TVNZ have spent the last four days reinforcing the notion that Colonialism/Racism was/is a glorious endeavour and should be celebrated in glorious pageantry.
For chrissakes, spare us your drearily-predictable virtue-signaling, all the ludicrous moral & rhetorical posturing bereft of any genuine historical understanding outside of your crude, distorted quasi-religious dogma … the constant desire for in-group prestige-enhancement via perpetual displays of your supposedly superior moral sensibilities (LOL) … just give it a bloody break … even if for only a few days.
It’s like being tied-down & forced to listen endlessly to a turbo-charged Rik from The Young Ones.
You & your Woke dullard chums make Bible-thumping born-again Christians seem absolutely riveting by comparison.
You may be interested in the video link below that Weka posted. Head of the LGBT consortium spouting all sorts of garbage. They have taken the LGB Alliance to Court to remove their charitable status. Not very inclusive if you ask me….
I am not sure who the guy on the u tube clip is but he is very good and funny and talks about the critical social justice movement.
Exactly. Anti-monarchists, LGBT activists, elderly white people, Maori and all that sort of type need to know their place. After all, anything you label as woke is automatically exactly the same as anything else you label as woke.
I mean … just the sheer jaw-dropping confusion & cluelessness embedded within this – let's face it – tragically ill-conceived attempt at mockery.
When people critique Wokedom … it’s about challenging a very specific set of extremist, highly discriminatory, elitist & anti-democratic policies / ideas. A crude dogma that is, in key respects, the antithesis of traditional Social Democratic principles & concerns.
It’s about challenging a very specific set of extremist, highly discriminatory, elitist & anti-democratic policies / ideas.
The policy/ideas are not extreme, they're mainstream. They're not discriminatory, they're anti-discriminatory. They're not elitist, they're from ordinary people. They're not anti-democratic, they're more widely representative.
We normally call for enquiries into things that have been a self-evident failure, not things that have been an obvious success. National's call for an enquiry into the Covid response is an attempt to taint the public perception of that response by smothering it in these negative emotions associated with the word "enquiry". It appears the Government will have to initiate an enquiry to prevent a future National government assembling a kangaroo court to reach the conclusion they want.
Jan Rivers has written an article about the NZ implementation of trans affirming healthcare – the familiar lack of record-keeping and follow up, the excuse of advocacy demands rather than clinical evidence, and the refusal to independently review the basic medical science behind current practice.
…If the figures from Christchurch are typical for New Zealand the referral to medication rate is ten times higher in New Zealand than in England. (High Court of Justice, 2020) (Broughton, 2021) and the overall rate per head of population shows them to be show that the drug could be being prescribed more than 30 times more frequently per head of population in New Zealand.(Fully Informed, 2021) Gender health specialists argue in favour of their very free use in New Zealand.(Oliphant, 2017)
Compared with England, New Zealand treatment is highly devolved, with puberty blockers available from paediatric services, youth health services, endocrinologists and primary health care teams. (Ministry of Health, 2020) Standards of care are variable.(PATHA, 2021)
If you have not taken time to look into this medical response (scandal/failure) then this article provides you with the context and a sound platform to follow up with your own independent research.
We are giving advocacy based – rather than patient centred – therapeutic, medical and surgical interventions to minors that are not clinically evidenced to be of benefit and may:
impair brain and psychological impairment,
induce osteoporosis,
remove capacity for sexual responsiveness and orgasm,
has studies indicating long term increase in suicides,
renders many infertile,
will create a population that requires life-long medical treatments, etc.
I find it difficult to understand those that support this approach, if they are aware of the history behind WPATH recommendations and the lack of clinical evidence.
This is appalling treatment of our young people, and a damaging misuse of limited health funds.
Countless young Females transitioning to Male come through our Mental Health inpatient services. Almost without exception they have a Borderline Personality Disorder. Bodily mutilation, either by supplementary hormones or surgery is just another form of deliberate self harm. The saddest case would be the young bearded man suicidal because after a mastectomy and hysterectomy at eighteen now realizes their mistake.
To allow this mutilation to occur in young people who's sexuality can be very fluid is a huge mistake with lifelong consequences.
It might seem odd suggesting that if there are "countless" young females transitioning to male coming through our Mental Health inpatient services, someone would think a number be put up.
'Countless' suggests there's a veritable torrent, tsunamis of people, too many to count.
Is that so? How do you know? If someone working in the industry says they are 'inundated' with such cases, what does that mean?
Molly's concern about standard data collection is fair. Simply knowing the numbers might at least give us just reason to not use words like 'countless,' not just in numerical terms but in generalised 'shock, horror' terms.
I would posit that in our city there are not masses of young females transitioning to male let alone going through the mental health services.
Jan River's article does reference some of the available data we have in NZ, and extrapolates acknowledged estimates from that.
Regardless of where you stand on the quality of healthcare, everyone should be demanding collection of comprehensive data, and review of clinical evidence that informed this approach.
