Open mike 13/02/2023
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- THOMAS CRANMER: Minister awaits review into DOC funding hole
Multiple reviews are examining options to address a $25M to $40M funding hole in its operating budget and a reported $300M, 70,000 hour maintenance backlog for huts, tracks and visitor assets. Thomas Cranmer writes – Following Friday’s revelation that Budget 2023 has left the Department of Conservation ...1 hour ago - Brighter signs from economy pre-electionProperty values fell a further 0.7% in May from April across Aotearoa, but Core Logic sees evidence in the data “the current downturn is winding up.” Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: There are fresh signs this morning the housing market-with-bits-tacked-on economy is brightening up going into winter, and just ...2 hours ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 1 June 2023
FOREIGN AFFAIRS, SPY AGENCIES Thomas Manch (Post): New Zealand’s search for security as a new era of great-power competition arrives(paywalled) Thomas Manch (Post): Defence Minister Andrew Little to meet Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu in Singapore Alexander Gillespie (North & South): The Awkwardness of AUKUS (preview) Christine Rovoi (Stuff): Pacific takes ...2 hours ago - The future of the Medium Density Residential Standards
This is a cross post by Malcom McCracken at Better things are possible. It was from between when National signalled their change in housing policy but before they announced it but highlights why the Medium Density Residential Standards are important. Yesterday, the leader of the National Party, Christopher Luxon, ...3 hours ago - Evaluation of GCM simulations with a regional focus.
Do the global climate models (GCMs) we use for describing future climate change really capture the change and variations in the region that we want to study? There are widely used tools for evaluating global climate models, such as the ESMValTool, but they don’t provide the answers that I ...14 hours ago - Climate Adam: We're NOT about to pass the 1.5 degree climate change limit
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Politik (paywalled) reports that He waka eke noa, the farmers' scam to have the rest of us subsidise their emissions forever, so they can keep on destroying the planet, is dead: Reality appears to be about to shatter Jacinda Ardern's dream that New Zealand could lead the world in ...18 hours ago - Mātauranga Māori will propel Pāpāmoa school kids’ science learning (in te reo) and give lift-o...
Buzz from the Beehive Two ministerial press statements today draw attention to the Government’s incorporation of mātauranga Māori in its science policies and programmes. One of these announced the launch of the national space policy, which will oblige our space boffins to bring indigenous knowledge into their considerations. The ...18 hours ago - The Stations of the Chris
The Stations of the Cross, as all of us know from our devout and Godly ways, is a series of fourteen stations that depict the final hours in the story of Christ our Lord - appearing before Pilate, shouldering the wooden cross, whistling the Monty Python tune, so on and ...18 hours ago - The Stations of the ChrisThe Stations of the Cross, as all of us know from our devout and Godly ways, is a series of fourteen stations that depict the final hours in the story of Christ our Lord - appearing before Pilate, shouldering the wooden cross, whistling the Monty Python tune, so on and ...18 hours ago
- Trivial, but tellingThe Herald reports on a trivial but telling incident from Parliament: Labour Cabinet Minister Kiri Allan read the wrong speech at the third reading of a freedom camping bill in Parliament last night. She re-read almost word for word a speech given at the Self-contained Motor Vehicles Legislation bill’s ...20 hours ago
- BARRIE SAUNDERS: Exiting the constitutional rabbit holeBarrie Saunders writes – Very well-intentioned politicians, judges and others have taken New Zealand down into a Treaty rabbit hole, from which few know how to exit without creating more social divisions. The modern interpretations of the Maori version of Treaty have set aside a common understanding of ...22 hours ago
- House prices primed to surge 10-20% if National winsIt’s like deja-vu all over again. House prices are primed to surge 10-20% soon after any clear National-ACT win on October 14. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: There are increasing signs in economists’ forecasts, auction clearance rates, migration rates, divergent tax policies and house building rates that a clear ...24 hours ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 31 May 2023BILINGUAL ROAD SIGNS, TE REO MĀORI Jo Moir (Newsroom): National getting sucked into regressive race debate Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Luxon’s familiar issue: Another awkward week struggling with Māori politics Amelia Wade, Jamie Ensor and Jenna Lynch (Newshub): Watch: ‘His view’s different to mine’ – National MPs react to te reo ...1 day ago
- Removing the Takanini Level CrossingsAnother of the interesting items at the Auckland Transport board meeting yesterday was about the plans for removing the remaining four road level crossings on the Southern Line in Takanini at Spartan Rd, Manuroa Rd, Taka St and Walters Rd. The board were asked to approve a business case for ...1 day ago
- Hive Talking.
I did something yesterday that I hadn’t done in ages. Watch Oral Questions in parliament. I’m not sure what happened in all the episodes I missed, but nothing much seemed to have changed.For those unfamiliar, Question Time takes place in parliament at 2pm each Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of the ...1 day ago - Luxon’s Lack Of Political “Muscle Memory”.
Slow Learner: Effective leaders develop a political “muscle memory” of their own. The National Party should get one.SPEAKING IN PUBLIC tops most people’s list of fearful situations. There are some careers, however, for which public fluency is a non-negotiable pre-requisite. There’s little point in pursuing an acting career, for example, ...1 day ago - Reality shatters Ardern’s dream
Reality appears to be about to shatter Jacinda Ardern’s dream that New Zealand could lead the world in showing how to deal with farm emissions. The Government is facing a breakdown in negotiations over its much-vaunted He Waka Eke Noa deal with farmers to price greenhouse gas emissions and ...1 day ago - ERO Looking Into the “Emotional & Physical Safety of All Students” at Bethlehem Coll...
Hi,Webworm won a Voyager media award over the weekend for “Best Team Investigation”! This would not have been possible without readers. Without you. Thank you.Also, there’s a new Flightless Bird out today, where I look at drug rehab clinics in Florida. I talk to three former addicts, and their stories ...1 day ago - At a glance – How reliable are climate models?On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...2 days ago
- Govt is open about NZ’s science relationship with China – but a ministerial statement on defence...Buzz from the Beehive The Government is coy about some aspects of its relationship with China – and with the United States. Earlier this month, the PM spent a hectic 23 hours in Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea, where he responded to the superpower security deal just ...2 days ago
- The imaginary world of the 6pm news
What do Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings and your daily newspaper all have in common? They all tell tales of imaginary worlds.In Game of Thrones the honourable Stark family find themselves in deadly conflict with the ruthless House of Lannister.In the NZ Herald the Rt Hon Chris Hipkins finds himself ...2 days ago - The imaginary world of the 6pm newsWhat do Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings and your daily newspaper all have in common? They all tell tales of imaginary worlds.In Game of Thrones the honourable Stark family find themselves in deadly conflict with the ruthless House of Lannister.In the NZ Herald the Rt Hon Chris Hipkins finds himself ...2 days ago
- Some sensible suggestions on reining in the spiesIn 2022 the government announced a periodic review of the Intelligence and Security Act, the legislation governing New Zealand's spies. Yesterday the review presented its report, Taumaru: Protecting Aotearoa New Zealand as a Free, Open and Democratic Society. Its a chunky read, and I'm not finished yet, but from the ...2 days ago
- THOMAS CRANMER: John Tamihere and the Waipareira TrustThe Charities Services decision to require the Waipareira Trust to claw back $385,000 of interest-free loans from John Tamihere brings renewed attention to the links between Whānau Ora and the Trust. Thomas Cranmer writes – Revelations earlier this month in the Herald that the social services charity Waipareira ...2 days ago
- Climate Change: Vapourware is not a policyRNZ reports that the government is throwing more money at researching a methane vaccine to reduce agricultural emissions. That's not a problem, but then there's this: A methane vaccine for livestock could be a breakthrough tool for farmers to reduce agricultural emissions - but it is still at least ...2 days ago
- Gordon Campbell on sending mixed messages out on purposeNational has developed a novel election strategy. It involves being both for and against almost every issue that comes down the pike. The use of te reo on public signage? Recently National Party leader Christopher Luxon came out against the bi-lingual use of te reo in the naming of government ...2 days ago
- NIMBYs push to dump MDRS totally and stop greenfields' houses tooAnti-densification residents’ and ratepayers’ groups are cock-a-hoop over National’s partial backflip on MDRS over the weekend and have ramped up their campaigns to stop densification in their areas. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/Getty ImagesTL;DR: NIMBY groups are cock-a-hoop this morning, calling on councils and the Government to completely abandon the MDRS housing ...2 days ago
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- The housing policy that was too good for us
3 days ago - Overseas-focused ministers busy with trade and security issuesBuzz from the Beehive Ministers who took time out from the Labour Party congress to attend to portfolio duties were focused largely on promoting the country’s interests overseas. The statements with the widest implications dealt with: Trade – Damien O’Connor joined ministerial representatives at a meeting in Detroit, USA, ...3 days ago
- Gordon Campbell on National‘s aversion to transparencyIn the last year of a second term in government. the election outcome shouldn’t even be close. All that’s required for a competent Opposition to be streets ahead in the polls, is an ability to look like a credible government-in-waiting. Instead, we’ve got a very tight contest. There’s a reason ...3 days ago
- Erase this odious debt!The Herald reports that WINZ debt has reached the staggering total of $2.4 billion, with the usual racism and sexism in who owes and how much they pay: Anti-poverty groups say the poorest Kiwis are caught in a debt trap as the total amount of money owed to the ...3 days ago
- The Super Issue.
