Edited highlights from The Surge: wheeler/dealer Bernie @ #1
"Sanders reached a deal with Budget Committee moderates on a $3.5 trillion framework for a party-line reconciliation bill they intend to pass this fall. It would create a host of climate initiatives that Democrats claim would meet the president’s goal of halving emissions by 2030; add dental, vision, and hearing aid benefits to Medicare; extend the generously expanded child tax credit and improvements Democrats made to the Affordable Care Act earlier this year; allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices; and fund universal pre-K and paid family and medical leave. “The legislation that the president and I are supporting will go further to improve the lives of working people than any legislation since the 1930s,” Sanders told reporters once the deal was reached." https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/07/the-surge-bernie-sanders-budget-infrastructure-manchin-schumer.html
Legal weed @ #5: "Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, along with Sens. Ron Wyden and Cory Booker, introduced the first draft of their bill, the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, to remove marijuana from the federal list of controlled substances. President Joe Biden, meanwhile, is extremely weirdly still not in favor of marijuana legalization."
Stroppy servant @ #7: "Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, got into it with congressional Republicans when he defended studying “white rage” and took offense at accusations over the military going “woke.” Conservatives like Tucker Carlson and Matt Gaetz, both privileged brats, called him “stupid,” a “pig,” and the reason why we lose so many wars. Milley is now likely in for another round of prep school Republicans calling him a wussy war-losing scumbag, as a new book documents some of the insults Milley lobbed Trump’s way when he was actively trying to prevent Trump from launching a coup. In a statement Thursday, Trump—who says he only picked Milley because Jim Mattis didn’t like Milley, and Trump didn’t like Jim Mattis—kicked things off by saying that “if I was going to do a coup, one of the last people I would want to do it with is General Mark Milley.” So there!"
While most of the farmers out yesterday were just sheep who probably didn't even really know why they were protesting, government needs to remember that its up to them to ease the pain of their policies, what's gone on down in otago and Canterbury (which is the main target of many of the policies) was all done legally in most cases and aided and abetted government national and local.
Youre right about local government support in the provinces, though public support will be far more divided (and opposition largely silent)…and its not surprising as in most cases the Ag sector is the main source of both revenue and employment in theses areas….and the method of protest was far from popular if what I hear being expressed is anything to go by.
and buried in 'Lifestyle' – funny and fitting imo – a write up on the casualness on which cis gendered girls experience sexual violence at the hand of their male peers and older male.
Girls, its called a rite of passage. I am waiting on the Minister for Women to have a say on that, and to do something about the 'right to a safe space and environment in which to grow up for human beings with natural vaginas. I am however not holding my breath, cause i'd be dead before anyone in any government really gives a flying fudge.
Of the 724 students who responded (aged 12 to 18), 60 per cent said they had been sexually harassed, many of them multiple times — out on the street, around town, at social gatherings or online. In most cases, their harassers were teenage boys of a similar age, or older men.
The impact of even what might be considered low-level harassment was often distressing. Relentless cat-calls and sexual comments had led some students to change their route to and from school, or to avoid travelling by bus altogether. Some of the verbal abuse that was reported, including rape threats, was truly vile. A girl on her way home from school says she attracted a volley of abuse when she walked past a group of teenage boys, with one of them shouting, "I'll f*** you until your back breaks."
Other students told of being groped, followed, filmed without permission or sent unwanted "dick pics". One was offered money to allow herself to be touched. Several of the reported rapes involved multiple offenders taking turns with a girl who'd had too much to drink or been subdued with drugs. More than once, a supposedly supportive boyfriend had helped her into a bedroom to lie down, then brought in his mates.
I'll deem you Minister for Women for the day. What would you do? Real solutions.
(Not real solutions are the seeming National style solution for gangs, to wit: "Gangs do bad things, put all gang members in jail." So with girls being assaulted, "Males do bad things, lock up all teenage and adult males."
make rape and sexual assault part of the hate crime bill.
– Min. sentencing 3 years plus 50.000 in damages.
– Advertise that in Schools, specifically boys school. Send police to boys schools and tell them what happens if you rape anyone (as boys also get raped).
Anyone cought raping anyone should get at least that for every charge of rape.
So this guy here who assaulted three women during a Navy trip should get at the minimum 3 years for each instance, plus 50.000 to each victim. No parole, no early release, madatory listing on sexual offenders list, no name suppression. – but he got two years. Cause boys will be boys. Right?
Cause clearly girls should know that when they are out and about, trying to live their life that they will inspire men and boys (and some women, althought no women ever told me to smile, never told me to get a breast augmention surgery lest i be considered a boy, or told that my ass is fuckable, nor has ever any women with a vagina raped me, that was always done by weaponsied penises).
So now Pete , that i told you what i would do, what would you do to keep girls as young as 13 save from having a train run over them organised by their supposed 'boyfriends'.
And please remember that the Roastbusters were not even charged with 'supplying alcohol to minors'. They went scot free, and the girls get to pick up what ever is left of them and continue on. Mind i guess they are not Rainbow Youth, so sucks to be a person with a natural vagina.
And do feel free to tell me just how unfair it is that Girls stand up for themselves and demand to not be reduced to a piece of meat by their peers and older male.
Tbh, Sabine I had no real inkling that this shit had got so bad for our young women. I was reading that article very early this morning and thinking we really need to get boys off the fucking porn sites and into some sound and solid consciousness-raising and mindfulness. They also need to learn that women do not exist for their use and entertainment. That women and girls are actually human.
"We're so desensitised to it, and so are the guys. They don't see themselves as 'offenders' whose behaviour is hurting or breaking someone. Men are trained not to respect women. And if you challenge it, they're the ones who feel they've been targeted unfairly."
This has gone way beyond a rank sense of entitlement…and we in the west have the audacity to challenge third world countries on the way they treat women and girls.
Should we start lessons in the earliest classes in schools, or preschools, telling boys what will happen to them if they treat other people badly? Should we have exemplar lists of what constitutes that unacceptable behaviour?
Why don't you answer me this? Do YOU think that girls and women should have a right to NOT be assaulted, insulted and raped by THEIR MALE peers? or is that just boys being boys and rape is a rite of passage for men to commit and for women/girls to suffer through?
A couple of times lately I have been questioned on NOT putting stuff as if something not being there means I accept it or approve of it. As if I have to preface everything I say with a pepeha which includes everything I believe in, anything not being there implying I don't care.
Like an implication that because I didn't lambaste mongrels who assault other people I might think that it's okay for girls and women to be assaulted, insulted and raped by male peers? Or thinking that rape is a reasonable rite of passage for men to commit and for women/girls to suffer through.
I'm going to a public occasion this afternoon. If someone doesn't tell me directly that they think that girls and women should have a right to NOT be assaulted, insulted and raped by THEIR MALE peers and that just boys being boys and rape is a rite of passage for men to commit and for women/girls to suffer through, do I assume the worst about them and their attitudes?
i don't know what you believe, you could answer me my question. Something like, Yes, i believe that, would suffice actually.
But let me tell you…….that
I do believe that women and girls SHOULD have that right, and i am waiting with baited breath for the Minister of Women to state something to that extend, because this is just ONE school, and we can expect this to happen pretty much anywhere in the country.
"I'm going to a public occasion this afternoon. If someone doesn't tell me directly that they think that girls and women should have a right to NOT be assaulted, insulted and raped by THEIR MALE peers and that just boys being boys and rape is a rite of passage for men to commit and for women/girls to suffer through, do I assume the worst about them and their attitudes?"
You are commenting around the topic of sexual harassment as reported by the Christchurch school girls, without actually addressing the impact this harassment has on not only their lives, but the lives of those conducting that harassment (and those around them) if it is not addressed.
Listen to what Sabine is saying, instead of getting all #NotAllMen.
