Clare Daly is a courageous women and this is a great speech.
"The war in Ukraine is quickly escalating into a wider horror and from what I can see practically nobody in this chamber is doing anything to prevent it.
"In fact, most people seem to get off on the fact that it's escalating, And at this precise moment, of course, as usual, the voices challenging the rush to war are attacked and silenced, smeared as traitors, cronies, Putin puppets, Kremlin stooges, Russian agents."
"Frankly, it's pathetic, and I don't make the comparison lightly, but the crudeness and cynicism of these slurs coming from mainstream E.U. parties might as well have been written by Hermann Göring, who infamously said that even though people never want war, they can be brought to war with threats and smears."
"This house should be ashamed of this debate, Words are being twisted, meanings subverted, and the truth turned on its head. Opposing the horrible madness of war is not anti-European, it's not anti-Ukrainian, it's not pro-Russian: it's common sense.
"The working class of Europe has nothing to gain from this war and everything to lose. And I find it laughable that those calling for arms to Ukraine never call for arms for the people of Palestine, or for the people of Yemen.
"Unlike you, I oppose all war. I want it stopped. I make no apology for that."
The war may well not be in Europe's interest, but America seems to want to keep it going, and European politicians seem to have a preference for kowtowing to the Americans.
The latter's main interest seems to lie in clobbering Russia or, rather, getting the Ukrainians to clobber Russia on America's behalf. I don't think they really care about the damage that's being done to Ukraine along the way.
Is bringing "working class" into the debate the way to find common cause with other Euro MP's and find a diplomatic alternative? Or to work with others on the left in Europe to exploit a winter of discontent for political advantage (competing with nationalists in a reprise of the 1930’s)?
The Iranian backed Shia militias in Iraq (such as the one she visited) have been imposing a reign of terror on liberals/secularists in south Iraq – with rumours of Teheran hit lists.
Actually, the Ukrainians fighting to defeat an unprovoked and murderous invasion by Russia are the courageous ones.
The alternative to arming Ukraine, is allowing Russians to continue to loot, rape and murder. All Russia has to do to end it all – is leave Ukraine. Ukrainians can't leave Ukraine.
All Russia has to do to end it all – is leave Ukraine. Ukrainians can't leave Ukraine.
The Russians have no incentive for leaving. The ball, as they say, is really in the Ukrainians court. And the Russians have not played the nuclear card. Yet.
Yep it's tough for the russians on the ground in the Ukraine, be killed by ukrainian forces and artillery or be shot by your own officers and secret police for escaping back into Russia.
Rulers divide the world into 'worthy' and 'unworthy' victims; those we are allowed to pity, such as Ukrainians enduring the hell of modern warfare, and those whose suffering is minimized, dismissed, or ignored. (Yemen, Palestine)
See what the states that suffered Soviet occupation think of her self-styled 'common sense'. Capitulation to Putin by giving him the Sudetenlands of Crimea, Donbas, and Luhansk, will not buy peace. Anything but.
Actually Stuart negotiations underway back in april showed every sign of being concluded satisfactorily until the direct interference of both the uk in the form of borris and america in the form of biden stifled the initiative .
This conflict began as a civil war between Ukrainians divided by historical grievances and differing political ideologies .Approximately fourteen thousand ukrainians died by their brothers hand mostly but not all in the donbass .
America has sought to drive this wedge deeper in order to foster its own interests which in this case are about weakening the russians and securing markets for its own energy companies i dont think it cares a fuck about Ukraine or the EU for that matter witness the destruction of the Nordstream pipelines .
Parroting CNN talking points is not an argument Stuart .
Parroting CNN talking points is not an argument Stuart .
I suppose the consequence of forming opinions based on the facts Weston, of reaching similar conclusions with properly informed media, could never occur to you wretched dregs and dupes that subsist on the saccharine and fact-free diet of Kremlin propaganda.
Civil war my arse – Russia conducted a lengthy insurgency in the Donbas, culminating in the downing of MH17. Genuine independence movements are conducted with small arms, not Russian tank brigades with dedicated BUK air defenses manned by Russian officers on 'special leave'.
You ignorant muppets do your cause no good by your ill-conceived attacks on everybody better informed than yourselves.
My projection is that out of the entire January 6th hearings there will be no recommendation of charges to DoJ. Simply insufficient causality between White House-Operatives-Militants to withstand Federal charges going into Court.
Fox and AON and Telegraph are going to have a field day.
Good old George Conway says the shortest route between Donald Trump and an orange jumpsuit is the classified documents route.
6 weeks to mid-term vote they aren't going to get the slam dunk the Democrats needed.
The House select committee’s seven Democratic and two Republican members voted 9-0 in favour of issuing a subpoena for Trump to provide documents and testimony under oath in connection with the attack.
Doing a review of parliament bullying after Mallard has left should show a definite improvement.
I do find it ironic that one of the few MP's to actually come to physical blows with another, and also falsely accuse a staffer of rape actually initiates the review of workplace culture!
I went to an election meeting where Seymour was speaking in 2020.
When he suggested that many of the District Plan rules should be ignored in order that development could go ahead willy-nilly I questioned him on this explaining that the DP rules are there to protect landscapes from inappropriate development.
He attacked me, calling me a busybody and saying something to the effect that I should STFU.
Is Seymour's demeanour towards the new Speaker the same as it was to the previous one? Or is the new Speaker's way of handling Seymour different?
Mallard engaged with Seymour in a way that reminded me of two fox terriers playing around. Mallard didn't say, "Sit down, you're just being a little twerp." As he should have.
Of course if that had happened Seymour would have 'crying to mummy' about being bullied.
You know there's a difference from trans people & drag people? There's also a big difference between drag for adults & drag for kids? & that over in the UK there has been drag in Pantos for decades (it's basically what pantomime is FFS)? Everyday there's this GC bullshit on the Standard & it's really fucking boring (it's why there's rarely engagement except from the usual few who agree with each other). I took my kids to watch the drag people read at the library a few years back & my kids & others there LOVED IT! It was a lot of fun.
There certainly has been crossdressing in Pantomime for decades, but it is quite different to drag. It is however, the same sexist shite. The portrayal of the Pantomime Dame (played by a man) is of an older woman, unattractive and frequently sexually frustrated. They are a figure of fun. The portrayal of the "hero" (played by a woman) is of an attractive young man who always gets the girl. Any basic feminist analysis shows what this really is.
Traditional Drag was (and still is) a sexualised caricature of femaleness done by a man. It was very much adult entertainment. It deals in stereotypes for entertainment purposed in almost exactly the same way that the Black and White Minstrel Show offered stereotypes of African Americans. Womanface should be no more acceptable than Blackface or Brownface.
There seems to be a sudden push to present Drag Queens as entertainment for children. The question should be what is actually the reason behind this in terms of the breaking down of safeguarding and the drive to get young people to reject the evidence of their eyes and ears.
There is little engagement with the GC stuff on this site (although initially there was). The gender ideology folk were not able to provide adequate arguements and their responses, including the usual banal phrases "trans women are real women" (which of course due to biology, simply isn't true) didn't cut it with the arguements GC were able to put forward. Then there were examples such as the pathetic response to the Wi spa incident by those who seeek to shut GC arguements down. The Trans Rights Activists, including on this site, ran with the spin that it was a hoax (it wasn't. The transgender who entered the women's section of the spa was a sex offender and was arrested). But no apology for this from the trans rights activists on this site for getting it wrong. So given the responses are so poor to what are good solid arguements from the GC women on this site, I am not surprized your side has stopped engaging.
Yes I went to pantos as a kid. The "dames" as they were called wore street wear, nothing at all sexualized. The shows were based on children's fairytales. Nor was their talk sexualized.
I can't comment on drag shows here, but if you watch the video Weka posted you will hear the women is talking about quite sexualized drag performers being passed of as "family friendly". This is in the US.
You may be unaware with what is happening in the US and the UK where drag performers at schools very often perform quite sexualized dances and in risque costumes. You might ask yourself if you would be ok with young children seeing this. I am not.
Drag aren't trans? Well I thought cross dressers came under the trans umbrella? The drag karaoke that was held at Health New Zealand for staff was provided by the rainbow network as part of their diversity and inclusion programme. Does this now mean we have have LBGTQI and D?
I am sorry you are bored by the GC comments. I find most websites I visit have things posted I am not interested in, e.g. Stuff and NZ Herald. As they say, that's life. Although occasssionally on a whim when I read things, I get to find out stuff I didn't know. this could be the case for you.
True of Wokedom / the Critical Theory Cult in general … when comprehensively challenged, they appear utterly bereft of argument … just fingers in ears & mindlessly repeat the same old slogans & the same old desperate smears.
Basically a quasi-religious cult in which upper-middle & PMC narcissists can pursue power / control / self-interest … while posing as unusually morally virtuous (LOL) … they’re total frauds & bear little resemblance to the traditional Social Democratic Left with its emphasis on universalism, egalitarianism, individual human rights, equality under law, liberal democratic norms, free expression of ideas (& indeed personal humility & self-sacrifice … sooooo much in contrast with our Woke chums).
The irony of you giving me a wee lecture about the difference between trans and drag and then making out there is no difference between drag and panto.
I didn't say anything about trans people, but since you brought it up, the trans umbrella includes drag queens. This means that gender ideology equates trans with people with GD, drag queens/kings, cross dressers, AGP, a range of fetishes, transsexuals, GNC people, NB people, gender benders and so on. Which you would know if you valued knowledge more than your ideology or paid any kind of attention at all.
If you can't make a coherent political argument, then scroll on by. Your antipathy for women's rights and child safeguarding is really fucking boring without any attempt at analysis other than superficial reactionary 'i don't like this, you're terrible'.
Maybe when you think of the word trans you think of transsexuals like Georgina Beyer. That hasn't been true for a long time. I've been consistent that the problems aren't with trans people, but with gender identity ideology. I won't be put into an ideological box by you. You can either scroll by or you can engage like everyone does here on any topic any day of the week.
One of the most disgusting things about this ACLU "umbrella" is its weaponising of the medical conditions relating to what used to be called "intersex" but is now referred to a DSD or VSD – differences or variations of sex development. These fall into about 40 known syndromes which are diagnosable with a chromosome test. They are not extra sexes and they do not change sex. They are variations on male, or variations on female. This is shown by the fact that those who are fertile (and many are not) produce either sperm or eggs. There are no intermediate or additional gametes. The addition of the "I" for "intersex" to the alphabet swamp is just a desperate attempt to bolster the pretense that sex in humans is some sort of spectrum rather than being bi-modal, and also to provide some sort of physiological explanations for the purely psychogical phenomena like bodily dysphoria, internalised homophobia and autogynephilia that are found in today's Trans Rights movements. The ACLU also supports chemical castration of children and young people with so called "puberty blockers" which are the same types of drugs which the ACLU also condemns when used on sex offenders.
The mayhem and human tragedy in the US withdrawal from Afghanistan was put into context this morning in the Jan 6 hearing.
In an act of petulance when he knew he was out of power, that he was a loser and was to be seen by the world as a loser, Donald Trump dictated that the withdrawal should happen immediately.
Or course the total amount of ensuing misery was nowhere near what he personally was going through and was facing, about to go through.
If courts ruled he had to hand over a particular house to others rather than keep it himself, he would burn it down with them all inside. And he would relish the screams as they perished
What on earth are you talking about? The Trump Administration made an agreement with the Taliban to withdrew troops by May 1, 2021. That was made in February 2020, long before Trump lost the election.
When Biden took over there were still thousands of US troops in the country. Biden ordered their withdrawal by 31 August 2021, even though it was obvious that the Taliban were not observing the conditions of the withdrawal. That was long after Trump had gone.
In America millions were donated to the cause. And it looks like only one person asked '' where was the money going?'' Apparently some went to the LGBT community. Then there's the house in Laurel Canyon owned by Patrisse Cullors. Laurel Canyon was/is a famous area for musos and the arty crowd. It also hosted the famous Wonderland murders that involved porn star Big John Holmes. But there's one thing Laurel Canyon isn't famous for – black people.
It looks like people the world over were scammed, both emotionally and financially. The old adage of '' follow the money'' couldn't be truer in this case. I wonder if NZ has an equivalent situation?
Fair enough – Candice Owens. She's a great source. Your criticism is weak, especially given this is America. Litigation over real or perceived defamation is the normal modus operandi.
At the end of the day, Black Lives Matter was just the hashtag that took off. There's a bunch of groups that use the name, and they all seem to hate each other. I guess you could say it shows the limits of activism as it currently exists, but as far as NGOs go I don't think it's a particularly bad case.
It means that Pfizer did no testing on the mRNA's ability to stop transmission of the virus, as admitted by the Pfizer exec in the European parliament when questions by Dutch MEP Rob Roos.
The premise of the passport system was, presumably, to stop transmission of the virus
"If a significantly lower proportion of those vaccinated (than those not) were infected, of course the passport system was valid."
So is there any evidence that your "if" condition is true in this case? It does seem that almost everybody has had the bug, and vx status seems to me anyway very little to do with it.
Neither does Andy, obviously. He seems to think that because they didn’t formally test for it in the initial clinical trials it didn’t stop transmission at all. Needless to say, Andy is wrong.
They didn't test for the jab stopping transmission, as admitted by the Pfizer exec in the European parliament.
it's quite possible that the jab does stop transmission, result in erections in men (as per other Pfizer products that had unexpected side effects) or make you run faster, but that doesn't take away the fact that Pfizer didn't test for the jab stopping transmission of the virus, which I presume was the reason all these posters went up in London and other places stating that we are taking the jab to "save granny" or whatever, because the assumption was that the jab would stop the virus, which the drug company didn't test for.
Yup – your ability to transmit the virus is definitely reduced if you don't have the virus in the first place. And quite possibly it is also reduced if you have a mild case and are shedding less virus into the air. So effective vaccines do reduce aggregate transmission at a population level.
But if you are a vaccinated individual and get the virus anyway, you can still transmit it. I wonder how many vaccines can actually prevent this phenomenon – once the virus has escaped the vaccine and infected the individual, how would we expect it to then stop that individual from transmitting the virus?
The supposed 'problem' here is actually one of vaccine escape by the virus – not some nefariousness by the pharma industry. The real problem though, is that our conservative/RW friends struggle to think at the whole population level, because that would be 'collectivism' (bad!)
