Yep. A young man in our family (voting Greens for employment rights and the future) has said most of his mates are voting ACT because Seymour doesn't give much of a sh*t and so it will be funny.
I hope they never have to find out how deadly, ideologically serious, Seymour actually is.
Had dinner last night with friends, also from the UK, who belong to the bowling club – that typical Act focus group.
He couldn't believe all the 'handouts in this country' – they got Covid business support. She was telling us about all the ACC support she gets for a shoulder injury – $600/week, surgical treatment, travel expenses to appointments.
The graph comparing the 4 nations shows 3 of the same rising pattern and the other ….
In 2019, the US top 10% captures 45% of the national income, close to half of it.
Australia and New Zealand remain significantly more equal than their North American counterparts, with the top 10% capturing respectively 35% and 37% of the national income in 2019.
In all four countries, we see declining labor compensation (ie wage) as a share of national income, and this decline does not reflect an increase in self-employment. Instead, corporate profits have surged.
In all four countries, we see declining labor compensation (ie wage) as a share of national income, and this decline does not reflect an increase in self-employment. Instead, corporate profits have surged.
If national income has increased labour's (proportional) share may have decreased, even if wage levels have remained the same. Just a thought.
"What the PREFU is saying to the Minister of Finance after the election, is that the books are not in too bad a position (providing you have not promised anything stupid), but always – always – you will be under fiscal pressure. And you may have to deal with unexpected shocks."
….and remembering that the risks are all to the downside.
"The Treasury gives little guidance as to the particularities of the current pressures (other than the implications that politicians always want to reduce taxes and increase spending). Clearly the war resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine is among the big impacts on the world economy. China’s difficulties may be yet to come.
However, what I don’t think we have appreciated sufficiently is the impact of the Covid pandemic and the measures taken to reduce deaths. They had a substantial immediate economic impact – you can see it in the PREFU. But that is still unwinding three years later. It would be naive to think that those economic measures were a free lunch and almost as naive not to think about having to pay for the lunch. Trade-offs are central to economic management as the next government – whoever it may be – will find, even if in the heady days of election campaigning trade-offs are largely ignored."
It's not so much the policies in response to the pandemic, but the amount pumped through banks for property loans (and unrelated to new builds at that) 2020-2021.
This is a very chilling clip of what happened in Albert Park on 25th March. It is put together by Lesbian visibility and the voice over is by two of the Marshalls (one who had water thrown on her, was out in a head lock, tripped up and kicked. The other Marshall was a 69 year old woman (not the woman who was repeatedly punched in the face).
Meanwhile on another planet the Greens were proclaiming it was all trans pure joy.
There is so much fact free bullshit on the issue of what happened at Albert Park, from both sides, I’m not willing to let this happen on TS. I want us to lift our game on evidence based debate in this area.
From now on, if you want to make any claims of fact about KJK, LWS, or anything to do with aspect of the sex/gender wars in NZ, please provide evidence at the time you make the claim. As always, evidence is an explanation in your own words, supporting quotes and links. – weka]
You’re still not getting it. The problem wasn’t a lack of link, it was that you grossly misrepresented the situation. Basically you made some shit up on a highly contentious topic. You claimed that the assaulter was getting a discharge without conviction, when in fact no decision has been made about this. You’re really close to getting a long ban, because I am sick of going over these things.
Anker – and that's why many older women I know don't plan to vote this year. Can't bring themselves to vote for NACT / Greens etc but feel Labour has let them down badly.
This is incredibly frustrating. Yes, the sex/gender issues are not good. But there are other ways to deal with this than handing the election to National and Act, who will most certainly act to harm women in multiple ways. In addition, this will make it harder to address the issues around women's sex based rights. Because the election is so tight, not voting in this election is a defacto vote for a RW government.
Unfortunately, many women believe that handing the election to Labour/Greens will also act to harm women in multiple ways. As they will take an election win as implicit approval to continue to implement their current pro-trans policy agenda without giving any regard to the protection of very hard-fought-for women's rights.
The explicit support from multiple GP and Labour MPs for the trans protest at the PP event in Auckland, AND their refusal to condemn the violence which ensued – makes this situation quite clear.
While the RW may, indeed, have worse longer term consequences for women's rights – the short term outcome looks considerably less threatening than the full-scale' anyone can self-declare as a woman' platform from the Left.
it's not longer term consequences though. Seymour is talking about draconian welfare reform. It will impact worst on women, as always. That's just one example. Housing, employment law and wage rates, these are all women's issues.
As they will take an election win as implicit approval to continue to implement their current pro-trans policy agenda without giving any regard to the protection of very hard-fought-for women's rights.
The explicit support from multiple GP and Labour MPs for the trans protest at the PP event in Auckland, AND their refusal to condemn the violence which ensued – makes this situation quite clear.
yes, I'm aware of this view, but it's superficial imo. There are two ways that gender ideology has been pushed back at political, legislative, policy and NGO levels. One is by a serious conservative backlash eg in the US, the other is by progressives working over the long term to make changes eg the UK.
When women choose the conservative route, they are playing with fire and putting many, many more women at risk than are currently at risk from self ID in NZ. We still have other ways of working on this issues in NZ. A L/G/TPM government won't stop those other ways and in fact make them much more likely to succeed. We need progressive solutions to GI, not regressive, reactionary ones.
Do you honestly think that the conservatives will stop at this? Or the conspiracy groups if it comes via NZF?
Do you honestly think that the conservatives will stop at this? Or the conspiracy groups if it comes via NZF?
TBH I don't know. But I suspect that on the current political trajectory we're going to have a chance to find out.
Realistically, there is nothing that Labour can do about this. Any policy change they might make is going to be seen as too little, too late; and as an election bribe, rather than an trustworthy commitment. Hipkins lost this battle in the eye of public opinion when he fumbled the "What is a woman?" question.
The GP have made it very, very clear that they have no desire to roll back anything about their political stance on this issue – and indeed double down on it.
I do think equating the National Party (even with ACT involvement) with the hard conservative right in the US is a bridge too far. And, ignores ACTs socially liberal philosophy. They are probably the party in parliament least likely to be tied to any religious ideology.
It's not that Nact are the same as the US religious conservative politics, I was simply pointing out that there are two different pathways available to NZ women and the conservative one is dangerous. Some GC women are acting as if it's the only option, it's not.
What we need is for the left and centre right to change their position on GI. Because that will give us progressive and liberal policy and law rather than regressive. If it's left to the likes of Winston Peters or Luxon, we will get regressive and a door opening to worse.
Peters probably genuinely believes in single sex spaces, but it's significant that the NZF priorities list has no women's policies in it other than the GI one.
Act want to remove income support from drug addicts and remove privacy rights from disabled people on benefits. It's straight from the Paula Bennett playbook and Seymour is dog whistling NZ's bigots. He can't do that on women because we have too many women in positions of power here and too many Act voters that wouldn't put up with it. But he's doing it to Pasifica people.
There is nothing social liberal about any of that. If we're going to call GI a religious ideology, we should probably call Act's version of libertarianism a religious ideology too.
Well, yes, and we can call the Green Party doctrine religious ideology as well. You can call anything religious ideology – but it doesn't really help debate.
[NB: I did not describe GI as a religious ideology]
And, the tide in gender identity politics in the UK only really reversed (or began to reverse) when the SNP was threatened with a swingeing defeat at the polls (i.e. their constituency walked away from them). I don't see that as "progressives working over the long term to make changes". I see it as the same kind of electoral defeat the Left is courting in NZ.
The shift in UK Labour from TWAW to 'actually, we need to think about women's rights too' is from a long campaign by Labour members, MPs, and grass roots feminists. There have definitely been other events eg the Tavistock whistleblowers, various court cases, the MSM, what happened with the SNP, KJK and LWS and so on. But to get the buy in from liberals you have to have liberal arguments. It's progressives that have done that with Labour. And yep, it's in the context of Labour realising that it might cost them the next election, but again, that's the long campaign.
In NZ, we're not there yet. There are some people, ill advised imo, who are trying to bring the issues up this election (SUFW, the Women's Party), but the risk is that it costs the left the election, which from a left pov obviously is catastrophic. If the idea is that a term in opposition will force Labour and the GP to change their minds while the right are pushing back trans rights, I cannot see how this will change their minds.
What might change their minds is the large numbers of L and GP members and voters who don't believe that men should be in women's sport, and who understand the need for single sex spaces. But it takes time, care and process to make that change.
Belladona – I've to agree with your prediction. Replacing of the word women by so called ‘gender neutral’ language such that – women – no longer exist as a sex-based rights group. So you’ll get e.g. people’s wages, people’s housing rights and people’s employment’s rights.
And the more government regulations are non-specific the more employers/NGO make their own interpretations of the laws.
“The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.” ― George Orwell
In the group of professional women I meet with who were/are so concerned about The Greens wealth tax and its affect on single women earlier on, there is a view from Friday's session that none would be voting for the Nats as:
1 Luxon is perceived to be in it for the status and would do anything to achieve it
2 His espoused religion (Prosperity Gospels) is perceived to be a big turn-off
3 He is 'creepy' !!!!!?
Labour/Hipkins with his bumbling on what is a woman and lack of knowledge on the issues is not held in much higher regard. Though I did get the feeling that the view is that his view is not innate unlike they perceive Luxon's views to be.
I have tried to encourage them to vote. We discussed the concept of least bad. One was going to vote party vote Labour only as the local Labour candidate is perceived to be anti women, another was going to spoil her vote.
Shanreagh I seem to think you are in Wellington. You may want to raise this (or not ) with your Wellington friends.
Both Green and Labour Wellington Central candidates put pressure on Mt Vics electorate candidates to not ask questions about transgender (male bodied) in women's sports.
Patricia2 – it is frustrating- but I read the current political polling as against Labour/Greens rather than for Nat/Act. Nat leader is not liked by many and the more he gets interviewed the more you see how he tries not to answer questions. And instead tries to play this tape again and again.
Your alternatives are still TOP and of course the Women's Rights Party who seem to go from strength to strength. They are unlikely to get into parliament but its a clear message to the main parties something very fundamentally has gone wrong for women. Many of them are long time ex- labour and greens members/voters.
I consider the labour leader a decent person – but he seems to be ill informed on this subject, I assume he gets his info, if he gets it at all, from some very biased people – who seem to keep him away from the concerns of the other side. I've yet to hear him say publicly anything in favour of women's sex based rights or be curious to find out what is going on re the medicalisation of non-conforming teenagers.