Because the reality is, most women have experienced what is reported to varying degrees of harm.
So, there is a better approach than just pretending there is nothing to address, such as you seem to be doing.
It is necessary for us ALL to address it, as opposed to only those who are participating in harmful behaviour, unless you honestly believe that it is not worth finding a solution for.
(BTW, lessons are learned in cultures and societies, not just schools. The answer does not rely on educational institutions solely, we collectively carry that responsibility.)
Surely you're not telling me what I should be addressing?
And if I haven't addressed what you think I should be addressing I'm pretending there is nothing to address?
Not worth finding a solution for? I asked about specific responses. Sabine has suggested punishment and advertising. You say, "The answer does not rely on educational institutions solely, we collectively carry that responsibility" without saying what can specifically be done.
It's all right saying there is a massive problem, it's obvious there is. Thing is, what specifically should be done about it?
“Surely you’re not telling me what I should be addressing?”
God forbid. Just all those who are concerned about the current environment of harm. Else the involvement of those not caring, gets in the way of discussion and possible solutions by redirecting into dead ends of discussion.
"It's all right saying there is a massive problem, it's obvious there is. Thing is, what specifically should be done about it?"
Well, it was not apparent that you thought this from your previous comments on this thread.
Instead of asking others for solutions, or providing facile tongue-in-cheek proposals, – do you have any real solutions to propose? I'll wait.
And something about consent having to be proved. Along the lines of the accused having to demonstrated reasonable grounds for believing each act (which would take in removing condoms) was desired by the other party.
Seems like debunked Guardian hack Luck Harding is still not yet ready to abandon his wet dream fantasy that Russia helped Trump into the Whitehouse in 2016, a narrative that most thinking humans have now accepted was some sort of smoke screen to protect Clinton and the establishment Dems from taking any kind of responsibility for their embarrassing defeat during that election..a narrative now only mentioned in polite company by hardcore fantasists (like Harding and enabled by The Guardian)…..
Kremlin papers appear to show Putin’s plot to put Trump in White House
The headline warns the Prime Minister to, "dismiss protesting farmers as rednecks at (her) peril."
I could not find any reference to where the PM had done such a thing. Would anyone with a Hurled subscription be able to tell us where the PM said or implied 'protesting farmers are rednecks'?
Harris says he saw some tenants living in “absolutely awful conditions”.
''There are some landlords who are just 100 per cent scumlords, and they should never ever be allowed to own property to rent out.''
Harris' firm, TradeTech, has inspected and assessed 3756 Christchurch homes over the last 18 months. A small percentage of landlords went to extraordinary lengths to avoid fixing their poor quality rentals, he says.
''We have been asked to pass houses without seeing them and been offered money to do so.
‘’Owners are trying to tape insulation around the manhole or scatter [pink] batts around, so it looks like it has been done, or they put new lino over holes in the floor. For draught-stopping, rather than fix windows, some just nail them shut.''
I'd really like to see inspectors have the ability to force sales of rental properties and a ban from being associated in any way (including as a property manager or investor) with residential tenancies. Don't think a licence to landlord is worth anything imho cause scum LL's need more than some certificate of completion. They need repercussions, and serious ones at that. God knows the rest of us are paying via the health and welfare systems for their shoddy treatment of tenants.
I suggest that the landlord needs to put the tenant up in a motel until the repairs or legal installation is carried out or not be paid rent until the work is carried out.
And
That the landlord needs to live in the rental if the work is not carried out and pay for a motel for the tenants.
My elderly parents had their first Pfizer vaccine yesterday, no side effects yet. I'm in Group 3 due to a health condition and have booked my first vaccine for this Thursday. My sister in-law works at Waikato Hospital and is fully vaccinated, as is my brother. All good.
Sore arms and tiredness seem to be the most common side effects. Had my first dose on Thursday and that night the jab site was quite painful. By morning it had receded to a mild irritation. Been feeling a bit tired but don't know if it is due to injection.
Whatever: for anyone feeling a bit unsure of the jab… the side effects are minor and only last a day or so.
Always use my OPPO A53s, ColorOS 7.2 with Android 10. Chrome browser with Adgurd private dns.
I use the Mobile version of The Standard, but the Desktop version also currently works. No issues with functionality at the moment, but I don't comment very often.
Okay, I think I have worked it out now. You have to use the link button (looks like a chain link with a diagonal dash above the bullet point buttons), rather than just pasting the link into the text body. No idea what the flag or 3 horizontal lines buttons mean.
Conversely, I found the scaling didn't work at all with image button, but copy-pasting did on laptop.
At least the link from NRT seems to be working again – that's been out for months.
I like desktop because of the Replies list, and the aesthetics, but can't comment from there so am continually switching back and forth between mobile and desktop.
I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and use mobile Chrome version 91.0.4472.120 (the latest version for my phone). I can post using mobile view but not desktop view. I also have mobile Firefox version 90.1.1 (Build #2015820747), also the latest version, and report the same thing. I also have Samsung Internet (Samsung's mobile browser based on Chrome) version 14.2.1.69 (the latest version), and it didn't load this page beyond the title. When checking on my Samsung Tab S5E (tablet), Samsung Internet allows posting in mobile but not desktop.
By post, I mean that when I press the reply button on the page, I can type in the comments editor in mobile view, but not desktop view.
For all the talk about high-density housing, and its importance in addressing the failure of decades of NZ planning, the reality is that good transitional housing requires great design and location and considerations. Despite the accumulated capital gains that has delighted some of the property owners across the country from land-use changes to high-density, this delight does not necessarily result in a change from existing building designs, or better living experiences for those who end up residing in resulting houses.
As far as Auckland Council is involved past the zoning change, their ability to influence resulting builds has been hampered by their failure to connect the Auckland Design Manual to the Unitary Plan, and developers are businesses who develop to increase their profit margins, not to provide long-term homes that take into account affordability, long-term residents well-being and transition considerations over and above the current inadequate regulatory requirements. This is not a treatise against property developers, just a statement of fact.
Given the current cost of emergency housing at $1million a day, and the more accepted cost of Accommodation Supplement at $30 million a week it is apparent to more than a few of us that current mechanisms to address housing, including Kiwibuild are treating housing as a commodity rather than a human need, and despite all protestations to the contrary are propping up an overheated market. Of course, politically, the cost of depressing house prices are not to be considered, even though many NZers are paying the price of the economic benefit enjoyed by a few that have the ability to financially invest and benefit from this commodification of a human need.
I am one of those that firmly believe the solution to actually access to healthy housing to all NZers, requires a dedicated commitment to vast amounts of state housing, where tenure is stabilised and the building of state housing must consider the wellbeing of residents and connection to community AS WELL AS utilising the investment of government and the judicious use of resources and design to transition these dwellings in terms of climate change. Once all NZers have access to affordable, secure, fit-for-purpose housing as can be provided by the state, then the developers and housing investors can continue with their business model without interference. We should not expect businesses to provide the necessities of living if the government shows little interest in the same. Once again, I believe this disinterest is a result of a lack of political will, the voters that they care about are those that are benefitting from rising housing costs, or are appeased by policies that seem to allow them to get on the property ladder (Kiwibuild).
As at 31 March 2021, the number of those on the State Housing list was 23,688. There has been a marked increase, after a Covid year, but the fact is that this is the number of people awaiting state housing after meeting all requirements.
The Kainga Ora December 2020 Report states that in the previous three years they have built 3500 state houses (without specifying whether this provides 3500 houses in addition to existing available housing stock, or does not include the demolition of previous state houses. This is an important distinction. If the net gain of state houses is minimal, or not meeting demand, NZ will continue to fail to address the inequity that results in many households because of the high cost of a fundamental need.