"So effective vaccines do reduce aggregate transmission at a population level."
which Pfizer didn't test for.
maybe actually testing for something might be a good idea before forcing everyone to take the medication based on the assumption that the aforesaid premise for taking the medication is backed up by science?
After all, a vaccine for a coronavirus has never been developed before Covid. It is not unreasonable to question them, in my view.
Every time I make an assertion, I'm asked for a link, which I have learnt to provide.
Is this clear? You made the assertion that the mRNA jab reduced transmission until Omicron, which I admit I never heard before, so a link would be helpful.
You have provided no link or evidence that your assertion is true, so I'm supposed to trawl the internet to find evidence that your assertion is true, then report back here to state that your assertion is either true or false.
hard being a "progressive" these days, showing undying allegiance to one of the most corrupt industries on the planet
No 'progressive' has any illusions about the pharma industry – or any other massive, global aggregation of corporate power. We neither trust it nor have any allegiance to it. However it is an industry that is sufficiently regulated that at least some of its products do actually have efficacy.
This is undeniable. There is a core of scientific method still surviving under the layers corporate greed and dishonesty. If you don't believe it, you can never join the queues demanding that Pharmac approve new medications.
I remember my father saying what a dramatic difference was made by getting widespread access to penicillin after WWII. Children that before he would have expected to die, got better in a few days. He said it was like a miracle, and was very moved by it. I am sick of our modern idiocy.
My word you have a talent for missing the point. Which was – that to believe some of their products have efficacy, does not require or imply an "undying allegiance" to the pharma industry. It requires and implies a functioning brain.
And I can assure you I am aware of the difference between a antibiotics and vaccines. But that is immaterial in terms of my argument.
Having the problem of antibiotic resistance is preferable to never having discovered antibiotics (yes?), just as problems with vaccines (an older invention) are preferable to no vaccines at all. We do need better antibiotic stewardship.
Denmark no longer recommends jabs for the under 50s
Because a very large number of them have already been vaccinated and have previously been infected with covid-19, and there is consequently good immunity among this part of the population.
However, if an under fifty is at a higher risk of becoming severely ill from covid-19, works in thehealthcare and elderly care sector as well as in selected parts of the social services sector who have close contact with patients or citizens who are at higher risk of becoming severely ill from covid-19, or is a relative of persons at particularly higher risk, vaccination is available.
This is not surprising either given that: vaccine escape with omicron seems to be high, omicron infections appears to be less severe in general, there are now effective antiviral treatments for people with severe infection, the young just do better anyway if infected, and that all vaccines have risks.
The combination of these factors just shifts the risk-benefit balance away from giving boosters to the young. It's blindingly obvious why. No conspiracies, no nefariousness, no desire to control – just the old-fashioned slog and commonsense of public health professionals.
They have been deplatforming and sacking doctors who don't subscribe to the Big Pharma narrative?
WTF would I be grateful about this? I prefer doctors who are honest and have my health as their primary interest, not taking back handers from pharma reps
You can add Prof. Christine Stabell-Benn to that list of experts.
Further to your point about a lack of data, she shows in this clip, the data that does exsist suggesting that the while the mRNA may lower death by Covid it increases the risk of all cause mortality. (from 20 mins). Then at about 22.20 she says she opposes any form of mandate without the data to support it.
Are you seriously trying to use the reasoned evidence-based expert opinion of Helen Petousis-Harris as an argument to defend VFF? She hasn’t backtracked on the booster, which she’s had; she doesn’t see the need, at present, for a fourth shot.
It seems to me that you have very little understanding of what you’re talking about. In addition, your logic is flawed; absence of evidence ≠ evidence of absence, not recommending ≠ advising against, being pro-vaccine ≠ pro-mandate, and being a progressive ≠ showing undying allegiance to one of the most corrupt industries on the planet. You failed to back up your last assertion, BTW.
In addition, no doctors were sacked in NZ for questioning or not subscribing to the “Big Pharma narrative”. That’s an outright lie.
Insinuating that doctors who gave the vaccine took “back handers from pharma reps” is an unsupported accusation, at best.
The clinical trials of the vaccine tested for safety and efficacy and they met the endpoints for approval, or preliminary approval, at least, based on the available data. Worldwide. We have learned a lot about the vaccine and the virus since then and we’re still on a steep learning curve. Fortunately, the worst seems to be over, for now, and, as Helen Petousis-Harris noted, we’re likely to see new vaccines becoming available in the near future – let’s hope we won’t need them badly!
As SPC mentions in 2 comments below @ 15 and 15.1, the vaccine seems effective against long Covid. None of the trials has tested for this because we didn’t even know about long Covid at the time. By your logic, we should simply ignore this and not use the vaccine for this!?
If you want to defend VFF, you really need better arguments and better reasoning, and a lot of ‘good luck’. VFF have become a basket for nutter conspiracies and disinformation and I fail to see why any person with a functional brain and internet access would fall for that nonsense.
Lastly, I note that you copped a 3-month ban in April for similar unsupported nonsense that you’ve been spouting here today.
PS Viagra doesn’t make you run faster, quite the contrary.
"If you want to defend VFF, you really need better arguments and better reasoning, and a lot of ‘good luck’. VFF have become a basket for nutter conspiracies and disinformation and I fail to see why any person with a functional brain and internet access would fall for that nonsense"
I don't recall "defending" VFF or anyone else for that matter.
I understand that VFF are involved in creating resilient communities, promoting natural health and a raft of other things. I expect in a broad church grassroots organisation you will attract a few conspiracy theorists, whatever that means these day
Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation in which the abuser attempts to sow self-doubt and confusion in their victim's mind. Typically, gaslighters are seeking to gain power and control over the other person, by distorting reality and forcing them to question their own judgment, memories and intuition.
"I never said that."
"I don't know why you're making such a huge deal of this."
Oh, please! This is so pathetic it is insulting. Your ‘understanding’ of VFF is nothing but cult-style propaganda. Did you vote for their candidates in the Local Elections?
You’re again defending VFF here and you leaped to their defence when you had repeated go’s at Anne. Try criticising VFF and see if you can find any faults or flaws with them; then we’ll know if you’re for real here or not.
Omg he's so embarrassing, he owes Aunty Kay hundreds of thousands and he's saying she's going to pay him. Good grief I'm sick of him dragging the family through the media.
He's living in an alternate dimension.
Hes a working class guy from east Christchurch to two extremely hard working community minded parents from a working class neighborhood.
He despised his working class roots and has always looked down on the family, the fact that his parents grew up in state houses and worked hard to own their own shops, he always wanted to impress the rich kids at his school, then the rich kids at his university. It's always money money money. Money make me look successful, money make me friends money make people like me.
His rich "friends" and the Tory's never accepted him because he didn't go to the right schools or have the right parents.
He's my cousin and all but noone in the family is like this honestly he's lost his marbles, and he may be ashamed of his family but quite frankly…. Well it goes both ways.
We had a town drunk uncle in our family 70 years ago, and it nearly affected my getting papers from the careers advisor to attend Training college 62 years ago. Bad family members cause sorrow and pain, and endless "help them" schemes.
It was then I learned the party concerned has to want to be helped, otherwise it is wasted effort.
Hold your head up. Your posts here show a community minded positive person, the absolute opposite to him.
Thanks Patricia, yep unfortunately you really can't help people unless they want to help themselves.
Its been like a slow moving car crash watching him deteriorate.
He is pretty much who I aspire not to be tbh, one day he'll wake up all alone and take a long hard look in the mirror, do I wanna try my whole life to be in the cool kids club or do I wanna have a family and be on the side of the people.
John Key says he has never voted left, so would have voted for Trump and Bolsonaro …
Read it more slowly this time.
And if you have a problem with people interviewing Key and publishing what he says, take it up with them.
This is about how blind partisanship can lead to all sorts of perverse outcomes, such as for the American democracy and as for the destruction of the rain forest …
Some people preferred the right in the 1930’s to the left back then …
Former New Zealand Prime Minister John Key says he would've voted for former US President Donald Trump in their 2016 election if he was in America at the time.
Key normalised Trump and Bolsonaro to RW voters, in NZ, as perfectly acceptable choices. In other words, anything goes on the political Right in this country.
So in Auckland they would put a fluffy white poodle/spoodle/yackadoodle up on the hustings with a big blue ribbon around its neck and he would vote for it. I always thought such things only happened in Southland ….the old joke circulates around there with monotonous regularity.
I have changed the type of dog as Southlanders would usually vote for a sheepdog or collie cross.
I find this appalling.
Trump's faults and those of Bolsonaro were apparent from very early on but JK would vote for a flawed person.
That's the reference for SPC above. Thought about commenting on it myself. He's a right voter, he says, and he was being honest in a quick fire quiz; a medium I'd suggest is not conducive to nuanced debate, unlike The Standard!
I'd have said that he'd tripped down a pothole, which seemingly is a post-pandemic information source replacing rabbit holes.
That's all right. I know quite a lot of people who voted Labour in 2020 because they believed that Labour had saved the lives of their Grannies, and 80,00 other people as well.
To be fair though, a large percentage of them now say that it was a mistake and have changed their minds about who they are going to vote for next year. Their only worry is about the amount of damage they see being done to New Zealand in the remaining 12 months of their term. They are developing a "Never Again" attitude to Labour.
There is a difference that needs to clearly delineated. Some people vote for their oen personal interest and some vote for the good of the society they live in. Some vote, say, for lower taxes as they will benefit with more money to spend. Others will say I don't mind paying more tax as I will be living in a fairer and more just society and government helps by assisting people who I cannot personally reach.
Voting for 'grannies' and for people who got saved is in the second group.
Voting for a racist, sociopathic, greedy, narcissistic buffoon who believes he is far brighter than he really is, has questionable morality and lacks essential values such as Trump is just not the same thing. It is a vote for self interest that is in the end neither beneficial for the individual or society.
I don't know much about Bolsonaro but read that he is not respected for his social views.
Would I vote for people like Stalin or the Korean dictator because they are of the Left and I am a Left voter?
This is why I am concerned about the continued inability of National to select a candidate slate of decent, reliable, socially concerned individuals so that a decent right of centre voter can vote for decency and not be forced into choosing to vote for right wing candidates of Trump-like concerns.
It's why I am concerned that a leader of a major party of the centre-right could find conscionable the idea of voting for Trump or his ilk.
I think he has to get the merger with RNZ implemented. I am told it is only after that goes through that the Minister will be able to interfere quite so blatantly in the operation of the Company.
I haven't been following the shenanigans very much so it may already be possible.
Take the 3-4 'personalities' on TV idiot panels, and tell them there is only one job and one salary on offer. They'll self-select, possibly providing some amusing reality TV in the process.
Not only will Willie feel the heat, his bro John Tamihere already is. What John emailed to Herald reporter, Mat Nippert, is very unlike John, who, on the whole, has kept a balanced view on race relations comparative to other Maori commentators. I know Willie has been going around the country talking to Maori leadership. My guess is Jackson wants to formulate a plan to stop National eroding Maori initiatives should they come to power.
I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; but do not damage the oil and the wine."
Why, and when, did MBIE loan $15 million to Ruapehu Alpine Lifts to build new facilities on Ruapehu?
What were they thinking of and who ordered the expenditure? I wonder which politicians are keen skiers and have lifetime passes for the ski-lifts on the mountain?
It's a sensible transition. The industry, unlike Tiktaalik, is a bit too conservative to make the evolutionary step from a marine environment on its own. There are limited places for cage farms, but plenty of spaces for swirl tanks.
Temperature control is feasible in tanks, but not attempted in cage farms in NZ to date. Evaporative cooling has been used in Florida and Jordan however, and could extend the life of such farms, at least until we hit the 2-3 degrees of AGW mark.
Have to say I am not comfortable with Hipkins wanting to make new laws so the cops can continue their illegal and unlawful behaviour in photographing youth who might get up to no good. Very perverse when they are supposed to uphold the law
A new position for a Minister of Future Crime? The timing is rather poor with the quashing of Peter Ellis's convictions which ask very serious questions of the policeand judiciary.
A great series from Newsroom which uses footage from Melanie Reid interviewing Ellis back in the day. A reminder that we have come a long way from that time.
A Chch friend was accused of sexually molesting his 3 yo, who had developed a real fear of going into the toilet with an adult. He could only see his son under supervision for a couple of years. There was never any police charge, but the whole episode disrupted his relationship with his child. These days that child is a man with mental health and addiction issues. Guess where the child went to daycare. Guess who frequently babysat him for his mother. All before the creche case happened. The fear of toiletting was mentioned by worried creche parents in a North&South article last yearish. Peter Ellis's trial and the dodgy questioning of children undoubtedly were poorly executed. The ruling is about how justice was carried out. Whether he was innocent is a completely different matter. Frankly it stinks for the children involved and for their families. I believe poor judicial procedures hurt them then, while Ellis's acquittal on a procedural basis robs them of justice (and mana, the crux of the legal appeal) now.
A study of tens of thousands of people in Scotland found that one in 20 people who had been sick with Covid reported not recovering at all, and another four in 10 said they had not fully recovered from their infections many months later.
The study did not identify greater risks of long-term problems in people with asymptomatic coronavirus infections. It also found, in a much more limited subset of participants who had been given at least one dose of Covid vaccine before their infections, that vaccination appeared to help reduce if not eliminate the risk of some long Covid symptoms.
People with severe initial Covid cases were at higher risk of long-term problems, the study found.
Only a small portion of the study participants — about 4 percent — had been vaccinated before their infections, and many of those with only a single dose.
There is less long covid if vaxxed, and hopefully less from the omicron variant as well as most have a less severe illness with it.
The following study looked at the effectiveness of vaccines in reducing transmission in the days of the alpha and delta variants.
Vaccines that work against SARS-CoV-2 have helped change the course of the pandemic by reducing illness and hospital admissions.
But much of the focus of research has been on effectiveness in preventing infection, illness, and hospital admission. What is less well measured is the impact of vaccination on preventing onward transmission.
What evidence do we have that covid-19 vaccines prevent transmission?
