Nakba Day marks the day in 1948 when over 750,000 Palestinians were ethnically cleansed from their homes and lands my Israeli colonists.
This Sunday Nakba Day is especially poignant coming as it does after the assassination of Shireen Abu Akleh, who dedicated her life to documenting the ongoing persecution of the Palestinians by the Israeli State. And was silenced forever by the occupation foreces.
Have you never been to Te Papa or Wellington Hospital and stopped to put your hand on the great pounamu boulder in one or other of those foyers? Or been moved to tears in front of Roimata Pounamu, Tears on Greenstone, the largest jade (nephrite) structure in the Southern Hemisphere, at Waiouru's National Army Museum? https://www.armymuseum.co.nz/visit/exhibitions/memorial-area-tears-on-greenstone/
Symbolism thing given the circumstances, I would think.
Obviously a waste of money as imagine it is a replica used for media, so doesn't need the security, but kind of understandable if you happen to be into the royals.
Following advanced war strategy that seems to have been gleaned by watching episodes of Blackadder goes forth the Russians are making multiple unsuccessful attempts to lay a pontoon bridge across the Siverskyi Donets river in an attempt to encircle Ukrainian troops in the Donbas.
The rinse and repeat strategy for the Ukrainians appears to be to allow the Russians to lay down a pontoon bridge and get some troops and armour across. The pound the pontoon bridge with artillery, cutting off the troops that have just crossed and causing massive Russian losses on both sides of the river. And, just as in the Blackadder episode, the Russians appear to think that doing the same thing again gives them the element of surprise because no-one would expect them to be so stupid again.
Russia can't blame the west for their appalling performance in this war. It is the brainless strategy and tactics from the Russians more than anything else that explains why things are going so badly for them.
This is a horrible war, but this represents genuine innovation and lateral thinking in IT & GIS
I would reccommend reading the entire Trent Telenko tweet roll, but TL;DR is as follows:
"…Ukraine has developed and refined a groundbreaking artillery targeting solution that is, in many ways, better than anything else out there. It’s not U.S. tech. It’s not Israeli tech. It’s homegrown.
At the heart of it is Ukraine’s “GIS Art for Artillery” software package, written by Yaroslav Sherstyuk — one of many talented earth observation / geospatial (GIS) specialists working in Ukraine.
Sherstyuk's software is reminiscent of Uber or Lyft's taxi software. It’s a true distributed software environment that assigns targets to the nearest gun, mortar, rocket launcher, drone or SF team.
The software can coordinate targeting among a distributed group of multiple guns, with multiple trajectories, spanning a whole front, all focused on hitting one target at one time.
Just like Uber can get you a ride much faster than calling a cab company switchboard, “GIS Art for Artillery” can dramatically reduce the time “from call to trigger pull” — from around 20 minutes, to around 30 seconds (!)…"
This is not the only example of Russians doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. For instance, they keep sending ships across to Snake Island, just off the Ukrainian coast, and the Ukrainians keep hitting them.
That is an interesting article, btw. I had the impression that the Ukrainians were a lot more accurate with their artillery, though hard to know whether it was just selection bias.
Ukraine's 'GIS Art for Artillery' app combined with Starlink actually gives the Ukrainian military measurably better than US Military standard artillery command and control.
The Ukraine War is the first Starlink War & the side with Starlink is beating the side without.
37/
There are a lot of implications in that thought.
Now comes the kicker. When the lasercom equipped SpaceX Gen 1.5 & 2.0 satellites come on-line.
38/
The ability to move huge amounts of bandwidth with zero ground based infrastructure will utterly subvert the ability of national governments & corporations to block or surveil Starlink communications.
39/
The only way the US Government will be able to monitor Starlink communications is with @elonmusk active cooperation.
The power shift involved in that fact is…profound…and something for another thread
40/
Meanwhile, a whole lot of very powerful people are going to have to rethink their place in the world as the Starlink juggernaut remakes the world by helping Ukraine win "The 1st Starlink War."
I don't think Russia can afford to lose this. So how does one translate the words "fat man" and "little boy" into Russian. Perhaps the Ukranians are being too smart for their own good.
[Please check and correct your user name in the next comment, thanks]
Whether Russia can afford to lose or not. Russia are losing.
Mikesh,your reference to the nuclear weapons used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and your slight that by winning the Ukrainians are being too smart for their own good.
Your claim that Russia cannot afford to lose, and your implication that if the Russian Federation cannot win with conventional weapons they will turn to nuclear weapons, and so Ukraine would be better to surrender now if they were smart.
Spoken like a true bully.
If Germany had had the nuclear weapon and threatened to use it if they Allies were to intervene in stopping the Nazi genocide and occupation of Europe. Would the Allies leave the Nazis to commit genocide and occupation?
I don't think so.
Everyone knows that you appease a bully, their violence and intimidation and blackmail will only increase.
We now have the highest petrol price we've ever had.
By itself this could sink this government, let alone the supermarkets.
What is particularly dark for those who want a carbon Zero future is that the rush-hour traffic grind is still there, indicating that there is very little elasticity in total petrol use at all.
Yep. PT options are simply not present (or ridiculously time consuming and therefore not practicable) for the majority of the people currently driving in Auckland's rush hour.
Of course, there are some (SAHM or nanny driving Tristan and Athena to private school) for whom neither time nor money are an issue.
But the majority of the people on the roads simply have no other alternative.
PT, where it's viable to use, is already significantly cheaper than driving a single-user car and paying for parking in the CBD.
Many many children if not most in akl are driven to their public schools too and elsewhere, as literally that is the cheaper option, and faster in many cases. And to be fair, there are also walking buses, car pooling etc. But a nice cheap shot at those that must be the reason for the problem we have, Stay at home Mothers (SAHM) and the kids they take to school for whom money and time may or may not be an issue, or is an issue and they are taking the kids to school before continuing on to work because they are too poor to be a Stay at home Mother. Also, sperm donators also drive their kids to school, and many do walk/bus.
The fact is that AKL has public transport and while it could be better and more varied it is not a bad coverage, but it is too expensive, and does not run on time most of the time. Which makes it unattractive if you have to be in school or work on time. In fact, it can be a detriment to ones job prospects if they are dependend on public transport. 🙂
And Yes, yes, i know the half price fare…..lol, set to expire in a few days, still waiting on the glorious announcement that this will be extended for another three month, while the fare structure should be overhauled and reconsidered and re-thought.
Set public transport at 1 NZD each – per trip, advertise the heck out of that, and watch kids may tell mum that they rather take the bus with their mates or Mum tell the bigger kids to take the bus dear. If they live in an area that is served and with a good time table.
Both cost for PT and availability of PT are the result of decades of not giving a shit by official on all level. By everyone, a nice buslane here and there is not a fix in a town that is huge and has over a million + people living there.
