It's not that employers can't pay decent living wages. It's just that they don't want to, they would prefer to exploit vulnerable migrant workers. Unlike other workers migrant workers are bound by law to one employer on pain of being deported if they try to better their condition by leaving for another position. And if they dare complain about their wages or conditions will not be picked for future work.
Six-figure roles for skilled labourers, excavator operators, carpenters
….the rate was indicative of the current market. The client was happy to pay more for someone, provided it could get people, he said.
“We’ve been doing this for 26 years and never in my career in this industry have I experienced it where the client is saying two things they haven’t said before – the first is they don’t care so much about the cost, they need people.
“The second is that previously they've been quite particular about people having to have certain skills… now they’ll just take a punt.”
Brad Olsen: Econ Talks – Wage growth accelerates as unemployment bounces to 3.3%
Wages rose as unemployment also ticked up slightly in the June quarter, data from Stats NZ shows.
He said labourers who might previously have earned 50c or $1 more than minimum wage could now command up to $5 because businesses were “that keen” to hire staff.
Economist Brad Olsen said it was an example of an employer trying to capture a broad variety of people.
The job ad noted that a lack of experience was not necessarily a problem, so long as the person had a good attitude.
“What this reflects is that at the moment with these ads, they’re looking for anyone – as a business they are not being able to be picky or direct on what skills or skill bases they want … they’re having to take what labour is available and employees have a lot more ability to dictate terms and demand what they want because there is a huge need for people.”
Olsen said there was a clear opportunity for someone who was experienced and could manage at team, or be relied upon to take on more work, to earn good money.
…a retail role at Furniture Clearance Co in Napier was offering $28 an hour, which would work out at about $58,000 a year for someone working full time, significantly higher than the national average of $51,739 for retail jobs.
Olsen said the employer was having to sell itself to potential workers – outlining at the top of the ad what the business could offer rather than what it was looking for. “It does highlight a change in how businesses are having to recruit.”
Seasonal worker cap increased to 19,000 people….
….Emma Consedine, chief executive at 40 Foot Consulting, said there were surprisingly high salaries on offer in other sectors, too, as employers around the country struggled to find staff…..
….“Most companies in tech are experiencing huge numbers of vacancies that they are not able to fill.”
She expected that to change when more potential candidates were able to come into the country.
Olsen said while there was an opportunity for workers at the moment, it would not last forever. “It’s important to be aware that conditions can and often have changed quite quickly in the labour market.”
But Eder was less sure that conditions would change soon…..
…..it takes a while for people – migrants and working holiday people – to get here. Particularly with the hiccups at Immigration NZ in comparison to the welcome mat that Australia is throwing out."
He said it was possible the shortage of workers could continue through next year.
A longish read, and a bit heavy going, but a fascinating discussion about the long arcs of geopolitical history.
”International systems are dynamic, not static. Although they may enjoy long periods of relative stability or stasis, they are fluid in nature and therefore prone to change over time. In the last century stable world order cycles have become shorter and transitional cycles have become longer due to a number of factors, including technological advances in areas such as transportation and telecommunications, demographic shifts, the globalisation of production, consumption and exchange, ideological diffusion, cultural transfer and increased permeability of national borders. Status quos are more short-lived and transitional moments–moments leading to systemic realignment–are decades in length.
We are currently in the midst of such a long transitional moment.“
Is anyone else following the Mermaids meltdown? Short of writing a long, detailed post, I'm at a loss as how to explain it to anyone who hasn't been following.
Not sure what is going on with that link, but here's the correct one. Click on the date/time stamp and then copy the URL. TS links need a . or word ahead of the link or they convert to the post link.
Response to a support tweet which lists some of the issues, I think just creating a list is the way to go. I'll add if I think you have missed any. Alternatively, I'm home most of this morning so we could collaborate.
Of course, since tweeting this last night the information around their digital communications employee, Darren Mews has come to light.
Click tweet to read list.
I've noticed a bit of confirmation bias in your post. Regards. Female Adult who supports Mermaids.
Do you support all their safeguarding failures? Do you support their SOPs that encourage parental alienation? Are you aware of – and do you support all education and training materials? Do you support their persecution of an LGB group? Do you support their choice of trustee?…
thanks Molly. I have to go out this morning, but will email you.
Saw the Darren Mews bit on Maya Forstater's twitter. I'm tempted to put up a running post where I just add the new content every day. So people can actually see the content not being reported in MSM, but also how much of it there is, and the progress of it unfolding.
I think the phrase "Not a bug, but a feature" that's been proffered, is an apt one.
The culture there – and in other similar organisations – seems to be one of Queer Theory boundary breaking and elimination of safeguards. I have some bookmarks of Mermaid standard greeting screenshotted by a family that tells children to not use the family email, but to create a separate one for communication on the forum. Coupled with the advice to move to a Discord server, it is apparent the basic safeguarding protocols with children were deliberately abandoned.
Dropping this soo can find it later. Feeling I should be putting content warnings up. Mermaids supported and accepted online porn fundraiser.
What’s even more fucked up is I will have to explain why that is wrong.
4am and I can't sleep for trying to remember what the Mermaids fundraiser thing was with the guy in the baby mask in the hot tub? He was asking viewers to put their nipples to the screen? I had a link but surprise surprise it's been deleted. Anyone?
Short thread 🧵on #Mermaids, Aimee Challenor & Green Party. In 2016, Challenor, then prominent in our party, organised an open letter to attack Daily Mail for running a story questioning role of Mermaids in a dispute between parents on social transitioning of their child.
Mermaids made a complaint about the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Alliance to the Charity Commission, claiming they're not a charity
In that investigation, the spotlight also went on Mermaids
This includes the Mail investigation re the things Mermaids has been doing that undermine child safeguarding. Two of the Trustees resigned at this time
last week, it was revealed that one of the remaining Trustees is an academic with a history of writing pro-child sex pieces. He has since resigned. The issues is whether Mermaids knew and didn't care, or didn't know because they didn't screen their Trustees.
Orgs that have been using Mermaids as a referral service have started telling their staff to stop doing this.
In addition to that, there are connections between Mermaids, Queer Theory, and pro-paedophilia. The left won't talk about it, because we're not allowed to criticise the Rainbow people. But there is a huge amount of discussion and material being shared by GC people on twitter and it is damning.
I think it's important to underline HOW influential this charity has been.