But change will come for sure – and we will slowly work our way to the top to make it happen.
I read the current political polling as against Labour/Greens rather than for Nat/Act
Listening to NatRad this evening – Caucus.
And one of the presenters made the comment (paraphrased) that this was not an election of personalities – that neither of the main leaders had any charisma – and so it came down to believability on economic management. Specifically that this was a Helen Clark election – and the winner (of the debates, and by inference the election), needed to be razor sharp and all over the detail of both their own policies and the opposition ones).
And, while they didn't feel Luxon fit that bill, they didn't think that Hipkins did, either.
Resulting in an election campaign which even the commentators are thinking of as lacklustre.
Thank you Anker – a very scary watch. Can't image the fear that the women must surely feel up and around the rotondo seeing the crowd getting out of hand, coming towards them and hell band on driving the women out town with pure force.
Lets hope the police on the 20th September realise that its actually their task to keep the fractions apart.
Thanks Tabletennis. I have all but given up posting on this site, but I do read what is on here a little.
I refrain from commenting too much, because I recognise that people here are worried about labour losing the election. Its tough fighting a political battle when its not going well
The $2 million dollar houses that are to sold to foreigners will be investments or holiday homes very few will be rented therefore total hoiusing capacity will be reduced.
The NZer's that sell these mansion are mainly going to build/buy a replacement building a replacement mansion building takes capacity away from more needed projects to reduce NZ's significant housing and buying is going to fuel housing inflation
Barfly. I think they on Thursday night they said that 27% of houses in Queenstown were unoccupied. Maybe when those awful rules about warm safe homes are lifted by Nact, then there will be 27% more houses for rent?
Queenstown has a very high proportion of holiday houses, always has. The rate of unoccupied dwellings will be higher than 27%. So it depends on how it is being defined. Are they excluding holiday houses? Including AirBnb etc?
I think the call from Nact was that having to comply with the "Healthy Homes" rules stopped house owners from renting out but with rules being undone by Nact, there will be no crisis in Queenstown. How kind are Nact!
I have no doubt that the health homes rules prevent some houses being rented. This is a consequence of lifting the standard of living of renters, and agree they're stupid af to think that removing the rules will somehow make things better, especially in a tourist town that allows rentals that are basically slums and lets labourers live on site in a tent.
One of the issues for Queentown is that holiday houses that were previously available as a seasonal rental eg over the ski season for workers, are now used for AirBnB because the owner makes more money for less wear and tear on the house.
Much of that comes down to QLDC not being willing to sort it out.
Based on a very unreliable sample data of 2 families I know living between Wanaka and Auckland. The Wanaka houses are used for long weekends every 2-3 weeks, combined with longer holidays of 1-2 weeks every school holidays & 3 weeks or so over summer.
So, yes, the houses are vacant for 'most' of the year – but the pattern of vacancy doesn't lend itself to home-rentals. It does (or can) lend itself to Air BnB occupations.
This is probably the pattern for most people with holiday homes. The old-fashioned idea that you just went to the bach over summer has changed, with modern transport links.
The National Party's plan to restore interest deductibility for residential landlords could cost as much as $100 million a year more than it anticipated due to rising mortgage rates.
In around 2 weeks the polls will open and currently ALL the options are terrible in various aspects….what is one to do?
Sadly the (largely western) political class handed control of the economy to the international financiers and are now only able to impact things at the margins, and that control is now so entrenched that any attempt to loosen it will likely result in the cure being worse than the disease.
Hopium appears the only strategy …..and that is (unsurprisingly) reflected in our so called leaders.
I appreciate your dramatic phrasing, and the assessment is largely accurate but there is a fundamental problem; 'least bad' remains better than the rest, and not participating makes the 'more bad' more likely.
The path ahead will be fraught with difficulties, largely self-inflicted, we can't afford to give up now. I don't particularly believe in accelerationism, or taking the ‘black pill’, Hopium is better for us all. Politics has moved rightward so far that people have lost faith in collective action and this has neutered the organisations that have been advocating for any alternative political economy.
At the core, we need to realise that politics as it is practised every three years, is not sufficient; that we take care of each other and we can do that whether state wants to assist or not.
Ultimately, just because something will be difficult and possibly insufficient doesn't make trying to do it less necessary or less worthy.
Society as it currently functioning IS detrimental to society and the planet. Trying to improve that, even marginally, is still an improvement; keeping the status quo keeps things getting worse.
It is a sort-of nihilist, teenaged-anarchist sentiment; "Don't vote, it only encourages them" and sure, representative democracy seems to limits our politics to casting a vote every three years, but that is not what all of politics is, it is happening all the time, all around us. Agitate, Educate, Organise! There is no rational reason for inaction, if we don't do anything things will only get worse. That is certainly detrimental to society and the planet.
Posie Parker has abandoned her trip to NZ on the grounds that "the NZ Police, Border Control and politicians are corrupt and she fears they would not ensure her and her supporters safety." [my bold]
In my view, a further example of her extremist positions we can well do without. We have enough fanatics creating societal damage without importing more of them from elsewhere.
What does this mean? She was asked not to go by her family after NZ police could give no assurances as to safety. Was she to have brought her own police force with her? Is that what the reference to money is about?
Why do we have to 'assume' anything re $$$ especially when the reasons given were about the fears for her safety from her family. Fears I can see are justified in view of the non- policing that occurred at Albert Park previously. I actually feel that she has a 'civil' right to be here and protected as she was the person assaulted by the tomato sauce thrower, she above all has a greater right to see the operation of justice than many others.
My opinion is that without her here the issue will slide away into wet bus ticket punishment as it seems likely with the person who assaulted the elderly woman. His solicitors have applied for a discharge without conviction.
Is it just controversial women who have to bring or pay for their own policing?
The police seem to be able to protect people like Julian Batchelor OK but then he is a guy despite all his racist views. Perhaps that is the difference?
The column by Katrina Biggs gives a 'breath of fresh air' view on the issue of KJM and the cancellation of her trip to NZ.
"As well as feeling disappointed that she wouldn’t be coming, there are many like myself who are devastated that our country has come to this – a handful of loud, lying, hateful, anti-women activists calling the shots with our police force, not to mention with our politicians. If either of the police or politicians exercised even the tiniest bit of professional discernment in their jobs, and unbiasedly listened to gender critical women as well, we may not have come to this pass. Instead, they’ve sold their souls to trans activists, and their minds to the stories trans activists tell. And, here we are."
So her family's concerns about her safety are dismissed because somewhere, some time she has mentioned private security payments. Private security arrangements are never supposed to take the place of Police in combatting civil unrest. Private security close guard 'their person'. Private security have no role to combat public disorder except when it is afftecting 'their' person and have limited resources to protect even then.
Only the Police have the right to arrest.
The idea that a visitor to NZ, especially from another common law country like the UK, having to supply their own army is anathema.
King John,the Magna Carta and the surrendering ot the ability to tax and raise private armies is all relevant to our democarcy just as it is to the UK.
[no-one in this thread has dismissed KJK’s family’s concern about her safety. In my comment I said that cost was one of the issues. If you are unwilling to listen to and make sense of what people are actually saying, that degrades the debate. 4 week ban for misleading the debate and so soon after being warned about this. – weka]
The police seem to be able to protect people like Julian Batchelor OK but then he is a guy despite all his racist views. Perhaps that is the difference?
That is absolute bullshit Shanreagh. I can hardly believe that an intelligent woman like yourself could make it. I'm not a huge fan of the police [for historical reasons] but to infer, as I believe you have done, that they disrespect women to the extent that they think them less worthy of protection has no bearing in reality.
My comment re-extremists and fanatics was meant in a general sense and to cover both sides of the Left and Right spectrum. They both raise dangerous barriers in society. Whether or not she set out to do it is open to question, but Posie Parker's presence in NZ and the way she chose to attract attention only served to inflame the tension that already existed between two differing sets of people. To my mind that helps nobody.
While far from 'extremist' I find RNZs insistence of describing KJK as an "anti-trans activist" a tad misleading at best. Somehow it is highly unlikely The Disinformation Project will act.
Sure some of those whose gender is a big deal in their life might be comfortable with this framing. It ignores the wider issue of taking a position against 'professionals' who would seek to medicate or operate on minors to affirm their current identity.
KJK is the MC of #LetWomenSpeak, the majority of time is given to women from each locale to speak – unvetted and uncurated.
There are four lines KJK says in each #LetWomenSpeak:
"Women don't have penises.
Men don't have vaginas.
Non-binary is a nonsense.
Transitioning children is profound abuse."
The fact that any of these sentences can be considered "extremist positions" should indicate the immense power gender ideology has attained in a very short time.
Why can't we have women speaking? What is so threatening?
Have the police and the trans community actually listened to what is being said at these gatherings? Some of it is not on the trans issue/s (NB the whole world does not revolve around the trans issues).
At these gatherings I have heard all sorts of snippets about women's lives around the world and realised that our rights as women is a fragile thing. To me the issues as reported by Molly 17 September 2023 at 7:53 am are uncontroversial.
Numbers 1 & 2 rely on having a competent grasp of biology which everyone can have. Number 4 goes to the concept of childhood and the roles of parents and society to bring up children so that when our work is done (is it ever?) our children can have the confidence to go ahead in the world making their own decisions. Number 3 is a nonsense as it is framed by anti women protestors but perhaps could be framed as we accept how people want to identify themselves and make no comment as long as it is not illegal or 'frighten the horses'.
"Women don't have penises.
Men don't have vaginas.
Non-binary is a nonsense.
Transitioning children is profound abuse."
In NZ. for some reason, we find these views very difficult to grasp.
When all the dust has settled I would love to read scholarly research on why two countries such as Ireland and NZ have evolved so differently. particulalary interesting is that Ireland was a supplier of many immigrants to NZ. Ireland and Northern Ireland https://www.youtube.com/live/wV8uTh1Pq7s?si=AjUSZtN6hApiiFQm
had the Let Women Speak go ahead, noisy etc but they did go ahead. Belfast the protestors were positioned a fair distance away and the lines were policed.
Shanreagh I seem to think you are in Wellington. You may want to raise this (or not ) with your Wellington friends.
Both Green and Labour Wellington Central candidates put pressure on Mt Vics electorate candidates to not ask questions about transgender (male bodied) in women's sports.
Each challenge as to accuracy and veracity of policy opens a few more eyes ears and leads to questions which show politicians' natures positions and flaws.