Apparently, the current government declined to invest in speeding up the glacially slow process of providing state housing, and looking in detail at current project gives a strong impression of rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. From their current state housing builds, that is reported on Page 34:
Northcote The Northcote Development replaces about 300 existing state houses with approximately 1,500 new homes, including approximately 470 new state houses, 580 KiwiBuild/affordable homes and the rest as market houses … (Net increase in state homes -170)
Mount Roskill The Mount Roskill Development will deliver approximately 11,000 new high-quality, healthy homes over the next 20 years. The new development will be comprised of approximately 4,400 state homes, 3,300 KiwiBuild/affordable homes and 3,300 market homes. These replace 2,732 existing state houses that have an average age of 48 years. … (Net increase in state homes -1,668 in 20 years)
Māngere The Māngere Development will deliver approximately 10,000 new warm, dry, healthy homes over 20 to 25 years, including around 5,000 state homes, 2,500 KiwiBuild/affordable homes and 2,500 market homes replacing 2,700 existing state houses…((Net increase in state homes -7,300 in 20-25 years)
Delivery is underway in the Māngere West neighbourhood where over 900 homes will be built, of which 342 will be state homes. … The Tāmaki development will deliver around 10,500 new homes over the next 25 years. The development will be comprised of approximately 3,500 state homes, 3,500 affordable homes (including KiwiBuild) and 3,500 market homes replacing 2,800 existing state dwellings. … (Net increase in state homes -700 in 25 years)
North West Glen Innes will deliver more than 1,200 homes, has also commenced. Oranga The Oranga Development replaces around 400 state houses with over 1,100 new homes, including 440 new state homes, over eight years…. (Net increase in state homes -700 in eight years)
Te Kauwhata In June this year, we also entered into a land supply partnership agreement with Winton to deliver 1,300 homes over the next seven to eight years at its greenfield Lakeside development at Te Kauwhata, North Waikato. Kāinga Ora is engaging build partners to construct a wide range of housing choices in a fully consented master-planned community, located in a strategic Southern Corridor location…
In the introduction Kainga Ora states:
Over the next four years, Kāinga Ora plans to invest $11.2 billion in its housing stock, resulting in a net increase of approximately 8,250 additional state homes.
If Kainga Ora was purely investing in state houses, that would be a build price per household unit of $1.3 million. However, they are both providing state housing AND contributing/relying on housing inflation by also providing houses for market and Kiwibuild. I believe there is a disconnect going on here, that is enshrined in the current interpretation of their objective:
Our objective is to contribute to sustainable, inclusive, and thriving communities that provide people with good quality, affordable housing choices that meet diverse needs; support good access to jobs, amenities, and services; and otherwise sustain or enhance the overall economic, social, environmental, and cultural well-being of current and future generations.
The belief that the market is working as it should, allows them to participate in being property developers themselves, and also working in PPP with other developers in order to create a profit.
However, they could, if politically supported do better. Their request to increase the rate of state housing builds was denied by the current Labour government. But they do have the ability to identify development opportunities that exist within their Crown Entity roles.
For a thought experiment, could they look at purchasing Ellerslie racecourse? Six hectares in a location well positioned for walkable community and transport, and if developed with good design by Kainga Ora might provide more household units for state housing than they currently have planned to meet demand.
There is high-density housing, and there is well-designed high density housing. I don't think we are currently doing well at the second.
Kainga Ora could be investing in developments like 8 House in Copenhagen on approx 2-2.5 hectares, which was conceived in 2006 and delivered around 2010.
The cost of €92,000,000 provided 61,000 sqm of building, including 10,000 retail/commercial space, 500 sqm of community space and 476 household units (of which over 300 are unique in design). 1700 sqm of green roof. All household units have access to outside space – balcony or front garden, and many have dual aspect windows. There is also a 1 km walkway ramp that connects all residents to each other, and to the open courtyards.
It is worth taking a look at the other projects that BIG studio has been involved in. I investigated their work after my son expressed interest in the Lego House which was one of their projects. I have also read a couple of interviews with developers that are using the architectural studio because their innovative design reduces build costs on multi-story developments.
I'm not really wanting to start another round of the ivermectin shitfight. But following on the heels of the discrediting and withdrawal of the egyptian study that ivermectin boosters heavily relied on, a new study has just been published where those running the study have taken reasonable care around controls, randomisation etc, and found that ivermectin did not have any benefit.
Oddly enough, I did read them before posting. Do you think I might have missed something important?
Maybe the researcher's conclusion?
Conclusion
Ivermectin had no significant effect on preventing hospitalization of patients with COVID-19. Patients who received ivermectin required invasive MVS earlier in their treatment. No significant differences were observed in any of the other secondary outcomes.
Or perhaps this nugget?
All-cause mortality was 7 cases (1.40%) in the 501 patients, of which 4 were patients (1.60%) in the ivermectin group and 3 were patients (1.20%) in the placebo group,
Or perhaps this little wrinkle pointing to ivermectin being ineffective as prophylaxis?
Incredibly it was extremely hard to find patients for the trial. Why? Too many Argentinians it seems were already taking ivermectin.
Of 15 968 people who tested positive for Covid and were excluded from taking part in the trial, 12 356 could not participate because they were already taking ivermectin. (We are also hearing anecdotal reports of South Africans using ivermectin.)
Or perhaps you could point to what led you to suggest I should read my sources?
Secondly, the mean dose of ivermectin was 192.37 μg/kg/day (SD ± 24.56), which is below the doses proposed as probably effective [20, 33].
They used a low dose of Ivermectin in the study, and they only did a short dose of 2 consecutive days. From what I gather this is not the recommended dosage to treat with this drug.
What is the recommended dose, who made the recommendation, and on what basis was the recommendation made?
There's two links in that quote you found, what do they say? (hint: neither of them have any recommendation on actual dosages to try against covid, let alone having any kind of evidentiary basis)
When it comes to the proposal that some specified substance treats some specified ailment, the default assumption has to be that it doesn't do shit in real life, no matter what happens in test tubes when the concentration is cranked way up. It's up to those claiming it actually does something useful to prove that, to a high standard.
Nobody has come anywhere close to showing ivermectin does anything useful against covid to even a mediocre standard. Even with absolute garbage studies, the claimed improvements are really small by the time the probable outright frauds are weeded out. It's significant that as the quality of study improves, less actual beneficial effect is found.
The two links were from the erroneous study you posted, so I doubt they will be much help re dosage.
In the real world.. when conducting a scientific experiment it's often best to use the same dosage as what doctors say work in the real world… to you know test the hypothesis!
So back to the question above, which you ghosted as you usually do for inconvenient questions:
What is the recommended dose, who made the recommendation, and on what basis was the recommendation made?
A key point of all these studies showing zero effectiveness is that the dosage used was the best guess by the doctors conducting the trial at what would be the most effective dose regime. Those that have had the honesty and integrity to set up reasonably robust trials of what they think is most likely to give positive outcomes have found – nothing, zip, nada. Those who let their hopes and motivated reasoning lead them into conducting badly designed and badly analysed trials with high risk of bias have found – at best very small effects, which haven't been replicated elsewhere.
Johnson also took aim at Tinetti, saying “her silence has created this vast void under which all of this animosity has poured”, and called on the minister to “show leadership and say that … women have the right to speak about women’s rights”.
Tinetti said she sent letters to several groups including Speak Up for Women, encouraging them to make a submission to select committee later this year.
As always, there are multiple sides to a story/narrative and I refuse to be shoehorned into one or the other. It will be interesting to see how many submissions will be received this time and whether public opinion has changed much; opinion and debate certainly seem to be more polarised, which is never a good sign.
As always, there are multiple sides to a story/narrative and I refuse to be shoehorned into one or the other.
