It is also my parents wedding anniversary – they were married on 11/11/1945. The wedding pictures show my father still in Army uniform as although WW2 was over, he did not actually get "demobbed" until 1946. He had been working in malaria control in the Pacific during the later years of the war and when he returned from there, he was sent to the refugee camp for Polish children in Pahiatua to work with those suffering from malaria.
I feel that it was deeply wrong for OT to have appealed this case in the first place. Children are not a football in the game for state agencies to challenge decisions they don't agree with.
From the article, biological mother’s lawyer: "When you consider that time compared to a lifetime of being culturally disconnected, then that risk of potential problems with a properly managed transition pales into insignificance,” she said."
Having close friends involved with both fostercare and permanent placement, it is apparent that much of the focus of OT is redirected away from the children in their care.
There is – however – statistical evidence for a higher degree of disconnect for adults brought up in non-biological families. It occurs even if loving acceptance was the norm. So, any research showing that "cultural disconnect" is significant needs to take this underlying factor into account.
In this case, the resultant distress caused to such a young child after four years of attachment should have been obvious. Unfortunately, my friends experienced worse.
It's also a rubbish argument, when comparing 'cultural connectedness' with children who remain with their biological families. I know of dozens of families with Maori whakapapa who are thoroughly 'culturally disconnected' (in this context, that always means from traditional Maori culture – connectedness to other cultures is ignored). Does OT propose to remove all of those children and place them with culturally appropriate caregivers? /sarc/
Some of those children may choose to explore that side of their ancestry when they grow up.
The most important thing for any child in foster care or adoption (actually in any family whether biological or not) is that they be safe, secure, cared for, and loved. That should be OT's number one priority. Of course, family placement should be considered first (although, frequently they don't meet the criteria for the same reasons the parents don't).
OT have enough issues to work on to ensure their caregivers meet the basic criteria – without vindictively pursuing excellent and loving caregivers through the court system in what appears to be an attempt to vindicate the bias of a social worker.
I recall a similar case a few years back. Don't think it was the same one but same situation:
A little Maori girl was with Pakeha foster parents who were in the throes of adopting her. They loved her dearly and were doing everything they could to make sure she grew up knowing her Maori heritage and ensuring she had ties to her whanau.
A media video of the actual moment she was taken away from those 'parents' broke my heart into a thousand pieces – a little girl sobbing her heart out being removed from the only 'parents' she had known.
I can't imagine what it did to that little one. I think she was four or five years old at the time.
True family-by-marriage story.
Mother of 3 kids – is basically incompetent (drug issues, gang/criminal connections, evidence of sexual abuse of the children by the men in her life, basic lack of care and parenting). OT have thrown more than $500K and counting – at her in an attempt to remedy the situation. It hasn't worked. You have to want to change, in order for change to happen.
In the meantime, the kids have been in and out of foster care multiple times (at least 5 I'm aware of) – since they were babies/toddlers – they're now in their teens. The kids have AFAICS lost any ability to attach to anyone, and any trust that any adult in their life is there for the long term. And, I can see the cycle beginning all over again – the oldest, at 16 is pregnant – the 'father' (TBH, really a sperm donor – he demonstrates no 'fatherly' traits) wants nothing to do with her or the baby – and she has zero ability to look after herself, let alone a baby. She is clinging to the idea that finally, someone will love her (the baby). We all can see how that tragedy is going to play out.
The best possible result for those kids would have been for them to have been placed in permanent foster (or adoptive) care as babies/toddlers. Preferably with no contact with the mother – who is a profoundly destabilizing influence. Then they would have had a chance at a decent life. They sure don't have much of a shot at one now.
An excellent example of how blind adherence to some narrow ideology can out-strip common sense and compassion.
Precisely the same dynamic underlies the crude, distorted dogma of Wokedom / Critical Theory / ID Politics in general. Guaranteed to create whole new forms of social injustice … and it certainly won't be Wokedom's affluent professional-managerial class cheerleaders who'll do all the sacrifice & suffering.
"“It is clear from the above analysis that the implementation of a formal staff dress code or grooming standards would likely expose the Board to considerable liability,” said the report in conclusion. “Even if a dress code is implemented for non-discriminatory reasons, it would likely be found to be discriminatory where it adversely affects an employee or group of employers on the basis of their Code-protected rights.”
In other words, if a male’s gender identity is female and the expression of that gender identity involves wearing pornographic fetish gear in a classroom full of children, the Ontario Human Rights Code protects that individual’s right to do so and the school is powerless to protect the children in their care from such inappropriate behavior."
16lb of fake tits, a "camel toe" insert in the front of his shorts, and a long blond wig in a woodwork and metal shop classroom. What could be more appropriate for a secondary school setting?
“But it is not a fetish”!
I don't know for sure. There were rumours that he was attempting to be fired last year, so it may be a fetish – or a grievance preparation strategy. Whichever – if either – is true, the individual is an occurrence.
The real issue lies with the legislation and interpretation of law that means the Ontario School Board feels unable to address this responsibly.
The Post Millennial is a conservative Christian publication that seeks the imposition of Biblical values via legislation, in other words, it wants homosexuality, transgenderism, abortion, birth control all outlawed, and women to be completely subservient to their husbands and of course, our friend the dead Palestinian carpenter. Quite frankly what business left wing woman like you should have in reading that filth , I have no idea.
Needs to be remembered that those who oppose transgenderism are lining up with the Christian Taliban.
[I count at least 7 claims of fact in your first paragraph. You will now provide evidence of the following or you will acknowledge that your comment was unfactual.
Evidence means a link, AND a quote (links alone are insufficient, I’m not doing your work for your by reading whole articles to parse your evidence). Audio or video must have a time stamp.
conservative Christian publication
seeks the imposition of Biblical values via legislation
wants homosexuality outlaws
likewise transgenderism
and abortion
and birth control
wants women to be subservient to husbands and Jesus
You have so much form for making shit up like this that you can count this as your only warning. Ban will be double whatever it was last time. – weka]
[below Millsy acknowledges that they made their first paragraph up – weka]
Do you have some counter evidence that there is another side to this story?
Because – I (as a parent) would be just as opposed if my kid's woodwork, or English or Maths teachers, for that matter – dressed up in fetish gear at school – regardless of their sexuality or gender orientation.
Do what you please in your own time. But, at school, there are appropriate standards of dress – and this doesn't meet them.
You appear to be conflating an opposition to a hyper-sexualised environment being created in the classroom, with opposition to transgenderism.
Now that you've done your usual attempts of shaming, and passing judgment as well as telling " left wing woman like you …., …. I have no idea." , are you able to offer any contribution about the content of the post, and the situation the Ontario School Board find themselves in?
(I suspect bringing up the impact on the students and other adults in the school may be a step too far, so we'll leave that for now).
@ millsy – FWIW, I did try and find the original source for "Halton School Board report 22147" before posting, but had no success, so the article with the Twitter link provided the only copy I had.
Also, unless an article itself promotes what you say, I usually take it on the same face value I do with any article. Which leads to checking for other source confirmations whether linked or not.
Here are the other three mentions I could find of the school board response, which I have also not checked for "untoward" thoughts. Perhaps you can grade them regarding acceptable places for left wing women accordingly:
Quick skim, it appears concluding remarks remain relevant:
“Concluding Remarks
The Board has requested that the Director of Education provide information on the potential implications which may arise from a decision to implement a staff dress code.
It is clear from the above analysis that the implementation of a formal staff dress code or grooming standards would likely expose the Board to considerable liability. Even if a dress code is implemented for non-discriminatory reasons, it would likely be found to be discriminatory where it adversely affects an employee or group of employees on the basis of their Code-protected grounds.
Finally, and most importantly, we note that if the employer desires to foster a culture of professionalism, respect, equity and inclusion, a truly reasonable and non-discriminatory dress code or grooming standards would most likely fail to yield the intended results.”
here’s your problem. It took time to write the mod note, then put in you premod. When I saw your retractions I looked up your moderation history and see moderators have spent a lot of time moderating you. Last time there was discussion in the backend about permanently banning you. Your last ban was something like 9 months. You have a long history of a pattern of behaviour of making inflammatory, misleading and unfactual comments that tie up a lot of time on bullshit debate and people trying to get corrections or evidence. I’m not seeing anything that suggests you will stop doing this, other than the threat of a long ban.
Next time I see you doing what you have done today, I will ban you without warning. Expect at least a year.
If you do want to change, even just to retain commenting privileges, here’s what I suggest:
stop making claims of fact unless you have fact checked what you want to say
pre-emptively supply links *and quotes to support your assertions
That’s standard fare at TS and you’ve been here more than long enough to know this. Ball is in your court as to whether you get to keep commenting here.
