“The arc of history may be long but it bends towards justice”
Martin Luther King
The dismissal of the evidence of atrocities committed by the Russian Federation invading forces as false flag operations committed by the Ukrainians themselves to discredit Russia. Or were faked by crisis actors. Is par for course for the blood thirsty partisan supporters of Putin's war against Ukraine.
But what I find most amazing about the pro-Putin trolls, is their continual assertion against all evidence that Russia is winning this war.
But the long arc of history may be shortening and the Russian military collapse may be quicker than even the most optimistic military predictions.
Ukraine retakes Russian-controlled cities and supply hubs in a swift eastern push
By Nicholas Slayton | PUBLISHED SEP 10, 2022 2:00 PM
Russia is pulling its forces back from several towns in Ukraine's east as Ukraine's counteroffensive made major gains in the Kharkiv region. Ukrainian troops retook multiple towns and captured the cities of Izvum and Balakliva, according to local reports and the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense. In a rare admission of things going poorly for its forces, the Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed soldiers had left those areas and announced it will regroup its forces today….
"Collaboration "with the Russians extends to helping distribute humanitarian aid it seems
State police say a “reckoning” is coming for pro-Russian residents of “de-occupied” town
Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) announced on Friday that it had begun conducting a “filtration” of civilians in Balakleya, the town in Kharkov Region reportedly taken by forces of the Kiev government. SBI agents will be checking for those who “may pose a threat to national security,” the agency said.
In line with the assassinations of officials within pro Russian areas who are suspected of being pro Russian .
Applaud this as much as you like, I think it points to a deeply divided country which won't be cured by war.You can kill all the Russians within Ukraine I suppose, but even that genocide won't solve the problems of Ukraine.
But what I find most amazing about the pro-Putin trolls, is their continual assertion against all evidence that Russia is winning this war.
Not coming from a military background, I consider myself unqualified to comment on how the war is going, preferring instead to focus on what I believe to be the causes of the conflict. The question of who will win I leave to future historians.
Sorry. This comment was not intended as a reply to someone’s earlier comment, but should have been an independent comment at the end of the post. I don't why this has happened.
Well….putin being a psychopath….similarities to his besty trump…so obvious (but with more vicious violence) there could very well be an extremely violent reaction from him.
So you think phone intercepts will all be critical masterpieces?
Things are going fairly poorly for Russian troops, with many surrounded and obliged to surrender, and others fleeing under artillery fire. The intercepts show something of their human side.
a tiny bit suspect?
Well if you're uncritical enough to prefer RT, these are probably too good for you.
I should think so – it is the organ of an enemy state, one that practices every political vice known to humankind from genocide to rape as a weapon of war, and it poses a real danger of duping the hard-of-thinking.
Things seem to have been going downhill in Russia since Gorbachev dismantled the Warsaw Pact and tried to introduce perestroika and glasnost. Then Yeltsin took over, dismantled the Soviet system, and tried to americanise the economy, at which point things became a real mess and Yeltsin took to drink. At that point it was thought that Russia was 'finished' as a world power. However the economy and living conditions seem to have improved in Russia with the rise of Putin, first as PM and later as President. Certainly, he has done things that seem pretty brutal, but he is a pragmatist, and one who tackles problems head on.
Things seem to have been going downhill in Russia since Gorbachev dismantled the Warsaw Pact and tried to introduce perestroika and glasnost.
Things had been going downhill in Russia for a long time long before Gorbachev.
By some measures, the Soviet economy was the world’s second largest in 1990, but shortages of consumer goods were routine and hoarding was commonplace.
You might want to consider the role played by Chernomyrdin – the scoundrel that did to Russia what that treacherous pos Roger Douglas did here.
Putin's pragmatism extended to mass murder and to genocide. Most civilized people find such excesses barbaric.
PS: Boris Yeltsin has expressed a belief that he made a mistake in appointing Putin PM. He knew that because Bill Clinton, when he met Yeltsin later during an official visit to Moscow, told him so.
It is disappointing that after all this time many on the left feel uncomfortable with criticising Russia. It suggests to me that some of us lefties either have weak foundation to our values or that some of us with a Marxist Leninist bent are now warm towards fascism.
I think it goes back to schooling. NZ does not teach history. Educated Americans all know about the European Spring, and the values it was about. The Putin dupes do not understand the importance of such values, and so are easy prey for manipulative entities like RT and the various Trumpist channels.
Ukrainians don't need to make anything up in respect of Russian morale – their recent territorial gains speak for themselves.
Of course, you are ignoring the reason I posted it, which was that Russian deputies called for Putin's resignation. This is normal enough for opposition parties (and braying media hacks for that matter) in New Zealand, but in Russia it's asking to be kicked to death in a dark alley – unless the opinion is almost universally held.
Yes of course Putin has many detractors- ….Vladimir Putin'sapprovalratinginRussia monthly 1999-2022. Published by Statista Research Department , Sep 2, 2022. In August 2022, over 80 percent of Russians approved of activities of the …
Even a worthless clown like you must have some idea of what happens when a state has total control of polling sources.
Lukashenko supposedly got 80% support in his last election, but independent polls put his support at 3%. The nationwide street protests following his 'election' were only suppressed with the help of Russian troops.
Do you find it rewarding singing the praises of murderers and tyrants? If so what in the name of absent gods are you doing on a left wing site?
I suspect you are right Ad. Although I’d hope there will be a poll out this week to assist the majority of Auckland who don’t want Collins know who we are best to get behind.
In an incredible few days the Ukrainian forces have liberated most of the Kharkiv Oblast, and captured and cut off critical road and rail supply routes in K'upyansk for the Russian forces in the east.
I am calling the Russians to have strategically lost the war now, with the result just a matter of time.
In what must be one of the most brilliant war strategies of modern times, the Ukrainians simultaneously lured Russian forces to reinforce the Kherson Oblast then isolated them by cutting supply routes and bridges to the area. The Ukrainians are performing a slow squeeze in this region at the moment, with the Russians slowly running out of fuel and ammunition.
But the brilliant part of the strategy was that it was entirely predictable where the Russians would draw forces from to reinforce the Kherson region.