But hey, buy an electric car if you are rich enough, you will get a nice juicy several thousand dollar subsidy so that that Stay at Home Mother of Athena and Tristan can now drive teir children to private school in a tax payer subsidized EV. Now that is winning!
And were it is viable to use, it is ONLY significantly cheaper using PT then driving a single user car if only one person is in that car. And even then, depending on the time used – if you were to apply the 21.20 NZD(plus HP, SP, KWS) min wage per hour spend in traffic in a bus or in a train from Hamilton that only leaves twice a day, you might be still better of using a car, single serve.
disclaimer: have no car, never had a car, walked from Grey Lynn to New Market or Down town as it was faster. Have used bus for all other travel if needed. Rode a bicycle in Auckland in 98 when it was unfashionable and Lycra was still unheard of in NZ.
Sabine. That wasn't intended to be a cheap shot – but a recognition that for some families neither time nor money are a deterrent to driving.
In Auckland, at least in the city and suburbs (recognize that 'Auckland' also encompasses a significant rural area) – most kids can walk or bus to school. There is an extensive school bus network (my son uses it regularly), and primary schools (at least) are mostly within reasonable walking distance for the kids in their zone.
And, just saying – none of the kids I know who use PT to go to school would 'prefer' it over being driven….
Of course, if you are out of zone – then your transport needs may vary.
Auckland's bus system (which is most of the PT) only works if you are travelling into the CBD (or stopping along the route). It's pretty useless if you're going elsewhere – and a heck of a lot of people are going 'elsewhere' – especially with the hollowing out of the CBD post Covid and with the CRL disruptions.
In Auckland, unless you have 'free' parking at your work – you'd have to have 2-3 people in the car for driving (including CBD parking and petrol costs – but excluding depreciation – since no one counts that anyway) to be cheaper than PT.
However, the 'one-person' driving trips is significant – since it's the number of them that we continually have drummed in our ears as examples of 'selfish car drivers'. No one is interviewing these drivers to see if there are (realistic) alternatives….
My disclaimer: I have a car. Drive to work (15 min against the traffic) because there are no viable PT options across suburbs in Auckland. When I worked in the CBD I used PT regularly. My son uses PT to go to school (unless he's taking the bari sax – in which case I drive him)
At the moment the same people that can afford neither a car or the bus are subsidizing the very expensive green washed EV cars for the rich. Just saying.
I lived in Auckland and i worked in Auckland. I know Auckland. I am also raised on public transport so don't have the obsession that kiwis have with their cars to the point where they feel they are incomplete if they don't have one.
As for Stay at home Mums, or Mum who work, Woman just can't do it correctly so for some. Drive your kids to school – lazy polluting rich mum, don't drive your kids to school – lazy poor mum. Never mind that i would guess most women drive their kids to school and then themselves to work. And many do a hybrid version of kids take themselves and sometimes are driven to school – and that is irrespective of income.
What about the one person driving trips of men to the booze store? Or to the pup? or the rugby game? Could they not take the bus? How many people drive to the dairy? Do you need to drive to the supermarket? Or do you need to do that holiday trip with the boat and the gadgets to go cycling several hundreds of kilometres from where one lives to dash around a mountain bike ruining some lovely mountainside?
If we really want to be serious we need to make public transport cheap, fast, often, safe, – even at night time, specifically for those that are not be-penised, and that is what we don't do. We would need to build bus shelters, run buses every 10 min during rush hour and every 20 min for the rest of the day. Maybe run smaller shuttles during the low use times etc. Have decent drivers that are trained, actually know the stops on their route and who are paid a decent wage. But that thinking is not yet being done out lout. WE celebrate a train that runs twice a day and costs up to 30 NZD half price for both trips or 60 NZD full price for both trips from Hamilton to AKL and that does not include kids, it is cheaper and faster to drive a bloody car then. https://www.tehuiatrain.co.nz/fares/
But we really believe that tinkering on the edges with full price – unaffordable to anyone who is not in full time position well over the min wage, is the way to go and that is why we are here in this postion. Not because some men and non men n use their private vehicle the way they see fit or must.
So personally i believe that the fault of the public transport misery in AKL and the rest of NZ for that matter is not the fault of an individual that may be too rich for some, or too lazy for some others, but the fault of Polititans that have no vision, no guts, no spine, and above all no idea of how to get something like this even up and running. We like cheap band aids, and that is what we get in all cases.
A good percentage of children are not driven by car to school and use other modes of transport. Why would it be cheaper to drive your child to school if you have a School Bus that does the same thing and you won’t even have to get out of your PJs?
I think there are 2 things going on here.
Convenience. It's just easier for Mum (and it usually is Mum) to drive the kids, than organize them to get up on time for the bus. [I speak from experience – the leave-the-house-to-catch-the-bus-deadline is a constant struggle in my household]
Stranger danger. Parents (especially upper-middle-class parents) have had stranger danger drummed into them as a huge and significant risk – which shapes their willingness to let their kids out of their sight in public.
Real-life story. When my son was 6 he asked me to let him walk home alone from the school bus stop – about a 5 minute walk. Up to then, I'd been meeting him as he had to cross a major road. I agreed, and we decided I'd shadow him the first time, to make sure he was safe crossing the intersection. He demonstrated excellent safety skills (so cute! Mama heart beating with pride)- and I was happy for him to fly solo. In that first fortnight – I must have had 20 calls from concerned parents and friends asking me if I knew he was walking home alone – with the very strong subtext being that I was a bad mother for letting him do this.
Stranger-danger is a thing but how and when are our children meant to get the social skills to navigate safely and survive in ‘the jungle’? Are we going to drop them off and pick them up from uni, from work, and from rugby practice forever? Of course not!
Oh, I agree that kids need to develop life skills- and it's best to do that within reasonably expanding boundaries from the time they are small.
I'm just pointing out what's going on in the parents' minds.
FWIW – I think stranger danger is way overhyped – kids are statistically at hugely greater risk from family or close personal friends – but that's not a point that's easy to make 😉
Agreed. Some parents though are not doing their children any favours by being over-protective and warping [Edit: I meant wrapping] them in cotton wool. And I’m not referring to just physical protection either. With the increased use of and time spent on-line I believe that people’s social/people skills will deteriorate. Swipe left or swipe right, that’s the question
I also believe that people & society have become less tolerant and considerate of others because of these diminishing social interactions and skills.
"I also believe that people & society have become less tolerant and considerate of others because of these diminishing social interactions and skills."
It would appear so, but what is the remedy, when no one (or very few) appear willing to abandon or even curtail its use?….it may be like housing affordability, the widespread calls for remedy will only occur when the damage is done and the remedies so painful their adoption are still resisted until they occur by force of nature.
No remedy necessary when it has not been officially and formally declared a problem by the authorities, which is usually preceded by experts & others raising the alarm for years if not decades.
