It may interest readers to note that this moral colossus, Harvey Weinstein, is one of the most vicious and brutal denouncers of Kim Dotcom…..
Harvey Weinstein Urged Clinton Campaign
to Silence Sanders’s Black Lives Matter Message
by Zaid Jilani, The Intercept, Oct. 8 2016
HACKED EMAILS SHOW that movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, a longtime ally of Hillary Clinton and a major fundraiser for her 2016 campaign, urged her campaign team to silence rival Bernie Sanders’s message against police shootings of African-Americans. He suggested countering it with “the Sandy Hook issue” — a reference to Sanders’s opposition to lawsuits against gun manufacturers.
The emails were released by the group DCLeaks, which in the past has shared hacked emails from U.S. political and military figures. The U.S. Intelligence Community announced Friday that it is “confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails” that were made public “on sites like DCLeaks.com and WikiLeaks and by the Guccifer 2.0 online persona.”
The Weinstein emails were among a large number of messages DCLeaks made public on Thursday, from the gmail account of Capricia Marshall, a close Clinton confidant who worked for her in the White House and the State Department, and worked on her 2008 campaign.
In an April 10 email sent to Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook, just days before the New York primary, Weinstein invited Mook to meet up. He pointed to a Sanders ad featuring Erica Garner — the daughter of Eric Garner, who was killed by New York City police officers — as well as growing support for Sanders among Latino activist leaders. “I’m probably telling you what you know already, but that needs to be silenced, probably with the Sandy Hook issue,” he wrote…..
The U.S. Intelligence Community announced Friday that it is “confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails” that were made public “on sites like DCLeaks.com and WikiLeaks and by the Guccifer 2.0 online persona.”
But is who released them really of more concern than what the emails said?
And they obviously don’t have proof else they’d provide it so this amounts proclaiming guilt without a trial and in such a way as to influence politics which I’m pretty sure that the intelligence services aren’t supposed to do.
A native woman’s view of trump (before the last debate) –
“During his presidential campaign, Trump has repeatedly referred to Senator Elizabeth Warren as “Pocahontas.” Apparently, he is so ill informed, as are the vast majority of Americans, that he did not know that the myth of Pocahontas is just that, a myth. Pocahontas was not a grown woman who threw herself on a rock to protect the “noble” John Smith. In fact, she was a twelve-year-old girl who was kidnapped, raped, forced into marriage and Christianity, who died well before the age of twenty…
…As a Native woman, enrolled with the Cowlitz Indian Tribe of Washington, I have been told I was a “squaw,” a “dirty Indian,” and “thin skinned” when I spoke up against racism and sexism. It’s a formula response to accuse people of color of being “too sensitive” or “too PC” when we speak up for ourselves. However, as the racists and bigots who bay at the moon for Trump become more vocal, there are more and more women, particularly those of color, who find themselves being triggered and experiencing greater levels of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder simply on the basis of Trump’s terrible words and the rabid support from the “Trumpette’s…”
That’s a very good article, thanks. And a kind of antidote to some of the pro-Trump rape apologist lines being run by some ts commenters.
This stood out for me,
“The best outcome of Trump’s ugly comments and Billy Bush’s “yuck, yuck, yuck” response would be a national dialogue on the value of people of color, women, and children.”
One of the more disturbing pro-Trump arguments I have heard, and not just from the apologists but from otherwise compassionate progressive men, is that Trump is a better choice than Clinton because of all the women that will be killed overseas if Clinton becomes president. Thus if one supported women’s rights one would choose Trump. This is juxtaposed against the idea that one shouldn’t vote for Clinton based on gender. And you know, it’s just those privileged white women who would do that anyway. So good then to have space to listen to a non-white, woman’s voice. You are right about them not being often heard.
Well my horse in the race, Sanders, was nobbled early. I’m left looking on this absolute farce of an election with a sinking heart.
Roughly 15-20% of voters are going to be firmly in Clinton’s camp. Liberal, left-leaning and deeply aware of exactly the issues you advocate for so very well. For you Trump is irredeemably goddamn awful, and I fully respect why.
Equally there is another 15-20% of voters firmly in Trump’s camp, who are hearing him articulate what they cannot; that the establishment is no longer just ordinarily corrupt … but as CV forcefully argues … is rapidly heading into terminal decadence.
And this leaves another 60% or so who are ambivalent, contradictory even. Which to choose? One candidate proposing to extend an already compromised Obamacare program, or another promising to scrap it and start afresh?
One candidate with a lot of public office baggage, or another with way too little?
An alpha-male blow-hard making vulgar derogatory sexist comments, or a deeply establishment operator who seem fully intent on a hot confrontation with Russia?
is that Trump is a better choice than Clinton because of all the women that will be killed overseas if Clinton becomes president.
Indeed. What if it did come down to a nuclear confrontation? What if the worst happened and she was responsible for the deaths of few billion humans? Is this better or worse than Trump’s ugly trash talk?
I’m absolutely not defending or apologising for Trump here. First Dog on the Moon skewers the noxious, throwback old windbag beautifully. Along with a frankly lunatic GOP which enabled him.
We can rail on about how shit it all is; the fact is within a few weeks millions of Americans will have to make a choice … and the best we can do from this distance is have some sympathy for how unpleasant a task this will be for many.
I don’t actually care about the voter polls in the US Red. I’m not even really talking about the election itself. I’m talking about the culture of the election, esp in the NZ left. Which is why I appreciated marty’s link to a voice that’s not being heard.
What if it did come down to a nuclear confrontation? What if the worst happened and she was responsible for the deaths of few billion humans? Is this better or worse than Trump’s ugly trash talk?
Leaving aside the issue of whether Trump supporters are being incredibly naive to think that Trump won’t be a warmonger, I utterly reject the notion that it’s politically valid or viable to say raping women or cementing in a white supremacy state is better than killing a few billion humans (not suggesting that you are saying that, so much as the that appears to be the general argument). I’m sure you did this for hyperbolic effect, but describing the problem with Trump as his ugly trash talk contributes to that. See, I would describe him as a rapist, active misogynist and active racist. By active, I mean not just that he has done things in the past, but that he wants the world to be like this going forward. And no, for anyone else reading, that doesn’t meant I support Clinton and it’s not an invitation to respond with a whole bunch of Clinton bashing in order to excuse Trump.
That is the actual problem here. That the debate culture has ended up framing this debate as a false dichotomy and then some are using that to promote some pretty vile politics because it suits their political agenda. I think there are more choices than that, and it’s telling that this is what is happening on ts (haven’t followed the Trump threads recently though tbf). We should be having posts like the one marty just linked to, and the reasons why we are not are a micro reflection of the problem at large.
Until those unheard voices are heard (and that requires active listening on our part), then we will continue down the path of the hellhole that is US politics. Fortunately in NZ, we are somewhat better at listening, but I would say NZ is better than ts, which is a sad indictment.
The best we can do is so much better than what we are doing now.
That the debate culture has ended up framing this debate as a false dichotomy
True, but this doesn’t wish the fact of the election away. In a sane world Clinton will almost certainly win it, but this does not come without it’s own consequences.
Based purely on what was said in yesterday’s debate there is no question Clinton is far more hawkish on a hot military confrontation with the Russians in Syria than Trump. She pretty much stated she would use military assets to attack Assad’s forces. At that awful point all we need is a handful of US Navy ships in the Mediterranean to be sunk by Russian missiles and it’s all on.
The risk of this cannot be hand-waved off. To my mind Hillary Clinton is as unfit for the office of President as is Donald Trump in his own quite different manner. They isn’t an equivalence, it’s simply a fact.
Imagine you had to elect a Chair to the local Community Childcare Centre, and it turned out you had a choice between a pedophile and someone who secretly wanted to sell the place to his sister in law? Absolutely not equivalent, but both equally unacceptable in their own way.
Which to my mind means we need to keep an active conversation about why both are so unacceptable; without always assuming that criticizing one implies an automatic support for the other.