The Ukrainians had been publicly announcing for weeks their intention of a counter-offensive towards Kherson. The Russians either had to accept losing the region or reinforce it. Predictably they chose the latter option. The Russians were never going to draw their forces away from the Luhansk/Donetsk region due to the strategic importance of those regions to them, and that they still were trying to take over that whole area.Thus, the only real option for the Russians was to redeploy troops from the Kharkiv region.
During the Kherson offensive, the Ukrainians had been quietly building up their forces in the Kharkiv region. Due to that area being so sparsely defended due to the Russian redeployment, the Ukrainians have swept through and taken Kupyansk, and also the Russian stronghold of Izium.
This has resulted in a complete routing of the Russians in the area, and a huge transfer of military assets and ammunition to the Ukrainians.
I am calling the Russians defeated now because it is going to be very difficult for them to keep their troops in the east supplied. And those in Kherson are cut off, and defeat is inevitable now. Plus there is a huge snowball effect in favour of the Ukrainians now. The loss of Russian equipment is largely resulting in a transfer of this weaponary to the Ukrainians. So, the Ukrainians continue to get stronger and stronger as the Russians get weaker.
Don't know. Autumn and winter are coming where things tend to slow down.
The only way I see Putin winning now would be to nuke Ukraine. But I think the west would have made it very clear what the response of the west would be under such a scenario.
I think that has been very obvious for a while, but with the slight caveat that income supplement was necessary to achieve that economic outcome. NZs scheme was #1 for discretionary stimulus in the world and our economic outcome followed from that combination.
Thanks Joe90 – a big rat for 'Covid Plan B' to swallow. Hope it hits them where it hurts.
One lesson that Klimek takes from lockdown studies is that there was an early window of opportunity when the virus could have been eliminated — as it was, in effect, in countries such as China, Australia and New Zealand. Had harsher measures been adopted sooner, and more widely, the pandemic might have played out very differently. “I think this is the big learning that we need to take away,” he says.
…
Lockdowns hold another clear lesson: they exacerbate inequalities that already exist in society. Those already living in poverty and insecurity are hit hardest. Guarding against these unequal impacts requires improved health access and financial safeguards when times are good.
And transparency is key, too: the public needs to know more about how pandemic-control policies are decided, says Tsai. “That makes public-health policymaking seem less capricious,” he says, “because it’s reactive to both the science and values.”
Had harsher measures been adopted sooner, and more widely, the pandemic might have played out very differently.
What harsher measures do you think the researcher envisages?
NZ and Australia were (and are) island nations – where it is possible to restrict border crossings – and, indeed, close the border completely – just by refusing permission for planes to land. They are also relatively wealthy countries, with a developed social support system – which supports people being able to survive without work. None of that is true for countries like India, Peru and Kenya – or even the US. Lockdowns are just not practicable or even possible in those socio-geographic environments.
What harsher measures do you think the researcher envisages?
Maybe greater restrictions on freedom of movement, as per China?
The author mentions repeatedly that (remote) island nations have an advantage.
It’s about trade-offs – a pandemic balancing act. Imho, NZ got the balance roughly right – others less so. Analyses will be on-going, much like the pandemic.
Watch this news disappear without trace (or never appear) in legacy media as the history of the pandemic is re-written to make it sound like the NZ response was a disaster and that National were right all along.
A very interesting article indeed. But I don't take the same message that you did.
To me they seem to be saying that this is not a clear-cut cost/benefit analysis – and that there is lots of competing data (including that fact, that absent a time machine, we can't ever exactly evaluate the path-not-taken).
There are costs, other than economic, associated with lockdowns. Which are, in any case, only as effective as the population are willing to tolerate (as we saw in the 2021 Auckland one, and the article discusses in Peru).
Also, subsequent hard lockdowns became increasingly ineffective (how much that is related to lockdown tolerance, and how much to a virus evolving to become more contagious, isn't clear).
The final 2 paras, I agree with unequivocally
Lockdowns hold another clear lesson: they exacerbate inequalities that already exist in society. Those already living in poverty and insecurity are hit hardest. Guarding against these unequal impacts requires improved health access and financial safeguards when times are good.
And transparency is key, too: the public needs to know more about how pandemic-control policies are decided, says Tsai. “That makes public-health policymaking seem less capricious,” he says, “because it’s reactive to both the science and values.”
From the evidence so far of Russian armaments deficiencies it wouldn’t surprise me if a lot of the nuke delivery systems failed catastrophically, or just exploded in the bunkers. I hope we don’t find out. Already though, the decades of fear and anxiety over the abilities of the Russian Bear has proven to be wasted emotion.
A tad frustrating when Stuff's reporter is clearly more exercised by the name of a criminal gang in the middle of town, than the fact that a criminal gang is openly operating in the middle of town.
Gives a lot more support to the political desire to ban gang patches (and symbolism) altogether.
Expect National to make hay by coming out strongly condemning this decision by the Classifications Office.
And, it seems a strange decision. To draw a parallel: You can read a book about the history of the US Civil War which may feature pictures of the Confederate Flag – but choosing to fly one (regardless of your motivation – honouring a family member, for example) is a completely different action.
The decision seems pretty spot on (and rather obvious) to me. How can you argue that a term is inherently offensive, when it's being used affirmatively by those whom it is presumed to demean? The police would have to mount a much better case than, 'Look… everyone in their right mind knows it is offensive, so it just is, OK?', and the attempt to get the flag labelled as an offensive publication looks very much like a desperate sleight of hand to make their job easier.
Unfortunately removing nitrates from drinking water isn't easy, or cheap. There's also large amounts of rather toxic byproducts from the process that have to be disposed of, which again isn't easy or cheap. So the numbers get very large very quickly.
Selwyn District Council commissioned a report from global infrastructure consultants Beca which was presented to the council in late 2021, and paints a bleak – and costly – picture of the council’s options.
The report says if all Selwyn’s plants were treated “retrofit costs could be in the order of $322million” – almost five times the district’s annual rate take – with ongoing annual operating costs of $25.6m.
Price tags for three different sized water treatment plants are presented in the report. Construction costs range from $19.5m for a large plant, $10.4m for a medium plant, and $6.31m for a small scheme.
Annual operating costs run from more than $2.5m a year for a large plant to $360,000 a year to treat a smaller scheme.