Three weeks is a long time in politics.
I hope someone has told Chris Hipkins about Chris Luxon being a National Secondary School Debate champion. (Another fudge )
The gap between the party blocks is not that large, that the movement of 40 000 people could sway the election.
It will be tight, and some seats could throw up some interesting positions.
In a nutshell, voting is an action based on political engagement and interest. Disengagement, possibly because of disillusion, seems to be winning on the Left and the opposite on the Right. The polls and their media reporting & portrayal and of the election campaigns would seem to support this notion.
In general, the Right can count [pun intended] on a relatively more stable voter turnout.
I think that the high turnout in 2020 helped Labour securing an absolute majority because it tapped into other segments of voters. The corollary is that a low(er) turnout in this General Election will undo much or all of this and possibly go even further …
I don't think Nats think this way Weka……from my experience with my Nat family and friends. They tend to vote regardless of what the Polls are saying (perhaps despite what the polls are saying) as they see it as a civil duty.
I agree. Especially in the older age brackets (and IIRC, National voters tend to be weighted towards the 40+ age bracket) and the middle class – voting is much more a civic duty – regardless of whether their candidate is likely to be elected or not.
Problem is weka @10.1, there tends to be a lag from the time a policy flaw – even a major one – is revealed and the voters picking up on it. It can take a few weeks at least before the response starts to show in polling. Hipkins and Shaw in particular will need to harp on about it right up to election day.
The democratic facade is crumbling for any thinking person.
Must be a few who are happy about that, as they have sat and let the UK and US state to destroy Assange physically and mentally. With the added bonus to put the fear of god up journalist and publishers.
Something that caught my eye on Stuff.co.nz today.
A comparison of all major parties' policies that encompass climate change or the environment.
If you look through ACT's response to all the questions posed then you could well believe that ACT still think climate change is a myth and a socialist trick.
Without exception they oppose EVERY initiative that has ever been done to reduce CO2 emissions and climate change, even some that National support (half-heartedly it must be said). ACT's attitude is not just irresponsible, it is downright criminal.
ACT care only about their own bank balances, nothing else matters. They are a bunch of wankers. We must keep them out of government to have any chance of giving our grandchildren and great grandchildren a planet they can live in.
we're already past the point with climate where people should be making it hard for the government to govern. And yet people are largely not acting and many want a RW government. Scared people vote conservative, they don't revolt.
Another term of a centre left government buys us time to convince more people that we need to build strong community and address climate front on. We can't do that under the right.
“In their economy, workers live paycheck to paycheck while the billionaires buy another yacht… So we’re gonna wreck their economy cuz it only works for the billionaire class,” says @UAW prez Shawn Fain in Detroit.
As the Big Three automakers barrel towards a potential stake from the United Auto Workers (UAW) union, Ford CEO Jim Farley has shared his sentiments about the matter. During a conversation with CNBC Overtime, a seemingly exasperated Farley stated that the UAW’s demands would have resulted in Ford going bankrupt.
The UAW’s demands include the restoration of defined benefit pensions for all workers, a four-day workweek, and a mid-30% raise, among others, as per a report from The Wall Street Journal. The UAW had initially targeted a 40% increase in wages for its members, as it matched the average salary hike that Detroit automotive executives received over the past four years.
Stopping the 10 match streak of the high flying Knights. Warriors put 40 on the board against a worthy opposition. Off to Brisbane next week for a match with the Broncos who supposedly will have home advantage.
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The People's Champion vs The People's Prosecutor: It is the news media’s job to elicit information from politicians – not to prosecute them. Peters’ promise to sort out TVNZ should be believed. If he finds himself in a position to carry out his threat, then it will only be because ...
Buzz from the Beehive The headline on a ministerial press statement curiously expresses the government’s position when it declares: Government shows further commitment to pay equity for healthcare workers. Is it not enough to declare just one commitment? Or is the government’s commitment to pay equity being declared sector by ...
There have been 53 New Zealand Parliaments so far. The 39th of them was elected in 1978. It was a parliament of 92 MPs, most of them men. The New Zealand Music Awards that year named John RowlesMale Vocalist of the Year and — after a short twelve months ...
Aotearoa has a cost of living crisis. And one of the major drivers of this crisis is the supermarket duopoly, who gouge every dollar they can out of us. Last year, the Commerce Commission found that the duopoly was in fact anti-competititve, giving the government social licence to fix the ...
Familiarity breeds consent. If you repeat the line “six years of economic mis-management” about 10,000 times, it sounds like the received wisdom, whatever the evidence to the contrary. Yes, the global pandemic and the global surge in inflation that came in its wake occurred here as well – but if ...
Michael Bassett writes – Without so much as batting an eyelid, Chris Hipkins told an audience on Saturday that there had been “more racism” in this election campaign than ever before. And he blamed it on the opposition parties, National, Act and New Zealand First. In those ...
While the economy is not doing too badly in output terms, external circumstances are not favourable, and there is probably a sizeable group of households struggling because of rising interest rates.Brian Easton writes – Last week’s announcement of a 0.9 percent increase in volume GDP for ...
“You can't really undo what happens during childhood”, said the director of the Dunedin longitudinal study. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR:Richie Poulton, the director of the world-leading Dunedin longitudinal study showing how devastating poverty in early life is, died yesterday. With his final words, he lamented the lack ...
This is a guest post from reader Peter N As many of us know, Auckland Transport and Waka Kotahi are well into progressing works on the northwestern interim “busway” with services to kick off in just over a month from now on Sunday 12th November 2023. Some of the ...
Hi,Before we talk about weird schools people choose to send their kids to, a few things on my mind. I adored the Ask Me Anything we did last week. Thanks for taking part. I love answering your weird and nosy questions, even questions about beans.I am excited and scared as Mister ...
A National government would make spending cuts on a scale not seen since the 1990 – 96 Bolger government.That much was confirmed with the release of their Fiscal Plan on Friday.Government spending is currently high as a percentage of GDP — as high as it was during the Muldoon ...
Chris Hipkins down with Covid, at least for 5 days isolation, National continue to obfuscate, ACT continues to double-down on the poor and Winston… well, he’s being Winston really. Voters beware: this week could be even more infuriating than the last. No Party is what they used to be ...
A chronological listing of news and opinion articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Sep 24, 2023 thru Sat, Sep 30, 2023. Story of the Week We’re not doomed yet’: climate scientist Michael Mann on our last chance to save human civilisationThe renowned US ...
On the 11th of April 1945 advancing US forces liberated the Nazi concentration camp of Buchenwald near Weimar in Germany. In the coming days, under the order of General Patton, a thousand nearby residents were forced to march to the camp to see the atrocities that had been committed in ...
Years and years ago, when Helen Clark was Prime Minister and John Key was gunning for her job, I had a conversation with a mate, a trader who knew John Key well enough to paint a helpful picture.It was many drinks ago so it’s not a complete one. But there’s ...
Completed reads for September: The Lost Continent, by C.J. Cutcliffe Hyne Flatland, by Edwin Abbott All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque The Country of the Blind, by H.G. Wells The Day of the Triffids, by John Wyndham A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles ...
Descending Into The Dark: The ideological cadres currently controlling both Labour and the Greens are forcing “justice”, “participation” and “democracy” to make way for what is “appropriate” and “responsible”. But, where does that leave the people who, for most of their adult lives, have voted for left-wing parties, precisely to ...
“‘BUT HE HASN’T GOT ANYTHING ON,’ a little boy said ….. ‘But he hasn’t got anything on!’ the whole town cried out at last.”On this optimistic note, Hans Christian Andersen brings his cautionary tale of “The Emperor’s New Clothes” to an end.Andersen’s children’s story was written nearly two centuries ago, ...
Bryce Edwards writes – As the National Party gets closer to government, lobbyists and business interests will be lining up for influence and to get policies adopted. It’s therefore in the public interest to have much more scrutiny and transparency about potential conflicts of interests that ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The heavily promoted narrative, which has ramped up over the last six years, is that Maori somehow have special vulnerabilities which arise from outside forces they cannot control; that contemporary society fails to meet their needs. They are not receptive to messages and ...
Not Labour: If you’re out to punish the government you once loved, then the last thing you need is to be shown evidence that the opposition parties are much, much worse.Chris Trotter writes –THE GREATEST VIRTUE of being the Opposition is not being the Government. Only very ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Labour presented a climate manifesto that aimed to claim the high ground on climate action vs National, ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past two weeks.Friday 29Play it, ElvisElection Hell special!! This week’s quiz is a bumper edition featuring a few of the more popular questions from last weekend’s show, as well as a few we didn’t ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past two weeks.Friday 29Play it, ElvisElection Hell special!! This week’s quiz is a bumper edition featuring a few of the more popular questions from last weekend’s show, as well as a few we didn’t ...
While the economy is not doing too badly in output terms, external circumstances are not favourable, and there is probably a sizeable group of households struggling because of rising interest rates.Last week’s announcement of a 0.9 percent increase in volume GDP for the June quarter had the commentariat backing down ...
This week the International Energy Association released its Net Zero Roadmap, intended to guide us towards a liveable climate. The report demanded huge increases in renewable generation, no new gas or oil, and massive cuts to methane emissions. It was positive about our current path, but recommended that countries with ...
Buzz from the BeehiveOh, dear. We have nothing to report from the Beehive. At least, we have nothing to report from the government’s official website. But the drones have not gone silent. They are out on the election campaign trail, busy buzzing about this and that in the hope ...
Election Hell special!! This week’s quiz is a bumper edition featuring a few of the more popular questions from last weekend’s show, as well as a few we didn’t have time for. You’re welcome, etc. Let us press on, etc. 1. What did Christopher Luxon use to his advantage in ...
National unveiled its fiscal policy today, announcing all the usual things which business cares about and I don't. But it did finally tell us how National plans to pay for its handouts to landlords: by effectively cutting benefits: The biggest saving announced on Friday was $2b cut from the ...
Photo by Anna Ogiienko on UnsplashIt’s that time of the week for an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session for paying subscribers about the week that was for an hour, including:duelling fiscal plans from National and Labour;Labour cutting cycling spending while accusing National of being weak on climate;Research showing the need for ...
Welcome to Friday and the last one for September. This week in Greater Auckland On Monday, Matt highlighted at the latest with the City Rail Link. On Tuesday, Matt covered the interesting items from Auckland Transport’s latest board meeting agendas. On Thursday, a guest post from Darren Davis ...