Due to Covid I spent a long time working from home and I don’t think it was beneficial to my ‘social energy’. Banter, chats, OTC exchanges, et cetera, are a glue that binds and holds us together, the ‘weak forces’ of human nature (love & sex being among the ‘strong forces’, obviously).
That's an excellent point, and one I have made in ECan submissions before – the cost issue is not hugely relevant for single users who live in walking distance of major routes, it's people with limited access and families where the issues/costs lie.
Auckland has plenty of bus stops, but wait times are too long, new research has found.
The research, published by The Lancet Global Health, found just 56 per cent of Aucklanders have access to public transport running every 20 minutes or less.
Erica Hinckson, professor of physical activity and the environment at AUT, said Auckland was doing well with bus stops every 500m, but that was not enough.
"There needs to be a regular service. People are not going to use public transport because it is not convenient.
"You hear the stories of people saying 'I waited at the bus stop for an hour and then I was late for everything'," Hinckson said.
Make sure you keep smiling at us all when floods smash peoples' houses, seas crash through their doors, northern forests die from drought, and fuel-driven food inflation hits supermarkets at an annual 10%.
You seem to miss the point Ad. These things are less likely to happen if the price of fuel goes so high that people can't afford to use much of it, which is what I support…..except the inflation bit of course, but even that will wane.
You clearly have no idea how little elasticity there actually is in our petrol and diesel use.
Even Auckland which has the best public transport system in New Zealand, you would be lucky to ever find Aucklanders taking more than 15% of trips taken by non-car means. Hey maybe in a dream state we'll get to 20%.
Even for Auckland's small percentage who do take public transport, it's on diesel buses.
There one quarter of Auckland where public transport truly competes against the car is the North Shore. Auckland's wealthiest quarter. Done on diesel buses.
Outside of Auckland and Wellington there is no useful public transport in New Zealand and mostly it's only used by the very, very poor and the Gold Card people. Barely 5% of trips taken pre-COVID. Now it's worse.
Those who laugh at suffering as you do have no place in any reform movement.
But with high petrol prices if people can't take PT they will buy cars that use much less fuel and they will cut down on journeys and even bicycle short distances.
3 years ago I bought a new Suzuki Swift that uses less than half of the petrol of my previous car which was made in 2006.
Incidentally fuel is only 40% of the cost of running a car.
Here is a very interesting BBC video on how the current conflict is changing the nature of war. One of the key points is how the all-seeing nature of war now makes it very difficult for attacking forces to make progress, and a likely move to more autonomous attack methods. As Sanctuary points out above, the Ukrainians appear to be adapting better to modern technological advances in term of targeting for instance.
Anyone else starting to feel sorry for poor old Bob Harvey? He is becoming that silly old duffer with name recognition who gets wheeled out whenever some transport snake oil salesmen come to town…
This government ditched an $800m shared path, failed to give even 1 bridge lane to cyclists, and has spent over $100m designing the full bridge replacement without 1 wheelbarrow of concrete down.
NZTA's efficiency is not measured at all by the size of its Comms team.
If you want to try and find a comms person to put into ATOC, WTOC, or CTOC, or indeed to put into CRL, Te Ara Tuhono, Waikato Expressway System, or any of the others, and price them under $100k, then my friend as ever you will get what you pay for. And it won't be pretty.
If you are really implying that communications staff are by definition non-productive, and also are therefore somehow inflationary, you should spell out why that is.
The astonishing pig ignorance of what the public service actually does continues.
Transport comms does pretty things like AT Hop Card, responds to Ministerial inquiries and all media inquiries, operational changes like road detours via ATOC, formal documents like RLTP and Annual Plans and Annual Reports, Te Reo in all train announcements, street sign standardisation, all engagement with the public whether that be digital or in-person, all advertising across the city, marketing programmes to persuade people out of cars, public announcements of fare changes, and all the other pretty things that they are tasked with doing.
Ah yeah, the hop card. wow. that technological invention that came in 2012 and it sure needs a PR person now in 2022 to be published?
Some secretary who answers letters and emails? So innovative and never heard of before.
A PR person to announce detours for road works? really? And at a high wage too?
Annual plans and Annual reports, would that not be departmental, or do they all have a few PR persons per department, and are there more PR persons then actual analysts and doers? And will each report have their own PR person?
Te Reo in train announcement, that is grand indeed it is, and they then need a different PR person to announce it in english too or is done by a bilingual PR person? And do they just get paid when they tape the announcements or do they get royalties ever time the train announcements run? And will the person who wrote the announcements also be paid a full PR salary, if it is a different person to the one that reads the announcement?
Yeah, nah, nah, you do not need "public relations' persons, you need office staff that does their jobs, i.e. updates webpages, fare pages, digital or in person, bus drivers that know where they drive, and so on.
But is sure sounds like a good job program for the kids of the well to do that did Gender studies, arts and cookery for 10 years between 20 – 30 and now have a student loan they would want forgiven and who are otherwise unemployable. Give them a job at AT or another Government department, such as Alphabetsoup ambassador to the Pacific.
This is why you are such a poor commenter. You have no idea how the public service upon which you and the rest of the population actually relies. You simply have no experience so you just rely in jeering.
You need to shut up your keyboard because dripping bile and foolishness just makes you look more pig ignorant about how any part of the system actually functions.
It's pretty sad how the current inflationary economy is resulting in resentment against public servants and a surge in popularity for the gNats. Public sentiment is completely divorced from the actual causes.
Blaming the government for inflation is like blaming the police for white collar crime. They are trying to stop it but the perps are slippery bastards and the issues are systemic, so there is no easy fix like pulling a few levers at the Reserve Bank.
Only harsh medicine (i.e. tough regulations on capitalist thievery) would actually fix the problem, but that is not something the public will swallow. So the government kicks the can down the road and tries to mitigate the worst examples.
It’s not. Every fuel company has a pricing team, those figures are either sent to the store using internal comms and then updated from site, or they are centralised and updated at head office.
Arguing that waka kotahi needs twice as many comms people when we’ve had the largest reduction in road traffic ever due to covid is mental.
Arguing that people who don’t think waka kotahi need twice as many comms people are somehow ignorant of everything to do with the public service is laughable. It shows that the public service will be voracious is chewing up large amounts of tax payers money for little benefit if allowed. Helping fuel inflation
The tabloid press, bolstered by a sudden efflorescence of Twitter diagnosticians, certainly seems to think so. Since his Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine got underway, the 69-year-old Russian president’s deteriorating health has been a subject of frenzied speculation — speculation that press secretary Dmitry Peskov has downplayed, citing Putin’s “excellent” health.
Nelson did this because he wanted to do that. The identifying as a female is just a thing to maybe get some 'stunning' 'brave' and 'most vulnerable marginalised' group discount and pity wave.
Nelson is a male, who entered a restaurant through the back door and ended up stabbing several people, one of whom is his expartner.
Nothing more then a bit spiced up domestic male on female violence.