Most papers to date (notably, many are preprints and have yet to be peer reviewed) indicate vaccines are holding up against admission to hospital and mortality, says Linda Bauld, professor of public health at the University of Edinburgh, “but not so much against transmission.”
The first weekly covid-19 vaccine surveillance report for 20221 from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) was more positive than Bauld’s assessment—but didn’t say outright that covid-19 vaccines prevent transmission. “Several studies have provided evidence that vaccines are effective at preventing infection,” it states, “Uninfected people cannot transmit; therefore, the vaccines are also effective at preventing transmission.”
A study2 of covid-19 transmission within English households using data gathered in early 2021 found that even a single dose of a covid-19 vaccine reduced the likelihood of household transmission by 40-50%. This was supported by a study of household transmission among Scottish healthcare workers conducted between December 2020 and March 2021.3 Both studies analysed the impact of vaccination on transmission of the α variant of SARS-CoV-2, which was dominant at the time.
A subsequent study,4 conducted later in the course of the pandemic when the delta variant was dominant, showed vaccines had a less pronounced effect on denting onward transmission, but were still effective.
”The MP for Taranaki-King Country has resigned from her portfolios due to a personal dispute her family is in with the Ministry for Primary Industries.”
At the beginning of the week, when the government announced the farm charges on emissions Luxon appeared to be fence sitting, but when Federated Farmers /Hoggard spouted opposition, Luxon became more forceful. He could hardly have a compromised spokesperson fronting the debate, and only then did he decide to act on the removal of Kuriger from her portfolios.
Probably over the cruelty to animals charges brought in 2017. I am amazed that these charges did not disqualify her ages ago. Even if she was not personally involved I would have thought it would be pretty hard to advocate for farming issues when your family's animal management style includes cruelty.
I agree that it seems to be related to the case (where her son who was sharemilking was convicted). But I don't understand why the family would still be in dispute with MPI over it? He pleaded guilty (to reduced charges) and has been convicted and sentenced in 2020. Why the ongoing dispute?
She's a director of the company fined. I'm surprised she's lasted this long.
Kuriger was convicted of wilful ill-treatment of the cows under the Animal Welfare Act. He was last week ordered to pay veterinary and report costs of $4060, and Oxbow Dairies Ltd was fined $30,000.
Luxon wouldn't discuss the nature of the dispute or of Kurigers wrongdoing on Friday, but said Kuriger did not raise the issue herself.
"A third party raised it with my office, we looked into it and I discussed it in full with Barbara last night," he said.
Newshub has seen the email from the third party. We've chosen not to name them.
The sender claims to be an MPI employee and alleges Kuriger has used her official letterhead to persistently request official information about her family’s case. They raise concerns about her using her influence.
Using official MP letterhead for a private query – is not acceptable (and Kuriger would have known it was not – after the Nick Smith case)
In relation to the speed of Luxon's response –
Asked on Friday when he found out about the matter, Luxon said he "became fully aware last night in our conversation".
But Newshub can reveal National has been sitting on this information for two weeks. The email was sent on Saturday, October 1. A staffer from Luxon’s office acknowledged receipt of the email two days later, saying, "it will be carefully considered".
No action was taken until Thursday night.
Not exactly a stellar response time – 3-4 days would be reasonable – to investigate and discuss with the MP concerned – but 2 weeks is definitely in the lag territory.
It makes me wonder if he had been alerted that the MPI staffer was going to take it to the media – and that prompted him into action [pure speculation, I have no direct or indirect knowledge]
Andrew Bailey arrives at IIF meeting as news was breaking that the Chancellor had to return to UK to take care of emergency of his own making.( read as all worlds senior economics advisors said UK policy was a crock)
The UK mini budget was the torch that flamed the problem ie liquidity for margin calls.Not only for pension funds,but insurance companies and reinsurance companies.
The us$ problem is well known as the tradeoff for the US$ being a reserve currency was to run a US trade deficit.The other part as the money now being liquid in US$ it flows to US short end such as T bills,and other interest bearing cash products,the higher interest,means higher tax deductions at source which allows the US to decrease its federal deficit which has decreased to around 2.7 trillion in the last 12 months.
My understanding of the liquidity problem is the lack of willingness to take the risk due to (potential and unknown) multiple claims on single collateral….aka, a house of cards.
The wind that blows it all down could come from anywhere, and probably from an unwatched direction.
There was a lot of margin calls following the UK minibudget at the long end gilts,where nothing normally happens (a boring investment as expected) this allowed the Pension funds and Insurance companies to leverage the asset to use cash for growth investments.A fast change in pricing changed that very fast and the next day there was margin calls on 1/2 a trillion pound of assets.This required selling assets to become liquid which locked in larger sell offs, as the funds needed cash for day to day running .
One of the interesting problems with the Gilt meltdown was some hedge funds (cough blackrock) had both puts and calls trades against the same assets,where they zeroed the trades for some funds.
Still is a house of cards situation,with rumours of a coup in the UK causing a pound to rise in value.
Trouble is its a global problem and nobody (except perhaps North Korea) are out of the firing line. The real problem is we have developed a system that nobody really knows the mechanics of…especially central banks.
The situation is more that there are a lot trading in financial markets who have only known a zero discount world since the GFC with low interest rates.As the cheap money evaporated,these great financial influencer's were caught out (especially hedge funds) similar to the Housing market here.
The elephant in the room is still inflation,and few if any (excluding emerging markets) are responding correctly to reduce inflation in overheated economies.
Cant see the logic there….ultimately it requires continuous growth, without which the ability to continue to maintain the debt (credit) cycle is lost…in the past the leverage was both less and known…now, not so.
Blackrock just reported a decrease in Assets by around 16%,as all asset classes decrease (excluding naughty energy).
The US printed a large CPI (where another jumbo hike is priced in) US stock market decreases 2.5%,reverses on noise of UK coup) and rumours of a U turn on tax with an increase in UK corporate tax cause market appreciation,traders are operating on noise and rumour.
The stock markets 'know' less than central banks…and thats saying something….as far as I can see the predominance of the US economy will first wreck other economies and as a consequence themselves…but group think is blind to such a scenario.
The US banks report today and the BOE QE finishes today,the stock market will be affected by both,and as reporting season comes in the questions will be on what part of Profits will be inflation and what part value.
Depends on market,Higher in US in equities/bonds then others as Housing is not really looked as an investment asset (unlike say the rest of the anglos)
As a rough estimate it used to be 20%,which can be very noisy if they head to the exits at the same time.As they react on heart not head.
Why compare Brown's salary with those of CEOs unless the report is disingenuous and dealing in false equivalences? He's the mayor not the Auckland city CEO.
Public service anyone? The next three years are going to be long for Auckland.
With the execution of global reciprocal tariffs, US President Donald Trump has issued his ‘declaration of economic independence for America’. The immediate direct effect on the Australian economy will likely be small, with more risk ...
The StrategistBy Jacqueline Gibson, Nerida King and Ned Talbot
AUKUS governments began 25 years ago trying to draw in a greater range of possible defence suppliers beyond the traditional big contractors. It is an important objective, and some progress has been made, but governments ...
I approach fresh Trump news reluctantly. It never holds the remotest promise of pleasure. I had the very, very least of expectations for his Rumble in the Jungle, his Thriller in Manila, his Liberation Day.God May 1945 is becoming the bitterest of jokes isn’t it?Whatever. Liberation Day he declared it ...
Beyond trade and tariff turmoil, Donald Trump pushes at the three core elements of Australia’s international policy: the US alliance, the region and multilateralism. What Kevin Rudd called the ‘three fundamental pillars’ are the heart ...
So, having broken its promise to the nation, and dumped 85% of submissions on the Treaty Principles Bill in the trash, National's stooges on the Justice Committee have decided to end their "consideration" of the bill, and report back a full month early: Labour says the Justice Select Committee ...
The 2024 Independent Intelligence Review offers a mature and sophisticated understanding of workforce challenges facing Australia’s National Intelligence Community (NIC). It provides a thoughtful roadmap for modernising that workforce and enhancing cross-agency and cross-sector collaboration. ...
OPINION AND ANALYSIS:Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier’s comments singling out Health NZ for “acting contrary to the law” couldn’t be clearer. If you find my work of value, do consider subscribing and/or supporting me. Thank you.Health NZ has been acting a law unto itself. That includes putting its management under extraordinary ...
Southeast Asia’s three most populous countries are tightening their security relationships, evidently in response to China’s aggression in the South China Sea. This is most obvious in increased cooperation between the coast guards of the ...
In the late 1970s Australian sport underwent institutional innovation propelling it to new heights. Today, Australia must urgently adapt to a contested and confronting strategic environment. Contributing to this, a new ASPI research project will ...
In short this morning in our political economy:The Nelson Hospital waiting list crisis just gets worse, including compelling interviews with an over-worked surgeon who is leaving, and a patient who discovered after 19 months of waiting for a referral that her bowel and ovaries were fused together with scar tissue ...
Plainly, the claims being tossed around in the media last year that the new terminal envisaged by Auckland International Airport was a gold-plated “Taj Mahal” extravagance were false. With one notable exception, the Commerce Commission’s comprehensive investigation has ended up endorsing every other aspect of the airport’s building programme (and ...
Movements clustered around the Right, and Far Right as well, are rising globally. Despite the recent defeats we’ve seen in the last day or so with the win of a Democrat-backed challenger, Dane County Judge Susan Crawford, over her Republican counterpart, Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel, in the battle for ...
In February 2025, John Cook gave two webinars for republicEN explaining the scientific consensus on human-caused climate change. 20 February 2025: republicEN webinar part 1 - BUST or TRUST? The scientific consensus on climate change In the first webinar, Cook explained the history of the 20-year scientific consensus on climate change. How do ...
After three decades of record-breaking growth, at about the same time as Xi Jinping rose to power in 2012, China’s economy started the long decline to its current state of stagnation. The Chinese Communist Party ...
The Pike River Coal mine was a ticking time bomb.Ventilation systems designed to prevent methane buildup were incomplete or neglected.Gas detectors that might warn of danger were absent or broken.Rock bolting was skipped, old tunnels left unsealed, communication systems failed during emergencies.Employees and engineers kept warning management about the … ...
Regional hegemons come in different shapes and sizes. Australia needs to think about what kind of hegemon China would be, and become, should it succeed in displacing the United States in Asia. It’s time to ...
RNZ has a story this morning about the expansion of solar farms in Aotearoa, driven by today's ground-breaking ceremony at the Tauhei solar farm in Te Aroha: From starting out as a tiny player in the electricity system, solar power generated more electricity than coal and gas combined for ...
After the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, and almost a year before the Soviet Union collapsed in late 1991, US President George H W Bush proclaimed a ‘new world order’. Now, just two months ...
Warning: Some images may be distressing. Thank you for those who support my work. It means a lot.A shopfront in Australia shows Liberal leader Peter Dutton and mining magnate Gina Rinehart depicted with Nazi imageryUS Government Seeks Death Penalty for Luigi MangioneMangione was publicly walked in front of media in ...
Aged care workers rallying against potential roster changes say Bupa, which runs retirement homes across the country, needs to focus on care instead of money. More than half of New Zealand workers wish they had chosen a different career according to a new survey. Consumers are likely to see a ...
The scurrilous attacks on Benjamin Doyle, a list Green MP, over his supposed inappropriate behaviour towards children has dominated headlines and social media this past week, led by frothing Rightwing agitators clutching their pearls and fanning the flames of moral panic over pedophiles and and perverts. Winston Peter decided that ...
Twilight Time Lighthouse Cuba, Wigan Street, Wellington, Sunday 6 April, 5:30pm for 6pm start. Twilight Time looks at the life and work of Desmond Ball, (1947-2016), a barefooted academic from ‘down under’ who was hailed by Jimmy Carter as “the man who saved the world”, as he proved the fallacy ...
The landedAnd the wealthyAnd the piousAnd the healthyAnd the straight onesAnd the pale onesAnd we only mean the male ones!If you're all of the above, then you're ok!As we build a new tomorrow here today!Lyrics Glenn Slater and Allan Menken.Ah, Democracy - can you smell it?It's presently a sulphurous odour, ...
US President Donald Trump’s unconventional methods of conducting international relations will compel the next federal government to reassess whether the United States’ presence in the region and its security assurances provide a reliable basis for ...
Things seem to be at a pretty low ebb in and around the Reserve Bank. There was, in particular, the mysterious, sudden, and as-yet unexplained resignation of the Governor (we’ve had four Governors since the Bank was given its operational autonomy 35 years ago, and only two have completed their ...
Long story short:PMChristopher Luxon said in January his Government was ‘going for growth’ and he wanted New Zealanders to develop a ‘culture of yes.’ Yet his own Government is constantly saying no, or not yet, to anchor investments that would unleash real private business investment and GDP growth. ...
Long story short:PMChristopher Luxon said in January his Government was ‘going for growth’ and he wanted New Zealanders to develop a ‘culture of yes.’ Yet his own Government is constantly saying no, or not yet, to anchor investments that would unleash real private business investment and GDP growth. ...
For decades, Britain and Australia had much the same process for regulating media handling of defence secrets. It was the D-notice system, under which media would be asked not to publish. The two countries diverged ...
For decades, Britain and Australia had much the same process for regulating media handling of defence secrets. It was the D-notice system, under which media would be asked not to publish. The two countries diverged ...
This post by Nicolas Reid was originally published on Linked in. It is republished here with permission.In this article, I make a not-entirely-serious case for ripping out Spaghetti Junction in Auckland, replacing it with a motorway tunnel, and redeveloping new city streets and neighbourhoods above it instead. What’s ...
This post by Nicolas Reid was originally published on Linked in. It is republished here with permission.In this article, I make a not-entirely-serious case for ripping out Spaghetti Junction in Auckland, replacing it with a motorway tunnel, and redeveloping new city streets and neighbourhoods above it instead. What’s ...
In short this morning in our political economy:The Nelson Hospital crisis revealed by 1News’Jessica Roden dominates the political agenda today. Yet again, population growth wasn’t planned for, or funded.Kāinga Ora is planning up to 900 house sales, including new ones, Jonathan Milne reports for Newsroom.One of New Zealand’s biggest ...