Despite claiming in court to not be medical experts, they were meeting regularly with the Tavistock GIDS clinic, leveraging that relationship to advocate for "affirmation only" healthcare responses for those that sought medical help, and Susie Green (despite her non-medical background) is listed as one of the authors of the WPATH SoC 8 that has just been released which removed minimum age levels for medication and surgeries.
They have also been very embedded in education, and institutional and corporate training, without oversight of materials or scrutiny of what is being delivered without evidence.
There are many such organisations following the Mermaids model in the UK. And we also seem to have a couple in NZ. Apparently, they have an exemption from showing where their grants come from, but I have to double-check that information to confirm. Looking at the Charity Commission website there are no details of grant income, but I don't know why that is.
thanks Molly and Weka for continuing to highlight what is happening re gender ideology in other parts of the world. The msm silence on these issues is deafening
I assume we're all going to end up with a separate "water charges" line on our rates bills that will be set by the Three Waters entities. Whether each entity brings in meters and charging by volume will assumedly be up to them.
You've got to be currently getting water or sewage services form your local Council to come under the new Entities.
There's some existing Council rural supplies that are agricultural mixed use that may be sold to their users rather than go into the Entities, Clutha and Waitaki have quite a few of these.
There are also some existing private supplies that may look at moving to Entity ownership / management. I manage several small water supplies and one of those may be better in the Entity than being private. The other two are agricultural focused and will be outside the expertise of the entities.
do you mean that rural people on non-council domestic water won't be part of Three Waters? I've heard varying opinions about this, but don't regional councils have responsibility for those atm?
Initially private supplies will be outside 3 Waters, but down the track those supplies may elect to be part of it. Or, if they are unable to comply with standards they may be required to do something about their management structures.
There's a private supply near me that could charitably be described as dysfunctional that I expect to go into 3 Waters quite quickly, by fair of foul. Will take up many column inches when it does.
The rates are a function of the service provided. To reduce the rates councils have to reduce the service below the regulated minimums. These standards haven't really been tightened by recent legislation (Water Services Act 2021), but the enforcement and liabilities have been. The standards go back 30 – 50 years and have been ignored / procrastinated / debated by councils all that time. The tactics are the same as the farmer lobby is using to secure water rights in ORC.
It's not a very pretty situation and some districts are downright ugly. At long last we've got a Government that is actually doing something about it.
yeah, but ignoring standards is on councils and the government could have passed legislation and enforced compliance. Regional councils have been allowed to do what they want, it's just daft to say that there aren't various ways this could be addressed.
There is lots of hesitancy purely based on the fact that once control is centralized pretty much zero thought will be given to the needs and wants of small communities nor will thought be given about how and policy change will effect small communities. Many of which have invested in and have effective infrastructure already in place that meets the needs of those small communities
I think that’s not an accurate description. There’s definitely consideration of small(er) communities but where the convo becomes unhinged and unstuck (…) is how best to put this into practice. Co-government is the antithesis of centralisation, in essence.
A second observation is that current infrastructure may be (just) adequate but as with all infrastructure, it requires constant upkeep, repair & maintenance that is increasingly more costly. Don’t forget that drinkable water is essential for well-being (good health) and that this is the primary objective, not the economic (or political) factors.
Yes, indeed, but I do realise that many (?) people seem to think that Māori [will] only look after the interests of Māori and ‘shaft’ everyone else, i.e., those people might be projecting. I could dig further into the issue of racism vs. reverse-racism, but that would just raise a red flag for some 🙁
In my opinion too, the alleged Māori card is a huge red herring (aka large mammal in the room).
I don't trust the process that was used to get this far. I think the model will make local democracy worse than it is (we should retain localism wherever and whenever we can). I'm doubtful that suits in Chch have the necessary skills and experience to make decisions for small towns in Otago and Southland. I think not bringing people along is a massive mistake at this point in history. The amount of TINA lines being run is a big red flag.
Previously drinking water came under the Health Act, administered by MOH. This was completely useless and I don't think there was ever a prosecution despite some quite blatant breaches of standards (Havelock North and another in Queenstown in late 80's where 3000 people were very sick). Things sort of got fixed after the fact and that was that.
Regional Councils have regulated discharges of sewage, and have been quite good. In Otago especially since Ngai Tahu have been involved, But that is only after the fact, they don't have any role until there is a discharge.
Regulation of infrastructural practice and operation is the role of the new regulator established under Water Services Act 2021. Taumata Arowai is a rather grunty orgaisation with big boots and a bigger stick. There will be changes in how things are done irrespective of the 3 Waters reforms. However it's going to work a lot better for water users with the 3 Waters reforms as suppliers / Councils will have the scale to do the job at a more reasonable cost.
Literally right now whole Ukraine is being massively bombed by russian missiles, big cities like Kyiv Dnipro Lviv have been hit with civilian casualties. Also reports of critical infrastructure damage. This is one of the biggest shellings of the whole time#RussiaisATerroistStatepic.twitter.com/vhCBrUWRXh
Russia has appointed a notorious general who opened fire on pro-democracy protesters in the 1990s as its first overall commander for the war in Ukraine, as the Kremlin struggles to halt a Ukrainian counteroffensive that has left its forces in disarray.
[…]
Surovikin is a veteran commander who led the Russian military expedition in Syria in 2017, where he was accused of using “controversial” tactics including indiscriminate bombing against anti-government fighters.
[…]
Yet Surovikin also has a checkered history that includes two stints in jail for allegedly selling weapons and for leading a military column against protesters during the 1991 coup. He has also previously served in Tajikistan and Chechnya.
“For over 30 years, Surovikin’s career has been dogged with allegations of corruption and brutality,” wrote British intelligence officials in a recent report on Surovikin’s likely promotion to lead the southern military group.
During the 1991 coup d’état attempt launched by Soviet hardliners, Surovikin, then a captain, led a rifle division that drove through barricades erected by pro-democracy protesters. Three men were killed in the clash, including one who was crushed.
The fighting is in majority russian ethnic areas of ukraine. So what you're saying is that Russia is deliberately harming its own people, which is either crazy or you've got it wrong.
Terrorists target civilians in densely populated city centers during morning rush hour with indiscriminate cruise missile attacks. They don't care who they kill.
Zelenskyy: "[Russian targets are] energy facilities, all across the country. Kyiv Oblast and Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Lviv and Dnipro, Vinnytsia, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy Oblast, Kharkiv Oblast, Zhytomyr Oblast, Kirovohrad Oblast, the south." 2/X
Bartlett's stock-in-trade is whitewashing war crimes and spreading conspiracy theories. She's never given a fuck about the victims, let alone the evidence.