But as Anker says, some rainbow lanyard will happily write this up as a female on female crime and lock the dude and his testicles up with non males in a womens prison.
Who cares why Nelson did it. It is irrelevant. Do the crime now do the time, and as Nelson was born a man, it's off to a mens prison for him. There all sorted.
Jimmy, I am not so sure whether Nelson is off to a men's prison.
And I wage money on it that his lawyer will appeal for a lighter sentence, because you know he's trans and they are the most marginalized etc etc. Just like Ashley Winter's lawyers did.
For those who haven't read about Ashley Winters crime I would issue a trigger warning (which is rare for me to do). It involved prolonged and sadistic torture and eventual murder of a vulnerable teen woman. The most horrific crime i have read of in NZ. And no one knows where he is imprissoned (at least I haven't heard about that)
Thanks for posting Muttornbird. Why people are violent is always complex, but what we do know is the men who identify as women retain male patterns of criminality. Obviously not all men who identify as women are criminals, but the pattern is the same for all natal males.
Idenifying as a women will mean Nelson may be housed in a women's prison. With self ID Nelson will be able to enter female change rooms, toilets, sporting competitions, female rape crisis services etc etc. It was a former partner Nelson stabbed as well as 2 workers. I am speculating here but we know a lot of women leave their partners when they start identifying as women and their are harrowing accounts of what some of these women have been through if their partners are autogynaphyles. They are referred to as Trans widows if you want to read about it.
Lastly its possible Nelson's crimes may be counted as an offence committed by a female. This is problematic for all the obvious reasons.
This morning there was an anti-mandate protest in Feilding. Why you need an anti-mandate protest anymore when the mandates are just about all gone suggests that many people don't ever read or listen to the news but there was one interesting point.
One protestor was holding a placard that suggested if you got the vaccine then you were somehow injected with a computer chip that allowed the state to spy on you. Like nanno technology – you will become Borg!
An elderly lady (nearly 90 years ago) told me that she questioned this person and asked them if they also believed the earth was flat, and apparently this person had to think about that for a while before they realised this lady was taking taking the mickey out of them. That made my morning!
When I looked at all the faces in the protest group I had to agree with her that the average IQ would likely be depressingly low.
Focused on masks in Wellington. Kind of annoying as the most available people to hastle are using public transport, so they expect commuters to create friction with the train guards or them.
Also showing how strong their convictions are, exactly one of the signs suggested using "masks might be harmful", in some undescribed way.
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 ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Tuesday, March 19:Kāinga Ora’s dry rot The Spinoff DailyBill McKibben on ‘Climate Superfunds’ making Big Oil pay for climate damage The Crucial YearsPreston Mui on returning to 1980s-style productivity growth NoahpinionAndy Boenau on NIMBYs needing unusual bedfellows Urbanism SpeakeasyNed Resnikoff's case ...
Negative yesterday, negative today. Negative all year, according to one departing reader telling me I’ve grown strident and predictable. Fair enough. If it’s any help, every time I go to write about a certain topic that begins with C and ends with arrrrs, I do brace myself and ask: Again? Are ...
Bryce Edwards writes – It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support ...
Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played.“Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I- Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka KotahiThe fact that a ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st CenturyThe SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims StuffSteve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The government’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Chumbawamba have reportedly issued the deputy PM a cease-and-desist notice after he used their song 'Tubthumping' before his state of the nation speech. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 19 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
The government says it still intends to deliver tax cuts by July, but will not lock them in until they have got them past their coalition partners. ...
Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII has hosted members of the Green Party Caucus at Tuurangawaewae Marae in Ngaaruawahia. The audience follows the King’s Hui-aa-Motu on 20 January, where more than 10,000 people gathered to discuss national ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dr Rachael Potter, Research Associate and Lecturer in Work and Organisational Psychology, University of South Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Pregnant women and workers with children are often unfairly treated by their bosses and colleagues, despite laws to protect against workplace discrimination ...
Reacting to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s refusal to rule out introducing new taxes at the budget, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said: “Today’s refusal to rule out new taxes suggests the Government is nothing more ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne Aila Images/Shutterstock Aged-care workers will receive a significant pay increase after the Fair Work Commission ruled they ...
From Auckland Peace Action
Sunday May 15 – Nakba Day
Rally for Palestine
Auckland Aotea Sq. 2pm
Nakba Day marks the day in 1948 when over 750,000 Palestinians were ethnically cleansed from their homes and lands my Israeli colonists.
This Sunday Nakba Day is especially poignant coming as it does after the assassination of Shireen Abu Akleh, who dedicated her life to documenting the ongoing persecution of the Palestinians by the Israeli State. And was silenced forever by the occupation foreces.
From Auckland Peace Action
Auckland Anti-War March June 5, 2022, 12pm
March from Aotea Sq. to the Auckland Domain where a 40 to 45 minute public meeting will be held.
In any weather, join this march from Aotea Sq to Auckland Domain.
March for peace and self-determination for the Ukrainian people, against war and authoritarian regimes!
Organised by the Auckland Ukrainian community.
Ash Sarkar sums up the UK so well…
https://twitter.com/AyoCaesar/status/1523971930642128896
I should have thought as a country we would understand the value of both symbolism and taonga.
Have you never been to Te Papa or Wellington Hospital and stopped to put your hand on the great pounamu boulder in one or other of those foyers? Or been moved to tears in front of Roimata Pounamu, Tears on Greenstone, the largest jade (nephrite) structure in the Southern Hemisphere, at Waiouru's National Army Museum? https://www.armymuseum.co.nz/visit/exhibitions/memorial-area-tears-on-greenstone/
Symbolism thing given the circumstances, I would think.
Obviously a waste of money as imagine it is a replica used for media, so doesn't need the security, but kind of understandable if you happen to be into the royals.
A world without ceremony, ritual, pageantry and symbolism would be a very boring one indeed.
Following advanced war strategy that seems to have been gleaned by watching episodes of Blackadder goes forth the Russians are making multiple unsuccessful attempts to lay a pontoon bridge across the Siverskyi Donets river in an attempt to encircle Ukrainian troops in the Donbas.
The rinse and repeat strategy for the Ukrainians appears to be to allow the Russians to lay down a pontoon bridge and get some troops and armour across. The pound the pontoon bridge with artillery, cutting off the troops that have just crossed and causing massive Russian losses on both sides of the river. And, just as in the Blackadder episode, the Russians appear to think that doing the same thing again gives them the element of surprise because no-one would expect them to be so stupid again.
Russia can't blame the west for their appalling performance in this war. It is the brainless strategy and tactics from the Russians more than anything else that explains why things are going so badly for them.
This is a horrible war, but this represents genuine innovation and lateral thinking in IT & GIS
I would reccommend reading the entire Trent Telenko tweet roll, but TL;DR is as follows:
"…Ukraine has developed and refined a groundbreaking artillery targeting solution that is, in many ways, better than anything else out there. It’s not U.S. tech. It’s not Israeli tech. It’s homegrown.