The water schemes concerned are smaller, rural, or rural servicing communities so the costs will fall very close to the farms that are source of the nitrates. Going to be very interesting how the discussion develops around who pays some very expensive infrastructure serving some quite small communities, and the ongoing viability of those communities.
Queen's funeral is Monday 19th. A public holiday in the UK and Australia.
I expect it will be one in NZ too, though I'd love to hear Jacinda trolling the Nats by saying "after hearing recent representations from the opposition and business lobbyists, I have accepted their argument that another public holiday at this time would be an unacceptable cost."
Then watch National have civil war between ardent monarchists and capitalists.
Won't happen because the NZ public would ignore all of the dig-at-National subtext, and just blame Ardern for being mean-spirited.
Labour is perceived (rightly or wrongly) as the party of the republicans. Not a very popular position to occupy today – though in a couple of years things may well be different.
Are they? I think you are inventing stuff there. That's ok, but are you old enough to remember the flag referendum debacle, brought to you by the NZ grifter, one Jong Kee?
I am indeed. Though I don't recall Key ever declaring that the flag referendum was the first move into Republicanism.
Are you old enough to remember Helen Clark ditching the knighthoods – which was a massively unpopular move even within her own party (how many Labour MPs up to and including Mallard, have made it very clear that they want to be called 'Sir' or 'Dame')
And various Labour leaders since, declaring that they are Republicans
Labour leader Andrew Little, a republican, was hopeful of change earlier than Mr Key had forecast and said he would like to be the Prime Minister that led the debate.
Jacinda Ardern believes New Zealand will become a republic within her lifetime.
The Prime Minister says she thinks Kiwis will ditch the monarchy and become a republic in the next few years, but added that she "never sensed urgency" from people in New Zealand to make it happen.
“I’ve been very clear that despite being a republican, I’m not of the view that in the here-and-now in my term of office, that this is something New Zealanders feel particularly strongly about,” Ardern said.
I don't think that there is much doubt that the Labour Party (or at least the leaders) are Republican. However, being also practical politicians, they don't see this as a ditch worth dying in. And the flag referendum showed that poking a stick at this bear isn't worth the trouble.
None have made stronger moves toward republicanism than the National Party with Keys' failed flag referendum, cosmetic only according to some! Key himself is a strong americanophile with delusions of presidency, no matter his murmurings in public.
While Key left young Kiwis' travel and visa access to the UK dying embers in the grate, Jacinda Ardern's government has worked hard to rekindle those important connections. She has made no mention of her government starting a debate on the topic.
Yet it is the Labour Party pushing for Repupirikana o Aotearoa, apparently!
Individual leaders of the Labour party for the last 20 years have made no secret of the fact that they are personally republican – though they recognize that the rest of NZ isn't ready yet to make a change.
I linked to various quoted statements.
Of course, Labour is perceived as a Republican party.
Now, if you can come back with a rebuttal showing that Key, English, Luxon, etc are also Republicans, based on their quotes (rather than some form of mind-reading)…..
And, in any case, based on the rest of your comments, I should have thought that you'd be delighted that Labour are seen as Republicans!
I'll say it again, the only concrete move away from the commonwealth and monarchy was the $26m flag referendum run but the National Party. It is they and ACT who are perceived as republican parties.
Grant Robertson today is considering a day off for mourning, while David Seymour is adamantly opposed.
Useful link re-enforcing there is no republicanism movement in the Labour Party any more than in the National Party.
Keys thinks it inevitable, Bolger wanted it done by 2001, then in that year a National Party taskforce recommended a referendum be held when the Queen dies. I expect that referendum will happen when if National ever forms a government again.
Former National Party MP Winston Peters wants two referenda on this.
Simple truth is, you have sprayed a reckon here as you are inclined to do. Problem is, it not true and the case made since is flimsy at best.
I'm sure, given your assertion that the National Party is a hotbed of Republicanism, you'll easily be able to find them…../sarc/
And, really, describing Winston Peters as a 'former National Party MP' – is total desperation. He's far more recently been the Deputy Prime Minister in a Labour/NZF coalition government!
It is more that the idea of being a republic would be great if only it was really like a monarchy. Without actual professional politicians and the screaming lunatics like Trump involved. I have no particular liking for a monarchy. However I do find having a head of state with mainly moral persuasion and entrusted with the control of reserve legal powers that we want to keep away from politicians like military, police, courts, and the core bureaucracy a very useful fiction.
This has nothing to do with the personalities of whoever holds the Crown. It has a whole lot to do with making the use of crown powers by idiots and egotists in cabinet tenuous. A judge appointed by the crown can and will often put their duty to the crown and the body of law above that to the current minister or even parliament. The military will argue against stupid operations because their obligation is to protecting the crown and its subjects – not the cabinet ministers trying to use the organisation inappropriately.
Of course we do get some blowbacks the other way for instance only the isolation of the police from common sense and the political process could have caused the police in their foolhardy Urewera raids in 2007 – and their facesaving and silly prosecutions subsequently.
On the whole I find the fictions of monarchy preferable to what I have seen of the actual process of republics – most of which were modelled on antique political pretensions that should have died with Rome.
Still no links.
I've stated an opinion. "Labour is perceived (rightly or wrongly) as the party of the republicans." And backed it up with evidence.
You've stated a counter opinion – and refused to provide any links or other evidence. Either that Labour leaders are monarchist, or that National leaders are republican.
I know who's spraying around the reckons, here.
And, in any case, I still don't see why you have your knickers in a twist over this. From your other comments, surely you think it's a good thing that Labour is Republican!
",,, despite representation by the Opposition that another public holiday is unacceptable, we have decided that it is appropriate to mark the death of a much loved Queen Elizabeth II and the inauguration of King Charles III with a public holiday…"
Lets face it if the boot was on the other foot, that is exactly the kind of misrepresentation we could expect from the Nats. 😉
Bees also are a co evolutionary activator,flowering plants have evolved to match the Bee colour vision,what a bland display would there be for Hatch's ,Match's, and Dispatches if they had not.
Michael Laws has been called out by Guy Hatchard to debate on 'excess all-cause deaths' in NZ. Laws has basically called Hatchard a nutter. I doubt Laws will debate. He knows he'd lose his cool quickly as evidenced when he debated Joe Karam. Laws had Karam bundled up against the studio wall at one stage while pointing his finger and talking into Karam's face.