Brian’s god spoke to him. He, for of course the Lord in Tamaki’s mind was a male god, with a mighty rod, and probably some black leathers. He, told Brian - “you must put a stop to all this love, hope, and kindness”. And it did please the Brian.He said ...
Labour is cutting spending on cycling infrastructure while still trying to claim the higher ground on climate. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Labour Government released a climate manifesto this week to try to claim the high ground against National, despite having ignored the Climate Commission’s advice to toughen ...
Not Labour: If you’re out to punish the government you once loved, then the last thing you need is to be shown evidence that the opposition parties are much, much worse.THE GREATEST VIRTUE of being the Opposition is not being the Government. Only very rarely is an opposition party elected ...
Open access notables "Net zero is only a distraction— we just have to end fossil fuel emissions." The latter is true but the former isn't, or not in the real world as it's likely to be in the immediate future. And "just" just doesn't enter into it; we don't have ...
IN THE CURRENT MIX of electoral alternatives, there is no longer a credible left-wing party. Not when “a credible left-wing party” is defined as: a class-oriented, mass-based, democratically-structured political organisation; dedicated to promoting ideas sharply critical of laissez-faire capitalism; and committed to advancing democratic, egalitarian and emancipatory ideals across the ...
It is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha Primary School!It can be any time when you are telling a story.Telling stories about things that happened in the past is how we learn from our mistakes.If we want to.Anyway, it is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha ...
It is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha Primary School!It can be any time when you are telling a story.Telling stories about things that happened in the past is how we learn from our mistakes.If we want to.Anyway, it is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha ...
It is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha Primary School!It can be any time when you are telling a story.Telling stories about things that happened in the past is how we learn from our mistakes.If we want to.Anyway, it is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha ...
Labour’s Chris Hipkins came out firing, in the leaders’ debate on Newshub’s evening programme, and most of the pundits rated him the winner against National’s Christopher Luxon. But will this make any difference when New Zealanders start casting their ballots? The problem for Hipkins is that voters are all too ...
Buzz from the BeehiveNot long after Point of Order published data which show the substantial number of New Zealanders (77%) who believe NZ is becoming more divided, government ministers were braying about a programme which distributes some money to “the public” and some to “Maori”. The ministers were dishing ...
The D&W analysisMichael Grimshaw writes – Given the apathy, disengagement, disillusionment, and all-round ennui of this year’s general election, it was considered time to bring in those noted political operatives and spin doctors D&W, the long-established consultancy firm run by Emile Durkheim and Max Weber. Known for ...
Kissy kissy. Cartoon credit BoomSlang. The BFD. JC writes- Allow me to preface this contribution with the following statement: If I were asked to express a preference between a National/ACT coalition or a National/ACT/NZF coalition then it would be the former. This week Luxon declared his position, ...
This re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Andy Furillo was originally published by Capital & Main and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The California Legislature took a step last week that has the potential to accelerate the fight against climate ...
This is a cross post Adventures in Transitland by Darren Davis. I recently visited Brisbane and South East Queensland and came away both impressed while also pondering some key changes to make public transport even better in the region. Here goes with my take on things. A bit of ...
My daughter arrived home from the supermarket yesterday and she seemed a bit worried about something. It turned out she wanted to know if someone could get her bank number from a receipt.We wound the story back.She was in the store and there was a man there who was distressed, ...
New Zealand’s longest-running political roadshow rolled into Opotiki yesterday, with New Zealand First leader Winston Peters knowing another poll last night showed he would make it back to Parliament and National would need him and his party if they wanted to form a government. The Newshub Reid Research poll ...
Hi,As September draws to a close — I feel it’s probably time to do an Ask Me Anything. You know how it goes: If you have any burning questions, fire away in the comments and I will do my best to answer. You might have questions about Webworm, or podcast ...
The mediocrity who stands to be a Prime Minister has a litany.He uses it a bit like a Koru Lounge card. He will brandish it to say: these people are eligible. And more than that, too: These people are deserving.They have earned this policy.They have a right to this policy. What ...
Buzz from the BeehivePoint of Order has waited until now – 3.45pm – for today’s officially posted government announcements. There have been none. The only addition to the news on the Beehive’s website was posted later yesterday, after we had published our September 26 Buzz report. It came from ...
Alex Holland writes – In 2017 when Labour came to power, crown spending was $76 billion per year. Now in 2023 it is $139 billion per year, which equates to a $63 billion annual increase (over $1 billion extra spend every week!) In 2017, New Zealand’s government debt ...
Labour released its fiscal plan today, promising the same old, same old: "responsibility", balanced books, and of course no new taxes: "Labour will maintain income tax settings to provide consistency and certainty in these volatile times. Now is not the time for additional taxes or to promise billions of ...
The Facts has posted – KEY INSIGHTSOf New Zealander’s polled: Social unity/division77%believe NZ is becoming more divided (42% ‘much more’ + 35% ‘a little more’) 3%believe NZ is becoming less divided (1% ‘much less’ + 2% ‘a little less’) ...
The centre-right’s enthusiasm for forcing people off the benefit and into paid work is matched only by the enthusiasm (shared by Treasury and the Reserve Bank) for throwing people out of paid work to curb inflation, and achieve the optimal balance of workers to job seekers deemed to be desirable ...
New research shows that tenants in social housing - such as these Wellington apartments - are just as happy as home owners and much happier than private tenants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The election campaign took an ugly turn yesterday, and in completely the wrong direction. All three ...
If there’s one thing the mob loves more than keeping Māori in their place, more than getting tough on the gangs, maybe even more than tax cuts. It’s a good old round of beneficiary bashing.Are those meanies in the ACT party stealing your votes because they think David Seymour is ...
Labour kicks off the fiscal credibility battle today with the release of its fiscal plan. National is expected to follow, possibly as soon as Thursday, with its own plan, which may (or may not) address the large hole that the problems with its foreign buyers’ ban might open up. ...
While it may be unlikely to register in New Zealand’s general election, Britain’s PM Rishi Sunak has done something which might just be important in the long run. He’s announced a far-reaching change in his Conservative government’s approach to environmental, and particularly net zero, policy. The starting point – ...
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 ...
Canada is in uproar after the exposure that its parliament on September 22 provided a standing ovation to a Nazi veteran who had been invited into the chamber to participate in the parliamentary welcome to Ukrainian President Zelensky. Yaroslav Hunka, 98, a Ukrainian man who volunteered for service in ...
The big screen is a great place to lay out the ways of the salesman. He comes ready-made for Panto, ripe for lampooning.This is not to disparage that life. I have known many good people of that kind. But there is a type, brazen as all get out. The camera ...
Labour is in it for you. This election Kiwis will decide what kind of country they want New Zealand to be, who they trust to have their back, and how we can be better, together. This election matters. View our full Manifesto below. ...
The National Party's U-turn on water reform has left local councils high and dry and will drive up Kiwi's rates bills, Labour Party Local Government Spokesperson Kieran McAnulty says. ...
A re-elected Labour Party will continue to tackle discriminations still faced by members of the Rainbow community in areas ranging from surrogacy and adoption to blood donation. ...
National’s fiscal plan has failed to fill the massive fiscal hole in its dodgy tax scheme, it will mean more cuts to public services, more children being put into poverty and an end to action on climate change. ...
New Zealand First Policy Announcement:Law and Order New Zealand First believes that keeping society safe should be the priority of law-and-order policies. Every New Zealander deserves to feel safe, secure, and have their person and property respected. That is why New Zealand First continues to fix the flaws in ...
In last night’s leaders debate Labour Leader Chris Hipkins referred toaquote without giving any explanation of its content, which was about the ‘disease of co-governance’ that is perpetuated by the Māori elite, and he said it was racist. Then, without even examining the content, National leader Christopher Luxon agreed with ...
In last night’s leaders debate Labour Leader Chris Hipkins referred toaquote without giving any explanation of its content, which was about the ‘disease of co-governance’ that is perpetuated by the Māori elite, and he said it was racist. Then, without even examining the content, National leader Christopher Luxon agreed with ...
After years of criticising the Government on law and order, National have embarrassed themselves by conceding they have no new ideas and instead copied Labour’s Police policy announced three weeks ago, Labour Police spokesperson Ginny Andersen says. ...
Labour’s fiscal plan will continue its focus on carefully managing the books while protecting critical public services like health and education and investing to deliver high wage jobs and a low carbon economy. ...
New Zealand First today is announcing a policy on adjusting the rules and restrictions around access to the Job Seeker Benefit.New Zealand First’s policy is to introduce a capped time-period for any person to access the Job Seeker Benefit during their lifetime. Any individual will have the ability to access the Job Seeker ...
New Zealand First today is announcing a policy on adjusting the rules and restrictions around access to the Job Seeker Benefit.New Zealand First’s policy is to introduce a capped time-period for any person to access the Job Seeker Benefit during their lifetime. Any individual will have the ability to access the Job Seeker ...
National’s cuts to funding for beneficiaries will once again leave children and their parents with less, Spokesperson for Social Development and Employment Carmel Sepuloni said. ...
The Green Party will double the Best Start payment and make it available for every child under three years of age - and it will be paid for with a fair tax system. ...
Labour will fund more medicines for more New Zealanders by investing over $1 billion of new funding into Pharmac if re-elected, Chris Hipkins announced today. ...
Labour has just announced a policy to increase Pharmac funding by $1billion over four years to fund additional medicines.With the current Pharmac budget of $1.2billion per year and needing a further $213million, by Minister Verrall’s own admission, just to keep up with current costs - then this is nothing ...
Labour has just announced a policy to increase Pharmac funding by $1billion over four years to fund additional medicines.With the current Pharmac budget of $1.2billion per year and needing a further $213million, by Minister Verrall’s own admission, just to keep up with current costs - then this is nothing ...
This matter begins with the Pike River investigation being inadequate, inexplicably lengthy, and after millions of dollars, the evidence that should have been placed before the public still has not been. We have always believed that Pike River isacrime scene, and thataproper investigation would have come to that conclusion. Blue ...
This matter begins with the Pike River investigation being inadequate, inexplicably lengthy, and after millions of dollars, the evidence that should have been placed before the public still has not been. We have always believed that Pike River isacrime scene, and thataproper investigation would have come to that conclusion. Blue ...
New Zealand faces a stark choice this election – vote for Labour to continue to confront the climate emergency with eyes wide open or bury your head in the sand alongside Christopher Luxon. ...