At the heart of it is Ukraine’s “GIS Art for Artillery” software package, written by Yaroslav Sherstyuk — one of many talented earth observation / geospatial (GIS) specialists working in Ukraine.
Sherstyuk's software is reminiscent of Uber or Lyft's taxi software. It’s a true distributed software environment that assigns targets to the nearest gun, mortar, rocket launcher, drone or SF team.
The software can coordinate targeting among a distributed group of multiple guns, with multiple trajectories, spanning a whole front, all focused on hitting one target at one time.
Just like Uber can get you a ride much faster than calling a cab company switchboard, “GIS Art for Artillery” can dramatically reduce the time “from call to trigger pull” — from around 20 minutes, to around 30 seconds (!)…"
https://twitter.com/TrentTelenko/status/1523791050313433088
This is not the only example of Russians doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. For instance, they keep sending ships across to Snake Island, just off the Ukrainian coast, and the Ukrainians keep hitting them.
And it's just been deja vu all over again with another ship being hit.
I think that is at least four Russian vessels lost in that area now.
That is an interesting article, btw. I had the impression that the Ukrainians were a lot more accurate with their artillery, though hard to know whether it was just selection bias.
Hey smithers, don't the Ukrainians know they are… winning?
Startling implications here.
Ukraine's 'GIS Art for Artillery' app combined with Starlink actually gives the Ukrainian military measurably better than US Military standard artillery command and control.
The Ukraine War is the first Starlink War & the side with Starlink is beating the side without.
37/
There are a lot of implications in that thought.
Now comes the kicker. When the lasercom equipped SpaceX Gen 1.5 & 2.0 satellites come on-line.
38/
The ability to move huge amounts of bandwidth with zero ground based infrastructure will utterly subvert the ability of national governments & corporations to block or surveil Starlink communications.
39/
The only way the US Government will be able to monitor Starlink communications is with @elonmusk active cooperation.
The power shift involved in that fact is…profound…and something for another thread
40/
Meanwhile, a whole lot of very powerful people are going to have to rethink their place in the world as the Starlink juggernaut remakes the world by helping Ukraine win "The 1st Starlink War."
41/End
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1523828149288583168.html
I don't think Russia can afford to lose this. So how does one translate the words "fat man" and "little boy" into Russian. Perhaps the Ukranians are being too smart for their own good.
[Please check and correct your user name in the next comment, thanks]
Mod note
Whether Russia can afford to lose or not. Russia are losing.
Mikesh,your reference to the nuclear weapons used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and your slight that by winning the Ukrainians are being too smart for their own good.
Your claim that Russia cannot afford to lose, and your implication that if the Russian Federation cannot win with conventional weapons they will turn to nuclear weapons, and so Ukraine would be better to surrender now if they were smart.
Spoken like a true bully.
If Germany had had the nuclear weapon and threatened to use it if they Allies were to intervene in stopping the Nazi genocide and occupation of Europe. Would the Allies leave the Nazis to commit genocide and occupation?
I don't think so.
Everyone knows that you appease a bully, their violence and intimidation and blackmail will only increase.
Ukraine are fighting for all of us.
Please explain how they are fighting for 'all of us'!
I'm not sure, but apparently "useful idiot", disappointingly not coined by Lenin but by Italian journalists, is "Полезный идиот".
Alternate view for you smithfield !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKX1MKW5wjE
We now have the highest petrol price we've ever had.
By itself this could sink this government, let alone the supermarkets.
What is particularly dark for those who want a carbon Zero future is that the rush-hour traffic grind is still there, indicating that there is very little elasticity in total petrol use at all.
Yep. PT options are simply not present (or ridiculously time consuming and therefore not practicable) for the majority of the people currently driving in Auckland's rush hour.
Of course, there are some (SAHM or nanny driving Tristan and Athena to private school) for whom neither time nor money are an issue.
But the majority of the people on the roads simply have no other alternative.
PT, where it's viable to use, is already significantly cheaper than driving a single-user car and paying for parking in the CBD.
Many many children if not most in akl are driven to their public schools too and elsewhere, as literally that is the cheaper option, and faster in many cases. And to be fair, there are also walking buses, car pooling etc. But a nice cheap shot at those that must be the reason for the problem we have, Stay at home Mothers (SAHM) and the kids they take to school for whom money and time may or may not be an issue, or is an issue and they are taking the kids to school before continuing on to work because they are too poor to be a Stay at home Mother. Also, sperm donators also drive their kids to school, and many do walk/bus.
The fact is that AKL has public transport and while it could be better and more varied it is not a bad coverage, but it is too expensive, and does not run on time most of the time. Which makes it unattractive if you have to be in school or work on time. In fact, it can be a detriment to ones job prospects if they are dependend on public transport. 🙂
And Yes, yes, i know the half price fare…..lol, set to expire in a few days, still waiting on the glorious announcement that this will be extended for another three month, while the fare structure should be overhauled and reconsidered and re-thought.
Set public transport at 1 NZD each – per trip, advertise the heck out of that, and watch kids may tell mum that they rather take the bus with their mates or Mum tell the bigger kids to take the bus dear. If they live in an area that is served and with a good time table.
Both cost for PT and availability of PT are the result of decades of not giving a shit by official on all level. By everyone, a nice buslane here and there is not a fix in a town that is huge and has over a million + people living there.
But hey, buy an electric car if you are rich enough, you will get a nice juicy several thousand dollar subsidy so that that Stay at Home Mother of Athena and Tristan can now drive teir children to private school in a tax payer subsidized EV. Now that is winning!
And were it is viable to use, it is ONLY significantly cheaper using PT then driving a single user car if only one person is in that car. And even then, depending on the time used – if you were to apply the 21.20 NZD(plus HP, SP, KWS) min wage per hour spend in traffic in a bus or in a train from Hamilton that only leaves twice a day, you might be still better of using a car, single serve.
disclaimer: have no car, never had a car, walked from Grey Lynn to New Market or Down town as it was faster. Have used bus for all other travel if needed. Rode a bicycle in Auckland in 98 when it was unfashionable and Lycra was still unheard of in NZ.
Sabine. That wasn't intended to be a cheap shot – but a recognition that for some families neither time nor money are a deterrent to driving.
In Auckland, at least in the city and suburbs (recognize that 'Auckland' also encompasses a significant rural area) – most kids can walk or bus to school. There is an extensive school bus network (my son uses it regularly), and primary schools (at least) are mostly within reasonable walking distance for the kids in their zone.
And, just saying – none of the kids I know who use PT to go to school would 'prefer' it over being driven….
Of course, if you are out of zone – then your transport needs may vary.