Yep, can't find the image I wanted, but this is close. I think Karam is crying. As to Law's ex, she was a body builder. She would have bitch whipped you with one hand behind her back.
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Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
Chris Trotter writes – The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three. ...
Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blogIn 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
Citizen Science writes – Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
Karl du Fresne writes – There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
David Farrar writes – The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time.A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Māori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
The Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
Changes to minimum wage and benefit indexation means many New Zealanders will get less this year, as the Government gives a big tax break to landlords instead. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
In apparent defiance of the Biden administration, the Netanyahu government has now initiated missile strikes against Iran. Last Saturday night (Sunday morning in New Zealand) Iran launched more than 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles against Israeli military targets. With the assistance of US, UK and possibly French forces, ...
Māori representation brings a perspective that encompasses not only the interests of Māori communities but also a broader, holistic approach to environmental stewardship and community well-being, principles deeply embedded in Te Ao Māori (the Māori ...
This week in Auckland, a group of young people took over the microphone at a ministerial press conference, to explain why they oppose the Fast-Track Approvals Bill. One young woman said, ‘We’re here because we love Aotearoa New Zealand. We want to raise our children in an environment that’s thriving, ...
The summer was wonderful. Evie was wonderful, too; finally a teenager, finally worthy of long, hot days. She shaved her legs for the first time and bought cut-off shorts from the op-shop that made them look long. She got a Warehouse singlet so tight on her new shape that her ...
When Thomas James was on his solo camp as part of Outward Bound, the keen outdoorsman didn’t find it too challenging, as others often do. In what might just be the perfect illustration of his character, he saw it as a great opportunity to solve a few problems. “I thought, ...
From the unstable and drippy to the hi-tech and pretty, here’s our ranking of all the tunnels you can drive through in this country. The first tunnel seems to have been built in 2200BC in Babylonia, kicking off a global phenomenon for digging holes in order to get places more ...
Lucinda Bennett on the art of being greedy but resourceful. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. When I picture the market, it is always this time of year. Crisp air, dripping nose, counting coins with cold fingers. Sunlight pale, filtered through specks of dew still ...
Zoë Colling’s favourite piece in the ‘That’s So Last Century’ collection is a lubrication chart for a sewing machine from the ’60s. It’s about the size of a postcard, and carefully maintained. “I like it that this piece of ephemera highlights that manual and technical side of the skill involved ...
Kia Ora Gaza A passionate haka reverberated through Auckland International Airport as a medical team of three New Zealand doctors received an emotional farewell from a big crowd of supporters before flying to Turkey to join the international Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. The doctors, who left Auckland yesterday, hope to ...
With submissions closing today, Macassey-Pickard says groups around the country have been supporting a huge range of people to make their submissions. ...
Our response to the new legislation is informed by targeted conversations with practitioners working in the system and through an implementation lens. ...
The new ‘Fast-track Approvals Bill’ would give just three Ministers the power to approve or deny development projects. They would avoid the usual checks and balances that are in place to protect rivers, land, the ocean, and communities. ...
COMMENTARY:By Eugene Doyle Helen Clark, how I miss you. The former New Zealand Prime Minister — the safest pair of hands this country has had in living memory — gave a masterclass on the importance of maintaining an independent foreign policy when she spoke at an AUKUS symposium held ...
The government's released the list of organisations provided with information on how to apply - just hours before public submissions on the bill close. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Before climate change really got going, eastern Australia’s flash floods tended to concentrate on our coastal regions, east of the Great Dividing Range. But that’s changing. Now ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Finkel, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University Sia Duff / South Australian Museum In February, the South Australian Museum “re-imagined” itself. In the face of rising costs and inadequate government funds, CEO David Gaimster, who took the reins last June, declared ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Pearce, Professor, School of Allied Heath, Human Services & Sport, La Trobe University, La Trobe University This week, Collingwood AFL player Nathan Murphy announced his retirement, brought on by his concussion history and ongoing issues. The 24-year-old’s seemingly sudden retirement, ...
The Mental Health Foundation provides support and resources for those facing the loss of their job, so it’s wrong in the very week the Government adds another 1000 jobs to its tally of cuts, that this is happening. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney Daniel Boud/Sydney Theatre Company Decay, terror, revulsion. These are three of the central themes of Thomas Bernhard’s rarely performed play The President. The Austrian is one of the greatest ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ye In (Jane) Hwang, Postdoctoral Research Associate at School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock You’d be hard pressed to find any aspect of daily life that doesn’t require some form of digital literacy. We need only to look back ten ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says threats by ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour to reform or close down the Waitangi Tribunal were “ill-considered”, as legal experts say the ministers may have breached Cabinet Manual conventions. “I think those comments are ill-considered and we expect all ministers to actually exercise good ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University Pexels/RDNE stock project You’re not in your 20s or 30s anymore and you know regular health checks are important. So you go to your GP. During the appointment they measure your waist. ...
A new poem by Evangeline Riddiford Graham. Mitochondrial Problem I. It was long drive to Kansas for the man and his dog but you have to understand he said She doesn’t fly. Which calls to mind not carsick shitting barking or whining but a dog who chooses not to as ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)Hot off the press, this debut ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Wajnryb McDonald, PhD candidate in Criminology, University of Sydney Less than 24 hours after Ashlee Good was murdered in Bondi Junction, her family released a statement requesting the media take down photographs they had reproduced of Ashlee and her family without ...
Chief executive Shaun Robinson said it has not had any government funding cut, but government-funded contracts have not kept pace with rising costs. ...
The Ministry of Health has delayed the release of its evidence brief on the safety, reversibility and mental health and wellbeing outcomes for puberty blockers. While we wait, Julia de Bres speaks to those with firsthand experience. Best practice gender-affirming healthcare is based on trans people’s self-determination and agency. The ...
Barcelona’s city streets have gone from traffic-clogged to pedestrian-friendly. How? Superblocks. Ellen Rykers explains. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week I read a great interview with renowned urbanist Janette Sadik-Khan by The Spinoff’s Wellington editor Joel MacManus: “You can reimagine streets, ...
