Although the new government promised to look at reopening the refinery, chief executive Rob Buchanan said there was no possibility of restarting refining. "It would require substantial investment, a long period of time and frankly people and folk that no longer work for our business."
Instead, the facility's owner, Channel Infrastructure, is planning its future around booming international air travel. The company supplies 80 percent of New Zealand's jet fuel, accepting shipments at its jetty at Northport in Northland and piping it 170km to Wiri, near Auckland Airport.
Long-haul travel makes up more than half of the airport's fuel use, despite being less than a quarter of trips, according to a presentation the company made to investors last year.
Junkie neolibs need to jab that needle in to get the tourist rush – all those little dollar signs running through your veins producing the eternal high.
The company told investors last year growth to 2050 will be driven by more demand from India and Asia and more 'extra long-haul' flights, which fly nonstop for over 16 hours to destinations such as New York. These 'extra long' journeys burn more fuel per passenger per kilometre, because of the extra weight of the fuel they carry.
And while Channel Infrastructure is investing in developing synthetic fuel by harnessing renewable energy, neither synthetic nor biofuel (from crops or wood) is expected to be able to keep up with more than a small proportion of the growing demand during the next two decades.
Yeah, because performing well requires drive & motivational energy & few capitalists nowadays have got what it takes. Hide behind market failure instead, much easier.
The vein of fuel is particularly important to New Zealand, since tourism is largely by plane and international tourism's overall contribution to New Zealand's total exports of goods and services was 2.4% and increasing leaps and bounds since COVID.
Doing holism on the situation requires encompassing conservatives & the establishment along with liberals, social democrats or whatever the left currently frame themselves as. Pragmatism is what you get when holism is inclusive enough to ground in common sense, so your view seems reasonable for now.
Voters will always choose life-support. The future of younger generations is too hypothetical to prevail.
And the facts get worse. In 2021 New Zealand was the world's biggest exporter of concentrated milk, sheep and goat meat, rough wood, butter, and casein.
Other than tourism, our export goods are pretty much the same as what we were making after World War One (minus wool).
Impressive. I had no idea materialism works so well – still going strong a century later. Still we do have a burgeoning tech industry too, which does export product & designs. Perhaps the stats on that aren't good enough to feature (yet).
There's also the airfreight capacity that comes with international tourism. This is a huge co-dependency in our economy as we found out through covid when tourism, and air freight stopped.
More tourism allows more exports, and cheaper imports, both making the biscuits more affordable.
Worrying about the impact on global warming of jet fuel consumption is a bit of pointless middle class theatre for Grey Lynn yoga mums, who will fly to Europe for their bi-annual holiday anyway. The elephant in the room is coal being used for electricity production. The world used 8.5 billion tons of coal last year.
I have just got back from three weeks in India and Sri Lanka. From my observations in India population growth is viewed as an unalloyed social good. The more young people we have, the argument goes, the richer we will become. And the first thing everyone wants is AC and then a car and then consumer electronics. Climate is not a seriously discussed priority compared with the desire to get rich. India used about a billion tons of coal a year, of which they produce about 80% domestically. Fossil fuel consumption generates around 56% of India's electricity (coal/lignite produces 50% of India electricity), hydro/wind/solar/waste to energy etc produces 41.5% (the country is festooned with wind turbines, fields of them marching from horizon to horizon) and nuclear less than 2%.
If we are serious about reducing global emissions we have to get the 56% of India's electricity produced by buring fossil fuels down to zero. The demand for power in India is insatiable as 1.5 billion people get richer. The only feasible way to reduce fossil fuel consumption is nuclear.
Any responsbile climate change movement seriously interested in solutions would be urgently demanding a crash program of nuclear power station construction. Arguing about jet fuel consumption is an utter distraction.
Any responsbile climate change movement seriously interested in solutions would be urgently demanding a crash program of nuclear power station construction.
COP28’s Nuclear Mirage [21 Dec 2023]
The problem with throwing nuclear into the mix of potential climate change fixes is that it takes money and attention away from proven and more viable solutions that are urgently needed, such as transforming grids to ensure delivery of renewables, and energy efficiency and storage.
…
If governments are serious about addressing climate change, they need to stop perpetuating the fantasy of a nuclear future, and pursue viable alternatives. They know that.
I hope they do – there are risks associated with channeling limited resources into new nuclear power plants. Nuclear energy is and will continue to be a significant source of base load power for some countries, but (imho) proponents are underestimating the challenges of rolling out new nuclear generating capacity in a timely fashion, and in the deteriorating geopolitical and environmental 'climate'.
Nuclear energy remains far behind photovoltaics and wind in China
[13 Jan 2024]
Solar and wind power have a history of next to no cost or schedule overruns during construction globally in Professor Bent Flyvbjerg’s data set over over 16,000 projects greater than a billion USD in cost. Nuclear generation, on the other hand, has innumerable long-tailed risks that lead to significant budget and schedule overruns. Unless you control very tightly, with military discipline usually enforced by the military, nuclear programs go far over budget and schedule.
Nuclear construction risks can be managed down and cost and scheduled constrained, but it can’t be done without all of the conditions for success in place. Even China, which has successfully built vastly more infrastructure than any country in the world in a much shorter period of time, couldn’t get it right. Maybe it will figure it out one day and keep the export strategists out of the nuclear side of the energy business. But as their wind, solar, battery and HVDC exports are booming, I suspect nuclear will continue to falter.
India boosts power generation capacity significantly over decade, aims for sizable renewable energy expansion [18 Dec 2023]
Looking forward, the ministry of power has laid out a comprehensive plan to meet the anticipated increase in power demand. Projects under construction include 27,180 MW of thermal capacity, 18,033.5 MW of hydro capacity, 8,000 MW of nuclear capacity, and 78,935 MW of renewable energy capacity. By 2031-32, India expects to add a total capacity of 464,124 MW.
The news is supposed to tell us what's happening in the world. It doesn't. It tells us what's going wrong. Thanks to a combination of commercial pressures, cognitive biases and cultural habits, news organisations have become modern-day doom machines, showcasing the worst of humanity, without highlighting any progress, healing or restoration. Yes, journalism is supposed to hold truth to power and when terrible things happen we shouldn't turn away. But when we only hear stories of doom, we fail to see the stories of possibility. We deny ourselves the opportunity to do better.
MSM news does sometimes feature up-market weddings, though, plus the royals, although gossip around Paris Hilton & the Kardashians seems to have ebbed.