I imagine psych nurse is working flat out on a busy understaffed unit, so countless might be impressionistic, but gives an idea that de=transistioners are the rare minority that the Trans Rights Activists would have us believe.
Thanks for posting this excellent article Molly. And many thanks psych nurse for letting us know what is being seen in psych services.
The case you mention is an utter tragedy. And the denial of de-transitioners by trans rights activists is shocking and unacceptable.
In a world where we have big problems, such as climate change, which appear to be very difficult to solve, I would have thought that halting this trend of medically transitioning young people would be something everyone would want to see happen.
Its about enough people standing up to the trans lobby and the govt taking the same measures that Dr Hilary Cass has in her review of Tavistock.
Not doind so means there will be more and more of the young people psych nurse describes.
“If New Zealand can't do it, well, then nobody can. So I do feel a great sense of responsibility, not just because of New Zealand’s emissions profile, but actually because I think we’re at the vanguard of something that many, many other countries are going to be grappling with,” he said."
Meanwhile, state of play with the gender wars in the UK.
Gender identity activists have gone to court seeking to remove the charitable status of LGB Alliance because they’re organising around sexual orientation rather than gender identity. Here’s a man, head of a consortium of LGBT organisations saying that sexual orientation is against their values. This is homophobia, the position is that people aren’t attracted to sex but gender identity and arguing for same sex attraction is transphobic. If you’re confused, this is because some TW who are attracted to females ie they’re het makes, insist on calling themselves lesbian and hassling lesbians to date them even if they still have fully male bodies. Girl dick is meant to be different to man dick and lesbians are transphobic for not wanting it.
for the people who said none of this was happening, it’s now in a British court being hashed out.
and it makes perfect sense to hold that view if you think that Gender equals sex.
IF one is a heterosexual 'woman' in their parlance they are opposite gender attracted and should be able to have sexual relationships with men and transmen. 🙂 Ditto for heterosexual men. They should be able to have sexual relationships with woman and transwoman. Its all the same. No dif.
We are now all queer and bisexual.
edit: definition of terms ‘ woman ‘= female human adult and ‘men’ = male human adult.
Complexity is in the interest of the oligarchy. “The government are agents of the oligarchy. They are crooks and they are thieves.”
Yanis Varoufakis picks apart the corrupt European energy system – parts of this echo the New Zealand experience. His comment about getting to speak in the msm for 20 seconds before interruption is right on the button.
Why are they doing this? Because complexity is in the interest of the oligarchy. I just took 23 minutes to explain this to you. No media are going to give me 23 minutes in Greece to explain this to people out there. Nobody’s going to allow the people of France, the people of Portugal, the people Slovakia, 23 minutes in order to have somebody explain this to them. You get 20 seconds and then you are interrupted.
Gattung said: “Think about pricing. What has every telco in the world done in the past? It has used confusion as its chief marketing tool. And that’s fine.
There is a complex replay of the decline and fall of the Weimar Republic era. Once again a combination of economic difficulty (this time a global supply chain disruption and nations indebted because of the GFC and pandemic), a struggle between necessary evolution to social democracy (financial and tax reform) and the neo liberal and fascist alternatives (a combination of which is oligarchy), an imperial ambition impasse (risk of war) and of course the global warming problem.
Of course those governments with pretensions of being left of centre and which might take opportunity to openly declare a social democratic platform will face considerable opposition – from the establishment neo liberal public service and the middle class media estate. They will however partner up on the progressive social reform and increase in government power over the people (either to manage the public narrative or to enforce an order). Of course the government plan to bring in “hate speech” law has already met a response – most obviously the free speech coalition and NACT opposition, but also a number of conspiracy theory groups (such as control of the public space via government funding of media media and censorship because they are part of some global plan to do x and y to democracy etc).
In that matter, restraint by government is the grown up example. For example online anonymity protects people from (real life) persecution for the exercise of their free speech. All the current system needs is the ability to identify those making threats to others (which are a matter of existing law) and removing some of them from the right to legally possess weapons.
To this point the government has moved on interest deductability (and bright line extension) but not moved on wealth accumulation (one reason to vote Green).
It has collectivIsed health to centralise supply of scarce resources, but labour shortage constraints remain. When will it end requirement of staff working here to pay back their TD? Where is the set up of an investment fund for smart investment in drugs that maintain health that reduce dependence on hospital care cost?
In housing it has yet to reposition from use of motels to acting in the private market (as prices decline) to increase the number of properties it has to rent out at income related rent and playing smarter on supply boost.
House prices have now dropped by the largest in 6 months bringing median NZ prices to 800k,and more to come as the bubble contracts to sustainable levels.
Global property markets are expected to contract until at least 2024,due to risk realignment with increasing interest rates (US least affected due to long term fixed rates)
Yeah the long fixed rate mortgages (bank culpability for bad debts if the sale price is less than the mortgage loan) mean their housing market is less impacted by the raising of rates to manage inflation.