Student groups ‘Climate Action VUW’, Schools Strike 4 Climate and VUWSA will be on the street in Wellington today, the last day for submissions on the Fast-track Approvals Bill, with a message that the fight against the Government’s ‘War on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sofia Ammassari, Research Fellow, Griffith University Since 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity has grown exponentially – and so has the formidable organisational machine of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These two factors will be key to delivering the BJP a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendon Hyndman, Associate Professor of Education (Adjunct) & Senior Manager (BCE), Charles Sturt University During COVID almost all Australian students and their families experienced online learning. But while schools have long since gone back to in-person teaching, online learning has not gone ...
Yes, they’re better for the environment. No, that’s not a good enough reason for me to use them. Once every 26 days or so, my period arrives, and if struck by an act of God, I am caught red-crotched without products. How, after 17 years of this, do I still ...
“It will cause significant harm to our environment and communities. It is completely at odds with New Zealanders’ relationship with nature and our need for a low-carbon, sustainable economic future." ...
The Chair of the National Maori Authority, Matthew Tukaki, has warned a Parliamentary Select Committee that fast-tracking legislation is a perilous practice that undermines the core tenets of democracy, transparency, and accountability. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Tenbensel, Associate Professor, Health Policy, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Since coming into power, the coalition government has adopted a simple but shrewd see-how-fast-we-can-move political strategy. However, in the health sector this need for speed entails ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Hronis, Clinical Psychologist, University of Technology Sydney Darya Sannikova/Pexels Whether you’re watching TV, attending a footy game, or eating a meal at your local pub, gambling is hard to escape. Although the rise of gambling is not unique to Australia, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Wong, Forrest Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia Have you ever wondered if there are more insects out at night than during the day? We set out to answer this question by combing through the scientific ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carol T Kulik, Research Professor, University of South Australia IR Stone/Shutterstock In Australia, it’s not the done thing to know – let alone ask – what our colleagues are paid. Yet, it’s easy to see how pay transparency can make pay ...
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is sounding a warning to migrants, that running foul of the law may see them leaving the country prematurely. ...
The government’s plan to get 50,000 people off jobseeker support by 2030 has had a rocky start, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Beneficiary numbers are up – and so are ...
Raglan Roast is a staple of Wellington coffee culture. But with five branches across the capital, which one is the best? I am a die-hard Raglan Roast fan. It’s consistently the most affordable cafe in Wellington, and one of the only places you can get a coffee after 3pm. So, ...
Residents of University of Auckland halls are being urged to withhold their accommodation fees from May 1, in a bid to force the university to take student concerns over rent hikes seriously.The University of Auckland is facing a strike from students over the cost of on-campus accommodation. The Students ...
Opinion: With maths understanding at 42 percent for Year 8 students, there’s no doubt something has to be done. But how? The post Financial literacy should be on all of us appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Hineaupounamu ‘Missy’ Nuku has been scaling mountains in Canada for her college basketball team, the Lakeland Rustlers. Alberta is currently home for the 20-year-old point guard, who is in her first year of a scholarship at Lakeland College, where she is studying for a business degree. She has certainly made ...
New Zealand and the Philippines have signed a new maritime security agreement and stated their concerns over activity in the South China Sea, as Chinese vessels continue to flout international law. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos committed to signing a Mutual Logistics Supporting Arrangement by ...
The thousands of government “back-office” job cuts are causing widespread pain in the capital city. In today’s episode of The Detail, we speak to three journalists and a think tank researcher, looking at the larger picture around the cuts and what effect it will have on Wellington, a city that’s ...
Opinion: The famed American architect and urban designer Daniel Burnham once said, “Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood!” Burnham wouldn’t have been referring to the transport plans in Aotearoa New Zealand over the past five years; projects so big they hadn’t the credibility to ...
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There has apparently been an official call for Putin to resign.
The more Russia makes use of its constitutional apparatus, the better, I suspect.
‘
“The arc of history may be long but it bends towards justice”
Martin Luther King
The dismissal of the evidence of atrocities committed by the Russian Federation invading forces as false flag operations committed by the Ukrainians themselves to discredit Russia. Or were faked by crisis actors. Is par for course for the blood thirsty partisan supporters of Putin's war against Ukraine.
But what I find most amazing about the pro-Putin trolls, is their continual assertion against all evidence that Russia is winning this war.
But the long arc of history may be shortening and the Russian military collapse may be quicker than even the most optimistic military predictions.
"Filtration " about to start
"Collaboration "with the Russians extends to helping distribute humanitarian aid it seems
Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) announced on Friday that it had begun conducting a “filtration” of civilians in Balakleya, the town in Kharkov Region reportedly taken by forces of the Kiev government. SBI agents will be checking for those who “may pose a threat to national security,” the agency said.
In line with the assassinations of officials within pro Russian areas who are suspected of being pro Russian .
Applaud this as much as you like, I think it points to a deeply divided country which won't be cured by war.You can kill all the Russians within Ukraine I suppose, but even that genocide won't solve the problems of Ukraine.
https://thepressunited.com/updates/ukraine-announces-filtration-for-civilians/
link for above post
But what I find most amazing about the pro-Putin trolls, is their continual assertion against all evidence that Russia is winning this war.
Not coming from a military background, I consider myself unqualified to comment on how the war is going, preferring instead to focus on what I believe to be the causes of the conflict. The question of who will win I leave to future historians.
“The arc of history may be long but it bends towards justice”
Words. And though words may stir up the emotions, that's all they do. Words are cheap, but not necessarily true.
What do we lack that becoming a republic might change?
Sorry. This comment was not intended as a reply to someone’s earlier comment, but should have been an independent comment at the end of the post. I don't why this has happened.
Well….putin being a psychopath….similarities to his besty trump…so obvious (but with more vicious violence) there could very well be an extremely violent reaction from him.
I really hope no more innocent people are killed.
An ongoing tragedy….
That video with the thumbs up poster seems a tiny bit suspect…don't you think?
The 'dialogue with the wife an easy ..construct.
So you think phone intercepts will all be critical masterpieces?
Things are going fairly poorly for Russian troops, with many surrounded and obliged to surrender, and others fleeing under artillery fire. The intercepts show something of their human side.
a tiny bit suspect?
Well if you're uncritical enough to prefer RT, these are probably too good for you.
RT is banned in the 'land of the free'.