Sorry, but I’m not interested in yesterdays debate, nor in furthering the false dichotomy (and here, again, I’m not talking about Clinton/Trump, I’m talking about the left culture in NZ) that continues to refuse to listen to voices that are directly impacted by what is going on.
I understand reasonably well what you are arguing (as others have argued). But I’m not willing to glide past the argument I just made around what happens when we say it’s ok to harm these people so long as these other people don’t get harmed. I probably haven’t expressed it very well, will think more on this.
I agree with your last comment. I can see ways to discuss the complexity of the situation, including people’s fears about what Clinton will do, without it being about promotion of fascism and rape culture. But like I said, that’s not what is happening, and I’m not ok with supporting that.
I agree regarding Stein (or Sanders!), and I’m no admirer of HRC…but to paraphrase Chomsky – with the lesser evil – you get less evil. And that seems to be a comparatively good thing.
True, but this doesn’t wish the fact of the election away. In a sane world Clinton will almost certainly win it, but this does not come without it’s own consequences.
In a sane world, in a sane establishment, Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren would be POTUS.
If I was in the USA I couldn’t vote for either of them, they are despicable people though for different reasons but if you were in the USA would you vote for one of them?
The Benghazi attack is one of them and the other is, unfortunately a no smoke without fire type of thing.
If there were one or two allegations of against Bill Clinton then I could dismiss (anyone can allege anything but you need proof)it but like Bill Cosby the sheer amount of allegations is starting to become to many to ignore
You then throw in the allegations of Hillary hounding the same women and her claims of being a feminist and supporter of women doesn’t stack up
All politicians lie, they have to so they can get into power but its the little lies Hillary makes that make look at her and go what else are you lying about
I mean the being under sniper fire in Bosina or claiming to have been named after Sir Edmund Hillary and you then find out shes deleted tens of thousands of emails from her personal email server and we’re supposed to believe its ok because she says so
Clinton represents political business as usual, the establishment, whatever is wrong with the American government it won’t change under Clinton one iota (won’t change under Trump either)
Thanks. With the Benghazi thing, what are your thoughts on there having been eight congressional investigations into Benghazi, led by people with investigative and prosecutorial expertise and an interest in putting the worst possible interpretation on any findings, that didn’t come up with anything to really pin on her?
Well she took responsibility for it so the buck stops with her so maybe not a bad thing but on top of the other issues its just another reason to not vote for her
You throw in Whitewater and the issues around the Clinton foundation and while it may not be proven in a court of law it still adds up to someone involved in some shady dealing
…eight congressional investigations into Benghazi, led by people with investigative and prosecutorial expertise and an interest in putting the worst possible interpretation on any findings, that didn’t come up with anything…
That’s just Benghazi. We’re coming up on a quarter-century of well-funded and very extensive attempts to find dirt on Hillary Clinton that will stick, for a net result of 0. Puckish Rogue files that under “no smoke without fire,” but I file it under “tried and tested,” with a see-also reference to “wow, right-wing Americans really, really hate this woman.” I’d vote for her on that last count alone.
Re your comment “But I think her gender goes a long way to explain why so many American right-wingers hate her so much”
“As a whole, women support Clinton over Trump and Sanders, but 49% of women from across the political spectrum give her an unfavorable rating”- Guardian
So, maybe not just a right wing thing.
Hence the ability of a sexist orange orangutan to make her work so hard for a fairly average win, and her desperate need for a good number of ‘anyone but Trump’ votes.
This may be the first time in American history that someone is voted into the most important position in the country, not on their own ‘merit’, but simply to avoid the horror of their opponent winning.
It depends on the state one lives in. Some states a vote for Stein isn’t going to increase Trump’s chances for getting in, so in that case I would easily vote Stein. In marginal states, I would vote Clinton. I’m a pragmatic voter and so it’s nothing to do with them being despicable people or not. Nothing.
Having said that, I haven’t followed close enough, and I might end up voting Stein anyway, because at some point you have to give up on one election in order to make bigger changes and an increase in the Green vote is something that will pay off over time. I don’t know what’s happening to the ex-Sanders voters either. There are more important things going on than this one election.
Equally there is another 15-20% of voters firmly in Trump’s camp, who are hearing him articulate what they cannot; that the establishment is no longer just ordinarily corrupt … but as CV forcefully argues … is rapidly heading into terminal decadence.
Except that I don’t think he is articulating that it’s heading into terminal decadence.
He’s saying it’s corrupt, and he’ll return the country to its former glory, and he’ll do other things too, like cut taxes for everyone, build a wall and pull out of trade agreements that will hurt their economy far more than it’ll help. The people in small town USA somehow believe that when he is president, their lives will change for the better, when it’s more likely there’ll be no change, or they’ll be worse off.
If Trump were actually campaigning about getting rid of corruption, and had policies that actually supported that view point and could make a difference, then I’d support him and agree with you.
But he’s not.
Sanders came a lot closer of course, but his policies seemed to involve a lot of magical thinking too.
“Sanders came a lot closer of course, but his policies seemed to involve a lot of magical thinking too.”
Could you explain what you mean by that extraordinary allegation. I think you’ve been listening uncritically to right wing opinionistas again, but please go ahead disabuse me of that sinking feeling.
You’ve simply pointed me to three right wing opinion pieces, including one from the notorious, treacherous anti-journalism Washington Post. That’s not an argument, that’s a lazy substitute for argument.
The first two are by Paul Krugman. This is what Wikipedia says about Paul Krugman:
Krugman describes himself as liberal, and has explained that he views the term “liberal” in the American context to mean “more or less what social democratic means in Europe.”[105] In a 2009 Newsweek article, Evan Thomas described Krugman as having “all the credentials of a ranking member of the East coast liberal establishment” but also as someone who is anti-establishment, a “scourge of the Bush administration”, and a critic of the Obama administration.[123] In 1996, Newsweek’s Michael Hirsh remarked, “Say this for Krugman: though an unabashed liberal … he’s ideologically colorblind. He savages the supply-siders of the Reagan-Bush era with the same glee as he does the ‘strategic traders’ of the Clinton administration.”
The Washington Post article has the input of many experts in their fields. Are they all rightwing? I don’t know, I’m not going to bother looking up the credentials of all of them. At least some of them are leftwing people however.
One of the key themes in the Washington Post article is that Sanders is trying to apply Scandinavian economics to the US, but the countries are so different culturally and historically that it’s unlikely the plans would work as he expected. Simply saying “it works for them, lets apply it here” isn’t good enough, and that’s basically what Sanders was doing – magical thinking.
All of this is further ignoring the point, that even if Sanders had a democratically controlled house and senate (which he wouldn’t), he wouldn’t be able to get all of his changes through anyway.
Could be that Andrew has set a very high bar and from here on in, the staff have to be able to handle it. If you are uncertain leave now.
That seems to be OK to me.
By the way Puck, the PM has a PR staff of hundreds. How many leave each year? One a week perhaps?
Labour would do well to take note of Nationals ability to remove the dead wood (not all the dead wood unfortunately) and present a fresher line up plus the return of Judith Collins!
I wonder if Judith will have any questions to answer today, after all she is responsible for contracting Serco to Mt Eden, what a disaster that is.
Judith and her husband, dang, they’re just as crooked as the Clintons. How’s Oravida Water doing? Jenny Shipley would know. Got any loop holes to exploit? Don’t worry Judiths husband is already on to it.
Dude, be honest, you would add Parata to your list.
I feel sorry for Bill, he just looks so ‘over it’, he would be so much happier out of parliament me thinks, he looks beaten and worn. The type of worn out that only a change in career would fix.
Lack of funding
Failed charter schools
Wrap around services failing students, teachers, families
Salisbury School
School pools
Failing special education
Lack of support from teachers towards the minister
Failing schools
Rotting schools
She’s completely out of touch, I’m surprised the outgoing PM gave her another chance.