There was a poll last week which asked if now was the right time for a tax cut. Which is quite an odd thing to ask really, don’t you think?We’ve got to pay back the money used to keep paying people and stop businesses going under during the pandemic. Our ...3 days ago - BRIAN EASTON: The economic runup to the electionThe Treasury released its budget economic forecasts. What do they say about the economy over the next four months? Brian Easton writes – Let me begin me with an irritation. One post-budget headline was ‘Treasury optimistic over recession risk in Budget 2023‘. Treasury being optimistic is almost an ...3 days ago
- What do Māori get from the Budget? Not as much as last year, sorry, but $825m more than the rest o...The question posed in a Te Karere TVNZ headline – Budget 2023: How much was given to Māori? – was partly answered on the same day by a OneNews headline – Budget delivers hundreds of millions for Māori. The New Zealand Herald put a more precise figure on it: Budget 2023 breakdown: ...3 days ago
- Inside National's housing backflip + twists & rollsAs a politician swallowing a rat under a very public spotlight, Chris Bishop gave a spirited and relatively smooth account of himself yesterday. File Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Chris Bishop has detailed National’s new housing policy for Election 2023 that confirms a National Government would not force councils ...3 days ago
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- Nationals Housing Policy BacktrackAfter signalling it a week ago, yesterday National launched their new housing policy which abandons their support for the Medium Density Residential Standards (MDRS) that they had worked with the government to deliver back in 2021 and shifts the focus to more sprawl. Overall there are three key areas National ...3 days ago
- Luxon’s audacityThe audacity of National’s “u-turn” over housing intensification is an extraordinary slap in the face for Chris Bishop and Nicola Willis. If it does nothing else, it raises questions about their political judgement, not for the first time.. Some in the Caucus have still not forgiven them for their ...3 days ago
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Hi,Just a quick online-only update that Webworm won “Best Team Investigation” last night at the Voyagers.This means a lot, especially considering we were up against giant newsrooms like Stuff and TVNZ:WINNER: David Farrier and Hayden Donnell | Webworm – The Downward Spiral of Arise ChurchJUDGES: Alan Sunderland and Ali Ikram“This ...4 days ago - The Florida of the South Pacific.
May 28, 2025.Ladies and gentlemen. It’s a beautiful clear morning here in Auckland City. We’re heading for a maximum temperature of 14 degrees, and the local time is now 10:30am. Please remain seated if you’d like to, or get up and walk around the plane if you prefer. New regulations ...4 days ago - Chose doing good things over doing nothing
Somebody has made a new survey and it tells us this little waterlogged nation of ours is rocketing up the misery charts. Maybe they took it before the sun came back out.Or maybe they took it any time in the last two years. Because negativity is quite surely the new ...4 days ago - Thanks for the news about the UNESCO appointment, but has the new chair already taken up her job?The appointment of Elizabeth Longworth as Chair of the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO was one of just two press statements on the government’s official website today. Perhaps that’s because ministers have been busy preparing speeches for the Labour Party faithful who have gathered in Wellington for the party’s ...5 days ago
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1. Who most likely gave LOTO Luxon the idea to pull the rug on the urban density policy?a. A leading thinker on affordable housing b. A leading thinker on 15 minute cities c. A leading thinker on sustainable urban planning d. National-Party-supporting property developers2 . With what was this illustration made?a. Artificial inseminationb. ...6 days ago - The latest $314.4m. of spending announcements include goodies to recognise tourist-sector bosses who...Buzz from the Beehive Point of Order tallied $314.4 million of spending in the latest ministerial statements posted on the government’s official website. This includes a lump of money to – yes, really – help identify businesses in tourism and hospitality which treat their staffs well and to fund the ...6 days ago
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- Too close to callNational will be buoyed, and Labour possibly slightly depressed after last night’s One News Kantar poll. National and ACT on 48 per cent with 62 seats between them, enough to form a Government. Meanwhile, Labour was down one per cent to 35, and the Greens dropped four per cent ...6 days ago
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- STUFF's 'Fact Checking' Is Stuffed
Katie Kenny from Stuff published an article today with a lazy attempt at so-called ‘fact checking’ my recent comments on the World Health Organisation’s concerning new regulations being developed. What is most surprising is that throughout this entire ‘fact checking’ process, Kenny never once rang me asking for my side ...17 hours ago - Greens back striking secondary teachers
The Green Party backs secondary teachers resuming strike action. ...1 day ago - Chris Hipkins: Speech to the Labour Party Congress 2023
Chris Hipkins addressed the Labour Party Congress in Wellington. Read the Labour Leader’s speech here. ...4 days ago - National’s backtrack forces another visionless, shambolic policyThe National Party has released another confused and rushed policy that will only further worsen the inequality that is driven by unaffordable housing. ...4 days ago
- Grant Robertson: Speech to the Labour Party Congress 2023Welcome to sunny and calm Wellington, which I know those of you who are visiting would of course expect to be the case. It’s been a busy week since we put forward the 2023 Budget. Labour MPs have been out across the motu giving the good oil on the Budget. ...5 days ago
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- Kelvin Davis: Speech to the Labour Party Congress 2023One of my kaumātua up North stood before the Waitangi Tribunal and said: ‘He aha kē ahau, te tangata kore hara i mua i te Atua, e tu nei kia whakawaatia e koe, te tangata tāhae, te tangata hara, te tangata kore tikanga? Ko koe kē te tika, kia tū ...5 days ago
- W.H.O. Director General Seeking Powers To Override Sovereign StatesNew Zealanders will be highly concerned that the World Health Organisation proposes to effectively take control of independent decision making away from sovereign countries and place control with the Director General. W.H.O International Health Regulations on future outbreaks of disease aim to give the Director General extraordinary and wide-sweeping powers. ...7 days ago
- We don’t need to engineer a recession, Government can tax wealthThe Green Party is calling on the Government to take responsibility for reducing inflation by taxing wealth instead of leaving RBNZ to continue hiking the Official Cash Rate. ...1 week ago
- Enough posturing, let’s get on and build enough public housingThe Green Party is urging the Government to take its own advice and come up with a long-term plan to build thousands more public homes. ...1 week ago
- Green Party unveils its list for the 2023 electionThe Green Party has released its list of candidates for the 2023 election. With a mix of familiar faces, fresh new talent, and strong tangata whenua voices, this exceptional group of candidates are ready to set the direction of the next Government. ...2 weeks ago
- Beyond the Farm Gate Lurks SeparatismThank you for your invitation to be here, after yesterday's budget, and for the opportunity to talk with you. In the economic and social turmoil following the arrival of COVID 19 in New Zealand many concerns emerged. How would we keep our economy going and maintain our exports which are ...2 weeks ago
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- Government drives $2 billion of business research and development
The Government’s Research and Development Tax Incentive has supported more than $2 billion of New Zealand business innovation – an increase of around $1 billion in less than nine months. "Research and innovation are essential in helping us meet the biggest challenges and seize opportunities facing New Zealand. It’s fantastic ...19 hours ago - Achieving lift off: National Space Policy launchedThe next ‘giant leap’ in New Zealand’s space journey has been taken today with the launch of the National Space Policy, Economic Development Minister Barbara Edmonds announced. “Our space sector is growing rapidly. Each year New Zealand is becoming a more and more attractive place for launches, manufacturing space-related technology ...22 hours ago