Labour is supercharging its plan to solve the public housing shortfall created by National, promising another 6,000 homes on top of what has already been committed says Labour Housing spokesperson Dr Megan Woods. ...
Labour will back migrant working families by introducing a 10-year multiple-entry parents’ and grandparents’ Super Visa, and make good on the Dawn Raids apology by providing a one-off visa for overstayers who have been in the country ten years or more, Labour’s Immigration Spokesperson Andrew Little says. ...
The Green Party is today welcoming Labour coming to the table to ensure an amnesty for overstayers, but only the Greens will ensure immigration settings actually reflect the reality of people who have been failed by our immigration system. ...
The Green Party is calling on Auckland Council to do more to protect urban trees and housing developer Aedifice Property Group to restore and replant the native forest it cleared, and protect all the remaining trees on Ngahere Road in Pukekohe after a significant number of native trees were cut ...
Latest Police data shows monthly ram raids have hit a two-year low, laying waste to Christopher Luxon’s false claim that there are two ram raids a day says Labour’s Police Spokesperson Ginny Andersen. ...
Free and healthy school lunches will be here to stay if Labour is re-elected, guaranteeing food for our kids who need it most and significant cost saving for parents. ...
The next Labour Government will build a new hospital in Hawke’s Bay, Labour leader Chris Hipkins and Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall announced. ...
The Green Party will keep up the fight to support exploited migrant workers, including pushing to end single employer visas, after the government picked up Green recommendations to improve immigration settings. ...
Green Party co leader James Shaw visited a home in Auckland today that has been upgraded with a wide range of energy improvements, similar to those that would be supported through the Green Party’s Clean Power Payment. ...
The Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta’s presence in New York today at the United Nations General Assembly is a contempt of New Zealand’s “caretaker government” convention. Despite the long-standing caretaker convention, Minister Mahuta is today at the UN to sign a highly contentious “Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement”, delivering a ...
The Pre-Election Fiscal Update Changes EverythingWithin an hour of this speech there is going to be a debate between the political parties that the media, under MMP, still think are the only parties that matter in this campaign. Both of those parties are riddled with inexperience, as evidenced by ...
National and ACT's tax plans don't add up, and that means deep cuts to the public services New Zealanders rely on, says Labour Campaign Chair Megan Woods. ...
The successful ‘Circuit Breaker’ fast track programme designed to stop repeat youth offending was launched in two new locations today by Children’s Minister Kelvin Davis. The programme, first piloted in West and South Auckland in December last year, is aimed at children aged 10-13 who commit serious offending or continue ...
The Government’s Apprenticeship Boost initiative has now supported 20,000 employers to help keep on and train up apprentices, Minister for Social Development and Employment Carmel Sepuloni announced in Christchurch today. Almost 62,000 apprentices have been supported to start and keep training for a trade since the initiative was introduced in ...
The Government is supporting non-pine tree sawmilling and backing further job creation in sawmills in Rotorua and Whangarei, Forestry Minister Peeni Henare said. “The Forestry and Wood Processing Industry Transformation Plan identified the need to add more diversity to our productions forests, wood products and markets,” Peeni Henare said. ...
The Government is helping Canterbury’s aerospace industry take off with further infrastructure support for the Tāwhaki Aerospace Centre at Kaitorete, Infrastructure Minister Dr Megan Woods has announced. “Today I can confirm we will provide a $5.4 million grant to the Tāwhaki Joint Venture to fund a sealed runway and hangar ...
Local councils will have more power to decide where new commercial forests – including carbon forests – are located, to reduce impacts on communities and the environment, Environment Minister David Parker said today. “New national standards give councils greater control over commercial forestry, including clear rules on harvesting practices and ...
New Zealand will again contribute to the leadership of the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, with a senior New Zealand Defence Force officer returning as Interim Force Commander. Defence Minister Andrew Little and Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta have announced the deployment of New Zealand ...
The Government has taken an important step in implementing the new resource management system, by issuing a draft National Planning Framework (NPF) document under the new legislation, Environment Minister David Parker said today. “The NPF consolidates existing national direction, bringing together around 20 existing instruments including policy statements, standards, and ...
The Government welcomes the proposed pay equity settlement that will see significant pay increases for around 18,000 Te Whatu Ora Allied, Scientific, and Technical employees, if accepted said Health Minister Ayesha Verrall. The proposal reached between Te Whatu Ora, the New Zealand Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi ...
The public EV charging network has received a significant boost with government co-funding announced today for over 100 EV chargers – with over 200 charging ports altogether – across New Zealand, and many planned to be up and running on key holiday routes by Christmas this year. Minister of Energy ...
Tuvalu is in the spotlight this week as communities across New Zealand celebrate Vaiaso o te Gagana Tuvalu – Tuvalu Language Week. “The Government has a proven record of supporting Pacific communities and ensuring more of our languages are spoken, heard and celebrated,” Pacific Peoples Minister Barbara Edmonds said. “Many ...
Seven more innovative community-scale energy projects will receive government funding through the Māori and Public Housing Renewable Energy Fund to bring more affordable, locally generated clean energy to more than 800 Māori households, Energy and Resources Minister Dr Megan Woods says. “We’ve already funded 42 small-scale clean energy projects that ...
The Government has approved new funding that will boost resilience and greatly reduce the risk of major flood damage across Te Tai Tokerau. Significant weather events this year caused severe flooding and damage across the region. The $8.9m will be used to provide some of the smaller communities and maraes ...
The largest public housing development in Napier for many years has been recently completed and has the added benefit of innovative solar technology, thanks to Government programmes, says Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods. The 24 warm, dry homes are in Seddon Crescent, Marewa and Megan Woods says the whanau living ...
Māori: Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me te Karauna te Whakaaetanga Whakataunga Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me te Karauna i tētahi Whakaaetanga Whakataunga hei whakamihi i ō rātou tāhuhu kerēme Tiriti o Waitangi. E tekau mā rua ngā hapū o roto mai o Te Whānau ...
Regions around the country will get significant boosts of public housing in the next two years, as outlined in the latest public housing plan update, released by the Housing Minister, Dr Megan Woods. “We’re delivering the most public homes each year since the Nash government of the 1950s with one ...
Judicial warrant process for out-of-hours compliance visits 2023/24 Recognised Seasonal Employer cap increased by 500 Additional roles for Construction and Infrastructure Sector Agreement More roles added to Green List Three-month extension for onshore Recovery Visa holders The Government has confirmed a number of updates to immigration settings as part of ...
Tangi ngunguru ana ngā tai ki te wahapū o Hokianga Whakapau Karakia. Tārehu ana ngā pae maunga ki Te Puna o te Ao Marama. Korihi tangi ana ngā manu, kua hinga he kauri nui ki te Wao Nui o Tāne. He Toa. He Pou. He Ahorangi. E papaki tū ana ...
40 solar energy systems on community buildings in regions affected by Cyclone Gabrielle and other severe weather events Virtual capability-building hub to support community organisations get projects off the ground Boost for community-level renewable energy projects across the country At least 40 community buildings used to support the emergency response ...
The lifting of COVID-19 isolation and mask mandates in August has resulted in a return of almost $50m in savings and recovered contingencies, Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. Following the revocation of mandates and isolation, specialised COVID-19 telehealth and alternative isolation accommodation are among the operational elements ...
Susie Houghton of Auckland has been appointed as a new District Court Judge, to serve on the Family Court, Attorney-General David Parker said today. Judge Houghton has acted as a lawyer for child for more than 20 years. She has acted on matters relating to the Hague Convention, an international ...
The Government has today confirmed $2.5 million to fund a replace and upgrade a stopbank to protect the Waipawa Drinking Water Treatment Plant. “As a result of Cyclone Gabrielle, the original stopbank protecting the Waipawa Drinking Water Treatment Plant was destroyed. The plant was operational within 6 weeks of the ...
Another $2.1 million to boost capacity to deal with waste left in Cyclone Gabrielle’s wake. Funds for Hastings District Council, Phoenix Contracting and Hog Fuel NZ to increase local waste-processing infrastructure. The Government is beefing up Hawke’s Bay’s Cyclone Gabrielle clean-up capacity with more support dealing with the massive amount ...
The future of Supercars events in New Zealand has been secured with new Government support. The Government is getting engines started through the Major Events Fund, a special fund to support high profile events in New Zealand that provide long-term economic, social and cultural benefits. “The Repco Supercars Championship is ...
The economy has turned a corner with confirmation today New Zealand never was in recession and stronger than expected growth in the June quarter, Finance Minister Grant Robertson said. “The New Zealand economy is doing better than expected,” Grant Robertson said. “It’s continuing to grow, with the latest figures showing ...
The Government has accepted the Environment Court’s recommendation to give special legal protection to New Zealand’s largest freshwater springs, Te Waikoropupū Springs (also known as Pupū Springs), Environment Minister David Parker announced today. “Te Waikoropupū Springs, near Takaka in Golden Bay, have the second clearest water in New Zealand after ...
Temporary package of funding for accommodation and essential living support for victims of migrant exploitation Exploited migrant workers able to apply for a further Migrant Exploitation Protection Visa (MEPV), giving people more time to find a job Free job search assistance to get people back into work Use of 90-day ...
An export boost is supporting New Zealand’s economy to grow, adding to signs that the economy has turned a corner and is on a stronger footing as we rebuild from Cyclone Gabrielle and lock in the benefits of multiple new trade deals, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. “The economy is ...
The Government has approved $15 million to raise about 200 homes at risk of future flooding. More than half of this is expected to be spent in the Tairāwhiti settlement of Te Karaka, lifting about 100 homes there. “Te Karaka was badly hit during Cyclone Gabrielle when the Waipāoa River ...
The Government is helping businesses recover from Cyclone Gabrielle and attract more people back into their regions. “Cyclone Gabrielle has caused considerable damage across North Island regions with impacts continuing to be felt by businesses and communities,” Economic Development Minister Barbara Edmonds said. “Building on our earlier business support, this ...
Defence Minister Andrew Little has turned the first sod to start construction of a new Maintenance Support Facility (MSF) at Burnham Military Camp today. “This new state-of-art facility replaces Second World War-era buildings and will enable our Defence Force to better maintain and repair equipment,” Andrew Little said. “This Government ...
Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta will represent New Zealand at the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York this week, before visiting Washington DC for further Pacific focussed meetings. Nanaia Mahuta will be in New York from Wednesday 20 September, and will participate in UNGA leaders ...