This year, we found over 2,000 of those kinds of stories, and shared them with tens of thousands of readers in a weekly email. Not dog-on-a-surfboard, baby-survives-a-tornado stories, but genuine, world changing stuff about how millions of lives are improving, about human rights victories, diseases being eliminated, falling emissions, how vast swathes of our planet are being protected and how entire species have been saved. We rounded up 400 of our favourites, and then crammed all of those again into this final list of 66.
Such selectivity is admirable, and the list does indeed seem a public service. Here's one:
50. One of the largest ever declines in deforestation
In 2023 deforestation across the nine Amazonian countries was 55.8% lower than last year, in a major turnaround for a region that's vital to curbing climate change. Brazil's deforestation rate fell by over 50%, the largest single year decline since records began, and over a million hectares of forest were protected across South America, including the Cuchilla del San Juan Reserve, linking together two of the world’s greatest biodiversity hotspots, and the Camino del Jaguar Reserve, part of a global biodiversity hotspot that extends from Panama to northern Peru.
One of the Western European countries developed a deal with MSM that they would cease catastofreonising (?) the bad news. They also set about increasing rehabilitation in prisons and reducing the punishments in prisons. The prison population halved and the population fear of crime faded away.
Why not in NZ? people like Mitchell would totally refuse to look at any such evidence because there are votes in more crime.
It would be clever to apply that thinking, Ian, but I can't see any of our political parties thinking outside the square – the effect of democracy on them is too much of a conceptual strait-jacket.
Sweden:"Sweden's non-punitive sentencing model must be working because the overall reoffending rate in Sweden is only 10-40%. Post-prison support is another strong reinforcement for keeping ex-offenders from returning to prison. .."
And:"Sweden is doing something to lower the recidivism rate and forcing prisons to close because they are taking a different approach to crime and punishment.
Globally, we need to pay close attention to what Sweden is doing…"
And: "Nils Oberg, chief executive of Sweden’s probation service, announced in November that four of Sweden’s prisons are going to be closed because of a significant drop in inmates."
Just heard Shane Te Pou explaining to RNZ, on their 8am news, what Golriz & the Greens have been doing wrong – not fronting the issue – and I wondered what the conservative msm guys were saying. Not much!
Haven't been able to form & opinion & get it up since 19 December. Too much holiday beer, obviously. Hang on, they've got a separate politics page. Nope, no politics worth reporting since 1 December. Talk about lame!!
He understands that news must be personal so readers can identify with it. He also dresses it up with primary colours, and those two Nat honchos in yellow hats look ever so cool, eh? Simian especially.
Marijuana is neither as risky nor as prone to abuse as other tightly controlled substances and has potential medical benefits, and therefore should be removed from the nation’s most restrictive category of drugs, federal scientists have concluded.
Gideon Levy looks at how economic pressure is a driver of ethnic cleansing on the West Bank.
The injustice of denial of access to the Arab village land, when there are settlements nearby, drives people to protest and then they are arrested and imprisoned etc.
Then they later leave the village for the urban centres.
Why have The Greens handled the Golriz Ghahraman allegations so badly? Their approach to date has not shut down the story and it has given it legs. Even exactly when Ms Ghahraman is due back in NZ is unclear which just adds to the confusion. Do The Greens lack an experienced Media team?
Because this damages the party's image and therefore the brand. The Greens are big onstating they have integrity and are better than your usual set of politicians. What they have done so far in dealing with this suggests otherwise.
The accusations alone have damaged the party's image and those couldn't be avoided. The Greens do "have integrity and are better than your usual set of politicians" If one of their MP's has not met that standard, the party itself is not answerable for that persons actions. You are implying that the party is acting below their professed standards. I presume you are doing so in order to erode readers confidence in them.
They should have demanded that Golriz Ghahraman provide them with either an assurance there was nothing untoward happening or for her to provide them the information about what she did wrong so they can request that she resigns
see my comment below. Afaik the Greens have an internal process they have to follow with MPs. I think this was developed after 2017 and the issues with the two MPs that went rogue.
Weka is most likely meaning Kennedy Graham and David Clendon who resigned on a matter principle rather than "went rogue" over the Metiria Turei revelations of benefit fraud and the unravelling of her story attempting to justify it.
But Shaw said the way in which the pair chose to go about their resignation was in violation of the Green Party values, and the party caucus felt betrayed by the way the pair had gone about quitting.
He added that he believed the pair's actions had brought the party into disrepute – which was against its rules for MPs – and he'd be acting on that.
Whilst I'd rather not get into another onsite dispute about this, since I led the consensus process that created the GP constitution & standing orders, I do have a view that's relevant: nobody involved did the right thing – which was to specify any perceived breach.
The internal rules are meant to produce outcomes in accord with the principle of natural justice (just like our inherited state legal system).
The two who resigned over Turei's (perceived) breach of consensus ought to have specified precisely why they did. I can't comment on the rules for MPs since they didn't exist in the GP when I was SOC convenor. I didn't like the current SOC convenor's absence from the fray since he was the cop on the beat. Either cowardly or the parliamentary rules made him irrelevant…
Thanks. Further to that, I did learn during my second stint within that there had been significant changes to the constitution that was adopted pre-MMP, and since they weren't available to members on the GP website I assumed that members were obliged to trust the word of the current SOC convenor.
A bit like being out on a limb & officially expected to do your saw-cut on the trunk side of that limb. Faith in officials is what got Stalin into his dictatorship. You'd think common sense would make the rules available to the members. But, you know, leftists…
seems odd to me too. I remember when they did a major revamp of the website and a lot of the material taht explained the GP was either removed or hard to find.
tbf though, the constitution of political parties is published on the Electoral Commission’s website. It’s an easy google for individual parties, but I can’t easily find of all the parties are there.
That's excellent. Here's the key section re parliamentary caucus:
8.4. Parliamentary Caucus will consist of the:
8.4.1. MPs;
8.4.2. Co-Leaders; Green Party of Aotearoa N/Zealand
8.4.3. Party Co-Convenors;
8.4.4. Policy Co-Convenors;
8.4.5. Kaiwhakahaere of Te Rōpū Pounamu;
8.4.6. Local Government Caucus Co-Convenors;
8.4.7. General Manager.
8.5. Parliamentary and Party staff may attend as advisors with the permission of Parliamentary Caucus.
8.6. Any Member may normally attend a Parliamentary Caucus meeting subject to the rules contained in an agreement between the Party and its MPs.
It's very much to their credit that they've made the thing available to members! I bet they got a good crowd watching when the Turei fiasco was dealt with! Gives them optimal credibility, that.
Hard to see how the process enabled a stuff-up. Either the thing was decided by consensus or a vote, so why were we not told which?? Extremely peculiar.
In addition, the Greens have specific internal processes that they will be following regarding issues with MPs. That's not a public process although I expect the co-leaders to make announcements in due course.