It’s a complicated world economy atm …
Computing all their cost and trouble …
Quantum game theory is an extension of classical game theory to the quantum domain. It differs from classical game theory in three primary ways:
Superimposed initial states,
Quantum entanglement of initial states,
Superposition of strategies to be used on the initial states.
This theory is based on the physics of information much like quantum computing
People leveraged debt on the imaginary wealth growth,to buy investment property,etc. the bubble was around 42% fueled by low interest rates,changes in lending rules,it now relaxes to its natural limits of ability to pay.
The scary thing is he received 25 votes. I was hoping he'd get a few votes at best. My guess is each of those 25 voters don't live in a ideological bubble. They have hubs of people around them who have similar views, and are probably indoctrinating their children to hate without reason.
Whilst there is a an substantive increased cost, now apparent with the closure of Marsden point (where transformation costs were realised in NZ,and can be seen in the increased import of other chemical products.There is also a substantive waste in the import of product that will not increase either efficiency or import substitution.
When 'bulk mass products' are all you have to offer its probably not a great idea to get rid of them…especially when you need the products they enable.
It won't change until this government keeps propping up Fonterra with yet more enabling legislation to give them more power over farmer shareholders, and less and less reason to shift away from being a commodity producer.
Trying to reinvent the wheel with value added did not work with Fonterra.
A good example -they introduced First Start a breakfast drink to compete with Up and Go…it was going good…Sanitarium (the charity)indicated they would pull their supply contracts with Fonterra ..if they continued to compete.
You know if the exchange rate did collapse under trade deficits then balance of payments would be basically "self correcting" (not that there is a correct balance anyway). I'm not really convinced that the "reality" your expecting describes these aspects of the economy. We have certainly seen continuous trade deficits with a high NZ dollar simultaneously favouring importers.
So your forecasting a Sri Lankan currency crisis for New Zealand? Or actually your not committing to that forecast either (or even any forecast in fact)?
If my recons moved the NZ forex markets I wouldn't be commenting, would I. But it seems that (despite your need to counter comment) your expections basically match mine anyway.
For clarity my expections are that the trade deficit will largely persist and thats not going to move the exchange rate. I expect after the next RBNZ OCR increase the exchange rate will strengthen in fact.
Watch the interest rates rise (as they are globally) as large scale wish list projects get prices out,with both credit agencies and the IMF looking over shoulders.
Buzz from the Beehive A significant decline in natural gas production has given Resources Minister Shane Jones an opportunity to reiterate his enthusiasm for the mining and burning of coal. For good measure, he has praised an announcement from Genesis Energy that it will resume importing coal. He and Energy ...
“Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim.Extreme Left Auckland University of TechnologyEvidenceThe ...
Eric Crampton writes – I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes – Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
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 ...
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
Our trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...
This article was prepared for publication yesterday. More ministerial announcements have been posted on the government’s official website since it was written. We will report on these later today …. Buzz from the BeehiveThere we were, thinking the environment is in trouble, when along came Jones. Shane Jones. ...
New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
RNZ News As Israel presses ahead with strikes in Rafah and seizing the Rafah crossing from Egypt, aid agencies are sounding the alarm of a “catastrophic humanitarian situation”. Rafah was “significant” because it was the only part in Gaza that had not been terribly damaged by the conflict, United Nations ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Cooke, Honorary Fellow, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland We feel ecological grief when we lose places, species or ecosystems we value and love. These losses are a growing threat to mental health and wellbeing globally. We all see ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shauna Brail, Associate Professor, Institute for Management & Innovation, University of Toronto A shift to hybrid and remote work continues to affect worker presence in Toronto’s downtown.(Shutterstock) Downtown Toronto, the core of Canada’s largest city, continues to reel from the lingering ...
Responding to an Auditor-General's report slamming failures in the administration of the 2023 General Election, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said: ...
The Taxpayers’ Union says the Beehive need to lead by example, following reports of more than $50,000 spent upgrading video conferencing equipment and furniture in the Prime Minister’s office. Taxpayers’ Union Campaign Manager, Connor Molloy, ...
An objective list of the 50 most powerful people in New Zealand, as judged by the Spinoff Editorial Board. It’s power list season, baby, and we want in on the action. Sure, there’s the rich list and the powerful “c-suite” list and the young people with power (hmmm) but here, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thalia Anthony, Professor of Law, University of Technology Sydney ShutterstockThis article contains information on deaths in custody and the names of deceased people, and describes ongoing colonial violence towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. First Nations people in Australia ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alex Simpson, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Macquarie University Netflix Baby Reindeer’s phenomenal success has much to do with its writer and lead, Richard Gadd, who plays Donny in a tender semi-autobiographical account of sexual abuse, harassment and stalking. Gadd’s story has ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Collins, Laureate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Newcastle KarolinaGrabowska/Pexels If you didn’t have food allergies as a child, is it possible to develop them as an adult? The short answer is yes. But the reasons why are much ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Moon, Professor of History, Auckland University of Technology Ans Westra, self-portrait, c. 1963. National Library ref AWM-0705-F They try but invariably fail – those writers who believe they are capable of encapsulating in prose or verse the essence of ...
