So this happened today at Barnes & Noble: I went to take the kids to meet the Paw Patrol characters and this nice man approached me, told me how beautiful the girls are, and conveyed a heartfelt apology for the general anti-Muslim sentiment in our society today. He had tears in his eyes and told me that it must be so hard to turn on the news, that he feels awful about the bigotry my kids might one day experience, and that as a Jewish man whose parents didn’t speak any English growing up, he personally understands what it feels like to be rejected and discriminated against. I asked if I could give him a hug (he looked like he needed one more than me, but I guess I needed one too) and he wanted to reassure me that most Americans are decent people who don’t hate people like me or believe what they hear on the news. He then told me he’s turning 90 on Friday and insisted on buying each of the kids a present as a gift for himself and so they can have something to remember him by. I told him we should just take a picture instead so I can tell them the story one day (he accepted) but insisted on buying them gifts anyway afterwards.
“Sorry Morrissey, but not quite the lovely story you were hoping for”
Yeah it is. Her father is allegedly a convicted terrorist. But she isn’t. All I can see from that article is that she was a radical student when younger. Is that a definition of terrorist now? 🙄 So the story works even better if she comes from a family that is radicalised into violence but she herself isn’t. That’s how we create peace, by creating respectful relationships with people who are different from us.
I also noticed the misogyny in that article, that she is acceptable as a nice little wifey but not if she is overtly political.
Bernie Sanders Denounces Brazil’s Impeachment
as Undemocratic, Calls for New Elections
by Glenn Greenwald , The Intercept, Aug. 10 2016
VERMONT SENATOR BERNIE Sanders yesterday denounced in harsh terms the impeachment of Brazil’s democratically elected president. As the Brazilian Senate heads toward a final vote later this month, Sanders described his position, set forth in a statement posted on his Senate site, as “calling on the United States to take a definitive stand against efforts to remove Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff from office.” He added: “To many Brazilians and observers the controversial impeachment process more closely resembles a coup d’état.”
Sanders also condemned the unelected center-right coalition under Michel Temer that has seized power during Rousseff’s suspension and is now trying to install themselves through 2018. “After suspending Brazil’s first female president on dubious grounds, without a mandate to govern,” he said, ” the new interim government abolished the ministry of women, racial equality and human rights” and “replaced a diverse and representative administration with a cabinet made up entirely of white men.” They are now attempting to implement radical policies that could never be democratically ratified: “impose austerity, increase privatization and install a far right-wing social agenda.”
Sanders’ statement comes as Brazil’s elites – virtually unified in favor of Dilma’s impeachment – have taken extraordinary (and almost comically futile) measures during the Olympics to hide from the domestic public, and the world, how deeply unpopular Temer is. ….
Just a comment on yesterdays thread for all you people who are backing Clinton. The bad news for you is CV is right. Sure , Trump is totally unsuitable but Clinton… she will promise anything but it’s not words that count , it’s her actions. Look at her track record— she is nothing but a tool of big money ,corruption and the military. If she gets in you can expect full on war with Russia ( because of American aggression ). Just look who’s getting in behind Clinton … it’s bloody obvious.
I don’t know the answer to the shit this dying empire is getting us into but I do know Hillary Clinton is not the answer that any of us want.
Little aint saying anything to get anyone onboard, Trump does, the wackos and assorted nuts are loving him. Look what reallt puzzles me is Congress, wht havent they started impeachment yet, doesn’t matter which wins, Congress is going to impeach them.
Reminds me of G.W.B stole the election, was loathed, did absolutely nothing but play golf and dig holes on his ranch, only then to have missed all the reports on Bin Laden, it was not until 9/11 that America got a president, whose agemda was spending taxes oncontractors in Iraq by removing the army.
Watch yourself America, unpopular Presidents need grandstanding events to get popular.
…”A number of emails that the former first lady failed to turn over to the US government, but were released after a Freedom of Information Act request, show donors and associates of the Clinton Foundation and its Global Initiative seemingly having special access inside the State Department.
The conservative group Judicial Watch released 296 pages of unseen State Department records Tuesday, including 44 previously unreleased emails…
You must have had some seriously awful experiences with the midwives who supported you through pregnancy, labour and the post partum period PM for you to make such a negative sweeping generalisation.
Totally agree. Our Midwife trained a number of others while over seeing our pregnancies. All of them were fantastic, dedicated professionals. In the second pregnancy because of severe complications she was not able to directly oversee the birth however even though she wasn’t getting paid she showed up late at night and supported us through the birth.
Midwifery as Feminist Praxis
in
Aotearoa/New Zealand
RUTH JOY SURTEES
“This thesis highlights the ways in which the practices of contemporary midwives in
Aotearoa/New Zealand are caught within the intersection of an array of competing
discourses. The context for this is the reconstruction of midwifery in Aotearoa/New Zealand
as an autonomous feminist profession founded on partnership with women. Interviews and
participant observation with midwives, based mainly in one New Zealand city, are the basis of
an analysis of the complexity of midwives’ praxis as professionals. The analysis draws on
insights from critical and feminist approaches to Foucault’s theories of discourse, power and
the subject. It includes discussion of the conditions which came to produce and authorise the
concept of ‘partnership’. Which subjects can speak about partnership, and when? What claims
are made about it? What challenges it? ”
Builds on much work done over the years recording and analysing the largely patriarchy dominated politics of childbirth.
PM’s comment was out and out bigotry (ignorant bigotry I’d guess).
It’s based on a pretty small sample of midwives, yes. News stories like the above one tend to back up the evidence of my admittedly-small sample, however.
Your conviction that one must have experienced a pregnancy to know whether a midwife’s opinion on something is wildly irrational or not lacks an evidential basis.
Po-mo is short for post-modernism, in this case postmodernist philosophy. It’s often used as shorthand to refer to writing that uses academic-sounding jargon to obfuscate rather than explain.
Po mo- post modernism- is rubbish which is infecting academics (often French or American) who have a lot to say about nothing. I met one once. ..Pretentious emptiness to the extreme
For more information look at http://www.physics.nyu.edu/sokal/dawkins.html
That would be like me saying that doctors are rapists because there are some doctors who sexually abuse their patients. That’s me signposting to the problems with your position, not just the obvious one but the trickier political ones too. There is a deeper level of prejudice going on that culturally sanctions the damage that the medical profession does and tolerates, yet pillories the midwifery profession for mistakes that midwives make. There are some pretty murky gender politics in there around power and who we trust.
I remember reading a novel in the eighties set in a busy US hospital.
Young interns gasping in awe and wonder that a woman had actually given birth without the benefit of anaesthesia, analgesia or forceps.
And, shock horror, the mother was alive! The baby was alive!
And, by god the baby was spontaneously breastfeeding!
And, and , all was well despite the Doctors not being able to do anything (because the woman had eaten and couldn’t be anaesthetised) other than catch the baby.
Goodness gracious me…how on earth did humanity survive before the word “obstetrician” was invented?