In short this morning in our political economy:The Nelson Hospital crisis revealed by 1News’Jessica Roden dominates the political agenda today. Yet again, population growth wasn’t planned for, or funded.Kāinga Ora is planning up to 900 house sales, including new ones, Jonathan Milne reports for Newsroom.One of New Zealand’s biggest ...
The war between Russia and Ukraine continues unabated. Neither side is in a position to achieve its stated objectives through military force. But now there is significant diplomatic activity as well. Ukraine has agreed to ...
One of the first aims of the United States’ new Department of Government Efficiency was shutting down USAID. By 6 February, the agency was functionally dissolved, its seal missing from its Washington headquarters. Amid the ...
If our strategic position was already challenging, it just got worse. Reliability of the US as an ally is in question, amid such actions by the Trump administration as calling for annexation of Canada, threating ...
Small businesses will be exempt from complying with some of the requirements of health and safety legislation under new reforms proposed by the Government. The living wage will be increased to $28.95 per hour from September, a $1.15 increase from the current $27.80. A poll has shown large opposition to ...
Summary A group of senior doctors in Nelson have spoken up, specifically stating that hospitals have never been as bad as in the last year.Patients are waiting up to 50 hours and 1 death is directly attributable to the situation: "I've never seen that number of patients waiting to be ...
Although semiconductor chips are ubiquitous nowadays, their production is concentrated in just a few countries, and this has left the US economy and military highly vulnerable at a time of rising geopolitical tensions. While the ...
Health and Safety changes driven by ACT party ideology, not evidence said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff. Changes to health and safety legislation proposed by the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden today comply with ACT party ideology, ignores the evidence, and will compound New ...
In short in our political economy this morning:Fletcher Building is closing its pre-fabricated house-building factory in Auckland due to a lack of demand, particularly from the Government.Health NZ is sending a crisis management team to Nelson Hospital after a 1News investigation exposed doctors’ fears that nearly 500 patients are overdue ...
Exactly 10 years ago, the then minister for defence, Kevin Andrews, released the First Principles Review: Creating One Defence (FPR). With increasing talk about the rising possibility of major power-conflict, calls for Defence funding to ...
In events eerily similar to what happened in the USA last week, Greater Auckland was recently accidentally added to a group chat between government ministers on the topic of transport.We have no idea how it happened, but luckily we managed to transcribe most of what transpired. We share it ...
Hi,When I look back at my history with Dylan Reeve, it’s pretty unusual. We first met in the pool at Kim Dotcom’s mansion, as helicopters buzzed overhead and secret service agents flung themselves off the side of his house, abseiling to the ground with guns drawn.Kim Dotcom was a German ...
Come around for teaDance me round and round the kitchenBy the light of my T.VOn the night of the electionAncient stars will fall into the seaAnd the ocean floor sings her sympathySongwriter: Bic Runga.The Prime Minister stared into the camera, hot and flustered despite the predawn chill. He looked sadly ...
Has Winston Peters got a ferries deal for you! (Buyer caution advised.) Unfortunately, the vision that Peters has been busily peddling for the past 24 hours – of several shipyards bidding down the price of us getting smaller, narrower, rail-enabled ferries – looks more like a science fiction fantasy. One ...
Completed reads for March: The Heart of the Antarctic [1907-1909], by Ernest Shackleton South [1914-1917], by Ernest Shackleton Aurora Australis (collection), edited by Ernest Shackleton The Book of Urizen (poem), by William Blake The Book of Ahania (poem), by William Blake The Book of Los (poem), by William Blake ...
First - A ReminderBenjamin Doyle Doesn’t Deserve ThisI’ve been following posts regarding Green MP Benjamin Doyle over the last few days, but didn’t want to amplify the abject nonsense.This morning, Winston Peters, New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister, answered the alt-right’s prayers - guaranteeing amplification of the topic, by going on ...
US President Donald Trump has shown a callous disregard for the checks and balances that have long protected American democracy. As the self-described ‘king’ makes a momentous power grab, much of the world watches anxiously, ...
They can be the very same words. And yet their meaning can vary very much.You can say I'll kill him about your colleague who accidentally deleted your presentation the day before a big meeting.You can say I'll kill him to — or, for that matter, about — Tony Soprano.They’re the ...
Back in 2020, the then-Labour government signed contracted for the construction and purchase of two new rail-enabled Cook Strait ferries, to be operational from 2026. But when National took power in 2023, they cancelled them in a desperate effort to make the books look good for a year. And now ...
The fragmentation of cyber regulation in the Indo-Pacific is not just inconvenient; it is a strategic vulnerability. In recent years, governments across the Indo-Pacific, including Australia, have moved to reform their regulatory frameworks for cyber ...
Welcome to the March 2025 Economic Bulletin. The feature article examines what public private partnerships (PPPs) are. PPPs have been a hot topic recently, with the coalition government signalling it wants to use them to deliver infrastructure. However, experience with PPPs, both here and overseas, indicates we should be wary. ...
Willis announces more plans of plans for supermarketsYesterday’s much touted supermarket competition announcement by Nicola Willis amounted to her telling us she was issuing a 6 week RFI1 that will solicit advice from supermarket players.In short, it was an announcement of a plan - but better than her Kiwirail Interislander ...
This was the post I was planning to write this morning to mark Orr’s final day. That said, if the underlying events – deliberate attempts to mislead Parliament – were Orr’s doing, the post is more about the apparent uselessness of Parliament (specifically the Finance and Expenditure Committee) in holding ...
Taiwanese chipmaking giant TSMC’s plan to build a plant in the United States looks like a move made at the behest of local officials to solidify US support for Taiwan. However, it may eventually lessen ...
This is a Guest Post by Transport Planner Bevan Woodward from the charitable trust Movement, which has lodged an application for a judicial review of the Governments Setting of Speed Limits Rule 2024 Auckland is at grave risk of having its safer speed limits on approx. 1,500 local streets ...
We're just talkin' 'bout the futureForget about the pastIt'll always be with usIt's never gonna die, never gonna dieSongwriters: Brian Johnson / Angus Young / Malcolm YoungMorena, all you lovely people, it’s good to be back, and I have news from the heartland. Now brace yourself for this: depending on ...
Today is the last day in office for the Governor of the Reserve Bank, Adrian Orr. Of course, he hasn’t been in the office since 5 March when, on the eve of his major international conference, his resignation was announced and he stormed off with no (effective) notice and no ...
Treasury and Cabinet have finally agreed to a Crown guarantee for a non-Government lending agency for Community Housing Providers (CHPs), which could unlock billions worth of loans and investments by pension funds and banks to build thousands of more affordable social homes. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories shortest:Chris Bishop ...
Australia has plenty of room to spend more on defence. History shows that 2.9 percent of GDP is no great burden in ordinary times, so pushing spending to 3.0 percent in dangerous times is very ...
In short this morning in our political economy:Winston Peters will announce later today whether two new ferries are rail ‘compatible’, requiring time-consuming container shuffling, or the more efficient and expensive rail ‘enabled,’ where wagons can roll straight on and off.Nicola Willisthreatened yesterday to break up the supermarket duopoly with ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 23, 2025 thru Sat, March 29, 2025. This week's roundup is again published by category and sorted by number of articles included in each. The formatting is a ...
For prospective writers out there, Inspired Quill, the publisher of my novel(s) is putting together a short story anthology (pieces up to 10,000 words). The open submission window is 29th March to 29th April. https://www.inspired-quill.com/anthology-submissions/ The theme?This anthology will bring together diverse voices exploring themes of hope, resistance, and human ...
Prime minister Kevin Rudd released the 2009 defence white paper in May of that year. It is today remembered mostly for what it said about the strategic implications of China’s rise; its plan to double ...
In short this morning in our political economy:Voters want the Government to retain the living wage for cleaners, a poll shows.The Government’s move to provide a Crown guarantee to banks and the private sector for social housing is described a watershed moment and welcomed by Community Housing Providers.Nicola Willis is ...
The recent attacks in the Congo by Rwandan backed militias has led to worldwide condemnation of the Rwandan regime of Paul Kagame. Following up on the recent Fabian Zoom with Mikela Wrong and Maria Amoudian, Dr Rudaswinga will give a complete picture of Kagame’s regime and discuss the potential ...
New Zealand’s economic development has always been a partnership between the public and private sectors.Public-Private-Partnerships (PPPs) have become fashionable again, partly because of the government’s ambitions to accelerate infrastructural development. There is, of course, an ideological element too, while some of the opposition to them is also ideological.PPPs come in ...
How Australia funds development and defence was front of mind before Tuesday’s federal budget. US President Donald Trump’s demands for a dramatic lift in allied military spending and brutal cuts to US foreign assistance meant ...
Questions 1. Where and what is this protest?a. Hamilton, angry crowd yelling What kind of food do you call this Seymour?b.Dunedin, angry crowd yelling Still waiting, Simeon, still waitingc. Wellington, angry crowd yelling You’re trashing everything you idiotsd. Istanbul, angry crowd yelling Give us our democracy back, give it ...
Two blueprints that could redefine the Northern Territory’s economic future were launched last week. The first was a government-led economic strategy and the other an industry-driven economic roadmap. Both highlight that supporting the Northern Territory ...
Abortion care at Whakatāne Hospital has been quietly shelved, with patients told they will likely have to travel more than an hour to Tauranga to get the treatment they need. ...
Thousands of New Zealanders’ submissions are missing from the official parliamentary record because the National-dominated Justice Select Committee has rushed work on the Treaty Principles Bill. ...
Today’s announcement of 10 percent tariffs for New Zealand goods entering the United States is disappointing for exporters and consumers alike, with the long-lasting impact on prices and inflation still unknown. ...
The National Government’s choices have contributed to a slow-down in the building sector, as thousands of people have lost their jobs in construction. ...
Willie Apiata’s decision to hand over his Victoria Cross to the Minister for Veterans is a powerful and selfless act, made on behalf of all those who have served our country. ...
The Privileges Committee has denied fundamental rights to Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, Rawiri Waititi and Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, breaching their own standing orders, breaching principles of natural justice, and highlighting systemic prejudice and discrimination within our parliamentary processes. The three MPs were summoned to the privileges committee following their performance of a haka ...
April 1 used to be a day when workers could count on a pay rise with stronger support for those doing it tough, but that’s not the case under this Government. ...
Winston Peters is shopping for smaller ferries after Nicola Willis torpedoed the original deal, which would have delivered new rail enabled ferries next year. ...
The Government should work with other countries to press the Myanmar military regime to stop its bombing campaign especially while the country recovers from the devastating earthquake. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Government to scrap proposed changes to Early Childhood Care, after attending a petition calling for the Government to ‘Put tamariki at the heart of decisions about ECE’. ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill today that will remove the power of MPs conscience votes and ensure mandatory national referendums are held before any conscience issues are passed into law. “We are giving democracy and power back to the people”, says New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters. ...
Welcome to members of the diplomatic corp, fellow members of parliament, the fourth estate, foreign affairs experts, trade tragics, ladies and gentlemen. ...
In recent weeks, disturbing instances of state-sanctioned violence against Māori have shed light on the systemic racism permeating our institutions. An 11-year-old autistic Māori child was forcibly medicated at the Henry Bennett Centre, a 15-year-old had his jaw broken by police in Napier, kaumātua Dean Wickliffe went on a hunger ...
Confidence in the job market has continued to drop to its lowest level in five years as more New Zealanders feel uncertain about finding work, keeping their jobs, and getting decent pay, according to the latest Westpac-McDermott Miller Employment Confidence Index. ...
The Greens are calling on the Government to follow through on their vague promises of environmental protection in their Resource Management Act (RMA) reform. ...
“Make New Zealand First Again” Ladies and gentlemen, First of all, thank you for being here today. We know your lives are busy and you are working harder and longer than you ever have, and there are many calls on your time, so thank you for the chance to speak ...
Hundreds more Palestinians have died in recent days as Israel’s assault on Gaza continues and humanitarian aid, including food and medicine, is blocked. ...
National is looking to cut hundreds of jobs at New Zealand’s Defence Force, while at the same time it talks up plans to increase focus and spending in Defence. ...
It’s been revealed that the Government is secretly trying to bring back a ‘one-size fits all’ standardised test – a decision that has shocked school principals. ...
The Green Party is calling for the compassionate release of Dean Wickliffe, a 77-year-old kaumātua on hunger strike at the Spring Hill Corrections Facility, after visiting him at the prison. ...
The Green Party is calling on Government MPs to support Chlöe Swarbrick’s Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence and illegal actions in Palestine, following another day of appalling violence against civilians in Gaza. ...
The Green Party stands in support of volunteer firefighters petitioning the Government to step up and change legislation to provide volunteers the same ACC coverage and benefits as their paid counterparts. ...
At 2.30am local time, Israel launched a treacherous attack on Gaza killing more than 300 defenceless civilians while they slept. Many of them were children. This followed a more than 2 week-long blockade by Israel on the entry of all goods and aid into Gaza. Israel deliberately targeted densely populated ...
Living Strong, Aging Well There is much discussion around the health of our older New Zealanders and how we can age well. In reality, the delivery of health services accounts for only a relatively small percentage of health outcomes as we age. Significantly, dry warm housing, nutrition, exercise, social connection, ...
Shane Jones’ display on Q&A showed how out of touch he and this Government are with our communities and how in sync they are with companies with little concern for people and planet. ...
The Government’s new planning legislation to replace the Resource Management Act will make it easier to get things done while protecting the environment, say Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop and Under-Secretary Simon Court. “The RMA is broken and everyone knows it. It makes it too hard to build ...
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay has today launched a public consultation on New Zealand and India’s negotiations of a formal comprehensive Free Trade Agreement. “Negotiations are getting underway, and the Public’s views will better inform us in the early parts of this important negotiation,” Mr McClay says. We are ...
More than 900 thousand superannuitants and almost five thousand veterans are among the New Zealanders set to receive a significant financial boost from next week, an uplift Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says will help support them through cost-of-living challenges. “I am pleased to confirm that from 1 ...
Progressing a holistic strategy to unlock the potential of New Zealand’s geothermal resources, possibly in applications beyond energy generation, is at the centre of discussions with mana whenua at a hui in Rotorua today, Resources and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is in the early stages ...
New annual data has exposed the staggering cost of delays previously hidden in the building consent system, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “I directed Building Consent Authorities to begin providing quarterly data last year to improve transparency, following repeated complaints from tradespeople waiting far longer than the statutory ...