Indeed. I'm so tempted to put up a thread title "Man's Day" and exclude all women and any pro-feminist viewpoints from it. But that would be … provocative. Still given that feminists have spent two generations systematically dismantling all the traditional male-only spaces where men might have talked without the distraction of the female perspective – I can't help but note the delicious irony icing on this particular little cupcake.
But as I stated yesterday, all of this was a more or less predictable outcome of the left elevating the post-modernist cult of Identity Politics to the loudest voice in our ideological narrative. Did it never occur to those who promoted it with such fervour, that the day might come when others would learn to play it as well?
Heh! It wouldn’t surprise me if some here would try to counter that by saying that some (most?) of TS could be considered ‘Man’s Day’. However, I understand the desire for a safe harbour to talk with like-minded people but this too easily leads to pseudo-debate and echo chamber stuff, IMO. I don’t think it fits well with the kaupapa of this site, but I stress that this is my personal opinion and I have to and (thus) will respect the opinions of others if/when they make a strong case for it.
Regarding the merit of the loudest voice leading/ruling, this also happens to be one of allegations raised in regard to the self-destruction of the Auckland chapter of SS4C (see my other comment in OM). Indeed, it is highly predictable, especially in hindsight 😉
Like you I'm not particularly against the idea of the thread. It seems largely populated by women who collectively burned their bridges with the male half of humanity a long time ago – and if they need an exclusive space to talk then well and good. But it's also obvious this is not a privilege they would extend to men.
I have a strong egalitarian streak and react to exclusive zones, spaces, meetings, communications, et cetera, and to hierarchical structures as well – a personal problem, obviously 😉 This is also one of the reasons why I have a major issue with the current state of the OIA in particular and with Government and State transparency and accountability in general.
I believe strongly in fair and inclusive debate, which is one reason why I’m on this site and put considerable time and effort into it. Good robust debate is key; it is also lacking, not just here on The Standard but everywhere – people seem to have lost or never learned how to debate each other effectively. It is not about winning or losing, about being right or wrong, about power – all the power is in the coming together in and of mind & spirit; polarisation, division, separation, and exclusion always remove collective power and therefore individual power and mana as well.
I see this reflected in the smoke & mirrors surrounding the so-called hate speech laws as well as He Puapua, for example – all symptomatic of the same problem. This this does not bode well for tackling global issues that affect all humanity and the planet for that matter. Sometimes, it feels we’re still stuck in day-care …
I hear you. We don't always agree but I can sincerely respect the motives you express here.
If I might add an optimistic note, while the standard of debate does fall short of what we might imagine as ideal, but honestly I think in some respects it has gotten better over the years. A quick glance at many social media comment threads shows that we could be a lot worse.
Affirmative, you and I don’t always agree but that’s ok with me; what matters is how we disagree and, for the record, I don’t have any major personal complaints 🙂
As far as your optimistic note is concerned, I don’t know whether to laugh or to cry 😉
Interesting discussion….after talking to female members of my circle re trans rights and 'womens space' I've come to the conclusion that like any group of people the viewpoints will vary tremendously though with one underlying theme…its all good for for men.
Like you I'm not particularly against the idea of the thread. It seems largely populated by women who collectively burned their bridges with the male half of humanity a long time ago – and if they need an exclusive space to talk then well and good. But it's also obvious this is not a privilege they would extend to men.
I haven't seen a comment like this about women since the 1970s when we were all dried up prunes and men haters for thinking as we did.
And I can readily find equivalent ghettos on the internet of men who have similarly 'burned their bridges with women'. You call it misogyny.
That both sexes are in a very real sense sundering their ancient connection and literally 'going their own separate ways' is in my view a totally predictable consequence that I was in my own fumbling way attempting to outline years ago. Watching it all unfold in real-time gives me no pleasure, trust me.
I'm not hurt by the "dismantling of traditional male-only spaces", because those spaces harboured and legitimised the very misogynistic oppression and abuse which is in the process of being addressed today.
As always, those against identity politics are those against the questioning of their traditional power.
Why some men feel the need to insert themselves into every discussion, mansplaining the righteousness of the status quo is beyond me.
No. As I said above, they're welcome to talk among themselves. I've refrained from commenting on almost anything gender related for almost four years now and contrary to what you imagine, I'm not at all keen on 'inserting myself into that conversation'.
I'm merely observing the the endless 'gender critical' threads of recent months and noting it as a predictable outcome of the entire post-modernist project, of which 'identity politics' was a large component. Which is pretty much all I have to say for the moment.
If you would like to 'learn by reading' on the Women's Day thread TeWhareWhero's summation (post 7.1) of the move from Womens' Studies to Gender issues/Studies is instructive.
I heard about that elsewhere, good to have a verifiable source for the story, Incognito. This from the SUFW spokeswoman was also good (not often I type that phrase!):
“We are calling for respectful, considered public dialogue. This is the last thing we want. We don’t know the validity of that [slapping] claim … but I absolutely condemn physical violence and abuse,” Johnson said.
After the Wi Spa violence, it is good to know that the local branch of that trans averse franchise are not gearing up for literal, rather than figurative war. Though trusting that many trans folk believe a word she says at this point seems a bit of a forlorn hope. Really hoping people don't start going to protests armed with protective gear that could become weapons at the wrong moment.
And just so you know, I had a quick look at the link from the other thread re Wi Spa and I'm not finding any credible evidence that the video was a hoax. I'm seeing speculation that it was, which is fine, but that's a different thing.
It also looks like the stabbings were by far right activists. This was in a conflict with antifa. I'm not seeing how women are involved in this at all.
I don't want to spend much time on this tonight, so I'm giving you a warning in comment rather than stepping into moderator mode. You will have to up your game in this debate. If you want to argue that women in NZ present a violent threat to trans people at protest actions, you will need to make an actual argument and back it up if making claims. Dropping in slur comments and using trans activist opinion based websites as evidence fails the requirements here for robust debate.
My suggestion is read the Policy. I want strong debate on sex/gender from all sides because I belief that NZ will be better for an open and honest examination of the issues. You bring in important perspectives, but you are going to have to learn how to present them directly. If you don't know what I am getting at here, please ask.
In the end my moderation response will come down to how much of my time gets sucked up chasing up useless links or asking for back up for claims or explanations of arguments poorly made. This isn't specific to you, or the topic, it's how it's been for a long time on site.
Because this isn't the first time I've had to explain how things work here, next time I have to think about this as a moderator I'll be putting boundaries in place. I suggest you get into the habit of linking well every time, and also cut and pasting the bits from the link that support what you are saying. This is so others don't have to do the work to find what your actual argument is. The onus is on you to state your argument clearly.
If you want to argue that women in NZ present a violent threat to trans people at protest actions, you will need to make an actual argument and back it up if making claims.
Imho some cis NZers are a threat to trans NZers, and NZ is pretty typical in this regard. If it's too much to expect acceptance, or even tolerance, then at least a little more understanding on all 'sides' wouldn't go amiss.
STELLAR PRITCHARD | HERE WE ARE [18 Nov. 2020] Moe: For me motherhood means like it's, it's creating, so it's like kinda help, helping create worlds, for, say, Stellar, creating a world of safety, where she's able to live her authentic self and be unapologetic and, um, having support from us, as well as myself, to guide her through this thing called trans-queer life.
Stellar: All of us weren't necessarily born into womanhood. We had to fight to get accepted, we have to fight to get understood. And we have to find who we are especially, and we have to find ourselves through our communities, and we have to find ourselves through… events, the best and the hardest events of our lives. Yeah, and I feel like all of us have to fight for the womanhood that we have, because there's so many people that will try and doubt our womanhood, and there's so many people that won't understand our womanhood. I may have been treated like that, but I'm not going to fall – yeah.