Auckland's bus system (which is most of the PT) only works if you are travelling into the CBD (or stopping along the route). It's pretty useless if you're going elsewhere – and a heck of a lot of people are going 'elsewhere' – especially with the hollowing out of the CBD post Covid and with the CRL disruptions.
In Auckland, unless you have 'free' parking at your work – you'd have to have 2-3 people in the car for driving (including CBD parking and petrol costs – but excluding depreciation – since no one counts that anyway) to be cheaper than PT.
However, the 'one-person' driving trips is significant – since it's the number of them that we continually have drummed in our ears as examples of 'selfish car drivers'. No one is interviewing these drivers to see if there are (realistic) alternatives….
My disclaimer: I have a car. Drive to work (15 min against the traffic) because there are no viable PT options across suburbs in Auckland. When I worked in the CBD I used PT regularly. My son uses PT to go to school (unless he's taking the bari sax – in which case I drive him)
At the moment the same people that can afford neither a car or the bus are subsidizing the very expensive green washed EV cars for the rich. Just saying.
I lived in Auckland and i worked in Auckland. I know Auckland. I am also raised on public transport so don't have the obsession that kiwis have with their cars to the point where they feel they are incomplete if they don't have one.
As for Stay at home Mums, or Mum who work, Woman just can't do it correctly so for some. Drive your kids to school – lazy polluting rich mum, don't drive your kids to school – lazy poor mum. Never mind that i would guess most women drive their kids to school and then themselves to work. And many do a hybrid version of kids take themselves and sometimes are driven to school – and that is irrespective of income.
What about the one person driving trips of men to the booze store? Or to the pup? or the rugby game? Could they not take the bus? How many people drive to the dairy? Do you need to drive to the supermarket? Or do you need to do that holiday trip with the boat and the gadgets to go cycling several hundreds of kilometres from where one lives to dash around a mountain bike ruining some lovely mountainside?
If we really want to be serious we need to make public transport cheap, fast, often, safe, – even at night time, specifically for those that are not be-penised, and that is what we don't do. We would need to build bus shelters, run buses every 10 min during rush hour and every 20 min for the rest of the day. Maybe run smaller shuttles during the low use times etc. Have decent drivers that are trained, actually know the stops on their route and who are paid a decent wage. But that thinking is not yet being done out lout. WE celebrate a train that runs twice a day and costs up to 30 NZD half price for both trips or 60 NZD full price for both trips from Hamilton to AKL and that does not include kids, it is cheaper and faster to drive a bloody car then. https://www.tehuiatrain.co.nz/fares/
We could do what done in Nice France, build the network, connect the town, help businesses affected by the build, make it a thing of pride and then keep the price to 1.50 NZD (in their case its Euro) and integrate this with the train system at a similar price.https://frenchriviera.travel/public-transport-nice/#:~:text=Public%20transport%20in%20Nice%20is,such%20as%20Cannes%20and%20Monaco.
But we really believe that tinkering on the edges with full price – unaffordable to anyone who is not in full time position well over the min wage, is the way to go and that is why we are here in this postion. Not because some men and non men n use their private vehicle the way they see fit or must.
So personally i believe that the fault of the public transport misery in AKL and the rest of NZ for that matter is not the fault of an individual that may be too rich for some, or too lazy for some others, but the fault of Polititans that have no vision, no guts, no spine, and above all no idea of how to get something like this even up and running. We like cheap band aids, and that is what we get in all cases.
Btw, the build of the PT system in Nice was actioned by a conservative. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Estrosi
A good percentage of children are not driven by car to school and use other modes of transport. Why would it be cheaper to drive your child to school if you have a School Bus that does the same thing and you won’t even have to get out of your PJs?
I think there are 2 things going on here.
Convenience. It's just easier for Mum (and it usually is Mum) to drive the kids, than organize them to get up on time for the bus. [I speak from experience – the leave-the-house-to-catch-the-bus-deadline is a constant struggle in my household]
Stranger danger. Parents (especially upper-middle-class parents) have had stranger danger drummed into them as a huge and significant risk – which shapes their willingness to let their kids out of their sight in public.
Real-life story. When my son was 6 he asked me to let him walk home alone from the school bus stop – about a 5 minute walk. Up to then, I'd been meeting him as he had to cross a major road. I agreed, and we decided I'd shadow him the first time, to make sure he was safe crossing the intersection. He demonstrated excellent safety skills (so cute! Mama heart beating with pride)- and I was happy for him to fly solo. In that first fortnight – I must have had 20 calls from concerned parents and friends asking me if I knew he was walking home alone – with the very strong subtext being that I was a bad mother for letting him do this.
Convenience is often a euphemism for laziness.
Stranger-danger is a thing but how and when are our children meant to get the social skills to navigate safely and survive in ‘the jungle’? Are we going to drop them off and pick them up from uni, from work, and from rugby practice forever? Of course not!
Oh, I agree that kids need to develop life skills- and it's best to do that within reasonably expanding boundaries from the time they are small.
I'm just pointing out what's going on in the parents' minds.
FWIW – I think stranger danger is way overhyped – kids are statistically at hugely greater risk from family or close personal friends – but that's not a point that's easy to make 😉
Agreed. Some parents though are not doing their children any favours by being over-protective and warping [Edit: I meant wrapping] them in cotton wool. And I’m not referring to just physical protection either. With the increased use of and time spent on-line I believe that people’s social/people skills will deteriorate. Swipe left or swipe right, that’s the question
I also believe that people & society have become less tolerant and considerate of others because of these diminishing social interactions and skills.
@Incognito
"I also believe that people & society have become less tolerant and considerate of others because of these diminishing social interactions and skills."
It would appear so, but what is the remedy, when no one (or very few) appear willing to abandon or even curtail its use?….it may be like housing affordability, the widespread calls for remedy will only occur when the damage is done and the remedies so painful their adoption are still resisted until they occur by force of nature.
No remedy necessary when it has not been officially and formally declared a problem by the authorities, which is usually preceded by experts & others raising the alarm for years if not decades.
Due to Covid I spent a long time working from home and I don’t think it was beneficial to my ‘social energy’. Banter, chats, OTC exchanges, et cetera, are a glue that binds and holds us together, the ‘weak forces’ of human nature (love & sex being among the ‘strong forces’, obviously).
What then is the Christchurch Call?
Pro Kathleen Stock speaks for an hour to Kim Hill tomorrow morning 9-10.
That's an excellent point, and one I have made in ECan submissions before – the cost issue is not hugely relevant for single users who live in walking distance of major routes, it's people with limited access and families where the issues/costs lie.
It's a repetitive failure to not consider those with limited options and no financial excess when coming up with such policies.
An assumption is made that people are driving because they are too snobbish or lazy to use public transport.
For many it is unaffordable, unreliable and not connecting them to where they need to go with any kind of efficiency.