Increases in water charges for Auckland consumers this year will be halved under the Watercare Charter which has now been passed into law, Local Government Minister Simon Watts and Auckland Minister Simeon Brown say. The charter is part of the financial arrangement for Watercare developed last year by Auckland Council ...
There is wide public support for the Government’s work to strengthen New Zealand’s biosecurity protections, says Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard. “The Ministry for Primary Industries recently completed public consultation on proposed amendments to the Biosecurity Act and the submissions show that people understand the importance of having a strong biosecurity ...
A new independent review function will enable individuals and organisations to seek an expert independent review of specified civil aviation regulatory decisions made by, or on behalf of, the Director of Civil Aviation, Acting Transport Minister James Meager has announced today. “Today we are making it easier and more affordable ...
The Government will invest in an enhanced overnight urgent care service for the Napier community as part of our focus on ensuring access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown has today confirmed. “I am delighted that a solution has been found to ensure Napier residents will continue to ...
Health Minister Simeon Brown and Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey attended a sod turning today to officially mark the start of construction on a new mental health facility at Hillmorton Campus. “This represents a significant step in modernising mental health services in Canterbury,” Mr Brown says. “Improving health infrastructure is ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has welcomed confirmation the economy has turned the corner. Stats NZ reported today that gross domestic product grew 0.7 per cent in the three months to December following falls in the June and September quarters. “We know many families and businesses are still suffering the after-effects ...
The sealing of a 12-kilometre stretch of State Highway 43 (SH43) through the Tangarakau Gorge – one of the last remaining sections of unsealed state highway in the country – has been completed this week as part of a wider programme of work aimed at improving the safety and resilience ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters says relations between New Zealand and the United States are on a strong footing, as he concludes a week-long visit to New York and Washington DC today. “We came to the United States to ask the new Administration what it wants from ...
Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee has welcomed changes to international anti-money laundering standards which closely align with the Government’s reforms. “The Financial Action Taskforce (FATF) last month adopted revised standards for tackling money laundering and the financing of terrorism to allow for simplified regulatory measures for businesses, organisations and sectors ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour says he welcomes Medsafe’s decision to approve an electronic controlled drug register for use in New Zealand pharmacies, allowing pharmacies to replace their physical paper-based register. “The register, developed by Kiwi brand Toniq Limited, is the first of its kind to be approved in New ...
The Coalition Government’s drive for regional economic growth through the $1.2 billion Regional Infrastructure Fund is on track with more than $550 million in funding so far committed to key infrastructure projects, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. “To date, the Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF) has received more than 250 ...
[Comments following the bilateral meeting with United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio; United States State Department, Washington D.C.] * We’re very pleased with our meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio this afternoon. * We came here to listen to the new Administration and to be clear about what ...
The intersection of State Highway 2 (SH2) and Wainui Road in the Eastern Bay of Plenty will be made safer and more efficient for vehicles and freight with the construction of a new and long-awaited roundabout, says Transport Minister Chris Bishop. “The current intersection of SH2 and Wainui Road is ...
The Ocean Race will return to the City of Sails in 2027 following the Government’s decision to invest up to $4 million from the Major Events Fund into the international event, Auckland Minister Simeon Brown says. “New Zealand is a proud sailing nation, and Auckland is well-known internationally as the ...
Improving access to mental health and addiction support took a significant step forward today with Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey announcing that the University of Canterbury have been the first to be selected to develop the Government’s new associate psychologist training programme. “I am thrilled that the University of Canterbury ...
Health Minister Simeon Brown has today officially opened the new East Building expansion at Manukau Health Park. “This is a significant milestone and the first stage of the Grow Manukau programme, which will double the footprint of the Manukau Health Park to around 30,000m2 once complete,” Mr Brown says. “Home ...
The Government will boost anti-crime measures across central Auckland with $1.3 million of funding as a result of the Proceeds of Crime Fund, Auckland Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee say. “In recent years there has been increased antisocial and criminal behaviour in our CBD. The Government ...
The Government is moving to strengthen rules for feeding food waste to pigs to protect New Zealand from exotic animal diseases like foot and mouth disease (FMD), says Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard. ‘Feeding untreated meat waste, often known as "swill", to pigs could introduce serious animal diseases like FMD and ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held productive talks in New Delhi today. Fresh off announcing that New Zealand and India would commence negotiations towards a Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, the two Prime Ministers released a joint statement detailing plans for further cooperation between the two countries across ...
Agriculture and Trade Minister Todd McClay signed a new Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) today during the Prime Minister’s Indian Trade Mission, reinforcing New Zealand’s commitment to enhancing collaboration with India in the forestry sector. “Our relationship with India is a key priority for New Zealand, and this agreement reflects our ...
Agriculture and Trade Minister Todd McClay signed a new Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) today during the Prime Minister’s Indian Trade Mission, reinforcing New Zealand’s commitment to enhancing collaboration with India in the horticulture sector. “Our relationship with India is a key priority for New Zealand, and this agreement reflects our ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of two new Family Court Judges. The new Judges will take up their roles in April and May and fill Family Court vacancies at the Auckland and Manukau courts. Annette Gray Ms Gray completed her law degree at Victoria University before joining Phillips ...
Health Minister Simeon Brown has today officially opened Wellington Regional Hospital’s first High Dependency Unit (HDU). “This unit will boost critical care services in the lower North Island, providing extra capacity and relieving pressure on the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and emergency department. “Wellington Regional Hospital has previously relied ...
Namaskar, Sat Sri Akal, kia ora and good afternoon everyone. What an honour it is to stand on this stage - to inaugurate this august Dialogue - with none other than the Honourable Narendra Modi. My good friend, thank you for so generously welcoming me to India and for our ...
Nearly 25 years after the "corngate" saga, the debate on genetic modification is back thanks to the Gene Technology Bill currently in select committee. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephanie Brodie, Research Scientist in Marine Ecology, CSIRO jittawit21, Shutterstock Picture this: you’re lounging on a beautiful beach, soaking up the sun and listening to the soothing sound of the waves. You run your hands through the warm sand, only to ...
By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist Although New Zealand and Australia seem to have escaped the worst of Donald Trump’s latest tariffs, some Pacific Islands stand to be hit hard — including a few that aren’t even “countries”. The US will impose a base tariff of 10 percent on all ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton both agree Australia should react to US President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff regime by continuing to seek a special deal. They just disagree about which of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joanne Orlando, Researcher, Digital Literacy and Digital Wellbeing, Western Sydney University UK Prime Minster Keir Starmer met with Adolescence writer Jack Thorne to discuss adolescent safety at Downing Street on Monday. Jack Taylor/ GettyImages Netflix’s Adolescence has ignited global debate. ...
By Anneke Smith,RNZ News political reporter A stoush between the Chief Human Rights Commissioner and a Jewish community leader has flared up following a showdown at Parliament. Appearing before a parliamentary select committee today, Dr Stephen Rainbow was asked about his recent apology for incorrect comments he made about ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rakesh Gupta, Associate Professor of Accounting & Finance, Charles Darwin University US President Donald Trump’s new trade war will not only send shockwaves through the global economy – it also upsets efforts to tackle the urgent issue of climate change. Trump has ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Toohey, Professor of Law, UNSW Sydney It had the hallmarks of a reality TV cliffhanger. Until recently, many people had never even heard of tariffs. Now, there’s been rolling live international coverage of so-called “Liberation Day”, as US President Donald Trump ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nick Fuller, Clinical Trials Director, Department of Endocrinology, RPA Hospital, University of Sydney mavo/Shutterstock In the ever-changing wellness industry, one diet obsession has captured and held TikTok’s attention: protein. Whether it’s sharing snaps of protein-packed meals or giving tutorials to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sebastian Maslow, Associate Professor, International Relations, University of Tokyo Two months into US President Donald Trump’s second term, the liberal international order is on life support. Alliances and multilateral institutions are now seen by the United States as burdens. Europe and ...
Starving public services of resources, gutting the workforce and then proposing private market solutions has been a key strategy of this government, says Vanessa Cole, spokesperson for Public Housing Futures. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hayley Geyle, Ecologist, Charles Darwin University Sarah Maclagan/Author provided The greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis) is one of Australia’s most iconic yet at-risk animals — and the last surviving bilby species. Once found across 70% of Australia, its range has contracted by ...
The government’s own Regulatory Impact Statement acknowledges that organic producers will bear the financial burden of adapting to the risks posed by GMO expansion. ...
The committee has "rammed it through with outrageous haste", with a report now expected tomorrow, but excluding thousands of submissions, Duncan Webb says. ...
The US president’s sweeping programme of global tariffs will hit every country abroad, including New Zealand, and dramatically raise prices at home. This is an excerpt from The World Bulletin, our weekly global current affairs newsletter exclusively for Spinoff Members. Sign up here.In a dramatic, flag-draped address from the White ...
Alex Casey talks to Bariz Shah and Saba Afrasyabi, the couple who launched a project to change 51 lives in honour of those lost in the Christchurch mosque attacks. When Bariz Shah and Saba Afrasyabi walked into Naeem’s house in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, they knew immediately that he needed their help. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Deane, Professor of Trade Law, Taxation and Climate Change, Queensland University of Technology US President Donald Trump has imposed a range of tariffs on all products entering the US market, with Australian exports set to face a 10% tariff, effective April ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra US President Donald Trump singled out Australia’s beef trade for special mention in his announcement that the United States would impose a 10% global tariff as well as “reciprocal tariffs” on many countries. In ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hayley Geyle, Ecologist, Charles Darwin University Sarah Maclagan/Author provided The greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis) is one of Australia’s most iconic yet at-risk animals — and the last surviving bilby species. Once found across 70% of Australia, its range has contracted by ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra US President Donald Trump singled out Australia’s beef trade for special mention in his announcement that the United States would impose a 10% global tariff as well as “reciprocal tariffs” on many countries. In ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Shutterstock Recent media coverage in the Nine newspapers highlights a surge in non-medical ultrasound providers offering “reassurance ultrasounds” to expectant parents. The service has resulted in serious harms, such as misdiagnosed ectopic pregnancies and ...
The three MPs whose rule-breaking haka caught the world’s attention didn’t attend their scheduled hearing yesterday. Constitutional law expert Andrew Geddis has the rundown of what happened, why, and what’s likely to come next. I see Te Pāti Māori and the privileges committee are in some sort of stand-off – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Turner, Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University The Eurasian and North American tectonic plates in Thingvellir National Park, Iceland.Nido Huebl/Shutterstock Earth is the only known planet which has plate tectonics today. The constant movement of these giant slabs of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra US President Donald Trump singled out Australia’s beef trade for special mention in his announcement that the United States would impose a 10% global tariff as well as “reciprocal tariffs” on many countries. In ...
Meta has stolen millions of books to train its AI, including books by kaituhi Māori. What does that mean for mātauranga and its status as taonga? New Zealand authors are among the millions whose books have been pirated and scraped by Meta to train its AI. The New Zealand Society of ...
Some hoped the open of the New Zealand markets would open with a bounce as certain tariffs fell short of the worst-case scenario, but investors were met with a deflated thud.The New Zealand market fell immediately as stock market darling Fisher & Paykel Healthcare’s shares were punished, with no update ...
Healthcare dominated the debate in an unusually sober and serious question time. “Hey David!” a group of high school students in the public gallery called out as Act leader David Seymour entered the debating chamber. Standing in the middle of the floor, before any other MPs had arrived, he happily ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Heaslip, Senior Lecturer in Naval History, University of Portsmouth How the Shuqiao barges may be used to ferry troops ashore. X (formerly Twitter) China’s intentions when it comes to Taiwan have been at the centre of intense discussion for years. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kiera Vaclavik, Professor of Children’s Literature & Childhood Culture, Queen Mary University of London This spring, Babe is returning to cinemas to mark the 30th anniversary of its release in 1995. The much-loved family film tells the deceptively simple but emotionally powerful ...
Clare Daly is a courageous women and this is a great speech.
"The war in Ukraine is quickly escalating into a wider horror and from what I can see practically nobody in this chamber is doing anything to prevent it.
"In fact, most people seem to get off on the fact that it's escalating, And at this precise moment, of course, as usual, the voices challenging the rush to war are attacked and silenced, smeared as traitors, cronies, Putin puppets, Kremlin stooges, Russian agents."
"Frankly, it's pathetic, and I don't make the comparison lightly, but the crudeness and cynicism of these slurs coming from mainstream E.U. parties might as well have been written by Hermann Göring, who infamously said that even though people never want war, they can be brought to war with threats and smears."
"This house should be ashamed of this debate, Words are being twisted, meanings subverted, and the truth turned on its head. Opposing the horrible madness of war is not anti-European, it's not anti-Ukrainian, it's not pro-Russian: it's common sense.
"The working class of Europe has nothing to gain from this war and everything to lose. And I find it laughable that those calling for arms to Ukraine never call for arms for the people of Palestine, or for the people of Yemen.
"Unlike you, I oppose all war. I want it stopped. I make no apology for that."
The war may well not be in Europe's interest, but America seems to want to keep it going, and European politicians seem to have a preference for kowtowing to the Americans.
The latter's main interest seems to lie in clobbering Russia or, rather, getting the Ukrainians to clobber Russia on America's behalf. I don't think they really care about the damage that's being done to Ukraine along the way.
If people keep playing the what about America card, you will have Putin marching across the Baltic States, the steppes, and the Balkans.
Is bringing "working class" into the debate the way to find common cause with other Euro MP's and find a diplomatic alternative? Or to work with others on the left in Europe to exploit a winter of discontent for political advantage (competing with nationalists in a reprise of the 1930’s)?
Clare Daly appears to be a prime example of a useful idiot for the likes of Putin and others.
In denial about the malaysian airliner that was shot down
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/tensions-rise-over-mick-wallace-s-and-clare-daly-s-views-1.4610010
In denial about Putin's intentions to invade the Ukraine.