The ACT party has put out some policies to do with co-governance and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Karen Chhour who was in the news recently when Kelvin Davis made comments about her in the House, was at the launch. I can imagine her once again drawing attention with her 'colourblind' assimilation perspective.
Whats that, ACT is ruling out going into coalition with National already? I don't think the Green Party has even voted on that issue for this election and obviously would have to wait to see Nationals election policies before undertaking such a vote.
Nope. ACT just issuing statements of 'bottom lines' for future negotiation- which doesn't appear to be the way the GP operates, in any case.
National (Luxon) have said it's too far out from the election for National to negotiate.
It would be interesting to see just how 'bottom' all of the ACT bottom lines will be in reality. Would missing even one of them result in the party sitting on the cross-benches?
Mind you- National have already said that they'll wind back 3 waters (including the co-governance aspects) – so they're on board with some of it already.
Nope? Go on, nice David the twerking robot, wouldn't misslead people. Surely this is already as good as one of Chris the land Lords upcoming election promises.
Whats that, ACT is ruling out going into coalition with National already? I don't think the Green Party has even voted on that issue for this election and obviously would have to wait to see Nationals election policies before undertaking such a vote.
I don't think it works like that with the Greens. I would have thought the remit was voted on at an AGM and stays policy until someone brings a different remit or a revision to be voted on. It's been while since I looked at it, but it basically says they won't support National into government because the policy gulf is too wide. I think it's safe to say that is still true.
hmm, you might be right. This post I wrote in 2017 basically says that at each election they reiterated their position. But I think I'm right too, in that it's quite a high level process to change the fundamental position (no to National).
Making an observation about the presentation is perfectly valid of course.
If I were a media columnist comparing the position that Karen Chhour took today with the essence of the claim which Davis made, I'm sure that would be accepted as pertinent by many.
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Open access notables Bad news delivered by an all-star cast of familiar researchers: Another Year of Record Heat for the Oceans. From the abstract: In 2022, the world’s oceans, as given by OHC, were again the hottest in the historical record and exceeded the previous 2021 record maximum. According to IAP/CAS data, ...
The resignation of Jacinda Ardern has already made more global headlines than you might expect for that of the PM of a small commonwealth nation like say Sierra Leone (population 6.5 million) or Singapore (population 5.5 million). But international observers might not be too surprised by Ardern’s announcement that ...
One of my earliest political memories is the resignation of Prime Minister David Lange in August 1989. I remember this because of a brown felt-tipped pen drawing I did of the Beehive, the building that houses the Executive of the New Zealand Government. More than thirty years later, we ...
Buzz from the Beehive Hard on the heels of our Buzz from the Beehive earlier today, the PM has made two announcements – the 2023 general election will be held on Saturday 14 October and she will not be campaigning to win a third term as Prime Minister. She will ...
Jacinda Ardern had an outsized impact on New Zealand’s international relations. While all Prime Ministers travel internationally, Ardern’s calendar was fuller than most. Ardern’s first major foreign trip came within weeks of her election in 2017, to the APEC summit in Vietnam. The meeting gave Ardern her first in-person encounter ...
She gave it her all. No New Zealand Prime Minister has ever dominated the political scene at home as she has done, or has established an international profile to match hers. No New Zealand Prime Minister has had to confront such a sequence of domestic and international catastrophes – from ...
Jacinda Ardern's shock resignation announcement today has left a lot of us with a lot of complicated feelings. In my case, while I've been highly critical of Ardern's government, I'm still sorry to see her go. We've had far too many terrible things happen during her term as Prime Minister ...
The decision by Jacinda Ardern to end her term as Prime Minister on February 7 has come as a stunning surprise. It turns the task of a centre-left government winning re-election this year from difficult to nigh on impossible. No-one else among the Labour caucus has Ardern’s ability to explain ...
The tools exist to help families with surging costs – and as costs continue to rise it is more urgent than ever that we use them, the Green Party says. ...
As the Mayor of Auckland has announced a state of emergency, the Government, through NEMA, is able to step up support for those affected by flooding in Auckland. “I’d urge people to follow the advice of authorities and check Auckland Emergency Management for the latest information. As always, the Government ...
Ka papā te whatitiri, Hikohiko ana te uira, wāhi rua mai ana rā runga mai o Huruiki maunga Kua hinga te māreikura o te Nota, a Titewhai Harawira Nā reira, e te kahurangi, takoto, e moe Ka mōwai koa a Whakapara, kua uhia te Tai Tokerau e te kapua pōuri ...
Carmel Sepuloni, Minister for Social Development and Employment, has activated Enhanced Taskforce Green (ETFG) in response to flooding and damaged caused by Cyclone Hale in the Tairāwhiti region. Up to $500,000 will be made available to employ job seekers to support the clean-up. We are still investigating whether other parts ...
The 2023 General Election will be held on Saturday 14 October 2023, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today. “Announcing the election date early in the year provides New Zealanders with certainty and has become the practice of this Government and the previous one, and I believe is best practice,” Jacinda ...
Jacinda Ardern has announced she will step down as Prime Minister and Leader of the Labour Party. Her resignation will take effect on the appointment of a new Prime Minister. A caucus vote to elect a new Party Leader will occur in 3 days’ time on Sunday the 22nd of ...
The Government is maintaining its strong trade focus in 2023 with Trade and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor visiting Europe this week to discuss the role of agricultural trade in climate change and food security, WTO reform and New Zealand agricultural innovation. Damien O’Connor will travel tomorrow to Switzerland to attend the ...
The Government has extended its medium-scale classification of Cyclone Hale to the Wairarapa after assessing storm damage to the eastern coastline of the region. “We’re making up to $80,000 available to the East Coast Rural Support Trust to help farmers and growers recover from the significant damage in the region,” ...
The Government is making an initial contribution of $150,000 to the Mayoral Relief Fund to help communities in Tairāwhiti following ex-Tropical Cyclone Hale, Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty announced. “While Cyclone Hale has caused widespread heavy rain, flooding and high winds across many parts of the North Island, Tairāwhiti ...
Rural Communities Minister Damien O’Connor has classified this week’s Cyclone Hale that caused significant flood damage across the Tairāwhiti/Gisborne District as a medium-scale adverse event, unlocking Government support for farmers and growers. “We’re making up to $100,000 available to help coordinate efforts as farmers and growers recover from the heavy ...