Around 1,700 Te Whatu Ora employed midwives and maternity care assistants will soon vote on a proposed pay equity settlement agreed by Te Whatu Ora, the Midwifery Employee Representation and Advisory Service (MERAS) and New Zealand Nurses Association (NZNO), Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. “Addressing historical pay ...
Aotearoa New Zealand will provide humanitarian support to those affected by last week’s earthquake in Morocco, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. “We are making a contribution of $1 million to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to help meet humanitarian needs,” Nanaia Mahuta said. ...
The Government is investing over $22 million across 18 projects to improve the resilience of roads in the West Coast that have been affected by recent extreme weather, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed today. A dedicated Transport Resilience Fund has been established for early preventative works to protect the state ...
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A funny but sad story about the election – and the appalling level of understanding of some voters.
I drive uber 2 nights a week. I always ask my passengers if they intend to vote, and urge them to do so if they say they don’t.
Sometimes this leads to a political discussion, though I never push it.
Well, I had one young fellow tell me he intended to vote for Act, and when I asked why, he said, in all seriousness:
“Because David Seymour is going to make crate day a public holiday.”
After I’d corrected my steering, I tried, successfully I hope, to persuade him that just wasn’t so!
Crikey, we need civic classes in NZ schools.
Somehow, I doubt that the young fellow will actually vote.
I think that someone was pulling someone's leg. Either he was pulling your leg, or David Seymour was pulling his.
PS: This is actually a reply to David Veitch. Sorry.
Crate day?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crate_Day
Thanks. Yuk
Yep. A young man in our family (voting Greens for employment rights and the future) has said most of his mates are voting ACT because Seymour doesn't give much of a sh*t and so it will be funny.
I hope they never have to find out how deadly, ideologically serious, Seymour actually is.
Brilliant Tony V.
Voting can be pretty random despite all the media analysis. It's not over yet.
I was told by a pakeha woman that she was voting Act because they would straighten out those Maoris. Up till then I thought she was a reasonable lady.
Had dinner last night with friends, also from the UK, who belong to the bowling club – that typical Act focus group.
He couldn't believe all the 'handouts in this country' – they got Covid business support. She was telling us about all the ACC support she gets for a shoulder injury – $600/week, surgical treatment, travel expenses to appointments.
I thought Seymour was promising a chicken in every pot, even if it turns out to be mostly feathers and shit.
Indeed he did.
https://www.facebook.com/davidseymourACT/videos/under-act-crate-day-would-be-a-national-holiday/656355895528821/
Well, I never!
Even as a joke, that’s pretty damned irresponsible!
The graph comparing the 4 nations shows 3 of the same rising pattern and the other ….
https://wid.world/news-article/whats-new-about-inequality-in-australia-canada-new-zealand-and-the-united-states/
If national income has increased labour's (proportional) share may have decreased, even if wage levels have remained the same. Just a thought.
For some well reasoned analysis of the situation as it is…not how we wish it to be.
https://www.pundit.co.nz/content/what-is-prefu-2023-really-telling-us
"What the PREFU is saying to the Minister of Finance after the election, is that the books are not in too bad a position (providing you have not promised anything stupid), but always – always – you will be under fiscal pressure. And you may have to deal with unexpected shocks."
….and remembering that the risks are all to the downside.
Thus the folly of poorly costed (not so budget neutral) changes, and especially to raid the money for response to weather events.
And using foreign money (buy up of $2m+ homes) in the package is by definition inflationary.
"The Treasury gives little guidance as to the particularities of the current pressures (other than the implications that politicians always want to reduce taxes and increase spending). Clearly the war resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine is among the big impacts on the world economy. China’s difficulties may be yet to come.
However, what I don’t think we have appreciated sufficiently is the impact of the Covid pandemic and the measures taken to reduce deaths. They had a substantial immediate economic impact – you can see it in the PREFU. But that is still unwinding three years later. It would be naive to think that those economic measures were a free lunch and almost as naive not to think about having to pay for the lunch. Trade-offs are central to economic management as the next government – whoever it may be – will find, even if in the heady days of election campaigning trade-offs are largely ignored."
worth repeating…"whoever it may be".
It's not so much the policies in response to the pandemic, but the amount pumped through banks for property loans (and unrelated to new builds at that) 2020-2021.
https://youtu.be/0nXYwqsEKsU?si=s-7bdzce91Eg0Oeu
This is a very chilling clip of what happened in Albert Park on 25th March. It is put together by Lesbian visibility and the voice over is by two of the Marshalls (one who had water thrown on her, was out in a head lock, tripped up and kicked. The other Marshall was a 69 year old woman (not the woman who was repeatedly punched in the face).
Meanwhile on another planet the Greens were proclaiming it was all trans pure joy.
[deleted]
[I’ve deleted your post because here we are again with me having to use my time chasing you up on moderation stuff. This sentence was the problem “the person who attacked the elderly woman, last I heard, was getting a discharge without conviction”. You provide no evidence for this assertion, and a quick google tells me that his lawyer had applied for a discharge without conviction but I cannot find any evidence that this has been granted. NZH says the sentencing/conviction hearing date hasn’t been set yet. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/crime/posie-parker-protest-activist-pleads-guilty-to-punching-elderly-woman-at-heated-auckland-trans-rights-protest/A5RG2HY2TJFLFKAP4OT7JLGIGU/
There is so much fact free bullshit on the issue of what happened at Albert Park, from both sides, I’m not willing to let this happen on TS. I want us to lift our game on evidence based debate in this area.
From now on, if you want to make any claims of fact about KJK, LWS, or anything to do with aspect of the sex/gender wars in NZ, please provide evidence at the time you make the claim. As always, evidence is an explanation in your own words, supporting quotes and links. – weka]
mod note.
I accept I did not link to the quote re the application for a discharge. Sorry Weka…
You’re still not getting it. The problem wasn’t a lack of link, it was that you grossly misrepresented the situation. Basically you made some shit up on a highly contentious topic. You claimed that the assaulter was getting a discharge without conviction, when in fact no decision has been made about this. You’re really close to getting a long ban, because I am sick of going over these things.
Anker – and that's why many older women I know don't plan to vote this year. Can't bring themselves to vote for NACT / Greens etc but feel Labour has let them down badly.
This is incredibly frustrating. Yes, the sex/gender issues are not good. But there are other ways to deal with this than handing the election to National and Act, who will most certainly act to harm women in multiple ways. In addition, this will make it harder to address the issues around women's sex based rights. Because the election is so tight, not voting in this election is a defacto vote for a RW government.
Unfortunately, many women believe that handing the election to Labour/Greens will also act to harm women in multiple ways. As they will take an election win as implicit approval to continue to implement their current pro-trans policy agenda without giving any regard to the protection of very hard-fought-for women's rights.
The explicit support from multiple GP and Labour MPs for the trans protest at the PP event in Auckland, AND their refusal to condemn the violence which ensued – makes this situation quite clear.
While the RW may, indeed, have worse longer term consequences for women's rights – the short term outcome looks considerably less threatening than the full-scale' anyone can self-declare as a woman' platform from the Left.
it's not longer term consequences though. Seymour is talking about draconian welfare reform. It will impact worst on women, as always. That's just one example. Housing, employment law and wage rates, these are all women's issues.
yes, I'm aware of this view, but it's superficial imo. There are two ways that gender ideology has been pushed back at political, legislative, policy and NGO levels. One is by a serious conservative backlash eg in the US, the other is by progressives working over the long term to make changes eg the UK.
When women choose the conservative route, they are playing with fire and putting many, many more women at risk than are currently at risk from self ID in NZ. We still have other ways of working on this issues in NZ. A L/G/TPM government won't stop those other ways and in fact make them much more likely to succeed. We need progressive solutions to GI, not regressive, reactionary ones.
Do you honestly think that the conservatives will stop at this? Or the conspiracy groups if it comes via NZF?
TBH I don't know. But I suspect that on the current political trajectory we're going to have a chance to find out.
Realistically, there is nothing that Labour can do about this. Any policy change they might make is going to be seen as too little, too late; and as an election bribe, rather than an trustworthy commitment. Hipkins lost this battle in the eye of public opinion when he fumbled the "What is a woman?" question.
The GP have made it very, very clear that they have no desire to roll back anything about their political stance on this issue – and indeed double down on it.
I do think equating the National Party (even with ACT involvement) with the hard conservative right in the US is a bridge too far. And, ignores ACTs socially liberal philosophy. They are probably the party in parliament least likely to be tied to any religious ideology.
It's not that Nact are the same as the US religious conservative politics, I was simply pointing out that there are two different pathways available to NZ women and the conservative one is dangerous. Some GC women are acting as if it's the only option, it's not.
What we need is for the left and centre right to change their position on GI. Because that will give us progressive and liberal policy and law rather than regressive. If it's left to the likes of Winston Peters or Luxon, we will get regressive and a door opening to worse.
Peters probably genuinely believes in single sex spaces, but it's significant that the NZF priorities list has no women's policies in it other than the GI one.
Act want to remove income support from drug addicts and remove privacy rights from disabled people on benefits. It's straight from the Paula Bennett playbook and Seymour is dog whistling NZ's bigots. He can't do that on women because we have too many women in positions of power here and too many Act voters that wouldn't put up with it. But he's doing it to Pasifica people.
There is nothing social liberal about any of that. If we're going to call GI a religious ideology, we should probably call Act's version of libertarianism a religious ideology too.
Well, yes, and we can call the Green Party doctrine religious ideology as well. You can call anything religious ideology – but it doesn't really help debate.
[NB: I did not describe GI as a religious ideology]
And, the tide in gender identity politics in the UK only really reversed (or began to reverse) when the SNP was threatened with a swingeing defeat at the polls (i.e. their constituency walked away from them). I don't see that as "progressives working over the long term to make changes". I see it as the same kind of electoral defeat the Left is courting in NZ.
The shift in UK Labour from TWAW to 'actually, we need to think about women's rights too' is from a long campaign by Labour members, MPs, and grass roots feminists. There have definitely been other events eg the Tavistock whistleblowers, various court cases, the MSM, what happened with the SNP, KJK and LWS and so on. But to get the buy in from liberals you have to have liberal arguments. It's progressives that have done that with Labour. And yep, it's in the context of Labour realising that it might cost them the next election, but again, that's the long campaign.
