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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Bryce Edwards writes – “Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The ...
Alwyn Poole writes – After being elected to Parliament in 2008 the maiden speech of Hipkins was substantially around education policy. He was Labour’s spokesperson for education 2011 – 2017. He was Minister for Education from 2017 until February 2023. This is approximately 88% of the time Labour ...
Eric Crampton writes – A fashion industry group is lobbying for protections. They make the usual arguments and a newer one. None of it makes sense. An industry group says it pumped $7.8 billion into the economy last year – that’s 1.9 percent of New Zealand’s GDP. ...
In December 2006, Fiji's military leader Voreqe Bainimarama overthrew the elected government in a coup. He ruled Fiji for the next 16 years, first as dictator, then as "elected" Prime Minister. But now, he's finally been sent to jail where he belongs. Sadly, this isn't for his real crime of ...
Don't like National's corrupt Muldoonist "fast-track" law? Aotearoa's environmental NGO's - Greenpeace, Forest & Bird, WWF, Coromandel Watchdog, Coal Action Network Aotearoa, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining, and others - have announced a joint march against it in Auckland in June: When: 13:00, 8 June, 2024 Where: Aotea Square, Auckland You ...
Seymour describes sushi as too woke for school meals. There are no fish sushi meals recommended by the School Lunches programme. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: The Government will swap out hot meals for packaged sandwiches to save $107 million on school lunches for poor kids. MSD has pulled ...
I don't mind stealin' bread from the mouths of decadenceBut I can't feed on the powerless when my cup's already overfilled, yeahBut it's on the table, the fire's cookin'And they're farmin' babies, while slaves are workin'The blood is on the table and the mouths are chokin'But I'm goin' hungry, yeahSome ...
The Ardern Government’s chickens came home to roost yesterday with the news that the country is short of natural gas. In 2018, Labour banned offshore petroleum exploration, and industry executives say that the attendant loss of confidence by the industry impacted overall investment in onshore gas fields. Energy Resources Minister ...
Hi,If you’ve been digging through the newly launched Webworm store (orders are being dispatched worldwide as I type!) you’ll have noticed the best model we had was Calvin.This is Calvin.Calvin.Calvin is 7, and is the son of my producer over on Flightless Bird, Rob — aka “Wobby Wob”. Rob also ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Climate change is everywhere. And when something's everywhere it can feel like it's nowhere. So how do we get our heads ...
Its a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...
Yesterday Winston Peters focussed his attention on the important matter at hand. Tweeting. Like the former, and quite possibly next, orange POTUS, from whom he takes much of his political strategy, Winston is an avid X’er.His message didn’t resemble an historic address this time. In fact it was more reminiscent ...
Buzz from the Beehive A significant decline in natural gas production has given Resources Minister Shane Jones an opportunity to reiterate his enthusiasm for the mining and burning of coal. For good measure, he has praised an announcement from Genesis Energy that it will resume importing coal. He and Energy ...
“Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim.Extreme Left Auckland University of TechnologyEvidenceThe ...
Eric Crampton writes – I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes – Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
New Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
“Instead of following along countries that are investing in death and better ways of killing people faster, we need to invest in life and in making Aotearoa a fair, just and equitable place where everyone has what they need for a dignified life.” ...
MARIAMENO KAPA-KINGI, TPM MP FOR TAI TOKERAU This Government will not waver in its mission to exterminate Māori. CHRISTOPHER LUXON Oh well look you know I don’t think that hard-working Kiwis want to hear language like that. It’s just really unhelpful rhetoric. My Government is genuinely committed to advancing outcomes ...
The body positivity movement started with women confronting the unrealistic expectations and unrepresentative portrayals of them in media and advertising. Men weren’t part of it … their bodies hadn’t been sexualised to the same extremes and they didn’t really need it. But now that’s changed. And in a warped sort ...
The New Zealand comedy legend takes us through her life in television, including the time she hugged Elton John and the unshakeable legacy of a girl named Lyn. In 1981, Ginette McDonald stood on the stage of Auckland’s St James Theatre and directly addressed Queen Elizabeth II. It was a ...
An essay by Lily Duval from the just-released anthology Otherhood: Essays on being childless, childfree and child adjacent.I was 22 when my friend Alice gave birth in the living room of our pokey Addington flat. She laboured in the blow-up pool for hours. Garish fish swam along the inflated ...
Ella Borrie on the best books about motherhood she’s come across so far. Over the past few years I’ve been drawn to books about motherhood. I’m fascinated by the joys and horrors of becoming a parent. The question of children also feels more pressing than it used to. It’s like ...
Out of gift ideas for mum? You can’t go wrong with a bottle of toilet cleaner and a new squeegee. Emily Writes is the writer and editor of Emily Writes Weekly. This week marks five years since I published a post on The Spinoff about Mother’s Day marketing titled ‘A ...
My husband is posted overseas for 12 months and I’m armed with an expensive, newfangled vibrator. Will I miss him? The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.A few days after my husband leaves, a new sex toy arrives at the front door. Nestled ...
Jaimie Baird’s new book Here Today Gone Tomorrow is a record of four decades of graffiti and street art in Wellington, told through more than 1,200 photographs. He spoke with Joel MacManus about what inspired the book. How did you first get interested in photographing street art? I remember ...
Editor Madeleine Chapman looks back at a busy week where food of all political leanings dominated. Sometimes you’re just going about your week thinking you’ve got a good handle on what might be coming as far as news topics and then someone (usually a politician) says something so ridiculous that ...
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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.
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.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.
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.