Gender Violence
Transgender Experiences with Violence and Discrimination
[2002; cited 1088 times] There is a pervasive pattern of discrimination and prejudice against transgendered people within society. Both economic discrimination and experiencing violence could be the result of a larger social climate that severely sanctions people for not conforming to society's norms concerning gender; as such, both would be strongly associated with each other. Questionnaires were distributed to people either through events or through volunteers, and made available upon the World Wide Web. A sample of 402 cases was collected over the span of 12 months (April 1996-April 1997). We found that over half the people within this sample experienced some form of harassment or violence within their lifetime, with a quarter experiencing a violent incident. Further investigation found that experiencing economic discrimination because one is transgendered had the strongest association with experiencing a transgender related violent incident. Economic discrimination was related to transgendered people's experience with violence. Therefore, both hate crimes legislation and employment protections are needed for transgendered individuals.
Can't help wondering if those who identify as trans NZers today are that much better off than 25 years ago when data were collected for the above study.
Factors associated with suicide attempts among Australian transgender adults [2021] Transgender, including gender diverse and non-binary people, henceforth referred to collectively as trans people, are a highly marginalised population with alarming rates of suicidal ideation, attempted suicide and self-harm. We aimed to understand the risk and protective factors of a lifetime history of attempted suicide in a community sample of Australian trans adults to guide better mental health support and suicide prevention strategies.
Experiences and factors associated with transphobic hate crimes among transgender women in the San Francisco Bay Area: comparisons across race [2021] Trans women experience high rates of gender-based violence (GBV)—a risk factor for adverse health outcomes. Transphobic hate crimes are one such form of GBV that affect trans women. However, little is understood about factors that shape transphobic hate crimes and racial/ethnic variation in these experiences. To contextualize GBV risk and police reporting, we examined self-reported types and correlates of transphobic hate crimes by racial/ethnic group of trans women in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Many, possibly a majority, of cis and trans women continue to face many challenges, but it's not a competition (or at least it shouldn't be, imho.) NZ can look to other countries to identify progressive strategies that might minimise real and perceived violence and discrimination against all women.
States Must Push Back Against Harmful Anti-Gender Narratives – UN Expert [26 June 2021]
“Gender theory is a powerful tool to address the oppression of female or non-normative identities,” the report says. “Feminist struggle and the fight to live free from violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity are deeply intertwined, and they reinforce each other.”
This comes after RNZ revealed trans woman Kristine Ablinger's landlord gave her three hours to move out of her home because she found her 'offensive'.
Ablinger laid a complaint with the Commission, but was shocked to learn an exception to the Human Rights Act meant the discrimination she faced was not unlawful, and the Commission was unable to take action.
Why 1 in 5 transgender people experience homelessness
"So, my mum hates me. She doesn't hate me per se, but she just doesn't agree with, in her words, 'my lifestyle'. Whatever that means. So, yeah."
* Almost one in five trans and non-binary New Zealanders have been homeless, according to 2018 survey Counting Ourselves. The proportion is even higher for non-European survey participants (a quarter), while 16 percent of European participants have experienced homelessness, the study found.
Another survey, by Gender Minorities Aotearoa, found of 43 trans homeless people in Wellington, 79 percent had a mental health condition, and 47 percent had a disability. The survey, which is yet to be released publicly, also found that for three quarters of participants, homelessness had been experienced more than once.
For some gender diverse people, intersecting identities – like ethnicity, disability, religion or sexuality – can compound to make life even more difficult. The cumulative effects of these minority stresses can result in mental health difficulties and stable housing is a key ingredient in the maintenance of good mental health.
An interesting PoV from an insider into the implosion of the Auckland chapter of SS4C. Self-appointed leadership and the lack of structure are mentioned as a possible contributing reasons. Hopefully, it was a learning curve for some, at least.
This is too soon and insensitive. I do wonder how many of the farmers who drove their tractors into town one day, have their hand out for govt help following floods the next.
I think it is perfectly ok when farmers ask and receive help and government assistance when there’s a natural disaster. It would be totally wrong to try and link that to democratic protest or to giving one party more leverage over the other – the power balance is almost never equal/symmetrical anyway. Similarly, should nurses, for example, have more negotiating leverage because of what they’re doing as part of the Covid elimination strategy? There’s a calculating and neo-liberal aspect to this, if you ask me, as with the farmers who claim that they feed us, et cetera. The unrealistic and unjustified elevation of people rather than functions has led to over-paid managers, Directors, and CEOs, IMO. The question is: where do you draw the line and how?
When will government be able to take control over the country again, and ensure that their policies are being carried out well, in a timely fashion, and wield some stick?
This business of contracting out of the job is getting to be a farce. Government departments contract out to others, they contract out to associated suppliers, operatives, and now to computer machines and algorithms. These are not doing the job properly, and our economy is built on people doing jobs, it gets leaner paradoxically when people aren't receiving pay to do stuff that machines can do faster and more efficiently. Though it is cheaper, which looks good on one financial statement, it does people out of a job which lowers the money flow and small local business suffers.
Exporters’ trying to sustain essential trade and supply chains are in no man’s land, able to travel offshore but not return, blocked by the MIQ booking system which randomly throws up spots, gobbled up within seconds by gamers or people paid to sit hitting refresh round the clock despite assurances that 10 per cent of the 4,000 available rooms are allocated for critical business.
A group of dissident doctors have joined the ranks of those seeking to undermine confidence in New Zealand's vaccine campaign by spreading misinformation. What are they saying and do they pose a real threat to our Covid-19 response? CATE BROUGHTON reports.
On June 14, talkback radio host Peter Williams welcomed Wellington GP Matt Shelton onto his show to discuss the Covid-19 vaccine.
Shelton was from the little-known group New Zealand Doctors Speaking Out on Science (NZDSOS), Williams said.
When Williams pointed out the decrease in Covid-19 cases and deaths since the rollout of vaccination programmes overseas, Shelton claimed it was the result of widespread falsification of test results. Again, he provided no evidence.
Well, if they're at the level of claiming that global death rates have been faked to make vaccines appear effective, I'd strongly suspect they're either having problems with reality or there's cash in it somewhere for them.
New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Carereport released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced$802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Carereport in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquirypublished its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone iconon the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive:Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloittereport for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’sOliver LewisScoop:Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announcedthe Board of Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Orderimage, ...
Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
Waiting In The Wings:For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSAannounced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
Open access notablesImproving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society:To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
A late change to charter school legislation will cheat educators out of fair pay and negotiating power proving charter schools are just a vehicle to make profit out of our education system. ...
In 2004 te iwi Māori rallied against the Crown’s attempt to confiscate our coastlines and moana with the Foreshore and Seabed Act. This led to the largest hīkoi of a generation and the birth of Te Pāti Māori. 20 years later, history is repeating itself. Today the government has announced ...
It has been five and a half years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was established to investigate the abuse of children, young people, and vulnerable adults within state and faith-based institutions. Yesterday, the final report - Whanaketia through pain and trauma, from darkness to light ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to take action off the back of the International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. ...
On Friday the International Court of Justice reaffirmed what Palestinian’s have been telling us for decades: that the occupation and colonisation of Palestinian lands by Israel is illegal and must end immediately. They also called for reparations for Palestinian’s who have lived under Israeli occupation since it began in 1967. ...
Labour calls on the Government to act after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories is illegal. ...
The 53.7 percent rise in benefit sanctions over the last year is more proof of this Government’s disdain for our communities most in need of support. ...
Aotearoa could be a country where every child grows up feeling safe, loved and with a sense of belonging in their whānau and community. But for some of our children, this is far from reality. Instead, they are trapped in a maze of intergenerational harm that they can’t escape on ...