I should think so – it is the organ of an enemy state, one that practices every political vice known to humankind from genocide to rape as a weapon of war, and it poses a real danger of duping the hard-of-thinking.
By crikey, you've really got it it bad, this Russophobia.
Ok fuck off.
Russia is a mess. It's been a mess for quite some time, and it has got worse recently under Putin. Nevertheless it professes to be a democracy.
Let it actually follow its own constitutional provisions and it will free itself from nostalgic fools like Putin.
And RT is a serious threat – people like yourself have been suborned by it. Hostile propaganda is not privileged speech.
Things seem to have been going downhill in Russia since Gorbachev dismantled the Warsaw Pact and tried to introduce perestroika and glasnost. Then Yeltsin took over, dismantled the Soviet system, and tried to americanise the economy, at which point things became a real mess and Yeltsin took to drink. At that point it was thought that Russia was 'finished' as a world power. However the economy and living conditions seem to have improved in Russia with the rise of Putin, first as PM and later as President. Certainly, he has done things that seem pretty brutal, but he is a pragmatist, and one who tackles problems head on.
By the the way, i never watch RT.
yeah…..
putin a pragmatist? I'd say psychopathic . Very similar to…a lot of US and other World leaders….
Things seem to have been going downhill in Russia since Gorbachev dismantled the Warsaw Pact and tried to introduce perestroika and glasnost.
Things had been going downhill in Russia for a long time long before Gorbachev.
By some measures, the Soviet economy was the world’s second largest in 1990, but shortages of consumer goods were routine and hoarding was commonplace.
You might want to consider the role played by Chernomyrdin – the scoundrel that did to Russia what that treacherous pos Roger Douglas did here.
Putin's pragmatism extended to mass murder and to genocide. Most civilized people find such excesses barbaric.
PS: Boris Yeltsin has expressed a belief that he made a mistake in appointing Putin PM. He knew that because Bill Clinton, when he met Yeltsin later during an official visit to Moscow, told him so.
It is disappointing that after all this time many on the left feel uncomfortable with criticising Russia. It suggests to me that some of us lefties either have weak foundation to our values or that some of us with a Marxist Leninist bent are now warm towards fascism.
I think it goes back to schooling. NZ does not teach history. Educated Americans all know about the European Spring, and the values it was about. The Putin dupes do not understand the importance of such values, and so are easy prey for manipulative entities like RT and the various Trumpist channels.
Did you think it unusual re this 'intercept' that the Russian soldier and his wife were having a conversation in….. English?
I certainly find it unusual that you cannot hear the Russian that the poster is providing live text translation of.
You need to do a little better, if retaining even a shred of credibility is important to you.
True except…can you rely on either the credibility of the' intercept'..or the translation,from a clearly anti russian advocate?
I have a little Russian.
Ukrainians don't need to make anything up in respect of Russian morale – their recent territorial gains speak for themselves.
Of course, you are ignoring the reason I posted it, which was that Russian deputies called for Putin's resignation. This is normal enough for opposition parties (and braying media hacks for that matter) in New Zealand, but in Russia it's asking to be kicked to death in a dark alley – unless the opinion is almost universally held.
Yes of course Putin has many detractors- ….Vladimir Putin's approval rating in Russia monthly 1999-2022. Published by Statista Research Department , Sep 2, 2022. In August 2022, over 80 percent of Russians approved of activities of the …
• Putin approval rating Russia 2022 | Statista
Even a worthless clown like you must have some idea of what happens when a state has total control of polling sources.
Lukashenko supposedly got 80% support in his last election, but independent polls put his support at 3%. The nationwide street protests following his 'election' were only suppressed with the help of Russian troops.
Do you find it rewarding singing the praises of murderers and tyrants? If so what in the name of absent gods are you doing on a left wing site?
What's the latest on the Auckland mayoral race?
Is the rumour correct that Beck is fading but Brown is closing tight against Collins?
I suspect you are right Ad. Although I’d hope there will be a poll out this week to assist the majority of Auckland who don’t want Collins know who we are best to get behind.
Brown being close is a sad state of affairs given his track record of self service and division.
Lots need doing in a city that looks constantly under repair not destroyed.
Dunno, but Marcus Lush has stepped into provide some local colour for the Invercargill mayoral election.
I am calling Russia to be strategically defeated in Ukraine now.
Here is a good summary of the stunning Ukrainian counter-offensive.. Though, later reports I have seen suggest that Ukraine has progressed considerably further since this video.
In an incredible few days the Ukrainian forces have liberated most of the Kharkiv Oblast, and captured and cut off critical road and rail supply routes in K'upyansk for the Russian forces in the east.
I am calling the Russians to have strategically lost the war now, with the result just a matter of time.
In what must be one of the most brilliant war strategies of modern times, the Ukrainians simultaneously lured Russian forces to reinforce the Kherson Oblast then isolated them by cutting supply routes and bridges to the area. The Ukrainians are performing a slow squeeze in this region at the moment, with the Russians slowly running out of fuel and ammunition.
But the brilliant part of the strategy was that it was entirely predictable where the Russians would draw forces from to reinforce the Kherson region.
The Ukrainians had been publicly announcing for weeks their intention of a counter-offensive towards Kherson. The Russians either had to accept losing the region or reinforce it. Predictably they chose the latter option. The Russians were never going to draw their forces away from the Luhansk/Donetsk region due to the strategic importance of those regions to them, and that they still were trying to take over that whole area.Thus, the only real option for the Russians was to redeploy troops from the Kharkiv region.
During the Kherson offensive, the Ukrainians had been quietly building up their forces in the Kharkiv region. Due to that area being so sparsely defended due to the Russian redeployment, the Ukrainians have swept through and taken Kupyansk, and also the Russian stronghold of Izium.
This has resulted in a complete routing of the Russians in the area, and a huge transfer of military assets and ammunition to the Ukrainians.
I am calling the Russians defeated now because it is going to be very difficult for them to keep their troops in the east supplied. And those in Kherson are cut off, and defeat is inevitable now. Plus there is a huge snowball effect in favour of the Ukrainians now. The loss of Russian equipment is largely resulting in a transfer of this weaponary to the Ukrainians. So, the Ukrainians continue to get stronger and stronger as the Russians get weaker.