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/russia-s-mobilisation-along-ukraine-border-is-clearly-defensive-wallace-and-daly-say-1.4786363
Voted against condemning Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
https://www.world-today-news.com/see-the-only-meps-who-voted-against-condemning-the-russian-invasion-of-ukraine-russia/
Plus she has previous form as a complete numpty
https://www.thejournal.ie/clare-daly-mick-wallace-iraq-5403434-Apr2021/
The Iranian backed Shia militias in Iraq (such as the one she visited) have been imposing a reign of terror on liberals/secularists in south Iraq – with rumours of Teheran hit lists.
Typical. Instead of addressing her message, you bag the messenger.
Always important to identify a cumberworld who's being put forward as someone who's opinion should be noted.
So, if you won’t accept Clare Daly as your messenger…….
Will you accept Chris Hedges?
Or Noam Chomsky?
Or John Mearsheimer?
Won't accept Clare Daly as your messenger ?
What about Chris Hedges?
Peter Oborne?
Noam Chomsky?
Richard Wolff?
Tulsi Gabbard?
There are two ways to end the war in Ukraine …Russia leaves or the Ukrainian's give up.
Politicians, activists or publics outside those two countries dont make those decisions.
There is a third way.
A negotiated peace.
With Russia committing ubiquitous warcrimes and never keeping to any agreement, ever?
Not gonna happen.
A cursory study of history shows peace can be negotiated after war.
You do realise the consequences for the globe if we do not take this route?
"Opposing the horrible madness of war is not anti-European, it's not anti-Ukrainian, it's not pro-Russian: it's common sense."
Have you read or listened to Mearsheimer, Chomsky, Wolff, Hedges, Oborne?
[If you want to keep your commenting privileges here then lift your game. If you want to receive a ban then keep trolling – Incognito]
Mod note
Thats covered by the second option
Supplying military hardware to one side, and imposing sanctions on the other. Oh, they are making the decisions alright.
Those decisions/actions cannot make the combatants fight.
Actually, the Ukrainians fighting to defeat an unprovoked and murderous invasion by Russia are the courageous ones.
The alternative to arming Ukraine, is allowing Russians to continue to loot, rape and murder. All Russia has to do to end it all – is leave Ukraine. Ukrainians can't leave Ukraine.
All Russia has to do to end it all – is leave Ukraine. Ukrainians can't leave Ukraine.
The Russians have no incentive for leaving. The ball, as they say, is really in the Ukrainians court. And the Russians have not played the nuclear card. Yet.
Yep it's tough for the russians on the ground in the Ukraine, be killed by ukrainian forces and artillery or be shot by your own officers and secret police for escaping back into Russia.
Don't accept Clare Daly as your messenger ?
What about Chris Hedges and Peter Oborne?
See what the states that suffered Soviet occupation think of her self-styled 'common sense'. Capitulation to Putin by giving him the Sudetenlands of Crimea, Donbas, and Luhansk, will not buy peace. Anything but.
Actually Stuart negotiations underway back in april showed every sign of being concluded satisfactorily until the direct interference of both the uk in the form of borris and america in the form of biden stifled the initiative .
This conflict began as a civil war between Ukrainians divided by historical grievances and differing political ideologies .Approximately fourteen thousand ukrainians died by their brothers hand mostly but not all in the donbass .
America has sought to drive this wedge deeper in order to foster its own interests which in this case are about weakening the russians and securing markets for its own energy companies i dont think it cares a fuck about Ukraine or the EU for that matter witness the destruction of the Nordstream pipelines .
Parroting CNN talking points is not an argument Stuart .
Parroting CNN talking points is not an argument Stuart .
I suppose the consequence of forming opinions based on the facts Weston, of reaching similar conclusions with properly informed media, could never occur to you wretched dregs and dupes that subsist on the saccharine and fact-free diet of Kremlin propaganda.
Civil war my arse – Russia conducted a lengthy insurgency in the Donbas, culminating in the downing of MH17. Genuine independence movements are conducted with small arms, not Russian tank brigades with dedicated BUK air defenses manned by Russian officers on 'special leave'.
You ignorant muppets do your cause no good by your ill-conceived attacks on everybody better informed than yourselves.
My projection is that out of the entire January 6th hearings there will be no recommendation of charges to DoJ. Simply insufficient causality between White House-Operatives-Militants to withstand Federal charges going into Court.
Fox and AON and Telegraph are going to have a field day.
Good old George Conway says the shortest route between Donald Trump and an orange jumpsuit is the classified documents route.
6 weeks to mid-term vote they aren't going to get the slam dunk the Democrats needed.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/476646/jan-6-committee-votes-unanimously-to-subpoena-donald-trump
Stranger things have happened …
Doing a review of parliament bullying after Mallard has left should show a definite improvement.
I do find it ironic that one of the few MP's to actually come to physical blows with another, and also falsely accuse a staffer of rape actually initiates the review of workplace culture!
Parties promise cooperation as Speaker orders review of Parliament's workplace culture (msn.com)
"Parliament's culture had improved since the last Francis report largely because Rurawhe has replaced Mallard as Speaker, Seymour said."
I went to an election meeting where Seymour was speaking in 2020.
When he suggested that many of the District Plan rules should be ignored in order that development could go ahead willy-nilly I questioned him on this explaining that the DP rules are there to protect landscapes from inappropriate development.
He attacked me, calling me a busybody and saying something to the effect that I should STFU.
So he is something of an expert on bullying.
Is Seymour's demeanour towards the new Speaker the same as it was to the previous one? Or is the new Speaker's way of handling Seymour different?
Mallard engaged with Seymour in a way that reminded me of two fox terriers playing around. Mallard didn't say, "Sit down, you're just being a little twerp." As he should have.
Of course if that had happened Seymour would have 'crying to mummy' about being bullied.
Bookmarking for later
https://twitter.com/wokal_distance/status/1580421155663450112
You know there's a difference from trans people & drag people? There's also a big difference between drag for adults & drag for kids? & that over in the UK there has been drag in Pantos for decades (it's basically what pantomime is FFS)? Everyday there's this GC bullshit on the Standard & it's really fucking boring (it's why there's rarely engagement except from the usual few who agree with each other). I took my kids to watch the drag people read at the library a few years back & my kids & others there LOVED IT! It was a lot of fun.
There certainly has been crossdressing in Pantomime for decades, but it is quite different to drag. It is however, the same sexist shite. The portrayal of the Pantomime Dame (played by a man) is of an older woman, unattractive and frequently sexually frustrated. They are a figure of fun. The portrayal of the "hero" (played by a woman) is of an attractive young man who always gets the girl. Any basic feminist analysis shows what this really is.
Traditional Drag was (and still is) a sexualised caricature of femaleness done by a man. It was very much adult entertainment. It deals in stereotypes for entertainment purposed in almost exactly the same way that the Black and White Minstrel Show offered stereotypes of African Americans. Womanface should be no more acceptable than Blackface or Brownface.
There seems to be a sudden push to present Drag Queens as entertainment for children. The question should be what is actually the reason behind this in terms of the breaking down of safeguarding and the drive to get young people to reject the evidence of their eyes and ears.
There is little engagement with the GC stuff on this site (although initially there was). The gender ideology folk were not able to provide adequate arguements and their responses, including the usual banal phrases "trans women are real women" (which of course due to biology, simply isn't true) didn't cut it with the arguements GC were able to put forward. Then there were examples such as the pathetic response to the Wi spa incident by those who seeek to shut GC arguements down. The Trans Rights Activists, including on this site, ran with the spin that it was a hoax (it wasn't. The transgender who entered the women's section of the spa was a sex offender and was arrested). But no apology for this from the trans rights activists on this site for getting it wrong. So given the responses are so poor to what are good solid arguements from the GC women on this site, I am not surprized your side has stopped engaging.
Yes I went to pantos as a kid. The "dames" as they were called wore street wear, nothing at all sexualized. The shows were based on children's fairytales. Nor was their talk sexualized.
I can't comment on drag shows here, but if you watch the video Weka posted you will hear the women is talking about quite sexualized drag performers being passed of as "family friendly". This is in the US.
You may be unaware with what is happening in the US and the UK where drag performers at schools very often perform quite sexualized dances and in risque costumes. You might ask yourself if you would be ok with young children seeing this. I am not.
Drag aren't trans? Well I thought cross dressers came under the trans umbrella? The drag karaoke that was held at Health New Zealand for staff was provided by the rainbow network as part of their diversity and inclusion programme. Does this now mean we have have LBGTQI and D?
I am sorry you are bored by the GC comments. I find most websites I visit have things posted I am not interested in, e.g. Stuff and NZ Herald. As they say, that's life. Although occasssionally on a whim when I read things, I get to find out stuff I didn't know. this could be the case for you.
.
True of Wokedom / the Critical Theory Cult in general … when comprehensively challenged, they appear utterly bereft of argument … just fingers in ears & mindlessly repeat the same old slogans & the same old desperate smears.
Basically a quasi-religious cult in which upper-middle & PMC narcissists can pursue power / control / self-interest … while posing as unusually morally virtuous (LOL) … they’re total frauds & bear little resemblance to the traditional Social Democratic Left with its emphasis on universalism, egalitarianism, individual human rights, equality under law, liberal democratic norms, free expression of ideas (& indeed personal humility & self-sacrifice … sooooo much in contrast with our Woke chums).
Swordfish you always put it so well!
HOpe you are o.k.?
Regards,
Anker
The irony of you giving me a wee lecture about the difference between trans and drag and then making out there is no difference between drag and panto.
I didn't say anything about trans people, but since you brought it up, the trans umbrella includes drag queens. This means that gender ideology equates trans with people with GD, drag queens/kings, cross dressers, AGP, a range of fetishes, transsexuals, GNC people, NB people, gender benders and so on. Which you would know if you valued knowledge more than your ideology or paid any kind of attention at all.
If you can't make a coherent political argument, then scroll on by. Your antipathy for women's rights and child safeguarding is really fucking boring without any attempt at analysis other than superficial reactionary 'i don't like this, you're terrible'.
This image is from the ACLU.
https://www.governor.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt336/files/documents/20200810-palana-belken-pronouns-aclu.pdf
Maybe when you think of the word trans you think of transsexuals like Georgina Beyer. That hasn't been true for a long time. I've been consistent that the problems aren't with trans people, but with gender identity ideology. I won't be put into an ideological box by you. You can either scroll by or you can engage like everyone does here on any topic any day of the week.
One of the most disgusting things about this ACLU "umbrella" is its weaponising of the medical conditions relating to what used to be called "intersex" but is now referred to a DSD or VSD – differences or variations of sex development. These fall into about 40 known syndromes which are diagnosable with a chromosome test. They are not extra sexes and they do not change sex. They are variations on male, or variations on female. This is shown by the fact that those who are fertile (and many are not) produce either sperm or eggs. There are no intermediate or additional gametes. The addition of the "I" for "intersex" to the alphabet swamp is just a desperate attempt to bolster the pretense that sex in humans is some sort of spectrum rather than being bi-modal, and also to provide some sort of physiological explanations for the purely psychogical phenomena like bodily dysphoria, internalised homophobia and autogynephilia that are found in today's Trans Rights movements. The ACLU also supports chemical castration of children and young people with so called "puberty blockers" which are the same types of drugs which the ACLU also condemns when used on sex offenders.
https://twitter.com/MMMMeowwwwwww/status/1578706631776342016
https://twitter.com/Callie43916570/status/1578689720649158657
If sex work is work, and sex work is the work for many in the future no matter their identity and presentation then this makes perfect sense.
We used to teach math, writing, typing etc to prepare children for the future, now we show them how to earn money in the sex work industry
If you want to normalise sex work – any sex work – as work then this is they way to do it.
The mayhem and human tragedy in the US withdrawal from Afghanistan was put into context this morning in the Jan 6 hearing.
In an act of petulance when he knew he was out of power, that he was a loser and was to be seen by the world as a loser, Donald Trump dictated that the withdrawal should happen immediately.
Or course the total amount of ensuing misery was nowhere near what he personally was going through and was facing, about to go through.
If courts ruled he had to hand over a particular house to others rather than keep it himself, he would burn it down with them all inside. And he would relish the screams as they perished
What on earth are you talking about? The Trump Administration made an agreement with the Taliban to withdrew troops by May 1, 2021. That was made in February 2020, long before Trump lost the election.
When Biden took over there were still thousands of US troops in the country. Biden ordered their withdrawal by 31 August 2021, even though it was obvious that the Taliban were not observing the conditions of the withdrawal. That was long after Trump had gone.
https://www.factcheck.org/2021/08/timeline-of-u-s-withdrawal-from-afghanistan/
Both Trump and Biden are responsible for the final debacle. It wasn't all Trimp's doing.
Remember ' Black Lives Matter?'' I can't forget it. I had family members protesting in solidarity.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/418971/thousands-of-nzers-march-for-black-lives-matter
In America millions were donated to the cause. And it looks like only one person asked '' where was the money going?'' Apparently some went to the LGBT community. Then there's the house in Laurel Canyon owned by Patrisse Cullors. Laurel Canyon was/is a famous area for musos and the arty crowd. It also hosted the famous Wonderland murders that involved porn star Big John Holmes. But there's one thing Laurel Canyon isn't famous for – black people.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrisse_Cullors
It looks like people the world over were scammed, both emotionally and financially. The old adage of '' follow the money'' couldn't be truer in this case. I wonder if NZ has an equivalent situation?
The Tamatis
I don't believe I have been introduced.
I would want a better source for this that Faux News which is an entertainment channel devoted to misinformation and downright lies.
Fair enough – Candice Owens. She's a great source. Your criticism is weak, especially given this is America. Litigation over real or perceived defamation is the normal modus operandi.
At the end of the day, Black Lives Matter was just the hashtag that took off. There's a bunch of groups that use the name, and they all seem to hate each other. I guess you could say it shows the limits of activism as it currently exists, but as far as NGOs go I don't think it's a particularly bad case.
Agree with Professor Micheal Baker:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/476643/we-need-that-leadership-baker-calls-for-return-to-covid-alert-level-system
The last thing this country should do is kowtow to the VFF loons and naysayers who have done enough damage as it is.
The VFF "loons" who have been highlighting the problems with the jab injured and the lack of any testing by pharma for transmission of the virus?
It must be hard being a "progressive" these days, showing undying allegiance to one of the most corrupt industries on the planet
I have no idea what this means.