- New science and creative technologies wharekura announcedA new Year 7-13 designated character wharekura will be built in Pāpāmoa, Associate Minister of Education Kelvin Davis has announced. The wharekura will focus on science, mathematics and creative technologies while connecting ākonga to the whakapapa of the area. The decision follows an application by the Ngā Pōtiki ā Tamapahore ...24 hours ago
- Freedom Camping changes a win for the environmentProtecting the environment by establishing a stronger, more consistent system for freedom camping Supporting councils to better manage freedom camping in their region and reduce the financial and social impacts on communities Ensuring that self-contained vehicle owners have time to prepare for the new system The Self-Contained Motor Vehicle ...1 day ago
- Speeding up the family court, reducing stress on familiesA new law passed last night could see up to 25 percent of Family Court judges’ workload freed up in order to reduce delays, Minister of Justice Kiri Allan said. The Family Court (Family Court Associates) Legislation Bill will establish a new role known as the Family Court Associate. The ...1 day ago
- UK FTA delivers benefits from todayNew Zealand businesses will begin reaping the rewards of our gold-standard free trade agreement with the United Kingdom (UK FTA) from today. “The New Zealand UK FTA enters into force from today, and is one of the seven new or upgraded Free Trade Agreements negotiated by Labour to date,” Prime ...1 day ago
- Next steps to reform outdated surrogacy lawThe Government will reform outdated surrogacy laws to improve the experiences of children, surrogates, and the growing number of families formed through surrogacy, by adopting Labour MP Tāmati Coffey’s Member’s Bill as a Government Bill, Minister Kiri Allan has announced. “Surrogacy has become an established method of forming a family ...2 days ago
- Defence Minister to attend Shangri-La DialogueDefence Minister Andrew Little departs for Singapore tomorrow to attend the 20th annual Shangri-La Dialogue for Defence Ministers from the Indo-Pacific region. “Shangri-La brings together many countries to speak frankly and express views about defence issues that could affect us all,” Andrew Little said. “New Zealand is a long-standing participant ...2 days ago
- New Zealand–China science relationship affirmedResearch, Science and Innovation Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall and the Chinese Minister of Science and Technology Wang Zhigang met in Wellington today and affirmed the two countries’ long-standing science relationship. Minister Wang was in New Zealand for the 6th New Zealand-China Joint Commission Meeting on Science and Technology Cooperation. Following ...2 days ago
- Supporting a strong future for screen sector5 percent uplift clearer and simpler to navigate Domestic productions can access more funding sources 20 percent rebate confirmed for post-production, digital and visual effects Qualifying expenditure for post-production, digital and visual effects rebate dropped to $250,000 to encourage more smaller productions The Government is making it easier for the ...2 days ago
- Minister Sepuloni to attend 61st Anniversary of Samoa’s IndependenceDeputy Prime Minister and Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs (Pacific Region) Carmel Sepuloni will represent New Zealand at Samoa’s 61st Anniversary of Independence commemorations in Apia. “Aotearoa New Zealand is pleased to share in this significant occasion, alongside other invited Pacific leaders, and congratulates Samoa on the milestone of 61 ...3 days ago
- Govt backs retailers with expansion of fog cannon programmeThe Government is continuing to support retailers with additional funding for the highly popular Fog Cannon Subsidy Scheme, Police and Small Business Minister Ginny Andersen announced today. “The Government is committed to improving retailers’ safety,” Ginny Andersen said. “I’ve seen first-hand the difference fog cannons are making. Not only do ...3 days ago
- Government will consider recommendations of Intelligence and Security Act reviewThe Government has received the first independent review of the Intelligence and Security Act 2017, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins says. The review, considered by the Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee, was presented to the House of Representatives today. “Ensuring the safety and security of New Zealanders is of the utmost ...3 days ago
- Govt expresses condolences on the passing of HRH Princess Sui’ilikutapuPrime Minister Chris Hipkins has expressed condolences on behalf of New Zealand to the Kingdom of Tonga following the death of Her Royal Highness Princess Mele Siu’ilikutapu Kalaniuvalu Fotofili. “New Zealand sends it’s heartfelt condolences to the people of Tonga, and to His Majesty King Tupou VI at this time ...3 days ago
- Govt expresses condolences on the passing of HRH Princess Siu’ilikutapuPrime Minister Chris Hipkins has expressed condolences on behalf of New Zealand to the Kingdom of Tonga following the death of Her Royal Highness Princess Mele Siu’ilikutapu Kalaniuvalu Fotofili. “New Zealand sends it’s heartfelt condolences to the people of Tonga, and to His Majesty King Tupou VI at this time ...3 days ago
- Security support to Solomon Islands extendedDefence Minister Andrew Little and Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta have today announced the extension of the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) deployment to Solomon Islands, as part of the regionally-led Solomon Islands International Assistance Force (SIAF). “Aotearoa New Zealand has a long history of working alongside the Royal Solomon ...3 days ago
- Minister Mahuta to attend the first Korea-Pacific Leaders’ SummitForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta will travel to the Republic of Korea today to attend the Korea–Pacific Leaders’ Summit in Seoul and Busan. “Korea is an important partner for Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific region. I am eager for the opportunity to meet and discuss issues that matter to our ...4 days ago
- Agreement between Indo-Pacific partners for supply chain resilienceTrade and Export Growth Minister Damien O’Connor joined ministerial representatives at a meeting in Detroit, USA today to announce substantial conclusion of negotiations of a new regional supply chains agreement among 14 Indo-Pacific countries. The Supply Chains agreement is one of four pillars being negotiated within the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework ...4 days ago
- Celebrating Samoa Language Week 2023Our most spoken Pacific language is taking centre stage this week with Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa – Samoa Language Week kicking off around the country. “Understanding and using the Samoan language across our nation is vital to its survival,” Barbara Edmonds said. “The Samoan population in New Zealand are ...4 days ago
- Nationwide test of Emergency Mobile Alert systemOver 90 per cent of New Zealanders are expected to receive this year’s nationwide test of the Emergency Mobile Alert system tonight between 6-7pm. “Emergency Mobile Alert is a tool that can alert people when their life, health, or property, is in danger,” Kieran McAnulty said. “The annual nationwide test ...4 days ago
- Whakatōhea and the Crown sign Deed of SettlementENGLISH: Whakatōhea and the Crown sign Deed of Settlement A Deed of Settlement has been signed between Whakatōhea and the Crown, 183 years to the day since Whakatōhea rangatira signed the Treaty of Waitangi, Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Andrew Little has announced. Whakatōhea is an iwi based in ...5 days ago
- New Chair appointed to New Zealand National Commission for UNESCOElizabeth Longworth has been appointed as the Chair of the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO, Associate Minister of Education Jo Luxton announced today. UNESCO is the United Nations agency responsible for promoting cooperative action among member states in the areas of education, science, culture, social science (including peace and ...6 days ago
- Tourism transformation starts with peopleTourism and hospitality employer accreditation scheme to recognise quality employers Better education and career opportunities in tourism Cultural competency to create more diverse and inclusive workplaces Innovation and technology acceleration to drive satisfying, skilled jobs Strengthening our tourism workers and supporting them into good career pathways, pay and working conditions ...6 days ago