That would be silly. Two of my kids were delivered by midwives, who were both highly competent, practical people and did a great job. The only one of mine that was delivered by a doctor in a hospital was dead, so you won’t hear any disparaging of midwife competence from me – the doctor/midwife success ratio in my own life overwhelmingly supports midwifery.
My comment was that midwifery “seems to attract a significant proportion of nut jobs,” ie in my experience (the above-mentioned births, multiple sets of ante-natal classes, serving the ones undergoing training at my institution, individuals I’ve known who’ve taken up the profession) a higher proportion of them are irrationalists than in other professions. That’s still a low proportion overall.
“…midwifery “seems to attract a significant proportion of nut jobs,”
Hmmm…I remember at varsity in the late seventies the psychology majors having a preponderance of ‘nut jobs’ in their ranks.
We (the non- nut jobs) wondered if they were drawn to psychology as a way of working through their own psychological issues.
My midwife, for all three kids, was trained in the Netherlands and was one of the first Independent Midwives in the country. Forever grateful I am for her saving No.1 son from the unnecessary forceps delivery demanded by the hospital specialist…for whom speed of delivery was the priority…there was a golf game waiting for him…I kid ye not.
Most of the early independent midwives (the eighties) were true professionals…which sometimes upset “home – birth societies”. These groups were often former hippies who eschewed all medical intervention for anything, and took umbrage when this midwife arrived bearing not only the obligatory birthing stool, but the newborn resuscitation equipment. She was, for this one ‘crime of medicalisation’, blacklisted by the Society. I imagine the forerunners of the nut jobs you are talking about are the midwives that were accepted by these groups.
I think the naturopath needs to be held to account there as well. It seems to me that she held a position of power of the woman and used it inappropriately.
Probably because she wasn’t practicing medicine, and to charge her with that would create massive problems legally regarding the large number of health care providers who aren’t medical ones.
I agree she should be charged with something though, and her professional body (if she has one) needs a bloody good rark up.
Yeah, (evidence base aside) the semantic difference between “practicing medicine” and giving assurances on what to do “if you want to see him better” is lost on me.
And if she was getting any sort of payment she should be done for fraud.
Fortunately it’s not lost on the justice system. Unless one wants to ban all non-medical health care, then there is a distinction between helping people with their health and practicing medicine. This is important because most healthcare in the world is done by non-medical people.
I hope they throw every book they can at that naturopath.
I wonder if the sevens losing and the generally dismal performance of our over-rated Olympians will finally puncture the miasma of self delusional complacency and smug self satisfaction of our middle class?
Nothing like shattering the assumptions of racial superiority of our settler class to get them whining about everything else as well.
Apparently Sanctuary spent six months in Europe and know considers himself so much more enlightened than us backward, uncultured proles and it’s become his duty to point this out where ever he goes.
Lots of eye rolling and what a wanker, seems to be the general response.
Well it seems a bit churlish to have a go at the athletes, I’m sure they went out there and did their best and its hardly the athletes fault the media went overboard on the medal chances
Ok so sure the media have played them up but generally dismal is certainly harsh and uncalled for, the Olympics aren’t halfway over yet and I’m pretty sure that all of the athletes there have put in their best efforts
So you’ve got some reject from sociology 101 insulting athletes just to make some point about the middle class
“I am sad because I don’t particularly derive my sense of identity from sport?” Totally! Had a customer abuse some staff & when I went to intervene it turned out he was pissed off at the 7s losing! & then on my way home I had dumb radio jocks saying Mark Todd had “let down New Zealand.”
If that were true you’d be off rubbing shoulders with your fellow rightwingers instead of trying to impose your sad lack of character and morality here.
Of course I’m unhappy – you criminal arseholes are wrecking my country and hurting my people.
No – you are merely a probable criminal. You are poorly socialised, antisocial, and prefer the views and company of criminals. If we were profiling you’d be a good bet, but you may not in fact be a criminal.
Oh Stuart you poor, misguided, fool, the majority of NZ voters gave enough votes for National to be the largest (by a great margin) party in NZ nad were able to form a government and will continue to do so until 2020
You only really like democracy (and be honest) when the party you support is in power
Mr Munro – you make my day. It makes me happy that people like you are so miserable – because the way you interact with people you disagree with – you deserve it.
There are plenty of lefties on here that make really interesting comments – you on the other hand add nothing to the quality of debate, and to be perfectly honest are the kind of example that will give the standard a bad name.
With comments like yours, and others who have posted things like “hang yourself”, and the people who (it appears from some post) to have made this a unhappy place for women to comment – it is disappointing that the comments section of this blog are making this blog IMHO a poorer place.
It is interesting that people often spew at Wh….O.. blog and the comments there – indeed they were terrible (and a lot of his post) – but credit where credit is due – he cleaned up his act. You sir – are the opposite and are making tis blog worse.
Why dont we all try to raise the game and drop the insults – and try to respect the place a bit more.
I was once optimistic that commentators here would change. But on reflection, the vile rudeness on display simply reflects the personalities and life outlook of these people. There is nothing that can be done. They don’t want to change and don’t want to hear any ideas that challenge their deeply pessimistic world view, and tendency to blame both the Government and “rich’ people for every real or imagined problem they see.
There is no discussing with you, you are not sincere. You are here to prevent conversation, to disseminate fictions and to cause trouble.
You disgust me – you and your fellow trolls – you are a form of pollution, both of blogs and of the world at large.
I don’t go on RWNJ sites attempting to impose my views on the participants. That would be arrogant and illmannered. Such considerations do not appear to trouble you.
Do not pretend to be a ‘plausible righty’ there is no such thing.
There has been a concerted effort by the moderators here in recent months to encourage positive discussions and to discourage pointless abuse. However, robust debate is often the norm and sometimes it’s witty, intelligent and enlightening. Sometimes it’s way too personal, which is a drag.
But overall, the site enjoys a huge readership, a lively commentariat and some of the best political bloggers in NZ writing posts. It won’t always to be to your taste, but you should take heart that there are many right of centre commenters who are regulars here and who generally get a fair go.
So I welcome your call to minimise the abuse. However, I think that’s already happening in a very meaningful way and that TS is the better for it. it won’t be perfect and all of us are capable of letting our frustration get the better of us, but I genuinely think we’re heading in the right direction.
You disgust me – you and your fellow trolls – you are a form of pollution, both of blogs and of the world at large.
Oh, very persuasive. There’s no comments thread that can’t be improved by a steadfast refusal to see people who disagree with you as fellow humans, right?
I don’t go on RWNJ sites attempting to impose my views on the participants. That would be arrogant and illmannered.
Given your commenting style, it certainly would be. On the other hand, if you tried stringing together an actual argument once in a while, you might find those right-wing sites interesting places to visit – hanging out only with people you agree with is corrosive of your reasoning skills.
@PM – I don’t come here to demonstrate my reasoning skills to the nuts – if they had any to speak of they wouldn’t be nuts.
