Open mike 11/10/2022

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 11th, 2022 - 123 comments
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123 comments on “Open mike 11/10/2022 ”

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  1. weston 1
    11 October 2022 at 6:56 am



    You couldnt make this shit up !! It just goes to show how dumbed down populations have become courtesy of their media , did they think there would be no retaliation ??

    • Adrian Thornton 1.1
      11 October 2022 at 7:55 am

      Yeah, like people whom you think are half smart seriously informing you that the Russians are shelling the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant…that they control!…sabotaged their own (just completed) Nord stream infrastructure…and now would have you believe that there is some sort of mystery around who struck the Crimea bridge….if nothing else I guess it does prove that good old fashioned propaganda still works a treat.

      Notice how the number civilians killed was never mentioned in the western coverage of the Crimea bridge attack….some lives are more worthy than others it would seem…luckily we have the BBC, The Guardian and RNZ there to tell us which ones they are.

      • Tony Veitch 1.1.2
        11 October 2022 at 9:19 am

        Adrian, I'd be interested in your take on a leader who labels an attack on a legitimate military target as a 'terrorist' attack, and then sends missiles into apartment blocks at 2am.

      • Sanctuary 1.1.3
        11 October 2022 at 10:57 am

        "…Notice how the number civilians killed was never mentioned in the western coverage of the Crimea bridge attack…"

        Tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilians have died so far in this war. Don't come here and all of a sudden whine about civilian losses your Kremlin toad.

        • Adrian Thornton 1.1.3.1
          11 October 2022 at 12:36 pm

          "whine about civilian losses"….man you are one sick individual…I was just pointing out how MSM propaganda projects the worthiness on one life over another depending on which way they are directing their propaganda….of course that simple logic wouldn't resonate with you.

          • Stuart Munro 1.1.3.1.1
            11 October 2022 at 1:40 pm

            I was just pointing out

            You were pushing the proPutin material that constitutes your characteristic response to absolutely anything. You are a little too far down the apologist slippery slope to be casting aspersions.

            • Adrian Thornton 1.1.3.1.1.1
              11 October 2022 at 2:48 pm

              "You were pushing the proPutin material"…exactly where did I do that?…please do copy and paste a line or two from my comments today and show us all the outragous “proPutin material” you speak of…

              • Stuart Munro …
                11 October 2022 at 3:05 pm

                You were congratulating Weston on his pro-Putin find, of a clip criticizing Ukrainians for celebrating the destruction of the Kerch Strait Bridge, and then you went on to single out the three civilian casualties of that attack as examples of the inhumanity of Ukrainians, while your Fuhrer was busy conducting this mass bombardment of civilian targets, to which you gave your silent assent.

                Non-stop repetition of Putin's talking points and endorsements of his atrocities is about as progressive as Pol Pot. Have you no shame?

      • Jenny are we there yet 1.1.4
        11 October 2022 at 11:39 am

        Who would benefit most from the destruction and melt down of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant?

        All the shelling of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant has been of the sub-station and feeder lines to the Ukraine Grid.

        The targeting of the Ukrainian electicity supply is also a feature of Russia's latest missile attacks on Ukraine cities. Not just apartment buildings were targeted by Russian missiles but so were sub-stations and power lines.
        One of the side effects of this targetting of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant’s connection to the Ukraine power grid, is that in the event of a power outage or even a maintenance shutdown, power is fed back into the plant from the grid to keep the reactor cooling pumps working.
        Without this connection to the grid the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant is reliant on diesel powered generators to keep the cooling pumps going. These pumps have a limited supply of diesel on site. And under war time conditions and Russian occupation have very little chance of being topped up.
        These factors make the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant much more vulnerable to melt down.

        Genocide is in the toolbox of every imperialist.

        The shelling of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant also lines up with Putin's nuclear threat. With the added benefit of deniability. The perpetrators of nuclear genocide, just like the perpetrators of other genocides like to be able to deny it. Hitler himself secretly awarded medals to the administrators of the Holocaust promising them that their crimes would be kept secret. Hitler never expected that one day his empire would be cracked right open to expose its inner workings to the world.

      • mpledger 1.1.5
        11 October 2022 at 1:29 pm

        Yes, I was upset when I saw the bridge explosion and saw their was a truck on the bridge that took the full blast. Ukraine is to blame for that attack that killed that life (as a best guess it was Ukraine). However, who put Ukraine in a position that they had to defend their own territory? If you don't accept that it is morally allowable to be able to defend you're own territory then you just let people who choose to be immoral win.

        You can't pretend that Putin is doing this for any noble cause.

        • Adrian Thornton 1.1.5.1
          11 October 2022 at 2:40 pm

          I didn't say or even imply anything you said in the later part of your comment…I only pointed out the way MSM..BBC, The Guardian, RNZ etc choose the civilians that they deem worthy of feeling empathy for and the civilian lives which they don't.

          And it is not just in this war I might add…look at the news cycle on BBC/RNZ today, the Venezuela landslides don't even make the front page..36 swept away to their deaths, dozens missing….or the recent monsoon rains that triggered the most severe flooding in Pakistan’s recent history, washing away whole villages..1700+ dead, leaving the entire country on the brink of starvation, the coverage lasted a few days at best, no updates…nothing….

          ..now contrast that coverage with the storm that battered the US from couple of weeks ago…we got first hand accounts and actual names to the faces from some those affected, daily (almost hourly) updates….yep when it comes to MSM media, there are lives that we are meant to care about and those that don't…especially not Brown, Black, Yellow lives and as it has become obvious..the civilians of any enemy of the West.

          • Stuart Munro 1.1.5.1.1
            12 October 2022 at 7:25 pm

            I only pointed out the way MSM..BBC, The Guardian, RNZ etc choose the civilians that they deem worthy of feeling empathy for and the civilian lives which they don't.

            And if you were not the faithful mirror image of that partisanship you might have a point. But you are, so you don't.

            The evidence thus far suggests that you don’t in fact know how the MSM makes such decisions, or why. Which is in part how you are able to maintain your delusion of false equivalence between Putin’s propaganda, which is made out of whole cloth, and journalism, which, though it is imperfect, is not founded upon lies.