- Tourism transformation starts with peopleTourism and hospitality employer accreditation scheme to recognise quality employers Better education and career opportunities in tourism Cultural competency to create more diverse and inclusive workplaces Innovation and technology acceleration to drive satisfying, skilled jobs Strengthening our tourism workers and supporting them into good career pathways, pay and working conditions ...6 days ago
- Te ao Māori health services cheaper and more accessible for whānauGreater access to primary care, including 193 more front line clinical staff More hauora services and increased mental health support Boost for maternity and early years programmes Funding for cancers, HIV and longer term conditions Greater access to primary care, improved maternity care and mental health support are ...6 days ago
- Te ao Māori health services more accessible for whānauGreater access to primary care, including 193 more front line clinical staff More hauora services and increased mental health support Boost for maternity and early years programmes Funding for cancers, HIV and longer term conditions Greater access to primary care, improved maternity care and mental health support are ...6 days ago
- Government’s work for survivors of abuse in care continuesThe Government continues progress on the survivor-led independent redress system for historic abuse in care, with the announcement of the design and advisory group members today. “The main recommendation of the Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Abuse in Care interim redress report was for a survivor-led independent redress system, and the ...6 days ago
- Humanitarian support for the Horn of AfricaAotearoa New Zealand is providing NZ$7.75 million to respond to urgent humanitarian needs in the Horn of Africa, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. The Horn of Africa is experiencing its most severe drought in decades, with five consecutive failed rainy seasons. At least 43.3 million people require lifesaving and ...7 days ago
- Two brand new mental health facilities opened in ChristchurchHealth Minister Ayesha Verrall has opened two new state-of-the-art mental health facilities at the Christchurch Hillmorton Hospital campus, as the Government ramps up its efforts to build a modern fit for purpose mental health system. The buildings, costing $81.8 million, are one of 16 capital projects the Government has funded ...7 days ago
- Government invests more than $24 million in regional projectsThe Government is continuing to invest in our regional economies by announcing another $24 million worth of investment into ten diverse projects, Regional Development Minister Kiri Allan says. “Our regions are the backbone of our economy and today’s announcement continues to build on the Government’s investment to boost regional economic ...7 days ago
- Budget 23 supports the growth of Māori tourismAn $8 million boost to New Zealand Māori Tourism will help operators insulate themselves for the future. Spread over the next four years, the investment acknowledges the on-going challenges faced by the industry and the significant contribution Māori make to tourism in Aotearoa. It builds on the $15 million invested ...1 week ago
- First Bushmasters ready to rollDefence Minister Andrew Little has marked the arrival of the first 18 Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles for the New Zealand Army, alongside personnel at Trentham Military Camp today. “The arrival of the Bushmaster fleet represents a significant uplift in capability and protection for defence force personnel, and a milestone in ...1 week ago
- Humanitarian support for the people of SudanAotearoa New Zealand is providing NZ$3.5 million to help meet urgent humanitarian needs in Sudan, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. The severe fighting between the Sudan Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces has had devastating impacts for civilians. At least 705 people have been killed and 5,287 injured. ...1 week ago
- Clean-up at Hawkes Bay facility to help region deal with cyclone wasteRepairing a Hawke’s Bay organic composting facility devastated by Cyclone Gabrielle is among the latest waste reduction projects getting Government backing, Associate Environment Minister Rachel Brooking announced today. “Helping communities get back on their feet after the devastating weather that hit the northern parts of the country this year is ...1 week ago
- 8% pay boosts for GP & community nursesAbout 6,100 more GP, community nurses and kaiāwhina will be eligible for pay rises of 8% on average to reduce pay disparities with nurses in hospitals, Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. The top up comes from a $200 million fund established to remove pay disparities between nurses ...1 week ago
- Govt turns the sod on new Jobs and Skills Hub for Hawke’s BayNew Jobs and Skills Hub to begin construction in Hawke’s Bay The Hub will support the building of $1.1billion worth of homes in the region and support Cyclone Gabrielle rebuild and recovery. Over 2,200 people have been supported into industry specific employment, apprenticeships and training, by these Hubs across NZ ...1 week ago
- Community Housing Aotearoa Conference SpeechTēnā koutou e nga maata waka. Kia koutou te mana whenua tēnā koutou Ngā mate huhua o te waa, haere, haere, haere atu ra. Hoki mai kia tātou te kanohi ora e tau nei, Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa. Tēnā koutou i runga i te kaupapa o te ...1 week ago
- New mental health tool launched for small business owner-operatorsThe Government has launched a new tool to help small business owner-operators manage and improve their mental wellbeing, Small Business Minister Ginny Andersen announced today. The Brave in Business e-Learning series is another tool the Government has delivered to support small businesses with their mental health and wellbeing. “A pandemic, ...1 week ago
- TAB partnership helps secure future of racing industryMinister for Racing Kieran McAnulty has announced the approval of a 25-year partnership between TAB NZ and UK betting company Entain that delivers at least $900 million in guaranteed funding for the racing industry over the next five years. Entain, a UK based group that operates multiple sports betting providers ...1 week ago
- Government project delivers more reliable and resilient water source to NorthlandThe Government has delivered the first of three significant water security projects in Northland, boosting regional business and climate resilience, with the opening of Matawii reservoir today, Regional Development Minister Kiri Allan announced. A $68 million Government investment supported the construction of the reservoir, along with two other water storage ...1 week ago
- Christchurch City Councillors Concerned About Tarras Airport
Sustainable Tarras (ST) supports today’s commitment from the new Christchurch City Holdings (CCHL) board seeking increased transparency and community engagement on the Tarras airport, as debated with Christchurch City Council (CCC) at today’s ...1 hour ago - Hospice Faces Escalating Funding Crisis...1 hour ago
- “Animals Deserve Respect” – National Animal Rights Day This SundayThis Sunday, 4 June, Wellington and Christchurch will join over 300 cities worldwide in observing the National Animal Rights Day. The events remember the billions of animals who lose their lives each year due to human actions, and acknowledge the ...2 hours ago
- EDS Opposes Renewables PlanEDS has lodged its submission on “ Strengthening National Direction on Renewable Electricity Generation and Electricity Transmission ”, a consultation document prepared by the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment and the Ministry ...2 hours ago
- Only ‘select’ media invited to council budget launch
Auckland’s mayor snubbed most journalists from a morning launch of his new budget. While the Herald was among a select few allowed in the room, reporters from outlets like Stuff weren’t sent an invitation. In a story headlined “Wayne Brown snubs Stuff readers on major Auckland Council budget update”, a ...2 hours ago - Gender And Ethnic Pay Gaps A Concern For Majority Of New Zealanders, Most Support Pay Transparency L...A nationwide poll on pay gaps shows nearly 2 out of every 3 New Zealanders consider pay gaps to be a ‘significant’ or ‘very significant’ issue (64%), with a similar number supporting new pay transparency policies to address the issue (63%). ...2 hours ago
- Help Me Hera: An acquaintance is in love with me and it’s making me uncomfortableI said we could still be friends but now I just want him to leave me alone. Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to [email protected] Dear Hera Towards the end of last year, I was surprised to see a university acquaintance from a different city – we’d had one tutorial together – at ...2 hours ago