It has to do with the epidemiology of movements – Key’s strategy guys know all about this stuff – that’s why they shut down Campbell. Semantic warfare.
“…BTW – the country in general is going just fine and most agree with that (see polls re country direction)…”
If I had a dollar for everytime some idiot said “NZ is a great little place that punches above it’s weight and is doing just fine” I’d be a rich man indeed. It is a line particularly peddled by Mike Hoskings. Now, to me this opinion can only be founded on smugly racist assumptions about some sort of cultural and/or racial superiority on our part that makes us somehow exceptional. A set of smug assumptions and myths about New Zealand exceptionalism – NZ is paradise, a great place to have a family and bring up kids, is egalitarian, and it punches above it’s weight – underlay the belief system of our middle class and act as rationalising tool to explain away our filthy rivers, our child poverty, our massive domestic violence problems, our massive wealth disparity and our poor economic performance.
Sport is an important bulwark of these middle class myths. Racist assertions of sporting prowess and success are seen as vindications of the existing social and economic order, just like it was with rugby in racist South Africa. Sport has always been a powerful propaganda tool. The fact is the successes of our Olympic team will be used by cheerleaders of the current system as proof we are on the right track. Failure, I would hope, will serve to do the opposite.
By the way – I think our athletes will do about as well as you’d expect from a modestly funded program from one of the poorer first world countries. The idea we are a genetically superior, outdoor bred, virile Aryan super nation of athletic over-achievers is rubbish.
“a great place to have a family and bring up kids” yeah hear that a lot, & in NZ we have had a 5 year commit suicide! But nah all good, nothing to whine about, the sun is shining, the Chiefs are wonderful role models for our young men etc…(sarc).
A policy of rehabilitation, hope, post jail employment, diversion and cooperation from Media to stop filling us with dreadful over-inflated crime reports.
But with the insistent push for bigger punishment, longer sentences, ethnic targeting, and political pandering, it would take very brave politicians to make a move to get us down from such high rates of imprisonments.
All hail the Netherlands.
Wonder of their decriminalisation of some drugs had an effect?
A relly has just joined the Dutch police as a forensic accountant from KPMG where he did the same job.
He reckons they are arsedeep in white collar fraud there and he will never be out of a job.
It just takes forever to nail the bastards.
His best story? Sitting opposite a bloke , and while the relly was pretty sure it was a computing mistake, watching the guys face and asking ” So where’s the missing 75 trillion ?” . Priceless.
P.S, I asked 75 trillion? indisbelief, and he said that was not an unusual amount to be dealing with, it only needs to be out of sight for a few hours for somebody to make a shitload. We’re still in kindy in this country.
….and the CC again taking issue with the Gummint (through the Select Committee) that the new legislation which will guide the ‘re-structuring’ has…
“”…missed the opportunity” to go far enough.
Becroft, the former Principal Youth Court Judge, took issue with four aspects of the proposed legislation. He called for the Youth Justice Age to be raised to 17, and said the bill did not go far enough in giving the child’s voice weight.
“The change half-step, and not full-step, to include Youth Justice seems to us to be burdensome, and it will add administrative complexity, it’s wrong in principle and it’s in flat flagrant breach of the United Nations Convention obligations.
The terms surrounding the creation of a new advocacy system for children were weak, and “delegation powers”, which would allow certain non-Government social workers to uplift children from their families, was concerning.
“Some very invasive state powers have been vested into those whom the chief executive might delegate those powers to, with very little prescription.
“There are dangers in leaving such significant discretionary powers to be developed behind the scenes, non-transparently, by policy make”‘
If there is a god who strengthens the resolve of Government appointed Commissioners….
Can’t remember when but a week or so ago had one of the resident righties (Chuck?) supporting the name change when I made disparaging remarks, I thought that you could rename the ministries with a bunch of more imaginative titles & the title of ‘Ministry of Vulnerable Children’ is just bizarre.
Can’t but help agreeing with the Auckland Action Against Poverty on this one. The bullying nature of Work and Income, and its failed policies – are just not working.
yep, many people do everything they can to avoid WINZ since the old social security turned into the current sadistic punishment maze, ever wonder why some of the local beggars are getting more insistent?
it is time for some direct action by and for the homeless too–organised squats in proven long term empty private and state houses and moneybags boats in marinas too
WINZ needs to be urgently retired in favour of some form of UBI, and in the meantime the PSA could stop accepting as members govt. staff in WINZ and MSD that spend their working day making other citizens lives a misery–“I am only following orders–doing my job”–should not cut it in this instance
I don’t have much fear of actually losing my job, but I do have fear about ever having to visit WINZ because of job loss, so their actions are working as they scare workers like me (& because of technology my job is in constant flux like most people I suppose.)
you are correct gangnam and it is scary for many others who could just do with some short term assistance that often their taxes have paid for, endless condescending seminars on how to write a CV, losing your documents etc. blaming you personally for the changing nature of work…
and income splitting is needed for couples, WINZ will not pay job seeker support if say one partner loses their job if they are living in a relationship of the ‘nature of a marriage’
WINZ is meant to be a nasty experience as the Household Labourforce Survey has long shown–there are more unemployed people than people actually in receipt of “jobseeker support”, and as signalled by the departments classic “Catch 22”, WINZ staff can be rewarded for denying the very assistance they are meant to supply!, and for applying sanctions and getting people off the books inclusive of paying and or receiving a fee to and from ACC and MSD…
+100…yes this is good that the MSM is starting to take notice …it should be there to protect democracy after all! ..this is what the MSM has traditionally been stated as being for
“In a statement to Business Insider on Wednesday, Rich family spokesperson Brad Bauman thanked investigators and implored high-profile figures to stop attempting to “politicize” Rich’s death by perpetuating unfounded theories about the shooting.
“The family welcomes any and all information that could lead to the identification of the individuals responsible, and certainly welcomes contributions that could lead to new avenues of investigation,” Bauman said in the statement.
He added:
“That said, some are attempting to politicize this horrible tragedy, and in their attempts to do so, are actually causing more harm that good and impeding on the ability for law enforcement to properly do their job. For the sake of finding Seth’s killer, and for the sake of giving the family the space they need at this terrible time, they are asking for the public to refrain from pushing unproven and harmful theories about Seth’s murder.””
‘NSA leaks show worries over intelligence gaps, training tips for media leaks’
“Among the latest batch of internal NSA documents leaked by whistleblower Edward Snowden are tips for analysts on what to notice about media leaks, playing catch-up over intelligence, and medical surveillance.
On Wednesday, The Intercept released a batch of 263 internal agency reports, called ‘SIDToday’, from the agency’s most important division, the Signals Intelligence Directorate. Dating back to 2003, the documents reveal the department’s culture and operations with a roster of tips on training analysts to spot leaks to the media, internet monitoring, and notices about seminars on Latin American countries…
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National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
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 ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Genterwocky After a hard days marching, Sir Doocey calls in at the Village Tavern For a pint of ale and a pork pie. The grim villagers stare at him. “Do not be travelling on the forest road,” warns a crusty old beak. “And why is that, antique peasant?” Grins Sir ...