    • Stuart Munro 1.2
      11 October 2022 at 9:03 am

      Why shouldn't they celebrate the humiliation of a monstrous enemy – the genocidal despot that has killed thousands of their people?

      A small country under the jackboot of a fascist superpower celebrates the victories it can – Snake Island, and the Kerch Bridge.

      • Sanctuary 1.2.1
        11 October 2022 at 10:50 am

        Anyone else noticed an uptick in Kremlin propaganda since the Russian defeats in the Ukraine? Quite desperate stuff from the fascist fellow travellers who hitched their stars to Putin' s wagon and who are now discovering what they thought was a sure thing is turning out to be anything but. Their salty tears are so delicious I'd gladly slurp them from their faces with my large and raspy tongue.

        I would suggest Putins's craven fools spend a bit more time with an atlas. The Russian army is a railway army. All the rail links in this region run North to South. The main rail supply lines to the Russian forces in the Donbas used to run from Urozovo in Russia to the critical major rail marshalling yards in Kupyansk and this hub fed the entire Donbas – Severodontensk, Donetsk, Horlivka, and Luhansk all rely on this line. That is why the Ukrainian capture of Kupyansk was such a big deal – it severed the main supply route for the entire Russian grouping of forces in the Donbas. The Russians now rely on the main highway network hub based on Starobilisk to supply their forces, which is why you are seeing them impressing all sorts of civilian vans and pickups for road re-supply. If the Starobilisk road links can be brought under observed fire then it's all over for the Russians in the Donbas – they'll have to retreat back into Russia for supplies.

        Now, the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions are supplied via the rail link that runs northwards from Rostov parallel to the border with the Ukraine to Voronezh (it also runs eastwards to Volgograd but this is strategically unimportant for now). From the Ukrainian border this rail link is in easy HIMARS range and also very vulnerable to commando raids on choke points. Therefore a complete Russian defeat in the Donbas and a retreat into Russia proper imperils the entire Russian logistics position from Kherson to Voronezh.

        Now, From Rostov the line also runs over the Crimea bridge to supply Sevastopol and thence to the Russian group of forces in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. So now you can see why the Kerch bridge is a legtimate military target. It is THE critical logistics link back to Russia via Rostov and Voronezh. The Russians are aware of this so are really, really sensitive to the obviousness of approaching defeat if their rail links get broken by attacks anywhere south of Voronezh. Already there are early reports of fuel and ammunition shortages in the Russian forces in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. Personally, I hope the Ukrainians take down the illegally contructed bridge for good with some US supplied ATACMS missiles and take out the rail supply route to Russia for good.

        • Jenny are we there yet 1.2.1.1
          11 October 2022 at 12:21 pm

          ‘
          "The Russian army is a railway army." Sanctuary

          Since the American Civil War, railways have been a vital part of modern warfare.

          As guns got bigger they could no longer be towed by horses. This was amplified with the invention of the battle tank. Heavy and slow moving tanks can not be brought from the rear to the front in any reasonable time without rail. Admittedly freight trucks can manage some heavy military equipment, but are limited in size and weight and capacity.

          As armies got bigger with numbers of soldiers in the field measured in the hundreds of thousands, even millions, they could not be supplied by wagons. (or even trucks).

          As guns became mechanised their rapid rate of fire consumed ammunition at a phenomenal rate, a rate of consumption that could only be resupplied by heavy freight.
          Without a reliable rail connection the Russian military in Kherson have been dealt a deadly blow.

          “Amateurs talk strategy. Professionals talk logistics.” General Omar Bradley

          The attack on the Kerch road/rail bridge supplying and connecting the Russian occupied Ukrainian territory of Crimea to Russia, is a major set back to the Russian war effort, and is a legitimate military target.

          The Russian Federation revenge attacks on civilian infrastructure is not.

          Calvary, (or its modern equivalent, air power) do not win wars, feet on the ground do.

          Without being able to supply their front line soldiers Russia’s defeat in Ukraine is guaranteed. It’s only a matter of time.

        • Adrian Thornton 1.2.1.2
          11 October 2022 at 2:46 pm

          "Their salty tears are so delicious I'd gladly slurp them from their faces with my large and raspy tongue"…..and that would suit you perfectly…being such a willing a lap dog of Western Imperialism and all.

          • Jenny are we there yet 1.2.1.2.1
            11 October 2022 at 5:05 pm

            '

            "…being such a willing a lap dog of Western Imperialism and all." Adrian Thornton

            That's rich coming from you Adrian. …being such a willing a lap dog of Russian Imperialism and all.

            .

    • Jenny are we there yet 1.3
      11 October 2022 at 11:19 am

      Hi Weston, watched the YouTube video contained in your link.

      The voice over, condemns Ukraine citizens "gloating" over the attack on the Kherson Bridge, which also killed two unfortunate civilian Russian YouTube bloggers caught in the blast. But then goes hypocritically goes on to gloat at the Russian revenge attacks on civilian centres in Ukraine, that deliberately targeted and killed many more civilians, than that.

      John Minto has an excellent post over at the Daily Blog today that skewers the pro-Russian hypocrites for their support for the annexation of Ukrainian territory, linking it to the West's hypocrisy over the annexation of Palestine territory.

      Time to treat annexation by Israel the same as we do with Russia

      By John Minto

      October 11, 2022

      https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2022/10/11/time-to-treat-annexation-by-israel-the-same-as-we-do-with-russia/

      It has been refreshing to see the government stand firmly against the Russian invasion and occupation of Ukraine…..

      I have argued that the defeat of Russian Imperialism will weaken Imperialism everywhere. It will do this in a number of ways.

      Exposing the hypocrisy of the global Imperialist rivals, openly criticising the crimes of of each other but silent on their own crimes.

      The humbling of Russia by the people of Ukraine will remind us that as murderous and genocidal and hypocritical as all imperialist powers are. Imperialism is not all powerful.

      America learnt this lesson in Vietnam. The USSR learnt this lesson in Afghanistan. The Americans learnt this lesson in Afghanistan.

      And the Russians are about to learnt the very same lesson in Ukraine.

      Imperialist colonial conquest and imperial global rivalry and war are so last century. Or at least should be.