Needs to be remembered that those who oppose transgenderism are lining up with the Christian Taliban.
I'm going to address this in a comment, because you have enough modding going on above to do for now.
Gender critical people don't inherently 'oppose transgenderism'. Many are left wing and have no trouble with gender non-conforming people. Their politics is focused on gender identity ideology, the queer theory movements, and the impacts of those on women, children, lesbians and gays, and children, as well as society as a whole.
Some GC are transphobic and so oppose transness it self.
The statement that GC people are lining up with the Christian Taliban is a piece of propaganda from the GI ideologists. There are issues in the US about GC people allying with the religious right, but it's complex and related to the weird US political scene.
In the UK, gender critical feminism is a left wing/centre left movement. Many GCFs and other GC people actively distance themselves from the religious right (and from proto-fascism. For obvious reasons.
Anyone running GC is allied to the religious right is pig ignorant. You running this line here tells me that you are reading only material that affirms your prejudices against GC positions, and it suggests that you don't know what GC positions are.
I agree Weka. The simple fact is that transness in some of its flavours is the only human right gained at the expense of another set of people who are/have been marginalised.
So bio women who may have been assaulted ot scared by bio males are now faced with having to share intimate private spaces such as toilets and the like with the self same bio males. They also may have be expected to have to allow themselves to counselled, or not at all by bio males (Canadian case where trans but bio male was employed to counsel rape survivors.) They may have to share a prison, where they face rape from bio men.
So the right of a bio woman to have safety is potentially threatened. Most of us put personal safety quite high up on the list to be protected as we as women go about our daily lives.
Most of us, having been on the wrong end of the rights argument in health, education and work experiences would usually be welcoming to another marginalised group.
Some involved in transness don't bother to seek hormonal or other changes to 'personify' their alleged new gender and act as Lia Thomas has in being a complete bio male, competing in women's events and changing in female changing rooms.
The point is that transness even accepting the rightness of not discriminating can be inherently threatening
The larger issue is not the individual, it is the fact that the School Board is unable to address this in a sensible way because of fear of being successfully sued:
"“It is clear from the above analysis that the implementation of a formal staff dress code or grooming standards would likely expose the Board to considerable liability,” said the report in conclusion. “Even if a dress code is implemented for non-discriminatory reasons, it would likely be found to be discriminatory where it adversely affects an employee or group of employers on the basis of their Code-protected rights.”"
Apparently, the Education Minister has asked for a review, after this incident came to light, but that has not been produced as yet, and appears to be a case of locking the stable door after the horse has bolted:
"Back in September, Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce requested that the Ontario College of Teachers review and “consider strengthening” provisions regarding professional conduct “in the interest of all kids in Ontario.” The results of this review are still pending."
Yep – but why on earth are they trying to address it under the dress code? It is nothing to do with dress. It's an overtly sexualised display that is either intended to, or will in effect, undermine students' ability to learn, and make them feel uncomfortable or distressed. The rules on student welfare and teacher code of ethics could quite non-controversially handle that whoever does it – straight gay, transgender, male, female, both, neither or any imaginable or unimaginable combination of all of them.
You would hope that would be the case – I believe the fear of litigation and censure holds as strong a grip as definitive legislation would. The untested reach of legislative change can be a strong motivator for institutional avoidance.
In terms of the impact of such behaviour I did a Twitter thread back in September:
Why should children not get their required education because their teacher appears to have decided that every day is a "bring your paraphilia to work" day?
IIRC we had a similar situation many, many years ago at uni – with a lecturer. Not sexual issues, just an utterly incompetent teacher. The word went quietly around not to enrol in his papers one year – and he was 'regretfully' retired.
I didn't want to go there but the current headlines at The Post Millennial are obsessed with, in no particular order, antifa, transgenders, non-binaries, biological males, gender clinics, MSNBC pundits, Kari Lake, Maricopa County, Hunter Biden, Democrats controlling media, etc. Millsy's assumption that it is a conservative christian outlet is a fair assumption, imo.
It is definitely a far right transphobic outlet.
After reading their hate site and this thread @5 I've concluded The Post Millennial is a far more dangerous entity than Kayla Lemieux:
Andy Ngo has been editor-at-large since 2019. Ngo was previously with Quillette. Several advertisers such as Logitech pulled ads from the site due to its association with Ngo.
In 2021, The Post Millennial played a key role in creating a viral story in right-wing media where it was falsely claimed that some members of the US women's soccer team had disrespected a 98-year-old World War II veteran when he played the Star-Spangled Banner prior to a game.
Many of their articles use use aggregated content from other new sources, social media sites, and press releases with "inflammatory headlines" that have been described as rage bait used by "far-right social media".
A potential 11 gigawatts of generation. France ain't fucking around.
In France, solar just got a huge boost from new legislation approved through the Senate this week that will require all parking lots with spaces for at least 80 vehicles – both existing and new – to be covered by solar panels.
The new provisions are part of French president Emmanuel Macron’s large-scale plan to heavily invest in renewables, which aims to multiply by 10 the amount of solar energy produced in the country, and to double the power from land-based wind farms.
Starting July 1, 2023, smaller carparks that have between 80 and 400 spaces will have five years to be in compliance with the new measures. Carparks with more than 400 spaces have a shorter timeline: They will need to comply with the new measures within three years of this date, and at least half of the surface area of the parking lot will need to be covered in solar panels.
It would really be great if our government passed the same legislation.
Every existing and proposed supermarket carpark all big box store and sports stadium carparks all covered with solar power panels. Can't wait. This just the sort of thing we need. It would look so great, maybe we could finally quit our addiction to Huntly coal fired electricity.
I also liked the E-bike ad at the end. Way out of my price range, but if the govt. extended the Electric Vehicle rebate to E-bikes. Maybe.
After reading 6,600 submssions, a select committee [the Finance and Expenditure Select Committee] today reports back on pleas to remove parks and sports fields and farmers’ private stormwaters from the Government’s ambitious Three Waters reforms.
The gathering stormwaters: Pressure to reduce reforms to just Two Waters
Apparently there is No Russian Air Defence Units covering the Bridgeheads & any surviving Air Defence Units are some 50-80kms behind the Russian Forward Edge of the Battlefield ouch!!!
As a result the Ukrainian Airforce are having a field day in-between the Artillery bombardment when the Ukrainian Drop Shorts move from position to position to avoid the Russian counter battery Fire.
My gut feeling is Tsar Poot's has couple of Aces up his sleeve & I wouldn't be surprised if the Russians now that dam up river or pops a dirty bomb?
Or either that the entire Russian Army has totally collapse in the Sth and it's Run Rabbit Run as the Ukrainian Drop Shorts go boom boom?
To undertake a Withdrawal under fire is the hardest Military manoeuvre to do even with a highly motivated & disciplined force & it could very well turn into a rout that could very well take a life of it own.
Which would be the last thing that Tsar Poot's needs atm. Especially the Ukrainian's Logistics hold up & the Ukrainian's gain a couple Bridgeheads?
May we live interesting times?
Or as great Kiwi, Sir Keith Park ACO Group 11, reportable said when the Luftwaffe were late to arrive the follow morning after the 15th September raids 1940 "bastards are up to something!"
At the moment, likely preferable to the Russian MOD.
"The transfer of Russian troop units to the left bank of the Dnipro river has been completed," the defence ministry said in a statement.
"Not a single unit of military equipment or weapons have been left on the right (western) bank. All Russian servicemen crossed to the left bank," it added. Russia, it said, had not suffered any loss of personnel or equipment during the withdrawal.
Reports are of Ukrainian advanced elements in Kherson already and Russian troop concentrations under heavy fire on the banks of the Dniepr. I saw a Russian telegram channel that talked of panic.
Strategically, the Ukrainians will now once again control the water supply to Crimea. The key Russian supply hub at Chaplynka is going to be in easy range of HIMARS, a weapon the Russians currently have no anwer for. The right bank of the Dniepr consists of high bluffs overlooking the left bank for some distance, so the Ukrainians will basically be able to observe and decimate any Russian units trying to form up there.
This is a big victory for the Ukraine. Psychologically it is a huge blow to the Russians – the scale of the Russian defeat will tell us something of the realtive state of each side in the Kherson attrition battles. If the Ukrainians don't capture much equipment or many prisoners and seem happy to simply observe and follow up the Russian retreat and let their artillery smash the evacuation points then IMHO that points to troop exhaustion and the rumoured high losses in the September offensive battles may be correct. Conversely, if the Russians manage to pull off a competent withdrawl that will speak to improving planning capability on their side.