I do think they could be doing more publicly though.
are you channelling today’s right wing memo Gosman, or perhaps leftie commentator Shane Te Pou?
The silence was fuelling speculation, Te Pou said, and it was damaging the Green Party's brand as well as Ghahraman's.
"It looks from afar that there's trying to be suppression of the issue, where I think for the sake of Greens, for the sake of Golriz herself, the best disinfectant for all this is daylight.
Do you not think that because both commentators on the left AND right are on agreement on how The Greens are mishandling this it might suggest that there is in fact bad political mangement going on here?
could well be. Could also be the habitual takes from the right and centre left because they don't understand how the GP operates.
Myself, I think it's probably a bit of both. But I don't think the GP are going to pre-empt a fair process. There are employment issues for parliament to work through too. They've learnt a few things from Graham, Clendon and Kerekere, and other parties’ issues, as well as having fairness built in.
fwiw, if she is guilty of shoplifting I think she should resign, and I also think due process should be followed.
My take is the GP operates in a way that ignores the simple fact it is the public that puts them in Parliament, not their members.
I have no doubt there are internal rules that are both fair, and provide for due process. But this is politics, and politics has its own rules, which are based on perception.
To be fair, I'm not sure they could have 'shut down the story'. This is a sitting MP accused of shoplifting – the media were always going to run this hard.
Yeah but the Story should have been dealt with cleanly so it did not develop legs. They should have got the entire story from Ms Ghahraman and if there was any question of inappropriate behaviour then she should have resigned as an MP immediately. Now if she does so it will be much worse for the Party.
No mention of any scheduled press conference from that spokesperson! Media strategy seems to be to keep building suspense in the public mind awhile yet…
When locals are part of a global trend, and are more middle of the yoga class ambitious for the finer things in life than common folk, but while keeping the cost under control
Not sure I can face doing a whole post on this sorry saga.
I just have this sneaky feeling that CRL will be one of the last big public transport projects or even rail projects done in New Zealand in a very long time.
CRL itself will be a major boost to Auckland as an alternative to the car. But it is taking a decade to construct, and the impact on the CBD was big. Also it's doubled in price in that time and that is crippling Auckland Council.
Stopping this light rail project locks Auckland in to a very difficult transport future, that gets harder and harder to get out of.
No, it is a choice to move to Oz for more money, or the provinces for cheaper housing.
If they can keep the job and work from home (or find local employment in their sector) the provinces is their chance to own a property with a section like their parents in Auckland once did.
Working couples with children have been doing it. It's made their lives easier.
Younger ones who see no prospect of owning a home in Auckland do still have the option of partnering to own a cheaper property apartment/flat then later moving to the provinces when starting a family.
As an Aucklander, I would be interested in your take on this. Here's Matt Lowrie's view:
As a huge advocate for better public transport in Auckland, it continues to feel a bit weird that I’m not upset that a major public transport project is being cancelled. Instead I continue to feel disappointed and frustrated at the previous government for botching this project so badly that it was further from becoming a reality in 2023 than it was when they took it over in 2017.
Thanks Adrian. The persecution of this young woman generated a lot of comment on this excellent site at the time. It's a grim but ultimately uplifting story, showing once again that aggressors and occupiers can kill and maim people (mostly children like Ahed's cousin, and old people) but they cannot crush their spirit.
The thread also contains one genuinely funny contribution, from "Wayne", who asserts, with all the gravitas he can muster, that the occupation "is not, of itself, illegal."
Watching atrocity after atrocity, brutality after brutality, massacre after massacre all being proudly conducted right out in the open, with the deranged IDF filming themselves…the Israeli politicians calling daily for even more violence…
…the Israeli children happily singing about genocide, the Israeli families dressing up and mocking the starving woman and children, all this horror has made me come to realize, that without question, watching this horrific genocide is what it would have been like, had the brave and heroic fighters in the Warsaw Uprising has iphones on them…
…filming themselves in that hellhole fighting the Nazi's, while watching their families starve or being indiscriminately blown into pieces of unrecognizable meat, or worse, trapped without the possibility of rescue, too die slowly and horribly under mountains of rubble….or have amputations done with no anaesthetics…
..the only difference is that with just one phone call from the USA and Biden they could stop this in an instant….but that won't happen because now it has been said explicitly by the West, through their open support for this genocide, that the West has no moral or ethical framework embedded within it's ideology….and only power and the maintenance of the power at any cost, is all that these monsters believe in and wish to achieve.
Only fanatics, liberal free market fundamentalists and the weak of mind can now possibly maintain an allegiance to this despicable ideology,that is for sure…look out for them, and never forget who they are.
Exactly how I feel Adrian. It is amazing how so many ordinary people that I have known for years have finally understood what US Imperialism and their client state Israel are all about.
The South African Lawyer Tembaka could not have put the case for Genocide being enacted before the world any clearer to the International Court.
Expert has a go at unclogging the global governance system:
The dysfunctionality of the Security Council was underlined on December 22 when it finally reacted to the Gaza situation by adopting a watered-down resolution. It demanded the provision of much greater humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians in Gaza but failed to address the massive violence causing such extensive human suffering in this territory.
The key factor behind the marginalisation of the Security Council in the current Gaza conflict has been the stance of its most powerful member, the US. Washington has a long history of using its veto to support Israel at the United Nations. It has blocked 53 Security Council resolutions relating to Israel in the past 50 years, including the two Gaza resolutions last year.
At present, global security matters are hostage to the interests of the five permanent members. Without curtailing the use of the veto or significantly increasing the power of the UN General Assembly, it is difficult to envisage any real improvement in the security of the world.
The five permanent members will obviously be reluctant to lose their veto privileges but pressure from the wider UN membership could yet force a new arrangement whereby General Assembly resolutions with two-thirds support or more become binding and not subject to a veto.
This article was originally published in South China Morning Post and is republished with permission
IMHO the full UN General Assembly getting in particular the US to abstain was the one with the stronger mandate and moral force:
"Expressing grave concern over the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and the suffering of the Palestinian civilian population, and emphasizing that the Palestinian and Israeli civilian populations must be protected in accordance with international humanitarian law,
1. Demands an immediate humanitarian ceasefire;
2. Reiterates its demand that all parties comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, notably with regard to the protection of civilians;
3. Demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, as well as ensuring humanitarian access;
4. Decides to adjourn the tenth emergency special session temporarily and to authorize the President of the General Assembly at its most recent session to resume its meeting upon request from Member States.
The resolution does not condemn Hamas or make any specific reference to the extremist group."