Stewart Sowman-Lund looks at the growing concern around the world in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. What’s all this? When Covid-19 arrived on our shores in early 2020, some argued we were too slow, or crucially, ill-prepared for a pandemic. So ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Franco Montalto, Professor of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering and Director, Sustainable Water Resource Engineering Laboratory, Drexel University Water runs into a storm drain in a Los Angeles alley on Aug. 19, 2023, during Tropical Storm Hilary.Citizen of the Planet/Universal Images ...
The inquest into the death of Gore toddler Lachlan Jones has turned up a new witness who says he saw two teenagers and a small child in a high vis vest in the area where the boy’s body was found the day he died. Lachie’s body was discovered face up ...
Stories from the tenancy trenches, featuring spider infestations, cupboard rats and same-sex discrimination. Lucy’s brother was living in a damp 1930s building in Mt Eden where “he had to tie the cupboard doors closed so the rats didn’t get in”. Although he shared custody of his six-year-old son, his property ...
Simeon Brown, Chris Luxon, and Wayne Brown climbed into a hole and announced a plan to solve Auckland’s water woes. This is how it’ll work. New Zealand’s pipes are munted. They’re cracked and leaking, and struggling to handle all the extra poos excreted by our rising population. It’s a big, ...
I knew Taika Waititi quite well when he was a kid. His mother lived in a tall narrow house in Aro St, and my youngest sister had a similar house two doors along. They were both single mums, they each had a son aged seven. Taika and my nephew Stepan ...
Opinion: “As time passes, knowledge of the circumstances of the August 2016 outbreak will fade and its immediate impact will be lost.” This statement is from the 2017 report of the Official Inquiry into the Havelock North campylobacteriosis outbreak. The then National-led government established the inquiry after the outbreak left ...
Opinion: Nicholas Khoo looks at two key points in the high-stakes foreign policy pact debate – and asks if NZ can engage with as little drama as possible. The post Where to next for the Aukus ruckus? appeared first on Newsroom. ...
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Opinion: ‘Reference-class forecasting’ is at the heart of improving pricing a project and identifying the expected timeframe but it doesn’t appear to be in use here The post ‘Think fast and act slowly’ is failing big projects appeared first on Newsroom. ...
What do a sombrero in Argentina and cognitive driving tests have in common? Don’t worry, we’re not setting up a bad joke. Hinengaro Clinic dementia clinician Gregory Winkelman has the answer on today’s episode of The Detail. “We ask a patient’s spouse or son or daughter: If you went to ...
Wellington long jumper Phoebe Edwards is back and she’s having fun again. Until this year, Edwards, a top athlete in her teens, had never competed as a senior athlete in New Zealand. In March, the 26-year-old won a national long jump title in a lifetime best of 6.28m after ...
After replacing a fifth of their caucus in just four months, the Greens’ opportunity to reset, reshuffle and refocus on the Government is quickly slipping away The post Persistent Green Party scandals delay caucus reset appeared first on Newsroom. ...
ANALYSIS:By Olli Hellmann, University of Waikato When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day today on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also to mark a defining event for national identity. The battle of Gallipoli against ...
By Robin Martin, RNZ News reporter A New Zealand local authority, Whanganui District Council, has passed a motion calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, condemnation of all acts of violence and terror against civilians on both sides of the conflict and the immediate return of hostages. It comes as ...
Asia Pacific Report The Aotearoa chapter of the Women’s International league for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) has appealed to the New Zealand government to call out Israel over the “cruel and barbaric use of force” in Gaza and demand a permanent ceasefire. The league’s open letter was sent to Prime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government will invest $566 million over a decade on data, maps and other tools to promote exploration and development in Australia’s resources industry. The project will fund “the first comprehensive map of what’s ...
Asia Pacific Report Following an open letter by Auckland University academics speaking out in support of their students’ right to protest against the genocidal Israeli war on Gaza, a group of academics at Otago University have today also called on New Zealand academic institutions to “repair colonial violence” and end ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Linda J. Graham, Professor and Director of the Centre for Inclusive Education, Queensland University of Technology Ryan Tauss/ Unsplash, CC BY Two male students have been expelled from a Melbourne private school for their involvement in a list ranking female students. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The Reserve Bank is now assuming Australians will see no interest rate cuts this year – and quite possibly none before the next federal election, due next May. That’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Hayward, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy, RMIT University The Victorian budget offered more of the same on Tuesday, with the only change being how the budget papers were packaged. The usual shrink wrap was gone, hinting at savings in the pages ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Coalition is demanding extensive amendments to the government’s legislation targeting non-citizens who refuse to co-operate with their removal. In a dissenting report to the senate inquiry into the legislation, the Coalition says it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vanita Yadav, Senior Research Fellow, Urban Transformations Research Centre, Western Sydney University Brett Boardman/Belvoir The complex and grappling issue of violence against women takes centre stage in the soul-stirring solo dance drama Nayika: A Dancing Girl. During a dinner conversation ...