Well, Peter Hughes managed to keep a lid on things while he was there but once he left for better things Parata’s been coming out with all sorts of tripe again – most of it already failed policy in other countries.
“Isn’t the point to say, ‘Look, everybody accepts these at-risk kids need support’. And we’re doing that.
Except for the fact that he isn’t. In fact, he’s been actively making it worse.
“It’s not the Government’s intention to have a single definition of poverty,” Mr Key told the Paul Henry programme on Monday.
“You could spend years debating about who’s in and who’s out, what’s the right measure or what’s not,” he said.
If you don’t define it you can’t know what’s causing it and thus you can’t actually address it. This does appear to be what National want because we all know, deep in our hearts, what’s the cause of all this poverty. Just look at the increasing poverty of the last thirty years under the hyper-capitalism that’s been introduced.
There was a double length episode of Last Week Tonight yesterday – aired just after, but recorded before, the debate. The first bit was about the Trump tape (and was appropriately scathing of “Bushy”), but this section was a worthwhile change of topic:
Situations like this were entirely predictable (and I think some of us did indeed predict them when the policy came out),
A woman who took up the Government’s relocation grant to move to Hamilton, says she’s now doing everything she can to get back to Auckland.
Teri Standen said she wanted a fresh start with the $5000 grant – and moved south at the start of July.
But she said she hates her life in Hamilton.
She said the local school isn’t what she expected, and there are gang members living on the street she’s been housed on.
Standen’s warning people to do their own research before jumping on the offer – as she simply trusted Housing New Zealand to disclose “relevant” information.
She said going to check out the option first-hand prior to relocating was not an option for her due to petrol costs and childcare commitments.
Her advice to others tempting by the chance of a fresh start and a bit of cash: “Anyone who’s going to take the relocation grant, research where you’re going to thoroughly, if you can, and be very wary about where they’re putting you.”
A spokeswoman for Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett said she would not comment as it was an operational matter.
“A spokeswoman for Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett said she would not comment as it was an operational matter.”
WTF kind of excuse is that? Dang I wonder how many others ‘relocation’ is not working out for. Sounds like another failed plan by the government, dismissed as an operational matter to shut down any further questions.
Al Jazeera intones gravely about “Vladimir Putin’s controversial visit to Paris.”
Sadly, Qatar’s official TV outlet is nothing but a relentless propaganda unit.
Al Jazeera News, 12 noon (NZ time), Tuesday 11 October 2016
I’ve just heard an Al Qaeda newsreader dutifully droning about how the French government is getting ready for “Vladimir Putin’s controversial visit to Paris.” Then, from Paris, one Natacha Butler explains with a straight face and a steady voice: “And that’s because of Russia’s involvement in SYRIA, particularly the bombing of ALEPPO.”
Perhaps there are some Standardisti out there who can supply an example, but I cannot recall a single time that Al Jazeera, the official television station of the Qatari dictatorship, has described a visit anywhere by Barack Obama, who has for eight years presided over the destruction of Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, and Syria as “controversial.”
…I cannot recall a single time that Al Jazeera, the official television station of the Qatari dictatorship, has described a visit anywhere by Barack Obama, who has for eight years presided over the destruction of Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, and Syria as “controversial.”
Oh, I expect that if Obama was carrying out indiscriminate, large-scale bombing of urban neighbourhoods in any country, he’d be at risk of people throwing shoes at him on his overseas visits – hopefully Putin will cope one right in the mush. Obama’s predecessor had quite a few “controversial” visits for similar reasons to Putin’s visit being “controversial” – the reason Obama doesn’t get the same treatment is that he doesn’t pull the same shit, not because Al Jazeera is a propaganda site.
“The people of the south know very little about Yemeni politics and do not really understand the Saudi political approach toward Yemen. All they know is that a threat has emerged in Yemen.” The Houthi are being bombed now by the Saudi AF, which is in a way the sincerest form of Saudi flattery. The Saudis are afraid of these Shia Yemeni. One of the reasons that “…people of the [Saudi] South know very little about Yemeni politics” is that the Saudi rulers make sure they don’t get any information. The last thing the Saudi authorities want is for the Shia of SW Saudi Arabia to remember that they were once part of a huge, powerful Shia kingdom that stretched south to the Indian Ocean. Najran was once part of that kingdom. It’s only been Saudi territory since 1934, when the Saud family leased the province from Yemen on a 20-year term. They kept it when the term expired, because by that time Saudi Arabia was rich and closely allied with the US and Britain, while Yemen was weak and poor.
The Saudis, with sleazy friends in Langley and unlimited cash to throw around, have incredible control over world media. They do such a good job of suppressing news about their long war with the Shia of Yemen that, until I lived there and got the story first hand, I didn’t even know that the Shia of Najran had actually risen up in armed rebellion in 2000. And it was an incredible story of a glorious, though doomed, rebellion.
Imagine how bad she smells, man? I’m told her and Obama, just stink, stink, stink, stink. You can’t wash that evil off, man. Told there’s a rotten smell around Hillary. I’m not kidding, people say, they say — folks, I’ve been told this by high up folks. They say listen, Obama and Hillary both smell like sulfur. I never said this because the media will go crazy with it, but I’ve talked to people that are in protective details, they’re scared of her. And they say listen, she’s a frickin’ demon and she stinks and so does Obama. I go, like what? Sulfur. They smell like Hell.
Do you remember what Abe Lincoln is supposed to have said?
“You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time”.
The “You” he was talking about was someone like Winston..
Nick, Cinny and DTB are clearly in the group of “some of the people”.
90% of the population saw through Winston’s bluster ages ago.
In an email titled “The Truth” from Hillary’s top confidante Sidney Blumenthal, the adviser writing to undisclosed recipients said that “one important point that has been universally acknowledged by nine previous reports about Benghazi: The attack was almost certainly preventable” in what may turn out to be the big October surprise from the WikiLeaks released of emails hacked from the account of Clinton Campaign Chair John Podesta.Then came the money quote: “Clinton was in charge of the State Department, and it failed to protect U.S. personnel at an American consulate in Libya. If the GOP wants to raise that as a talking point against her, it is legitimate,” said Blumenthal, putting to rest the Democratic Party talking point that the investigation into Clinton’s management of the State Department at the time of the attack was nothing more than a partisan witch hunt.Those words sounded really, really familiar. Really familiar. Like, so familiar they struck me as something I wrote. Because they were something I wrote..
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 27 were:1. The Minister for Ford Rangers strikes againTransport Minister Simeon Brown was again the busiest of the Cabinet ministers this week, announcing an ...
You got a fast carAnd I want a ticket to anywhereMaybe we make a dealMaybe together we can get somewhereAny place is betterYesterday’s newsletter, Trust In Me, on the report of abuse in state care, and by religious organisations, between 1950 and 2019, coupled with the hypocrisy of Christopher Luxon ...
New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Carereport released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced$802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Carereport in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquirypublished its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone iconon the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive:Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloittereport for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’sOliver LewisScoop:Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announcedthe Board of Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Orderimage, ...
Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
Waiting In The Wings:For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSAannounced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
Te Rangi e tu nei (The sky above us) Te Papa e takoto nei (The land beneath us) Tatou katoa te hunga ora (To us all the living) Tena koutou katoa (Greetings) ...
A late change to charter school legislation will cheat educators out of fair pay and negotiating power proving charter schools are just a vehicle to make profit out of our education system. ...
In 2004 te iwi Māori rallied against the Crown’s attempt to confiscate our coastlines and moana with the Foreshore and Seabed Act. This led to the largest hīkoi of a generation and the birth of Te Pāti Māori. 20 years later, history is repeating itself. Today the government has announced ...
It has been five and a half years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was established to investigate the abuse of children, young people, and vulnerable adults within state and faith-based institutions. Yesterday, the final report - Whanaketia through pain and trauma, from darkness to light ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to take action off the back of the International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. ...
On Friday the International Court of Justice reaffirmed what Palestinian’s have been telling us for decades: that the occupation and colonisation of Palestinian lands by Israel is illegal and must end immediately. They also called for reparations for Palestinian’s who have lived under Israeli occupation since it began in 1967. ...