In NZ, we're not there yet. There are some people, ill advised imo, who are trying to bring the issues up this election (SUFW, the Women's Party), but the risk is that it costs the left the election, which from a left pov obviously is catastrophic. If the idea is that a term in opposition will force Labour and the GP to change their minds while the right are pushing back trans rights, I cannot see how this will change their minds.
What might change their minds is the large numbers of L and GP members and voters who don't believe that men should be in women's sport, and who understand the need for single sex spaces. But it takes time, care and process to make that change.
ok, so when you said Act were the least religiously ideological, were you talking about Christianity rather than GI?
I was talking about any organized religions – not just Christianity.
Belladona – I've to agree with your prediction. Replacing of the word women by so called ‘gender neutral’ language such that – women – no longer exist as a sex-based rights group. So you’ll get e.g. people’s wages, people’s housing rights and people’s employment’s rights.
And the more government regulations are non-specific the more employers/NGO make their own interpretations of the laws.
“The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.” ― George Orwell
What rights as per wages, housing and employment apply to women and not others, or to others and not women?
Yes I know a few as well.
In the group of professional women I meet with who were/are so concerned about The Greens wealth tax and its affect on single women earlier on, there is a view from Friday's session that none would be voting for the Nats as:
1 Luxon is perceived to be in it for the status and would do anything to achieve it
2 His espoused religion (Prosperity Gospels) is perceived to be a big turn-off
3 He is 'creepy' !!!!!?
Labour/Hipkins with his bumbling on what is a woman and lack of knowledge on the issues is not held in much higher regard. Though I did get the feeling that the view is that his view is not innate unlike they perceive Luxon's views to be.
I have tried to encourage them to vote. We discussed the concept of least bad. One was going to vote party vote Labour only as the local Labour candidate is perceived to be anti women, another was going to spoil her vote.
https://www.speakupforwomen.nz/post/media-release-wellington-central-candidates-censor-free-speech
Shanreagh I seem to think you are in Wellington. You may want to raise this (or not ) with your Wellington friends.
Both Green and Labour Wellington Central candidates put pressure on Mt Vics electorate candidates to not ask questions about transgender (male bodied) in women's sports.
Patricia2 – it is frustrating- but I read the current political polling as against Labour/Greens rather than for Nat/Act. Nat leader is not liked by many and the more he gets interviewed the more you see how he tries not to answer questions. And instead tries to play this tape again and again.
Your alternatives are still TOP and of course the Women's Rights Party who seem to go from strength to strength. They are unlikely to get into parliament but its a clear message to the main parties something very fundamentally has gone wrong for women. Many of them are long time ex- labour and greens members/voters.
I consider the labour leader a decent person – but he seems to be ill informed on this subject, I assume he gets his info, if he gets it at all, from some very biased people – who seem to keep him away from the concerns of the other side. I've yet to hear him say publicly anything in favour of women's sex based rights or be curious to find out what is going on re the medicalisation of non-conforming teenagers.
But change will come for sure – and we will slowly work our way to the top to make it happen.
Listening to NatRad this evening – Caucus.
And one of the presenters made the comment (paraphrased) that this was not an election of personalities – that neither of the main leaders had any charisma – and so it came down to believability on economic management. Specifically that this was a Helen Clark election – and the winner (of the debates, and by inference the election), needed to be razor sharp and all over the detail of both their own policies and the opposition ones).
And, while they didn't feel Luxon fit that bill, they didn't think that Hipkins did, either.
Resulting in an election campaign which even the commentators are thinking of as lacklustre.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/caucus
Specific programme from this evening not yet listed – but this is where it will be, when its up.
Thank you Anker – a very scary watch. Can't image the fear that the women must surely feel up and around the rotondo seeing the crowd getting out of hand, coming towards them and hell band on driving the women out town with pure force.
Lets hope the police on the 20th September realise that its actually their task to keep the fractions apart.
Thanks Tabletennis. I have all but given up posting on this site, but I do read what is on here a little.
I refrain from commenting too much, because I recognise that people here are worried about labour losing the election. Its tough fighting a political battle when its not going well
Here's a couple of thoughts –
The $2 million dollar houses that are to sold to foreigners will be investments or holiday homes very few will be rented therefore total hoiusing capacity will be reduced.
The NZer's that sell these mansion are mainly going to build/buy a replacement building a replacement mansion building takes capacity away from more needed projects to reduce NZ's significant housing and buying is going to fuel housing inflation
Barfly. I think they on Thursday night they said that 27% of houses in Queenstown were unoccupied. Maybe when those awful rules about warm safe homes are lifted by Nact, then there will be 27% more houses for rent?
And meanwhile we get this shit
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/132937917/queenstown-man-unable-to-get-a-house-to-rent-living-in-a-shack-in-the-bush
Way short of good enough to be called a shack to me
Queenstown has a very high proportion of holiday houses, always has. The rate of unoccupied dwellings will be higher than 27%. So it depends on how it is being defined. Are they excluding holiday houses? Including AirBnb etc?
I think the call from Nact was that having to comply with the "Healthy Homes" rules stopped house owners from renting out but with rules being undone by Nact, there will be no crisis in Queenstown. How kind are Nact!
I have no doubt that the health homes rules prevent some houses being rented. This is a consequence of lifting the standard of living of renters, and agree they're stupid af to think that removing the rules will somehow make things better, especially in a tourist town that allows rentals that are basically slums and lets labourers live on site in a tent.
One of the issues for Queentown is that holiday houses that were previously available as a seasonal rental eg over the ski season for workers, are now used for AirBnB because the owner makes more money for less wear and tear on the house.
Much of that comes down to QLDC not being willing to sort it out.
Nobody seems to have reliable stats on this….people talk about Wanaka being 40% empty houses most of the year
Based on a very unreliable sample data of 2 families I know living between Wanaka and Auckland. The Wanaka houses are used for long weekends every 2-3 weeks, combined with longer holidays of 1-2 weeks every school holidays & 3 weeks or so over summer.
So, yes, the houses are vacant for 'most' of the year – but the pattern of vacancy doesn't lend itself to home-rentals. It does (or can) lend itself to Air BnB occupations.
This is probably the pattern for most people with holiday homes. The old-fashioned idea that you just went to the bach over summer has changed, with modern transport links.
Yes you're about right there.
OOps Nicola. From the Newsroom Marc Daalder:
Another $100mil to account for?
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/nationals-landlord-tax-break-could-cost-100m-more-a-year?utm_source=Newsroom&utm_campaign=daa045f384-Week+In+Review+16.09.2023&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_71de5c4b35-daa045f384-95522477&mc_cid=daa045f384&mc_eid=88a3081e75
In around 2 weeks the polls will open and currently ALL the options are terrible in various aspects….what is one to do?
Sadly the (largely western) political class handed control of the economy to the international financiers and are now only able to impact things at the margins, and that control is now so entrenched that any attempt to loosen it will likely result in the cure being worse than the disease.
Hopium appears the only strategy …..and that is (unsurprisingly) reflected in our so called leaders.
The 'least bad' option is still a bad option.
I appreciate your dramatic phrasing, and the assessment is largely accurate but there is a fundamental problem; 'least bad' remains better than the rest, and not participating makes the 'more bad' more likely.
The path ahead will be fraught with difficulties, largely self-inflicted, we can't afford to give up now. I don't particularly believe in accelerationism, or taking the ‘black pill’, Hopium is better for us all. Politics has moved rightward so far that people have lost faith in collective action and this has neutered the organisations that have been advocating for any alternative political economy.
At the core, we need to realise that politics as it is practised every three years, is not sufficient; that we take care of each other and we can do that whether state wants to assist or not.
Ultimately, just because something will be difficult and possibly insufficient doesn't make trying to do it less necessary or less worthy.
very good arkie, thanks for that.
Alternatively it could be considered knowingly supporting something detrimental to society.
Im sure the rationalisation has been used before.
Society as it currently functioning IS detrimental to society and the planet. Trying to improve that, even marginally, is still an improvement; keeping the status quo keeps things getting worse.
It is a sort-of nihilist, teenaged-anarchist sentiment; "Don't vote, it only encourages them" and sure, representative democracy seems to limits our politics to casting a vote every three years, but that is not what all of politics is, it is happening all the time, all around us. Agitate, Educate, Organise! There is no rational reason for inaction, if we don't do anything things will only get worse. That is certainly detrimental to society and the planet.
Excepting it is the opposite of nihilism…it is a position of principle.
God bless the UAW.
It's on like Donkey Kong.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHLkJMmIeuE
Posie Parker has abandoned her trip to NZ on the grounds that "the NZ Police, Border Control and politicians are corrupt and she fears they would not ensure her and her supporters safety." [my bold]
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/498122/posie-parker-cancels-trip-to-new-zealand-over-safety-concerns
In my view, a further example of her extremist positions we can well do without. We have enough fanatics creating societal damage without importing more of them from elsewhere.
Posy possibly could not raise the funds
What does this mean? She was asked not to go by her family after NZ police could give no assurances as to safety. Was she to have brought her own police force with her? Is that what the reference to money is about?
I think it's reasonable to assume that one of the issues was the large fee KJK would have had to pay for private security.
Why do we have to 'assume' anything re $$$ especially when the reasons given were about the fears for her safety from her family. Fears I can see are justified in view of the non- policing that occurred at Albert Park previously. I actually feel that she has a 'civil' right to be here and protected as she was the person assaulted by the tomato sauce thrower, she above all has a greater right to see the operation of justice than many others.
My opinion is that without her here the issue will slide away into wet bus ticket punishment as it seems likely with the person who assaulted the elderly woman. His solicitors have applied for a discharge without conviction.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/crime/posie-parker-protest-activist-pleads-guilty-to-punching-elderly-woman-at-heated-auckland-trans-rights-protest/A5RG2HY2TJFLFKAP4OT7JLGIGU/
Is it just controversial women who have to bring or pay for their own policing?
The police seem to be able to protect people like Julian Batchelor OK but then he is a guy despite all his racist views. Perhaps that is the difference?
The column by Katrina Biggs gives a 'breath of fresh air' view on the issue of KJM and the cancellation of her trip to NZ.
https://aboldwoman.substack.com/p/kellie-jay-keen-is-not-coming-to?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1177996&post_id=137086819&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=wthj9&utm_medium=email
"As well as feeling disappointed that she wouldn’t be coming, there are many like myself who are devastated that our country has come to this – a handful of loud, lying, hateful, anti-women activists calling the shots with our police force, not to mention with our politicians. If either of the police or politicians exercised even the tiniest bit of professional discernment in their jobs, and unbiasedly listened to gender critical women as well, we may not have come to this pass. Instead, they’ve sold their souls to trans activists, and their minds to the stories trans activists tell. And, here we are."