Have the alleged potential costings for Aucklands Light Rail been substantiated in any way, or are they plucked out of the air and referred back to ‘advice they have received. From whom may I ask?This is a genuine question. Cocs seem to be able to fling all sorts of numbers in the air but never give a breakdown on how they arrived at these numbers. It’s all very airy fairy.
It's mainly the neolib tooth fairy. She waves her magic wand & makes all stakeholders believe whatever costing is being toted at the time. Then times change & new numbers magically appear. It's how neoliberalism was designed to work. Magical thinking.
Fact check: the timetable now is the same as previous supposedly lazy governments and Parliaments.
This is not surprising or even bad. Breaks are important. What's bad is that he spouts this nonsense before the summer break and it is reported as if it were true, instead of reporters pointing out that it obviously isn't.
Credit to one reporter for not having a Luxon memory hole …
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has met with Kiingi Tuuheitia just days before a national hui. In December, the Kiingitanga called a nationwide hui over fears of the coalition government's plans for Māori. Iwi across the country converge at Tūrangawaewae Marae in Ngāruawāhia this Saturday, to work out a unified response to the coalition government's policies.
Thousands are expected to attend the national hui, Taakiri Tuu Te Kotahitanga, Taakiri Tuu te Mana Motuhake, convened by Kiingi Tuuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII.
The prime minister and Kiingi Tuuheitia met on Monday morning, the prime minister's office said in a statement.
Nah, they've met before. One of the reports today said so, can't recall which. And this:
“The meeting had been planned since last year and was an opportunity to further build on the relationship they have established in the last two years.”
Yes, of course they've met before, but this meeting is just an attempt to get in ahead of the hui. We all know what's coming, and Luxon wants to pose as the reasonable one (note the presence of Potaka at the meeting, the Minister who wants to build a bridge but can't outmuscle Peters and Seymour).
BTW, really unprofessional reporting on the 6 pm Newshub story. A casual viewer would assume that was current footage. It was old library footage, and labelling it as such is what every TV journalist/editor learns at broadcasting school, lesson one.
Agree. My surprise was lead story on ONE News: Golriz. Nothing happened. Well, ostensibly they reported her return to Aotearoa earlier today.
Plus they interviewed Brigitte Morten, who helpfully explained why it was so bad that Golriz and the Greens continued to stonewall the public interest. Insert eye-rolling emoji. The purpose seemed to be that she represents the public interest in the situation. Yes, I know that's not plausible.
… an opportunity to further build on the relationship they have established in the last two years.
That sounds like Luxon-speak and it would mean nothing coming from him. If he went to a local beach and accidently bumped into someone who happened to be a local councillor he would claim at a later date he had met the person and formed a close relationship. Close alright, he knocked him over. (Just a tongue in cheek fib)
Alex Berenson debunks the claim that COVID vaccines are causing excess deaths “I don’t believe that this entire regulatory apparatus would ignore screaming danger signs. And I don’t believe doctors would.”
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Don't like National's corrupt Muldoonist "fast-track" law? Aotearoa's environmental NGO's - Greenpeace, Forest & Bird, WWF, Coromandel Watchdog, Coal Action Network Aotearoa, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining, and others - have announced a joint march against it in Auckland in June: When: 13:00, 8 June, 2024 Where: Aotea Square, Auckland You ...
Seymour describes sushi as too woke for school meals. There are no fish sushi meals recommended by the School Lunches programme. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: The Government will swap out hot meals for packaged sandwiches to save $107 million on school lunches for poor kids. MSD has pulled ...
I don't mind stealin' bread from the mouths of decadenceBut I can't feed on the powerless when my cup's already overfilled, yeahBut it's on the table, the fire's cookin'And they're farmin' babies, while slaves are workin'The blood is on the table and the mouths are chokin'But I'm goin' hungry, yeahSome ...
The Ardern Government’s chickens came home to roost yesterday with the news that the country is short of natural gas. In 2018, Labour banned offshore petroleum exploration, and industry executives say that the attendant loss of confidence by the industry impacted overall investment in onshore gas fields. Energy Resources Minister ...
Hi,If you’ve been digging through the newly launched Webworm store (orders are being dispatched worldwide as I type!) you’ll have noticed the best model we had was Calvin.This is Calvin.Calvin.Calvin is 7, and is the son of my producer over on Flightless Bird, Rob — aka “Wobby Wob”. Rob also ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Climate change is everywhere. And when something's everywhere it can feel like it's nowhere. So how do we get our heads ...
Its a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...
Yesterday Winston Peters focussed his attention on the important matter at hand. Tweeting. Like the former, and quite possibly next, orange POTUS, from whom he takes much of his political strategy, Winston is an avid X’er.His message didn’t resemble an historic address this time. In fact it was more reminiscent ...
Buzz from the Beehive A significant decline in natural gas production has given Resources Minister Shane Jones an opportunity to reiterate his enthusiasm for the mining and burning of coal. For good measure, he has praised an announcement from Genesis Energy that it will resume importing coal. He and Energy ...
“Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim.Extreme Left Auckland University of TechnologyEvidenceThe ...
Eric Crampton writes – I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes – Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
New Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
PNG Post-Courier New Zealand High Commissioner Peter Zwart and PNG Defence Minister Dr Billy Joseph welcomed a C-130 Hercules to Port Moresby this week to support Papua New Guinea’s response to the March 24 earthquake and recent severe flooding. “Papua New Guinea has requested New Zealand’s assistance to transport emergency ...
Grub Street King Luxon rode through the streets Of King’s Landing, and was troubled By the sight of hungry urchins in the mud. “Who would be the best of my Lords To deal with this negative optic?” He pondered. The answer came to him instantly. “Seymour!” he said to himself. ...
“The Bill does not provide environmental protection, good quality decision making, certainty, public participation or speed. It should be withdrawn.” ...
RNZ News Television New Zealand has breached its collective agreement with the E tū union when deciding on discontinuing programmes, the Employment Relations Authority has ruled. It was announced in March that 68 staff members who work for news programmes Midday and Tonight, consumer justice programme Fair Go, current affairs ...
Asia Pacific Report Barangay New Zealand’s Rene Molina has interviewed the country’s first Filipino Green MP Francisco Hernandez who was sworn into Parliament yesterday as the party’s latest member. This is the first interview with Hernandez who replaces former Green Party co-leader James Shaw after his retirement from politics to ...
An Australian Strategic Policy Institute report says Pillar Two could raise the industry to state of the art capability - or "crush" it "under the weight of the globe's biggest player". ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marlene Longbottom, Associate Professor, Indigenous Education & Research Centre, James Cook University ShutterstockThis article contains information on deaths in custody and the violence experienced by First Nations people in encounters with the Australian carceral system. It also contains references to ...