Te Pāti Māori are calling for David Seymour to resign as Associate Health Minister in response to his call for Pharmac to ignore the Treaty of Waitangi. “This announcement is just another example of the government’s anti-Tiriti, anti-Māori agenda.” Said Co-leader and spokesperson for health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “Seymour thinks it ...
The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country - with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent on average while annual inflation is at 3.3 per cent. ...
National’s Emissions Reduction Plan will take New Zealand further from the economy we need to ensure the next generation has a stable climate and secure livelihoods. ...
Following consultation with named parties and thorough consideration of privacy interests, the Green Party is in a position to release the Executive Summary of the final report from the independent investigation into Darleen Tana. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should be asking serious questions of his Minister for Resources Shane Jones now it’s been revealed he misled the public about a dinner with mining companies that he didn’t declare and said wasn’t pre-arranged. ...
Te Pāti Māori have submitted to the Justice Select Committee against the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill. The bill will further entrench racism in our justice system and fails to focus on rehabilitation. “Reinstating Three Strikes will empower a systematically racist system and exacerbate the overrepresentation of Māori in ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is set to make a determination on the Residential Tenancies Amendment (RTA) Bill in the coming weeks. “This legislation will give landlords the power to kick our whānau out onto the street for no reason” said Housing spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “Their solution to the housing ...
“National’s campaign was about tackling crime and the best they can do is a two-year long Ministerial Advisory Group,” Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
“There are more examples of charter schools failing their students than there are success stories. The coalition Government is driving to dismantle our public school system and instead promote a privatised, competitive structure that puts profits before kids,” Jan Tinetti said. ...
“This government is choosing to deliberately mislead and withhold information, keeping our people in the dark about this government’s agenda and the future of our mokopuna,” said co-leader and spokesperson for Health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The call comes after the demand from the Chief Ombudsman that Associate Minister of Health, Casey ...
“Today’s climate announcement by Simon Watts makes clear the National Government is simply paying lip service to meeting its climate change targets,” Megan Woods said. ...
National is choosing to make life harder for workers by taking away the rights our communities have fought hard for. Here's how they’re taking workers backwards. ...
Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue. We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views. “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
Tēnā tātou katoa, Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts. “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet. “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks. “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. At the heart of this report are the ...
For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024. “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane. “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says. “This will be our third visit to ...
Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum. While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation. “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan. “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests. Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone. Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
Comment: After Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ preview several weeks ago, I had some optimism about the Government’s emissions reduction plan. Now I’ve read the discussion document, that hope has been dashed. How can the Government propose a plan that wants to take New Zealand taxpayers’ hard-earned money, and spend ...
Christopher Luxon: hurdles The little man from National jumps hurdles in his sleep. He’s quite good at it in his dreams and even though the reality doesn’t quite match up you have to give him credit for getting up every morning and crashing into the very first hurdle of the ...
Comment: It was a good two hours into the conversation when Tyrone Marks raised the most basic of questions when I first spoke to him in 2017. “They didn’t explain the things they did to me. They never told me why. And they still haven’t. There’s no explanation for it. ...
Last summer when Matairangi burned, Ginny and Tom stood at the window of their lounge, watching kākā shoot skyward from the burning trees. From the distance, they looked to Ginny like pages torn from books and thrown into a bonfire. It was Tom, voice tight, who told her it was ...
Opinion: The Canadian short story writer Alice Munro – winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013 – died in May at the age of 92. Her work was about “the damage people inflict on one another in the name of love”, Deborah Treisman wrote in the New Yorker. ...
This month marks two years since the most powerful telescope ever built sent its first pictures back to earth. From its lofty vantage point, beyond the moon in orbit around the sun, the James Webb Space Telescope was tuned to observe the first stars and galaxies being born soon after ...
Madeleine Chapman rounds out Death Week on The Spinoff with a final recommendation. You can read all of our Death Week coverage here. Nothing forces you to reflect on your life and relationships quite like proximity to death. For those whose nearest and dearest have died, there are reasonably obvious ...
Whitney Greene takes us through her life in television, including the TV character she’d like to plan a funeral for and her cow lung catastrophe on The Traitors NZ. “If the phone rings, I have to answer it,” Whitney Greene from The Traitors NZ warns as we begin our My ...
Maddie Ballard reviews the debut essay collection of Pōneke writer Flora Feltham.In ‘The Raw Material’, the longest essay in Flora Feltham’s dazzling debut collection, the author heads out for a run after hours of weaving and sees the world turn to textile. “Pounding along the Parade, I saw the ...
Andy Christiansen, one half of the experimental rock-pop duo TRiPS, shares the tunes inspiring the band’s perfect weekend and new release. “Good speakers, good food, good music, no distractions”: that’s all you need to enjoy the psychedelic stylings of TRiPS, a new band formed by Fly My Pretties’ Barnaby Weir ...
Celebrating our quadrennial opportunity to become experts in a bunch of sports we never normally watch.The games of the XXXIII Olympiad are upon us. Paris will host this year’s showcase of sporting and athletic prowess, which means some late-night and early-morning viewing for us in Aotearoa.But what sports ...
The photograph is striking and beautiful, but also disturbing – a reminder that my love for John was often entangled in shame.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.In the spring of 1980, in Dunedin, shortly before his death, someone took a photograph ...
Get to know Babushka, our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Babu’s humans, Jo and Isabel, for their support. Dog name: Babushka (Babu for short) Age: 2Breed: Border Collie X poodleIf rescued, ...
Pacific Media Watch A Lebanese photojournalist who was severely wounded during an Israeli air strike in south Lebanon carried the Olympic torch in Paris this week in honour of her peers who have been wounded and killed in the field — especially in Gaza and Lebanon. Christina Assi of Agence ...
The first report in a five-part web series focused on the 15th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women taking place in the Marshall Islands this week.SPECIAL REPORT:By Netani Rika in Majuro Women continue to fight for justice 70 years after the first nuclear tests by the United States caused ...
Christopher Luxon has joined with Australia and Canada's leaders in voicing support for US President Joe Biden's ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The 2022 election brought the “teal wave” into parliament. The next election will test whether teals, who occupy what were Liberal seats, and other independents can maintain their momentum. Joining us on the Podcast ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Musgrave, Senior lecturer in Pharmacology, University of Adelaide Pixavri/Shutterstock A major Federal Court class action has been dismissed this week after Justice Michael Lee ruled there was not enough evidence to prove the weedkiller Roundup causes cancer. Plaintiff Kelvin ...
In The Week in Politics: politicians have to decide what to do about child abuse, Health NZ is booked in for major surgery and Darleen Tana returns. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Corbould, Associate Professor, Contemporary Histories Research Group, Deakin University Mainstream media are surprisingly muted at the prospect of the world’s most powerful nation being led for the first time by a woman – specifically a woman of colour, Vice President Kamala ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Bennett, PhD Student, Associate Research Fellow, Deakin University Last week, a drone delivery company called Wing (owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet) started operating in Melbourne. Some 250,000 residents in parts of the city’s eastern suburbs can now order food from ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Foo, Lecturer, Physiotherapy, Monash University pikselstock/Shutterstock In the next 40 years in Australia, it’s predicted the number of Australians aged 65 and over will more than double, while the number of people aged 85 and over will more than triple. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katrina Grant, Research Associate, Power Institute for Arts and Visual Culture, University of Sydney Jonas Åkerström’s 1790 work, Session of the Accademia dell’Arcadia on August 17 1788.Nationalmuseum/Cecilia Heisser Ever wondered whether you’d have a better chance at winning an Olympic gold ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Jones, Program Lead, Food Governance, George Institute for Global Health wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock On Thursday, Australian and New Zealand food ministers at state, federal and national levels met to thrash out what’s next for health star ratings on packaged foods. Now, after ...
The Abuse in Care report found many Pacific survivors lost their connections to their culture and language, resulting in trauma that has been carried from generation to generation. ...