A vaccine for people at risk of mpox (Monkeypox) will be available if prescribed by a medical practitioner to people who meet eligibility criteria from Monday 16 January, says Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall. 5,000 vials of the vaccine have been obtained, enough for up to 20,000 ...
The deputy prime minister and the transport minister are providing today's government update on the ongoing state of emergency in Auckland. Watch it live here. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Welch, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, University of Auckland Getty Images We’ve built our cities to be vulnerable to – and exacerbate – major weather events such as the one we saw in Auckland on Friday. While almost no ...
If you’ve managed to secure some eggs, here’s a tasty dish from the Parsi cuisine which essentially revolves around eggs… Even if they were an acquired taste for Perzen Patel. I’ve always been mentally allergic to eggs. I’ll eat cakes that have eggs and dishes where I can’t see or ...
PNG Post-Courier Papua New Guinea’s Service Improvement Programme worth more than K1 billion (NZ$440 million) has become a major cash cow for “irresponsible” leaders, says the monitoring agency. In the past decade, the Provincial and District Services Improvement Programme has delivered much but has not achieved what it set out ...
An excerpt from a keynote speech delivered in November last year to mark Ben Brown’s time as Te Awhi Rito New Zealand Reading Ambassador.We imagine ourselves into existence and a universe comes with us. This is the first and most important function of language, revealed to us ideally ...
Twice a week, church bells ring out through Auckland’s CBD. Sam Brooks meets the people who make it happen.If you happen to be on the Victoria Park side of the CBD on a Tuesday night or a Sunday morning, you’ll hear the sound of eight bells ringing clear as, ...
Or if he did, it might read something like thisVexed, defensive, shouty, Mayor Brown the Second wore the countenance of a man who had just discovered, to his irritation and horror, that he is, you know, the mayor of Auckland. At Saturday’s press conference in response to the record-breaking, ...
When you consider their remote location, perilous terrain and dark, sometimes ugly history, it seems incredible that anyone still lives on Pitcairn Island. But almost 50 people do and, as Graeme Lay discovers, they live very well. The supply ship Claymore II stands off the north coast of Pitcairn Island. ...
Heavy rain has hit Bay of Plenty and Coromandel overnight and there's more rain on the way for Auckland, but people are beginning to take stock of the damage. A home has collapsed in Tauranga and residents have been evacuated. There are a number of road closures mainly in the ...
In the second of a three-part series on Labour's leadership transition, Elliot Crossan focuses on how Labour's economic handling of the Covid crisis created an explosion in inequality. Read part one here.Opinion: In her emotional resignation speech, Jacinda Ardern described how she no longer had “enough in the tank to do ...
ANALYSIS:By James Renwick, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington The extraordinary flood event Auckland experienced on the night of January 27, the eve of the city’s anniversary weekend, was caused by rainfall that was literally off the chart. Over 24 hours, 249mm of rain fell — well ...
RNZ News Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has acknowledged the way Aucklanders have come together and opened their homes to those in need, with the New Zealand government focused on providing the resources needed to get the city back up and running. The new prime minister — just four days into ...
RNZ News Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty has asked for communication on support after the severe thunderstorm in Auckland to be stepped up. It comes after a Civil Defence warning text failed to be sent out, and Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown told RNZ they will be reviewing the response, ...
RNZ News Three people are dead and at least one person is missing following the flooding overnight in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city. About 1000 people were still stranded today after Auckland Airport was closed last night because of flooding of the arrival and departure foyers. Flights were cancelled for ...
Wayne Brown has doubled down on his decision last night to shun the media until close to midnight and only order a state of emergency at 9.30pm. In a defensive display to the media this afternoon, the Auckland mayor was questioned on comments other councillors made last night, including some ...
Prime minister Chris Hipkins has confirmed there are three deaths linked to the extreme weather event in Auckland over the past 24 hours. There is also at least one person missing. Speaking at a press conference in Auckland, Hipkins said the priority was to make sure Aucklanders were safe, housed ...
*This story was first published on The Conversation and is republished with permission*Until New Zealand's stormwater drain system adapts to our rising climate, it will never be able to cope with the level of flooding seen in Auckland on Friday night, writes James Renwick The extraordinary flood event Auckland experienced ...
Chris Hipkins has experienced his first major event as prime minister, just days into his tenure. He’s spent the day in Auckland alongside emergency services, surveying the damage and assessing next steps. He’s due to speak at 3.15pm alongside Auckland mayor Wayne Brown. Thanks to Stuff, here is a livestream. ...
Due to the “unprecedented weather event” in Auckland, organisers have confirmed the “heartbreaking decision” to cancel this year’s Laneway Festival. “We were so excited to deliver this show to our biggest crowd ever in New Zealand, our team has been working around the clock to do everything they can to ...
With the rain easing for a moment, many will be beginning the arduous task of cleaning out their flooded property. Auckland council has release advice for cleaning up after a flood. Cleaning up after a flood It is important to clean and dry your house and everything in it. Floodwater ...
Air New Zealand Chief Operational Integrity and Safety Officer Captain David Morgan says the airline’s domestic flights in and out of Auckland resumed from 12pm today as Auckland Airport re-opens. But he said with a backlog of flights and customers, the priority is those who need to travel urgently. “Those ...
Festival-goers holding on hope for Laneway, set to take place at Western Springs on Monday, will have to wait a bit longer for an official update. A brief post on Facebook this afternoon stated: “Safety is Laneway Festival’s number one priority. With the large weather event Auckland is currently experiencing, ...
Wayne Brown has defended the timing of a declaration of a state of emergency last night following record rainfall in Auckland. “The state of emergency is a prescribed process, it’s quite formal, and I had to wait until I had the official request from the emergency management centre. The moment ...
After the 11th hour cancellation last night, Elton John has cancelled the second concert of his farewell tour at Mt Smart, which had been scheduled for this evening. In a statement, John said: “Following the instruction of the emergency services, we have no option but to cancel tonight’s show in ...
The member of parliament for Mt Albert, Jacinda Ardern, has posted a message on Facebook following the flooding in Auckland. “I’m very conscious that it’s been a while since I posted, and there have been a few big things happening. But today the most important thing is everyone’s wellbeing and ...