+1
Indeed it should…for all
"Funding should be available to support Iwi/Māori that are not economically able to transition equitably."
https://www.interest.co.nz/public-policy/115680/chief-executive-jo-hendy-sets-out-climate-change-commission%E2%80%99s-expectations
today in the Herald
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/transport-survey-aucklanders-waiting-too-long-for-buses-research-finds/R33ONDLC5KM7AFMEOXTWENJ7LM/
A global diesel shortage looms – the distribution implications are obvious.
https://twitter.com/WallStreetSilv/status/1523329724792991747
June 25th the cyclway from New Lynn into town opens and I'll have to get off my ass and leave the Peugeot at home.
Disaster capitalism at it's best. Every cloud has a silver lining (for the few)
https://www.salon.com/2022/04/29/big-oil-is-intentionally-profiteering-from-the-war-exxon-profits-double-after-putins-invasion_partner/
https://twitter.com/Public_Citizen/status/1520051958400397313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1520051958400397313%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fnews%2F2022%2F04%2F29%2Frobbery-chevron-profits-quadruple-and-exxons-double-amid-ukraine-crisis
$$$$$$=WAR… Congress is giving another $33 billion in 'aid' to Ukraine.
Of course that $33billion goes to U. S arms manufacturers.
All done.. in the best possible taste.
And we're losing the Marsden Point refinery.
Ad-the petrol price should be far higher than it is now to reflect the damage it is doing to our planet.
I smile every time it goes up.
https://norightturn.blogspot.com/2022/05/climate-change-betting-on-disaster.html
Make sure you keep smiling at us all when floods smash peoples' houses, seas crash through their doors, northern forests die from drought, and fuel-driven food inflation hits supermarkets at an annual 10%.
You seem to miss the point Ad. These things are less likely to happen if the price of fuel goes so high that people can't afford to use much of it, which is what I support…..except the inflation bit of course, but even that will wane.
Utter bullshit.
You clearly have no idea how little elasticity there actually is in our petrol and diesel use.
Even Auckland which has the best public transport system in New Zealand, you would be lucky to ever find Aucklanders taking more than 15% of trips taken by non-car means. Hey maybe in a dream state we'll get to 20%.
Even for Auckland's small percentage who do take public transport, it's on diesel buses.
There one quarter of Auckland where public transport truly competes against the car is the North Shore. Auckland's wealthiest quarter. Done on diesel buses.
Outside of Auckland and Wellington there is no useful public transport in New Zealand and mostly it's only used by the very, very poor and the Gold Card people. Barely 5% of trips taken pre-COVID. Now it's worse.
Those who laugh at suffering as you do have no place in any reform movement.
I agree entirely that PT needs major investment.
But with high petrol prices if people can't take PT they will buy cars that use much less fuel and they will cut down on journeys and even bicycle short distances.
3 years ago I bought a new Suzuki Swift that uses less than half of the petrol of my previous car which was made in 2006.
Incidentally fuel is only 40% of the cost of running a car.
https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/everyday-money/buying-and-running-a-car/how-to-find-the-right-car-for-your-budget
Here is a very interesting BBC video on how the current conflict is changing the nature of war. One of the key points is how the all-seeing nature of war now makes it very difficult for attacking forces to make progress, and a likely move to more autonomous attack methods. As Sanctuary points out above, the Ukrainians appear to be adapting better to modern technological advances in term of targeting for instance.
BTW, it looks like the Russians lost a whole battalion in the bridging attempt I mentioned above. Incredible and tragic losses of life.
Anyone else starting to feel sorry for poor old Bob Harvey? He is becoming that silly old duffer with name recognition who gets wheeled out whenever some transport snake oil salesmen come to town…
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018841547/bob-harvey-backs-auckland-gondola-idea
No harbour crossing idea should be ignored.
This government ditched an $800m shared path, failed to give even 1 bridge lane to cyclists, and has spent over $100m designing the full bridge replacement without 1 wheelbarrow of concrete down.
I agree. If it's proven to work successfully in other cities around the world it should not be rejected out of hand.
But Waka Kotahi have great PR. Lots of 'huey', not much 'doey'.
'Genuinely quite shocked': AM hosts hit out at surge in PR staff at Waka Kotahi, $10,000 spend on campaign signs (msn.com)
Actually they and their contractors do more to support this country than any other part of government – outside perhaps Transpower.
That NZTA have a large Comms department to support this massive network should not surprise you.
But they have more than doubled the number of PR staff since 2017, and the majority of them are earning in excess of $100k!!!!!
So they are not very efficient.
NZTA's efficiency is not measured at all by the size of its Comms team.
If you want to try and find a comms person to put into ATOC, WTOC, or CTOC, or indeed to put into CRL, Te Ara Tuhono, Waikato Expressway System, or any of the others, and price them under $100k, then my friend as ever you will get what you pay for. And it won't be pretty.
Non productive costs are inflationary
If you are really implying that communications staff are by definition non-productive, and also are therefore somehow inflationary, you should spell out why that is.
lol…seriously?
What do they produce…apart from spin?
If you think you can run a transport system without what I have just provided, then you are simply ignorant about how the transport system works.
You would do well to stop the emotion and take time to figure out how each Department inside a major Crown entity actually works.
You have provided exactly what the PR employees have provided
If they are making others more productive – they themselves will be productive. It's a total sum game.
And how exactly do you suggest they are making others more productive?
and what pretty things will we have thanks to all the PR woos at AT?
The astonishing pig ignorance of what the public service actually does continues.
Transport comms does pretty things like AT Hop Card, responds to Ministerial inquiries and all media inquiries, operational changes like road detours via ATOC, formal documents like RLTP and Annual Plans and Annual Reports, Te Reo in all train announcements, street sign standardisation, all engagement with the public whether that be digital or in-person, all advertising across the city, marketing programmes to persuade people out of cars, public announcements of fare changes, and all the other pretty things that they are tasked with doing.
Ah yeah, the hop card. wow. that technological invention that came in 2012 and it sure needs a PR person now in 2022 to be published?
Some secretary who answers letters and emails? So innovative and never heard of before.
A PR person to announce detours for road works? really? And at a high wage too?
Annual plans and Annual reports, would that not be departmental, or do they all have a few PR persons per department, and are there more PR persons then actual analysts and doers? And will each report have their own PR person?
Te Reo in train announcement, that is grand indeed it is, and they then need a different PR person to announce it in english too or is done by a bilingual PR person? And do they just get paid when they tape the announcements or do they get royalties ever time the train announcements run? And will the person who wrote the announcements also be paid a full PR salary, if it is a different person to the one that reads the announcement?
Yeah, nah, nah, you do not need "public relations' persons, you need office staff that does their jobs, i.e. updates webpages, fare pages, digital or in person, bus drivers that know where they drive, and so on.
But is sure sounds like a good job program for the kids of the well to do that did Gender studies, arts and cookery for 10 years between 20 – 30 and now have a student loan they would want forgiven and who are otherwise unemployable. Give them a job at AT or another Government department, such as Alphabetsoup ambassador to the Pacific.