- Wayne Brown’s budget proposal: Rates pegged to inflation, but airport shares must goWayne Brown’s proposed budget will see rates increases pegged to inflation – but it requires his desired sell-off of Auckland Airport shores. The mayor is presenting his budget in Auckland today. Few were invited to witness the moment live, with media like Stuff reportedly left out (The Spinoff was not ...2 hours ago
- Dunne's Weekly: Still Overpromising And UnderdeliveringWhen it was first unveiled, the government’s extension in this year’s Budget of 20 hours free early childhood education to 2-year-olds from next March was hailed as a masterstroke. The Minister of Finance said it would save qualifying households ...2 hours ago
- The Bulletin: Prescription fees remain a political battlegroundI didn’t know this but because we have reciprocal health agreements with Australia and the United Kingdom, visitors from those countries will not have to pay for prescriptions once the $5 fee is removed here in July. Naturally that means New Zealanders enjoy reciprocity in their experience of local health ...2 hours ago
- Why you'll be paying more interest on your mortgage – likely forever
Reserve Bank is researching whether interest rates will need to be pegged higher longterm ...2 hours ago - Have we got the brain all wrong? A new study shows its shape is more important than its wiring
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Pang, Research Fellow in Psychology, Monash University Shutterstock The human brain is made up of around 86 billion neurons, linked by trillions of connections. For decades, scientists have believed that we need to map this intricate connectivity in detail ...3 hours ago - In the 1800s, colonisers attempted to listen to First Nations people. It didn’t stop the massacresSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gapps, Historian and Conjoint Lecturer, University of Newcastle Benjamin Duterrau, The Conciliation 1840, oil on canvas. Purchased by the Friends of TMAG and the Board of Trustees, 1945. Collection: Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, AG79. Note of warning: This article ...3 hours ago
- I’m over 65 and worried about the flu. Which vaccine should I have?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena Plebanski, Professor of Immunology, RMIT University Philippe Leone/Unsplash Influenza, or the flu, is a virus transmitted by respiratory droplets from coughing and sneezing. It can cause the sudden onset of a fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, headache, muscle ...3 hours ago
- It’s not just climate – we’ve already breached most of the Earth’s limits. A safer, fairer f...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven J Lade, Resilience researcher at Australian National University, Australian National University Shutterstock People once believed the planet could always accommodate us. That the resilience of the Earth system meant nature would always provide. But we now know this is ...3 hours ago
- ‘An exciting possibility’: scientists discover markedly different kangaroos on either side of Au...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vera Weisbecker, Associate Professor, Flinders University Shutterstock Australia’s dingo fence is an internationally renowned mega-structure. Stretching more than 5,600 kilometres, it was completed in the 1950s to keep sheep safe from dingoes. But it also inadvertently protects some native ...3 hours ago
- Closing the First Nations employment gap will take 100 yearsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Reza M. Monem, Professor of Accounting, Griffith University In 2008 Australia’s federal, state and territory governments set the goal of halving the employment gap between First Nations Australians and others within a decade. That required, by 2018, lifting the employment rate for ...3 hours ago
- Making NZ’s tax system fairer is a good idea – but this proposed new law isn’t the answerSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Barrett, Associate Professor in Commercial Law and Taxation, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Getty Images It’s no secret that Revenue Minister David Parker has long been interested in tax reform in New Zealand. In 2022, he ...3 hours ago
- A kiss to detect wine on her breath: the violent policing of women drinking in Ancient RomeSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lily Moore, PhD Candidate in Classics and Archaeology, The University of Melbourne A Woman Drinking, Andrea Mantegna. about 1495-1506 The National Gallery, London. The ancient Romans venerated wine. It was accessible to the masses, a fundamental staple of mainstream life ...3 hours ago
- ‘Do the right thing’: Mayor Brown’s last ditch effort to get support for airport share sell-of...Auckland’s mayor Wayne Brown is making a list ditch appeal to councillors he claims are holding up a potential sell-off of airport shares. The Herald’s reported that councillors were called to two confidential meetings yesterday, one on the sale of the airport shares and another to discuss a draft of ...3 hours ago
- Running down the clock on agri-emissions pricingTime is running out to nail down an alternative pricing scheme before the election. Ministers are said to be fed up with the lack of movement and the sector is calling for a delay, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive ...3 hours ago
- Public ‘flying blind’ on Tarras proposal
Objectors continue to push for the canning of a mooted new Central Otago airport as the company pushing it buys the critical final piece of the site A Christchurch City Council committee has expressed concern about one of its subsidiary companies, Christchurch International Airport, pushing ahead with a proposed airport ...4 hours ago - India-NZ ties 'must move past cricket and curry'
The Govt has faced further calls to ramp up diplomatic relations with India. ...5 hours ago - The silver lining to the cost of living crisis? It’s easier to pay off your student loanWhile your grocery bills suggest otherwise, high inflation is not all bad news – especially if you’ve got a New Zealand student loan, Emma Vitz explains. High inflation sucks. The price of lettuce appears to be doubling every time you go to the supermarket. People who bought into the property ...6 hours ago
- All the books vying for the 2023 NZ Book Awards for Children and Young AdultsWelcome to the authors, illustrators and publishers on the shortlist for this year’s New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. Books editor Claire Mabey offers her thoughts, alongside comments from student readers. It’s hard to write a great children’s book. The kind that will be reprinted and re-gifted ...6 hours ago
- The ebb and flow of Auckland Council’s storm recovery costs
An adjusted estimate of flood recovery spend has saved Auckland Council $10m ...6 hours ago - Reform of post-sentence safety laws one step closer
The Law Commission is seeking public input ...6 hours ago - Book of the Week: An incident on Banks Peninsula
Paddy Richardson is swept away by a magical new novel I love novels that you fall into and languish, trusting that each word will be perfectly placed, that each action will be either consistent or surprising, that each character will be rounded and real. Fiona Farrell’s sumptuously written, ...6 hours ago - NZ's beef with critical US debt ceiling debate
Exporters are nervously watching today's critical Congress vote ...6 hours ago - Matchmaking by bankers
Why would – and how does – a bank get involved in dealing with private capital? In our final podcast in conjunction with BNZ, we meet a woman who introduces fledgling businesses with committed, long-term investors. Head of Private Capital, BNZ, Linda Sturgess tells Emile Donovan why paying it forward is a ...6 hours ago - Normalising Te ao Māori in the workplace key to dispelling whakamā
‘Kia kaha, kia māia, be brave and lean into it.' Newsroom speaks to Spark's Māori development lead Riki Hollings about what it means to be on a te ao Māori journey – and the best way to support that | Content Partnership Riki Hollings is a descendant of Ngāti Ranginui and Ngai ...6 hours ago - National still taking bait from streetfighter Hipkins
National should have the confidence to come out from the shadows and more positively assert its own agenda ...6 hours ago - Time to get over the shock of the 'new'
It’s unclear why AI-generated images in advertising are more or less deceptive or ethically questionable than using models Opinion: There has been a recent furore about the use of AI-generated images featuring people used by the National Party in a political advertisement. My immediate reaction was that this was a storm in ...6 hours ago - How do zoos keep taonga safe?