Flooding of the runway, the check-in and arrivals areas on the ground floor and surrounding roads has disrupted operations at Auckland International, halting all departures until at least 5pm today, with no arrivals before 4:30am tomorrow. “People are asked not to come to the International Terminal at this time for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Renwick, Professor, Physical Geography (climate science), Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Victoria Park near the Auckland CBD on January 27.Getty Images The extraordinary flood event Auckland experienced on the night of January 27, the eve of the ...
New Zealand’s largest insurance group, IAG, says it is on track to receive more than 1,100 claims from Aucklanders by lunchtime after the city was deluged in the wettest day on record. Those claims, said the group which includes AMI, State and NZI Insurance, span property damage to homes and ...
The rampant flooding in Auckland didn’t just detonate its provincial public holiday weekend – it coincided with the biggest weekend of the year to date for live events. A pair of Elton John concerts at Mt Smart stadium had a combined capacity of over 80,000, while both Laneway at Western ...
Auckland is beginning a clean-up after its wettest day since records began. “Auckland was clobbered on Friday,” said emergency management duty controller Andrew Clark. “We won’t start to get a good idea of numbers affected until later today and, even then, this will take time, with information still coming in ...
The prime minister, Chris Hipkins, is travelling to Auckland after devastating floods hit the city overnight. With the airport out of operation until at least midday, he is landing at Whenuapai air base on a New Zealand Defence Force Hercules aircraft from Wellington. ...
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has arrived in Auckland for a daylong visit to the city following its catastrophic flood on Friday night. Flying in an Air Force Hercules to Whenuapai, Hipkins will spend roughly three hours on the ground assessing flood damage in the city before returning. He will receive ...
A quirk of timing left all Auckland’s institutions on the back foot. But social media, particularly TikTok, graphically showed just how bad the situation was. Late afternoon on a Friday is known as time to quietly drop bad news. You have the plausible deniability of it happening during work hours, ...
It’s a common sight during summer. It’s also a recipe for disaster.I recently drove with my family from New Plymouth to Tāmaki Makaurau and, just like how I lost count of how many cows I saw on the way, I lost count of how many cars had a passenger ...
Opinion - Election year has begun with a bang, and already the punditry and speculation are ramping up, but Grant Duncan warns not to treat polls as gospel. ...
New Zealand’s new prime minister, Chris Hipkins, is formally facing down an emergency just a few days after being sworn in, summoning the National Crisis Management Centre to the Beehive. The Beehive Bunker is being stood up to help with coordination of the emergency response in Auckland. I’ve asked ...
Analysis - Jacinda Ardern is one of New Zealand's most historically significant leaders. But she did not achieve the grand vision for Aotearoa her outsized rhetoric promised. ...
Brits abroad can be an asset to Aotearoa - but only if we make an effort to engage with te ao Māori, writes Scottish expat Fran Barclay Earlier this week, the UK High Commissioner signalled a promising intention to address the barriers facing young Māori and Pasifika who aspire to ...
"They want the Māoris out": provincial life in NZShe hadn’t learned to shut her mouth. Howard was tired of Councillor Kemp harping on and on and on. He pushed himself deeper into the boardroom chair and leaned back as far as he could force it. This woman had ranted ...
Positive affirmation quotes often aren’t helpful for tāngata whai ora. But taking the piss out of them can be. Early in January, on the first day of what would be a week of staying in bed with the curtains pulled, I put a disappointingaffirmations Instagram post up on my stories. ...
Ellen Rykers visits Mahakirau Forest Estate, ‘a crown jewel in the Coromandel Range’, where pest control is serious business.This is an excerpt from our weekly environment newsletter Future Proof – sign up here. The Mahakirau Forest Estate is not your average subdivision. Enter through its tall ...
As Auckland tackles severe floods and the city’s airport emerges from a deluge on both the runway and in terminals, Air New Zealand has confirmed that no flights will leave or arrive before noon on Saturday at the earliest. In a statement, the airline said anyone booked for a flight ...
RNZ News Mayor Wayne Brown has shut down criticism that he was too slow in declaring a state of emergency after severe flooding in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city. In a media stand-up late on Friday evening, Brown said he was following advice from experts and as soon as they ...
The Prime Minister has gone down to the Beehive bunker to help coordinate the emergency response, as the Insurance Council warns some Aucklanders whose homes and business are flooded face very hard times ahead. Jonathan Milne reports.Comment: Standing by the south-western motorway, I watched in dismay as hundreds of cars ...
A state of emergency has been declared in Auckland as severe weather causes major flooding across much of the city. It’s expected the rain will continue into the morning. This post will be updated as more information is shared.What does a state of emergency mean? A state of emergency ...
Auckland’s mayor Wayne Brown said he declared an emergency in Auckland as soon as he possibly could – and he made the decision without listening to the “clamour” of the public. There has been some criticism of the mayor for his relative silence today throughout the deadly flooding that’s hit ...
Welcome to a special late night edition of The Spinoff’s live updates as Auckland enters a state of emergency. Stewart Sowman-Lund is on deck, with help from our news team.The top linesAuckland is in a state of emergency. It will remain in place for seven ...
Prime minister Chris Hipkins is pleased the call was made to declare a state of emergency in Auckland. All government agencies were working “flat out” to help in what was an “extraordinary set of circumstances”, Hipkins said in a tweet. “The emergency response is underway and the government is ready ...
Auckland’s mayor Wayne Brown has released a statement following the decision to declare a state of emergency in Auckland. Brown has faced criticism this evening for his relative silence throughout today’s major flooding, with the first public pronouncement of the state of emergency coming from his deputy. Brown said the ...
Christopher Luxon has criticised the time it took for the state of emergency in Auckland to be declared. The National Party leader is currently in Southland, but told Today FM he intends to get back to Auckland as soon as possible. Earlier in the night, Luxon sent a tweet “urging” ...
Here is, verbatim, that latest information we have from Civil Defence on tonight’s state of emergency in Auckland: Auckland Emergency Management has opened a Civil Defence Centre to assist those that have been displaced or need assistance following today’s severe weather. The centre is open now and is based at ...
Severe flooding has ravaged Auckland today but the mayor of the city is barely visible. As I write, the airport has flooded, check-in areas looking like a public pool. Motorways are overflowing and cars have been seen floating down streets like a river. A person has died in floodwaters in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Treasurer Jim Chalmers has laid out an economic blueprint for pursuing “values-based capitalism”, involving public-private co-investment and collaboration and the renovation of key economic institutions and markets. In a 6000-word essay in The Monthly ...
This is live coverage of the developing situation in Auckland. We will continue to update this with photos and information as it comes to hand. After a day of torrential rain, and new reports of at least one death in the flood water, a state of emergency has been declared ...