Labour calls on the Government to act after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories is illegal. ...
The 53.7 percent rise in benefit sanctions over the last year is more proof of this Government’s disdain for our communities most in need of support. ...
Aotearoa could be a country where every child grows up feeling safe, loved and with a sense of belonging in their whānau and community. But for some of our children, this is far from reality. Instead, they are trapped in a maze of intergenerational harm that they can’t escape on ...
Te Pāti Māori are calling for David Seymour to resign as Associate Health Minister in response to his call for Pharmac to ignore the Treaty of Waitangi. “This announcement is just another example of the government’s anti-Tiriti, anti-Māori agenda.” Said Co-leader and spokesperson for health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “Seymour thinks it ...
The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country - with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent on average while annual inflation is at 3.3 per cent. ...
National’s Emissions Reduction Plan will take New Zealand further from the economy we need to ensure the next generation has a stable climate and secure livelihoods. ...
Following consultation with named parties and thorough consideration of privacy interests, the Green Party is in a position to release the Executive Summary of the final report from the independent investigation into Darleen Tana. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should be asking serious questions of his Minister for Resources Shane Jones now it’s been revealed he misled the public about a dinner with mining companies that he didn’t declare and said wasn’t pre-arranged. ...
Te Pāti Māori have submitted to the Justice Select Committee against the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill. The bill will further entrench racism in our justice system and fails to focus on rehabilitation. “Reinstating Three Strikes will empower a systematically racist system and exacerbate the overrepresentation of Māori in ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is set to make a determination on the Residential Tenancies Amendment (RTA) Bill in the coming weeks. “This legislation will give landlords the power to kick our whānau out onto the street for no reason” said Housing spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “Their solution to the housing ...
“National’s campaign was about tackling crime and the best they can do is a two-year long Ministerial Advisory Group,” Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
“There are more examples of charter schools failing their students than there are success stories. The coalition Government is driving to dismantle our public school system and instead promote a privatised, competitive structure that puts profits before kids,” Jan Tinetti said. ...
“This government is choosing to deliberately mislead and withhold information, keeping our people in the dark about this government’s agenda and the future of our mokopuna,” said co-leader and spokesperson for Health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The call comes after the demand from the Chief Ombudsman that Associate Minister of Health, Casey ...
“Today’s climate announcement by Simon Watts makes clear the National Government is simply paying lip service to meeting its climate change targets,” Megan Woods said. ...
National is choosing to make life harder for workers by taking away the rights our communities have fought hard for. Here's how they’re taking workers backwards. ...
Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue. We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views. “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
Tēnā tātou katoa, Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts. “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet. “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks. “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. At the heart of this report are the ...
For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024. “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane. “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says. “This will be our third visit to ...
Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum. While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation. “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan. “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests. Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone. Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
Comment: It was a good two hours into the conversation when Tyrone Marks raised the most basic of questions when I first spoke to him in 2017. “They didn’t explain the things they did to me. They never told me why. And they still haven’t. There’s no explanation for it. ...
Last summer when Matairangi burned, Ginny and Tom stood at the window of their lounge, watching kākā shoot skyward from the burning trees. From the distance, they looked to Ginny like pages torn from books and thrown into a bonfire. It was Tom, voice tight, who told her it was ...
Opinion: The Canadian short story writer Alice Munro – winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013 – died in May at the age of 92. Her work was about “the damage people inflict on one another in the name of love”, Deborah Treisman wrote in the New Yorker. ...
This month marks two years since the most powerful telescope ever built sent its first pictures back to earth. From its lofty vantage point, beyond the moon in orbit around the sun, the James Webb Space Telescope was tuned to observe the first stars and galaxies being born soon after ...
Comment: After Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ preview several weeks ago, I had some optimism about the Government’s emissions reduction plan. Now I’ve read the discussion document, that hope has been dashed. How can the Government propose a plan that wants to take New Zealand taxpayers’ hard-earned money, and spend ...
Christopher Luxon: hurdles The little man from National jumps hurdles in his sleep. He’s quite good at it in his dreams and even though the reality doesn’t quite match up you have to give him credit for getting up every morning and crashing into the very first hurdle of the ...
Madeleine Chapman rounds out Death Week on The Spinoff with a final recommendation. You can read all of our Death Week coverage here. Nothing forces you to reflect on your life and relationships quite like proximity to death. For those whose nearest and dearest have died, there are reasonably obvious ...
Whitney Greene takes us through her life in television, including the TV character she’d like to plan a funeral for and her cow lung catastrophe on The Traitors NZ. “If the phone rings, I have to answer it,” Whitney Greene from The Traitors NZ warns as we begin our My ...
Maddie Ballard reviews the debut essay collection of Pōneke writer Flora Feltham.In ‘The Raw Material’, the longest essay in Flora Feltham’s dazzling debut collection, the author heads out for a run after hours of weaving and sees the world turn to textile. “Pounding along the Parade, I saw the ...
Andy Christiansen, one half of the experimental rock-pop duo TRiPS, shares the tunes inspiring the band’s perfect weekend and new release. “Good speakers, good food, good music, no distractions”: that’s all you need to enjoy the psychedelic stylings of TRiPS, a new band formed by Fly My Pretties’ Barnaby Weir ...
Celebrating our quadrennial opportunity to become experts in a bunch of sports we never normally watch.The games of the XXXIII Olympiad are upon us. Paris will host this year’s showcase of sporting and athletic prowess, which means some late-night and early-morning viewing for us in Aotearoa.But what sports ...
The photograph is striking and beautiful, but also disturbing – a reminder that my love for John was often entangled in shame.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.In the spring of 1980, in Dunedin, shortly before his death, someone took a photograph ...
Get to know Babushka, our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Babu’s humans, Jo and Isabel, for their support. Dog name: Babushka (Babu for short) Age: 2Breed: Border Collie X poodleIf rescued, ...
Pacific Media Watch A Lebanese photojournalist who was severely wounded during an Israeli air strike in south Lebanon carried the Olympic torch in Paris this week in honour of her peers who have been wounded and killed in the field — especially in Gaza and Lebanon. Christina Assi of Agence ...
The first report in a five-part web series focused on the 15th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women taking place in the Marshall Islands this week.SPECIAL REPORT:By Netani Rika in Majuro Women continue to fight for justice 70 years after the first nuclear tests by the United States caused ...
Christopher Luxon has joined with Australia and Canada's leaders in voicing support for US President Joe Biden's ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The 2022 election brought the “teal wave” into parliament. The next election will test whether teals, who occupy what were Liberal seats, and other independents can maintain their momentum. Joining us on the Podcast ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Musgrave, Senior lecturer in Pharmacology, University of Adelaide Pixavri/Shutterstock A major Federal Court class action has been dismissed this week after Justice Michael Lee ruled there was not enough evidence to prove the weedkiller Roundup causes cancer. Plaintiff Kelvin ...
In The Week in Politics: politicians have to decide what to do about child abuse, Health NZ is booked in for major surgery and Darleen Tana returns. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Corbould, Associate Professor, Contemporary Histories Research Group, Deakin University Mainstream media are surprisingly muted at the prospect of the world’s most powerful nation being led for the first time by a woman – specifically a woman of colour, Vice President Kamala ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Bennett, PhD Student, Associate Research Fellow, Deakin University Last week, a drone delivery company called Wing (owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet) started operating in Melbourne. Some 250,000 residents in parts of the city’s eastern suburbs can now order food from ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Foo, Lecturer, Physiotherapy, Monash University pikselstock/Shutterstock In the next 40 years in Australia, it’s predicted the number of Australians aged 65 and over will more than double, while the number of people aged 85 and over will more than triple. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katrina Grant, Research Associate, Power Institute for Arts and Visual Culture, University of Sydney Jonas Åkerström’s 1790 work, Session of the Accademia dell’Arcadia on August 17 1788.Nationalmuseum/Cecilia Heisser Ever wondered whether you’d have a better chance at winning an Olympic gold ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Jones, Program Lead, Food Governance, George Institute for Global Health wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock On Thursday, Australian and New Zealand food ministers at state, federal and national levels met to thrash out what’s next for health star ratings on packaged foods. Now, after ...