      Russia's defeat will be an encouragement to all progressive Left anti-imperialists the globe over.

      Slava Ukraine – Free Palestine

      • Molly 2.2.1
        11 October 2022 at 9:57 am

        For the interested:

        Detrans subreddit at 14 June 2022: 33.6K members

        Last update on 17 June 2022: 34.2K members

        As at 11 October 2022: 40.2K members

      • Sabine 2.2.2
        11 October 2022 at 10:34 am

        That is what happens when biology is considered bigotry. You can't actually teach reality when fantasy is what is pushed.

        So yeah, they can get those tits back, but not without pain, cost and misery. And i am very sure that wile medicaid/ medicare in the US will pay for removal of the breast, they will not pay for reconstructive surgery. Not sure if ACC here in NZ would pay for reconstructive surgery should a de-transitioner claim ' children can not consent to surgeries intended to desex them'. Which i am hoping will come sooner then later.

        Might have to go dig and find a few accounts on twitter that are currently undergoing the fights with insurance etc to cover medical de-transitioning.

        Never mind the boys who are castrated for ever. Or those that ended up having nullification surgery as what ever was done in the bottom surgeries failed. They ain't ever going to have that back, and while i have little patience with adults (although mental illness should be considered when pushing them on that path), kids can not consent to castration, sterility, being without any sexual function, and a lifetime of medicalization cause you just got your gonads cut of or your ovaries removed.

        This neo – religion of the gendered soul and the rush to irreversible body modification is the cruelest cult of them all. You can check in, but you will never check out.

        • weka 2.2.2.1
          11 October 2022 at 10:40 am

          Spot on Sabine.

          That video the other day of the woman saying it's up to children to decide with the surgeons, she said this in the context of PBs and micropenises. When told they're locked into the micropenis, she said they probably want that. As if a mentally distressed 13 year old can give informed consent.

        • weka 2.2.2.2
          11 October 2022 at 10:42 am

          and please keep laying out the physical realities of the surgeries and meds. Reading that stuff is not for the fainthearted. I don't know how progressives can look at the evidence and ignore the horror of it, so I'm going to assume many are in lala land and don't understand what the surgeries involve or what the outcomes can be like.

          • Sabine 2.2.2.2.1
            11 October 2022 at 11:10 am

            I truly believe that many just want to be kind. And that kindness was taken hostage and now it is very hard to walk away from it as the damage to many was done.

            But what we are creating are eunuchs, male and female ones. And once these kids grow up and fully understand the damage and the permanent nature of that damage issues will arise.

            I hope that saner heads will prevail, but i don't have any hope to be honest.

            • weka 2.2.2.2.1.1
              11 October 2022 at 11:26 am

              I agree about the kindness thing.

              Eunuchs now being represented by WPATH as trans and continued ignoring of detrans people is not a coincidence

              • Sabine …
                11 October 2022 at 11:33 am

                Well they have too. All of them that go through with the removal of secondary sex organs and primary reproductive organs and re-assignment surgery will be a eunuch. Every single one of them.

                What i am afraid is in the near future when these people realise they are now infertile and want kids. Who will have to provide them with a 'birthing enabled body' in order to gestate the children they can no longer father/incubate themselves?

                Will 'birthing body' become a job? Will people be forced into that job on the grounds of sanctions and removal of benefits?

          • Molly 2.2.2.2.2
            11 October 2022 at 12:32 pm

            Ritchie's recent thread with link to pro-surgery data here:

            https://twitter.com/TullipR/status/1578872772729896960?s=20&t=w4Fup4jZypONn173ONZ45w

      • Anker 2.2.3
        11 October 2022 at 10:42 am

        https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/980899?src=MKM_transgender_health_YYMMD_MSCMRK&uac=427125AX&impID=4725169&fbclid=IwAR0xlYFZY7dj-RPeRzKFmzXyVGVT9JFKJ-G8KkmOjRjmksPVkkJD6lOKcIE

        I came across this link on voice surgery for transgender people about very high complications rates for laryngoplasty.

        I am still waiting for those on the left to suddenly wake up and see gender ideology for what it is. Some of us post a great deal of good quality information about many aspects of this harmful ideology, including medicalising of children and still many on the left turn a blind eye.

      • Anker 2.2.4
        11 October 2022 at 10:55 am

        Matt Walsh posted a clip from Nashville Hospital, of a Dr talking about how gender surgeries can bring in big money compared to hormones only ie masectomies, phalloplasty and vagioplasty. It apparently brings in a lot of $$$

        • arkie 2.2.4.1
          11 October 2022 at 11:13 am

          Matt Walsh? This also is Matt Walsh:

          Walsh asserted that “girls getting pregnant” at a “young age” is perfectly normal. He said that teen pregnancy isn’t a problem as long as the teens are married and stressed that it’s normal for 16-year-old girls to get pregnant because that’s when they’re “technically most fertile.”

          “So to all of a sudden act like this phenomenon of girls getting pregnant at that — at a young age — that we consider young, 16 or 17, to act like it’s a new thing is ridiculous,” he said. “It’s always been that way. … Girls between the ages of like 17 and 24 is when they’re technically most fertile.”

          https://www.mediamatters.org/matt-walsh/msnbcs-joy-reid-matt-walshs-defense-teenage-pregnancy-shows-anti-abortion-movement-about

          • Sabine 2.2.4.1.1
            11 October 2022 at 11:22 am

            Yes, the most fertile age for young women is between 16 – and mid late twenties.

            A woman's peak reproductive years are between the late teens and late 20s. By age 30, fertility (the ability to get pregnant) starts to decline. This decline becomes more rapid once you reach your mid-30s. By 45, fertility has declined so much that getting pregnant naturally is unlikely for most women.

            https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/having-a-baby-after-age-35-how-aging-affects-fertility-and-pregnancy#:~:text=A%20woman's%20peak%20reproductive%20years,is%20unlikely%20for%20most%20women.

            And yes, he is a Christian man who believes that women should have children as 'god' intended them too, and as many as 'god is willing' to grant.
            For those that don't want gazillion of children they can use many forms of pregnancy controls including vasectomies for men – which btw seems to be the friendliest form there of as it is reversible, and no one needs to insert foreign objects into their bodies nor dose themselves with hormones every day for years.