Fans are describing Auckland Transport's plans to help them get to and from Elton John's concerts in the supercity this weekend as a fiasco with tonight's concert now cancelled due to the weather. Two concerts were due at Mt Smart Stadium before tonight's concert was called off in the face ...
A state of emergency has been declared in Auckland due to severe flooding that has caused people to evacuate their homes. It was officially declared at 9.54pm. Meanwhile, Auckland Airport has closed its international terminal check-in due to flooding inside the building. The airport says it is sincerely sorry to ...
RNZ News Residents in flood-prone areas of West Auckland are being asked to prepare to evacuate as bad weather causes power cuts and car crashes across Tāmaki Makaurau, with a severe thunderstorm watch in place for the north of Aotearoa New Zealand. Auckland Emergency Management said the severe weather across ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Ward, Postdoctoral research fellow, The University of Queensland Five years ago, bulldozers with chains cleared forests and woodlands almost triple the size of the Australian Capital Territory in a single year. Brazil? Indonesia? No – much closer: Queensland. In 2018-19, ...
Auckland Transport has apologised for confusing messaging that suggested attendees of tonight’s Elton John concert should drive. In a post on Facebook last night, AT said “driving to the concert is recommended” – a suggestion that prompted backlash due to the lack of parking options near the stadium. The announcement ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Tingay, John Curtin Distinguished Professor (Radio Astronomy), Curtin University Asteroid 20223 BU’s path in red, with green showing the orbit of geosynchronous satellites.NASA/JPL-Caltech There are hundreds of millions of asteroids in our Solar System, which means new asteroids are discovered ...
In his memoir Spare, Prince Harry revealed he attended the future King and Queen of England’s wedding with a frostbitten penis. A veteran of Antarctic expeditions says it’s not an issue that crops up often, if at all.Now that the avalanche of coverage about the Duke of Sussex’s memoir ...
A new poem by Wellington poet and publisher Ash Davida Jane. objects in the mirror are closer than they appear if a dog digs in the right spot and unearths a rib what do I care if a woman grows from that bone take her in and tend to her ...
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.AUCKLAND1Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (Grove Press, $25) Everyone’s chowing down on fiction ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Susan Hazel, Associate Professor, School of Animal and Veterinary Science, University of Adelaide schankz/Shutterstock Have you ever worried if the play between your cats was getting too rough? A new study published in Scientific Reports has investigated play and fighting ...
More water than anything else, the cucumber is the perfect counter to intense and fiery flavours. Cucumber is without a doubt the most refreshing vegetable*, the antidote to hot summer days. At 95% water, a cucumber is basically an edible, crunchy, waste-free water bottle. Beside water, the cucumber has almost ...
REVIEW:By Rowan Callick Radio Australia was conceived at the beginning of the Second World War out of Canberra’s desire to counter Japanese propaganda in the Pacific. More than 70 years later its rebirth is being driven by a similarly urgent need to counter propaganda, this time from China. Set ...
The yellow brick road to Mt Smart stadium looks to be packed this weekend as thousands travel to dual Elton John concerts In the words of pop royal Elton John, “I think it’s going to be a long, long time” - in this case for the 40,000 odd concert-goers driving ...
The decision by Sport Northland to deny 'Stop Co-Governance', a community group, use of their Whangarei venue to hold a public meeting is illegal and defies the rights given to all Kiwis to voice their political opinions. This case, yet again, illustrates ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rolf Gerritsen, Professorial Research Fellow, Northern Institute, Charles Darwin University The supposed dimensions of the “crisis” in Alice Springs have been exhaustively portrayed in the media, both nationally and in the Northern Territory. The stories abound: shopfront windows repeatedly broken, groups of ...
Children’s Commissioner, Judge Frances Eivers: "Myself and previous Commissioners have been clear that the use of motels at all is deplorable, and a symptom of a system that is failing children. "Concerns around the practice have been raised repeatedly ...
Everything you need to know to get through the chaotic commute to to the Elton John concert in Tāmaki Mākaurau this weekend. Fans heading to Elton John’s concerts at Mt Smart Stadium this weekend have been advised to drive or walk thereby Auckland Transport (AT). In a Facebook post ...
'
It's not that employers can't pay decent living wages. It's just that they don't want to, they would prefer to exploit vulnerable migrant workers. Unlike other workers migrant workers are bound by law to one employer on pain of being deported if they try to better their condition by leaving for another position. And if they dare complain about their wages or conditions will not be picked for future work.
Don’t misunderstand me here. I am not against migrant workers.
Our economic recovery depends on them.
But they should have the same rights to leave a job and change employers to better their conditions.
A more equal labour market will stop employers playing migrant workers off against local workers, to keep wages low for both groups.
Justice for migrants.
https://www.waikato.ac.nz/news-opinion/media/2020/caring-for-300000-temporary-migrants-in-new-zealand-is-a-crucial-missing-link-in-our-coronavirus-response
overly long copypasta deleted.
'
Migrants lives matter.
As the above shows employers could payer higher wages, but would prefer not to if they can get away with it.
https://www.migrantworkers.org.nz/
https://www.kiwipolitico.com/2022/10/systemic-realignment-and-the-long-transition/
A longish read, and a bit heavy going, but a fascinating discussion about the long arcs of geopolitical history.
”International systems are dynamic, not static. Although they may enjoy long periods of relative stability or stasis, they are fluid in nature and therefore prone to change over time. In the last century stable world order cycles have become shorter and transitional cycles have become longer due to a number of factors, including technological advances in areas such as transportation and telecommunications, demographic shifts, the globalisation of production, consumption and exchange, ideological diffusion, cultural transfer and increased permeability of national borders. Status quos are more short-lived and transitional moments–moments leading to systemic realignment–are decades in length.
We are currently in the midst of such a long transitional moment.“
Is anyone else following the Mermaids meltdown? Short of writing a long, detailed post, I'm at a loss as how to explain it to anyone who hasn't been following.
I am considering writing a post, but everyday more comes out and the amount of research needed has exploded.
Mermaids?
Yeah, I also wondered so I Googled it. It's an Auckland Strip Club. I'm guessing it's where Mayor Brown had his victory party……
Very influential and institutionally embedded children's charity in the UK, set up to support families of gender questioning children.
Posted on this briefly the other day:
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-06-10-2022/#respond
missed that the other day thanks.