It means that Pfizer did no testing on the mRNA's ability to stop transmission of the virus, as admitted by the Pfizer exec in the European parliament when questions by Dutch MEP Rob Roos.
The premise of the passport system was, presumably, to stop transmission of the virus
Masking, physical distancing reduces transmission. Vaccines reduce the chance of dying or having Covid very badly that it affects later life.
Please read up on the Swiss chees model.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/05/health/coronavirus-swiss-cheese-infection-mackay.html
VFF
nutters,sorry people, seem to have a fixation with vaccinationThe purpose was to stop the person vaccinated being infected, and that would be what they tested the efficacy of.
If a significantly lower proportion of those vaccinated (than those not) were infected, of course the passport system was valid.
The purpose of which was to enable an end to lockdowns and have the health system still cope.
"If a significantly lower proportion of those vaccinated (than those not) were infected, of course the passport system was valid."
So is there any evidence that your "if" condition is true in this case? It does seem that almost everybody has had the bug, and vx status seems to me anyway very little to do with it.
The passport system worked fine in Europe in 2021.
Recent widespread infection with omicron in 2022 does not change history.
Neither does Andy, obviously. He seems to think that because they didn’t formally test for it in the initial clinical trials it didn’t stop transmission at all. Needless to say, Andy is wrong.
"Andy is wrong".
They didn't test for the jab stopping transmission, as admitted by the Pfizer exec in the European parliament.
it's quite possible that the jab does stop transmission, result in erections in men (as per other Pfizer products that had unexpected side effects) or make you run faster, but that doesn't take away the fact that Pfizer didn't test for the jab stopping transmission of the virus, which I presume was the reason all these posters went up in London and other places stating that we are taking the jab to "save granny" or whatever, because the assumption was that the jab would stop the virus, which the drug company didn't test for.
Yup – your ability to transmit the virus is definitely reduced if you don't have the virus in the first place. And quite possibly it is also reduced if you have a mild case and are shedding less virus into the air. So effective vaccines do reduce aggregate transmission at a population level.
But if you are a vaccinated individual and get the virus anyway, you can still transmit it. I wonder how many vaccines can actually prevent this phenomenon – once the virus has escaped the vaccine and infected the individual, how would we expect it to then stop that individual from transmitting the virus?
The supposed 'problem' here is actually one of vaccine escape by the virus – not some nefariousness by the pharma industry. The real problem though, is that our conservative/RW friends struggle to think at the whole population level, because that would be 'collectivism' (bad!)
"So effective vaccines do reduce aggregate transmission at a population level."
which Pfizer didn't test for.
maybe actually testing for something might be a good idea before forcing everyone to take the medication based on the assumption that the aforesaid premise for taking the medication is backed up by science?
After all, a vaccine for a coronavirus has never been developed before Covid. It is not unreasonable to question them, in my view.
Can I give you something I don't have?
Until omicron, it did significantly reduce transmission – real world trial result.
Link please?
If you think transmission was higher, post vaccination and before omicron, you find a link.
You made the assertion, not me.
Every time I make an assertion, I'm asked for a link, which I have learnt to provide.
Is this clear? You made the assertion that the mRNA jab reduced transmission until Omicron, which I admit I never heard before, so a link would be helpful.
You have provided no link or evidence that your assertion is true, so I'm supposed to trawl the internet to find evidence that your assertion is true, then report back here to state that your assertion is either true or false.
Thanks you for your kind consideration
May I ask, how much you have read about the topic, if you have no awareness that vaccination reduced rates of transmission?
"
May I ask, how much you have read about the topic, if you have no awareness that vaccination reduced rates of transmission?"
Is there evidence that the vaccination reduced transmisison?
Link please
It amazes me that the evidence of vaccine failure is now so overwhelming that people are doubling down on their dogma.
Dude, I know there are no mirrors in rabbit holes, but the irony is extreme.
The vaccine reduces the chances of
1. infection
2. hospitalisation
3. long covid
The evidence of serious long term harm from these vaccines is overwhelming. I'm not even going to bother engaging anymore.
You lot can stew in your own dogma and watch your world view collapse in front of view
Have a nice weekend
No 'progressive' has any illusions about the pharma industry – or any other massive, global aggregation of corporate power. We neither trust it nor have any allegiance to it. However it is an industry that is sufficiently regulated that at least some of its products do actually have efficacy.
This is undeniable. There is a core of scientific method still surviving under the layers corporate greed and dishonesty. If you don't believe it, you can never join the queues demanding that Pharmac approve new medications.
I remember my father saying what a dramatic difference was made by getting widespread access to penicillin after WWII. Children that before he would have expected to die, got better in a few days. He said it was like a miracle, and was very moved by it. I am sick of our modern idiocy.
Penicillin is an antibiotic. I agree that it has been a huge success but we also have the problem of antibiotic resistance.
it has nothing whatsoever to do with questioning the efficacy and safety of mRNA vaccines, unless questioning one medication makes you "anti-science"
My word you have a talent for missing the point. Which was – that to believe some of their products have efficacy, does not require or imply an "undying allegiance" to the pharma industry. It requires and implies a functioning brain.
And I can assure you I am aware of the difference between a antibiotics and vaccines. But that is immaterial in terms of my argument.
Having the problem of antibiotic resistance is preferable to never having discovered antibiotics (yes?), just as problems with vaccines (an older invention) are preferable to no vaccines at all. We do need better antibiotic stewardship.
Andy you appear to be as "one eyed" as you think "progressives are"
The world is not black or white or left or right and situations change. The greed of some doe not detract from the successes.
Hope all VFF devotees stay well. Meanwhile, to whoever keeps putting VFF disinformation in my letterbox – please stop.
Same here DMK.
I wish I could catch them at it and give them a piece of my mind but never see them. Suspect they come after dark.
So the 3% of the population who are VFF loons are right, and the scientists and professors and health professionals around the world are wrong.
Pull your head in.
Helen Petousis-Harris has backtracked on the booster, saying that she won't be taking another one.
Link please
Link here:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=2018862163
Petousis-Harris was triple vaxxed when she said this, and still recommended that those at risk, especially the elderly, should get the fourth vax.
Andy-you are also ignoring the fact that 4 vaxxes help to protect against new variants of Covid such as the one that has just arrived in NZ.
https://www.healthnavigator.org.nz/health-a-z/c/covid-19-new-variants/
Funny how Denmark no longer recommends jabs for the under 50s and Norway similarly for the under 65s, yet good old NZ is still jabbing kids.
I generally look up to the scandinavian countries in many respects, they seem a lot more open and honest than NZ
Because they are already vaccinated, you clot!
Statistics – NIPH (fhi.no)
So they are recommending not to take a jab if you have a jab?
Is this not the case in NZ?
Why do you need a doctor's note in Denmark to get a jab if you are under 50?
Maybe the government there is now only funding (boosters) it to those under 50 with pre existing health conditions …
Does that include Sweden with its new hard-right influenced government Andy?
I guess that kind of government would be consistent with your VFF views.
In Sweden "hard right" means not what you think.
And pray tell me what my "VFF Views" are?
You obviously know a lot about me, more than I do myself.
I look forward to your cited reply.
Because a very large number of them have already been vaccinated and have previously been infected with covid-19, and there is consequently good immunity among this part of the population.
However, if an under fifty is at a higher risk of becoming severely ill from covid-19, works in the healthcare and elderly care sector as well as in selected parts of the social services sector who have close contact with patients or citizens who are at higher risk of becoming severely ill from covid-19, or is a relative of persons at particularly higher risk, vaccination is available.
https://www.sst.dk/en/english/corona-eng/vaccination-against-covid-19
Stupid is as stupid does!
This is not surprising either given that: vaccine escape with omicron seems to be high, omicron infections appears to be less severe in general, there are now effective antiviral treatments for people with severe infection, the young just do better anyway if infected, and that all vaccines have risks.
The combination of these factors just shifts the risk-benefit balance away from giving boosters to the young. It's blindingly obvious why. No conspiracies, no nefariousness, no desire to control – just the old-fashioned slog and commonsense of public health professionals.
"
just the old-fashioned slog and commonsense of public health professionals. "
that includes deplatforming and sacking doctors that question the pharma narrative.
Gotta love that "old fashioned" stuff
I can't see this ending well for those that screamed loudest for mandates
Gotta love that "old fashioned" stuff
Indeed you should – and be grateful too. They've been doing it with a nation-building dedication for a a long time.
They have been deplatforming and sacking doctors who don't subscribe to the Big Pharma narrative?
WTF would I be grateful about this? I prefer doctors who are honest and have my health as their primary interest, not taking back handers from pharma reps
You can add Prof. Christine Stabell-Benn to that list of experts.
Further to your point about a lack of data, she shows in this clip, the data that does exsist suggesting that the while the mRNA may lower death by Covid it increases the risk of all cause mortality. (from 20 mins). Then at about 22.20 she says she opposes any form of mandate without the data to support it.
Are you seriously trying to use the reasoned evidence-based expert opinion of Helen Petousis-Harris as an argument to defend VFF? She hasn’t backtracked on the booster, which she’s had; she doesn’t see the need, at present, for a fourth shot.
It seems to me that you have very little understanding of what you’re talking about. In addition, your logic is flawed; absence of evidence ≠ evidence of absence, not recommending ≠ advising against, being pro-vaccine ≠ pro-mandate, and being a progressive ≠ showing undying allegiance to one of the most corrupt industries on the planet. You failed to back up your last assertion, BTW.
In addition, no doctors were sacked in NZ for questioning or not subscribing to the “Big Pharma narrative”. That’s an outright lie.
Insinuating that doctors who gave the vaccine took “back handers from pharma reps” is an unsupported accusation, at best.
The clinical trials of the vaccine tested for safety and efficacy and they met the endpoints for approval, or preliminary approval, at least, based on the available data. Worldwide. We have learned a lot about the vaccine and the virus since then and we’re still on a steep learning curve. Fortunately, the worst seems to be over, for now, and, as Helen Petousis-Harris noted, we’re likely to see new vaccines becoming available in the near future – let’s hope we won’t need them badly!
As SPC mentions in 2 comments below @ 15 and 15.1, the vaccine seems effective against long Covid. None of the trials has tested for this because we didn’t even know about long Covid at the time. By your logic, we should simply ignore this and not use the vaccine for this!?
If you want to defend VFF, you really need better arguments and better reasoning, and a lot of ‘good luck’. VFF have become a basket for nutter conspiracies and disinformation and I fail to see why any person with a functional brain and internet access would fall for that nonsense.
Lastly, I note that you copped a 3-month ban in April for similar unsupported nonsense that you’ve been spouting here today.
PS Viagra doesn’t make you run faster, quite the contrary.
I copped a three month ban for stating that I tested positive for Covid and had the symptoms of a mild cold, if I recall correctly
Nope, when you sneezed, you splattered on our screens \sarc
"If you want to defend VFF, you really need better arguments and better reasoning, and a lot of ‘good luck’. VFF have become a basket for nutter conspiracies and disinformation and I fail to see why any person with a functional brain and internet access would fall for that nonsense"
I don't recall "defending" VFF or anyone else for that matter.
I understand that VFF are involved in creating resilient communities, promoting natural health and a raft of other things. I expect in a broad church grassroots organisation you will attract a few conspiracy theorists, whatever that means these day
As to defending VFF, I understand … that VFF is …
Oh, please! This is so pathetic it is insulting. Your ‘understanding’ of VFF is nothing but cult-style propaganda. Did you vote for their candidates in the Local Elections?
You’re again defending VFF here and you leaped to their defence when you had repeated go’s at Anne. Try criticising VFF and see if you can find any faults or flaws with them; then we’ll know if you’re for real here or not.
Wow. His parents must be so proud of him…LOL!
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/130157657/aaron-gilmores-500000-loan-solution-get-mum-and-dad-to-buy-his-holiday-house
Omg he's so embarrassing, he owes Aunty Kay hundreds of thousands and he's saying she's going to pay him. Good grief I'm sick of him dragging the family through the media.
He's living in an alternate dimension.
Hes a working class guy from east Christchurch to two extremely hard working community minded parents from a working class neighborhood.
He despised his working class roots and has always looked down on the family, the fact that his parents grew up in state houses and worked hard to own their own shops, he always wanted to impress the rich kids at his school, then the rich kids at his university. It's always money money money. Money make me look successful, money make me friends money make people like me.
His rich "friends" and the Tory's never accepted him because he didn't go to the right schools or have the right parents.
He's my cousin and all but noone in the family is like this honestly he's lost his marbles, and he may be ashamed of his family but quite frankly…. Well it goes both ways.
Corey, you are not responsible for his carry on.
We had a town drunk uncle in our family 70 years ago, and it nearly affected my getting papers from the careers advisor to attend Training college 62 years ago. Bad family members cause sorrow and pain, and endless "help them" schemes.
It was then I learned the party concerned has to want to be helped, otherwise it is wasted effort.
Hold your head up. Your posts here show a community minded positive person, the absolute opposite to him.
Thanks Patricia, yep unfortunately you really can't help people unless they want to help themselves.
Its been like a slow moving car crash watching him deteriorate.
He is pretty much who I aspire not to be tbh, one day he'll wake up all alone and take a long hard look in the mirror, do I wanna try my whole life to be in the cool kids club or do I wanna have a family and be on the side of the people.
You can't choose your relatives as they say. Doesn't reflect on you.
John Key says he has never voted left, so would have voted for Trump and Bolsonaro …
One wonders about the 1930's …
How could Key have voted for Trump or Bolsonaro ?
More importantly has Key paid arrears for living rent free in your head the past decade….
I can’t understand why people keep sniping about Key or from the other side of politics sniping about Clark after so many years.
Their time is done.
Read it more slowly this time.
And if you have a problem with people interviewing Key and publishing what he says, take it up with them.
This is about how blind partisanship can lead to all sorts of perverse outcomes, such as for the American democracy and as for the destruction of the rain forest …
Some people preferred the right in the 1930’s to the left back then …
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2022/10/former-prime-minister-john-key-says-he-would-ve-voted-for-donald-trump-in-2016-us-election.html
Sounds much less hypothetical coming from Key than coming from the average RW voter, doesn’t it?
Why do RW NZ MSM keep bringing John Key back up and into it all the time, one wonders …
youve got to admit it is something of a surprising position…or at least the public voicing of it.