A big Russian defeat potentially unhinges the entire Russian position from Kherson to Melitopol/Mariupol. The Ukrainians have incrementally made gains in the centre and are almost in HIMARS range of the M14 route and Mariupol, whilst their special forces (called “Partisans” by the Ukrainians) are interdicting Russian supplies coming along the M14 road – this is the only available supply route left to the Russians since the Ukrainians took out the the Crimea bridge rail and road link, so I would expect the next big Ukrainian effort will be to cut off the supply routes Russian troops west of Mariupol (in winter, that means no food or heating) and cause a complete Russian withdrawl into Crimea and evacuation of Mariupol before the end of winter.
Things are looking bad for Putin, I am not sure how many more big defeats he can survive by simply blaming the army. A dictator can only piss off the most heavily armed organisation in his country for so long.
Ukrainian forces are reported to be advancing "warily" being careful of not walking into a death trap.
With all Putin's talk of escalating the war, and fighting tothe last Ukrainian, this retreat is out of character.
My guess; Russian withdrawal from Kherson is a tactical retreat only. It is plausible that Russia is preparing to turn Kherson into a free fire zone to wipe out as many Ukrainians as possible, both military and civilian, with a scorched earth policy using some sort of genocidal weapon of mass destruction, either a dirty bomb, or by blowing the Kakhovka Dam. Blaming the Ukrainians of killing their own to gain sympathy from the West. A lie which will be amplified by pro-Russian trolls, and repeated by useful idiots, around the globe.
In the face of mounting [financial] challenges, the Board of Eke Panuku has unanimously agreed to take a 10% pay cut, effective today – to be reviewed at the end of the current financial year (30 June 2023). In the current environment we think that is tika. As professional directors, we are not looking for any of you to follow suit.The well-being of the Eke Panuku staff and families is of the utmost importance to the Board.
This is flagellating before Caesar; Nos morituri te salutavit …
Brown is going to use his majority on Council to eradicate Panuku entirely. His committee structure integrates Finance with full Council, so he's going to smash it through himelf.
And there goes about 200 salaries over $130k that Auckland won't miss in the middle of a sharp collapse in development.
First budget is due in just under 5 months. I doubt Council will be ready to tackle more than one of thorny issues that you listed (and no doubt there are others) and it may not have to in order fill the forecast gap of $270m for 2023/24; a lot of water will flow under the bridge.
Brown may have some weapons at his disposal but I fail to see he has Council in his pocket; this claim is untested AFAIK. In any case, unless he muzzles the Board of Eke Panuku he cannot control their communications with the public/media. So, I don’t think a PR was is as one-sided as you seem to think it is. That said, his opening gambit of aggressive language and open letters and (still) without fronting for interviews tells me he’s like Putin and prepared to fight dirty – he’s got the team for it too.
Where on Earth do you get your information about 200 salaries over $130k, from that ‘grassroots’ group that aims to defund Eke Panuku? That would mean that pretty much every staff member is paid over $130k!?
The mid-terms was never the "red wave" that the GOP were Trumpeting was going to happen. Sure they may now have a few more seats in the House, than the Dems (Just how many is still to be determined) but Kevin McCarthy is going to have his work cut out trying to control the alt-right wing nuts MTG et al. He's going to be the meat in a very unsavory sandwich.
As for the senate that is still to be decided, and probably not until the run-off in Georgia in early Dec. either way – hard say a great landslide victory.
Many GOP now blaming the "influence" of Trump on the result. And to some extent he is to blame with his massive stacking of the Judiciary with right wing christian conservatives. While Trump still receives 44% support within the party, he is far from being a popular figure nation wide. He would be unlikely to win a race for POTUS again. Even Faux News seem to have washed their hands of him.
Murdoch had his doubts about Trump before the businessman and reality TV star ran for president in 2016. Even when Trump won, Murdoch was unconvinced, reportedly privately calling him a “fucking idiot” following one conversation about immigration.
Well known altruists promote the new future at Bahamas conference.
In the vein of his famous philanthropic streak – “effective altruism” – he wanted to spend his money to help “people who will make sure to follow through on common sense things to try to not have what happened to us over the last few years happen again,”
Yep if you have just lost 32b of investors money (and counting due to levered assets) it would be remarkable if any reinvested what they did not own anymore, a Bear Sterns moment some might say.
He flapped his gums and threatened to buy Twitter, got bored and moved on. But the board didn't and they wanted their money. Two weeks in and he's talking bankruptcy?
Haven't got a spare $44 billion down the back your sofa for your favourite vanity project?
Then you're not Elon Musk.
In the age of climate change and resulting biosphere collapse, you have to wonder if the world can afford the luxury of having multi-billionaires anymore.
Curia poll (not lefty spin) backs up Newshub's in one regard: both show Luxon losing support. But this one is in line with all the others, suggesting Newshub's is the outlier.
I'm not a member of the Labour party, and never have been.
I don't know why anyone would base their views of a party (or even their vote) on political blog comments. Spend 5 minutes on Kiwiblog and joining the communists starts to look attractive. Spend 5 minutes on the Daily Blog and swing back to the right.
Or you could weigh up the policies of the parties and their leaders and decide what kind of government you'd like. Most voters do that without ever reading any blogs, which is probably just as well.
As for the comment you responded to, you could address the points made, agree or disagree … but you don't seem interested in debate here, so it's not clear what you want.
If NAct win in 2023, Luxon will become the least politically experienced NZ PM ever, with only half the prior experience of Key – couldn't come at a better time, could it.
Note that Luxon is in negative territory. That is remarkable: parties and leaders usually go up/down together. When the gov't is at a low ebb, the leader of the opposition is becoming more unpopular.
Nicola for National 2023, put your house shirt on it.
Offering male, female and non-binary as categories of competition conflates sex (immutable and consisting of two, male and female) with gender identity (fluid and difficult to define). The two are not the same. A non-binary category also introduces something which is totally irrelevant in sport — belief — as a sports category. Other beliefs, such as religion or political affiliation, are as irrelevant in sport as the belief that one is non-binary. Elite sporting events do not offer separate prize money based on religion or political affiliation because we recognize those divisions are not meaningful for elite competition. The same should be true of gender identity.
A non-binary category discriminates against females because males run, on average, about 10% faster than females (the women’s world record is 2:14:04; thousands of men have run faster). So females in the non-binary category are not competing on a level playing field."
good on them. I think society needs to draw a line between acceptance of difference and those that wish to 'smash the binary' (as in do away with physical reality), either because of mental distress/dysphoria, or ideology, or both. Compassion, yes. Making fundamental changes to society that affect everyone because of mental distress or undebated politics? No.
I'm also increasingly of the opinion that if women want to escape being female via NB identity, then they can opt out of the social goods that go with being female as well. And if they want to run in races against men, have at it. Set up their own sports organisations, see how they get on.
Most sporting codes have some allowance for women to compete in the male categories already.
I know of one women who was playing in the higher (not quite the top) Wellington Soccer grades for Upper Hutt in goal. I think she was also a Football Fern, though I don't have a specific name. It's pretty rare but can be done where the players can compete at the required level.
A non-binary event sounds like it would be more about a social group than a sporting event. There are also quite a few mixed leagues and competitions around if players are not too serious (and don't mind mentioning that they pass as female for the purposes of the leagues gender balance rules).
(and don't mind mentioning that they pass as female for the purposes of the leagues gender balance rules).
that's the problem right there though, some NB people refuse to acknowledge their biological sex. It's the insistence on changing things so that others have to pretend there is no femaleness in the person. If someone IDs as NB and acknowledges their femaleness where it matters, all good. Play in women's teams, or men's where that is allowed, or NB teams. But if they deny they are female, then stay out of women's teams and don't expect everyone else to deny as well.
I once had an argument with a NB male online, who objected to the term 'NB male' and who thought he should have access to women's spaces. He wasn't transitioning, he just like dressing up in quite beautiful, creatively expressive clothes and makeup, interesting. Obviously male, nothing to do with women (as compared to say transsexual women). It's just weird that NB want access to opposite sex spaces, although I can see for males it's probably a safety thing re toilets.
In mixed team games the binary is broken down a little differently. The two categories are, allowed on the field and, not allowed on the field without the other team alleging your cheating and complaining to the referee.
The main take away is there is no real case of sports bodies preventing participation of gender categories. Basically everybody can always play in the male events at minimum.
The two categories are, allowed on the field and, not allowed on the field without the other team alleging your cheating and complaining to the referee.
What were you trying to say here? In mixed teams, males and females are allowed on the field, and not allowed on the field? What?