A good news report here.
And this video shows the rapid advance of the Ukrainians in the area.
An article here suggesting that the whole Kherson campaign was disinformation to trick the Russians.
'I am calling the Russians to have strategically lost the war now, with the result just a matter of time.'
How much time you talking here?
I can't see how Russia can afford to lose now…Putin certainly can't afford to.
Don't know. Autumn and winter are coming where things tend to slow down.
The only way I see Putin winning now would be to nuke Ukraine. But I think the west would have made it very clear what the response of the west would be under such a scenario.
An interesting piece on lock-downs.
Tl,dr; the only certainty is that countries that locked down hard and fast did much better in terms of health and the economy.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-02823-4
I think that has been very obvious for a while, but with the slight caveat that income supplement was necessary to achieve that economic outcome. NZs scheme was #1 for discretionary stimulus in the world and our economic outcome followed from that combination.
Thanks Joe90 – a big rat for 'Covid Plan B' to swallow. Hope it hits them where it hurts.
What harsher measures do you think the researcher envisages?
NZ and Australia were (and are) island nations – where it is possible to restrict border crossings – and, indeed, close the border completely – just by refusing permission for planes to land. They are also relatively wealthy countries, with a developed social support system – which supports people being able to survive without work. None of that is true for countries like India, Peru and Kenya – or even the US. Lockdowns are just not practicable or even possible in those socio-geographic environments.
Maybe greater restrictions on freedom of movement, as per China?
The author mentions repeatedly that (remote) island nations have an advantage.
It’s about trade-offs – a pandemic balancing act. Imho, NZ got the balance roughly right – others less so. Analyses will be on-going, much like the pandemic.
Watch this news disappear without trace (or never appear) in legacy media as the history of the pandemic is re-written to make it sound like the NZ response was a disaster and that National were right all along.
A very interesting article indeed. But I don't take the same message that you did.
To me they seem to be saying that this is not a clear-cut cost/benefit analysis – and that there is lots of competing data (including that fact, that absent a time machine, we can't ever exactly evaluate the path-not-taken).
There are costs, other than economic, associated with lockdowns. Which are, in any case, only as effective as the population are willing to tolerate (as we saw in the 2021 Auckland one, and the article discusses in Peru).
Also, subsequent hard lockdowns became increasingly ineffective (how much that is related to lockdown tolerance, and how much to a virus evolving to become more contagious, isn't clear).
The final 2 paras, I agree with unequivocally
From the evidence so far of Russian armaments deficiencies it wouldn’t surprise me if a lot of the nuke delivery systems failed catastrophically, or just exploded in the bunkers. I hope we don’t find out. Already though, the decades of fear and anxiety over the abilities of the Russian Bear has proven to be wasted emotion.
A tad frustrating when Stuff's reporter is clearly more exercised by the name of a criminal gang in the middle of town, than the fact that a criminal gang is openly operating in the middle of town.
The police, an offensive flag, and a new gang chapter's racially charged name | Stuff.co.nz
Is "black" not also "racially charged"?
White Supremist critics baulk at the colour reference.
Gives a lot more support to the political desire to ban gang patches (and symbolism) altogether.
Expect National to make hay by coming out strongly condemning this decision by the Classifications Office.
And, it seems a strange decision. To draw a parallel: You can read a book about the history of the US Civil War which may feature pictures of the Confederate Flag – but choosing to fly one (regardless of your motivation – honouring a family member, for example) is a completely different action.
The decision seems pretty spot on (and rather obvious) to me. How can you argue that a term is inherently offensive, when it's being used affirmatively by those whom it is presumed to demean? The police would have to mount a much better case than, 'Look… everyone in their right mind knows it is offensive, so it just is, OK?', and the attempt to get the flag labelled as an offensive publication looks very much like a desperate sleight of hand to make their job easier.
So everyone in the local town can call them Black Power N****s – and it won't be considered offensive?
Nitrate levels in Canterbury water have reached / exceeded MAV and Councils are having to grapple with what to do about it.
Unfortunately removing nitrates from drinking water isn't easy, or cheap. There's also large amounts of rather toxic byproducts from the process that have to be disposed of, which again isn't easy or cheap. So the numbers get very large very quickly.
The water schemes concerned are smaller, rural, or rural servicing communities so the costs will fall very close to the farms that are source of the nitrates. Going to be very interesting how the discussion develops around who pays some very expensive infrastructure serving some quite small communities, and the ongoing viability of those communities.
Dude's a prick.
https://twitter.com/BBCLauraKT/status/1568571047892459523
https://twitter.com/theactualemma/status/1568587704744689664
Queen's funeral is Monday 19th. A public holiday in the UK and Australia.
I expect it will be one in NZ too, though I'd love to hear Jacinda trolling the Nats by saying "after hearing recent representations from the opposition and business lobbyists, I have accepted their argument that another public holiday at this time would be an unacceptable cost."
Then watch National have civil war between ardent monarchists and capitalists.
Won't happen, but would be fun.
Won't happen because the NZ public would ignore all of the dig-at-National subtext, and just blame Ardern for being mean-spirited.
Labour is perceived (rightly or wrongly) as the party of the republicans. Not a very popular position to occupy today – though in a couple of years things may well be different.
Are they? I think you are inventing stuff there. That's ok, but are you old enough to remember the flag referendum debacle, brought to you by the NZ grifter, one Jong Kee?
I am indeed. Though I don't recall Key ever declaring that the flag referendum was the first move into Republicanism.
Are you old enough to remember Helen Clark ditching the knighthoods – which was a massively unpopular move even within her own party (how many Labour MPs up to and including Mallard, have made it very clear that they want to be called 'Sir' or 'Dame')
And various Labour leaders since, declaring that they are Republicans
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/nz-a-republic-not-in-my-lifetime-key-predicts/NUGD4XFKSNNTG6V2JG53RKHQ4U/
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/jacinda-ardern-believes-new-zealand-will-become-a-republic-in-her-lifetime/362XBOZCWKWZMIVGFDMLNF2RZM/
I don't think that there is much doubt that the Labour Party (or at least the leaders) are Republican. However, being also practical politicians, they don't see this as a ditch worth dying in. And the flag referendum showed that poking a stick at this bear isn't worth the trouble.