Disruption to patient care from a nationwide junior doctors strike is bordering on unsafe, a senior doctor claims, despite what health officials say. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Diepstraten, Senior Research Officer, Blood Cells and Blood Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute Ground Picture/Shutterstock The anti-cancer drug abemaciclib (also known as Vernezio) has this month been added to the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) to treat certain ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dominic McAfee, Postdoctoral researcher, marine ecology, University of Adelaide Robbie Porter, OzFish Unlimited Around Australia, hundreds of people are coming together to help a once-prized, but decimated and largely forgotten marine ecosystem. They’re busy restoring Australia’s native oyster and mussel reefs. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Webb, Lecturer, Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology Austin Human/Unsplash How does Earth stop meteors from hitting Earth and hurting people? –Asher, 6 years 11 months, New South Wales Alright, let’s embark on a meteor ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rory Mulcahy, Associate Professor of Marketing, University of the Sunshine Coast Professional sports organisations regularly promote and develop initiatives to support diversity, equity and inclusion. While sport has the power to change attitudes by sparking conversations about political issues and social ...
Comment: The weekly Monday post-Cabinet press conference is a useful forum for observing Christopher Luxon and how he is developing into the job of Prime Minister. He attempts to convey the impression of a man of action, speaking fast, delivering memorised National Party strategies in a connect-the-slogans kind of way, ...
Double votes, missing ballot boxes, tired tech and stressed staff: how tick-tallying went astray at last year’s election. Cast your mind back to November 2023, that bleary-eyed post-election period duringwhichwewaited, andwaited, for a coalition deal to be hammered out. A distraction from the hotel-hopping of our ...
International audiences are starting to discover what New Zealand already knew about After the Party.When After the Party aired in New Zealand last year, the response was fast and furious. In his preview for Rec Room, Duncan Greive said it was a “gritty, wrenching and highly confronting” series. By ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shahram Akbarzadeh, Convenor of the Middle East Studies Forum (MESF), and Acting Director the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University Iran’s leadership has been a direct beneficiary of the months-long war in Gaza. With every missile that Israel fires ...
Claire Mabey reviews the haunting and sexy debut novel from Sinéad Gleeson, who is about to touch down in Aotearoa for a string of live events.When Irish writer Sinéad Gleeson was in Aotearoa in 2018 with her spectacular collection of essays, Constellations, she told me she was working on ...
PNG Post-Courier Bougainville Affairs Minister Manasseh Makiba has described the Post-Courier’s front page story yesterday regarding a meeting between Bougainville and national government leaders as “sensationalised” and without substance. The Autonomous Bougainville Government (AGB) had warned it might use “other avenues to gain its independence” should the PNG government “continue ...
Where some saw the worst press conference given by the government to date, Anna Rawhiti-Connell recognised girl maths game.Nicola Willis, recently exasperated by comparisons to Ruth Richardson, said she was “a bit sick of being compared with every female finance minister that’s ever been out there.”Some think that’s ...
The March results are reported against forecasts based on the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update 2023 (HYEFU 2023), published on 20 December 2023 and the results for the same period for the previous year. ...
Jamie Arbuckle, the district councillor who became an MP but decided to keep getting paid for both roles, will instead donate one salary to charity. ...
Adding gender to the Human Rights Act would simply make the implicit explicit. So why is it so controversial? Paul Thistoll explain. At present, Aotearoa’s 1993 Human Rights Act (HRA) includes sex, marital status, religious belief, ethical belief (meaning a lack of religious belief), colour, race, ethnicity or national origin, ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, an 18-year-old who’s studying and working in hospo shares their approach to spending and saving. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here.Gender: Transmasc Age: 18 Ethnicity: Pākehā/Māori Role: Student, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Kelsey, Emeritus Professor of Law, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Resources Minister Shane Jones has reportedly asked officials for advice on whether oil and gas companies could be offered “bonds” as compensation if drilling rights offered by ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Gleeson, Associate Professor of Law, Macquarie University Shutterstock The Albanese government is weighing up the costs of delivering an election promise to protect religious people from discrimination in Commonwealth law. Such protections were relatively uncontroversial when included in state anti-discrimination ...
TVNZ have spent the last four days reinforcing the notion that Colonialism/Racism was/is a glorious endeavour and should be celebrated in glorious pageantry.
I'd suggest giving her time to get cold in there, but she was cold to start with.
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For chrissakes, spare us your drearily-predictable virtue-signaling, all the ludicrous moral & rhetorical posturing bereft of any genuine historical understanding outside of your crude, distorted quasi-religious dogma … the constant desire for in-group prestige-enhancement via perpetual displays of your supposedly superior moral sensibilities (LOL) … just give it a bloody break … even if for only a few days.
It’s like being tied-down & forced to listen endlessly to a turbo-charged Rik from The Young Ones.
You & your Woke dullard chums make Bible-thumping born-again Christians seem absolutely riveting by comparison.
Well said as usual Swordfish.