The main take away is there is no real case of sports bodies preventing participation of gender categories. Basically everybody can always play in the male events at minimum.
No-one is trying to stop people with a gender identity playing sports. What is being objected to is males playing in women's sports. Because it's obviously, grossly unfair. Also being objected to is the idea that sports can ignore biology (for the most part it can't, and again, obviously, in the sport were it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter).
Mixed teams and NB teams are not the same thing. Plenty of sport isn't played in teams.
In mixed grades the rules will be some version of minimum of two female players on the field (or you can go a player down). But since its basically social grades the enforcement of that is whatever the other team objects to. Whatever genders a team believes are participating is not really relevant.
I was playing some Masters the other night where the rule is up to two underage players at once. Although the opposition were clearly within that rule, my teams been bitching all week, because our opponents fielded a player from the top Wellington grade and he scored all their goals single handedly.
I've never noticed a non-binary identified person playing sports anyway and some how doubt enough could be grouped to form a team, let alone a competition.
The main point about sports participation is, the claim that sex categories in sports are excluding people from participation, by their gender beliefs. That claim is obvious fiction. As far as I've seen there is some kind of competitive pressuring, alleging and demanding of sporting bodies to change their rules but miniscule interest in actual participation by supposedly represented communities.
The exclusive little Establishment club that is Wokedom certainly doesn't.
I mean, why would you allow the hoi polloi, the great unwashed, the 80% of the public who are absolute deplorables to have a say in our future ??? That's sounds absolutely ghastly !!!
Certainly the remarkably rarefied guests at various upmarket Kelburn & Wadestown dinner parties are aghast at the very thought.
No, sod the proles … everything's best left to a cadre of affluent, ruthlessly self-interested narcissistic slobs inhabiting the upper echelons of the professional-managerial class … who, it seems, possess moral sensibilities so much more unusually refined than the rest of us.
Nah, Alan strikes me as someone would give his 2 votes to a fringe party that won’t make the 5% threshold, so in essence his 2 = 0, which is hugely unfair, of course, but that’s democracy for you.
I agree that we should change the current absurdity where one person can have more than one vote in local elections, because they own more than one property.
Unfortunately National and ACT MPs are not keen to change this. Perhaps you could contact them to let them know how strongly you feel about "one person, one vote", or even get a petition going. Good luck.
“One person one vote” is really cool if you’re in the Pakeha majority, voting to confiscate Maori land, perfectly legally, under the Public Works Act
“Let’s all be one culture” is a great way to wipe out Te Reo and Māori culture and deny 800,000 people a voice in their own land
”Let’s have one health system” is fine until you actually look at the data re Māori health outcomes, longevity, lifestyle, and lack of engagement with Pakeha institutions
One would almost think this One Nation rhetoric was white supremacist bullshit designed to suppress a minority culture struggling for its own identity
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
The allure of sport transcends age, culture, and geographical boundaries. It captivates hearts, ignites passions, and provides unparalleled entertainment. Behind the spectacle, however, lies a fascinating world of financial investment and expenditure. Among the vast array of competitive pursuits, one question looms large: which sport carries the hefty title of ...
Introduction Pickleball, a rapidly growing paddle sport, has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions around the world. Its blend of tennis, badminton, and table tennis elements has made it a favorite among players of all ages and skill levels. As the sport’s popularity continues to surge, the question on ...
Abstract: Soccer, the global phenomenon captivating millions worldwide, has a rich history that spans centuries. Its origins trace back to ancient civilizations, but the modern version we know and love emerged through a complex interplay of cultural influences and innovations. This article delves into the fascinating journey of soccer’s evolution, ...
Tinting car windows offers numerous benefits, including enhanced privacy, reduced glare, UV protection, and a more stylish look for your vehicle. However, the cost of window tinting can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article provides a comprehensive guide to help you understand how much you can expect to ...
The pungent smell of gasoline in your car can be an alarming and potentially dangerous problem. Not only is the odor unpleasant, but it can also indicate a serious issue with your vehicle’s fuel system. In this article, we will explore the various reasons why your car may smell like ...
Tree sap can be a sticky, unsightly mess on your car’s exterior. It can be difficult to remove, but with the right techniques and products, you can restore your car to its former glory. Understanding Tree Sap Tree sap is a thick, viscous liquid produced by trees to seal wounds ...
The amount of paint needed to paint a car depends on a number of factors, including the size of the car, the number of coats you plan to apply, and the type of paint you are using. In general, you will need between 1 and 2 gallons of paint for ...
Jump-starting a car is a common task that can be performed even in adverse weather conditions like rain. However, safety precautions and proper techniques are crucial to avoid potential hazards. This comprehensive guide will provide detailed instructions on how to safely jump a car in the rain, ensuring both your ...
Graham Adams writes about the $55m media fund — When Patrick Gower was asked by Mike Hosking last week what he would say to the many Newstalk ZB callers who allege the Labour government bribed media with $55 million of taxpayers’ money via the Public Interest Journalism Fund — and ...
Note: this blog post has been put together over the course of the week I followed the happenings at the conference virtually. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. ...
The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 ‘redesign of the welfare state’ – which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty – various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being ‘Working for Families’, introduced in 2005. ...
Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. ...
Chris Trotter writes – MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. The data is from February this ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications:Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
Chris Trotter writes – The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three. ...
Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blogIn 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
Citizen Science writes – Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
Karl du Fresne writes – There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
David Farrar writes – The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time.A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Māori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
The Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
Changes to minimum wage and benefit indexation means many New Zealanders will get less this year, as the Government gives a big tax break to landlords instead. ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research. “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
Māori representation brings a perspective that encompasses not only the interests of Māori communities but also a broader, holistic approach to environmental stewardship and community well-being, principles deeply embedded in Te Ao Māori (the Māori ...
This week in Auckland, a group of young people took over the microphone at a ministerial press conference, to explain why they oppose the Fast-Track Approvals Bill. One young woman said, ‘We’re here because we love Aotearoa New Zealand. We want to raise our children in an environment that’s thriving, ...
The summer was wonderful. Evie was wonderful, too; finally a teenager, finally worthy of long, hot days. She shaved her legs for the first time and bought cut-off shorts from the op-shop that made them look long. She got a Warehouse singlet so tight on her new shape that her ...
When Thomas James was on his solo camp as part of Outward Bound, the keen outdoorsman didn’t find it too challenging, as others often do. In what might just be the perfect illustration of his character, he saw it as a great opportunity to solve a few problems. “I thought, ...
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On the 11th hour of the 11day of the 11th month the guns fell silent. Armistice Day WW1.
Der Elfte Elfte
(Hopefully I have the article correct ….Sabine?)
I was in Germany one 11/11.
It is also my parents wedding anniversary – they were married on 11/11/1945. The wedding pictures show my father still in Army uniform as although WW2 was over, he did not actually get "demobbed" until 1946. He had been working in malaria control in the Pacific during the later years of the war and when he returned from there, he was sent to the refugee camp for Polish children in Pahiatua to work with those suffering from malaria.
Does anyone want to have a crack at going through the different kinds of "left" now installed in government throughout central and south America?
It's a bizarre variety.
Very thankful, for the sake of this young girl – that the Oranga Tamariki appeal has been dismissed.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300734578/moana-appeal-dismissed-young-mori-girl-can-stay-with-pkeh-caregivers
I feel that it was deeply wrong for OT to have appealed this case in the first place. Children are not a football in the game for state agencies to challenge decisions they don't agree with.
From the article, biological mother’s lawyer:
"When you consider that time compared to a lifetime of being culturally disconnected, then that risk of potential problems with a properly managed transition pales into insignificance,” she said."
Having close friends involved with both fostercare and permanent placement, it is apparent that much of the focus of OT is redirected away from the children in their care.
There is – however – statistical evidence for a higher degree of disconnect for adults brought up in non-biological families. It occurs even if loving acceptance was the norm. So, any research showing that "cultural disconnect" is significant needs to take this underlying factor into account.
In this case, the resultant distress caused to such a young child after four years of attachment should have been obvious. Unfortunately, my friends experienced worse.
It's also a rubbish argument, when comparing 'cultural connectedness' with children who remain with their biological families. I know of dozens of families with Maori whakapapa who are thoroughly 'culturally disconnected' (in this context, that always means from traditional Maori culture – connectedness to other cultures is ignored). Does OT propose to remove all of those children and place them with culturally appropriate caregivers? /sarc/
Some of those children may choose to explore that side of their ancestry when they grow up.
The most important thing for any child in foster care or adoption (actually in any family whether biological or not) is that they be safe, secure, cared for, and loved. That should be OT's number one priority. Of course, family placement should be considered first (although, frequently they don't meet the criteria for the same reasons the parents don't).