In the regulatory review, ECC intends to suggest that ERO focus on curriculum delivery reviews rather than the Ministry, because it’s not efficient or effective to have two agencies with radically different approaches climbing over each other. ...
Te Rūnanga Nui o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori invites the current government to work in partnership with them to develop a pathway forward, including the development of a parallel pathway and meaningful policy and strategy for Kura Kaupapa Māori ...
If you haven’t started watching yet, Tara Ward begs you to reconsider. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. In the world of New Zealand reality television, we have many gems in our crown. There’s the delicious second season of the Celebrity Treasure ...
A new poem by Fiona Kidman. The clothes of the dead I did not keep my mother’s furry red beret for long nor the stringy scarves that adorned the necks of my aunts, although I have kept tag ends of gold, the rings and trinkets they wore, the brooches no ...
The government’s announcement that it will re-open the foreshore and seabed controversy by changing the rules on recognising centuries-old Māori customary title for a third time goes against the rule of law and New Zealand values,” Mr Tipa says. ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Lioness by Emily Perkins (Bloomsbury, $25) Roarrrr! Perkins’ brilliant, award-winning, Marian-Keyes anointed, darkly funny, long ...
The 2004 Act vested ownership of the foreshore and seabed in the Crown, extinguishing any Māori claims to ownership and causing widespread outrage and protests among Māori communities. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Antje Deckert, Associate Professor (Criminology), Auckland University of Technology Getty Images Despite the connection between institutional harm and gang membership made clear in this week’s mammoth royal commission abuse-in care report, the government seems unlikely to soften its “get tough on ...
From Lewis Clareburt in the swimming to the start of the rowing – the first seven days of Paris 2024 promise to be big for New Zealand. There are few events that bring the country together quite like an Olympic Games. Nothing quite matches the excitement of getting up in ...
Groundbreaking local science just showed up in the most surprising of places: the season finale of The Kardashians. In the season five finale of The Kardashians last night, several members of the family gathered together in one of their signature empty, cream-coloured rooms to hear test results that had been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, Australian National University The Middle East is on the brink of a possibly devastating regional war, with hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah reaching an extremely dangerous level. Washington has engaged in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Elizabeth Eades, Rheumatologist, Monash University Lupus is an inflammatory autoimmune illness, where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks itself. Lupus can affect virtually any part of the body, although it most commonly affects the skin, joints and kidneys. The symptoms ...
A law firm that specialises in working with survivors of abuse in State care is disappointed that the Government fails to recognise that its boot camps can be directly compared to previous boot camps from the 1990s and 2000s. ...
Dying is a natural part of life, like updating your Wof or seeing your hairdresser, but without the word-of-mouth recs that help guarantee a good service. What if we changed that? Dying Reviews received by The Spinoff have had the names of organisations redacted while Hospice NZ collects further data. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland Mike Lewinski/Flickr, CC BY On any clear night, if you gaze skywards long enough, chances are you’ll see a meteor streaking through the sky. Some nights, however, are better than others. At ...
Despite having no bars or other designated spaces for lesbians, Auckland boasts a small but mighty lesbian museum. So how did it get here? The past 18 months has brought increasing hostility towards the queer community across Aotearoa. Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull’s anti-trans rally in Tamaki Makaurau last March led to a ...
Poneke Antifascist Coalition has invited Wellingtonians to stand in solidarity with the Kanak people at 12pm today outside the French Embassy in Wellington. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Layton, Visiting Fellow, Strategic Studies, Griffith University Drones are the signature technology of the Ukraine war. A few miniature aircraft designs were used in the war’s early days, but an incredible array of drones have now evolved. There are different types, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Slee, Associate Professor, Clinical Academic Neurologist, Flinders University Francisco Gonzelez/Unsplash Migraine is many things, but one thing it’s not is “just a headache”. “Migraine” comes from the Greek word “hemicrania”, referring to the common experience of migraine being predominantly ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lee White, Senior Lecturer and Horizon Fellow, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Sydney Australia was slow to introduce minimum building standards for energy efficiency. The Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) only came into force in 2003. Older homes ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Sherwood, Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, Climate Change Research Centre, UNSW Sydney The past century of human-induced warming has increased rainfall variability over 75% of the Earth’s land area – particularly over Australia, Europe and eastern North America, new research shows. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Heynen, Program Coordinator, Sustainable Energy, The University of Queensland A temporary stadium in the Champ-de-Mars, ParisEkaterina Pokrovsky/Shutterstock As Paris prepares to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the sustainability of the event is coming under scrutiny. The organisers have promoted ...
A night of karaoke and community in a pub that feels like a memory. You’d barely even notice it, unless you knew to look. Tucked away behind a liquor store on busy Constable Street is the capital’s last great pub. Newtown Sports Bar is an emblem of the pub culture ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Wright, Professor in Marine Geology, University of Canterbury Louise Corcoran/Getty Images The decline in the number of doctoral candidates at New Zealand universities is a worrying sign for the country’s effort to build a knowledge-based economy. Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laurie Berg, Associate Professor, University of Technology Sydney defotoberg/Shutterstock Migrant worker exploitation is entrenched in workplaces across Australia. Tragically, a deep fear of immigration consequences means most unlawful employer conduct goes unreported. On Wednesday, however, the government officially launched a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vaughan Cruickshank, Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Tasmania Paris is about to host its third summer Olympics. While we don’t yet know what the legacy of this year’s games will be, let’s take the opportunity to reflect on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hugh Breakey, Deputy Director, Institute for Ethics, Governance & Law, Griffith University In the wake of the assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump, there were calls from bothsides of US politics, as well as internationally, to reduce the brutal, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Keith Rathbone, Senior Lecturer, Modern European History and Sports History, Macquarie University Two high-profile assaults on Australians in Paris have raised concerns about security ahead of the Olympic Games. On Saturday evening, a young woman was allegedly sexually assaulted by a ...
Dying is inevitable and, so it seems, is it costing a lot, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here.The cost of dying ...
The government took Joyce Harris's first baby and sent her off to a girls' home. Half a century on - and out of oceans of hurt - it asked her to be a mother figure. ...
It’s the deadliest fictional town in the country, but which death has been the most bonkers? Alex Casey looks back at 10 seasons of The Brokenwood Mysteries to find out. Warning: The following ranking story contains famous New Zealand actors appearing to be dead (not alive). The Spinoff has been ...
Water cremation is the biggest thing to happen to the death industry in the last 100 years. Alex Casey meets the people trying to bring it to Aotearoa. Through a set of mirrored doors down the industrial end of Christchurch’s St Asaph Street, death is getting a new lease on ...
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Edited highlights from The Surge: wheeler/dealer Bernie @ #1
"Sanders reached a deal with Budget Committee moderates on a $3.5 trillion framework for a party-line reconciliation bill they intend to pass this fall. It would create a host of climate initiatives that Democrats claim would meet the president’s goal of halving emissions by 2030; add dental, vision, and hearing aid benefits to Medicare; extend the generously expanded child tax credit and improvements Democrats made to the Affordable Care Act earlier this year; allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices; and fund universal pre-K and paid family and medical leave. “The legislation that the president and I are supporting will go further to improve the lives of working people than any legislation since the 1930s,” Sanders told reporters once the deal was reached." https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/07/the-surge-bernie-sanders-budget-infrastructure-manchin-schumer.html
Legal weed @ #5: "Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, along with Sens. Ron Wyden and Cory Booker, introduced the first draft of their bill, the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, to remove marijuana from the federal list of controlled substances. President Joe Biden, meanwhile, is extremely weirdly still not in favor of marijuana legalization."