None have made stronger moves toward republicanism than the National Party with Keys' failed flag referendum, cosmetic only according to some! Key himself is a strong americanophile with delusions of presidency, no matter his murmurings in public.
While Key left young Kiwis' travel and visa access to the UK dying embers in the grate, Jacinda Ardern's government has worked hard to rekindle those important connections. She has made no mention of her government starting a debate on the topic.
Yet it is the Labour Party pushing for Repupirikana o Aotearoa, apparently!
Individual leaders of the Labour party for the last 20 years have made no secret of the fact that they are personally republican – though they recognize that the rest of NZ isn't ready yet to make a change.
I linked to various quoted statements.
Of course, Labour is perceived as a Republican party.
Now, if you can come back with a rebuttal showing that Key, English, Luxon, etc are also Republicans, based on their quotes (rather than some form of mind-reading)…..
And, in any case, based on the rest of your comments, I should have thought that you'd be delighted that Labour are seen as Republicans!
Perceived by who, you? That's projection.
I'll say it again, the only concrete move away from the commonwealth and monarchy was the $26m flag referendum run but the National Party. It is they and ACT who are perceived as republican parties.
Grant Robertson today is considering a day off for mourning, while David Seymour is adamantly opposed.
Still waiting for the links to Republican opinions from the right-wing leaders……
And a link giving a summary of the republican views of NZ political party leaders…. pretty much supporting what I said.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republicanism_in_New_Zealand#Labour
I think any projection, here, is coming from you.
Useful link re-enforcing there is no republicanism movement in the Labour Party any more than in the National Party.
Keys thinks it inevitable, Bolger wanted it done by 2001, then in that year a National Party taskforce recommended a referendum be held when the Queen dies. I expect that referendum will happen when if National ever forms a government again.
Former National Party MP Winston Peters wants two referenda on this.
Simple truth is, you have sprayed a reckon here as you are inclined to do. Problem is, it not true and the case made since is flimsy at best.
Still waiting for the links.
I'm sure, given your assertion that the National Party is a hotbed of Republicanism, you'll easily be able to find them…../sarc/
And, really, describing Winston Peters as a 'former National Party MP' – is total desperation. He's far more recently been the Deputy Prime Minister in a Labour/NZF coalition government!
I'm not saying that. I'm pushing back on your claim the Labour Party is a hotbed of Republicanism. You invented this.
Fact is, there is no real push by any party for change…
…except for John Keys flag debacle which was the only active move in that direction.
It’s ok to be wrong.
It is more that the idea of being a republic would be great if only it was really like a monarchy. Without actual professional politicians and the screaming lunatics like Trump involved. I have no particular liking for a monarchy. However I do find having a head of state with mainly moral persuasion and entrusted with the control of reserve legal powers that we want to keep away from politicians like military, police, courts, and the core bureaucracy a very useful fiction.
This has nothing to do with the personalities of whoever holds the Crown. It has a whole lot to do with making the use of crown powers by idiots and egotists in cabinet tenuous. A judge appointed by the crown can and will often put their duty to the crown and the body of law above that to the current minister or even parliament. The military will argue against stupid operations because their obligation is to protecting the crown and its subjects – not the cabinet ministers trying to use the organisation inappropriately.
Of course we do get some blowbacks the other way for instance only the isolation of the police from common sense and the political process could have caused the police in their foolhardy Urewera raids in 2007 – and their facesaving and silly prosecutions subsequently.
On the whole I find the fictions of monarchy preferable to what I have seen of the actual process of republics – most of which were modelled on antique political pretensions that should have died with Rome.
Still no links.
I've stated an opinion. "Labour is perceived (rightly or wrongly) as the party of the republicans." And backed it up with evidence.
You've stated a counter opinion – and refused to provide any links or other evidence. Either that Labour leaders are monarchist, or that National leaders are republican.
I know who's spraying around the reckons, here.
And, in any case, I still don't see why you have your knickers in a twist over this. From your other comments, surely you think it's a good thing that Labour is Republican!
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/129867823/republicanism-not-on-jacinda-arderns-agenda–even-if-its-inevitable
What Ardern could do is say:
",,, despite representation by the Opposition that another public holiday is unacceptable, we have decided that it is appropriate to mark the death of a much loved Queen Elizabeth II and the inauguration of King Charles III with a public holiday…"
Lets face it if the boot was on the other foot, that is exactly the kind of misrepresentation we could expect from the Nats. 😉
Bees are psychopomps (ψυχοπομπός, the guide of souls) so they're in the loop.
https://twitter.com/MailOnline/status/1568507298238136321
Bees also are a co evolutionary activator,flowering plants have evolved to match the Bee colour vision,what a bland display would there be for Hatch's ,Match's, and Dispatches if they had not.
https://twitter.com/LChittka/status/1565407315402039296?cxt=HHwWgICxtZrquLkrAAAA
Michael Laws has been called out by Guy Hatchard to debate on 'excess all-cause deaths' in NZ. Laws has basically called Hatchard a nutter. I doubt Laws will debate. He knows he'd lose his cool quickly as evidenced when he debated Joe Karam. Laws had Karam bundled up against the studio wall at one stage while pointing his finger and talking into Karam's face.
https://dailytelegraph.co.nz/news/guy-hatchard-what-should-matter-in-journalism/
'Laws had Karam bundled up against the studio wall at one stage while pointing his finger and talking into Karam's face.'
Amazing, aggressive ex AB….'stood over' by wimp who used to get beaten up by…his missus!
Yep, can't find the image I wanted, but this is close. I think Karam is crying. As to Law's ex, she was a body builder. She would have bitch whipped you with one hand behind her back.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4000666/Laws-and-Karam-lock-horns-over-Bain-killings
Don't know why this came up today, but this series of tweets about people protesting Trump is superb 😂
https://twitter.com/math_sonnets/status/1568575681453346818
https://twitter.com/MDayne/status/1568715825334616064
https://twitter.com/Trump_Detester/status/1567963407034236928
"The country's water services could be privately managed under the Three Waters shake-up despite the Government's commitment against privatisation.
The reforms would allow services to be contracted out – a practice critics describe as "de facto privatisation".
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018858368/three-waters-shake-up-could-still-see-water-privately-managed