OT have enough issues to work on to ensure their caregivers meet the basic criteria – without vindictively pursuing excellent and loving caregivers through the court system in what appears to be an attempt to vindicate the bias of a social worker.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/476106/ombudsman-accuses-oranga-tamariki-of-litany-of-failures-before-malachi-subecz-s-death
NB: this case also outlines why some parents should not have control over appropriate placement for their children.
I recall a similar case a few years back. Don't think it was the same one but same situation:
A little Maori girl was with Pakeha foster parents who were in the throes of adopting her. They loved her dearly and were doing everything they could to make sure she grew up knowing her Maori heritage and ensuring she had ties to her whanau.
A media video of the actual moment she was taken away from those 'parents' broke my heart into a thousand pieces – a little girl sobbing her heart out being removed from the only 'parents' she had known.
I can't imagine what it did to that little one. I think she was four or five years old at the time.
I think there's been a few reports over the years since that cultural policy was introduced (a couple of decades ago?).
A depressingly repetitive scenario.
True family-by-marriage story.
Mother of 3 kids – is basically incompetent (drug issues, gang/criminal connections, evidence of sexual abuse of the children by the men in her life, basic lack of care and parenting). OT have thrown more than $500K and counting – at her in an attempt to remedy the situation. It hasn't worked. You have to want to change, in order for change to happen.
In the meantime, the kids have been in and out of foster care multiple times (at least 5 I'm aware of) – since they were babies/toddlers – they're now in their teens. The kids have AFAICS lost any ability to attach to anyone, and any trust that any adult in their life is there for the long term. And, I can see the cycle beginning all over again – the oldest, at 16 is pregnant – the 'father' (TBH, really a sperm donor – he demonstrates no 'fatherly' traits) wants nothing to do with her or the baby – and she has zero ability to look after herself, let alone a baby. She is clinging to the idea that finally, someone will love her (the baby). We all can see how that tragedy is going to play out.
The best possible result for those kids would have been for them to have been placed in permanent foster (or adoptive) care as babies/toddlers. Preferably with no contact with the mother – who is a profoundly destabilizing influence. Then they would have had a chance at a decent life. They sure don't have much of a shot at one now.
Yes.
An excellent example of how blind adherence to some narrow ideology can out-strip common sense and compassion.
An update on the original story:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/130438786/no-winners-7yearold-moanas-future-the-focus-after-lengthy-court-battle
Precisely the same dynamic underlies the crude, distorted dogma of Wokedom / Critical Theory / ID Politics in general. Guaranteed to create whole new forms of social injustice … and it certainly won't be Wokedom's affluent professional-managerial class cheerleaders who'll do all the sacrifice & suffering.
School dress code appears to have been approved by the Ontario School Board:
https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-ontario-school-board-determines-busty-biological-male-teacher-allowed-to-wear-fetish-props-to-school
16lb of fake tits, a "camel toe" insert in the front of his shorts, and a long blond wig in a woodwork and metal shop classroom. What could be more appropriate for a secondary school setting?
“But it is not a fetish”!
I don't know for sure. There were rumours that he was attempting to be fired last year, so it may be a fetish – or a grievance preparation strategy. Whichever – if either – is true, the individual is an occurrence.
The real issue lies with the legislation and interpretation of law that means the Ontario School Board feels unable to address this responsibly.
Or any other occurrences in the same vein.
I also heard rumours (twitter) that he is not trans and was taking the piss and/or making a political statement
Surely there's a safety issue, with dangerous machinery and such.
Both a safety and a safeguarding issue I would say.
The Post Millennial is a conservative Christian publication that seeks the imposition of Biblical values via legislation, in other words, it wants homosexuality, transgenderism, abortion, birth control all outlawed, and women to be completely subservient to their husbands and of course, our friend the dead Palestinian carpenter. Quite frankly what business left wing woman like you should have in reading that filth , I have no idea.
Needs to be remembered that those who oppose transgenderism are lining up with the Christian Taliban.
[I count at least 7 claims of fact in your first paragraph. You will now provide evidence of the following or you will acknowledge that your comment was unfactual.
Evidence means a link, AND a quote (links alone are insufficient, I’m not doing your work for your by reading whole articles to parse your evidence). Audio or video must have a time stamp.
You have so much form for making shit up like this that you can count this as your only warning. Ban will be double whatever it was last time. – weka]
[below Millsy acknowledges that they made their first paragraph up – weka]
Do you have some counter evidence that there is another side to this story?
Because – I (as a parent) would be just as opposed if my kid's woodwork, or English or Maths teachers, for that matter – dressed up in fetish gear at school – regardless of their sexuality or gender orientation.
Do what you please in your own time. But, at school, there are appropriate standards of dress – and this doesn't meet them.
You appear to be conflating an opposition to a hyper-sexualised environment being created in the classroom, with opposition to transgenderism.
From what I read, this was a guy taking the piss out of school board policies around gender identity, not an actual transgender teacher.
Sorry, but I don't have a source, but this was from a Twitter post by someone close to the school.
"The Post Millennial is a conservative Christian publication "….
Yes, posted an article so those that don't know the context can view. Feel free to find and post your own approved source.
For the puritans who know everything without context here is the report written for the school board:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FhJBIB-X0AARVtd?format=jpg&name=4096×4096
… and the Ontario Human Rights Commission legislation that informed the report:
https://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/policy-preventing-discrimination-because-gender-identity-and-gender-expression
Now that you've done your usual attempts of shaming, and passing judgment as well as telling " left wing woman like you …., …. I have no idea." , are you able to offer any contribution about the content of the post, and the situation the Ontario School Board find themselves in?
(I suspect bringing up the impact on the students and other adults in the school may be a step too far, so we'll leave that for now).
@ millsy – FWIW, I did try and find the original source for "Halton School Board report 22147" before posting, but had no success, so the article with the Twitter link provided the only copy I had.
Also, unless an article itself promotes what you say, I usually take it on the same face value I do with any article. Which leads to checking for other source confirmations whether linked or not.
Here are the other three mentions I could find of the school board response, which I have also not checked for "untoward" thoughts. Perhaps you can grade them regarding acceptable places for left wing women accordingly:
https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/ontario-halton-district-school-board-teacher-dress-code-giant-fake-breasts
https://www.insauga.com/school-board-wont-stop-transgender-oakville-teacher-from-wearing-provocative-clothing/
https://globalnews.ca/news/9268026/oakville-teachers-attire-dress-code-review/
Re: approved sources, is there not a question about why left-wing sites would not consider this worth reporting on?
Report 22147 does seem rather thin.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PnhHCrzgVqTBnbXKgTpiNmucpGNc5s1x/view
Thanks .
Will read later. Heading out.
Quick skim, it appears concluding remarks remain relevant:
“Concluding Remarks
The Board has requested that the Director of Education provide information on the potential implications which may arise from a decision to implement a staff dress code.
It is clear from the above analysis that the implementation of a formal staff dress code or grooming standards would likely expose the Board to considerable liability. Even if a dress code is implemented for non-discriminatory reasons, it would likely be found to be discriminatory where it adversely affects an employee or group of employees on the basis of their Code-protected grounds.
Finally, and most importantly, we note that if the employer desires to foster a culture of professionalism, respect, equity and inclusion, a truly reasonable and non-discriminatory dress code or grooming standards would most likely fail to yield the intended results.”
So called left wing women, especially those who identity as being 'gender critical' are sounding more and more like Phyllis Schafly every day.
you're in premod until I am satisfied with your response to my moderation above.
and if you choose not to respond and instead disappear, I will simply ban you.
See my reponse above. I retract the above comment as well.
here’s your problem. It took time to write the mod note, then put in you premod. When I saw your retractions I looked up your moderation history and see moderators have spent a lot of time moderating you. Last time there was discussion in the backend about permanently banning you. Your last ban was something like 9 months. You have a long history of a pattern of behaviour of making inflammatory, misleading and unfactual comments that tie up a lot of time on bullshit debate and people trying to get corrections or evidence. I’m not seeing anything that suggests you will stop doing this, other than the threat of a long ban.
Next time I see you doing what you have done today, I will ban you without warning. Expect at least a year.
If you do want to change, even just to retain commenting privileges, here’s what I suggest:
That’s standard fare at TS and you’ve been here more than long enough to know this. Ball is in your court as to whether you get to keep commenting here.
OK.
There are multiple publications reporting this story. Unfortunately the so called "progressive " media is reluctant to do so.
mod note.
OK, weka. Fair enough. My comment was unfactual. I hereby withdraw my allegations.
