forth through multiple tabs (good luck on a mobile) to decipher possible times for routes.
https://www.orc.govt.nz/public-transport/dunedin-buses
Fair enough that drivers who have COVID can't drive – though you'd think that management might have been able to predict that in a Pandemic and hire more drivers in preparation (but with the work pay and conditions, there's not much interest). As for planning for increased usage with the public transport subsidy:
https://www.odt.co.nz/the-star/those-who-can-urged-travel-outside-peak
Yet with all its incompetence and public frustration, the ORC still clings onto the the Dunedin bus service despite the DCC having expressed interest in running it themselves. The standard large vehicles that can be shuffled around Otago providers, are simply too big for many Dunedin streets:
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/bus-service-shared-issue-councillors
Ten thousand DHB health workers take industrial action https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/466745/allied-health-workers-start-industrial-action
Unfortunately public health workers are seen as a cost not a profit making enterprise, industrial action unsupported by sympathy strikes in the profit making sector of the economy is doomed to failure.
To win their strike action the health workers need the support of the private sector unions to really press their case..
Zimbabwe had the best public health system in Africa.
Under Mugabe dictatorship the public health sector was underfunded, when the Nurses and Drs struck for more funding. Mugabe just privatised the whole sector. When Mugabe himself became ill, like other member of the Zimbabwe wealthy elite, Mugabe sought medical treatment overseas.
Mugabe died while receiving treatment in a private hospital in Singapore