The Abuse in Care report found many Pacific survivors lost their connections to their culture and language, resulting in trauma that has been carried from generation to generation. ...
In the regulatory review, ECC intends to suggest that ERO focus on curriculum delivery reviews rather than the Ministry, because it’s not efficient or effective to have two agencies with radically different approaches climbing over each other. ...
Te Rūnanga Nui o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori invites the current government to work in partnership with them to develop a pathway forward, including the development of a parallel pathway and meaningful policy and strategy for Kura Kaupapa Māori ...
If you haven’t started watching yet, Tara Ward begs you to reconsider. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. In the world of New Zealand reality television, we have many gems in our crown. There’s the delicious second season of the Celebrity Treasure ...
A new poem by Fiona Kidman. The clothes of the dead I did not keep my mother’s furry red beret for long nor the stringy scarves that adorned the necks of my aunts, although I have kept tag ends of gold, the rings and trinkets they wore, the brooches no ...
The government’s announcement that it will re-open the foreshore and seabed controversy by changing the rules on recognising centuries-old Māori customary title for a third time goes against the rule of law and New Zealand values,” Mr Tipa says. ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Lioness by Emily Perkins (Bloomsbury, $25) Roarrrr! Perkins’ brilliant, award-winning, Marian-Keyes anointed, darkly funny, long ...
The 2004 Act vested ownership of the foreshore and seabed in the Crown, extinguishing any Māori claims to ownership and causing widespread outrage and protests among Māori communities. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Antje Deckert, Associate Professor (Criminology), Auckland University of Technology Getty Images Despite the connection between institutional harm and gang membership made clear in this week’s mammoth royal commission abuse-in care report, the government seems unlikely to soften its “get tough on ...
From Lewis Clareburt in the swimming to the start of the rowing – the first seven days of Paris 2024 promise to be big for New Zealand. There are few events that bring the country together quite like an Olympic Games. Nothing quite matches the excitement of getting up in ...
Groundbreaking local science just showed up in the most surprising of places: the season finale of The Kardashians. In the season five finale of The Kardashians last night, several members of the family gathered together in one of their signature empty, cream-coloured rooms to hear test results that had been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, Australian National University The Middle East is on the brink of a possibly devastating regional war, with hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah reaching an extremely dangerous level. Washington has engaged in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Elizabeth Eades, Rheumatologist, Monash University Lupus is an inflammatory autoimmune illness, where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks itself. Lupus can affect virtually any part of the body, although it most commonly affects the skin, joints and kidneys. The symptoms ...
A law firm that specialises in working with survivors of abuse in State care is disappointed that the Government fails to recognise that its boot camps can be directly compared to previous boot camps from the 1990s and 2000s. ...
Dying is a natural part of life, like updating your Wof or seeing your hairdresser, but without the word-of-mouth recs that help guarantee a good service. What if we changed that? Dying Reviews received by The Spinoff have had the names of organisations redacted while Hospice NZ collects further data. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland Mike Lewinski/Flickr, CC BY On any clear night, if you gaze skywards long enough, chances are you’ll see a meteor streaking through the sky. Some nights, however, are better than others. At ...
Despite having no bars or other designated spaces for lesbians, Auckland boasts a small but mighty lesbian museum. So how did it get here? The past 18 months has brought increasing hostility towards the queer community across Aotearoa. Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull’s anti-trans rally in Tamaki Makaurau last March led to a ...
Poneke Antifascist Coalition has invited Wellingtonians to stand in solidarity with the Kanak people at 12pm today outside the French Embassy in Wellington. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Layton, Visiting Fellow, Strategic Studies, Griffith University Drones are the signature technology of the Ukraine war. A few miniature aircraft designs were used in the war’s early days, but an incredible array of drones have now evolved. There are different types, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Slee, Associate Professor, Clinical Academic Neurologist, Flinders University Francisco Gonzelez/Unsplash Migraine is many things, but one thing it’s not is “just a headache”. “Migraine” comes from the Greek word “hemicrania”, referring to the common experience of migraine being predominantly ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lee White, Senior Lecturer and Horizon Fellow, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Sydney Australia was slow to introduce minimum building standards for energy efficiency. The Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) only came into force in 2003. Older homes ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Sherwood, Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, Climate Change Research Centre, UNSW Sydney The past century of human-induced warming has increased rainfall variability over 75% of the Earth’s land area – particularly over Australia, Europe and eastern North America, new research shows. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Heynen, Program Coordinator, Sustainable Energy, The University of Queensland A temporary stadium in the Champ-de-Mars, ParisEkaterina Pokrovsky/Shutterstock As Paris prepares to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the sustainability of the event is coming under scrutiny. The organisers have promoted ...
A night of karaoke and community in a pub that feels like a memory. You’d barely even notice it, unless you knew to look. Tucked away behind a liquor store on busy Constable Street is the capital’s last great pub. Newtown Sports Bar is an emblem of the pub culture ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Wright, Professor in Marine Geology, University of Canterbury Louise Corcoran/Getty Images The decline in the number of doctoral candidates at New Zealand universities is a worrying sign for the country’s effort to build a knowledge-based economy. Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laurie Berg, Associate Professor, University of Technology Sydney defotoberg/Shutterstock Migrant worker exploitation is entrenched in workplaces across Australia. Tragically, a deep fear of immigration consequences means most unlawful employer conduct goes unreported. On Wednesday, however, the government officially launched a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vaughan Cruickshank, Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Tasmania Paris is about to host its third summer Olympics. While we don’t yet know what the legacy of this year’s games will be, let’s take the opportunity to reflect on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hugh Breakey, Deputy Director, Institute for Ethics, Governance & Law, Griffith University In the wake of the assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump, there were calls from bothsides of US politics, as well as internationally, to reduce the brutal, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Keith Rathbone, Senior Lecturer, Modern European History and Sports History, Macquarie University Two high-profile assaults on Australians in Paris have raised concerns about security ahead of the Olympic Games. On Saturday evening, a young woman was allegedly sexually assaulted by a ...
Dying is inevitable and, so it seems, is it costing a lot, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here.The cost of dying ...
The government took Joyce Harris's first baby and sent her off to a girls' home. Half a century on - and out of oceans of hurt - it asked her to be a mother figure. ...
It’s the deadliest fictional town in the country, but which death has been the most bonkers? Alex Casey looks back at 10 seasons of The Brokenwood Mysteries to find out. Warning: The following ranking story contains famous New Zealand actors appearing to be dead (not alive). The Spinoff has been ...
Water cremation is the biggest thing to happen to the death industry in the last 100 years. Alex Casey meets the people trying to bring it to Aotearoa. Through a set of mirrored doors down the industrial end of Christchurch’s St Asaph Street, death is getting a new lease on ...
Flag-bearing duties were shared between boxer David Nyika and Black Ferns Sevens captain Sarah Hirini in Tokyo three years ago. Triple Olympic medallist in boardsailing, Barbara Kendall was the first female flag bearer in Atlanta in 1996. Since 2004, the flagbearers have worn a kākahu (cloak) as they led ...
It may interest readers to note that this moral colossus, Harvey Weinstein, is one of the most vicious and brutal denouncers of Kim Dotcom…..
Read more….
https://theintercept.com/2016/10/07/harvey-weinstein-urged-clinton-campaign-to-silence-sanderss-black-lives-matter-message/
https://theintercept.com/2016/10/07/harvey-weinstein-urged-clinton-campaign-to-silence-sanderss-black-lives-matter-message/
+1 Morrissey
But is who released them really of more concern than what the emails said?