            Non of that undoes the video of a doctor telling other doctors that castrating children is really good for business because these operations go wrong many times and you need to revisit err revision that botched penectomy/inverting the penis into something loosely resembling a vulva and a 'vagina'. Ditto for the botched phalloplasty surgeries . Ditto for the sepsis, necrotic tissue, constant UTI and so on and so forth. All make money. So much money.

            Matt Walsh is like many of his kind a broken clock, but twice a day he is correct.

            And here is the Lady Doctor (very liberal and highly educated for sure) in her own words as to how everyone can get a never ending bucket of gold for castrating and sterilizing children in the name of gender woo woo.

            https://twitter.com/MattWalshBlog/status/1572313523232931840

          • weka 2.2.4.1.2
            11 October 2022 at 11:33 am

            What's your point Arkie? Are you saying that because Walsh is a hard right fundamentalist then everything he says is wrong? Or not trustworthy? Or we should ignore it even when he is right or saying something useful that the left won't say because so many people are too scared to speak out?

            Did you watch his film What is a Woman? Do you know why women will reference it despite Walsh’s beliefs and politics?

            Do you have anything to say about the opening tweet and the lifelong physical damage being done to young men and women? The left won't talk about it, so it' being left to the right to define the narratives in the general public. This is why there is an increasing backlash against trans people.

            The conversation being had by gender critical feminists this week is what to do about the connections between child sex advocates, Queer Theory, and the trans child charity Mermaids. If you object to Anker posting a Walsh video then you might want to consider this

            https://twitter.com/MForstater/status/1579105734926929920

            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paedophile_Information_Exchange

            • Anker 2.2.4.1.2.1
              11 October 2022 at 12:13 pm

              Speaking of What is a Woman (Matt Walsh's film), the Babylon Bee did a hilarious "sequel", what is a man?

              No need to continue to look after 2 – 3 minutes (spoiler alert, once the credits start rolling).

              Sometimes humour is what gets you through.

            • arkie 2.2.4.1.2.2
              11 October 2022 at 12:16 pm

              My point is that Matt Walsh isn't a feminist ally. His 'documentary' isn't accurate or scientific, he is a defender of the patriarchy, he sees women as subservient to men:

              The fear-mongering of “gender ideology” is grounded in two beliefs: first, that LGBTQ people somehow threaten Christian values and the traditional family, and, second, that men and women should follow antiquated gender roles, lest they corrupt society.

              https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/in-what-is-a-woman-matt-walsh-asks-a-question/

              You have said that GCFs respect trans people, Matt Walsh does not:

              You are all child abusers. You prey upon impressionable children and indoctrinate them into your insane ideological cult, a cult which holds many fanatical views but none so deranged as the idea that boys are girls and girls are boys. By imposing this vile nonsense on students to the point even of forcing young girls to share locker rooms with boys, you deprive these kids of safety, of privacy, and of something more fundamental, too, which is truth. If education is not grounded in truth, then it is worthless, worse, it is poison. You are poison. You are predators. I can see why you try to stop us from speaking, you know that your ideas are indefensible, you silence the opposing side because you have no argument. You can only hide under your beds like pathetic little gutless cowards, hoping that we will shut up and go away. But we won’t. I promise you that.

              • Molly …
                11 October 2022 at 12:27 pm

                So you posted a promotion of Matt Walsh views, because you don't like them?…OK.

                "You have said that GCFs respect trans people,"

                Gender Critical is just a shared understanding. Gender Critical people are not a hive mind. Matt Walsh is not Gender Critical.

                Do you know what Gender Critical is?

                • Molly …
                  11 October 2022 at 2:21 pm

                  Note: Didn't think it needed pointing out that Matt Walsh neither claims to be or is – a feminist, of any kind, or any ordinal number of wave.

              • Anker …
                11 October 2022 at 2:29 pm

                Criticising Matt Walsh is a great diversion for you Arkie, when you don't want to face up to the harm gender ideology is doing by confusing children about their sexed bodies, leading vulnerable young people into a path of medical transition that many later regret (utterly minimizing the number of de-transitioners), disrespecting women's rights to safe spaces. And shutting down feminists groups such as Speak Up For Women when they want to hold public meetings to discuss a piece of legislation that impacts women.

                But thank you so very, very much for informing us gals who is a feminist ally (or not). We are simply not capable of figuring that out for ourselves!

                BTW I think it is up to all of us to decided who our allies are whether we are feminist or not. Listen to yourself mate. Your a man telling women that another man isn't a feminist ally………………I think there is a word for that………

          • Molly 2.2.4.1.3
            11 October 2022 at 11:46 am

            Yes, Matt Walsh is arguably an idiot.

            But not so much of an idiot as to not save the videos that hospitals THEMSELVES posted, before they came under scrutiny and removed them.

            Now, if an appropriately quanitifiable left-wing progressive had done the same, then posted on their site, a link could be given to that source. But AFAIK, none did.

            The video remains the same in both cases.

            But this point is now moot, as Youtube has removed it.

            (I'll post if I can find a copy without Matt Walsh's commentary, which is all I got from my initial search frown):

            https://youtu.be/RDhshvoJnqU

            • Sabine 2.2.4.1.3.1
              11 October 2022 at 11:52 am

              you find the clip in my comment above.

              there is also the clip form a admin person in that hospital advising people to 'not' consientiously object to such surgeries and the use of 'trans buddies' to acompany children being brought to the hospital for these surgeries.

              they really did document all and made it public.

              https://twitter.com/MattWalshBlog/status/1572313566589468672

              and the trans buddies

              https://twitter.com/MattWalshBlog/status/1572313627008405504

              this really has very little to do with people who have a debilitating mental health crisis in regards to their sexed bodies and their own discomfort with these bodies. This is just a money making machine that profits from diagnosing as many as you can as fast as you can and you put them on the conveyer belt of 'revisions'.

              • Molly …
                11 October 2022 at 12:20 pm

                Thanks, again Sabine.

                I've grown increasingly curious at the excuses people continue to make just to avoid looking at information that challenges their (let's face it, their mostly uninformed and determined to be so) positions.