I'm going to address this in a comment, because you have enough modding going on above to do for now.
Gender critical people don't inherently 'oppose transgenderism'. Many are left wing and have no trouble with gender non-conforming people. Their politics is focused on gender identity ideology, the queer theory movements, and the impacts of those on women, children, lesbians and gays, and children, as well as society as a whole.
Some GC are transphobic and so oppose transness it self.
The statement that GC people are lining up with the Christian Taliban is a piece of propaganda from the GI ideologists. There are issues in the US about GC people allying with the religious right, but it's complex and related to the weird US political scene.
In the UK, gender critical feminism is a left wing/centre left movement. Many GCFs and other GC people actively distance themselves from the religious right (and from proto-fascism. For obvious reasons.
Anyone running GC is allied to the religious right is pig ignorant. You running this line here tells me that you are reading only material that affirms your prejudices against GC positions, and it suggests that you don't know what GC positions are.
I agree Weka. The simple fact is that transness in some of its flavours is the only human right gained at the expense of another set of people who are/have been marginalised.
So bio women who may have been assaulted ot scared by bio males are now faced with having to share intimate private spaces such as toilets and the like with the self same bio males. They also may have be expected to have to allow themselves to counselled, or not at all by bio males (Canadian case where trans but bio male was employed to counsel rape survivors.) They may have to share a prison, where they face rape from bio men.
So the right of a bio woman to have safety is potentially threatened. Most of us put personal safety quite high up on the list to be protected as we as women go about our daily lives.
Most of us, having been on the wrong end of the rights argument in health, education and work experiences would usually be welcoming to another marginalised group.
Some involved in transness don't bother to seek hormonal or other changes to 'personify' their alleged new gender and act as Lia Thomas has in being a complete bio male, competing in women's events and changing in female changing rooms.
The point is that transness even accepting the rightness of not discriminating can be inherently threatening
I'd suggest that the parents withdraw their kids from the class. If there are no kids to teach, the board would have to 'regretfully' let her go….
The larger issue is not the individual, it is the fact that the School Board is unable to address this in a sensible way because of fear of being successfully sued:
"“It is clear from the above analysis that the implementation of a formal staff dress code or grooming standards would likely expose the Board to considerable liability,” said the report in conclusion. “Even if a dress code is implemented for non-discriminatory reasons, it would likely be found to be discriminatory where it adversely affects an employee or group of employers on the basis of their Code-protected rights.”"
Apparently, the Education Minister has asked for a review, after this incident came to light, but that has not been produced as yet, and appears to be a case of locking the stable door after the horse has bolted:
"Back in September, Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce requested that the Ontario College of Teachers review and “consider strengthening” provisions regarding professional conduct “in the interest of all kids in Ontario.” The results of this review are still pending."
Yep – but why on earth are they trying to address it under the dress code? It is nothing to do with dress. It's an overtly sexualised display that is either intended to, or will in effect, undermine students' ability to learn, and make them feel uncomfortable or distressed. The rules on student welfare and teacher code of ethics could quite non-controversially handle that whoever does it – straight gay, transgender, male, female, both, neither or any imaginable or unimaginable combination of all of them.
You would hope that would be the case – I believe the fear of litigation and censure holds as strong a grip as definitive legislation would. The untested reach of legislative change can be a strong motivator for institutional avoidance.
In terms of the impact of such behaviour I did a Twitter thread back in September:
https://twitter.com/EdgeWatching/status/1572380161378754562?s=20&t=epdWWIdHIS0AIUYaQR3yaQ
Why should children not get their required education because their teacher appears to have decided that every day is a "bring your paraphilia to work" day?
Oh, I agree that it's not ideal. Just practical.
IIRC we had a similar situation many, many years ago at uni – with a lecturer. Not sexual issues, just an utterly incompetent teacher. The word went quietly around not to enrol in his papers one year – and he was 'regretfully' retired.
I decreased the image size because it was hurting my brain 😉
I didn't want to go there but the current headlines at The Post Millennial are obsessed with, in no particular order, antifa, transgenders, non-binaries, biological males, gender clinics, MSNBC pundits, Kari Lake, Maricopa County, Hunter Biden, Democrats controlling media, etc. Millsy's assumption that it is a conservative christian outlet is a fair assumption, imo.
It is definitely a far right transphobic outlet.
After reading their hate site and this thread @5 I've concluded The Post Millennial is a far more dangerous entity than Kayla Lemieux:
Yeah, looks like it picks up a few…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Post_Millennial
"After reading their hate site and this thread @5 I've concluded The Post Millennial is a far more dangerous entity than Kayla Lemieux:"
All good.
Like millsy, if you can source an approved left-wing site reporting on the situation, post it here.
Or – perhaps – comment on the situation and discuss.
A potential 11 gigawatts of generation. France ain't fucking around.
In France, solar just got a huge boost from new legislation approved through the Senate this week that will require all parking lots with spaces for at least 80 vehicles – both existing and new – to be covered by solar panels.
The new provisions are part of French president Emmanuel Macron’s large-scale plan to heavily invest in renewables, which aims to multiply by 10 the amount of solar energy produced in the country, and to double the power from land-based wind farms.
Starting July 1, 2023, smaller carparks that have between 80 and 400 spaces will have five years to be in compliance with the new measures. Carparks with more than 400 spaces have a shorter timeline: They will need to comply with the new measures within three years of this date, and at least half of the surface area of the parking lot will need to be covered in solar panels.
https://electrek.co/2022/11/08/france-require-parking-lots-be-covered-in-solar-panels/
Thanks for high lighting this Joe.
It would really be great if our government passed the same legislation.
Every existing and proposed supermarket carpark all big box store and sports stadium carparks all covered with solar power panels. Can't wait. This just the sort of thing we need. It would look so great, maybe we could finally quit our addiction to Huntly coal fired electricity.
I also liked the E-bike ad at the end. Way out of my price range, but if the govt. extended the Electric Vehicle rebate to E-bikes. Maybe.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/08/jacinda-ardern-climate-change-is-my-generation-s-nuclear-free-moment.html
Well maybe, maybe not.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/10/opinion-is-new-zealand-a-leader-in-climate-change-or-a-follower.html
But couldn’t the government, just at the very least fulfill John Key’s ambition for us to be a fast follower?
Today is an important day and another step for Three Waters Reforms.
The woman whose impassionate plea won over Three Waters MPs
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/pro/the-impassioned-plea-that-won-over-mps [Subscription required]
The gathering stormwaters: Pressure to reduce reforms to just Two Waters
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/pro/water-services-entities-bill-stormwaters [Subscription required]
Kherson's going to resemble Dunkirk pretty quick.
An artilleryman's dream – 30k closely massed troops crossing a 1500 metre wide waterway packed in small boats and ferries.
I imagine the drivers of those drone watercraft are pretty keen on it too.
And operating with impunity.
https://twitter.com/Archer83Able/status/1590854931799760896
If Twitter is anything to go by atm?
Apparently there is No Russian Air Defence Units covering the Bridgeheads & any surviving Air Defence Units are some 50-80kms behind the Russian Forward Edge of the Battlefield ouch!!!
As a result the Ukrainian Airforce are having a field day in-between the Artillery bombardment when the Ukrainian Drop Shorts move from position to position to avoid the Russian counter battery Fire.
My gut feeling is Tsar Poot's has couple of Aces up his sleeve & I wouldn't be surprised if the Russians now that dam up river or pops a dirty bomb?
Or either that the entire Russian Army has totally collapse in the Sth and it's Run Rabbit Run as the Ukrainian Drop Shorts go boom boom?
To undertake a Withdrawal under fire is the hardest Military manoeuvre to do even with a highly motivated & disciplined force & it could very well turn into a rout that could very well take a life of it own.
Which would be the last thing that Tsar Poot's needs atm. Especially the Ukrainian's Logistics hold up & the Ukrainian's gain a couple Bridgeheads?
May we live interesting times?
Or as great Kiwi, Sir Keith Park ACO Group 11, reportable said when the Luftwaffe were late to arrive the follow morning after the 15th September raids 1940 "bastards are up to something!"
At the moment, likely preferable to the Russian MOD.
"The transfer of Russian troop units to the left bank of the Dnipro river has been completed," the defence ministry said in a statement.
"Not a single unit of military equipment or weapons have been left on the right (western) bank. All Russian servicemen crossed to the left bank," it added. Russia, it said, had not suffered any loss of personnel or equipment during the withdrawal.
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-says-it-has-completed-kherson-withdrawal-tass-2022-11-11/
Reports are of Ukrainian advanced elements in Kherson already and Russian troop concentrations under heavy fire on the banks of the Dniepr. I saw a Russian telegram channel that talked of panic.