Political conferences after a party returns to power are usually a chance for some healthy, even unhealthy backslapping. Yet National Party president Sylvia Wood’s address to its mainland representatives on Saturday hardly contained the unalloyed delight that one might have expected following National’s escape from the wilderness of opposition. Yes, ...
Comment: Almost half the world is voting in national elections this year and artificial intelligence is the elephant in the room. There are genuine fears AI-generated or AI-edited deepfakes will potentially manipulate election outcomes not just in the US and UK, but critically in countries such as India. For that ...
Ahead of the reality franchise’s return to New Zealand, allow us to introduce the eight brides and grooms. Chuck on a veil and tie back your man bun, because it’s time to say “I do” to a new season of Married at First Sight NZ. The reality TV “social experiment” ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Norton, Professor in the Practice of Higher Education Policy, Australian National University Every year on June 1, student debt in Australia is indexed to inflation. In 2023, high inflation pushed the indexation rate to 7.1%, the highest since 1990. This ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Changes in the May 14 budget will cut the student debt of more than three million people, wiping more than $3 billion from what people owe. The government will cap the HELP indexation rate ...
Asia Pacific Report The prosecutor’s office at the International Criminal Court (ICC) has appealed for an end to what it calls intimidation of its staff, saying such threats could constitute an offence against the “administration of justice” by the world’s permanent war crimes court. The Hague-based office of ICC Prosecutor ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk A women’s union in New Caledonia has staged a sit-in protest this week to support senior Kanak indigenous journalist Thérèse Waia, who works for public broadcaster Nouvelle-Calédonie la Première, after a smear attack by critics. The peaceful demonstration was held on ...
New Zealand Food Safety is monitoring overseas recalls of Indian packaged spice products manufactured by MDH and Everest due to concerns over a cancer-causing pesticide. ...
By Stephen Wright and Stefan Armbruster of BenarNews Fiji’s ranking in a global press freedom index has jumped into the top tier of countries with free or mostly free media after its government last year repealed a draconian law that threatened journalists with prison for doing their jobs. Fiji’s improvement ...
We might be in Invercargill but all anyone can talk about is Gore. Specifically, Salford Street. That’s where three-year-old Lachlan Jones lived, south of the centre of town, between the A&P Showgrounds and the Mataura River. Roughly 1.2 km away from the single level home he lived in with his ...
MONDAY I lined up the latest round of civil servants from city hall against the wall, and signalled for the firing squad to drop their rifles. I stepped up onto a wooden crate to look at the office workers in the eye. But that didn’t feel right, so I found ...
Keen hiker and second-year MSc student Liam Hewson wears two hats when he’s in the great outdoors. “The scientist in me appreciates nature and goes, ‘Oh, there’s that thing and there’s another thing,’ but then the tramper and the outdoorsy person in me thinks, ‘Cool bush.’” Born and bred in ...
After a long and illustrious career as a goal kicker, Dan Carter’s favourite way to unwind is… kicking goals. Why can’t he get enough of it? And what it’s like to watch him do it for an hour straight? A semicircle of people wielding cameras and phones has formed in ...
Dame Susan Devoy takes us through her life in television, including late night ER debriefs, her proudest CTI moment and the show she watches in secret. Quite aside from her four world champion squash titles, Dame Susan Devoy will likely go down in history as one of the best Celebrity ...
Hera Lindsay Bird reveals the best places in Ōtepoti to score more for your apocalypse-prep book hoard.Sometimes I get the feeling I’ve been killed in a car crash, and this second half of my life is just the brain unspooling itself, like one of those episodes of a hospital ...
ThreeNow’s new murder mystery series takes us on a dark, damp journey into the Australian wilderness.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. High Country is ThreeNow’s new Australian eight-part crime drama, set in a remote part of the Victorian highlands. It tells ...
Introducing a new way to read The Spinoff every weekend. After nearly 10 years of being an online magazine, we’re finally embracing the weekend liftout. Despite our best efforts to convince you otherwise, writers and editors at The Spinoff don’t work weekend. It is through the sheer power of technology ...
Tip one: let yourself be nurtured by this big old man. Tip two: don’t ask him to adopt you. So, you’ve arrived at your first session with a new therapist. He tells you to make yourself comfortable and you opt for the tweed armchair, hoping it makes you look like ...
I didn’t know books could open you back up; that there were books that stayed with you, where reading was like a chemical event. I knew nothing.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.Not too long ago, I was listening to the American ...
Former Olympic swimmer James Magnussen has already started training for the Enhanced games, though says he won’t start taking performance enhancing substances until about nine months out from the competition. The Australian world champion was the first athlete to be announced by Enhanced, but he says the organisation has had ...
Everyone thinks he’s dead. Every day they expect his body to be washed up along the coast. Most likely up Karitane way, the way the tide’s running. But nobody’ll be too surprised if his body’s never found. Even in death he wouldn’t have wished for such attention. He would have ...
Council members voted 21 to 4 in favour of Ahluwalia returning to the Laucala campus following a much-awaited meeting in Vanuatu this week. It comes as USP and its two unions — the Association of the University of the South Pacific Staff (AUSPS) and the Administration and Support Staff Union ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicola Henry, Professor & Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Social and Global Studies Centre, RMIT University Shutterstock Following an emergency meeting of the National Cabinet this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a raft of measures to tackle the problem ...
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A Note of Hope
Leena Al-Arian, 27 July 2016
So this happened today at Barnes & Noble: I went to take the kids to meet the Paw Patrol characters and this nice man approached me, told me how beautiful the girls are, and conveyed a heartfelt apology for the general anti-Muslim sentiment in our society today. He had tears in his eyes and told me that it must be so hard to turn on the news, that he feels awful about the bigotry my kids might one day experience, and that as a Jewish man whose parents didn’t speak any English growing up, he personally understands what it feels like to be rejected and discriminated against. I asked if I could give him a hug (he looked like he needed one more than me, but I guess I needed one too) and he wanted to reassure me that most Americans are decent people who don’t hate people like me or believe what they hear on the news. He then told me he’s turning 90 on Friday and insisted on buying each of the kids a present as a gift for himself and so they can have something to remember him by. I told him we should just take a picture instead so I can tell them the story one day (he accepted) but insisted on buying them gifts anyway afterwards.
Read more….
http://normanfinkelstein.com/2016/08/04/if-we-could-just-load-the-one-percent-of-earthling-monsters-on-a-one-way-spaceship-to-pluto-the-world-would-be-a-beautiful-place/
Nice way to start the day, Morrissey. I think most people are fundamentally decent and will show that when the opportunity arises.
Sorry Morrissey, but not quite the lovely story you were hoping for
https://www.jihadwatch.org/2016/08/jewish-man-apologizes-to-muslim-woman-for-bigotry-she-turns-out-to-be-jihad-supporter
Hmm, smear by association? And it doesn’t change the essence of the story anyway.