“Instead of following along countries that are investing in death and better ways of killing people faster, we need to invest in life and in making Aotearoa a fair, just and equitable place where everyone has what they need for a dignified life.” ...
MARIAMENO KAPA-KINGI, TPM MP FOR TAI TOKERAU This Government will not waver in its mission to exterminate Māori. CHRISTOPHER LUXON Oh well look you know I don’t think that hard-working Kiwis want to hear language like that. It’s just really unhelpful rhetoric. My Government is genuinely committed to advancing outcomes ...
The body positivity movement started with women confronting the unrealistic expectations and unrepresentative portrayals of them in media and advertising. Men weren’t part of it … their bodies hadn’t been sexualised to the same extremes and they didn’t really need it. But now that’s changed. And in a warped sort ...
The New Zealand comedy legend takes us through her life in television, including the time she hugged Elton John and the unshakeable legacy of a girl named Lyn. In 1981, Ginette McDonald stood on the stage of Auckland’s St James Theatre and directly addressed Queen Elizabeth II. It was a ...
An essay by Lily Duval from the just-released anthology Otherhood: Essays on being childless, childfree and child adjacent.I was 22 when my friend Alice gave birth in the living room of our pokey Addington flat. She laboured in the blow-up pool for hours. Garish fish swam along the inflated ...
Ella Borrie on the best books about motherhood she’s come across so far. Over the past few years I’ve been drawn to books about motherhood. I’m fascinated by the joys and horrors of becoming a parent. The question of children also feels more pressing than it used to. It’s like ...
Out of gift ideas for mum? You can’t go wrong with a bottle of toilet cleaner and a new squeegee. Emily Writes is the writer and editor of Emily Writes Weekly. This week marks five years since I published a post on The Spinoff about Mother’s Day marketing titled ‘A ...
My husband is posted overseas for 12 months and I’m armed with an expensive, newfangled vibrator. Will I miss him? The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.A few days after my husband leaves, a new sex toy arrives at the front door. Nestled ...
Jaimie Baird’s new book Here Today Gone Tomorrow is a record of four decades of graffiti and street art in Wellington, told through more than 1,200 photographs. He spoke with Joel MacManus about what inspired the book. How did you first get interested in photographing street art? I remember ...
Editor Madeleine Chapman looks back at a busy week where food of all political leanings dominated. Sometimes you’re just going about your week thinking you’ve got a good handle on what might be coming as far as news topics and then someone (usually a politician) says something so ridiculous that ...
In a week of cold rain and frost, the climate in courtroom four upstairs at the Invercargill courthouse was simmering with restrained indignation. At times it felt like the famous Mexican standoff scene from Reservoir Dogs, or, as someone watching the proceedings described it, there was so much throwing of ...
A banner notification alerts me to the fact that I’ve received an Instagram message from @felicity.loves. She always comments on my posts. I shouldn’t have opened the message, but clicked on the notification before rationalising this. OMG! Are you in Wellys? X I debate not replying, but Instagram will inform ...
In Melbourne’s hardscrabble western suburbs where AFL – Aussie rules football – is a state religion, Callum Donaldson has been quietly grafting away, four months into an odyssey that he hopes will take him to another promised land: the NRL. It was a solid 2023 for the softly spoken 20-year-old ...
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Neolib addiction to fossil fuels gets a dispassionate appraisal here: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/506701/extra-long-haul-flights-boom-would-blow-climate-targets-campaigner-says\
Junkie neolibs need to jab that needle in to get the tourist rush – all those little dollar signs running through your veins producing the eternal high.
Yeah, because performing well requires drive & motivational energy & few capitalists nowadays have got what it takes. Hide behind market failure instead, much easier.
The vein of fuel is particularly important to New Zealand, since tourism is largely by plane and international tourism's overall contribution to New Zealand's total exports of goods and services was 2.4% and increasing leaps and bounds since COVID.
https://www.tia.org.nz/about-the-industry/quick-facts-and-figures/#:~:text=Tourism%20generated%20a%20direct%20annual,of%20New%20Zealand's%20total%20GDP.
We don't have an alternative to air transport tourism, either as a mode of transport or as an entire segment of the economy.
Doing holism on the situation requires encompassing conservatives & the establishment along with liberals, social democrats or whatever the left currently frame themselves as. Pragmatism is what you get when holism is inclusive enough to ground in common sense, so your view seems reasonable for now.
Voters will always choose life-support. The future of younger generations is too hypothetical to prevail.
Oh no it's just facts.
https://oec.world/en/profile/country/nzl
And the facts get worse. In 2021 New Zealand was the world's biggest exporter of concentrated milk, sheep and goat meat, rough wood, butter, and casein.
Other than tourism, our export goods are pretty much the same as what we were making after World War One (minus wool).
That's what keeps us in biscuits.
Impressive. I had no idea materialism works so well – still going strong a century later. Still we do have a burgeoning tech industry too, which does export product & designs. Perhaps the stats on that aren't good enough to feature (yet).
There's also the airfreight capacity that comes with international tourism. This is a huge co-dependency in our economy as we found out through covid when tourism, and air freight stopped.
More tourism allows more exports, and cheaper imports, both making the biscuits more affordable.
Just gotta keep chugging along…
Worrying about the impact on global warming of jet fuel consumption is a bit of pointless middle class theatre for Grey Lynn yoga mums, who will fly to Europe for their bi-annual holiday anyway. The elephant in the room is coal being used for electricity production. The world used 8.5 billion tons of coal last year.
I have just got back from three weeks in India and Sri Lanka. From my observations in India population growth is viewed as an unalloyed social good. The more young people we have, the argument goes, the richer we will become. And the first thing everyone wants is AC and then a car and then consumer electronics. Climate is not a seriously discussed priority compared with the desire to get rich. India used about a billion tons of coal a year, of which they produce about 80% domestically. Fossil fuel consumption generates around 56% of India's electricity (coal/lignite produces 50% of India electricity), hydro/wind/solar/waste to energy etc produces 41.5% (the country is festooned with wind turbines, fields of them marching from horizon to horizon) and nuclear less than 2%.
If we are serious about reducing global emissions we have to get the 56% of India's electricity produced by buring fossil fuels down to zero. The demand for power in India is insatiable as 1.5 billion people get richer. The only feasible way to reduce fossil fuel consumption is nuclear.
Any responsbile climate change movement seriously interested in solutions would be urgently demanding a crash program of nuclear power station construction. Arguing about jet fuel consumption is an utter distraction.