This is why you are such a poor commenter. You have no idea how the public service upon which you and the rest of the population actually relies. You simply have no experience so you just rely in jeering.
You need to shut up your keyboard because dripping bile and foolishness just makes you look more pig ignorant about how any part of the system actually functions.
It's pretty sad how the current inflationary economy is resulting in resentment against public servants and a surge in popularity for the gNats. Public sentiment is completely divorced from the actual causes.
Blaming the government for inflation is like blaming the police for white collar crime. They are trying to stop it but the perps are slippery bastards and the issues are systemic, so there is no easy fix like pulling a few levers at the Reserve Bank.
Only harsh medicine (i.e. tough regulations on capitalist thievery) would actually fix the problem, but that is not something the public will swallow. So the government kicks the can down the road and tries to mitigate the worst examples.
I take it you are a fan of consultants.. as well.
[Please check and correct your e-mail address in the next comment, thanks]
Mod note
$2.62 for 91 at NPD in chch this afternoon,no PR or marketing dept.
How did you hear of that?
They have big mandatory signs outside with the price on.
That's organised by their Comms team.
Granted if you're a price bottom-feeder you let your price do your PR for you.
It’s not. Every fuel company has a pricing team, those figures are either sent to the store using internal comms and then updated from site, or they are centralised and updated at head office.
Arguing that waka kotahi needs twice as many comms people when we’ve had the largest reduction in road traffic ever due to covid is mental.
Arguing that people who don’t think waka kotahi need twice as many comms people are somehow ignorant of everything to do with the public service is laughable. It shows that the public service will be voracious is chewing up large amounts of tax payers money for little benefit if allowed. Helping fuel inflation
Reminds me of a song along the same lines
[yb]ZDOI0cq6GZM[/yb]
Why have a gondola when you can have a monorail?
YES
..a monorail, that'll solve all our problems…,price (or effectiveness) no object.
He certainly doesn't look too flash.
Is Vladimir Putin sick or even dying?
The tabloid press, bolstered by a sudden efflorescence of Twitter diagnosticians, certainly seems to think so. Since his Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine got underway, the 69-year-old Russian president’s deteriorating health has been a subject of frenzied speculation — speculation that press secretary Dmitry Peskov has downplayed, citing Putin’s “excellent” health.
https://newlinesmag.com/reportage/is-putin-sick-or-are-we-meant-to-think-he-is/
Then there's…'
Is Joe Biden OK? Health fears grow for 'confused' POTUS
Increasingly looking weak, the Delaware Democrat has continued to make gaffes and exhibited moments of confusion.
Is Joe Biden OK? Health fears grow for 'confused' POTUS | MEAWW
Yep. The state of the world. The two people in the positions of greatest power should both be in a rest home.
What is going on?
Right wing concern trolling from the usual suspects.
The ironic faultline….crack…appears.
With over 200 billion(us)$ lost in crypto in a day,will there be effects in electricity demand globally.
https://twitter.com/ira_joseph/status/1524786820927606785?cxt=HHwWgsCyuZ7ikKkqAAAA
Any luck and the demise of these mining schemes will shave a couple of points off rising global temperatures.
It will remove unnecessary electricity usage as global prices rocket.
It will also have effects in Mexico with the cartels estimated to launder 25$b through crypto.Very nervous accountants down there today.
So many questions:
Did Nelson do this because she was born a man?
Did Nelson do this because she self identifies as female?
Did name suppression lapse because Nelson didn't direct her lawyer to appeal?
Why did Nelson do this?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/128622831/name-suppression-lapses-for-cambridge-triple-stabbing-accused
Nelson did this because he wanted to do that. The identifying as a female is just a thing to maybe get some 'stunning' 'brave' and 'most vulnerable marginalised' group discount and pity wave.
Nelson is a male, who entered a restaurant through the back door and ended up stabbing several people, one of whom is his expartner.
Nothing more then a bit spiced up domestic male on female violence.
But as Anker says, some rainbow lanyard will happily write this up as a female on female crime and lock the dude and his testicles up with non males in a womens prison.
Who cares why Nelson did it. It is irrelevant. Do the crime now do the time, and as Nelson was born a man, it's off to a mens prison for him. There all sorted.
Jimmy, I am not so sure whether Nelson is off to a men's prison.
And I wage money on it that his lawyer will appeal for a lighter sentence, because you know he's trans and they are the most marginalized etc etc. Just like Ashley Winter's lawyers did.
For those who haven't read about Ashley Winters crime I would issue a trigger warning (which is rare for me to do). It involved prolonged and sadistic torture and eventual murder of a vulnerable teen woman. The most horrific crime i have read of in NZ. And no one knows where he is imprissoned (at least I haven't heard about that)
Thanks for posting Muttornbird. Why people are violent is always complex, but what we do know is the men who identify as women retain male patterns of criminality. Obviously not all men who identify as women are criminals, but the pattern is the same for all natal males.
Idenifying as a women will mean Nelson may be housed in a women's prison. With self ID Nelson will be able to enter female change rooms, toilets, sporting competitions, female rape crisis services etc etc. It was a former partner Nelson stabbed as well as 2 workers. I am speculating here but we know a lot of women leave their partners when they start identifying as women and their are harrowing accounts of what some of these women have been through if their partners are autogynaphyles. They are referred to as Trans widows if you want to read about it.
Lastly its possible Nelson's crimes may be counted as an offence committed by a female. This is problematic for all the obvious reasons.
With any luck – if convicted he will be sharing a cell in Paremoremo with "Ashley" Winter. These are not women and these are not women's crimes.
This morning there was an anti-mandate protest in Feilding. Why you need an anti-mandate protest anymore when the mandates are just about all gone suggests that many people don't ever read or listen to the news but there was one interesting point.
One protestor was holding a placard that suggested if you got the vaccine then you were somehow injected with a computer chip that allowed the state to spy on you. Like nanno technology – you will become Borg!
An elderly lady (nearly 90 years ago) told me that she questioned this person and asked them if they also believed the earth was flat, and apparently this person had to think about that for a while before they realised this lady was taking taking the mickey out of them. That made my morning!
When I looked at all the faces in the protest group I had to agree with her that the average IQ would likely be depressingly low.
Focused on masks in Wellington. Kind of annoying as the most available people to hastle are using public transport, so they expect commuters to create friction with the train guards or them.
Also showing how strong their convictions are, exactly one of the signs suggested using "masks might be harmful", in some undescribed way.
Pretty funny
Now we have Kiwis as both captain and coach of the England cricket test team.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/300587344/get-ready-for-the-ride-brendon-mccullum-named-new-england-test-coach
Wonder if I can get a job as a kiwi bringing the orange juice and sausage rolls on between innings?
You could try. (they would need to be good sausage rolls or a helping of hangi)?