I’m writing this in response to Ollie Neas’s excellent piece The Greens’ Labour problem, in which he questioned whether the Green Party was the right focal point for leftwing political energy in New Zealand… it’s an intelligent and cogent contribution to the debate and honestly, I’m just relieved it wasn’t another Blue-Green take.
Youngsters still in the keen phase, yet to go through burn-out…
And as usual, your commentary is nothing but snide remarks about the messenger(s).
You are obviously too lazy, unable, and unwilling to come up with “an intelligent and cogent contribution to the debate” and your attempt at a Yoda impersonation causes cracks in the Force.
David Williams is Newsroom's environment editor & South Island correspondent. He does a thoughtful appraisal of the Green electorate victory trend extending southward.
The Greens now have two list MPs from Christchurch – Carter and Lan Pham – as well as Otago’s Scott Willis, boosting its South Island representation. Across Banks Peninsula, Christchurch Central, Christchurch East, Ilam, and Wigram, the Greens gained almost 11,500 raw party votes on the 2020 election results. https://www.newsroom.co.nz/seeds-planted-for-a-green-win-in-christchurch
Pham, a former Environment Canterbury councillor, got 8325 votes in Banks Peninsula… a big gain on outgoing list MP Eugenie Sage’s 2020 result of 6222. Party vote for the Greens was 19.6 percent in Banks Peninsula, and 19.4 percent in Christchurch Central, well up on 2020’s proportions of 14.3 percent and 12.8 percent, respectively.
Dunne, the former United Future leader, says the Greens will be reviewing its overall strategy – and he suspects it’ll go "all out" for two-tick campaigns at the next election in a bid to win more electorate seats.
Yeah that makes sense. No more being nice to Labour. Ride the wave.
The natural Greens target would be Dunedin where the Greens got 11,500 Party vote and Labour 13,000. That's now very reversible in 2026.
Brooking was 9,000 votes ahead of the Green candidate, but frankly after Mt Albert and Auckland Central that's do-able. I’m sure Greens’ Scott Willis has figured this out already.
I shouldn't be surprised but disgraced former ministers pop up as a lobbyists.
"Since then, Kiri Allan resigned as Justice Minister and has started her own consultancy and lobbying firm. Stuart Nash also quit as a Cabinet Minister and now has a role which includes lobbying for global recruitment firm Robert Walters."
There is a lot of talk about lobbyists and MPs. This still doesn't go far enough, contact with officials, advisors or any in the public service should be bought under any reforms.
We live in an age where trust in institutions is at an all time low, it is disheartening to hear that the Commerce Commission had to pay more $ on top of the $1.7million they pay their own comms staff.
The arrangement has been condemned from across the political spectrum. Writer and analyst Max Rashbrooke is quoted by Espiner explaining why this is a problem: “If you’ve got a lobbying firm – whose job it is to get government decisions changed in favour of its clients – embedded right in the heart of government, then I think that’s totally inappropriate.”
Similarly, the Taxpayers’ Union has called for an investigation, saying “the Commission has effectively allowed a lobbying firm to infiltrate and potentially manipulate regulatory processes. This is a blatant conflict of interest, undermining the Commission’s role as an unbiased regulator and betraying public trust.”
When lobbyists get attacked from both left & right simultaneously, do they respond "Hey you guys, commercial democracy is where it's at!"? Yes, if they have a sense of humour. Can always follow up with a history lesson on how the establishment parties have legislated for it for half a century. Teach youngsters a thing or two…
Rather than focussing on Edwards’ hypocrisy and arrogance, perceived or not, and his disclosed and undisclosed funding sources, perhaps you could try to address the content of his piece?
Agreed. National's rhetoric about Labour's failure to "deliver" over-simplified a complicated reality. There were indeed failures to deliver (tax reform), and there were also cases such as this, where National hated the fact that Labour delivered stuff for the 'wrong' social class.
There was a major wordpress update last night. You may have caching issues.
I’ll try resetting all of the caches. But you might need to force a reload on your browser on at least one TS page to get it fixed in the short-term. Can’t tell you what that is in your browser/OS without knowing what you are on. Common ones are in this line.
You're not alone, my Android has the weird format as of today too. couldn't figure out a Hard Refresh being a "Dinosaur" myself, so only back to the computer to read The Standard for now.
Perhaps the biggest pre-2024 barometer was Virginia, where the Republican governor, Glenn Youngkin, who has assailed voting rights, poured tens of millions of dollars into an effort to gain full control of the statehouse and impose a 15-week abortion ban.
Instead Democrats secured both chambers, simultaneously killing off rumours of a last-minute Youngkin presidential bid.
Joe Scarborough, a cable news TV host and former Republican congressman, commented on Wednesday: “The overturning of Roe has got to be the most devastating single event for the Republican party since Watergate.”
One man who understands this is Trump himself. Although he likes to remind religious conservatives that his supreme court appointments made the overturning of Roe v Wade possible, he has also used 2024 election campaign speeches to urge pragmatism and warn his base that abortion bans are a vote loser.
Reproductive rights supporters won big in an Ohio ballot measure. The Democratic governor, Andy Beshear, was re-elected in Kentucky by campaigning on reproductive rights while his challenger, the state attorney general, Daniel Cameron, touted his endorsement by former president Donald Trump. A Democrat won an open seat on the Pennsylvania supreme court after campaigning on his pledge to uphold abortion rights.
Chris Christie, who is challenging Trump for the nomination, cited Tuesday’s result in deep-red Kentucky. “Cameron was a rising star in the Republican party until he decided to throw his lot in with Donald Trump,” he told CNN. “Let’s face it, Donald Trump is political and electoral poison down ballot.”
Looks like an ebb tide going out on Trump & Republicans.