Not sure what is going on with that link, but here's the correct one. Click on the date/time stamp and then copy the URL. TS links need a . or word ahead of the link or they convert to the post link.
.https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-06-10-2022/#comment-1914026
don't think I've ever seen that /#respond before 😀
Thanks Molly
I am.
Response to a support tweet which lists some of the issues, I think just creating a list is the way to go. I'll add if I think you have missed any. Alternatively, I'm home most of this morning so we could collaborate.
Of course, since tweeting this last night the information around their digital communications employee, Darren Mews has come to light.
Click tweet to read list.
thanks Molly. I have to go out this morning, but will email you.
Saw the Darren Mews bit on Maya Forstater's twitter. I'm tempted to put up a running post where I just add the new content every day. So people can actually see the content not being reported in MSM, but also how much of it there is, and the progress of it unfolding.
I think the phrase "Not a bug, but a feature" that's been proffered, is an apt one.
The culture there – and in other similar organisations – seems to be one of Queer Theory boundary breaking and elimination of safeguards. I have some bookmarks of Mermaid standard greeting screenshotted by a family that tells children to not use the family email, but to create a separate one for communication on the forum. Coupled with the advice to move to a Discord server, it is apparent the basic safeguarding protocols with children were deliberately abandoned.
I'll check my emails on my return.
Not a bug, is a good lead in for a post.
I think the boundary breakdowns and the connections with Queer Theory and child sex abuse is the way in. May as well put it all out there.
Dropping this soo can find it later. Feeling I should be putting content warnings up. Mermaids supported and accepted online porn fundraiser.
What’s even more fucked up is I will have to explain why that is wrong.
and this
Weka,a link would help ?
The irony of asking a moderator for a link
What,weka's renown for asking and providing.
👍
not really. The only requirement here for links is with quotes (at the time) or claims of fact (when asked for, but good to put links up front).
People can talk about whatever they want, and people can ask for links to explain. As happened here.
as you can see from my comment, this is a very difficult event to explain. Including with a single link. I'll see what I can come up with.
Mermaids is a charity in the UK that provides services to trans and other gender non-conforming youth and children.
You can start here,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mermaids_(charity)#The_Daily_Telegraph_investigation
Cheers weka,I wasn't being cheeky.
edit. that I know,why are they falling apart,to my mind about time they helped trans people and not hinder.
all good 👍
Precis:
In addition to that, there are connections between Mermaids, Queer Theory, and pro-paedophilia. The left won't talk about it, because we're not allowed to criticise the Rainbow people. But there is a huge amount of discussion and material being shared by GC people on twitter and it is damning.
I think it's important to underline HOW influential this charity has been.
Despite claiming in court to not be medical experts, they were meeting regularly with the Tavistock GIDS clinic, leveraging that relationship to advocate for "affirmation only" healthcare responses for those that sought medical help, and Susie Green (despite her non-medical background) is listed as one of the authors of the WPATH SoC 8 that has just been released which removed minimum age levels for medication and surgeries.
They have also been very embedded in education, and institutional and corporate training, without oversight of materials or scrutiny of what is being delivered without evidence.
There are many such organisations following the Mermaids model in the UK. And we also seem to have a couple in NZ. Apparently, they have an exemption from showing where their grants come from, but I have to double-check that information to confirm. Looking at the Charity Commission website there are no details of grant income, but I don't know why that is.
Some articles in the Times on one or two aspects, but the full story and revelations are not in the media but on Twitter and independent sites.
Archived – non paywall Times articles here which only scratch the surface:
Mermaids: Trans youth group faces scrutiny by charity watchdog
Trustee of the transgender charity Mermaids quits after speech to paedophile aid group
Lottery pauses cash for trans charity Mermaids during investigation
For those who prefer videos, Helen Joyce briefly outlines the situation on Andrew Doyles Free Speech Nation, and the challenges ahead:
Thanks,Molly. Have heard of Helen Joyce and listened,she's good value.
thanks Molly and Weka for continuing to highlight what is happening re gender ideology in other parts of the world. The msm silence on these issues is deafening
You've got to be currently getting water or sewage services form your local Council to come under the new Entities.
There's some existing Council rural supplies that are agricultural mixed use that may be sold to their users rather than go into the Entities, Clutha and Waitaki have quite a few of these.
There are also some existing private supplies that may look at moving to Entity ownership / management. I manage several small water supplies and one of those may be better in the Entity than being private. The other two are agricultural focused and will be outside the expertise of the entities.
do you mean that rural people on non-council domestic water won't be part of Three Waters? I've heard varying opinions about this, but don't regional councils have responsibility for those atm?
Initially private supplies will be outside 3 Waters, but down the track those supplies may elect to be part of it. Or, if they are unable to comply with standards they may be required to do something about their management structures.
There's a private supply near me that could charitably be described as dysfunctional that I expect to go into 3 Waters quite quickly, by fair of foul. Will take up many column inches when it does.
https://www.dia.govt.nz/three-waters-reform-programme-interaction-with-rural-water-schemes
I’ll take it that you don’t know the answer either.
The answer , such as it has been outlined to date is contained in the link.
So no comment from you to take the debate or conversation a bit further? Like
1 Do you agree?
2 Are there aspects that have not been included
Or is this facebook and I go
LOL, whatevs etc?
Sigh…neither
I am providing information that is available (such as it is) that answers some of the questions posed.
You're welcome.
Just trying to encourage some participation really rather than cut & run. Won't offend again.
I don’t believe you. If the answer was in the link you’d be able to quote it or just say it.
so will places that don't currently have water charges eg Dunedin, have water charges under Three Waters?
The rates are a function of the service provided. To reduce the rates councils have to reduce the service below the regulated minimums. These standards haven't really been tightened by recent legislation (Water Services Act 2021), but the enforcement and liabilities have been. The standards go back 30 – 50 years and have been ignored / procrastinated / debated by councils all that time. The tactics are the same as the farmer lobby is using to secure water rights in ORC.
It's not a very pretty situation and some districts are downright ugly. At long last we've got a Government that is actually doing something about it.
yeah, but ignoring standards is on councils and the government could have passed legislation and enforced compliance. Regional councils have been allowed to do what they want, it's just daft to say that there aren't various ways this could be addressed.
I'm puzzled by your antipathy toward 3 Waters, weka.