                So, as the mountain of evidence increasingly is brought to light, the reality is that for them, no evidence will be considered, let alone accepted.

                It's not a question of quality, it never has been.

            • weka 2.2.4.1.3.2
              11 October 2022 at 12:07 pm

              what clip did YT remove?

          • Anker 2.2.4.1.4
            11 October 2022 at 12:08 pm

            Thank everyone for responding to Arkie (and with the appropriate responses to) who is trying to distract from what my link was showing. A Dr at a hospital promoting trans surgeries because it is such a great money spinner, much better than hormones alone.

            Matt Walsh of course is a christian conservative and actually is entitled to his views. It so happens that he is able to see through gender ideology and the harms it is causing and is skillful at calling it out. I salute him, even though I don't share a lot of his views.

          • AB 2.2.4.1.5
            11 October 2022 at 1:29 pm

            Excellent if Walsh has just discovered that profit-driven healthcare might set up some perverse incentives for the providers. And that these perverse incentives result in harm to others. Just like profit-driven anything else. And that therefore, profit-driven activities need sensible regulation – and perhaps total exclusion from areas of life that are essential to human wellbeing like health, education, policing & justice, infrastructure (transport, energy), housing (at a basic level) and maybe others..

            But he won't come to that conclusion because from the (fortunately) little I've seen of him he sounds like a RW loon. But yes, the gender identity/ideology furore is throwing up some distinctly weird bedfellows.

            • Anker 2.2.4.1.5.1
              11 October 2022 at 3:33 pm

              Agree about the distinctly weird bedfellows AB. Nevertheless I think the other angle on this is that even when medicine is privatised, clinically it is most often driven by science and ethics. But gender medicine has unfortunately been taken over by activists, (in NZ Patha and worldwide Wpath). It is shocking to realise this.

            • Sabine 2.2.4.1.5.2
              11 October 2022 at 5:07 pm

              It actually matters not one bit what Matt Walsh does with this information.

              It matters what we do with it.

              Yes, the US Healthcare system is a for profit driven system. Thus safeguarding makes sense, and not sending healthy kids onto the castration and revision to the castration conveyer belt is important if one cares about kids being left to be kids, and to keeping their healthy bodies healthy until they grow into an age where they truly can make an informed desicion affecting their health, presentation, reproductive rights and so on.

              Why would I or anyone else for that matter exclude correct and horrific information just because the source that it comes from is not to my liking or my political affiliation.

              The point is why is no one on the left – or so called good guys – pointing out that this University Clinic promoted the removal of healthy sexual primary and secondary organs, and a replacement of these organs with fake organs made from penile material, the scrotum, and in the case of the transmen fake dicks rolled from forearm muscle/nerve/skin tissue or inner thigh tissue (the later leading to needed liposuctions as females have fat cells in these inner thighs and thus teh fake penises can grow fat), that they threated doctors who might not be inclined to such medical actions with 'consequences' if they were to abstain on the grounds of conscience. Which btw, means that they could refuse an abortion but not the chemical castration of a boy who has yet to reach Tanner Stage 1 of his puperty and who is put on blockers via an implant or self / parent administered injections. .

              A whole lot of people can disagree on many things and yet agree for example that climate change is real and that castrating and sterilising children is wrong.

              So Matt Walsh is exactly the dick that he always was, just for once he is correct.

              And fwiw, he did nothing much more then post the many video clips that the staff from Vanderbilt University Clinic posted on their webpage for public viewing. Maybe the liberal, highly trained, highly paid proponents of these sex re-assignment surgeries did not think that some people might dislike what they are doing and would call them out on their shit?

              • arkie …
                11 October 2022 at 5:23 pm

                that castrating and sterilising children is wrong

                This is only happening in Matt Walsh's imagination. Children are not undergoing sex re-assignment surgeries, it's not correct, it just isn't happening:

                On average, VUMC has provided five gender affirming surgeries to minors every year since its transgender clinic opened in 2018. All were over the age of 16 and had parental consent, and none received genital procedures.

                https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/vanderbilt-pause-gender-affirming-surgeries-minors-rcna51445

                • weka …
                  11 October 2022 at 5:53 pm

                  In the US the age that one becomes an adult is 18. In NZ it's 20. Obviously children mature at different rates and in some contexts we would refer to a 16 yr old as an adult, others as a child.

                  Pertinent here is that some teens come into their transition very young. They may have to wait until 16 to get surgery, but they can get puberty blockers before then. This then becomes a pathway that has long term impacts on development. Look at the rates of young teens on PBs that go on to surgery and cross sex hormones.

                  and none received genital procedures.

                  I consider unnecessary mastectomies to be brutal. The issue here is whether you believe that all these kids are inherently trans and have such severe GD that they will kill themselves without surgery, or whehther you believe at least some of them are gay, lesbian and/or autistic, who are traumatised and who have concurrent other mental health issues that are being ignored and many of whom will grow up to be gay/lesbian and GNC rather than trans.

                  I'm in the latter camp. I've listened to a lot of detrans stories. Those kids are being socialised into being trans, and the girls in particular are a concern for feminists because they hit their teens hating the bodies, with gross sexual pressure from boys who came of age on internet porn, and who just find it easier to be a man than a woman.

                  I think many of those supportive of gender identity ideology have no idea what is happening, or the extent of the rage that women who get it are feelings. We've all been here before, only this time it's not the conservatives that are doing the damage, it's the liberals.

                  • arkie …
                    11 October 2022 at 7:51 pm

                    Pertinent here is that some teens come into their transition very young. They may have to wait until 16 to get surgery, but they can get puberty blockers before then.

                    Yes, to block puberty they are taken before puberty.

                    Look at the rates of young teens on PBs that go on to surgery and cross sex hormones.

                    Social transition is the first step, those who are then prescribed PBs are taking the next step, both of these steps are completely reversible. Before surgery and hormones these teens have often been living with their gender affirmed for 5-10 years, it is not a decision made lightly.

                    You are entitled to beliefs, but the decision is ultimately that of the patient and their parents, and medical professionals.