Cases like this wouldn't be an issue if the full plan for health and accident compensation as recommended in the Woodhouse Report had been put in place instead of only half of it, which is what we have today, the other half being axed by Muldoon in 1975. Luxon says he’s gonna fix everything. Maybe the prick can fix this?
in addition to letting things slide like NZ has, we're now in a mess from the pandemic and ongoing staff shortages, system break downs, and general sub par performance. We really need to be shifting into transition and adaptation thinking instead of expecting someone to return us to previous normal.
Something I find really annoying about our democratic process is the amount of money wasted when governments change. One government may have spent millions or even billions on some projects or another only for a new government to scrap said projects because they don't align with their own priorities, or they see things a different way.
I think there needs to be some sort of cross party strategic committee that makes decisions about strategic projects. A good example would have been Three Waters. It appears that both Labour and National realise there are problems that need to be solved. It would have been good if that issue could have been put to a cross-party strategic committee so that a solution that all sides can agree on could be implimented.
Such a process would likely result in much more sustainable and better solutions to significant problems.
From National's perspective, it makes sense to leave the problem to Councils whose only tools are to increase rates or borrow. Higher rates, along with rising insurance costs due to CC, will see a number of people who own houses but have lower incomes (e.g. the retired) having to sell up. If you simultaneously inflate asset prices through foreign buyers and re-incentivising domestic investors, then it becomes harder for first home buyers as well. Like a beautiful pincer movement, these two forces will accelerate the concentration of home ownership into the hands of mega landlords. The new feudalism beckons.
Mucked up formatting the link to David Hargreaves analysis of the electricity company asset sales – this one works.
Almost a year after the last (official) state asset sale, David Hargreaves has a look at how the investors – and the taxpayers – have fared [Feb 2015]
It is still much too early to judge the success or failure of the asset sales programme – but worth having a look at where we are right now anyway in terms of dollars and cents.
The early signs are that the investors are doing okay, thanks very much, while the taxpayer – maybe not so much.
In the end the number of people investing in the asset sales was only in the low hundreds of thousands (hard to come up with exact figures because there will undoubtedly be double-ups).
In 1991 the Nats introduced the Energy Sector Reform Bill (later split to become five separate acts, including the Energy Companies Act 1992 and the Electricity Act 1992), containing provisions facilitating the corporatisation of electricity supply authorities and a wide range of regulatory measures.
It's just the way Nat pollies and there backers think and plan (long term) – how can the wealthy maximise their extraction of unearned income from publicly-funded services and infrastructure. It has little-to-nothing to do with the wider public good – NZ is just a cash cow being milked dry by already wealthy Kiwis, imho.
Imho, many Kiwi politicians are more tribal and partisan than most commentators here, and most "bottom feeders", so yes, "no show" as the effects of inequality and overshoot play out. Aotearoa NZ could do with a bit more of "He Waka Eke Noa", but Mammon demands absolute loyality.
For National, that means getting farmers back onside, so they're kicking the emissions can down the paddock by five years.
…
The Government's aiming for an agricultural emissions scheme by 2025 but that's looking unlikely given the stalemate on He Waka Eke Noa, a plan it designed with 14 sector groups.
"There was a plan produced a year ago by the sector. The Government blew it up, shot it to bits and killed it," Luxon said.
A good first step would be the independent costings unit, as proposed previously, and as practised in other democracies. Test policies against financial reality, and tell the public before they vote.
A mainstream media channel window on IDF butchers going about their work. I just hope that international solidarity keeps building to the point where Israel has to stop the slaughter and destruction, and that somehow a negotiated settlement will begin.
Cultural and economic boycotts bought South Africa’s apartheid state to account, and BDS can do that now, and provide a way from this distance to help the Palestinian cause. Check that Tahini jar label, and don’t buy a new Sodastream or Puma shoes.
"I just hope that international solidarity keeps building to the point where Israel has to stop the slaughter and destruction, and that somehow a negotiated settlement will begin"
Israeli Zionists have never wanted to negotiate, and they won't stop their slaughter because they are doing what they have always wanted to do, and have the full protection of the USA to carry out their ethnic cleansing….
This is The Western Rules Based Order in all it's glory is on display for the entire world to witness… impotently doing nothing..it is a fucking disgrace.
It is like watching a twisted version of the Warsaw uprising being played out right in front of us in 2023.
Notice how all the Ra RA Never Negotiate Ukraine war crowd on this site have been almost silent on this Ethnic Cleansing… I doubt if many of those idiots have had an original thought pass through their lazy brains for decades…not told to be outraged and support the people of Gaza…so they aren’t…it is as simple as that.
A misrepresentation surely – given the 1947 UN partition plan was based on the League of Nations mandate, which was based on the Balfour Declaration (1917).
I should have thought that the complete ethnic cleansing of Jews from the surrounding Arab countries would be a relevant factor, in Israeli trust (or otherwise) of Arab intentions.
In total, around six million Ukrainian refugees were registered across Europe and 6.2 million worldwide as of September 2023. Most of them fled the country by crossing the border with Poland.
After over a decade of conflict, Syria remains the world’s largest refugee crisis. Since 2011, more than 14 million Syrians have been forced to flee their homes in search of safety. More than 6.8 million Syrians remain internally displaced in their own country where 70 percent of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance and 90 percent of the population live below the poverty line.
War results in refugees. An oppressive regime results in refugees not wanting to return, even when the war is over.
how many people of Gaza have left the area of Gaza?
Given you cannot answer – what is known is that Egypt is only allowing nationals not of Gaza across the border.
War results in deaths – 600,000 in Syria. Recent resumption of urban bombing in Syria and Ukraine has caused more deaths.
Why are deaths of civilians called ethnic cleansing in Gaza, but not those in Ukraine or Syria?
What is also known is that Israel wanted the population of Gaza City to move to southern Gaza so it could then move in the IDF to fight Hamas (who have underground bases there) in that area.