And they obviously don’t have proof else they’d provide it so this amounts proclaiming guilt without a trial and in such a way as to influence politics which I’m pretty sure that the intelligence services aren’t supposed to do.
A native woman’s view of trump (before the last debate) –
“During his presidential campaign, Trump has repeatedly referred to Senator Elizabeth Warren as “Pocahontas.” Apparently, he is so ill informed, as are the vast majority of Americans, that he did not know that the myth of Pocahontas is just that, a myth. Pocahontas was not a grown woman who threw herself on a rock to protect the “noble” John Smith. In fact, she was a twelve-year-old girl who was kidnapped, raped, forced into marriage and Christianity, who died well before the age of twenty…
…As a Native woman, enrolled with the Cowlitz Indian Tribe of Washington, I have been told I was a “squaw,” a “dirty Indian,” and “thin skinned” when I spoke up against racism and sexism. It’s a formula response to accuse people of color of being “too sensitive” or “too PC” when we speak up for ourselves. However, as the racists and bigots who bay at the moon for Trump become more vocal, there are more and more women, particularly those of color, who find themselves being triggered and experiencing greater levels of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder simply on the basis of Trump’s terrible words and the rabid support from the “Trumpette’s…”
http://nativenewsonline.net/currents/star-can-anything-want-ugly-truths-donald-trump/
This is a voice not often heard – listen.
That’s a very good article, thanks. And a kind of antidote to some of the pro-Trump rape apologist lines being run by some ts commenters.
This stood out for me,
“The best outcome of Trump’s ugly comments and Billy Bush’s “yuck, yuck, yuck” response would be a national dialogue on the value of people of color, women, and children.”
One of the more disturbing pro-Trump arguments I have heard, and not just from the apologists but from otherwise compassionate progressive men, is that Trump is a better choice than Clinton because of all the women that will be killed overseas if Clinton becomes president. Thus if one supported women’s rights one would choose Trump. This is juxtaposed against the idea that one shouldn’t vote for Clinton based on gender. And you know, it’s just those privileged white women who would do that anyway. So good then to have space to listen to a non-white, woman’s voice. You are right about them not being often heard.
Well my horse in the race, Sanders, was nobbled early. I’m left looking on this absolute farce of an election with a sinking heart.
Roughly 15-20% of voters are going to be firmly in Clinton’s camp. Liberal, left-leaning and deeply aware of exactly the issues you advocate for so very well. For you Trump is irredeemably goddamn awful, and I fully respect why.
Equally there is another 15-20% of voters firmly in Trump’s camp, who are hearing him articulate what they cannot; that the establishment is no longer just ordinarily corrupt … but as CV forcefully argues … is rapidly heading into terminal decadence.
And this leaves another 60% or so who are ambivalent, contradictory even. Which to choose? One candidate proposing to extend an already compromised Obamacare program, or another promising to scrap it and start afresh?
One candidate with a lot of public office baggage, or another with way too little?
An alpha-male blow-hard making vulgar derogatory sexist comments, or a deeply establishment operator who seem fully intent on a hot confrontation with Russia?
is that Trump is a better choice than Clinton because of all the women that will be killed overseas if Clinton becomes president.
Indeed. What if it did come down to a nuclear confrontation? What if the worst happened and she was responsible for the deaths of few billion humans? Is this better or worse than Trump’s ugly trash talk?
I’m absolutely not defending or apologising for Trump here. First Dog on the Moon skewers the noxious, throwback old windbag beautifully. Along with a frankly lunatic GOP which enabled him.
We can rail on about how shit it all is; the fact is within a few weeks millions of Americans will have to make a choice … and the best we can do from this distance is have some sympathy for how unpleasant a task this will be for many.
I don’t actually care about the voter polls in the US Red. I’m not even really talking about the election itself. I’m talking about the culture of the election, esp in the NZ left. Which is why I appreciated marty’s link to a voice that’s not being heard.
What if it did come down to a nuclear confrontation? What if the worst happened and she was responsible for the deaths of few billion humans? Is this better or worse than Trump’s ugly trash talk?
Leaving aside the issue of whether Trump supporters are being incredibly naive to think that Trump won’t be a warmonger, I utterly reject the notion that it’s politically valid or viable to say raping women or cementing in a white supremacy state is better than killing a few billion humans (not suggesting that you are saying that, so much as the that appears to be the general argument). I’m sure you did this for hyperbolic effect, but describing the problem with Trump as his ugly trash talk contributes to that. See, I would describe him as a rapist, active misogynist and active racist. By active, I mean not just that he has done things in the past, but that he wants the world to be like this going forward. And no, for anyone else reading, that doesn’t meant I support Clinton and it’s not an invitation to respond with a whole bunch of Clinton bashing in order to excuse Trump.
That is the actual problem here. That the debate culture has ended up framing this debate as a false dichotomy and then some are using that to promote some pretty vile politics because it suits their political agenda. I think there are more choices than that, and it’s telling that this is what is happening on ts (haven’t followed the Trump threads recently though tbf). We should be having posts like the one marty just linked to, and the reasons why we are not are a micro reflection of the problem at large.
Until those unheard voices are heard (and that requires active listening on our part), then we will continue down the path of the hellhole that is US politics. Fortunately in NZ, we are somewhat better at listening, but I would say NZ is better than ts, which is a sad indictment.
The best we can do is so much better than what we are doing now.
That the debate culture has ended up framing this debate as a false dichotomy
True, but this doesn’t wish the fact of the election away. In a sane world Clinton will almost certainly win it, but this does not come without it’s own consequences.
Based purely on what was said in yesterday’s debate there is no question Clinton is far more hawkish on a hot military confrontation with the Russians in Syria than Trump. She pretty much stated she would use military assets to attack Assad’s forces. At that awful point all we need is a handful of US Navy ships in the Mediterranean to be sunk by Russian missiles and it’s all on.
The risk of this cannot be hand-waved off. To my mind Hillary Clinton is as unfit for the office of President as is Donald Trump in his own quite different manner. They isn’t an equivalence, it’s simply a fact.
Imagine you had to elect a Chair to the local Community Childcare Centre, and it turned out you had a choice between a pedophile and someone who secretly wanted to sell the place to his sister in law? Absolutely not equivalent, but both equally unacceptable in their own way.
Which to my mind means we need to keep an active conversation about why both are so unacceptable; without always assuming that criticizing one implies an automatic support for the other.
Sorry, but I’m not interested in yesterdays debate, nor in furthering the false dichotomy (and here, again, I’m not talking about Clinton/Trump, I’m talking about the left culture in NZ) that continues to refuse to listen to voices that are directly impacted by what is going on.
I understand reasonably well what you are arguing (as others have argued). But I’m not willing to glide past the argument I just made around what happens when we say it’s ok to harm these people so long as these other people don’t get harmed. I probably haven’t expressed it very well, will think more on this.
I agree with your last comment. I can see ways to discuss the complexity of the situation, including people’s fears about what Clinton will do, without it being about promotion of fascism and rape culture. But like I said, that’s not what is happening, and I’m not ok with supporting that.
Yes I get what you are saying here and don’t have any quibble with it.
These are tough conversations for everyone.
The lesser of two evils – is still an evil!
Oh how I wish the yanks would turn en masse to Jill Stein – and give the whole world some hope!
I agree regarding Stein (or Sanders!), and I’m no admirer of HRC…but to paraphrase Chomsky – with the lesser evil – you get less evil. And that seems to be a comparatively good thing.
Yep.
Sanders was pretty good as a candidate and senator, and under Clinton will hopefully have some sort of role. Silver linings on turd clouds, lol.
In a sane world, in a sane establishment, Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren would be POTUS.
If I was in the USA I couldn’t vote for either of them, they are despicable people though for different reasons but if you were in the USA would you vote for one of them?
Puckish, honest curiosity. What are your objections to Hillary?
The Benghazi attack is one of them and the other is, unfortunately a no smoke without fire type of thing.