The sicko comments on that story tell the real story.
Politics (especially US are a bit of a concern at present).
“Sorry Morrissey, but not quite the lovely story you were hoping for”
Yeah it is. Her father is allegedly a convicted terrorist. But she isn’t. All I can see from that article is that she was a radical student when younger. Is that a definition of terrorist now? 🙄 So the story works even better if she comes from a family that is radicalised into violence but she herself isn’t. That’s how we create peace, by creating respectful relationships with people who are different from us.
I also noticed the misogyny in that article, that she is acceptable as a nice little wifey but not if she is overtly political.
Bernie Sanders Denounces Brazil’s Impeachment
as Undemocratic, Calls for New Elections
by Glenn Greenwald , The Intercept, Aug. 10 2016
VERMONT SENATOR BERNIE Sanders yesterday denounced in harsh terms the impeachment of Brazil’s democratically elected president. As the Brazilian Senate heads toward a final vote later this month, Sanders described his position, set forth in a statement posted on his Senate site, as “calling on the United States to take a definitive stand against efforts to remove Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff from office.” He added: “To many Brazilians and observers the controversial impeachment process more closely resembles a coup d’état.”
Sanders also condemned the unelected center-right coalition under Michel Temer that has seized power during Rousseff’s suspension and is now trying to install themselves through 2018. “After suspending Brazil’s first female president on dubious grounds, without a mandate to govern,” he said, ” the new interim government abolished the ministry of women, racial equality and human rights” and “replaced a diverse and representative administration with a cabinet made up entirely of white men.” They are now attempting to implement radical policies that could never be democratically ratified: “impose austerity, increase privatization and install a far right-wing social agenda.”
Sanders’ statement comes as Brazil’s elites – virtually unified in favor of Dilma’s impeachment – have taken extraordinary (and almost comically futile) measures during the Olympics to hide from the domestic public, and the world, how deeply unpopular Temer is. ….
Read more…
https://theintercept.com/2016/08/09/as-temer-weakens-sanders-denounces-brazils-impeachment-as-undemocratic-calls-for-new-elections/
Just a comment on yesterdays thread for all you people who are backing Clinton. The bad news for you is CV is right. Sure , Trump is totally unsuitable but Clinton… she will promise anything but it’s not words that count , it’s her actions. Look at her track record— she is nothing but a tool of big money ,corruption and the military. If she gets in you can expect full on war with Russia ( because of American aggression ). Just look who’s getting in behind Clinton … it’s bloody obvious.
I don’t know the answer to the shit this dying empire is getting us into but I do know Hillary Clinton is not the answer that any of us want.
” Trump is totally unsuitable…”
Yet 9% of NZers prefer him, versus 7% for Little.
Little aint saying anything to get anyone onboard, Trump does, the wackos and assorted nuts are loving him. Look what reallt puzzles me is Congress, wht havent they started impeachment yet, doesn’t matter which wins, Congress is going to impeach them.
Reminds me of G.W.B stole the election, was loathed, did absolutely nothing but play golf and dig holes on his ranch, only then to have missed all the reports on Bin Laden, it was not until 9/11 that America got a president, whose agemda was spending taxes oncontractors in Iraq by removing the army.
Watch yourself America, unpopular Presidents need grandstanding events to get popular.
What was the question then?
+100 Garibaldi…and more on Hillary !
‘#PayToPlay: Hillary Clinton faces corruption scandal after links between donors & State Dept exposed’
https://www.rt.com/usa/355447-clinton-emails-state-department-foundation/
…”A number of emails that the former first lady failed to turn over to the US government, but were released after a Freedom of Information Act request, show donors and associates of the Clinton Foundation and its Global Initiative seemingly having special access inside the State Department.
The conservative group Judicial Watch released 296 pages of unseen State Department records Tuesday, including 44 previously unreleased emails…
I wouldn’t have thought a nurse would fall for this:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/83046590/australian-midwife-given-suspended-jail-sentence-after-nearly-starving-her-baby-to-death
A nurse probably wouldn’t, but midwifery’s another story – it seems to attract a significant proportion of nut jobs.
You must have had some seriously awful experiences with the midwives who supported you through pregnancy, labour and the post partum period PM for you to make such a negative sweeping generalisation.
Wishing healing and peace to you sister. 🙂
Lol.
PM’s comment was out and out bigotry (ignorant bigotry I’d guess).
Totally agree. Our Midwife trained a number of others while over seeing our pregnancies. All of them were fantastic, dedicated professionals. In the second pregnancy because of severe complications she was not able to directly oversee the birth however even though she wasn’t getting paid she showed up late at night and supported us through the birth.
Oh god! How tempting it is to have a “if it wasn’t for my midwife…” session!
However, it’s academic…
http://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10092/1662/Thesis_fulltext.pdf;jsessionid=1A555AD39D5789A0462C993096F73B60?sequence=1
Midwifery as Feminist Praxis
in
Aotearoa/New Zealand
RUTH JOY SURTEES
“This thesis highlights the ways in which the practices of contemporary midwives in
Aotearoa/New Zealand are caught within the intersection of an array of competing
discourses. The context for this is the reconstruction of midwifery in Aotearoa/New Zealand
as an autonomous feminist profession founded on partnership with women. Interviews and
participant observation with midwives, based mainly in one New Zealand city, are the basis of
an analysis of the complexity of midwives’ praxis as professionals. The analysis draws on
insights from critical and feminist approaches to Foucault’s theories of discourse, power and
the subject. It includes discussion of the conditions which came to produce and authorise the
concept of ‘partnership’. Which subjects can speak about partnership, and when? What claims
are made about it? What challenges it? ”
Builds on much work done over the years recording and analysing the largely patriarchy dominated politics of childbirth.
It’s all about power…..
From the abstract, it appears to be all about po-mo bullshit.
PM’s comment was out and out bigotry (ignorant bigotry I’d guess).
It’s based on a pretty small sample of midwives, yes. News stories like the above one tend to back up the evidence of my admittedly-small sample, however.
“It’s based on a pretty small sample of midwives, yes.”
Exactly how many midwives have you personally sampled, PM?
Oh, and explain “po-mo”….I freely admit to ignorance on that….
“Bullshit”, I get. 🙂
Your conviction that one must have experienced a pregnancy to know whether a midwife’s opinion on something is wildly irrational or not lacks an evidential basis.
Po-mo is short for post-modernism, in this case postmodernist philosophy. It’s often used as shorthand to refer to writing that uses academic-sounding jargon to obfuscate rather than explain.
Po mo- post modernism- is rubbish which is infecting academics (often French or American) who have a lot to say about nothing. I met one once. ..Pretentious emptiness to the extreme
For more information look at http://www.physics.nyu.edu/sokal/dawkins.html
Bet you can’t see where the prejudice is though.
I admit to a very strong prejudice against irrationalists.
Agree
You think midwives are irrationalists?