What in Syria is called displaced persons.
Israel can be accused of killing civilians in Gaza (because of an acceptance of deaths within a zone of a target), but not of ethnic cleansing.
You know what, I am not going to engage with you..anyone whose moral compass is so broken that they can sit there and play down (so in essence defend) the war savage crimes that the degenerate, apartheid state of Israel is commiting on civilians in Gaza and the West Bank as we speak, is not someone I want to have anything at all to do with, so please don't engage with me on this site in the future please…Get It.
I do not think so Gabby. The IDF will pull its head in as the international BDS takes stronger effect, and pressure on the US ruling class is too much for them. Southern hemisphere countries in the main do not like Israel one little bit.
@Gabby
"I imagine the slaughter may stop when hamas no longer exists"……..Israel and the USA has ensured that Hamas will become bigger and more extreme and dangerous than we can possibly imagine….how many Muslim men and woman around the world do you imagine have become prepared to Martyr themselves for this cause now?
I would imagine the slaughter would stop a lot quicker if the Terrorist IDF would stop doing the slaughtering.
Hipkins was confirmed as the Party’s leader this Tuesday and said he would fight on to the 2023 election. However the party has shown signs of instability in the days that followed the vote.
by Thomas Coughlan
So writes a miserable rat who can't stop with the slurs and innuendoes. This in his column about a complaint about Ginny Anderson who yelled at a helper. Go back to sleep Coughlin!
When the Party General Secretary confirms that a complaint has been made and that it is being investigated his story certainly isn't what you are saying. It certainly isn't innuendo is it?
Should he have simply ignored the story? Are we not to be allowed to know about the behaviour of the people who want the right to rule us?
"Imho, the primary role of all MP's should be to serve (all) Kiwis, rather than "rule us"."
On that point I am totally in agreement with you. I'm not sure that most of the MPs would agree with us though. Particularly the ones who make it into the leadership jobs in a party or the front benches in the House.
The Thomas Coughlan article is about allegations of verbal abuse of two teenagers.
At the end, there are these unrelated comments which are not enlarged upon or substantiated.
"Hipkins was confirmed as the Party’s leader this Tuesday and said he would fight on to the 2023 election. However the party has shown signs of instability in the days that followed the vote."
What connection is Coughlan making between Hipkins as leader for the 2023 election (does he mean 2026?) and signs of instability? The two sentences are in the same paragraph and therefore must be linked.
Perhaps it is in the same well constructed and researched vein as his 2023 error…….
Recently I read of an Israeli spokesman who originated the idea of "river to the sea." He did so in a speech about 10 years+ ago. So not new and could be interpreted as a call for Israel to take over the whole region.
Would be useful to be quoted exactly esp in defence of Chloe. Anyone?
Thanks Francesca. That is a reasonable expression of peaceful option. And it also shows how a phrase "river to the sea" has been used to create anger against people such as Chloe. And used by many people on all sides of the "debate."
Imagine the group of Israelis discussing options for peace with say, Chloe. Makes me wonder if the outrage is organised to distract?
Political groups have employed the slogan since the 1960s to advocate for Palestinian liberation, with origins in the Palestinian National Council's initial charters, which demanded a Palestinian state geographically encompassing the historic boundaries of Mandatory Palestine, and a removal of a majority of its Jewish population
From 1964 in accord with the original Arab position of a unitary state (many of the Jewish population left Arab nations in the late 1940's).
Likud did their 1977 statement after that.
Then the Hamas Charter in support of the 1964 position in 1988.
The PNC position changed with the Oslo Accords and founding of the PA – when the PLO moved to justice of Arabs in Israel, right of return for refugees and a Palestine state on 67 borders.
Hamas under pressure from Egypt in 2017 agreed with this as an interim step before a later move to a unitary state (thus without any recognition of an Israeli state).
Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, which describes itself as conservative and nationalist, has been a staunch promoter of the concept of “Eretz Israel”, or the Bible-given right of the Jewish people to the land of Israel.
According to the Jewish Virtual Library, the party’s original party manifesto in 1977 stated that “between the Sea and the Jordan there will only be Israeli sovereignty”. It also argued that the establishment of a Palestinian state “jeopardises the security of the Jewish population” and “endangers the existence of the state of Israel”.
This is because this increase in possession is of consequence not only in itself, but because through it we increase our strength, and every increase in strength helps in the possession of the land as a whole. The establishment of a state, even if only on a portion of the land, is the maximal reinforcement of our strength at the present time and a powerful boost to our historical endeavors to liberate the entire country.[2][3][4]
The same sentiment was recorded by Ben-Gurion on other occasions, such as at a meeting of the Jewish Agency executive in June 1938,[5] as well as by Chaim Weizmann.[4][6] Ben Gurion said:
We shall smash these frontiers which are being forced upon us, and not necessarily by war…."
That was in the 1930s Israel's intention to 'acquire land' was well stated decades before it's multiple wars of conquest in 1967
I suggest you read the original question, which was about the origin of the phrase "river to the sea"
There is no question that extremists on both sides want sole occupation of Israel/Palestine – and have done since the 19th century.
However, Israel has citizenship and democratic participation by Palestinian Arabs in the Knesset. Care to take up the challenge to name a Middle Eastern country which extends the same privilege to Jews?
I suggest you learn the geographical area covering Ben-Gurions statement – it is the area the river to the sea – If you consider that Zionist leadrers clearly stating they planned to 'ACQUIRE' it all in the 1930's Is of no importance then that says an awful about your motivations. If you want simply to be pissy about a phrase well it's interesting that in english it rhymes but it doesn't in Arabic – perhaps suggesting it was coind by english speaking individual.
1. the decision of the UN to partition the area into two states
2. from 1949 acquisition of territory war is no longer recognised by the UN (so the relative share is stuck at the 1949-1967 border).