If there were one or two allegations of against Bill Clinton then I could dismiss (anyone can allege anything but you need proof)it but like Bill Cosby the sheer amount of allegations is starting to become to many to ignore
You then throw in the allegations of Hillary hounding the same women and her claims of being a feminist and supporter of women doesn’t stack up
All politicians lie, they have to so they can get into power but its the little lies Hillary makes that make look at her and go what else are you lying about
I mean the being under sniper fire in Bosina or claiming to have been named after Sir Edmund Hillary and you then find out shes deleted tens of thousands of emails from her personal email server and we’re supposed to believe its ok because she says so
Clinton represents political business as usual, the establishment, whatever is wrong with the American government it won’t change under Clinton one iota (won’t change under Trump either)
Thanks. With the Benghazi thing, what are your thoughts on there having been eight congressional investigations into Benghazi, led by people with investigative and prosecutorial expertise and an interest in putting the worst possible interpretation on any findings, that didn’t come up with anything to really pin on her?
Well she took responsibility for it so the buck stops with her so maybe not a bad thing but on top of the other issues its just another reason to not vote for her
You throw in Whitewater and the issues around the Clinton foundation and while it may not be proven in a court of law it still adds up to someone involved in some shady dealing
…eight congressional investigations into Benghazi, led by people with investigative and prosecutorial expertise and an interest in putting the worst possible interpretation on any findings, that didn’t come up with anything…
That’s just Benghazi. We’re coming up on a quarter-century of well-funded and very extensive attempts to find dirt on Hillary Clinton that will stick, for a net result of 0. Puckish Rogue files that under “no smoke without fire,” but I file it under “tried and tested,” with a see-also reference to “wow, right-wing Americans really, really hate this woman.” I’d vote for her on that last count alone.
and that’s fair enough, I’d vote for neither
“tried and tested” with a see-also reference to “wow, right-wing Americans really, really hate this woman.”
Thanks for getting to the heart of it in a tenth the words I’d need.
Just look at her trustworthiness rating, it’s spectacular 🙄
http://dailycaller.com/2016/02/17/poll-hillary-clinton-least-honest-and-trustworthy-of-all-presidential-candidates/
For what its worth my objection to her has nothing to do with her gender
Sorry, I didn’t intend to imply that. But I think her gender goes a long way to explain why so many American right-wingers hate her so much.
That’s cool and I think you’re right to a degree.
Re your comment “But I think her gender goes a long way to explain why so many American right-wingers hate her so much”
“As a whole, women support Clinton over Trump and Sanders, but 49% of women from across the political spectrum give her an unfavorable rating”- Guardian
So, maybe not just a right wing thing.
Hence the ability of a sexist orange orangutan to make her work so hard for a fairly average win, and her desperate need for a good number of ‘anyone but Trump’ votes.
This may be the first time in American history that someone is voted into the most important position in the country, not on their own ‘merit’, but simply to avoid the horror of their opponent winning.
It depends on the state one lives in. Some states a vote for Stein isn’t going to increase Trump’s chances for getting in, so in that case I would easily vote Stein. In marginal states, I would vote Clinton. I’m a pragmatic voter and so it’s nothing to do with them being despicable people or not. Nothing.
Having said that, I haven’t followed close enough, and I might end up voting Stein anyway, because at some point you have to give up on one election in order to make bigger changes and an increase in the Green vote is something that will pay off over time. I don’t know what’s happening to the ex-Sanders voters either. There are more important things going on than this one election.
Fair enough, I was only asking out of curiosity
🙂
Except that I don’t think he is articulating that it’s heading into terminal decadence.
He’s saying it’s corrupt, and he’ll return the country to its former glory, and he’ll do other things too, like cut taxes for everyone, build a wall and pull out of trade agreements that will hurt their economy far more than it’ll help. The people in small town USA somehow believe that when he is president, their lives will change for the better, when it’s more likely there’ll be no change, or they’ll be worse off.
If Trump were actually campaigning about getting rid of corruption, and had policies that actually supported that view point and could make a difference, then I’d support him and agree with you.
But he’s not.
Sanders came a lot closer of course, but his policies seemed to involve a lot of magical thinking too.
“Sanders came a lot closer of course, but his policies seemed to involve a lot of magical thinking too.”
Could you explain what you mean by that extraordinary allegation. I think you’ve been listening uncritically to right wing opinionistas again, but please go ahead disabuse me of that sinking feeling.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/19/opinion/varieties-of-voodoo.html?_r=0
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/02/17/what-has-the-wonks-worried/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/03/14/can-bernie-sanders-turn-the-united-states-into-denmark-an-investigation/
You’ve simply pointed me to three right wing opinion pieces, including one from the notorious, treacherous anti-journalism Washington Post. That’s not an argument, that’s a lazy substitute for argument.
“that’s a lazy substitute for argument”
coming from the guy that just dismissed three links because he doesn’t like the message
The first two are by Paul Krugman. This is what Wikipedia says about Paul Krugman:
The Washington Post article has the input of many experts in their fields. Are they all rightwing? I don’t know, I’m not going to bother looking up the credentials of all of them. At least some of them are leftwing people however.
One of the key themes in the Washington Post article is that Sanders is trying to apply Scandinavian economics to the US, but the countries are so different culturally and historically that it’s unlikely the plans would work as he expected. Simply saying “it works for them, lets apply it here” isn’t good enough, and that’s basically what Sanders was doing – magical thinking.
All of this is further ignoring the point, that even if Sanders had a democratically controlled house and senate (which he wouldn’t), he wouldn’t be able to get all of his changes through anyway.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/politics/another-labour-spin-doctor-bites-the-dust-2016101015
“Another Labour Party press secretary has quit the party, the fourth to do so in just three months”
Is it really such a bad place to work?
Could be that Andrew has set a very high bar and from here on in, the staff have to be able to handle it. If you are uncertain leave now.
That seems to be OK to me.
By the way Puck, the PM has a PR staff of hundreds. How many leave each year? One a week perhaps?
Sounds like theres a problem with the hiring going on if they can’t find someone to stay
“By the way Puck, the PM has a PR staff of hundreds. How many leave each year? One a week perhaps?”
Evidence please
Was thinking the same Ianmac.
“Could be that Andrew has set a very high bar and from here on in, the staff have to be able to handle it.”
Sounds like a job for the local union rep to have a wee peek at Mr. Littles workplace practices then.
The outgoing PM is to do a cabinet ‘reshuffle’ before next election. We need a change of government not a ‘reshuffle’.
https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/key-signals-cabinet-reshuffle-new-year-b-195290
I predict that ‘Nickoff’ will be a gone burger, gone from the Nelson seat would be my ideal. Will be doing my best to make that a reality. 🙂
Labour would do well to take note of Nationals ability to remove the dead wood (not all the dead wood unfortunately) and present a fresher line up plus the return of Judith Collins!
I wonder if Judith will have any questions to answer today, after all she is responsible for contracting Serco to Mt Eden, what a disaster that is.
Judith and her husband, dang, they’re just as crooked as the Clintons. How’s Oravida Water doing? Jenny Shipley would know. Got any loop holes to exploit? Don’t worry Judiths husband is already on to it.
National is nothing but deadwood. Comes from wanting policies best suited to the 15th century.
That’s easy…get rid of Joyce, English, Bennett, Smith, Parata, Bridges….you get the picture
Well sure if I wanted the left to gain power then I’d agree with you but of that list I’d remove Joyce and Smith
Dude, be honest, you would add Parata to your list.
I feel sorry for Bill, he just looks so ‘over it’, he would be so much happier out of parliament me thinks, he looks beaten and worn. The type of worn out that only a change in career would fix.
Why would I get rid of Parata?
For reals? Where to start…
Lack of funding
Failed charter schools
Wrap around services failing students, teachers, families
Salisbury School
School pools
Failing special education
Lack of support from teachers towards the minister
Failing schools
Rotting schools
She’s completely out of touch, I’m surprised the outgoing PM gave her another chance.