Because KJK has talked about the costs of providing private security.
So her family's concerns about her safety are dismissed because somewhere, some time she has mentioned private security payments. Private security arrangements are never supposed to take the place of Police in combatting civil unrest. Private security close guard 'their person'. Private security have no role to combat public disorder except when it is afftecting 'their' person and have limited resources to protect even then.
Only the Police have the right to arrest.
The idea that a visitor to NZ, especially from another common law country like the UK, having to supply their own army is anathema.
King John,the Magna Carta and the surrendering ot the ability to tax and raise private armies is all relevant to our democarcy just as it is to the UK.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magna_Carta
[no-one in this thread has dismissed KJK’s family’s concern about her safety. In my comment I said that cost was one of the issues. If you are unwilling to listen to and make sense of what people are actually saying, that degrades the debate. 4 week ban for misleading the debate and so soon after being warned about this. – weka]
That is absolute bullshit Shanreagh. I can hardly believe that an intelligent woman like yourself could make it. I'm not a huge fan of the police [for historical reasons] but to infer, as I believe you have done, that they disrespect women to the extent that they think them less worthy of protection has no bearing in reality.
Extremist positions?
"We have enough fanatics creating societal damage " I agree.
do you know how to crop screenshots on your phone? This image would be more readable if it was only the pink/blue bit.
Yes, I agree.
Didn't realise there was a crop option. Will try next time.
My comment re-extremists and fanatics was meant in a general sense and to cover both sides of the Left and Right spectrum. They both raise dangerous barriers in society. Whether or not she set out to do it is open to question, but Posie Parker's presence in NZ and the way she chose to attract attention only served to inflame the tension that already existed between two differing sets of people. To my mind that helps nobody.
While far from 'extremist' I find RNZs insistence of describing KJK as an "anti-trans activist" a tad misleading at best. Somehow it is highly unlikely The Disinformation Project will act.
Sure some of those whose gender is a big deal in their life might be comfortable with this framing. It ignores the wider issue of taking a position against 'professionals' who would seek to medicate or operate on minors to affirm their current identity.
"Posie Parker's presence in NZ and the way she chose to attract attention only "
How exactly was this done, and what did you find so objectionable about it?
KJK has been given copies of rsponses to OIA requests that give insight into the (in) actions of the police at Albert Park:
https://x.com/SimonRAnderson1/status/1702125388871475422?s=20
KJK is the MC of #LetWomenSpeak, the majority of time is given to women from each locale to speak – unvetted and uncurated.
There are four lines KJK says in each #LetWomenSpeak:
"Women don't have penises.
Men don't have vaginas.
Non-binary is a nonsense.
Transitioning children is profound abuse."
The fact that any of these sentences can be considered "extremist positions" should indicate the immense power gender ideology has attained in a very short time.
The latest #LetWomenSpeak from Dublin:
https://www.youtube.com/live/wV8uTh1Pq7s?si=AjUSZtN6hApiiFQm
Why can't we have women speaking? What is so threatening?
Have the police and the trans community actually listened to what is being said at these gatherings? Some of it is not on the trans issue/s (NB the whole world does not revolve around the trans issues).
At these gatherings I have heard all sorts of snippets about women's lives around the world and realised that our rights as women is a fragile thing. To me the issues as reported by Molly 17 September 2023 at 7:53 am are uncontroversial.
Numbers 1 & 2 rely on having a competent grasp of biology which everyone can have. Number 4 goes to the concept of childhood and the roles of parents and society to bring up children so that when our work is done (is it ever?) our children can have the confidence to go ahead in the world making their own decisions. Number 3 is a nonsense as it is framed by anti women protestors but perhaps could be framed as we accept how people want to identify themselves and make no comment as long as it is not illegal or 'frighten the horses'.
"Women don't have penises.
Men don't have vaginas.
Non-binary is a nonsense.
Transitioning children is profound abuse."
In NZ. for some reason, we find these views very difficult to grasp.
When all the dust has settled I would love to read scholarly research on why two countries such as Ireland and NZ have evolved so differently. particulalary interesting is that Ireland was a supplier of many immigrants to NZ. Ireland and Northern Ireland https://www.youtube.com/live/wV8uTh1Pq7s?si=AjUSZtN6hApiiFQm
had the Let Women Speak go ahead, noisy etc but they did go ahead. Belfast the protestors were positioned a fair distance away and the lines were policed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LF5Nn-rNfY
https://www.speakupforwomen.nz/post/media-release-wellington-central-candidates-censor-free-speech
Shanreagh I seem to think you are in Wellington. You may want to raise this (or not ) with your Wellington friends.
Both Green and Labour Wellington Central candidates put pressure on Mt Vics electorate candidates to not ask questions about transgender (male bodied) in women's sports.
It is not over.
Each challenge as to accuracy and veracity of policy opens a few more eyes ears and leads to questions which show politicians' natures positions and flaws.
Three weeks is a long time in politics.
I hope someone has told Chris Hipkins about Chris Luxon being a National Secondary School Debate champion. (Another fudge )
The gap between the party blocks is not that large, that the movement of 40 000 people could sway the election.
It will be tight, and some seats could throw up some interesting positions.
Completely agree. Will be interesting to see what the polls after Nat's tax policy show. Maybe people don't care, maybe they do.
Bugger the polls!
Voter turnout is going to be deciding factor.
what's your thinking there?
In a nutshell, voting is an action based on political engagement and interest. Disengagement, possibly because of disillusion, seems to be winning on the Left and the opposite on the Right. The polls and their media reporting & portrayal and of the election campaigns would seem to support this notion.
In general, the Right can count [pun intended] on a relatively more stable voter turnout.
I think that the high turnout in 2020 helped Labour securing an absolute majority because it tapped into other segments of voters. The corollary is that a low(er) turnout in this General Election will undo much or all of this and possibly go even further …
https://elections.nz/media-and-news/2020/2020-general-election-official-results/
https://elections.nz/democracy-in-nz/historical-events/2020-general-election-and-referendums/voter-turnout-statistics-for-the-2020-general-election/
would this not be offset by RW voters not bothering to vote because they think Nat will win anyway?
I don't think Nats think this way Weka……from my experience with my Nat family and friends. They tend to vote regardless of what the Polls are saying (perhaps despite what the polls are saying) as they see it as a civil duty.
I agree. Especially in the older age brackets (and IIRC, National voters tend to be weighted towards the 40+ age bracket) and the middle class – voting is much more a civic duty – regardless of whether their candidate is likely to be elected or not.
I liked this from Francisco Hernandez,
"Don't watch the polls, become the polls."
https://twitter.com/Fran4Dunedin/status/1702819633861181587
Problem is weka @10.1, there tends to be a lag from the time a policy flaw – even a major one – is revealed and the voters picking up on it. It can take a few weeks at least before the response starts to show in polling. Hipkins and Shaw in particular will need to harp on about it right up to election day.
Yep. I think it's been running for a few weeks, but agree that it might not show in the immediate polls.
'slow motion execution' of Julian Assange.
The democratic facade is crumbling for any thinking person.
Must be a few who are happy about that, as they have sat and let the UK and US state to destroy Assange physically and mentally. With the added bonus to put the fear of god up journalist and publishers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6x9Bltb7ZYE
With written introduction.
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2023/09/the-slow-motion-execution-of-julian-assange/
A criticism of the acceptance of capitalism dominant (monopoly)
https://consortiumnews.com/2023/08/29/craig-murray-destitution-capitalism/
A generation of a dying democracy behind neo-liberal supremacy.
https://consortiumnews.com/2023/07/24/craig-murray-democracys-demise/
Great links SPC
Something that caught my eye on Stuff.co.nz today.
A comparison of all major parties' policies that encompass climate change or the environment.
If you look through ACT's response to all the questions posed then you could well believe that ACT still think climate change is a myth and a socialist trick.
Without exception they oppose EVERY initiative that has ever been done to reduce CO2 emissions and climate change, even some that National support (half-heartedly it must be said). ACT's attitude is not just irresponsible, it is downright criminal.
ACT care only about their own bank balances, nothing else matters. They are a bunch of wankers. We must keep them out of government to have any chance of giving our grandchildren and great grandchildren a planet they can live in.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/climate-news/300956490/the-next-governments-environment-agenda-we-created-a-one-stop-shop-to-compare-parties‘
yep. So many reasons to fight with everything we've got for this election, and Act's position on climate is one of the big ones.
Oh I don't know.
We may get a government that is scared of the people for a change.
I mean act can say and do what it likes, but if it changes any progress on global boiling then I and many others will make it hard for them to govern.
Hard for them to do anything really.
So they can say what they like, but reality is a harsh task master.
we're already past the point with climate where people should be making it hard for the government to govern. And yet people are largely not acting and many want a RW government. Scared people vote conservative, they don't revolt.
Another term of a centre left government buys us time to convince more people that we need to build strong community and address climate front on. We can't do that under the right.
Last year the Ford CEO made $21 million and between them the big car companies forked out $5 billion in stock buybacks for wealthy investors.
Teddy Ostrow
@TeddyOstrow
“In their economy, workers live paycheck to paycheck while the billionaires buy another yacht… So we’re gonna wreck their economy cuz it only works for the billionaire class,” says @UAW prez Shawn Fain in Detroit.
https://twitter.com/TeddyOstrow/status/1702810700563800288
As the Big Three automakers barrel towards a potential stake from the United Auto Workers (UAW) union, Ford CEO Jim Farley has shared his sentiments about the matter. During a conversation with CNBC Overtime, a seemingly exasperated Farley stated that the UAW’s demands would have resulted in Ford going bankrupt.
The UAW’s demands include the restoration of defined benefit pensions for all workers, a four-day workweek, and a mid-30% raise, among others, as per a report from The Wall Street Journal. The UAW had initially targeted a 40% increase in wages for its members, as it matched the average salary hike that Detroit automotive executives received over the past four years.
https://www.teslarati.com/ford-ceo-jim-farley-uaw-proposal-bankruptcy
What a performance.
Stopping the 10 match streak of the high flying Knights. Warriors put 40 on the board against a worthy opposition. Off to Brisbane next week for a match with the Broncos who supposedly will have home advantage.
Up da Wahs.
Still plenty of room on the bandwagon.