Thus only two states, via a peace settlement, can change the 1949-1967 international status quo.
Israeli negotiators might want to retain some WB settlements (usually those near Jerusalem) within Israel – Palestinian negotiators might want a transport corridor (road and rail) between WB and Gaza etc.
I see Newshub is still operating from the Septic Tank. A teenage girl got yelled at supposedly. Why does that warrant an allegation of bullying? And headline in the news? Because it was a Labour MP. If it had been Nat member it wouldn’t rate a mention. Just the same as they wouldn’t have followed up on the Uffindull saga which was outright assault on a teenager. Potential police charge but daddy got him off. Now they’re going full on into Chris H doing an U turn on taxes. Which he can do if he so wishes. John Key was the king of Uturns.He set the precedent. ‘ No,we will never raise GST, golly gosh’… nek minnit GST 15%! 3% raise! Chris Hipkins should get a small department dedicated to dealing with these allegations the minute they are published. Hit them back immediately with their side the story. This smacks of what seems to be going to be a three year long onslaught by Newshub.
So it's OK for a Labour politician to yell at teenage volunteers, and blame them because she lost her seat.
Really?
Andersen is the person with the position of power here. It's outright bullying.
And before you get into the "whaddabout". Uffindell was absolutely wrong. I don't think there is any debate about this. He admits it, and has apologized. However, he was also a teenager at the time (16) – and certainly not in Parliament.
The two cases are not at all comparable.
The closest parallel is Meka Whaitiri (who was stood down as a Minister by Ardern, for bullying a staffer). You could also list Mallard, who made allegations in Parliament about a staffer committing 'rape' which were completely unfounded – an abuse of his power/authority as Speaker. But received no consequences from the Labour party or PM for his error of judgement.
The most recent National MP accused of bullying was Tim van de Molen – accused of stand-over tactics and bullying towards Shanan Halbert.
It was widely covered in the media – and Van de Molen was stood down from his portfolios by Luxon, and apologised both to the House and to Halbert.
We don't know the circumstances around the incident yet. It is possible the MP was provoked – not necessarily by the teenagers concerned. It is also possible a mountain is being made out of a molehill. My advice is for people to shut up until the facts are known.
Ah, the media doing what it does best – policing the opposition once National is back in government. We are going to get three years of a TPU-fed forensic focus on Labour while Luxon (like Key) gets a free ride.
Mark Mitchell the ex mercenary soldier is not liked by a lot of people. I have no doubt National members included. Do we hear a peep out of the media about that? Nah.
Maggie Barry had a reputation for being a bully. The media treated her pretty kindly even after staff attested to the fact.
Top Nat Party figures were in the spotlight from time to time but none of them subjected to the kind of 'forensic analysis' applied to Labour miscreants. Unless they commit offences of a serious nature, the spotlight does not shine anything like as fiercely on the Nats.
Doesn't sound to me like this was a serious case of bullying. Anyone who has been to a political party election night function knows there is usually a lot of noise – TVs blaring and people reacting to the outcomes. Its not a place for calm, considered conversations:
In a letter of complaint, which was leaked to media outlets yesterday, the mother alleges poor behaviour over a period of three years, but particularly on election night this year.
I wonder why the teenager hung in there for 3 years?
Why the mother didn't intervene earlier?
I've been yelled at in all kinds of circumstances .Paid employment .But if this had been regular and I had been volunteering, you wouldn't see me for dust .
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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 ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Ngaio Marsh House is one of Christchurch’s best kept secrets – and contains more than a few mysteries of its own.Trust Ngaio Marsh to leave more than a few mysteries scattered through her house long after her departure. For a start, there’s the curious concrete portal in the garden, ...
Appointment viewing has been lost to the mists of time, but memories of Montana Sunday Theatre can still be conjured by hitting play on a particular piece of classical music. “You’re not going to be able to sell it.” Over 30 years on, Karen Bieleski still recalls how the task ...
Performance Review King Luxon sat behind His massive polished oak desk. It is Performance Review time. There is a knock on the door. “Enter!” says the King. In steps Minister of Disabilities and Carer Pedicures, Penny Simmonds. “I can explain everything …” she begins. “Fine,” says King Luxon, pressing the ...
The pair opened their first fully collaborative exhibition, Nina for Flowers, last Saturday. Gabi Lardies visited their studio to find out who Nina is and what working together was like.‘It didn’t start out like, ‘This is a show about Nina,’” says Josephine Jelicich, gripping a thermos of peppermint tea. ...
Thank you, Dr Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner, for your brilliant invention. I’m another mid-20s Kiwi who had an OE last year. I hopped on my bicycle where France meets the Atlantic and cycled east. I pedalled through the Loire Valley, down rivers lined with willows and ancient wisteria-draped chateaus. I relished ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
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Ex-Labour hack explains why progressive activists oughtn't join Labour: https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/07-11-2023/no-the-greens-dont-have-a-labour-problem
Youngsters still in the keen phase, yet to go through burn-out…
And as usual, your commentary is nothing but snide remarks about the messenger(s).
You are obviously too lazy, unable, and unwilling to come up with “an intelligent and cogent contribution to the debate” and your attempt at a Yoda impersonation causes cracks in the Force.
David Williams is Newsroom's environment editor & South Island correspondent. He does a thoughtful appraisal of the Green electorate victory trend extending southward.
Yeah that makes sense. No more being nice to Labour. Ride the wave.
The natural Greens target would be Dunedin where the Greens got 11,500 Party vote and Labour 13,000. That's now very reversible in 2026.
Brooking was 9,000 votes ahead of the Green candidate, but frankly after Mt Albert and Auckland Central that's do-able. I’m sure Greens’ Scott Willis has figured this out already.
In a nutshell:
"Uncertainty about motivations, origins and influence of lobbyist groups can erode trust in democratic process."