When countries send their iconic and precious animals to be cared for overseas, who and what makes sure they're being cared for appropriately? A kiwi encounter at an American zoo has caused outrage, and raised questions about how our taonga species are treated when they go overseas. But Save the Kiwi ...6 hours ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 1 June
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...7 hours ago - After 24 hours of drama, Roger Cook becomes the next premier of Western AustraliaSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Martin Drum, Professor of Politics and International Relations, University of Notre Dame Australia With the withdrawal of his principal challengers and the implicit endorsement from key factions within the Labor party, Roger Cook will become Western Australia’s 31st premier. We can expect ...13 hours ago
- Word from The Hill: PwC scandal, McGowan quitting politics, PM’s trip to Singapore and high inflat...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra As well as her interviews with politicians and experts, Politics with Michelle Grattan includes “Word from The Hill”, where she discusses the news with members of The Conversation’s politics team. In this podcast Michelle and ...15 hours ago
- It’s time to end Western Australia’s $4 billion-per-year GST bonusSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Breunig, Professor of Economics and Director, Tax and Transfer Policy Institute, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock The Morrison government’s decision to give a special deal to Western Australia for the distribution of the income from the ...16 hours ago
- It’s time to end Western Australia’s $4 billion-per-year GST bonusSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Breunig, Professor of Economics and Director, Tax and Transfer Policy Institute, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock The Morrison government’s decision to give a special deal to Western Australia for the distribution of the income from the ...16 hours ago
- Message Of Condolence For The Passing Of HRH Princess Mele Siu'ilikutapu Kalaniuvalu FotofiliHis Excellency Dr Davies and I wish to extend our deepest condolences to His Majesty King Tupou VI and the Tongan Royal Family following the recent passing of Princess Mele Siu'ilikutapu Kalaniuvalu Fotofili. Her Royal Highness committed her life to ...18 hours ago
- A sustainable Australia depends on what happens in our cities – that’s why we need a national ur...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Freestone, Professor of Planning, School of Built Environment, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock Australia has not had a national urban policy since the Rudd government. A troika of Liberal PMs followed. Tony Abbott wasn’t interested. Malcolm Turnbull didn’t quite live up ...18 hours ago
- NZ comedy couple behind The Office AustraliaLocal comedy veteran couple Jackie Van Beek and Jesse Griffin’s next TV project has been revealed – and it’s an Australian version of the British-turned-American comedy institution The Office. The series, confirmed for 2024, will see David Brent and Michael Scott replaced by a female lead for the first time. ...18 hours ago
- Couples Therapy is NZ’s realest reality TVThree’s take on the overseas hit format is one of the year’s bravest shows, writes Chris Schulz. This is an excerpt from The Spinoff’s weekly Friday newsletter Rec Room. Sign up for regular instalments here. Emma wants Parrish to be more romantic. She doesn’t want to have to keep telling ...20 hours ago
- Couples Therapy is NZ’s realest reality TVThree’s take on the overseas hit format is one of the year’s bravest shows, writes Chris Schulz. This is an excerpt from The Spinoff’s weekly Friday newsletter Rec Room. Sign up for regular instalments here. Emma wants Parrish to be more romantic. She doesn’t want to have to keep telling ...20 hours ago
- Secondary Teachers To Vote On Latest Offers From GovernmentPPTA members will vote next week on new offers for settlement of the secondary teachers’ and area school teachers’ collective agreements that were received yesterday. “PPTA Te Wehengarua national executive met last night to consider the offers and we don’t ...20 hours ago
- Intelligence overhaul recommendations could mean significant reform of spy agencies, expert says
Paul Buchanan says recommendations from a review of intelligence legislation could lead to the most significant reform of the sector in decades. ...20 hours ago - House of Representatives passes Voice referendum legislation, which is assured of Senate passageSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra After a marathon debate, the House of Representatives on Wednesday morning passed the bill for the referendum for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament to be inserted into the Constitution. The bill now goes to ...20 hours ago
- Auditor-General's Report On Supporting Improved Outcomes For Māori To Be Published 1 JuneThe Auditor-General intends to publish the following report this Thursday, 1 June: Four initiatives supporting improved outcomes for Māori We have more information about this report on our website . You will be sent a link to this report shortly ...21 hours ago
- Trying for a baby? What you need to know about a vital part of your womb (and how to look after it)Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Louise Hull, Professor and Endometriosis Group Leader, The Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide Shutterstock Human reproduction is completely dependent on the healthy function of an underestimated but vital organ: the endometrium. This is the spongy tissue that lines the ...21 hours ago
- ‘NoHomo’: Cabinet minister takes aim at Simon O’Connor comment on parentsA senior cabinet minister has criticised National Party MP Simon O’Connor for saying it is the responsibility of a mother and a father to raise a child. During a debate on a child support amendment bill in parliament yesterday, Tāmaki MP O’Connor, who is well known to hold socially conservative ...21 hours ago
- ‘NoHomo’: Cabinet minister takes aim at Simon O’Connor comment on parentsA senior cabinet minister has criticised National Party MP Simon O’Connor for saying it is the responsibility of a mother and a father to raise a child. During a debate on a child support amendment bill in parliament yesterday, Tāmaki MP O’Connor, who is well known to hold socially conservative ...21 hours ago
- Jen Cloher on finding their waiFor the last few years, Jen Cloher has been on a journey into their whakapapa. Their latest album, I am the River, the River is Me, is the culmination of the knowledge they’ve gained since. I meet Jen Cloher at a wine bar in Ponsonby with menus written in both ...21 hours ago
- Jen Cloher on finding their waiFor the last few years, Jen Cloher has been on a journey into their whakapapa. Their latest album, I am the River, the River is Me, is the culmination of the knowledge they’ve gained since. I meet Jen Cloher at a wine bar in Ponsonby with menus written in both ...21 hours ago
- Stuff’s ‘Fact Checking’ Is StuffedPress Release: Rt Hon Winston Peters Katie Kenny from Stuff published an article today with a lazy attempt at so-called ‘fact checking’ my recent comments on the World Health Organisation’s concerning new regulations being developed. What ...21 hours ago
- Australia’s modern slavery law is woefully inadequate – this is how we can hold companies accoun...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kyla Raby, PhD candidate researching the role of consumers in eradicating modern slavery in supply chains, University of South Australia PR handout/Mindaroo A highly anticipated independent review of Australia’s Modern Slavery Act has found it has not brought “meaningful change” ...22 hours ago
- The Real Pod: Star-studded musical moments from Mike Puru to HamiltonThis week on our pop culture podcast we talk about a star-studded week of award shows and musicals, as well as the premiere of a new season of The Kardashians and momentous Treasure Island anniversary. This week we take you inside the glitz* and glamour** of the Voyager ...22 hours ago
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A tragic and completely avoidable scandal.
GIDS ignored children’s histories of sexual abuse
https://twitter.com/hadleyfreeman/status/1624470873527705601?s=46&t=NI8SGvk3IMQ1knONqyaDpQ
And ongoing in many places. And they still don't want to know.
"GIDS ignored children’s histories of sexual abuse"
…and a range of other issues as well.
"Former clinicians at the Gender Identity Development Service (Gids), part of the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust in London, have detailed how some “incredibly complex” children were placed on medication after one face-to-face assessment, despite many having a variety of mental health or family background problems.
More than a third of young people referred to the service had moderate to severe autistic traits, compared with fewer than 2 per cent of children in the general population. Some identified not just as a different gender, but a different ethnic background, such as Japanese or Korean. One young person had “three different alter egos, two of whom spoke in an Australian accent”.
It's frightening what has been done to these children.
Fortunately, the USA is beginning to have its whistle blowers also.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11734551/St-Louis-trans-clinic-investigated-harming-600-teens.html?fbclid=IwAR19PDd77gWo0OZWl0MIM0XYH9bYdtZ95YzXXaIgd-KlB8ukzMetUkfWgYE
Horrible. I wonder what the consequences will be on those doctors if the allegations are proven?
Putin's war crimes multiply. The strategy here is clear – keeping the Dniepr river in flood to protect the Russian's western flank from an amphibious assault, eventually deny drinking water to millions of Ukrainian civilians and ensure that there will be no grain for export this year from the Ukraine. This is not the actions of a reasonable or even sane regime. It is the unhinged and genocidal actions of criminals and totally unjustified by any norm of civilised behaviour.
So let's be clear. Russia is waging a total war on the Ukraine at a level of demented brutality not seen since the darkest days of the second world war. Millions rely on Ukrainian grain for food in the middle east. Putin appears to be prepared to plunge the entire nations of innocents into hunger in order to achieve whatever ruinous, messianic vision he has descended to in his all-encompassing madness.
Putin and his mob of equally psychopathic gangsters who run Russia are determined to keep raising the stakes on the already high crimes they are guilty of, and they are playing for keeps for maximalist war aims. Surely, such behaviour simply makes a wider war inevitable. Poland is engaged in a crash rearmament, ordering staggering amounts of weapons from especially South Korea. Putin can't conquer the Ukraine, his army is too weak now. If he drags on a demented, genocidal assault on the Ukraine for another year then I can't see the likes of Poland staying out forever.
Poland will look at what has eventuated in the Ukraine and it will stay out forever (if it has the option).
Poland is preparing for war. It will not take a backward step to Russia. References
Poland would have to be the "aggressor" if war were to break out between them and Russia. I doubt whether Russia is planning on attacking Poland. It sounds as though the latter are becoming paranoid. Still, arming themselves is good for the arms manufacturers.
Are you annoying Polish History?
There are two Nations that the Poles hate the most Germany & Russia!
Given that Germany is a democracy & both the EU & NATO.
The other Russia is run by a one man raving lunatic who thinks he's the next Russia Tsar who wants to rebuild the Russian/ USSR Imperial.