                    I’ve listened to trans people. I am supportive of them in their authentic expression of themselves. There is no ‘gender identity ideology’ making people transition:

                    The phrase is neither a legitimate academic term, nor a political movement.

                    It is a theory drummed up by hard-right religious activists, who present it as a gay- and feminist-led movement out to upend the traditional family and the natural order of society. It’s a catchall phrase to sell a false narrative and justify discrimination against women and LGBT people. And it is winning elections.

                    https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/mar/30/gender-ideology-big-bogus-and-coming-to-a-fear-campaign-near-you

                    • Anker …
                      11 October 2022 at 8:08 pm

                      RE puberty blockers the MInistry of Health has just changed the advice on their website that PBs are "safe and fully reversible". And has been the case in many other countries. So you are out of date Arkie.

                      Teen girls who come out as trans is a completely new cohort, almost never heard of until around 2012. This was around the time the smart phone was introduced. Many of these young girls start identifying as trans after visiting trans chat rooms where they start developing a trans identity.

                      puberty blockers inevitably lead in almost all cases to cross sex hormones. Many of the de=transitioners I have listened to have deep voices and facial hair and no longer appear female. If you listen to them, it is impossible to think that medically transitioning people unless the are well out of adolescence is an appalling idea.

                      I feel very sure that this movement to medically transition young people will be found to be mass medical adventure.

                      Some say we have this new cohort now because it is finally o.k. to come out as trans. But if this was the case we would be seeing women in their 30's , 40's, 50's and 60s coming out as Trans. We are not. BTW generally speaking NZders have been accepting of transgender people. Think Carmen, Georgina Beyer and Bob Moodie (the police commissioner who used to cross dress in kaftans).

                • Sabine …
                  11 October 2022 at 6:54 pm

                  hahahahahahahahaha

                  5 every year since 2018? That comes to 30. And 30 is a number greater then 0.

                  30 children that have lost their tits, their uteruses. 30 children that are now in menopause if we assume it is only girls.

                  And in saying that, god knows what they will admit too tomorrow.

        • Sabine 2.2.4.2
          11 October 2022 at 11:14 am

          Vanderbilt University Clinic in Tennessee. They just anounced that they would no longer offer surgery to minors, thus admitting that they offered surgery to minors. But yes, with surgeries having high failure rates, high rates for revisions, and more revisions and then some more this type of 'mental health care by surgery' is very very lucrative.

          trigger alert, this is from the daily fail

          https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11296557/Vanderbilt-University-Medical-Center-suspends-transgender-operations-kids-report.html

          Vanderbilt University Medical Center [VUMC] confirmed it was freezing all 'gender affirmation surgery' on underage patients pending a review of their processes, in response to calls from Tennessee lawmaker to investigate the hospital.

          The center came under fire last month after conservative activist Matt Walsh released a 2018 video showing Dr Shayne Taylor – an LGBTQ specialist at the hospital – touting transgender surgeries as 'huge money makers' for the hospital.

    • Ad 2.3
      11 October 2022 at 3:44 pm

      It's not the progressives you need to worry about Weka. Transition support is company policy. Fletchers have confirmed it today.

      Fletcher Building Introduces Gender Affirmation Leave And Transitioning At Work Guidelines | Scoop News

      Naturally this now becomes a recruitment competitive advantage so the other key employers will now rapidly follow suit.

      Been around in the main institutions like Otago University since 2017.

      Whichever way they are going, the NZ public service entities are all required to assist transitioning people.

      Transgender employees » Employment New Zealand

      • Sabine 2.3.1
        11 October 2022 at 5:12 pm

        What do you think Ad, will neutered people be better wage slaves?

        • Ad 2.3.1.1
          11 October 2022 at 5:56 pm

          Increasingly.

          • Sabine 2.3.1.1.1
            11 October 2022 at 6:56 pm

            Maybe we should castrate them in the uterus. After all, we only need some zombies for the economy to grow. Sleep, work, eat some roaches err crickets or some plant based mush, work, sleep. Humans. they are great to farm.

      • weka 2.3.2
        11 October 2022 at 5:34 pm

        It's not the progressives you need to worry about Weka

        Useful to know that you are ok with teenage girls having their breasts removed thinking they can grow them back later if need be.

        • weka 2.3.2.1
          11 October 2022 at 5:35 pm

          maybe it's not clear. The issue in the tweet is about medical people not getting informed consent. If progressives won't talk about that, like you just didn't, it's on them.

        • Ad 2.3.2.2
          11 October 2022 at 5:54 pm

          As per above, your argument is not with me but with the largest employers in New Zealand.

          • Molly 2.3.2.2.1
            11 October 2022 at 6:32 pm

            You provided nothing in the way of argument, Ad.

            Just a company policy.

            • Ad 2.3.2.2.1.1
              11 October 2022 at 6:37 pm

              Oh you caught onto the point then.

              Commerce is advancing as fast as the NZ legislation intended.

              Any local rearguard action is long lost.

              • Sabine …
                11 October 2022 at 7:00 pm

                You know what? They might be offering some bonuses in the future to have every child sterilized, reproductive organs removed, with a wee nullification operation leaving only a urethra to piss – in a toilet of ones gender of course. We are kind about that.

                This might even be encouraged by a progressive government under the guise of kindness and inclusivity by a charismatic butcher of a leader.

                What it is not is moral, ethical and kind.

                But then, we have farmed everything, destroyed everything and now we are farming and destroying the next generations of us.

                Some even call that progress in the name of an evergrowing economy.

                Humans, what are they even good for. ey?

                Do you think we will lock uteruses to beds for nine month to bring forth the next lot of castrated nullified sentient bodybags?

                • Ad …
                  11 October 2022 at 7:13 pm

                  "Castrated nullified sentient bodybags." Even today over at the big Agritech conference today they were praising the rise of lab grown meat. Sabine, Marge Piercy and Margaret Attwood would be proud of a sentence like that.

                  And yet weirdly here we are, it's been public sector employment policy for years, law for over a year, the main NZ companies and sports authorities are figuring it out, and when I step out my door females haven't collapsed as a category of human being.