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-depth/501982/revolving-door-for-lobbyists-can-result-in-unfair-access-justice-ministry
I shouldn't be surprised but disgraced former ministers pop up as a lobbyists.
"Since then, Kiri Allan resigned as Justice Minister and has started her own consultancy and lobbying firm. Stuart Nash also quit as a Cabinet Minister and now has a role which includes lobbying for global recruitment firm Robert Walters."
There is a lot of talk about lobbyists and MPs. This still doesn't go far enough, contact with officials, advisors or any in the public service should be bought under any reforms.
We live in an age where trust in institutions is at an all time low, it is disheartening to hear that the Commerce Commission had to pay more $ on top of the $1.7million they pay their own comms staff.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-depth/501838/lobbying-and-communications-firm-senate-s-wildly-inappropriate-contracts-at-commerce-commission-revealed
Good work by Guyon Espinor and team.
Dr Bryce is on the case: https://democracyproject.nz/2023/11/09/bryce-edwards-should-government-departments-be-giving-contracts-to-lobbying-firms/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=bryce-edwards-should-government-departments-be-giving-contracts-to-lobbying-firms
When lobbyists get attacked from both left & right simultaneously, do they respond "Hey you guys, commercial democracy is where it's at!"? Yes, if they have a sense of humour. Can always follow up with a history lesson on how the establishment parties have legislated for it for half a century. Teach youngsters a thing or two…
Unbelievable arrogance and hypocrisy from Edwards. Funding for his own political project is as opaque as they come.
I'm intrigued, can you elaborate plz?
Rather than focussing on Edwards’ hypocrisy and arrogance, perceived or not, and his disclosed and undisclosed funding sources, perhaps you could try to address the content of his piece?
did Nash only start lobbying when he quit Parliament?
https://i.stuff.co.nz/business/property/301004889/firsthome-buyers-overcome-challenges-to-take-record-share-of-purchases
Watch national destroy labours hard won gains
Agreed. National's rhetoric about Labour's failure to "deliver" over-simplified a complicated reality. There were indeed failures to deliver (tax reform), and there were also cases such as this, where National hated the fact that Labour delivered stuff for the 'wrong' social class.
Am I the only one with the standard showing up in a very odd format?
There was a major wordpress update last night. You may have caching issues.
I’ll try resetting all of the caches. But you might need to force a reload on your browser on at least one TS page to get it fixed in the short-term. Can’t tell you what that is in your browser/OS without knowing what you are on. Common ones are in this line.
https://filecamp.com/support/problem-solving/hard-refresh
On a android mobile , don't think the link covers it , but am a far better sheep shagger than tech guy
You're not alone, my Android has the weird format as of today too. couldn't figure out a Hard Refresh being a "Dinosaur" myself, so only back to the computer to read The Standard for now.
Owen Jones puts the needless Gaza slaughter in perspective here.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/nov/08/protesting-armistice-day-peace-war
Real people, real votes… https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/nov/08/democrat-biden-poll-election-virginia-kentucky-ohio
Looks like an ebb tide going out on Trump & Republicans.
/cue playing worlds smallest vioiln
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/133257223/wait-for-lifechanging-surgery-continues-after-acc-takes-nine-months-to-refuse-her-claim
Cases like this wouldn't be an issue if the full plan for health and accident compensation as recommended in the Woodhouse Report had been put in place instead of only half of it, which is what we have today, the other half being axed by Muldoon in 1975. Luxon says he’s gonna fix everything. Maybe the prick can fix this?
in addition to letting things slide like NZ has, we're now in a mess from the pandemic and ongoing staff shortages, system break downs, and general sub par performance. We really need to be shifting into transition and adaptation thinking instead of expecting someone to return us to previous normal.
Something I find really annoying about our democratic process is the amount of money wasted when governments change. One government may have spent millions or even billions on some projects or another only for a new government to scrap said projects because they don't align with their own priorities, or they see things a different way.
I think there needs to be some sort of cross party strategic committee that makes decisions about strategic projects. A good example would have been Three Waters. It appears that both Labour and National realise there are problems that need to be solved. It would have been good if that issue could have been put to a cross-party strategic committee so that a solution that all sides can agree on could be implimented.
Such a process would likely result in much more sustainable and better solutions to significant problems.
National don't want to solve it.
They want it to be a fuckup so they can privatise!
Just like their creeping privatisation of our public health system, that has, and is, causing it’s demise
From National's perspective, it makes sense to leave the problem to Councils whose only tools are to increase rates or borrow. Higher rates, along with rising insurance costs due to CC, will see a number of people who own houses but have lower incomes (e.g. the retired) having to sell up. If you simultaneously inflate asset prices through foreign buyers and re-incentivising domestic investors, then it becomes harder for first home buyers as well. Like a beautiful pincer movement, these two forces will accelerate the concentration of home ownership into the hands of mega landlords. The new feudalism beckons.
Yep, privatisation of Kiwi public services and assets facilitates the diversification and growth of unearned income streams for the wealthy – <a href="https://www.interest.co.nz/opinion/74219/almost-year-after-last-official-state-asset-sale-david-hargreaves-has-look-how"rel="nofollow ugc"Nats have form.
Mucked up formatting the link to David Hargreaves analysis of the electricity company asset sales – this one works.
In 1991 the Nats introduced the Energy Sector Reform Bill (later split to become five separate acts, including the Energy Companies Act 1992 and the Electricity Act 1992), containing provisions facilitating the corporatisation of electricity supply authorities and a wide range of regulatory measures.
It's just the way Nat pollies and there backers think and plan (long term) – how can the wealthy maximise their extraction of unearned income from publicly-funded services and infrastructure. It has little-to-nothing to do with the wider public good – NZ is just a cash cow being milked dry by already wealthy Kiwis, imho.
If politicians are half as tribal and partisan as most commenters here, unfortunately you have no show.