Who has invaded another country aka Ukraine Violation of Article 51 of the UN Charter,the Lisbon protocol & Budapest memorandum which Russia signed when Ukraine got its independence in 1991. (well Poot's has invaded a few countries as the Russia President btw).
Russia has also now setup shop Belarus with what 100k+ troops & let's not forget the Russian garrison in Kaliningrad Oblast which shares a border with Poland.
Given what Tsar Poot's has said about Poland over the last decade or so & especially in the last 5yrs.
Poles can be almost be forgiven to be a tad on edge atm, given pass history at the way Imperial & USSR Russia has treated Poland especially from post WW1 onwards!
If Russia & Belarus were too be stupid enough to invade Ukrane from Belarus in the forthcoming Russian Offensive? I wouldn't be surprised if Poland goes all in, while telling the EU & NATO to FUCK OFF!
Plus I'm also sure that Poland has & no doubt the EU along with NATO has read the Riot Act to Belarus. That if it facilitates a Russian invasion of Ukraine from its Borders, it will find itself in trouble & that NATO nor the EU will have any Responsibility for Poland's Actions if it chooses to support Ukraine by Invading Belarus!
Poland has not forgotten what Russia has done to Poland & it will never for give them either!!
That should be post WW2. In 1918-1920 Poland waged two sucessful eastern wars: firstly against a short-lived nascent Ukraine Republic that claimed cities like Lvov, (now Lviv), which had 60% Polish-speaking population, a large Jewish population and minority Ukraine population; and secondly against Russian and Ukraine Soviets.
A 1920-1939 map of Poland shows significant areas now in western Ukraine and Belarus were a part of Poland between WW1 and WW2. Polish veterans were given land grants in those regions.
It was touch an go for the Poles at one stage as they were fighting a two front war for their independence against the remains of the Imperial Germany Armed Forces aka the Freikorps & the Bolsheviks in the East while supporting the newly independent Ukraine as well with the idea of reforming the Polish- Ukranian Commonwealth. Which is an interesting story IRT Ukraine in itself btw, but with a tragic ending of a Greek Opera.
The fighting in the East against the Bolsheviks was some of the Bloodiest, where no quarter was given.
"Note there new book is about to be released on this period of Polish History about fighting Lenin's Red Bolsheviks in the East & it sounds like a ripping read btw".
If you think a Albanian or Yugoslavian Blood Feud can be little bit crazy at times?
The Polish & Russia Feud has lasted alot longer & if Russia gives the Poles a half chance/ an excuse? They will be in like Flynn & even God won't help Tsar Poot's!
Yes, but that's what the West is hoping to avoid, by giving Ukraine as much help as possible. Because if Poland goes in, and Russia loses, Putin will try and immolate the world.
It’s in everyone’s interest to get Russia to back off.
Yep and that's what some people are forgetting, helping Ukraine defend itself is going to be better than the alternative….
Poland "will not take a backward step to Russia"? It certainly does exactly that to Germany, the U.K. and the United States. It's as much of a doormat now as it's ever been.
.
Poland is a member of NATO because they have a belligerent genocidal madman living next door. Perfectly sensible
And that's just Alexander Lukashenko!
Robologic, And, like most Soviet satellite states, would do anything to stop the return of a similar overlordship, whether capitalist, fascist, or communist.
Prison of the peoples
I'm sorry, but I'm not going near your references link, on my screen its gobbledygook
Poland is a little more circumspect about providing fighter jets than it's gung ho days last year
https://www.rferl.org/a/poland-ukraine-fighter-jets-nato/32266934.html
Pastebin is just a boring copy/paste site for text documents. That particular link was to a list of URLs detailing Poland's military buildup
Interesting opinion piece by Gareth Hughes over whether the Greens should make a serious bid for more electorate seats in 2023.
Noting that there are realistic options in Wellington Central & Rongotai.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/131200840/gareth-hughes-time-for-the-greens-to-ditch-a-key-election-strategy#comments
The fight for the rights of Julian Assange (and all of us) goes on
https://alphaville451.wordpress.com/2023/02/12/night-carnival-for-julian-assange-11-feb-2023/
RNZ thinks we have an interest in American "news'..or atleast RNZ's limited understanding of what makes American News..that is.."Trump Bad, Shootings and Bad China with its spy balloons"…for anyone here reduced to having RNZ as their only radio news sourse..but with an actual interest in the state of that particular Nation..I would like to share this terrible story…
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/02/12/east-palestine-ohio-derailment-residents/
Though even the poor old washington post couldn't bring themselves to acknowledge the absolutely illusion shattering irony…
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/02/11/health/ohio-train-derailment-white-noise/index.html
I suspect on a very slow news day, had this happened in say..India or wherever, RNZ may have reported this story as part of the usuale narrative. about so called third world nations….but we seem to be holding on to the illusion of America being a first World Nation..not to mention our delusions about what that even means…
While we're doing terrible; Republicans in at least four states want to expand permissible child work hours, broaden the types of jobs young workers are permitted to do, and shield employers from liability for injuries, illnesses or workplace fatalities involving very young workers and in another state Republicans are arguing that putting "arbitrary" limits on child marriage interferes with parental rights and religious liberty.
Yeah..atleast the Democrats, and the rest of us, know how to farm out child labour when its needed..(I was going to say needed for our cheap crap..but then I remember reading this just last week..
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/03/child-labour-toxic-leaks-the-price-we-could-pay-for-a-greener-future
Gotta love that Guardian headline.."the price we pay.." LOL
https://www.worldvision.org.nz/getmedia/6904e490-14b7-4fbf-b11e-308ddf99c44a/WVNZ-research-risky-goods-nz-imports/
I have no idea what RNZ ‘thinks’ or what you’re going on about. You seem to believe that you’re offering some context and balance to the poor Kiwis who need it without even knowing about and/or asking for it. You seem to think that there are people who are ‘reduced’ to only source of information, which clearly is the wrong one, in your mind.
Obviously, it is not a slow news day and RNZ and other NZ MSM sites are understandably dominated by the current event called Gabrielle, which seems to have escaped you.
Your hypotheticals are idle speculation and show your biased thinking, your illusions, and what you think things even mean…
Your boring whining sounds familiar.
I'm trying to work out how anyone could be reduced to having only RNZ as their radio news.
Surely with communications systems and capitalists all over the place trying to make money out of media the numbers in that boat would be infinitesimal.
Looks round, sheepishly raises hand.
Its Radio Control or RNZ for me, I don't go near commercial radio unless the cricket commentary is on. I am sure there are more of us…
Siobhan, I've noticed when scrolling through English-language news sites that the same stories pop up on most. The shrinking number of hard-news on-the-ground journalists inevitably leads to a more homogenous, more limited news reporting. If you shop around, Al Jazeera generates novel Islamic-world news, France 24 reports on North and Central Africa, etc. No one source seems to provide a whole-world news update.
And disaster porn has always been a feature of headline news, hence the preponderance of wildfire/earthquake/flood reporting with little analysis. Also, if I remember from the Ohio train derailment, there's no death toll, only the possibilty if it had occurred in a more populous area.
The cost of corruption.
https://twitter.com/WarInUkraineYet/status/1623815342207168512
https://twitter.com/WarInUkraineYet/status/1623815409739726849
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/us-canada/300805292/its-not-aliens-us-officials-quietly-say-after-4th-mystery-object-shot-down
A precedent now set with the 1st balloon, anything unidentified that flies over North America has to be shot down. Get Mulder and Scully onto it.
Peak insanity. I hope this doesn't impact on the output of global weather forecasting models…..
They can land things on the Moon and Mars, they can bring back manned shuttles to Earth, but they cannot take down a balloon without destroying/losing the evidence?? Have they watched too many movies starring Tom Cruise?
Slash Cam – Hikuwai River at Willowflat.
https://www.gdc.govt.nz/environment/river-webcam
Good grief. What next. She gives the weather information in English as well! You will never please these people.
https://twitter.com/KarinMary1/status/1624658544091090944
"Centre for Political Research" is one of those innocuous names often favoured by extreme Right astroturfers. They do no more "research" than anyone else who has Google.