I hope they do – there are risks associated with channeling limited resources into new nuclear power plants. Nuclear energy is and will continue to be a significant source of base load power for some countries, but (imho) proponents are underestimating the challenges of rolling out new nuclear generating capacity in a timely fashion, and in the deteriorating geopolitical and environmental 'climate'.
Here's a site dedicated to good news: https://futurecrunch.com/goodnews2023/?ref=future-crunch-newsletter
They have this critique of msm news:
MSM news does sometimes feature up-market weddings, though, plus the royals, although gossip around Paris Hilton & the Kardashians seems to have ebbed.
Such selectivity is admirable, and the list does indeed seem a public service. Here's one:
One of the Western European countries developed a deal with MSM that they would cease catastofreonising (?) the bad news. They also set about increasing rehabilitation in prisons and reducing the punishments in prisons. The prison population halved and the population fear of crime faded away.
Why not in NZ? people like Mitchell would totally refuse to look at any such evidence because there are votes in more crime.
It would be clever to apply that thinking, Ian, but I can't see any of our political parties thinking outside the square – the effect of democracy on them is too much of a conceptual strait-jacket.
Which country?
Sweden, and Norway also has a great response:
Sweden:"Sweden's non-punitive sentencing model must be working because the overall reoffending rate in Sweden is only 10-40%. Post-prison support is another strong reinforcement for keeping ex-offenders from returning to prison. .."
And:"Sweden is doing something to lower the recidivism rate and forcing prisons to close because they are taking a different approach to crime and punishment.
Globally, we need to pay close attention to what Sweden is doing…"
And: "Nils Oberg, chief executive of Sweden’s probation service, announced in November that four of Sweden’s prisons are going to be closed because of a significant drop in inmates."
How would this positivity site approach something like what's being done in Gaza right now?
What good news would it have found on 9/11, as the U.S.-backed Chilean military destroyed the democratic government of Salvador Allende?
How would they have handled the 1965 genocide in Indonesia? Actually, we have the answer for that one….
Just heard Shane Te Pou explaining to RNZ, on their 8am news, what Golriz & the Greens have been doing wrong – not fronting the issue – and I wondered what the conservative msm guys were saying. Not much!
Haven't been able to form & opinion & get it up since 19 December. Too much holiday beer, obviously. Hang on, they've got a separate politics page. Nope, no politics worth reporting since 1 December. Talk about lame!!
One media hot-shot is onto a leading story though:
He understands that news must be personal so readers can identify with it. He also dresses it up with primary colours, and those two Nat honchos in yellow hats look ever so cool, eh? Simian especially.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/12/health/marijuana-fda-dea.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Nk0.OnWm.oMx4dSB0NpMo&smid=url-share
Gideon Levy looks at how economic pressure is a driver of ethnic cleansing on the West Bank.
The injustice of denial of access to the Arab village land, when there are settlements nearby, drives people to protest and then they are arrested and imprisoned etc.
Then they later leave the village for the urban centres.
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/twilight-zone/2024-01-13/ty-article-magazine/.highlight/i-have-land-but-i-dont-west-bank-olive-harvest-is-yet-another-casualty-of-gaza-war/0000018c-ff8e-dd94-a9cc-ffeeb6910000
Why have The Greens handled the Golriz Ghahraman allegations so badly? Their approach to date has not shut down the story and it has given it legs. Even exactly when Ms Ghahraman is due back in NZ is unclear which just adds to the confusion. Do The Greens lack an experienced Media team?
Why "shut down the story"?
Talk is ephemeral. If there is a problem, it will have to be faced, regardless of any preparations for softening it.
If there is no problem, the weight of the chatter will fall back upon the chatterers.
Urging The Greens to behave as other parties do, won't provoke them to employ the techniques we are so jaded about.
The Greens are wiser than that.
Ronald Reagan said "If you're explaining, you're losing".
He was referring to policy, not allegations of theft against his justice spokesperson…
Who was Reagan's justice spokesperson?
Why wasn't Reagan "referring" to him?
Do we know the full story?
Because this damages the party's image and therefore the brand. The Greens are big onstating they have integrity and are better than your usual set of politicians. What they have done so far in dealing with this suggests otherwise.
The accusations alone have damaged the party's image and those couldn't be avoided. The Greens do "have integrity and are better than your usual set of politicians" If one of their MP's has not met that standard, the party itself is not answerable for that persons actions. You are implying that the party is acting below their professed standards. I presume you are doing so in order to erode readers confidence in them.
They should have demanded that Golriz Ghahraman provide them with either an assurance there was nothing untoward happening or for her to provide them the information about what she did wrong so they can request that she resigns
see my comment below. Afaik the Greens have an internal process they have to follow with MPs. I think this was developed after 2017 and the issues with the two MPs that went rogue.
"the two MPs that went rogue."
I can remember Turei but who was the other one?
Weka is most likely meaning Kennedy Graham and David Clendon who resigned on a matter principle rather than "went rogue" over the Metiria Turei revelations of benefit fraud and the unravelling of her story attempting to justify it.
technically they did both.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/95544495/james-shaw-fronts-over-longserving-green-mps-quitting-over-coleader
They were subsequently also removed from the party as members. Not something the GP does lightly.
Whilst I'd rather not get into another onsite dispute about this, since I led the consensus process that created the GP constitution & standing orders, I do have a view that's relevant: nobody involved did the right thing – which was to specify any perceived breach.
The internal rules are meant to produce outcomes in accord with the principle of natural justice (just like our inherited state legal system).
The two who resigned over Turei's (perceived) breach of consensus ought to have specified precisely why they did. I can't comment on the rules for MPs since they didn't exist in the GP when I was SOC convenor. I didn't like the current SOC convenor's absence from the fray since he was the cop on the beat. Either cowardly or the parliamentary rules made him irrelevant…
My vague understanding (probably from something I read during the Kerekere thing last year) is that they developed additional processes after 2017.
Appreciate the perspective though on both what happened and what the GP kaupapa was/should have been.
Thanks. Further to that, I did learn during my second stint within that there had been significant changes to the constitution that was adopted pre-MMP, and since they weren't available to members on the GP website I assumed that members were obliged to trust the word of the current SOC convenor.
A bit like being out on a limb & officially expected to do your saw-cut on the trunk side of that limb. Faith in officials is what got Stalin into his dictatorship. You'd think common sense would make the rules available to the members. But, you know, leftists…
seems odd to me too. I remember when they did a major revamp of the website and a lot of the material taht explained the GP was either removed or hard to find.
tbf though, the constitution of political parties is published on the Electoral Commission’s website. It’s an easy google for individual parties, but I can’t easily find of all the parties are there.
https://elections.nz/assets/party-files/Constitution-of-the-Green-Party-of-Aotearoa-New-Zealand-June-2022.pdf
That's excellent. Here's the key section re parliamentary caucus:
It's very much to their credit that they've made the thing available to members! I bet they got a good crowd watching when the Turei fiasco was dealt with! Gives them optimal credibility, that.