I agree with yr sentiment though.
Imho, many Kiwi politicians are more tribal and partisan than most commentators here, and most "bottom feeders", so yes, "no show" as the effects of inequality and overshoot play out. Aotearoa NZ could do with a bit more of "He Waka Eke Noa", but Mammon demands absolute loyality.
National and Labour had a joint agreement about housing and land use. National scrapped it unilaterally during the Election campaign.
Yeah. I wasn't too impressed with that.
I suspect that the focus group feedback from the NP core membership, about 3x 3-story houses on every plot of land – was volcanic.
A good first step would be the independent costings unit, as proposed previously, and as practised in other democracies. Test policies against financial reality, and tell the public before they vote.
Who vetoed it? National.
Parties' 'Fiscal Holes' Highlight the Need for Independent Costings Watchdog | Newsroom
https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/133261713/volunteers-from-palestinian-youth-aotearoa-help-clean-vandalised-jewish-community-centre
this is what is needed in our country right now.
That is brilliant!
Decent and sensible people on both sides.
Fascinating story:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67327079
A mainstream media channel window on IDF butchers going about their work. I just hope that international solidarity keeps building to the point where Israel has to stop the slaughter and destruction, and that somehow a negotiated settlement will begin.
Cultural and economic boycotts bought South Africa’s apartheid state to account, and BDS can do that now, and provide a way from this distance to help the Palestinian cause. Check that Tahini jar label, and don’t buy a new Sodastream or Puma shoes.
https://bdsmovement.net
"I just hope that international solidarity keeps building to the point where Israel has to stop the slaughter and destruction, and that somehow a negotiated settlement will begin"
Israeli Zionists have never wanted to negotiate, and they won't stop their slaughter because they are doing what they have always wanted to do, and have the full protection of the USA to carry out their ethnic cleansing….
This is The Western Rules Based Order in all it's glory is on display for the entire world to witness… impotently doing nothing..it is a fucking disgrace.
It is like watching a twisted version of the Warsaw uprising being played out right in front of us in 2023.
Notice how all the Ra RA Never Negotiate Ukraine war crowd on this site have been almost silent on this Ethnic Cleansing… I doubt if many of those idiots have had an original thought pass through their lazy brains for decades…not told to be outraged and support the people of Gaza…so they aren’t…it is as simple as that.
And what is your opinion about the (entirely successful) ethnic cleansing carried out against the Jews in Libya?
['Successful' as in there is not one Jew left in that country]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Libya
I can’t imagine the Palestinians were responsible for that.They’re certainly paying the price though , for what Europeans did to the jews .
A misrepresentation surely – given the 1947 UN partition plan was based on the League of Nations mandate, which was based on the Balfour Declaration (1917).
Yes , pogroms in Europe pre Holocaust
I don't recall saying the Palestinians were responsible.
And, it was the Libyans (Arabs) who were doing the ethnic cleansing – not the Europeans.
What has that got to do with this?
More than Ukraine does.
I should have thought that the complete ethnic cleansing of Jews from the surrounding Arab countries would be a relevant factor, in Israeli trust (or otherwise) of Arab intentions.
There was also the ethnic cleansing of Jews from Gaza and the West Bank.
.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1312584/ukrainian-refugees-by-country/
https://www.unrefugees.org/news/syria-refugee-crisis-explained/
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/31/northwest-syria-witnesses-most-intense-military-escalation-in-three-years
https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2023/11/6/kill-me-here-but-i-am-not-going-back-an-afghan-refugee-in-pakistan
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/11/7/as-pakistan-deports-refugees-tense-afghanistan-ties-come-in-sharp-focus
What has any of that got to do with this crime against humanity?
You referred to this ethnic cleansing – how many people of Gaza have left the area of Gaza?
Who knows…what is your point…just say what it is, and stop beating around the bush.
How would you describe the layer upon layer of war crimes the Zionists are inflicting on the population of Gaza?
You made a claim of ethnic cleansing.
I gave real world examples of the outcome of war.
War results in refugees. An oppressive regime results in refugees not wanting to return, even when the war is over.
Given you cannot answer – what is known is that Egypt is only allowing nationals not of Gaza across the border.
War results in deaths – 600,000 in Syria. Recent resumption of urban bombing in Syria and Ukraine has caused more deaths.
Why are deaths of civilians called ethnic cleansing in Gaza, but not those in Ukraine or Syria?
What is also known is that Israel wanted the population of Gaza City to move to southern Gaza so it could then move in the IDF to fight Hamas (who have underground bases there) in that area.
What in Syria is called displaced persons.
Israel can be accused of killing civilians in Gaza (because of an acceptance of deaths within a zone of a target), but not of ethnic cleansing.
Get it.
You know what, I am not going to engage with you..anyone whose moral compass is so broken that they can sit there and play down (so in essence defend) the war savage crimes that the degenerate, apartheid state of Israel is commiting on civilians in Gaza and the West Bank as we speak, is not someone I want to have anything at all to do with, so please don't engage with me on this site in the future please…Get It.
Yeah I know what cancel culture is mate. It's selective and then it gets personal when it is challenged.
I imagine the slaughter may stop when hamas no longer exists.
I do not think so Gabby. The IDF will pull its head in as the international BDS takes stronger effect, and pressure on the US ruling class is too much for them. Southern hemisphere countries in the main do not like Israel one little bit.
@Gabby
"I imagine the slaughter may stop when hamas no longer exists"……..Israel and the USA has ensured that Hamas will become bigger and more extreme and dangerous than we can possibly imagine….how many Muslim men and woman around the world do you imagine have become prepared to Martyr themselves for this cause now?
I would imagine the slaughter would stop a lot quicker if the Terrorist IDF would stop doing the slaughtering.