Strategically, the Ukrainians will now once again control the water supply to Crimea. The key Russian supply hub at Chaplynka is going to be in easy range of HIMARS, a weapon the Russians currently have no anwer for. The right bank of the Dniepr consists of high bluffs overlooking the left bank for some distance, so the Ukrainians will basically be able to observe and decimate any Russian units trying to form up there.
This is a big victory for the Ukraine. Psychologically it is a huge blow to the Russians – the scale of the Russian defeat will tell us something of the realtive state of each side in the Kherson attrition battles. If the Ukrainians don't capture much equipment or many prisoners and seem happy to simply observe and follow up the Russian retreat and let their artillery smash the evacuation points then IMHO that points to troop exhaustion and the rumoured high losses in the September offensive battles may be correct. Conversely, if the Russians manage to pull off a competent withdrawl that will speak to improving planning capability on their side.
A big Russian defeat potentially unhinges the entire Russian position from Kherson to Melitopol/Mariupol. The Ukrainians have incrementally made gains in the centre and are almost in HIMARS range of the M14 route and Mariupol, whilst their special forces (called “Partisans” by the Ukrainians) are interdicting Russian supplies coming along the M14 road – this is the only available supply route left to the Russians since the Ukrainians took out the the Crimea bridge rail and road link, so I would expect the next big Ukrainian effort will be to cut off the supply routes Russian troops west of Mariupol (in winter, that means no food or heating) and cause a complete Russian withdrawl into Crimea and evacuation of Mariupol before the end of winter.
Things are looking bad for Putin, I am not sure how many more big defeats he can survive by simply blaming the army. A dictator can only piss off the most heavily armed organisation in his country for so long.
Twitter saying the UAF has gone for annihilation, >500 artillery/rocket strikes/min on four ferry crossings.
Ukrainian forces are reported to be advancing "warily" being careful of not walking into a death trap.
With all Putin's talk of escalating the war, and fighting to the last Ukrainian, this retreat is out of character.
My guess; Russian withdrawal from Kherson is a tactical retreat only. It is plausible that Russia is preparing to turn Kherson into a free fire zone to wipe out as many Ukrainians as possible, both military and civilian, with a scorched earth policy using some sort of genocidal weapon of mass destruction, either a dirty bomb, or by blowing the Kakhovka Dam. Blaming the Ukrainians of killing their own to gain sympathy from the West. A lie which will be amplified by pro-Russian trolls, and repeated by useful idiots, around the globe.
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/is-kakhovka-dam-ukraine-about-be-blown-2022-10-21/
https://www.ekepanuku.co.nz/news-and-blogs/eke-panuku-board-chair-update-8-november
It doesn’t sound like much but with the rapidly rising CoL a 10% pay-cut is bigger than it seems.
This is flagellating before Caesar; Nos morituri te salutavit …
Brown is going to use his majority on Council to eradicate Panuku entirely. His committee structure integrates Finance with full Council, so he's going to smash it through himelf.
And there goes about 200 salaries over $130k that Auckland won't miss in the middle of a sharp collapse in development.
Nope, Nero is just a fiddler; this is the start of a PR war.
Seems an entirely one sided war since only the Mayor has the weapons.
His line-by-line committee will have on its list stuff we haven't seen since Shipley's gang hit Bruce Jesson at the ARC:
– Sell the port operation
– Sell the airport shares
– Sell off Panuku as a going concern, wipe the board
– Bring AT fully in house, wipe the board
– Disband the economic part of Auckland Unlimited and bring the Zoo and Museum in house, wipe the board
– Has no choice but to let Watercare go when the legislation goes through
– Wipe out all the community support functions in council
He could even keep the IMSB happy by offloading more parks management to them.
All of this and more will be on the table soon for his first budget proposal.
Brown seems pretty adamant that the ports, at least, aren't on the chopping block.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/ports-of-auckland-takeover-auckland-mayor-wayne-brown-tells-foreign-port-company-business-is-not-for-sale/GZTFMSHVU4YOB2TGE5TNBN4XQA/
First budget is due in just under 5 months. I doubt Council will be ready to tackle more than one of thorny issues that you listed (and no doubt there are others) and it may not have to in order fill the forecast gap of $270m for 2023/24; a lot of water will flow under the bridge.
Brown may have some weapons at his disposal but I fail to see he has Council in his pocket; this claim is untested AFAIK. In any case, unless he muzzles the Board of Eke Panuku he cannot control their communications with the public/media. So, I don’t think a PR was is as one-sided as you seem to think it is. That said, his opening gambit of aggressive language and open letters and (still) without fronting for interviews tells me he’s like Putin and prepared to fight dirty – he’s got the team for it too.
Where on Earth do you get your information about 200 salaries over $130k, from that ‘grassroots’ group that aims to defund Eke Panuku? That would mean that pretty much every staff member is paid over $130k!?
Eke Panuku staff salaries – I suspect that it's a mis-reading of the figures.
203 staff (total). Includes 50 middle managers paid an average of $143K, and 9 executive team paid over $200K
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/auckland-council-controlled-eke-panukus-middle-managers-earn-an-average-of-143000-a-year/CYYVDKHQR25FZSGAIBYLUO44UY/
Oh Dear! Trumpty Dumpty (Who couldn't even build a wall) has had a great fall.
Can all the GOP put him back together again?
Not sure quite what they are complaining about.
Republicans have won Congress and within a hair's breadth of controlling the Senate.
They already control the Supreme Court for many terms to come. They have electoral war chests galore.
It's now a contest between Democrats having support destroyed fast by inflation, or Republicans having support destroyed by DoJ Trump indictments.
Not unreasonable that Trump Republicans would come out better than Biden Democrats.
The mid-terms was never the "red wave" that the GOP were Trumpeting was going to happen. Sure they may now have a few more seats in the House, than the Dems (Just how many is still to be determined) but Kevin McCarthy is going to have his work cut out trying to control the alt-right wing nuts MTG et al. He's going to be the meat in a very unsavory sandwich.
As for the senate that is still to be decided, and probably not until the run-off in Georgia in early Dec. either way – hard say a great landslide victory.
Many GOP now blaming the "influence" of Trump on the result. And to some extent he is to blame with his massive stacking of the Judiciary with right wing christian conservatives. While Trump still receives 44% support within the party, he is far from being a popular figure nation wide. He would be unlikely to win a race for POTUS again. Even Faux News seem to have washed their hands of him.
It's not going well.
https://twitter.com/travisakers/status/1590743279292731392
https://www.rawstory.com/judge-demands-trump-lawyers-pay-sanctions-and-fees-over-lawsuit-as-they-face-disbarment-report/
Well known altruists promote the new future at Bahamas conference.
Yep if you have just lost 32b of investors money (and counting due to levered assets) it would be remarkable if any reinvested what they did not own anymore, a Bear Sterns moment some might say.
https://twitter.com/DoombergT/status/1590647335696338945?cxt=HHwWgsDQ8d_UjpMsAAAA
https://twitter.com/markets/status/1590806500934504448?cxt=HHwWgMCqqbGF15MsAAAA
https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2022/11/10/washington-dcs-buddy-sam-bankman-fried-has-some-explaining-to-do/
He flapped his gums and threatened to buy Twitter, got bored and moved on. But the board didn't and they wanted their money. Two weeks in and he's talking bankruptcy?
Way to piss $44 billion away, Elon.
https://twitter.com/ZoeSchiffer/status/1590812793787518977
Haven't got a spare $44 billion down the back your sofa for your favourite vanity project?
Then you're not Elon Musk.
In the age of climate change and resulting biosphere collapse, you have to wonder if the world can afford the luxury of having multi-billionaires anymore.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/how-to-piss-away-2444-billion-an-elon-musk-timeline/ar-AA13YIKg
Curia poll (not lefty spin) backs up Newshub's in one regard: both show Luxon losing support. But this one is in line with all the others, suggesting Newshub's is the outlier.
A tweet, poll not yet in the media
Both show a change of government -so what is your point
OK, you need it explaining.
LOTO polling: Ardern's went up. Key's went up. Clark's went up (99 not 96, when she lost).
No LOTO has won under MMP with low (in fact, declining) personal support.
If you think it's OK for National to risk defeat by carrying a major handicap, that's great. For Labour and the Greens, even Winston.
" OK, you need it explaining ”
Do you know how arrogant you are Observer ?
No of course not !
Someone so obnoxious and obviously pretentious as you would never been tolerated in the real Labour party.
But you fit right in on here.
I'm not a member of the Labour party, and never have been.
