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.
New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Carereport released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced$802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Carereport in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquirypublished its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone iconon the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive:Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloittereport for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’sOliver LewisScoop:Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announcedthe Board of Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Orderimage, ...
Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
Waiting In The Wings:For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSAannounced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
Open access notablesImproving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society:To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
A late change to charter school legislation will cheat educators out of fair pay and negotiating power proving charter schools are just a vehicle to make profit out of our education system. ...
In 2004 te iwi Māori rallied against the Crown’s attempt to confiscate our coastlines and moana with the Foreshore and Seabed Act. This led to the largest hīkoi of a generation and the birth of Te Pāti Māori. 20 years later, history is repeating itself. Today the government has announced ...
It has been five and a half years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was established to investigate the abuse of children, young people, and vulnerable adults within state and faith-based institutions. Yesterday, the final report - Whanaketia through pain and trauma, from darkness to light ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to take action off the back of the International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. ...
On Friday the International Court of Justice reaffirmed what Palestinian’s have been telling us for decades: that the occupation and colonisation of Palestinian lands by Israel is illegal and must end immediately. They also called for reparations for Palestinian’s who have lived under Israeli occupation since it began in 1967. ...
Labour calls on the Government to act after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories is illegal. ...
The 53.7 percent rise in benefit sanctions over the last year is more proof of this Government’s disdain for our communities most in need of support. ...
Aotearoa could be a country where every child grows up feeling safe, loved and with a sense of belonging in their whānau and community. But for some of our children, this is far from reality. Instead, they are trapped in a maze of intergenerational harm that they can’t escape on ...
Te Pāti Māori are calling for David Seymour to resign as Associate Health Minister in response to his call for Pharmac to ignore the Treaty of Waitangi. “This announcement is just another example of the government’s anti-Tiriti, anti-Māori agenda.” Said Co-leader and spokesperson for health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “Seymour thinks it ...
The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country - with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent on average while annual inflation is at 3.3 per cent. ...
National’s Emissions Reduction Plan will take New Zealand further from the economy we need to ensure the next generation has a stable climate and secure livelihoods. ...
Following consultation with named parties and thorough consideration of privacy interests, the Green Party is in a position to release the Executive Summary of the final report from the independent investigation into Darleen Tana. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should be asking serious questions of his Minister for Resources Shane Jones now it’s been revealed he misled the public about a dinner with mining companies that he didn’t declare and said wasn’t pre-arranged. ...
Te Pāti Māori have submitted to the Justice Select Committee against the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill. The bill will further entrench racism in our justice system and fails to focus on rehabilitation. “Reinstating Three Strikes will empower a systematically racist system and exacerbate the overrepresentation of Māori in ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is set to make a determination on the Residential Tenancies Amendment (RTA) Bill in the coming weeks. “This legislation will give landlords the power to kick our whānau out onto the street for no reason” said Housing spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “Their solution to the housing ...
“National’s campaign was about tackling crime and the best they can do is a two-year long Ministerial Advisory Group,” Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
“There are more examples of charter schools failing their students than there are success stories. The coalition Government is driving to dismantle our public school system and instead promote a privatised, competitive structure that puts profits before kids,” Jan Tinetti said. ...
“This government is choosing to deliberately mislead and withhold information, keeping our people in the dark about this government’s agenda and the future of our mokopuna,” said co-leader and spokesperson for Health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The call comes after the demand from the Chief Ombudsman that Associate Minister of Health, Casey ...
“Today’s climate announcement by Simon Watts makes clear the National Government is simply paying lip service to meeting its climate change targets,” Megan Woods said. ...
National is choosing to make life harder for workers by taking away the rights our communities have fought hard for. Here's how they’re taking workers backwards. ...
Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue. We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views. “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
Tēnā tātou katoa, Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts. “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet. “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks. “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
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Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. At the heart of this report are the ...
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The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
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New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024. “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane. “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says. “This will be our third visit to ...
Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum. While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation. “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan. “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests. Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone. Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
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Pacific Media Watch A Lebanese photojournalist who was severely wounded during an Israeli air strike in south Lebanon carried the Olympic torch in Paris this week in honour of her peers who have been wounded and killed in the field — especially in Gaza and Lebanon. Christina Assi of Agence ...
The first report in a five-part web series focused on the 15th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women taking place in the Marshall Islands this week.SPECIAL REPORT:By Netani Rika in Majuro Women continue to fight for justice 70 years after the first nuclear tests by the United States caused ...
Christopher Luxon has joined with Australia and Canada's leaders in voicing support for US President Joe Biden's ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The 2022 election brought the “teal wave” into parliament. The next election will test whether teals, who occupy what were Liberal seats, and other independents can maintain their momentum. Joining us on the Podcast ...
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In The Week in Politics: politicians have to decide what to do about child abuse, Health NZ is booked in for major surgery and Darleen Tana returns. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Corbould, Associate Professor, Contemporary Histories Research Group, Deakin University Mainstream media are surprisingly muted at the prospect of the world’s most powerful nation being led for the first time by a woman – specifically a woman of colour, Vice President Kamala ...
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The Abuse in Care report found many Pacific survivors lost their connections to their culture and language, resulting in trauma that has been carried from generation to generation. ...
In the regulatory review, ECC intends to suggest that ERO focus on curriculum delivery reviews rather than the Ministry, because it’s not efficient or effective to have two agencies with radically different approaches climbing over each other. ...
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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.![yes yes](https://cdn2.thestandard.org.nz/wp-content/plugins/ark-wysiwyg-comment-editor/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/thumbs_up.png?x42494)
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.