So writes a miserable rat who can't stop with the slurs and innuendoes. This in his column about a complaint about Ginny Anderson who yelled at a helper. Go back to sleep Coughlin!
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/labour-investigates-bullying-complaint-against-ginny-andersen/FK43HD2U4BHKBNY4YYSUE32M54/
That sounds a great deal more than "innuendo".
When the Party General Secretary confirms that a complaint has been made and that it is being investigated his story certainly isn't what you are saying. It certainly isn't innuendo is it?
Should he have simply ignored the story? Are we not to be allowed to know about the behaviour of the people who want the right to rule us?
Imho, the primary role of all MP's should be to serve (all) Kiwis, rather than "rule us".
"Imho, the primary role of all MP's should be to serve (all) Kiwis, rather than "rule us"."
On that point I am totally in agreement with you. I'm not sure that most of the MPs would agree with us though. Particularly the ones who make it into the leadership jobs in a party or the front benches in the House.
The Thomas Coughlan article is about allegations of verbal abuse of two teenagers.
At the end, there are these unrelated comments which are not enlarged upon or substantiated.
"Hipkins was confirmed as the Party’s leader this Tuesday and said he would fight on to the 2023 election. However the party has shown signs of instability in the days that followed the vote."
What connection is Coughlan making between Hipkins as leader for the 2023 election (does he mean 2026?) and signs of instability? The two sentences are in the same paragraph and therefore must be linked.
Perhaps it is in the same well constructed and researched vein as his 2023 error…….
How about the last sentence from Coughlin? Innuendo?
Wonder how often hints from unsubstantiated complaints should be aired? Slurs perhaps?
Yay. This year has been pretty brutal for the industry:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/hollywood-actors-strike-strike-is-over-as-sag-aftra-union-reaches-tentative-deal-with-studios/3G3NVUIE4JFKBMGBJCPVVPOQBM/
Recently I read of an Israeli spokesman who originated the idea of "river to the sea." He did so in a speech about 10 years+ ago. So not new and could be interpreted as a call for Israel to take over the whole region.
Would be useful to be quoted exactly esp in defence of Chloe. Anyone?
Given that the slogan has been around since at least the 1960s -this source doesn't seem at all likely
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/From_the_river_to_the_sea
Thanks Belladonna. Tried that.
Here are some Jewish thoughts on that phrase
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO2106/S00105/from-the-river-to-the-sea.htm
Thanks Francesca. That is a reasonable expression of peaceful option. And it also shows how a phrase "river to the sea" has been used to create anger against people such as Chloe. And used by many people on all sides of the "debate."
Imagine the group of Israelis discussing options for peace with say, Chloe. Makes me wonder if the outrage is organised to distract?
From 1964 in accord with the original Arab position of a unitary state (many of the Jewish population left Arab nations in the late 1940's).
Likud did their 1977 statement after that.
Then the Hamas Charter in support of the 1964 position in 1988.
The PNC position changed with the Oslo Accords and founding of the PA – when the PLO moved to justice of Arabs in Israel, right of return for refugees and a Palestine state on 67 borders.
Hamas under pressure from Egypt in 2017 agreed with this as an interim step before a later move to a unitary state (thus without any recognition of an Israeli state).
Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, which describes itself as conservative and nationalist, has been a staunch promoter of the concept of “Eretz Israel”, or the Bible-given right of the Jewish people to the land of Israel.
According to the Jewish Virtual Library, the party’s original party manifesto in 1977 stated that “between the Sea and the Jordan there will only be Israeli sovereignty”. It also argued that the establishment of a Palestinian state “jeopardises the security of the Jewish population” and “endangers the existence of the state of Israel”.
from
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/11/2/from-the-river-to-the-sea-what-does-the-palestinian-slogan-really-mean
Thanks Barfly. That is a bit nearer."“between the Sea and the Jordan there will only be Israeli sovereignty”
The Israeli flag shows two blue lines with the star in the middle, which reflects the idea of river to sea. Wish I had noted the speech.
You do realize that this is at least 10 years after it had been widely used as an anti-Zionist pro-Palestianian slogan.
It rather looks as though Likud were re-purposing, and reversing, this already-existing phrase, for their own benefit, in their ’77 manifesto.
There is zero evidence that it was 'originated' by an Israeli politician/spokesman. And certainly not 10+ years ago.
Hamas and Likud (and Religious Zionist Party) have the same policy.
I agree. However, that was not the question posed.
There seems to be no doubt at all, that it was originated as a Palestinian slogan – and later adopted/reversed by Likud.
I suggest you read this (I added the bold)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Israel
"Early Revisionist Zionist groups such as Betar and Irgun Zvai-Leumi regarded the territory of the Mandate for Palestine, including Transjordan, as Greater Israel.[1]
In 1937, the Peel Commission recommended partition of Mandatory Palestine. In a letter to his son later that year, David Ben-Gurion stated that partition would be acceptable but as a first step. Ben-Gurion wrote that
The same sentiment was recorded by Ben-Gurion on other occasions, such as at a meeting of the Jewish Agency executive in June 1938,[5] as well as by Chaim Weizmann.[4][6] Ben Gurion said:
That was in the 1930s Israel's intention to 'acquire land' was well stated decades before it's multiple wars of conquest in 1967
I suggest you read the original question, which was about the origin of the phrase "river to the sea"
There is no question that extremists on both sides want sole occupation of Israel/Palestine – and have done since the 19th century.
However, Israel has citizenship and democratic participation by Palestinian Arabs in the Knesset. Care to take up the challenge to name a Middle Eastern country which extends the same privilege to Jews?
I suggest you learn the geographical area covering Ben-Gurions statement – it is the area the river to the sea – If you consider that Zionist leadrers clearly stating they planned to 'ACQUIRE' it all in the 1930's Is of no importance then that says an awful about your motivations. If you want simply to be pissy about a phrase well it's interesting that in english it rhymes but it doesn't in Arabic – perhaps suggesting it was coind by english speaking individual.