                  • Sabine …
                    11 October 2022 at 8:09 pm

                    We are talking here about children who are being de-sexed by doctors who tout the good growth business of desexing children like they were puppies or kittens. But then for some capitalism and making money is all that matters.

                    However, Who or what is a female or a male? I mean really could you at least define the words that you sprout in order to make sense of whom you are speaking of?
                    Do you speak of Lady Dicks or Man Pussies? Some consider them both ‘female’.

              • Molly …
                11 October 2022 at 8:42 pm

                "Oh you caught onto the point then."

                Yes. The point is you have nothing of worth to offer here.

                Using corporate policy as your left-wing analysis on the unevidenced affirmative healthcare model should be an embarrassment for you.

                I suspect however, you feel like you have dominated the conversation with your precise corporate justification.

                Try engaging your concern for transgender youth in a productive manner, and really look at the decision making and evidence behind our healthcare approach.

      • Anker 2.3.3
        11 October 2022 at 7:16 pm

        Oh the corporates are allowing leave for gender transition surgery! Well if the corporates think it is good, it must be mustn't it! Nothing to see here! Wonderful! Stunning and brave!

        At least if these people are in the work force, they are likely adults and may be more able to give informed consent.

        I hope the corporates realize how many of these surgeries go wrong and how many of the patients need follow up surgeries? They may find that these employees cost them a lot in time off.

        But this aside Ad you and others on this site never seem to be able to face up to gender ideologies sinister influence on children.

        • Sabine 2.3.3.1
          11 October 2022 at 8:30 pm

          I read at least one account from a detransitioner that is taking her insurance to court as they paid for her double masectomy on grounds of 'gender affirmation' and thus now she again needs 'gender affirmation' this time to get back the tits that were sliced of previously in the name of gender woo and the golden cash cow that must be fed with fresh meat daily.

        • Anker 2.3.4.1
          11 October 2022 at 8:30 pm

          Incognito of course banks lead the way. This is corporate virtual signalling at its height.

          • Incognito 2.3.4.1.1
            11 October 2022 at 8:42 pm

            I don’t mind virtual signalling at all, but I hadn’t heard the dog whistle 😉

            Of course, you were fully aware of banks leading the way in this, but I wasn’t. It must be tough competing in a very competitive industry and in a tight labour market, don’t you think?

            • Anker 2.3.4.1.1.1
              11 October 2022 at 8:55 pm

              I think we are veering off topic now if you are rasing difficulty competiting in a tight labour market……..I no very little about that.

              What I do know is that gender surgery is very problematic, even when adults have it. Many complications (I posted a link early on this thread about voice surgery (has a medical name, that I can't think of off hand). Very high rates of complications.

              Also latest Sweedish survey shows that tragically people who have gender surgery are not doing well at all at 10 year follow up (can find the link if required).

              The trouble with virtue signalling is that it is often done without being fully informed as part of a trendy group think. So not necessarily helpful

            • Molly 2.3.4.1.1.2
              11 October 2022 at 9:36 pm

              Incognito, if you don't have any concerns about the medical transitioning of children, just put it out there. Then you can advise what convinced you, and what evidence you have looked at.

              My impression is that those who redirect the conversation do so because they have no basis to challenge what is presented, and yet feel confident enough to assume their contributions are of value.

              • Incognito …
                11 October 2022 at 9:47 pm

                As you can see from the comment numbering in this nested thread, I was replying to Ad’s comment @ 2.3. Seems to me that you want to re-direct my comments into a different direction, again. Feel free to ignore any comments that are of no value to you; no one is stopping you from having the convos that you want with likeminded others – this is the beauty of TS.

                • Molly …
                  11 October 2022 at 10:16 pm

                  sigh

                  The beauty of TS is also that you can query someone's contribution.

                  Both you and Ad seem to think that your contributions to this thread are valuable to this specific conversation in some way. I don't.

                  "Feel free to ignore any comments that are of no value to you; no one is stopping you from having the convos that you want with likeminded others – this is the beauty of TS."

                  There is also an ugliness in not addressing the concerns regarding irreversible treatments for children, but oh… don't worry, the banks approve.

                  • Incognito …
                    12 October 2022 at 2:21 pm

                    The beauty of free speech in a free society is that people can agree to disagree and cannot be forced, coerced, or pressured to take any position on any moral-ethical issue or even think about it, if they don’t want to. You can query judge away as much as you like and ignore any PoV or comment that you don’t like; this is your prerogative too.

                    Your reasoning reeks of either you’re with us or you’re against us. Before you jump to really absurd assumptions about what I think, stating what banks and other corporates do or not do is neither approving nor disapproving. At most, I was pointing to a piece of information that I personally wasn’t aware of and HT to Ad for helping me find this tiny piece.

  3. Adrian Thornton 3
    11 October 2022 at 8:56 am

    It is a world gone crazy when the only sane politician in US politics turns out to be Donald Trump…but then it turns out that the Imperialist war Hawks on both the Right and more importantly the Left(?) seem quite OK in risking total annihilation to maintain Western (ie; white) world hegemony……

    • Peter 3.1
      11 October 2022 at 10:19 am

      It is indeed a world gone crazy when a tiny snippet of one comment made from a pool of hundreds of thousands of comments from this person, deems him the "only sane politician in US politics."

      It is indeed a crazy world if I'm expected to believe that the only politician in the US to say "War is bad," or "This could end in a world war," is Trump.

    • bwaghorn 3.2
      11 October 2022 at 10:31 am

      Dose the bronze buffoon enlighten us on how putin will react to the demand to negotiate?

    • Jenny are we there yet 3.3
      11 October 2022 at 10:03 pm

      Adrian Thornton

      11 October 2022 at 8:56 am

      It is a world gone crazy when the only sane politician in US politics turns out to be Donald Trump…

      Sez the only sane person on the internet.

  4. arkie 4
    11 October 2022 at 9:48 am

    Example of the difference between Labour and the Greens:

    https://twitter.com/NZGreens/status/1579571692862865408

    Labour needs to stop being subservient to lobbying from supporters of the status quo. Action on climate change will not happen without the Greens.

  5. Muttonbird 5
    11 October 2022 at 11:07 am

    The suggestion that those complaining about the price of vegetables simply grow their own carries with it a whiff of moral judgement: that if you can’t afford vegetables you should grow them and if you don’t, well, that’s on you.