Average age 108.
Lol. Had a peruse. VERY strange place. Laden with very well known Climate Deniers, Racists,Business vampires, libertarians And, variations…of nutbars (disclaimer…some guests Not so, were maybe allowed a say to show how open they were? )
https://www.nzcpr.com/guest-articles-archive/
Did feel my Sanity Warning alert going off..the scale : ).
Had to smile at..an old one from the "iron duke" himself….dooming about the evils of the Minimum wage ! 2009
And, this guy…who knew? 2011
And..escaped. with no urge to vote act. : )
Whangarei and Mercury Bay (Coromandel) getting the worst of Gabrielle so far. Last night was pretty darn windy in Auckland but no massive deluge (yet)
https://twitter.com/MattDyer01/status/1624938686449336320?s=20
https://twitter.com/nzherald/status/1624954476124688390?s=20
The Hikuwai river (Gisborne) is looking ominous. *13* m over its normal level.
River webcam | Gisborne District Council (gdc.govt.nz)
nz centre for political research staff
Set up by ex-Act member. Busy pushing Māori 'apartheit' and evil Jacinda messages
Was listening to Heather Stupidity-Allan interview her father, Barry Soper, just now.
Three Waters came up (of course) and Soper played an audio clip of a recent exchange between Rawiri Waititi and David Seymour. Waititi accused Seymour of using racist rhetoric. Seymour used the handbook for racists who don't want to appear racist and asks Waititi to say specifically what Seymour has said that is racist.
Waititi demurred. Soper, his daughter, and boomers up and down the country laughed.
If the Maori Party are going to be combative they need to have ready answers when Seymour asks what he has said that is racist.
It should not be difficult!
Waititi 'demurred' (in the sense of hesitating), because he made an accusation he couldn't back up. It wasn't a good look.
Edit: the full exchange is https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2023/02/act-s-david-seymour-rejects-racist-rhetoric-allegations-in-heated-am-clash-with-te-p-ti-m-ori-co-leader-rawiri-waititi.html
Rawiri should have held his line, repeated his certainty and shown that the ACT guy's "dive down into the detail"is a technique designed to befuddle the listener. TPM are correct. ACT are duplicitous 🙂
I would expect someone accusing a parliamentary colleague on national television of racist rhetoric would be able to dive down into the detail.
Jong Khee did not do detail when he accused the Labour Party of backing rapists and murderers.
Even had his diplomatic squad rough up Kelvin Davis, as if a nod to the settler takeover of Maori assets way back when.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/73884590/john-key-sparks-walk-out-after-saying-labour-backs-rapists-and-murderers
Nats are cunts, always will be. ACT are worse.
"Even had his diplomatic squad rough up Kelvin Davis…"
Well that's one side of the story. Here's another:
"It's one thing to have your opponents yelling insults across the House, and quite another to be waylaid by a fellow MP in the corridor and verbally abused. "
"Jong Khee did not do detail when he accused the Labour Party of backing rapists and murderers."
Actually, he did.
"Key's justification is that the Australian's have supplied him with a list revealing that some of the Kiwi detainees are rapists and murders. Australia's immigration minister has also labelled them the worst sort of criminals. But that contradicts what Davis and others have been claiming about the petty nature of some of the crimes of those who are detained. Key's office later released a list compiled by the Australian government earlier this year to prove his claim, though whether or not it does is a moot point. It showed that as of May there were 34 child sex offenders, 22 murderers and 16 rapists and sex offenders on Australia's hit list, along with 121 Kiwis convicted of assault, 83 with theft, robbery and breaking and entering offences to their name and 64 drug offenders. But that's out of a total 585 New Zealanders who are in the system for visa cancellation. Presumably that leaves 140 or more who are being deported for less serious offences."
Key ramps up the politics on Kiwi detainees | Stuff.co.nz
Bless, by linking the Tracy Watkins article your defence of Key and the political right did not turn out how you wanted.
It highlights that the current problems NZ has with retail, ram-raid, and gang related firearms crime is down to one John Keys.
He did meekly provide the pathway for Australian based problems to manifest here. We are now paying that price.
“Bless, by linking the Tracy Watkins article your defence of Key and the political right did not turn out how you wanted.”
I don’t know what you mean by ‘how I wanted’. It turned out that John Key did provide detail to justify his comments about the 501’s.
I agree. Seymour asked a simple question that Rawiri couldn't answer because people like Rawiri have become accustomed to spouting racist rhetoric with little fear of being taken to task for their comments.
The question is: should this clown hold the balance of power at election time, I can't see either Labour or National gaining from going into coalition with the Maori Party. National would lose a massive voter base, and Labour would be forced into more Three Waters type sops to accommodate a coalition agreement. The result for either party would probably be a one term tenure before getting the boot.
You have read my comment so you will be aware I have asked Rawiri Waititi to be more prepared to combat Seymour's Age of Enlightenment points.
These scumbags will do whatever to minimise a similar Maori renaissance because they know the value of what has been taken without permission.
Land owning farmers which NACT represent are terrified the accusation of their multi billion dollar estate might be subject to scrutiny…
…imagine those bloody Maoris having a say in what we can do with NZ land!
A strange comment, considering of their 10 MP's, three are Maori, including the party leader, and the #3 and #6 on the party list.
In practice Seymour is about as Maori as I am which is zero. It hurts actual Maori people to have him claim whakapapa but never ever use it for the good of Maori. In fact his policies actively work against a Maori renaissance, rather amalgamating and diluting Te Ao into a One NZ where cultural identity comes second to the economic power of the individual.
For ACT it's all about locking in those gains of the 17th Century, and more recently here locking in the illicit gains wayward European settlers made in the dead of the night.
For them Maori have the right to exist but in no way should that be at the expense or inconvenience of the very white people who have benefitted from proceedings thus far.
We'll have to agree to disagree. Keep safe wherever you are.
I'm not agreeing to anything, but thanks anyway.
It shouldn't be difficult, but Seymour is a wily politician with 8 years of sharpening rhetoric under his belt, and Waititi is a first term MP
The racism is covert dogwhistling. Calls for one nation. Accusing Māori activists of separatism, apartheid, etc. Extremely dishonest shit.
The problem is what Seymour doesn't say. He talks about equality and opportunity, but his party's sociopathic policies do exactly the opposite.
Seymour is a skilled and amoral liar.
We like to joke about him twerking on TV and looking like Rimmer the hologram, but he’s probably the most dangerous politician in NZ right now. If he gets into government NZ will descend into a “BoJo Britain” level of dysfunction.
I'm glad you mentioned Boris Johnson because I suspect his style is what David Seymour is trying to copy. His 'state of the nation' speech was about European superiority in the 17th Century. Boris Johnson is a gregarious Classics buffoon and Seymour is emulating that.
So true and this is what I'd like to see the Maori Party and others really highlight. That is the inherent racism of the ACT Party.
apartheid
Autocrats of the world unite, you have nothing to lose but your….
Oh wait; You have everything to lose.
https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/government/2023/02/13/world-government-summit-2023-live/
Elon Musk and Egypt's El Sisi among key speakers at the three-day event
For some unstated reason, Basha Al Assad was not able to attend in person.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-47483714
No matter. If Assad can't go to the UAE the UAE can go to Assad.
https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/government/2023/02/12/sheikh-abdullah-bin-zayed-meets-syrian-president-in-damascus/
There is a reason they call it the Great Barrier.
Long may it stand between cyclones and me.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/weather-news/300805400/cyclone-gabrielle-to-reach-closest-point-to-auckland-on-monday-tracking-southeast
Putin's hypocrisy, continuing their attacks on civilians in Ukraine the Russian Federation does not let up on its attacks on the people of Syria.
Despite the suffering caused by the devastating earthquake Russia uses its veto in the UN to stop the free flow of humanitarian aid into North West Syria. While demanding the sanctions on its ally the genocidal Assad regime be lifted.
https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/syria/2023/02/12/white-helmets-demand-extra-border-crossings-to-allow-earthquake-aid-into-north-west-syria/