All parties are constrained by
1. the decision of the UN to partition the area into two states
2. from 1949 acquisition of territory war is no longer recognised by the UN (so the relative share is stuck at the 1949-1967 border).
Thus only two states, via a peace settlement, can change the 1949-1967 international status quo.
Israeli negotiators might want to retain some WB settlements (usually those near Jerusalem) within Israel – Palestinian negotiators might want a transport corridor (road and rail) between WB and Gaza etc.
Bad luck again on small scale contained nuclear power plants.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/nuscale-uamps-nuclear_n_654c317ce4b088d9a74d17db
Props to the person in Forest & Bird who came up with Bird of the Year, and then Bird of the Century.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/07/john-oliver-backs-weird-puking-puteketeke-as-he-takes-new-zealands-bird-of-century-poll-global
It's going full global.
If you pop down to StarkWhite Queenstown you can get yourself a Fiona Pardington photo of a kiwi for $25k.
Or just support Forest & Bird for $25 and keep alive the real thing.
The green parrot is in the lead, but
https://www.birdnote.org/listen/shows/tui-new-zealand
The tui is classier than the kea, or alpine thief, the kereru, or large drunkard. Or the promiscuous hihi.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/10/new-zealand-bird-of-the-year-adult-toy-store-endorses-polyamorous-hihi
Putting in my plug for the Ruru or Morepork.
But it's hard to go past the lovable Kakapo, or cheeky Kea in crowd appeal.
Kokako for me, every time.
Surely the kiore will win.
I see Newshub is still operating from the Septic Tank. A teenage girl got yelled at supposedly. Why does that warrant an allegation of bullying? And headline in the news? Because it was a Labour MP. If it had been Nat member it wouldn’t rate a mention. Just the same as they wouldn’t have followed up on the Uffindull saga which was outright assault on a teenager. Potential police charge but daddy got him off. Now they’re going full on into Chris H doing an U turn on taxes. Which he can do if he so wishes. John Key was the king of Uturns.He set the precedent. ‘ No,we will never raise GST, golly gosh’… nek minnit GST 15%! 3% raise! Chris Hipkins should get a small department dedicated to dealing with these allegations the minute they are published. Hit them back immediately with their side the story. This smacks of what seems to be going to be a three year long onslaught by Newshub.
Exactly Ffloyd.
Note my post at 12. This time from Coughlin
So it's OK for a Labour politician to yell at teenage volunteers, and blame them because she lost her seat.
Really?
Andersen is the person with the position of power here. It's outright bullying.
And before you get into the "whaddabout". Uffindell was absolutely wrong. I don't think there is any debate about this. He admits it, and has apologized. However, he was also a teenager at the time (16) – and certainly not in Parliament.
The two cases are not at all comparable.
The closest parallel is Meka Whaitiri (who was stood down as a Minister by Ardern, for bullying a staffer). You could also list Mallard, who made allegations in Parliament about a staffer committing 'rape' which were completely unfounded – an abuse of his power/authority as Speaker. But received no consequences from the Labour party or PM for his error of judgement.
The most recent National MP accused of bullying was Tim van de Molen – accused of stand-over tactics and bullying towards Shanan Halbert.
It was widely covered in the media – and Van de Molen was stood down from his portfolios by Luxon, and apologised both to the House and to Halbert.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/496507/national-mp-tim-van-de-molen-stood-down-from-all-portfolios
"So it's OK for a Labour politician to yell at teenage volunteers, and blame them because she lost her seat?"
Probably not. I'm looking for somewhere I can find that's an accepted and supported attitude.
Quote from the OP
It is not proven yet. That is the point.
You really need a court of law before a politician is held to account? How pathetic.
A parent defended her child from a Minister of the Crown. The Minister isn't even trying to apologise.
That is the point.
Not true.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/labour-investigates-bullying-complaint-against-ginny-andersen/FK43HD2U4BHKBNY4YYSUE32M54/
We don't know the circumstances around the incident yet. It is possible the MP was provoked – not necessarily by the teenagers concerned. It is also possible a mountain is being made out of a molehill. My advice is for people to shut up until the facts are known.
After all, silence worked for four Labour Ministers in succession this year didn't it?
Go to bed.
Ah, the media doing what it does best – policing the opposition once National is back in government. We are going to get three years of a TPU-fed forensic focus on Labour while Luxon (like Key) gets a free ride.
Tim van de Molen…. well covered in the media.
The media holds all politicians to account for less-than-acceptable behaviour.
I'm expecting that they will be heavily scrutinizing the new Government.
How true Sanctuary.
Mark Mitchell the ex mercenary soldier is not liked by a lot of people. I have no doubt National members included. Do we hear a peep out of the media about that? Nah.
Maggie Barry had a reputation for being a bully. The media treated her pretty kindly even after staff attested to the fact.
Top Nat Party figures were in the spotlight from time to time but none of them subjected to the kind of 'forensic analysis' applied to Labour miscreants. Unless they commit offences of a serious nature, the spotlight does not shine anything like as fiercely on the Nats.
Doesn't sound to me like this was a serious case of bullying. Anyone who has been to a political party election night function knows there is usually a lot of noise – TVs blaring and people reacting to the outcomes. Its not a place for calm, considered conversations:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/former-police-minister-ginny-andersen-denies-yelling-at-teenage-volunteer-but-apologises-anyway/JLSMFYDPWVGNDFQG2CARJ2PSAM/
From the article you linked
So, not 'just' on election night.
I wonder why the teenager hung in there for 3 years?
Why the mother didn't intervene earlier?
I've been yelled at in all kinds of circumstances .Paid employment .But if this had been regular and I had been volunteering, you wouldn't see me for dust .
12% to 15% is a 25% increase in the rate of GST.