Hard to see how the process enabled a stuff-up. Either the thing was decided by consensus or a vote, so why were we not told which?? Extremely peculiar.
exactly.
In addition, the Greens have specific internal processes that they will be following regarding issues with MPs. That's not a public process although I expect the co-leaders to make announcements in due course.
I do think they could be doing more publicly though.
are you channelling today’s right wing memo Gosman, or perhaps leftie commentator Shane Te Pou?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/506715/very-few-grey-areas-greens-urged-to-front-on-golriz-ghahraman-shoplifting-allegations
Do you not think that because both commentators on the left AND right are on agreement on how The Greens are mishandling this it might suggest that there is in fact bad political mangement going on here?
could well be. Could also be the habitual takes from the right and centre left because they don't understand how the GP operates.
Myself, I think it's probably a bit of both. But I don't think the GP are going to pre-empt a fair process. There are employment issues for parliament to work through too. They've learnt a few things from Graham, Clendon and Kerekere, and other parties’ issues, as well as having fairness built in.
fwiw, if she is guilty of shoplifting I think she should resign, and I also think due process should be followed.
because they don't understand how the GP operates
My take is the GP operates in a way that ignores the simple fact it is the public that puts them in Parliament, not their members.
I have no doubt there are internal rules that are both fair, and provide for due process. But this is politics, and politics has its own rules, which are based on perception.
that would be an example of what I said about people who don't get the GP.
It's not that there is no criticism to be made, I just wish people would understand what they are criticising first.
The GP have often successfully defied political convention.
"…this is politics, and politics has its own rules, which are based on perception."
Is it? Does it?
Questions from individuals who don't support the party, MUST be answered!!
Swing and a miss Gossy
To be fair, I'm not sure they could have 'shut down the story'. This is a sitting MP accused of shoplifting – the media were always going to run this hard.
Yeah but the Story should have been dealt with cleanly so it did not develop legs. They should have got the entire story from Ms Ghahraman and if there was any question of inappropriate behaviour then she should have resigned as an MP immediately. Now if she does so it will be much worse for the Party.
These shoplifting allegations are detracting from the issues we face as a nation.
https://newsroom.co.nz/2023/09/28/defining-issues-fear-factor-drives-tough-on-crime-policies/
Three great forces rule Gosman, anyway.
Gosman (7) … Golriz Gharhaman arrived back in NZ today.
No mention of any scheduled press conference from that spokesperson! Media strategy seems to be to keep building suspense in the public mind awhile yet…
As dennis has pointed out to you there is no indication of when they will make a statement now she is back in the country.
it's only midday.
Do you think they should have a statement from her by the end of the day?
no idea Gosman. I don't know what is going on any more than you do.
Your breath, Gosman, is bated!
Keep us up-dated as you learn more about this critical issue!
Heh, Gosman, as Sam Uffindell might say…“it is still early…do you want to go out clubbing”…
When locals are part of a global trend, and are more middle of the yoga class ambitious for the finer things in life than common folk, but while keeping the cost under control
https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/01/15/the-rise-of-middle-class-shoplifting-and-how-it-became-an-epidemic-in-london/
In media terms, the explainer.
Stage set …
You're trying sooooo hard to squeeze out some negative reactions here, Gosman.
Sooooo hard!
@ Gosman (7.4.2) Why don't you ask them?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/506674/national-led-government-officially-cancels-auckland-light-rail-plans
And I see that the NATZ are complaining about the planning cost for the project.
Don't believe in planning HUH
I’ll be fascinated to see what their alternatives are.
My suspicion is more roads.
East West link anyone?
https://thespinoff.co.nz/auckland/08-04-2017/a-ridiculous-road-to-the-past-the-east-west-connection
Not sure I can face doing a whole post on this sorry saga.
I just have this sneaky feeling that CRL will be one of the last big public transport projects or even rail projects done in New Zealand in a very long time.
CRL itself will be a major boost to Auckland as an alternative to the car. But it is taking a decade to construct, and the impact on the CBD was big. Also it's doubled in price in that time and that is crippling Auckland Council.
Stopping this light rail project locks Auckland in to a very difficult transport future, that gets harder and harder to get out of.
The decline of Auckland maybe the only investment in the future of the New Zealand provinces that our government makes.
Aucklanders' high mobility tends against regional benefit:
– old people go to the provinces to soak up the NZSuper, and
– young and income-earning people head to Australia or elsewhere and usually don't return until close to retirement or at all
Investing to turn Auckland around is necessary for the whole of New Zealand.
No, it is a choice to move to Oz for more money, or the provinces for cheaper housing.
If they can keep the job and work from home (or find local employment in their sector) the provinces is their chance to own a property with a section like their parents in Auckland once did.
Do young people really move to the provinces for a career future based on cheaper housing? Maybe a few do. I don't think most do.
Working couples with children have been doing it. It's made their lives easier.
Younger ones who see no prospect of owning a home in Auckland do still have the option of partnering to own a cheaper property apartment/flat then later moving to the provinces when starting a family.
Will Labour go near surface light rail when back in government? Or is it now another toxic issue?
It's still an alternative to bus lanes on a limited scale – say Dominion Road.
https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/15901/dominion-road
But then self driving uber cars and or e bike lanes might be the future.
As an Aucklander, I would be interested in your take on this. Here's Matt Lowrie's view:
As a huge advocate for better public transport in Auckland, it continues to feel a bit weird that I’m not upset that a major public transport project is being cancelled. Instead I continue to feel disappointed and frustrated at the previous government for botching this project so badly that it was further from becoming a reality in 2023 than it was when they took it over in 2017.
Light Rail officially dies – Greater Auckland
Ahed Tamimi’s interrogation video released…
If she was a pretty Ukrainian girl you can be sure this would have been a lead story on The Guardian, BBC and RNZ.
Thanks Adrian. The persecution of this young woman generated a lot of comment on this excellent site at the time. It's a grim but ultimately uplifting story, showing once again that aggressors and occupiers can kill and maim people (mostly children like Ahed's cousin, and old people) but they cannot crush their spirit.
The thread also contains one genuinely funny contribution, from "Wayne", who asserts, with all the gravitas he can muster, that the occupation "is not, of itself, illegal."
https://thestandard.org.nz/middle-east-teenagers/#comment-1442597
Thanks Morrissey….great thread, thanks.
Video of the original incident, and more.
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-middle-east-42884885
This one annoyed me enough to send a Times Up Me Too email to Isaac Herzog, then just an MK.