🙂
There is lots of hesitancy purely based on the fact that once control is centralized pretty much zero thought will be given to the needs and wants of small communities nor will thought be given about how and policy change will effect small communities. Many of which have invested in and have effective infrastructure already in place that meets the needs of those small communities
I think that’s not an accurate description. There’s definitely consideration of small(er) communities but where the convo becomes unhinged and unstuck (…) is how best to put this into practice. Co-government is the antithesis of centralisation, in essence.
A second observation is that current infrastructure may be (just) adequate but as with all infrastructure, it requires constant upkeep, repair & maintenance that is increasingly more costly. Don’t forget that drinkable water is essential for well-being (good health) and that this is the primary objective, not the economic (or political) factors.
And don't ignore the elephant in the room…co-governance and 'those Maaaaaris'
If we throw out Three Waters on grounds to do with cost/access to supply and local voice we don't have to put on our pretty horrible racist hat.
This is very /sarc.
Regrettably.
Yes, indeed, but I do realise that many (?) people seem to think that Māori [will] only look after the interests of Māori and ‘shaft’ everyone else, i.e., those people might be projecting. I could dig further into the issue of racism vs. reverse-racism, but that would just raise a red flag for some 🙁
In my opinion too, the alleged Māori card is a huge red herring (aka large mammal in the room).
I don't trust the process that was used to get this far. I think the model will make local democracy worse than it is (we should retain localism wherever and whenever we can). I'm doubtful that suits in Chch have the necessary skills and experience to make decisions for small towns in Otago and Southland. I think not bringing people along is a massive mistake at this point in history. The amount of TINA lines being run is a big red flag.
Previously drinking water came under the Health Act, administered by MOH. This was completely useless and I don't think there was ever a prosecution despite some quite blatant breaches of standards (Havelock North and another in Queenstown in late 80's where 3000 people were very sick). Things sort of got fixed after the fact and that was that.
Regional Councils have regulated discharges of sewage, and have been quite good. In Otago especially since Ngai Tahu have been involved, But that is only after the fact, they don't have any role until there is a discharge.
Regulation of infrastructural practice and operation is the role of the new regulator established under Water Services Act 2021. Taumata Arowai is a rather grunty orgaisation with big boots and a bigger stick. There will be changes in how things are done irrespective of the 3 Waters reforms. However it's going to work a lot better for water users with the 3 Waters reforms as suppliers / Councils will have the scale to do the job at a more reasonable cost.
After nine months of murder, rape, torture, looting, and razing entire communities, Russia calls blowing up a bridge terrorism.
That really takes the fucking biscuit.
If bombing a bridge is terrorism. What is bombing the centre of a capitol city?
Meet the new butcher.
Russia has appointed a notorious general who opened fire on pro-democracy protesters in the 1990s as its first overall commander for the war in Ukraine, as the Kremlin struggles to halt a Ukrainian counteroffensive that has left its forces in disarray.
[…]
Surovikin is a veteran commander who led the Russian military expedition in Syria in 2017, where he was accused of using “controversial” tactics including indiscriminate bombing against anti-government fighters.
[…]
Yet Surovikin also has a checkered history that includes two stints in jail for allegedly selling weapons and for leading a military column against protesters during the 1991 coup. He has also previously served in Tajikistan and Chechnya.
“For over 30 years, Surovikin’s career has been dogged with allegations of corruption and brutality,” wrote British intelligence officials in a recent report on Surovikin’s likely promotion to lead the southern military group.
During the 1991 coup d’état attempt launched by Soviet hardliners, Surovikin, then a captain, led a rifle division that drove through barricades erected by pro-democracy protesters. Three men were killed in the clash, including one who was crushed.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/08/russia-appoints-notorious-general-sergei-surovikin-ukraine
The fighting is in majority russian ethnic areas of ukraine. So what you're saying is that Russia is deliberately harming its own people, which is either crazy or you've got it wrong.
Terrorists target civilians in densely populated city centers during morning rush hour with indiscriminate cruise missile attacks. They don't care who they kill.
#RussiaIsATerroristState
There are two sides to every story…
Bartlett's stock-in-trade is whitewashing war crimes and spreading conspiracy theories. She's never given a fuck about the victims, let alone the evidence.
‘
“….Russia is deliberately harming its own people, which is either crazy or you’ve got it wrong.” Maui
Odessa is a majority Russian speaking city. Yet Odessa has suffered months of non-stop Russian missile attacks on civilian infrastructure and housing.
We have not got it wrong.
The Russian Federation is a murderous avaricious fascistic state with designs on the whole of Ukraine as a colony of a new Imperial Russian empire.
The ACT party has put out some policies to do with co-governance and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Karen Chhour who was in the news recently when Kelvin Davis made comments about her in the House, was at the launch. I can imagine her once again drawing attention with her 'colourblind' assimilation perspective.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/130122915/act-increases-cogovernance-focus-says-treaty-referendum-a-bottom-line
Whats that, ACT is ruling out going into coalition with National already? I don't think the Green Party has even voted on that issue for this election and obviously would have to wait to see Nationals election policies before undertaking such a vote.
Nope. ACT just issuing statements of 'bottom lines' for future negotiation- which doesn't appear to be the way the GP operates, in any case.
National (Luxon) have said it's too far out from the election for National to negotiate.
It would be interesting to see just how 'bottom' all of the ACT bottom lines will be in reality. Would missing even one of them result in the party sitting on the cross-benches?
Mind you- National have already said that they'll wind back 3 waters (including the co-governance aspects) – so they're on board with some of it already.
https://www.national.org.nz/national-pledges-three-waters-repeal-return
Nope? Go on, nice David the twerking robot, wouldn't misslead people. Surely this is already as good as one of Chris the land Lords upcoming election promises.
No more than any other politician misleads people. Campaign promises…..
I don't think it works like that with the Greens. I would have thought the remit was voted on at an AGM and stays policy until someone brings a different remit or a revision to be voted on. It's been while since I looked at it, but it basically says they won't support National into government because the policy gulf is too wide. I think it's safe to say that is still true.
hmm, you might be right. This post I wrote in 2017 basically says that at each election they reiterated their position. But I think I'm right too, in that it's quite a high level process to change the fundamental position (no to National).
I don't know why it's particularly notable that an ACT MP was at an ACT policy launch.
And the less said about Davis' racist comments, the better. Even his apology doesn't seem to have erased them from some minds.
Debate the policy, not the person.
Making an observation about the presentation is perfectly valid of course.
If I were a media columnist comparing the position that Karen Chhour took today with the essence of the claim which Davis made, I'm sure that would be accepted as pertinent by many.