    I find this immensely troubling.

    It suggests that when it comes to such basic and fundamental an item as fresh vegetables, the wealthier have unfettered access. The poor, on the other hand, can only eat vegetables if they produce their own.

    Read that again. The poor can only eat vegetables if they produce their own.

    I'd add that despite record high grocery prices, cost savings by growing in a suburban garden, even if one is available, are negligible unless you are already well established, and have plenty of time and experience.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/food-drink/300707036/we-cant-garden-our-way-out-of-a-costofliving-crisis-and-nor-should-we-have-to

    • tc 5.1
      11 October 2022 at 11:35 am

      You also have to have the right type of soil, lucky you if you're on the old volcanic soils most aren't.

      It's far from cheap once you factor in the time, water which you pay for, materials such as netting to protect crops etc etc with no guarantee of success.

    • satty 5.2
      11 October 2022 at 11:40 am

      Find it hard to understand why we don't introduce a lower GST on fresh food.

      Germany has a standard GST rate of 19%, but a lower GST rate of 7% for food, books, culture etc.

      • Poission 5.2.1
        11 October 2022 at 11:50 am

        German food inflation is nearly twice that of NZ,it is worse in the Netherlands,and will continue with its desire to replace foodland for bioenergy.

        • satty 5.2.1.1
          11 October 2022 at 12:03 pm

          I can't see the link between GST on food and food inflation (in Germany). As far as I remember Germany always had a reduced GST rate on food (and other products I mentioned above).

          In my opinion, the food price inflation in Europe is mainly linked to the significant increase in energy costs (petrol and natural gas => machinery, greenhouses and artificial fertiliser. I remember one book pointed out we "eat fossil fuels", not literally). Oh, and I never really understood how biofuels will ever be able to solve anything on the gigantic scale required…

          • Poission 5.2.1.1.1
            11 October 2022 at 12:13 pm

            So there is no correlation on gst on food then.

            • satty 5.2.1.1.1.1
              11 October 2022 at 2:37 pm
              • There's no correlation between GST on food and recent food price inflation
              • There might be a correlation between GST on food and food price
    • Radical Alternative 5.3
      11 October 2022 at 12:00 pm

      As someone who used to work at Kings Plant Barn, convincing people that growing your own food is a good way to save money is one of the greatest scams ever pulled. That being said, it would be cool to see the government implement some sort of urban gardening scheme.

      • Ad 5.3.1
        11 October 2022 at 5:58 pm

        +100. And all power to Kings Plant Barn for at least keeping us fools in contact with nature.

        Urban park conversion is a policy matter for local councils not central government.

  6. Molly 6
    11 October 2022 at 11:30 am

    For those who have abandoned any and all understanding of child development and maturity: Find your basic common sense and start applying it.

    "Affirming healthcare" is a sub-standard unethical indefensible response to ANY person, but particularly heinous when delivered to children.

    If you are starting to think… maybe I need to look into this?… I have bookmarked this episode from the excellent podcast series:

    https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/90-tomboy-at-tavistock-ellies-desistance-story

    Ellie was a gender nonconforming 90s kid in the UK. She became a patient of what came to be the Gender Identity Development Services (GIDS) at Tavistock. She was seen at the time by Dr. DiCeglie, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, and the GIDS founder. Ellie describes her psychological treatment with him and her decision, early on in life, that medicalization simply was not an option. She tells us about her family life and coming to terms with being gay in her teens. Ellie is now married to her wife and living happily. But she also talks about gender dysphoria being something she, and many lesbians, simply learn to live with.

    What is interesting, is that there is archived BBC footage from her time at the Tavistock.

    With "affirming healthcare" her life would likely be markedly different:

    https://youtu.be/zRU8TtOqGSA

    • Visubversa 6.1
      11 October 2022 at 2:27 pm

      Funny how this so called "gender affirming care" always involves altering the primary and secondary sex characteristics. Gender idealogues maintain that sex and gender are different, that gender is in the mind, and sex is in the body. Then they try and change the body to match the mind with chemical castration of children and young people, and sterilizing and mutilating surgeries with very high "complication" rates. The results are sterile and anorgasmic human beings who have even more mental problems after surgery than they did before.

      Interestingly, many of the proponents of this medical pathway are adults who will never have such surgery themselves.

      • Molly 6.1.1
        11 October 2022 at 2:45 pm

        "Interestingly, many of the proponents of this medical pathway are adults who will never have such surgery themselves."

        This. So transparent to those who are watching who retain basic safeguarding skills.

  7. joe90 7
    11 October 2022 at 2:15 pm

    Poor buggers. It's happening again.

    The one with the rifle shoots! One out of two gets a rifle. The one without follows him! When the one with the rifle gets killed, the one who is following picks up the rifle and shoots!

    – Enemy at the Gates

    https://twitter.com/wartranslated/status/1579520443232681984

    • Incognito 8.1
      11 October 2022 at 5:33 pm

      Stuart Smith has finally found a PONS (pothole of National significance). National’s plan to fix it has 2 bullet points:

      1. Build a bridge over it, without cycle lane or walkway
      2. Build a tunnel underneath it, without train track
      • Nic the NZer 8.1.1
        11 October 2022 at 6:17 pm

        Damn shame, when the report is released its actual location will be redacted.

        • Shanreagh 8.1.1.1
          12 October 2022 at 9:05 am

          Who says the report will be released? 'Trust me, having a KC look at where this pothole is all you need. I am satisfied'.

      • Mac1 8.1.2
        13 October 2022 at 9:02 pm

        Do you want to know where the pothole is? I know. I have taken photos of it.

        What would it mean if the pothole in question was, say, in the middle of a provincial town?

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    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Will debt reduction trump abuse in care redress?

    Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Care report in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

    About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson Those who’ve trawled social media during heat waves have likely encountered a tidbit frequently used to brush aside human-caused climate change: Many U.S. states and cities had their single hottest temperature on record during the 1930s, setting incredible heat marks ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • Throwback Thursday – Thinking about Expressways

    Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 19

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #29 2024

    Open access notables Improving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society: To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

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