Its damn impressive that Parata is responsible for all that mess
Well, Peter Hughes managed to keep a lid on things while he was there but once he left for better things Parata’s been coming out with all sorts of tripe again – most of it already failed policy in other countries.
+1 Cinny
a message from our sponsor RT
John Key hits back at UN report on child poverty in NZ
Except for the fact that he isn’t. In fact, he’s been actively making it worse.
If you don’t define it you can’t know what’s causing it and thus you can’t actually address it. This does appear to be what National want because we all know, deep in our hearts, what’s the cause of all this poverty. Just look at the increasing poverty of the last thirty years under the hyper-capitalism that’s been introduced.
There was a double length episode of Last Week Tonight yesterday – aired just after, but recorded before, the debate. The first bit was about the Trump tape (and was appropriately scathing of “Bushy”), but this section was a worthwhile change of topic:
Awesome thanks
Surprised they didn’t try to blame it on Jetstar.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/315357/passengers-cry-as-'flight-from-hell'-lands-in-nz
http://www.interest.co.nz/news/84007/finance-minister-signals-significant-ramping-house-building-housing-nz-corp-land-auckland
there must be an election coming…
Haven’t we read/heard this one before?
Seems like my comment from a couple of weeks ago hit it right on the nose:
https://thestandard.org.nz/polls-2/#comment-1237881
Situations like this were entirely predictable (and I think some of us did indeed predict them when the policy came out),
A woman who took up the Government’s relocation grant to move to Hamilton, says she’s now doing everything she can to get back to Auckland.
Teri Standen said she wanted a fresh start with the $5000 grant – and moved south at the start of July.
But she said she hates her life in Hamilton.
She said the local school isn’t what she expected, and there are gang members living on the street she’s been housed on.
Standen’s warning people to do their own research before jumping on the offer – as she simply trusted Housing New Zealand to disclose “relevant” information.
She said going to check out the option first-hand prior to relocating was not an option for her due to petrol costs and childcare commitments.
Her advice to others tempting by the chance of a fresh start and a bit of cash: “Anyone who’s going to take the relocation grant, research where you’re going to thoroughly, if you can, and be very wary about where they’re putting you.”
A spokeswoman for Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett said she would not comment as it was an operational matter.
http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/winz-relocation-a-disappointment-aucklander-wants-to-come-home/
“A spokeswoman for Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett said she would not comment as it was an operational matter.”
WTF kind of excuse is that? Dang I wonder how many others ‘relocation’ is not working out for. Sounds like another failed plan by the government, dismissed as an operational matter to shut down any further questions.
Al Jazeera intones gravely about “Vladimir Putin’s controversial visit to Paris.”
Sadly, Qatar’s official TV outlet is nothing but a relentless propaganda unit.
Al Jazeera News, 12 noon (NZ time), Tuesday 11 October 2016
I’ve just heard an Al Qaeda newsreader dutifully droning about how the French government is getting ready for “Vladimir Putin’s controversial visit to Paris.” Then, from Paris, one Natacha Butler explains with a straight face and a steady voice: “And that’s because of Russia’s involvement in SYRIA, particularly the bombing of ALEPPO.”
Perhaps there are some Standardisti out there who can supply an example, but I cannot recall a single time that Al Jazeera, the official television station of the Qatari dictatorship, has described a visit anywhere by Barack Obama, who has for eight years presided over the destruction of Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, and Syria as “controversial.”
More shameful propaganda masquerading as news on Al Jazeera….
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-22102015/#comment-1085331
…I cannot recall a single time that Al Jazeera, the official television station of the Qatari dictatorship, has described a visit anywhere by Barack Obama, who has for eight years presided over the destruction of Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, and Syria as “controversial.”
Oh, I expect that if Obama was carrying out indiscriminate, large-scale bombing of urban neighbourhoods in any country, he’d be at risk of people throwing shoes at him on his overseas visits – hopefully Putin will cope one right in the mush. Obama’s predecessor had quite a few “controversial” visits for similar reasons to Putin’s visit being “controversial” – the reason Obama doesn’t get the same treatment is that he doesn’t pull the same shit, not because Al Jazeera is a propaganda site.
The US has been supporting the Saudi bombing of Yemen with munitions, intelligence and other military support for over a year now.
In the most recent attack, a Saudi-led airstrike on a Sana’a community hall funeral service killed 150 or more people and wounded a further 500+.
… the Saudi bombing of Yemen…
I expect that a visit by King Salman would also be pretty controversial right now. Less so on Al Jazeera, granted.
The War Nerd: A Brief History of the Yemen Clusterf*ck
https://pando.com/2015/03/28/the-war-nerd-a-brief-history-of-the-yemen-clusterfck/
If your point is that the Saudi government is really not very nice, we’ve finally agreed on something.
Oh Milt you really are such a low rent commentator
Mr Jones, Colonial Viper’s go to source –
Imagine how bad she smells, man? I’m told her and Obama, just stink, stink, stink, stink. You can’t wash that evil off, man. Told there’s a rotten smell around Hillary. I’m not kidding, people say, they say — folks, I’ve been told this by high up folks. They say listen, Obama and Hillary both smell like sulfur. I never said this because the media will go crazy with it, but I’ve talked to people that are in protective details, they’re scared of her. And they say listen, she’s a frickin’ demon and she stinks and so does Obama. I go, like what? Sulfur. They smell like Hell.
https://youtu.be/2Ll4wXS2PIo?t=4m
Not very nice that dude.
One of Trump’s … more interesting…supporters.
http://edition.cnn.com/2016/10/10/politics/trump-supporter-god-harlots-bible/index.html
Single issue nutters, abortion.
Wow out there
Yep, a disgusting basket of deplorables and irredeemables, as Hillary would say.
Indeed, point proven by this cartoon from Trump supporter Sean Delonas making light of the tiny fingered fuckwit’s sexual assault of women.
http://media.cagle.com/226/2016/10/09/185810_600.jpg
(warning, it ain’t nice)
Wow, did CNN really broadcast that?
By ain’t nice, joe is referring to the fact that the cartoon shows Trump sexually assaulting Clinton, plus the way that assault is characterised.
Nah, part of the cartoon.
http://www.caglecartoons.com/viewimage.asp?ID={29B1D885-1636-429B-AF08-7AA38E7E5630}
Why would the outgoing government be wanting to curb immigration?
Was it because of their internal polling?
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1610/S00142/national-panicked-by-polls-on-immigration.htm
Come, come.
You don’t really consider a press release from Winston Peters or his mob as being evidence of anything do you?
The man is a charlatan.
I trust him far more than I trust National.
Alwyn, the only charlatan in the house is the outgoing PM.
ShonKey is the epitome of charlatan.
Do you remember what Abe Lincoln is supposed to have said?
“You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time”.
The “You” he was talking about was someone like Winston..
Nick, Cinny and DTB are clearly in the group of “some of the people”.
90% of the population saw through Winston’s bluster ages ago.
So, one of those game changing details in the leaked emails was actually a copy and pasted portion of an opinion piece.
Stupid pricks.
//
In an email titled “The Truth” from Hillary’s top confidante Sidney Blumenthal, the adviser writing to undisclosed recipients said that “one important point that has been universally acknowledged by nine previous reports about Benghazi: The attack was almost certainly preventable” in what may turn out to be the big October surprise from the WikiLeaks released of emails hacked from the account of Clinton Campaign Chair John Podesta.Then came the money quote: “Clinton was in charge of the State Department, and it failed to protect U.S. personnel at an American consulate in Libya. If the GOP wants to raise that as a talking point against her, it is legitimate,” said Blumenthal, putting to rest the Democratic Party talking point that the investigation into Clinton’s management of the State Department at the time of the attack was nothing more than a partisan witch hunt.Those words sounded really, really familiar. Really familiar. Like, so familiar they struck me as something I wrote. Because they were something I wrote..
http://www.newsweek.com/vladimir-putin-sidney-blumenthal-hillary-clinton-donald-trump-benghazi-sputnik-508635