That would be like me saying that doctors are rapists because there are some doctors who sexually abuse their patients. That’s me signposting to the problems with your position, not just the obvious one but the trickier political ones too. There is a deeper level of prejudice going on that culturally sanctions the damage that the medical profession does and tolerates, yet pillories the midwifery profession for mistakes that midwives make. There are some pretty murky gender politics in there around power and who we trust.
weka…save it. PM will never get it.
….hasn’t evolved enough.
I remember reading a novel in the eighties set in a busy US hospital.
Young interns gasping in awe and wonder that a woman had actually given birth without the benefit of anaesthesia, analgesia or forceps.
And, shock horror, the mother was alive! The baby was alive!
And, by god the baby was spontaneously breastfeeding!
And, and , all was well despite the Doctors not being able to do anything (because the woman had eaten and couldn’t be anaesthetised) other than catch the baby.
Goodness gracious me…how on earth did humanity survive before the word “obstetrician” was invented?
You think midwives are irrationalists?
That would be silly. Two of my kids were delivered by midwives, who were both highly competent, practical people and did a great job. The only one of mine that was delivered by a doctor in a hospital was dead, so you won’t hear any disparaging of midwife competence from me – the doctor/midwife success ratio in my own life overwhelmingly supports midwifery.
My comment was that midwifery “seems to attract a significant proportion of nut jobs,” ie in my experience (the above-mentioned births, multiple sets of ante-natal classes, serving the ones undergoing training at my institution, individuals I’ve known who’ve taken up the profession) a higher proportion of them are irrationalists than in other professions. That’s still a low proportion overall.
“…midwifery “seems to attract a significant proportion of nut jobs,”
Hmmm…I remember at varsity in the late seventies the psychology majors having a preponderance of ‘nut jobs’ in their ranks.
We (the non- nut jobs) wondered if they were drawn to psychology as a way of working through their own psychological issues.
My midwife, for all three kids, was trained in the Netherlands and was one of the first Independent Midwives in the country. Forever grateful I am for her saving No.1 son from the unnecessary forceps delivery demanded by the hospital specialist…for whom speed of delivery was the priority…there was a golf game waiting for him…I kid ye not.
Most of the early independent midwives (the eighties) were true professionals…which sometimes upset “home – birth societies”. These groups were often former hippies who eschewed all medical intervention for anything, and took umbrage when this midwife arrived bearing not only the obligatory birthing stool, but the newborn resuscitation equipment. She was, for this one ‘crime of medicalisation’, blacklisted by the Society. I imagine the forerunners of the nut jobs you are talking about are the midwives that were accepted by these groups.
I think the naturopath needs to be held to account there as well. It seems to me that she held a position of power of the woman and used it inappropriately.
I agree
“Bodnar has been charged with reckless grevious bodily harm”.
Why practising medicine without a license isn’t added to the list I have no idea.
Probably because she wasn’t practicing medicine, and to charge her with that would create massive problems legally regarding the large number of health care providers who aren’t medical ones.
I agree she should be charged with something though, and her professional body (if she has one) needs a bloody good rark up.
Yeah, (evidence base aside) the semantic difference between “practicing medicine” and giving assurances on what to do “if you want to see him better” is lost on me.
And if she was getting any sort of payment she should be done for fraud.
Fortunately it’s not lost on the justice system. Unless one wants to ban all non-medical health care, then there is a distinction between helping people with their health and practicing medicine. This is important because most healthcare in the world is done by non-medical people.
I hope they throw every book they can at that naturopath.
I wonder if the sevens losing and the generally dismal performance of our over-rated Olympians will finally puncture the miasma of self delusional complacency and smug self satisfaction of our middle class?
Nothing like shattering the assumptions of racial superiority of our settler class to get them whining about everything else as well.
“Nothing like shattering the assumptions of racial superiority of our settler class to get them whining about everything else as well.”
huh?
Apparently Sanctuary spent six months in Europe and know considers himself so much more enlightened than us backward, uncultured proles and it’s become his duty to point this out where ever he goes.
Lots of eye rolling and what a wanker, seems to be the general response.
I have to say its one of the more mean-spirited comments I’ve read on here and I wasn’t sure the point he was trying to make (if any)
You reckon it’s down to all them Murrays, do you?
And nicely BM, you never fail to make Sanctuary’s point.
Well it seems a bit churlish to have a go at the athletes, I’m sure they went out there and did their best and its hardly the athletes fault the media went overboard on the medal chances
I think you missed his point too, he wasn’t having a go at the athletes.
“generally dismal performance” sure sounds like hes having a go at the athletes
Read the rest – the target is very plain.
I know he thinks hes making a point but really hes just coming off sounding like a bit of a twat
We all have our wee ways of making our points.
It was a pretty pointless point then
Perhaps a ptretty pointless point puck but a pretty pointless point perfectly pertaining to the point.
Possibly a pertinent point, probably a petty point, pretty much purposeless
You come across as someone who knows he fucked up but won’t admit it.
“generally dismal performance of our over-rated Olympians ” please tell me how that isn’t an attack on the athletes?
Who do you think is over-rating the athletes?
HINT: It’s not the athletes.
Ok so sure the media have played them up but generally dismal is certainly harsh and uncalled for, the Olympics aren’t halfway over yet and I’m pretty sure that all of the athletes there have put in their best efforts
So you’ve got some reject from sociology 101 insulting athletes just to make some point about the middle class
I don’t get the point, maybe someone could explain?
sanctuary, very sad man or woman, whatever
I am sad because I don’t particularly derive my sense of identity from sport? Your the sad sack, chum.
“I am sad because I don’t particularly derive my sense of identity from sport?” Totally! Had a customer abuse some staff & when I went to intervene it turned out he was pissed off at the 7s losing! & then on my way home I had dumb radio jocks saying Mark Todd had “let down New Zealand.”
“Nothing like shattering the assumptions of racial superiority of our settler class to get them whining about everything else as well.”
Sadly this actually sums up the believe of some people.
Im thinking a good, hard, honest look in the mirror would help sanctuary.
Judging by the response Sanctuary made a palpable hit. Did the cap fit?
Stuart, equally sad
Meh – if it burns the RWNJ trolls so antisocial they have to hang out here rather than on Whalefail where they belong so much the better.
Nope. Not at all. Im really happy with life and have little to whine about. Having said that I notice you do a lot – perhaps it was your cap?
If that were true you’d be off rubbing shoulders with your fellow rightwingers instead of trying to impose your sad lack of character and morality here.
Of course I’m unhappy – you criminal arseholes are wrecking my country and hurting my people.
Who are your people, Stuart.?
My people are the real New Zealanders.
🙂
Without the Chinese sounding surnames!
I’ve found his theme music, it only needs a couple of minor tweaks
You probably sing that in the shower you yankee sellout.
I’m not bragging but this more like my showers
I think most people here would prefer not to know what you do in the shower PR.
You brought it up remember 😉
“you criminal arseholes” – so you believe that everyone that doesn’t vote left is a criminal arsehole?