Key normalised Trump and Bolsonaro to RW voters, in NZ, as perfectly acceptable choices. In other words, anything goes on the political Right in this country.
You believe it was that considered?
No, possibly not, but the effect is all the same.
The effect, maybe…though the reporting to date appears incredulous…so perhaps you are right…ultimately
How could Key have voted for Trump or Bolsonaro ?
Judging by the Panama Papers loophole, Key is the kind of guy that finds a way to do anything reprehensible.
So in Auckland they would put a fluffy white poodle/spoodle/yackadoodle up on the hustings with a big blue ribbon around its neck and he would vote for it. I always thought such things only happened in Southland ….the old joke circulates around there with monotonous regularity.
I have changed the type of dog as Southlanders would usually vote for a sheepdog or collie cross.
I find this appalling.
Trump's faults and those of Bolsonaro were apparent from very early on but JK would vote for a flawed person.
Collies are intelligent Shanreagh, unlike the blue mob. Perhaps Basset Hound? Low IQ and hard to train. sarc.
I used to tell my brother that he would vote for a road cone if it was blue….
Is that why the righties in Auckland are so anti the orange/red road cones. They're sending subliminal messages
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/13/former-new-zealand-pm-john-key-says-he-would-have-voted-for-trump-and-bolsonaro?
That's the reference for SPC above. Thought about commenting on it myself. He's a right voter, he says, and he was being honest in a quick fire quiz; a medium I'd suggest is not conducive to nuanced debate, unlike The Standard!
I'd have said that he'd tripped down a pothole, which seemingly is a post-pandemic information source replacing rabbit holes.
That's all right. I know quite a lot of people who voted Labour in 2020 because they believed that Labour had saved the lives of their Grannies, and 80,00 other people as well.
To be fair though, a large percentage of them now say that it was a mistake and have changed their minds about who they are going to vote for next year. Their only worry is about the amount of damage they see being done to New Zealand in the remaining 12 months of their term. They are developing a "Never Again" attitude to Labour.
So are you saying labour should not have saved their Grannies Alwyn.
Would you have voted for Trump or Bolsanaro Alwyn. This is actually what the post was about and not who voted for Labour in the last election.
There is a difference that needs to clearly delineated. Some people vote for their oen personal interest and some vote for the good of the society they live in. Some vote, say, for lower taxes as they will benefit with more money to spend. Others will say I don't mind paying more tax as I will be living in a fairer and more just society and government helps by assisting people who I cannot personally reach.
Voting for 'grannies' and for people who got saved is in the second group.
Voting for a racist, sociopathic, greedy, narcissistic buffoon who believes he is far brighter than he really is, has questionable morality and lacks essential values such as Trump is just not the same thing. It is a vote for self interest that is in the end neither beneficial for the individual or society.
I don't know much about Bolsonaro but read that he is not respected for his social views.
Would I vote for people like Stalin or the Korean dictator because they are of the Left and I am a Left voter?
This is why I am concerned about the continued inability of National to select a candidate slate of decent, reliable, socially concerned individuals so that a decent right of centre voter can vote for decency and not be forced into choosing to vote for right wing candidates of Trump-like concerns.
It's why I am concerned that a leader of a major party of the centre-right could find conscionable the idea of voting for Trump or his ilk.
when is willie jackson going to fire simon dallow and jessica much?
I think he has to get the merger with RNZ implemented. I am told it is only after that goes through that the Minister will be able to interfere quite so blatantly in the operation of the Company.
I haven't been following the shenanigans very much so it may already be possible.
The way to do it is by cost cutting.
Take the 3-4 'personalities' on TV idiot panels, and tell them there is only one job and one salary on offer. They'll self-select, possibly providing some amusing reality TV in the process.
Not only will Willie feel the heat, his bro John Tamihere already is. What John emailed to Herald reporter, Mat Nippert, is very unlike John, who, on the whole, has kept a balanced view on race relations comparative to other Maori commentators. I know Willie has been going around the country talking to Maori leadership. My guess is Jackson wants to formulate a plan to stop National eroding Maori initiatives should they come to power.
Wednesday 12th @ 16.45pm. 5.56 mark on playback.
https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-demand/week-on-demand/
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300712314/winston-peters-says-nz-first-is-coming-back-again
Why, and when, did MBIE loan $15 million to Ruapehu Alpine Lifts to build new facilities on Ruapehu?
What were they thinking of and who ordered the expenditure? I wonder which politicians are keen skiers and have lifetime passes for the ski-lifts on the mountain?
Link please.
And I wonder whereabouts in the pecking order the repayment will be.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300710452/ruapehu-alpine-lifts-precarious-financial-position-flagged-in-april
The statement in this link is "the Government has refused RAL another bailout after loaning the company $15m.".
Probably thinking about the entire economy of Ruapehu+Taumaranui+Ohakune.
But they are still happy to prop up a landbased salmon farm.
It's a sensible transition. The industry, unlike Tiktaalik, is a bit too conservative to make the evolutionary step from a marine environment on its own. There are limited places for cage farms, but plenty of spaces for swirl tanks.
Temperature control is feasible in tanks, but not attempted in cage farms in NZ to date. Evaporative cooling has been used in Florida and Jordan however, and could extend the life of such farms, at least until we hit the 2-3 degrees of AGW mark.
Have to say I am not comfortable with Hipkins wanting to make new laws so the cops can continue their illegal and unlawful behaviour in photographing youth who might get up to no good. Very perverse when they are supposed to uphold the law
A new position for a Minister of Future Crime? The timing is rather poor with the quashing of Peter Ellis's convictions which ask very serious questions of the policeand judiciary.
A great series from Newsroom which uses footage from Melanie Reid interviewing Ellis back in the day. A reminder that we have come a long way from that time.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/investigations/peter-ellis-the-creche-case-me
A Chch friend was accused of sexually molesting his 3 yo, who had developed a real fear of going into the toilet with an adult. He could only see his son under supervision for a couple of years. There was never any police charge, but the whole episode disrupted his relationship with his child. These days that child is a man with mental health and addiction issues. Guess where the child went to daycare. Guess who frequently babysat him for his mother. All before the creche case happened. The fear of toiletting was mentioned by worried creche parents in a North&South article last yearish. Peter Ellis's trial and the dodgy questioning of children undoubtedly were poorly executed. The ruling is about how justice was carried out. Whether he was innocent is a completely different matter. Frankly it stinks for the children involved and for their families. I believe poor judicial procedures hurt them then, while Ellis's acquittal on a procedural basis robs them of justice (and mana, the crux of the legal appeal) now.
A large study on long covid.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/12/health/long-covid.html
There is less long covid if vaxxed, and hopefully less from the omicron variant as well as most have a less severe illness with it.
The following study looked at the effectiveness of vaccines in reducing transmission in the days of the alpha and delta variants.
https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o298
What’s the gos here?
”The MP for Taranaki-King Country has resigned from her portfolios due to a personal dispute her family is in with the Ministry for Primary Industries.”
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/national-mp-barbara-kuriger-quits-portfolio-amid-dispute-with-government-department/JUWMT5EV5ZX75NFWGA4KTTWWYY/
Another chance to compare Luxon the so-called can-do CEO with the real job of PM …
1) He waited a week, then did the Friday afternoon dump
2) Ministers who resign have to front the media. Kuriger has not.
3) No transparency at all about the cause, the process, and what Luxon knew about any of it before last week.
The PM would be on toast for handling it like that.
Agree.
Particularly as only yesterday she fronted for National on the farmer+carbon response.
I don't know about point number 2. I can recall lots of instances of Ministers resigning (or being fired) and not fronting the media straight away.
Usually, the Leader wants to keep control of the narrative – and allow a cool down period for all concerned.
At the beginning of the week, when the government announced the farm charges on emissions Luxon appeared to be fence sitting, but when Federated Farmers /Hoggard spouted opposition, Luxon became more forceful. He could hardly have a compromised spokesperson fronting the debate, and only then did he decide to act on the removal of Kuriger from her portfolios.
Probably over the cruelty to animals charges brought in 2017. I am amazed that these charges did not disqualify her ages ago. Even if she was not personally involved I would have thought it would be pretty hard to advocate for farming issues when your family's animal management style includes cruelty.
I agree that it seems to be related to the case (where her son who was sharemilking was convicted). But I don't understand why the family would still be in dispute with MPI over it? He pleaded guilty (to reduced charges) and has been convicted and sentenced in 2020. Why the ongoing dispute?
An excuse to get rid of a weak link .
She comes across as thick and can't stick to the bumper sticker quotes .
That might be a side benefit – but shadow cabinet/portfolio re-shuffles don't usually require quite such levels of self-immolation.
Begs a couple of questions.
Did Luxon know before he gave her the spokesperson role?
If not, why not. If so, what was he thinking!
Oh, Luxon didn't know beforehand, just as he didn't know of Sam's thuggery before his selection as a candidate!
He's either thick or incompetent – probably both.
She's a director of the company fined. I'm surprised she's lasted this long.
Kuriger was convicted of wilful ill-treatment of the cows under the Animal Welfare Act. He was last week ordered to pay veterinary and report costs of $4060, and Oxbow Dairies Ltd was fined $30,000.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/a-seldom-acknowledged-animal-problem
https://opencorporates.com/companies/nz/962695
Odds are they're still not on top of the problem.
More information from a more recent source:
Using official MP letterhead for a private query – is not acceptable (and Kuriger would have known it was not – after the Nick Smith case)
In relation to the speed of Luxon's response –
Not exactly a stellar response time – 3-4 days would be reasonable – to investigate and discuss with the MP concerned – but 2 weeks is definitely in the lag territory.
It makes me wonder if he had been alerted that the MPI staffer was going to take it to the media – and that prompted him into action [pure speculation, I have no direct or indirect knowledge]
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2022/10/whistleblower-alerted-national-to-barbara-kuriger-matter-two-weeks-ago-raised-concern-about-mp-s-actions-towards-ministry.html
[NB: the poor punctuation in the quotes is from the initial article – I have firmly resisted the urge to correct it!]
Andrew Bailey arrives at IIF meeting as news was breaking that the Chancellor had to return to UK to take care of emergency of his own making.( read as all worlds senior economics advisors said UK policy was a crock)
https://twitter.com/BloombergUK/status/1580730237083471872?cxt=HHwWgMCisdHx8O8rAAAA
https://twitter.com/ChrisGiles_/status/1580715616167608320
The problem is bigger than the UK….but they are visible.
The UK mini budget was the torch that flamed the problem ie liquidity for margin calls.Not only for pension funds,but insurance companies and reinsurance companies.
The us$ problem is well known as the tradeoff for the US$ being a reserve currency was to run a US trade deficit.The other part as the money now being liquid in US$ it flows to US short end such as T bills,and other interest bearing cash products,the higher interest,means higher tax deductions at source which allows the US to decrease its federal deficit which has decreased to around 2.7 trillion in the last 12 months.
My understanding of the liquidity problem is the lack of willingness to take the risk due to (potential and unknown) multiple claims on single collateral….aka, a house of cards.
The wind that blows it all down could come from anywhere, and probably from an unwatched direction.
There was a lot of margin calls following the UK minibudget at the long end gilts,where nothing normally happens (a boring investment as expected) this allowed the Pension funds and Insurance companies to leverage the asset to use cash for growth investments.A fast change in pricing changed that very fast and the next day there was margin calls on 1/2 a trillion pound of assets.This required selling assets to become liquid which locked in larger sell offs, as the funds needed cash for day to day running .
One of the interesting problems with the Gilt meltdown was some hedge funds (cough blackrock) had both puts and calls trades against the same assets,where they zeroed the trades for some funds.
Still is a house of cards situation,with rumours of a coup in the UK causing a pound to rise in value.
And while everyone watches the UK (and they scramble to underwrite)…..
Trouble is it will be some of my pension fund and the NZ superfund,ACC etc.
I think Robertson's idea of having NZ debt issues in gilts listed on the FTSE needs to be kicked for touch (supposed to list in Nov)
Trouble is its a global problem and nobody (except perhaps North Korea) are out of the firing line. The real problem is we have developed a system that nobody really knows the mechanics of…especially central banks.
It runs on instinct
The situation is more that there are a lot trading in financial markets who have only known a zero discount world since the GFC with low interest rates.As the cheap money evaporated,these great financial influencer's were caught out (especially hedge funds) similar to the Housing market here.
The elephant in the room is still inflation,and few if any (excluding emerging markets) are responding correctly to reduce inflation in overheated economies.
Cant see the logic there….ultimately it requires continuous growth, without which the ability to continue to maintain the debt (credit) cycle is lost…in the past the leverage was both less and known…now, not so.
The elephant in the room is the end of growth.
Blackrock just reported a decrease in Assets by around 16%,as all asset classes decrease (excluding naughty energy).
The US printed a large CPI (where another jumbo hike is priced in) US stock market decreases 2.5%,reverses on noise of UK coup) and rumours of a U turn on tax with an increase in UK corporate tax cause market appreciation,traders are operating on noise and rumour.
The stock markets 'know' less than central banks…and thats saying something….as far as I can see the predominance of the US economy will first wreck other economies and as a consequence themselves…but group think is blind to such a scenario.
The US banks report today and the BOE QE finishes today,the stock market will be affected by both,and as reporting season comes in the questions will be on what part of Profits will be inflation and what part value.
What proportion of investment retail investors?
Depends on market,Higher in US in equities/bonds then others as Housing is not really looked as an investment asset (unlike say the rest of the anglos)
As a rough estimate it used to be 20%,which can be very noisy if they head to the exits at the same time.As they react on heart not head.
"Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has reportedly told media the mayoral salary of $296,000 a year is not a lot of money to him.
"When a reporter told him that most people would regard his salary of $296,000 to be large, the businessman said: "It's not to me"."
He could always donate it to charity then. But hang on …
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/130175981/brown-bemoans-296000-salary-but-how-does-it-compare-to-others-in-highpowered-roles
Why compare Brown's salary with those of CEOs unless the report is disingenuous and dealing in false equivalences? He's the mayor not the Auckland city CEO.
Public service anyone? The next three years are going to be long for Auckland.
Just seen that this is a follow-up to an earlier story about Brown's response to his salary.