I don't know why anyone would base their views of a party (or even their vote) on political blog comments. Spend 5 minutes on Kiwiblog and joining the communists starts to look attractive. Spend 5 minutes on the Daily Blog and swing back to the right.
Or you could weigh up the policies of the parties and their leaders and decide what kind of government you'd like. Most voters do that without ever reading any blogs, which is probably just as well.
As for the comment you responded to, you could address the points made, agree or disagree … but you don't seem interested in debate here, so it's not clear what you want.
Hence all the talk of Ardern upping sticks – expect much more of this desperate stuff.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/bryce-edwards-the-increasing-speculation-about-jacinda-ardern-quitting/U72FTQFMEJFADALEK5HKF4BXTY/
If NAct win in 2023, Luxon will become the least politically experienced NZ PM ever, with only half the prior experience of Key – couldn't come at a better time, could it.
Here's the NZME link:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/national-and-act-govern-on-new-poll-but-labour-greens-close-gap/IT3ETDE4P5GYDMJJ4SIGHIZJIA/
Note that Luxon is in negative territory. That is remarkable: parties and leaders usually go up/down together. When the gov't is at a low ebb, the leader of the opposition is becoming more unpopular.
Nicola for National 2023, put your
houseshirt on it.Seems surprising that Newhub's poll came out on the evening of Labour Conference. Very surprising.
Taxpayer's Poll today not too grim for Labour Greens:
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/latest-poll-puts-national-act-power
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Only if you tend toward both the highly partisan and conspiracy-minded.
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No, don’t think so.
Newshub’s no more an outlier than Talbot-Mills … broader point: polls all in relative agreement.
…………………………………… Right Bloc …. Left Bloc …. Right advantage
Curia (3-8 Nov)…………………. 48 …………….. 43 ………………. 5
Newshub (25 Oct-3 Nov) ….. 51 ……………. 42 ………………. 9
Curia (2-11 Oct)…………………. 49 ……………. 42 ………………. 7
Talbot-Mills (Oct) ……………… 46 ……………. 44 ……………….. 2
Roy Morgan (Sep) …………….. 49 ……………. 42 ……………….. 7
Do you mean Horizon, rather than Newshub – being the outlier?
The most recent Newshub poll seems to be pretty much in line with the Curia one.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_next_New_Zealand_general_election
These folks get the message.
Offering male, female and non-binary as categories of competition conflates sex (immutable and consisting of two, male and female) with gender identity (fluid and difficult to define). The two are not the same. A non-binary category also introduces something which is totally irrelevant in sport — belief — as a sports category. Other beliefs, such as religion or political affiliation, are as irrelevant in sport as the belief that one is non-binary. Elite sporting events do not offer separate prize money based on religion or political affiliation because we recognize those divisions are not meaningful for elite competition. The same should be true of gender identity.
A non-binary category discriminates against females because males run, on average, about 10% faster than females (the women’s world record is 2:14:04; thousands of men have run faster). So females in the non-binary category are not competing on a level playing field."
https://www.letsrun.com/news/2022/11/gender-identity-has-no-place-in-sport/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
good on them. I think society needs to draw a line between acceptance of difference and those that wish to 'smash the binary' (as in do away with physical reality), either because of mental distress/dysphoria, or ideology, or both. Compassion, yes. Making fundamental changes to society that affect everyone because of mental distress or undebated politics? No.
I'm also increasingly of the opinion that if women want to escape being female via NB identity, then they can opt out of the social goods that go with being female as well. And if they want to run in races against men, have at it. Set up their own sports organisations, see how they get on.
Most sporting codes have some allowance for women to compete in the male categories already.
I know of one women who was playing in the higher (not quite the top) Wellington Soccer grades for Upper Hutt in goal. I think she was also a Football Fern, though I don't have a specific name. It's pretty rare but can be done where the players can compete at the required level.
A non-binary event sounds like it would be more about a social group than a sporting event. There are also quite a few mixed leagues and competitions around if players are not too serious (and don't mind mentioning that they pass as female for the purposes of the leagues gender balance rules).
that's the problem right there though, some NB people refuse to acknowledge their biological sex. It's the insistence on changing things so that others have to pretend there is no femaleness in the person. If someone IDs as NB and acknowledges their femaleness where it matters, all good. Play in women's teams, or men's where that is allowed, or NB teams. But if they deny they are female, then stay out of women's teams and don't expect everyone else to deny as well.
I once had an argument with a NB male online, who objected to the term 'NB male' and who thought he should have access to women's spaces. He wasn't transitioning, he just like dressing up in quite beautiful, creatively expressive clothes and makeup, interesting. Obviously male, nothing to do with women (as compared to say transsexual women). It's just weird that NB want access to opposite sex spaces, although I can see for males it's probably a safety thing re toilets.
In mixed team games the binary is broken down a little differently. The two categories are, allowed on the field and, not allowed on the field without the other team alleging your cheating and complaining to the referee.
The main take away is there is no real case of sports bodies preventing participation of gender categories. Basically everybody can always play in the male events at minimum.
Sorry, but that makes little grammatical sense.
What were you trying to say here? In mixed teams, males and females are allowed on the field, and not allowed on the field? What?
No-one is trying to stop people with a gender identity playing sports. What is being objected to is males playing in women's sports. Because it's obviously, grossly unfair. Also being objected to is the idea that sports can ignore biology (for the most part it can't, and again, obviously, in the sport were it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter).
Mixed teams and NB teams are not the same thing. Plenty of sport isn't played in teams.
In mixed grades the rules will be some version of minimum of two female players on the field (or you can go a player down). But since its basically social grades the enforcement of that is whatever the other team objects to. Whatever genders a team believes are participating is not really relevant.
I was playing some Masters the other night where the rule is up to two underage players at once. Although the opposition were clearly within that rule, my teams been bitching all week, because our opponents fielded a player from the top Wellington grade and he scored all their goals single handedly.
I've never noticed a non-binary identified person playing sports anyway and some how doubt enough could be grouped to form a team, let alone a competition.
The main point about sports participation is, the claim that sex categories in sports are excluding people from participation, by their gender beliefs. That claim is obvious fiction. As far as I've seen there is some kind of competitive pressuring, alleging and demanding of sporting bodies to change their rules but miniscule interest in actual participation by supposedly represented communities.
Keep pressing on Minister Mahuta. All power to you. Make the farmers quake.
Three Waters co-governance retained after 88,000 public submissions – NZ Herald
A useful (and very informative) test that anyone can try:
When somebody says they "oppose 3 waters", ask them to name … the 3 waters. Yes, as easy as that.
Answers will often include "co-governance", "Mahuta", "Cindy", etc.
But actually knowing what the policy is … not so much.
Another very useful test that anyone can try;
"Do you believe in democracy, one person, one vote?"
.
The exclusive little Establishment club that is Wokedom certainly doesn't.
I mean, why would you allow the hoi polloi, the great unwashed, the 80% of the public who are absolute deplorables to have a say in our future ??? That's sounds absolutely ghastly !!!
Certainly the remarkably rarefied guests at various upmarket Kelburn & Wadestown dinner parties are aghast at the very thought.
No, sod the proles … everything's best left to a cadre of affluent, ruthlessly self-interested narcissistic slobs inhabiting the upper echelons of the professional-managerial class … who, it seems, possess moral sensibilities so much more unusually refined than the rest of us.
If that sums up your understanding of the concept of democracy then you and I are likely to talk past each other.
If that's your rule I think you must surely stick to it.
Will you be voting electorate candidate or political party in the next general election?
Nah, Alan strikes me as someone would give his 2 votes to a fringe party that won’t make the 5% threshold, so in essence his 2 = 0, which is hugely unfair, of course, but that’s democracy for you.
Its a risky strategy, I tend to bet on the favourites myself but the payout is often low.
I did get an anonymous tip that, the best margin is in the trifecta, so I recommend picking all your top 3 in order at the general election.
I agree that we should change the current absurdity where one person can have more than one vote in local elections, because they own more than one property.
Unfortunately National and ACT MPs are not keen to change this. Perhaps you could contact them to let them know how strongly you feel about "one person, one vote", or even get a petition going. Good luck.
“One person one vote” is really cool if you’re in the Pakeha majority, voting to confiscate Maori land, perfectly legally, under the Public Works Act
“Let’s all be one culture” is a great way to wipe out Te Reo and Māori culture and deny 800,000 people a voice in their own land
”Let’s have one health system” is fine until you actually look at the data re Māori health outcomes, longevity, lifestyle, and lack of engagement with Pakeha institutions
One would almost think this One Nation rhetoric was white supremacist bullshit designed to suppress a minority culture struggling for its own identity