Not everyone – but certainly the major players in this government, and their more vociferous supporters are.
Damn straight: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enemy_of_the_people
So you infer that Im a criminal – any evidence to back this up?
BTW – the country in general is going just fine and most agree with that (see polls re country direction).
As for hurting “your” people. Im guessing if they are bitter, sad, people like yourself – it sounds more like self harm.
You should seek help.
No – you are merely a probable criminal. You are poorly socialised, antisocial, and prefer the views and company of criminals. If we were profiling you’d be a good bet, but you may not in fact be a criminal.
You should offer your services to the Labour party, you’d be a hit coming up with slogans 🙂
Yeah and you should offer yours to the reptilian infiltrators – but I guess you already have you treacherous piece of shite.
That’s the thing about democracy I guess, its great until right up until a party you don’t like gets voted in 🙂
You don’t know or care shit about democracy.
You could learn something here
http://robertounger.com/english/pdfs/demore.pdf
But in general RWNJ are irredeemably corrupt.
Oh Stuart you poor, misguided, fool, the majority of NZ voters gave enough votes for National to be the largest (by a great margin) party in NZ nad were able to form a government and will continue to do so until 2020
You only really like democracy (and be honest) when the party you support is in power
But don’t worry 2020 isn’t that far away 🙂
This is where you show your true colours, fascist.
Democracy consists in government listening to and acting upon the concerns of its citizens.
It does not consist of manipulating media and disenfranchising voters to secure a bare majority to facilitate the plunder of public assets.
This is not a democratic government, and you are, and always were nothing more than a despicable authoritarian, a vile satrap, a despot.
Shame on you!
Mr Munro – you make my day. It makes me happy that people like you are so miserable – because the way you interact with people you disagree with – you deserve it.
There are plenty of lefties on here that make really interesting comments – you on the other hand add nothing to the quality of debate, and to be perfectly honest are the kind of example that will give the standard a bad name.
With comments like yours, and others who have posted things like “hang yourself”, and the people who (it appears from some post) to have made this a unhappy place for women to comment – it is disappointing that the comments section of this blog are making this blog IMHO a poorer place.
It is interesting that people often spew at Wh….O.. blog and the comments there – indeed they were terrible (and a lot of his post) – but credit where credit is due – he cleaned up his act. You sir – are the opposite and are making tis blog worse.
Why dont we all try to raise the game and drop the insults – and try to respect the place a bit more.
I was once optimistic that commentators here would change. But on reflection, the vile rudeness on display simply reflects the personalities and life outlook of these people. There is nothing that can be done. They don’t want to change and don’t want to hear any ideas that challenge their deeply pessimistic world view, and tendency to blame both the Government and “rich’ people for every real or imagined problem they see.
Nah James Stuart is a good commenter imo – for proof look at all the buzzy bugs disturbed by his pithy comments. Lump it if you don’t like it James.
Oh sly why hang around then – you won’t be missed if you go – I’d recommend it.
There is no discussing with you, you are not sincere. You are here to prevent conversation, to disseminate fictions and to cause trouble.
You disgust me – you and your fellow trolls – you are a form of pollution, both of blogs and of the world at large.
I don’t go on RWNJ sites attempting to impose my views on the participants. That would be arrogant and illmannered. Such considerations do not appear to trouble you.
Do not pretend to be a ‘plausible righty’ there is no such thing.
Well said Marty Mars and Stuart Munro.
Hi, James.
There has been a concerted effort by the moderators here in recent months to encourage positive discussions and to discourage pointless abuse. However, robust debate is often the norm and sometimes it’s witty, intelligent and enlightening. Sometimes it’s way too personal, which is a drag.
But overall, the site enjoys a huge readership, a lively commentariat and some of the best political bloggers in NZ writing posts. It won’t always to be to your taste, but you should take heart that there are many right of centre commenters who are regulars here and who generally get a fair go.
So I welcome your call to minimise the abuse. However, I think that’s already happening in a very meaningful way and that TS is the better for it. it won’t be perfect and all of us are capable of letting our frustration get the better of us, but I genuinely think we’re heading in the right direction.
You disgust me – you and your fellow trolls – you are a form of pollution, both of blogs and of the world at large.
Oh, very persuasive. There’s no comments thread that can’t be improved by a steadfast refusal to see people who disagree with you as fellow humans, right?
I don’t go on RWNJ sites attempting to impose my views on the participants. That would be arrogant and illmannered.
Given your commenting style, it certainly would be. On the other hand, if you tried stringing together an actual argument once in a while, you might find those right-wing sites interesting places to visit – hanging out only with people you agree with is corrosive of your reasoning skills.
@PM – I don’t come here to demonstrate my reasoning skills to the nuts – if they had any to speak of they wouldn’t be nuts.
It has to do with the epidemiology of movements – Key’s strategy guys know all about this stuff – that’s why they shut down Campbell. Semantic warfare.
“…BTW – the country in general is going just fine and most agree with that (see polls re country direction)…”
If I had a dollar for everytime some idiot said “NZ is a great little place that punches above it’s weight and is doing just fine” I’d be a rich man indeed. It is a line particularly peddled by Mike Hoskings. Now, to me this opinion can only be founded on smugly racist assumptions about some sort of cultural and/or racial superiority on our part that makes us somehow exceptional. A set of smug assumptions and myths about New Zealand exceptionalism – NZ is paradise, a great place to have a family and bring up kids, is egalitarian, and it punches above it’s weight – underlay the belief system of our middle class and act as rationalising tool to explain away our filthy rivers, our child poverty, our massive domestic violence problems, our massive wealth disparity and our poor economic performance.
Sport is an important bulwark of these middle class myths. Racist assertions of sporting prowess and success are seen as vindications of the existing social and economic order, just like it was with rugby in racist South Africa. Sport has always been a powerful propaganda tool. The fact is the successes of our Olympic team will be used by cheerleaders of the current system as proof we are on the right track. Failure, I would hope, will serve to do the opposite.
By the way – I think our athletes will do about as well as you’d expect from a modestly funded program from one of the poorer first world countries. The idea we are a genetically superior, outdoor bred, virile Aryan super nation of athletic over-achievers is rubbish.
“a great place to have a family and bring up kids” yeah hear that a lot, & in NZ we have had a 5 year commit suicide! But nah all good, nothing to whine about, the sun is shining, the Chiefs are wonderful role models for our young men etc…(sarc).
🙂
Netherlands Closes Prisons due to Shortage of Criminals
http://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/netherlands-closes-prisons-due-to-shortage-of-criminals/
A policy of rehabilitation, hope, post jail employment, diversion and cooperation from Media to stop filling us with dreadful over-inflated crime reports.
But with the insistent push for bigger punishment, longer sentences, ethnic targeting, and political pandering, it would take very brave politicians to make a move to get us down from such high rates of imprisonments.
All hail the Netherlands.
Wonder of their decriminalisation of some drugs had an effect?