You may be interested in the video link below that Weka posted. Head of the LGBT consortium spouting all sorts of garbage. They have taken the LGB Alliance to Court to remove their charitable status. Not very inclusive if you ask me….
I am not sure who the guy on the u tube clip is but he is very good and funny and talks about the critical social justice movement.
Exactly. Anti-monarchists, LGBT activists, elderly white people, Maori and all that sort of type need to know their place. After all, anything you label as woke is automatically exactly the same as anything else you label as woke.
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I mean … just the sheer jaw-dropping confusion & cluelessness embedded within this – let's face it – tragically ill-conceived attempt at mockery.
When people critique Wokedom … it’s about challenging a very specific set of extremist, highly discriminatory, elitist & anti-democratic policies / ideas. A crude dogma that is, in key respects, the antithesis of traditional Social Democratic principles & concerns.
The policy/ideas are not extreme, they're mainstream. They're not discriminatory, they're anti-discriminatory. They're not elitist, they're from ordinary people. They're not anti-democratic, they're more widely representative.
I'm reminded of Oscar Wilde's observation on fox hunting.
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How remarkably erudite of you to say so.
Very Left bank of the Bloomsbury Set.
I'm beginning to see you as a kind of Bavarian Noel Coward.
Thanks for your thoughtful and rational contribution to debate. The pages of TheStandard wouldn’t be the same without you.
We normally call for enquiries into things that have been a self-evident failure, not things that have been an obvious success. National's call for an enquiry into the Covid response is an attempt to taint the public perception of that response by smothering it in these negative emotions associated with the word "enquiry". It appears the Government will have to initiate an enquiry to prevent a future National government assembling a kangaroo court to reach the conclusion they want.
Well said. The Nactzis are as cunning as an outhouse rat.
Shows that Cluxon does have his marbles they're rattling around in his scrotum. And, Nicola's Willie is standing erect alongside.
Sorry it's the 'head' that ferments grubby thoughts.
Jan Rivers has written an article about the NZ implementation of trans affirming healthcare – the familiar lack of record-keeping and follow up, the excuse of advocacy demands rather than clinical evidence, and the refusal to independently review the basic medical science behind current practice.
https://www.publicgood.org.nz/2022/09/13/the-closure-of-englands-youth-gender-medicine-clinic-and-its-impacts-for-new-zealand/
If you have not taken time to look into this medical response (scandal/failure) then this article provides you with the context and a sound platform to follow up with your own independent research.
We are giving advocacy based – rather than patient centred – therapeutic, medical and surgical interventions to minors that are not clinically evidenced to be of benefit and may:
I find it difficult to understand those that support this approach, if they are aware of the history behind WPATH recommendations and the lack of clinical evidence.
This is appalling treatment of our young people, and a damaging misuse of limited health funds.
Countless young Females transitioning to Male come through our Mental Health inpatient services. Almost without exception they have a Borderline Personality Disorder. Bodily mutilation, either by supplementary hormones or surgery is just another form of deliberate self harm. The saddest case would be the young bearded man suicidal because after a mastectomy and hysterectomy at eighteen now realizes their mistake.
To allow this mutilation to occur in young people who's sexuality can be very fluid is a huge mistake with lifelong consequences.
That's a sobering story, but one that is familiar if you are keeping up to date with transition/ detransition stories.
What is the culture like amongst your Mental Health professionals?
Are there any concerns or discussions around this issue?
Are there standard data collection and follow up protocols?
It might seem odd suggesting that if there are "countless" young females transitioning to male coming through our Mental Health inpatient services, someone would think a number be put up.
'Countless' suggests there's a veritable torrent, tsunamis of people, too many to count.
Is that so? How do you know? If someone working in the industry says they are 'inundated' with such cases, what does that mean?
Molly's concern about standard data collection is fair. Simply knowing the numbers might at least give us just reason to not use words like 'countless,' not just in numerical terms but in generalised 'shock, horror' terms.
I would posit that in our city there are not masses of young females transitioning to male let alone going through the mental health services.
Jan River's article does reference some of the available data we have in NZ, and extrapolates acknowledged estimates from that.
Regardless of where you stand on the quality of healthcare, everyone should be demanding collection of comprehensive data, and review of clinical evidence that informed this approach.
Just wanted to point out that the standard threat of suicides by non-affirmation responses, was never a robust data driven reality.
Despite this, and the ignored recommendation of guidelines regarding suicide ideation, this has repeatedly been reported as factual.
I imagine psych nurse is working flat out on a busy understaffed unit, so countless might be impressionistic, but gives an idea that de=transistioners are the rare minority that the Trans Rights Activists would have us believe.
Thanks for posting this excellent article Molly. And many thanks psych nurse for letting us know what is being seen in psych services.
The case you mention is an utter tragedy. And the denial of de-transitioners by trans rights activists is shocking and unacceptable.
In a world where we have big problems, such as climate change, which appear to be very difficult to solve, I would have thought that halting this trend of medically transitioning young people would be something everyone would want to see happen.