I hope he enjoyed the Candles in the Rain music video I linked to.
A number of the IDF and zionists really seem to be serious psychopaths.
Watching atrocity after atrocity, brutality after brutality, massacre after massacre all being proudly conducted right out in the open, with the deranged IDF filming themselves…the Israeli politicians calling daily for even more violence…
…the Israeli children happily singing about genocide, the Israeli families dressing up and mocking the starving woman and children, all this horror has made me come to realize, that without question, watching this horrific genocide is what it would have been like, had the brave and heroic fighters in the Warsaw Uprising has iphones on them…
…filming themselves in that hellhole fighting the Nazi's, while watching their families starve or being indiscriminately blown into pieces of unrecognizable meat, or worse, trapped without the possibility of rescue, too die slowly and horribly under mountains of rubble….or have amputations done with no anaesthetics…
..the only difference is that with just one phone call from the USA and Biden they could stop this in an instant….but that won't happen because now it has been said explicitly by the West, through their open support for this genocide, that the West has no moral or ethical framework embedded within it's ideology….and only power and the maintenance of the power at any cost, is all that these monsters believe in and wish to achieve.
Only fanatics, liberal free market fundamentalists and the weak of mind can now possibly maintain an allegiance to this despicable ideology,that is for sure…look out for them, and never forget who they are.
Exactly how I feel Adrian. It is amazing how so many ordinary people that I have known for years have finally understood what US Imperialism and their client state Israel are all about.
The South African Lawyer Tembaka could not have put the case for Genocide being enacted before the world any clearer to the International Court.
Expert has a go at unclogging the global governance system:
IMHO the full UN General Assembly getting in particular the US to abstain was the one with the stronger mandate and moral force:
"Expressing grave concern over the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and the suffering of the Palestinian civilian population, and emphasizing that the Palestinian and Israeli civilian populations must be protected in accordance with international humanitarian law,
1. Demands an immediate humanitarian ceasefire;
2. Reiterates its demand that all parties comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, notably with regard to the protection of civilians;
3. Demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, as well as ensuring humanitarian access;
4. Decides to adjourn the tenth emergency special session temporarily and to authorize the President of the General Assembly at its most recent session to resume its meeting upon request from Member States.
The resolution does not condemn Hamas or make any specific reference to the extremist group."
https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/12/1144717#:~:text=Member%20States%20adopted%20a%20resolution,as%20%E2%80%9Censuring%20humanitarian%20access%E2%80%9D.&text=The%20acting%20President%20of%20the%20General%20Assembly%20adjourned%20the%20meeting.
The USA has no morals…only it's own interests..end of story.
Have the alleged potential costings for Aucklands Light Rail been substantiated in any way, or are they plucked out of the air and referred back to ‘advice they have received. From whom may I ask?This is a genuine question. Cocs seem to be able to fling all sorts of numbers in the air but never give a breakdown on how they arrived at these numbers. It’s all very airy fairy.
It’s all very airy fairy.
It's mainly the neolib tooth fairy. She waves her magic wand & makes all stakeholders believe whatever costing is being toted at the time. Then times change & new numbers magically appear. It's how neoliberalism was designed to work. Magical thinking.
Luxon bullshit, chapter 367 …
Before Christmas he declared that this all-action get-things-done government would be getting everyone back in Parliament by – well, about now.
Parliament summer close down period will be shorter, incoming PM Luxon says | RNZ News
Fact check: the timetable now is the same as previous supposedly lazy governments and Parliaments.
This is not surprising or even bad. Breaks are important. What's bad is that he spouts this nonsense before the summer break and it is reported as if it were true, instead of reporters pointing out that it obviously isn't.
Credit to one reporter for not having a Luxon memory hole …
First cabinet meeting no earlier than usual | BusinessDesk
Important meeting earlier:
Looks like Lux has given the Maori king a brief on his govt's intentions, eh? Let's see the effect. The inside word can often be useful leverage.
It's obviously box-ticking, no more.
"Have you met with him?'
"Yes, I have".
Nah, they've met before. One of the reports today said so, can't recall which. And this:
“The meeting had been planned since last year and was an opportunity to further build on the relationship they have established in the last two years.”
https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/01/15/pm-luxon-meets-maori-king-ahead-of-national-hui/
Yes, of course they've met before, but this meeting is just an attempt to get in ahead of the hui. We all know what's coming, and Luxon wants to pose as the reasonable one (note the presence of Potaka at the meeting, the Minister who wants to build a bridge but can't outmuscle Peters and Seymour).
BTW, really unprofessional reporting on the 6 pm Newshub story. A casual viewer would assume that was current footage. It was old library footage, and labelling it as such is what every TV journalist/editor learns at broadcasting school, lesson one.
Wonder where they had their meeting?
Agree. My surprise was lead story on ONE News: Golriz. Nothing happened. Well, ostensibly they reported her return to Aotearoa earlier today.
Plus they interviewed Brigitte Morten, who helpfully explained why it was so bad that Golriz and the Greens continued to stonewall the public interest. Insert eye-rolling emoji. The purpose seemed to be that she represents the public interest in the situation. Yes, I know that's not plausible.
Without revealing her political links . . of course.
That sounds like Luxon-speak and it would mean nothing coming from him. If he went to a local beach and accidently bumped into someone who happened to be a local councillor he would claim at a later date he had met the person and formed a close relationship. Close alright, he knocked him over. (Just a tongue in cheek fib)
Just a tongue in cheek fib to emphasise his hollow mode of operation.
We can defeat them if we rise together.
defeat who?
This government
Three strikes & you're out: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/133561585/police-investigating-golriz-ghahraman-allegation–this-time-in-wellington
Next time you do three boring comments in a row of an early morning, you're out.
I suspect that will be tomorrow morning.
😄
Four posts this morning. But you can't blame Dennis for that, when we were all too busy hurkle durking to post.
Nothing has really changed since the story first broke last week. Anyone with an ounce of sense knows that the options are:
If guilty, leaves Parliament.
If not guilty (a longer road, but that's how the justice system works), doesn't leave Parliament.
Everything else is a lot of tedious political commentary by interested parties. None of that provides any information about what happened.
(There are no "three strikes", that's absurd. Allegations are true, or they are not. One offence is the same as two or three).
Alex Berenson calls Tucker Carlson on his antivax nonsense…who woulda thunk it..
@thereal_truther
Alex Berenson debunks the claim that COVID vaccines are causing excess deaths “I don’t believe that this entire regulatory apparatus would ignore screaming danger signs. And I don’t believe doctors would.”
https://twitter.com/thereal_truther/status/1746586560752206173