A relly has just joined the Dutch police as a forensic accountant from KPMG where he did the same job.
He reckons they are arsedeep in white collar fraud there and he will never be out of a job.
It just takes forever to nail the bastards.
His best story? Sitting opposite a bloke , and while the relly was pretty sure it was a computing mistake, watching the guys face and asking ” So where’s the missing 75 trillion ?” . Priceless.
P.S, I asked 75 trillion? indisbelief, and he said that was not an unusual amount to be dealing with, it only needs to be out of sight for a few hours for somebody to make a shitload. We’re still in kindy in this country.
These 50 Images Capture The Rare Beauty Of Rio’s Street Art Scene
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/street-art-tour-rio-de-janeiro-olympics_us_57a8d469e4b0aae2a5a0bcda
Incredible save nz. In much misery there is room for much colour.
a visual feast…thanks!
Snz -Thanks for that. Another place Valpariso has such amazing street art. Our ‘graffiti artist ‘ kids should be sent there to see how it’s done.
Now, for some GOOD news.
The other evening I shared this….
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/faces-of-innocents/82699004/Ministry-for-Vulnerable-Children-name-stigmatising-and-labelling
in which the new Children’s Commissioner diplomatically throws down the gauntlet to the Gummint on the ‘re-structuring’ of CYFs.
The name “Ministry for Vulnerable Children has gone down like a cup of cold sick with, well, practically everyone.
Becroft describes it as “…stigmatising and labelling.
It is depressing, even crushing. It focuses on the problem not the solution. We do not call the Ministry of Health the “Ministry of Sick People”.”
Fairfax did a poll, and Becroft promises to make sure the Gummint knows what folk think of the new name.
Hope springs that this latest ‘re-structuring’ is going to get more active attention from the Children’s watchdog.
And then another article…http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/83021330/raise-the-youth-justice-age-mps-told-at-evidence-hearing-for-cyf-overhaul
….and the CC again taking issue with the Gummint (through the Select Committee) that the new legislation which will guide the ‘re-structuring’ has…
“”…missed the opportunity” to go far enough.
Becroft, the former Principal Youth Court Judge, took issue with four aspects of the proposed legislation. He called for the Youth Justice Age to be raised to 17, and said the bill did not go far enough in giving the child’s voice weight.
“The change half-step, and not full-step, to include Youth Justice seems to us to be burdensome, and it will add administrative complexity, it’s wrong in principle and it’s in flat flagrant breach of the United Nations Convention obligations.
The terms surrounding the creation of a new advocacy system for children were weak, and “delegation powers”, which would allow certain non-Government social workers to uplift children from their families, was concerning.
“Some very invasive state powers have been vested into those whom the chief executive might delegate those powers to, with very little prescription.
“There are dangers in leaving such significant discretionary powers to be developed behind the scenes, non-transparently, by policy make”‘
If there is a god who strengthens the resolve of Government appointed Commissioners….
Andrew Becroft….good on you sir!
Can’t remember when but a week or so ago had one of the resident righties (Chuck?) supporting the name change when I made disparaging remarks, I thought that you could rename the ministries with a bunch of more imaginative titles & the title of ‘Ministry of Vulnerable Children’ is just bizarre.
Can’t but help agreeing with the Auckland Action Against Poverty on this one. The bullying nature of Work and Income, and its failed policies – are just not working.
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2016/08/11/auckland-action-against-poverty-uni-research-highlights-deficiencies-in-govt-job-policies/
yep, many people do everything they can to avoid WINZ since the old social security turned into the current sadistic punishment maze, ever wonder why some of the local beggars are getting more insistent?
it is time for some direct action by and for the homeless too–organised squats in proven long term empty private and state houses and moneybags boats in marinas too
WINZ needs to be urgently retired in favour of some form of UBI, and in the meantime the PSA could stop accepting as members govt. staff in WINZ and MSD that spend their working day making other citizens lives a misery–“I am only following orders–doing my job”–should not cut it in this instance
I don’t have much fear of actually losing my job, but I do have fear about ever having to visit WINZ because of job loss, so their actions are working as they scare workers like me (& because of technology my job is in constant flux like most people I suppose.)
you are correct gangnam and it is scary for many others who could just do with some short term assistance that often their taxes have paid for, endless condescending seminars on how to write a CV, losing your documents etc. blaming you personally for the changing nature of work…
and income splitting is needed for couples, WINZ will not pay job seeker support if say one partner loses their job if they are living in a relationship of the ‘nature of a marriage’
WINZ is meant to be a nasty experience as the Household Labourforce Survey has long shown–there are more unemployed people than people actually in receipt of “jobseeker support”, and as signalled by the departments classic “Catch 22”, WINZ staff can be rewarded for denying the very assistance they are meant to supply!, and for applying sanctions and getting people off the books inclusive of paying and or receiving a fee to and from ACC and MSD…
I really enjoyed this one for how fickle and cosmically unjust campaign coverage can be in determining U.S. Presidential races:
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/film-how-to-destroy-a-presidential-candidate/
Finally the MSM, but not yet in US, is starting to catch on
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3726250/Enemies-Hillary-Bill-say-27-year-old-murder-victim-Seth-Rich-suspected-leaking-DNC-emails-belongs-Clinton-Death-List-people-ties-couple-died-time.html
+100…yes this is good that the MSM is starting to take notice …it should be there to protect democracy after all! ..this is what the MSM has traditionally been stated as being for
not sure who is right, but the family would like for people to stop spreading this rumor.
but then they must be paid of by the clinton machine.
http://www.businessinsider.com.au/dnc-seth-rich-wikileaks-politicize-2016-8?r=US&IR=T
“In a statement to Business Insider on Wednesday, Rich family spokesperson Brad Bauman thanked investigators and implored high-profile figures to stop attempting to “politicize” Rich’s death by perpetuating unfounded theories about the shooting.
“The family welcomes any and all information that could lead to the identification of the individuals responsible, and certainly welcomes contributions that could lead to new avenues of investigation,” Bauman said in the statement.
He added:
“That said, some are attempting to politicize this horrible tragedy, and in their attempts to do so, are actually causing more harm that good and impeding on the ability for law enforcement to properly do their job. For the sake of finding Seth’s killer, and for the sake of giving the family the space they need at this terrible time, they are asking for the public to refrain from pushing unproven and harmful theories about Seth’s murder.””
…and on the subject of the mainstream media:
‘NSA leaks show worries over intelligence gaps, training tips for media leaks’
“Among the latest batch of internal NSA documents leaked by whistleblower Edward Snowden are tips for analysts on what to notice about media leaks, playing catch-up over intelligence, and medical surveillance.
On Wednesday, The Intercept released a batch of 263 internal agency reports, called ‘SIDToday’, from the agency’s most important division, the Signals Intelligence Directorate. Dating back to 2003, the documents reveal the department’s culture and operations with a roster of tips on training analysts to spot leaks to the media, internet monitoring, and notices about seminars on Latin American countries…