Its about enough people standing up to the trans lobby and the govt taking the same measures that Dr Hilary Cass has in her review of Tavistock.
Not doind so means there will be more and more of the young people psych nurse describes.
This man is our best bet:
“If New Zealand can't do it, well, then nobody can. So I do feel a great sense of responsibility, not just because of New Zealand’s emissions profile, but actually because I think we’re at the vanguard of something that many, many other countries are going to be grappling with,” he said."
James Shaw. bigger than he appears on tv 🙂
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/129854910/i-lost-my-job-shaw-on-being-back-leading-the-greens-and-tackling-farm-emissions
When's he doing an Auckland gig for the public?
Meanwhile, state of play with the gender wars in the UK.
Gender identity activists have gone to court seeking to remove the charitable status of LGB Alliance because they’re organising around sexual orientation rather than gender identity. Here’s a man, head of a consortium of LGBT organisations saying that sexual orientation is against their values. This is homophobia, the position is that people aren’t attracted to sex but gender identity and arguing for same sex attraction is transphobic. If you’re confused, this is because some TW who are attracted to females ie they’re het makes, insist on calling themselves lesbian and hassling lesbians to date them even if they still have fully male bodies. Girl dick is meant to be different to man dick and lesbians are transphobic for not wanting it.
for the people who said none of this was happening, it’s now in a British court being hashed out.
https://twitter.com/tribunaltweets/status/1569271096540803073
Paul Roberts – OBE – but self-declared "not an expert" on any LGBT research or data.
Not only CEO of Consortium of which provides "expertise" to multiple organisations, but also apparently a member of the advisory panel to the Government Equalities Office.
Last week advising the European Union, delivering 'expertise on 'Experiences of LGBT+ Leadership'' in a 'flagship programme' funded by the European Union.
He's a grifter:
https://youtu.be/q09u65rAi_E?t=326
'I guess'
Quote unquote Paul Roberts.
An incredible 'performance'. Would be funny if not so serious.
and it makes perfect sense to hold that view if you think that Gender equals sex.
IF one is a heterosexual 'woman' in their parlance they are opposite gender attracted and should be able to have sexual relationships with men and transmen. 🙂 Ditto for heterosexual men. They should be able to have sexual relationships with woman and transwoman. Its all the same. No dif.
We are now all queer and bisexual.
edit: definition of terms ‘ woman ‘= female human adult and ‘men’ = male human adult.
Yanis Varoufakis picks apart the corrupt European energy system – parts of this echo the New Zealand experience. His comment about getting to speak in the msm for 20 seconds before interruption is right on the button.
https://diem25.org/yanis-varoufakis-picks-apart-the-corrupt-european-energy-system/
Ever tried to work out what an Air NZ flight is really worth recently ?
Theresa Gattung 2006:
https://billbennett.co.nz/commerce-commission-mobile-price-confusion/
There is a complex replay of the decline and fall of the Weimar Republic era. Once again a combination of economic difficulty (this time a global supply chain disruption and nations indebted because of the GFC and pandemic), a struggle between necessary evolution to social democracy (financial and tax reform) and the neo liberal and fascist alternatives (a combination of which is oligarchy), an imperial ambition impasse (risk of war) and of course the global warming problem.
Of course those governments with pretensions of being left of centre and which might take opportunity to openly declare a social democratic platform will face considerable opposition – from the establishment neo liberal public service and the middle class media estate. They will however partner up on the progressive social reform and increase in government power over the people (either to manage the public narrative or to enforce an order). Of course the government plan to bring in “hate speech” law has already met a response – most obviously the free speech coalition and NACT opposition, but also a number of conspiracy theory groups (such as control of the public space via government funding of media media and censorship because they are part of some global plan to do x and y to democracy etc).
In that matter, restraint by government is the grown up example. For example online anonymity protects people from (real life) persecution for the exercise of their free speech. All the current system needs is the ability to identify those making threats to others (which are a matter of existing law) and removing some of them from the right to legally possess weapons.
To this point the government has moved on interest deductability (and bright line extension) but not moved on wealth accumulation (one reason to vote Green).
It has collectivIsed health to centralise supply of scarce resources, but labour shortage constraints remain. When will it end requirement of staff working here to pay back their TD? Where is the set up of an investment fund for smart investment in drugs that maintain health that reduce dependence on hospital care cost?
In housing it has yet to reposition from use of motels to acting in the private market (as prices decline) to increase the number of properties it has to rent out at income related rent and playing smarter on supply boost.
Swift 1721
https://twitter.com/business/status/1569463124897714178?cxt=HHwWhMDS-bGZ7ccrAAAA
House prices have now dropped by the largest in 6 months bringing median NZ prices to 800k,and more to come as the bubble contracts to sustainable levels.
Global property markets are expected to contract until at least 2024,due to risk realignment with increasing interest rates (US least affected due to long term fixed rates)
Yeah the long fixed rate mortgages (bank culpability for bad debts if the sale price is less than the mortgage loan) mean their housing market is less impacted by the raising of rates to manage inflation.
It’s a complicated world economy atm …
Computing all their cost and trouble …
Quantum game theory is an extension of classical game theory to the quantum domain. It differs from classical game theory in three primary ways:
This theory is based on the physics of information much like quantum computing
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_game_theory
They said on Morning Report this morning that house prices in NZ are still 19% above what they were in 2020. And in 2020 they were far too high.
Crisis? What crisis?
People leveraged debt on the imaginary wealth growth,to buy investment property,etc. the bubble was around 42% fueled by low interest rates,changes in lending rules,it now relaxes to its natural limits of ability to pay.
Too Soon
https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%253A%252F%252Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%252Fpublic%252Fimages%252Fd78ed516-b35e-43b1-a535-0d42da0b7cc4_5400x4320.jpeg
Just when Poots is as busy AF….
https://twitter.com/sentdefender/status/1569442037958844419
https://www.reuters.com/world/fresh-clashes-erupt-between-azerbaijan-armenia-2022-09-12/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021%E2%80%932022_Armenia%E2%80%93Azerbaijan_border_crisis
Yeah…scumbag. I'm hopeful that any publicity this slime got…reinforces how absolutely hateful/hatefilled he and his ilk are.
The scary thing is he received 25 votes. I was hoping he'd get a few votes at best. My guess is each of those 25 voters don't live in a ideological bubble. They have hubs of people around them who have similar views, and are probably indoctrinating their children to hate without reason.
Weka had a link to…
Indocrinating with hate. Disgusting!
NZ merchandise trade deficit rises to 11.6 billion an increase of 10.5 billion in 12 months.
There will be big alarm bells ringing at the rating agencies,as we await the current account release.
https://www.stats.govt.nz/information-releases/overseas-merchandise-trade-july-2022/
Depressing at 3.5% unemployed we work damn hard, yet fall further and further away from exporting to pay our way.
Our GDP quarter can't be good.
Whilst there is a an substantive increased cost, now apparent with the closure of Marsden point (where transformation costs were realised in NZ,and can be seen in the increased import of other chemical products.There is also a substantive waste in the import of product that will not increase either efficiency or import substitution.
And yet you advocate applying the hammer to our major export…go figure.
More cheap bulk mass products won't cure our trade position.
Figured pretty easily actually.
When 'bulk mass products' are all you have to offer its probably not a great idea to get rid of them…especially when you need the products they enable.
They aren't if the milk companies do their job.
It won't change until this government keeps propping up Fonterra with yet more enabling legislation to give them more power over farmer shareholders, and less and less reason to shift away from being a commodity producer.
Fonterra is NZ's biggest coy..booking $600mil in profits…the big 4 banks take out 10x ..that!
That's the new world order…financial 'products'…vs productive activity…all good..who cares!
Then get your massive brain elected to the board of Fonterra and solve the problems that others have been unable to solve for 40 plus years
Dairy exports increased 2.8 billion by value in the last 12 months,volume was down 9% prices up 28%.
Overall value of dairy exports increases by 17 percent | RNZ News
There's the link for you. Milk powder, cheese and butter, sold by the tonne.
In its first decade Fonterra had the ambition to aim for value over volume.
Since 2017 it's been sold down and stripped back to solely this country. A pretty poor definition of value-add.
No one should be praising an industry for making basically the same stuff we were making after World War 1.
Here is the original link from stats.(for the bulk mass products)
https://www.stats.govt.nz/news/dairy-commodities-sustain-high-prices/
Why not?
The demand is there.
Trying to reinvent the wheel with value added did not work with Fonterra.
A good example -they introduced First Start a breakfast drink to compete with Up and Go…it was going good…Sanitarium (the charity)indicated they would pull their supply contracts with Fonterra ..if they continued to compete.
Fonterra buckled.
Agreed Poission. The chronic increase in the trade deficit has largely flown under the radar. Look for the NZ dollar to plummet when reality hits.
You know if the exchange rate did collapse under trade deficits then balance of payments would be basically "self correcting" (not that there is a correct balance anyway). I'm not really convinced that the "reality" your expecting describes these aspects of the economy. We have certainly seen continuous trade deficits with a high NZ dollar simultaneously favouring importers.
Whether you are convinced matters not…whether those doing business are however is a different story.
https://tradingeconomics.com/sri-lanka/currency
So your forecasting a Sri Lankan currency crisis for New Zealand? Or actually your not committing to that forecast either (or even any forecast in fact)?
Neither…Im pointing out that your reckons count for little when it comes to the desirability of any currency
If my recons moved the NZ forex markets I wouldn't be commenting, would I. But it seems that (despite your need to counter comment) your expections basically match mine anyway.
For clarity my expections are that the trade deficit will largely persist and thats not going to move the exchange rate. I expect after the next RBNZ OCR increase the exchange rate will strengthen in fact.
Watch the interest rates rise (as they are globally) as large scale wish list projects get prices out,with both credit agencies and the IMF looking over shoulders.