Stroppy servant @ #7: "Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, got into it with congressional Republicans when he defended studying “white rage” and took offense at accusations over the military going “woke.” Conservatives like Tucker Carlson and Matt Gaetz, both privileged brats, called him “stupid,” a “pig,” and the reason why we lose so many wars. Milley is now likely in for another round of prep school Republicans calling him a wussy war-losing scumbag, as a new book documents some of the insults Milley lobbed Trump’s way when he was actively trying to prevent Trump from launching a coup. In a statement Thursday, Trump—who says he only picked Milley because Jim Mattis didn’t like Milley, and Trump didn’t like Jim Mattis—kicked things off by saying that “if I was going to do a coup, one of the last people I would want to do it with is General Mark Milley.” So there!"
While most of the farmers out yesterday were just sheep who probably didn't even really know why they were protesting, government needs to remember that its up to them to ease the pain of their policies, what's gone on down in otago and Canterbury (which is the main target of many of the policies) was all done legally in most cases and aided and abetted government national and local.
Youre right about local government support in the provinces, though public support will be far more divided (and opposition largely silent)…and its not surprising as in most cases the Ag sector is the main source of both revenue and employment in theses areas….and the method of protest was far from popular if what I hear being expressed is anything to go by.
and buried in 'Lifestyle' – funny and fitting imo – a write up on the casualness on which cis gendered girls experience sexual violence at the hand of their male peers and older male.
Girls, its called a rite of passage. I am waiting on the Minister for Women to have a say on that, and to do something about the 'right to a safe space and environment in which to grow up for human beings with natural vaginas. I am however not holding my breath, cause i'd be dead before anyone in any government really gives a flying fudge.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/christchurch-girls-high-schools-sexual-harassment-survey-breaking-the-code-of-silence/EAU74JF2AROUEF77FHV2FCRLYQ/
I'll deem you Minister for Women for the day. What would you do? Real solutions.
(Not real solutions are the seeming National style solution for gangs, to wit: "Gangs do bad things, put all gang members in jail." So with girls being assaulted, "Males do bad things, lock up all teenage and adult males."
For a start, it might help to acknowledge there is a problem, instead of indulging in whataboutism.
– Min. sentencing 3 years plus 50.000 in damages.
– Advertise that in Schools, specifically boys school. Send police to boys schools and tell them what happens if you rape anyone (as boys also get raped).
Anyone cought raping anyone should get at least that for every charge of rape.
So this guy here who assaulted three women during a Navy trip should get at the minimum 3 years for each instance, plus 50.000 to each victim. No parole, no early release, madatory listing on sexual offenders list, no name suppression. – but he got two years. Cause boys will be boys. Right?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/royal-new-zealand-navy-sailor-sentenced-over-sex-attacks-on-colleagues/2MFYQ7TSMFZ3QMJO4TBVE3HVNY/
How bout that? Would that work for you?
And what would you do?
Apologize for boys being boys? https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/89110814/willie-jackson-embroiled-in-roast-busters-controversey-just-hours-after-joining-labour-party
Like some people did for the Roast busters?
Cause clearly girls should know that when they are out and about, trying to live their life that they will inspire men and boys (and some women, althought no women ever told me to smile, never told me to get a breast augmention surgery lest i be considered a boy, or told that my ass is fuckable, nor has ever any women with a vagina raped me, that was always done by weaponsied penises).
So now Pete , that i told you what i would do, what would you do to keep girls as young as 13 save from having a train run over them organised by their supposed 'boyfriends'.
And please remember that the Roastbusters were not even charged with 'supplying alcohol to minors'. They went scot free, and the girls get to pick up what ever is left of them and continue on. Mind i guess they are not Rainbow Youth, so sucks to be a person with a natural vagina.
And do feel free to tell me just how unfair it is that Girls stand up for themselves and demand to not be reduced to a piece of meat by their peers and older male.
Tbh, Sabine I had no real inkling that this shit had got so bad for our young women. I was reading that article very early this morning and thinking we really need to get boys off the fucking porn sites and into some sound and solid consciousness-raising and mindfulness. They also need to learn that women do not exist for their use and entertainment. That women and girls are actually human.
"We're so desensitised to it, and so are the guys. They don't see themselves as 'offenders' whose behaviour is hurting or breaking someone. Men are trained not to respect women. And if you challenge it, they're the ones who feel they've been targeted unfairly."
This has gone way beyond a rank sense of entitlement…and we in the west have the audacity to challenge third world countries on the way they treat women and girls.
Thank you. In the cause of robust debate:
Should we start lessons in the earliest classes in schools, or preschools, telling boys what will happen to them if they treat other people badly? Should we have exemplar lists of what constitutes that unacceptable behaviour?
Why don't you answer me this? Do YOU think that girls and women should have a right to NOT be assaulted, insulted and raped by THEIR MALE peers? or is that just boys being boys and rape is a rite of passage for men to commit and for women/girls to suffer through?
🙂
A couple of times lately I have been questioned on NOT putting stuff as if something not being there means I accept it or approve of it. As if I have to preface everything I say with a pepeha which includes everything I believe in, anything not being there implying I don't care.
Like an implication that because I didn't lambaste mongrels who assault other people I might think that it's okay for girls and women to be assaulted, insulted and raped by male peers? Or thinking that rape is a reasonable rite of passage for men to commit and for women/girls to suffer through.
I'm going to a public occasion this afternoon. If someone doesn't tell me directly that they think that girls and women should have a right to NOT be assaulted, insulted and raped by THEIR MALE peers and that just boys being boys and rape is a rite of passage for men to commit and for women/girls to suffer through, do I assume the worst about them and their attitudes?
i don't know what you believe, you could answer me my question. Something like, Yes, i believe that, would suffice actually.
But let me tell you…….that
I do believe that women and girls SHOULD have that right, and i am waiting with baited breath for the Minister of Women to state something to that extend, because this is just ONE school, and we can expect this to happen pretty much anywhere in the country.
"I'm going to a public occasion this afternoon. If someone doesn't tell me directly that they think that girls and women should have a right to NOT be assaulted, insulted and raped by THEIR MALE peers and that just boys being boys and rape is a rite of passage for men to commit and for women/girls to suffer through, do I assume the worst about them and their attitudes?"
You are commenting around the topic of sexual harassment as reported by the Christchurch school girls, without actually addressing the impact this harassment has on not only their lives, but the lives of those conducting that harassment (and those around them) if it is not addressed.
Listen to what Sabine is saying, instead of getting all #NotAllMen.
Because the reality is, most women have experienced what is reported to varying degrees of harm.
So, there is a better approach than just pretending there is nothing to address, such as you seem to be doing.
It is necessary for us ALL to address it, as opposed to only those who are participating in harmful behaviour, unless you honestly believe that it is not worth finding a solution for.
(BTW, lessons are learned in cultures and societies, not just schools. The answer does not rely on educational institutions solely, we collectively carry that responsibility.)
Surely you're not telling me what I should be addressing?
And if I haven't addressed what you think I should be addressing I'm pretending there is nothing to address?
Not worth finding a solution for? I asked about specific responses. Sabine has suggested punishment and advertising. You say, "The answer does not rely on educational institutions solely, we collectively carry that responsibility" without saying what can specifically be done.
It's all right saying there is a massive problem, it's obvious there is. Thing is, what specifically should be done about it?
“Surely you’re not telling me what I should be addressing?”
God forbid. Just all those who are concerned about the current environment of harm. Else the involvement of those not caring, gets in the way of discussion and possible solutions by redirecting into dead ends of discussion.
"It's all right saying there is a massive problem, it's obvious there is. Thing is, what specifically should be done about it?"
Well, it was not apparent that you thought this from your previous comments on this thread.
Instead of asking others for solutions, or providing facile tongue-in-cheek proposals, – do you have any real solutions to propose? I'll wait.
Your comment again suggests that because I didn't condemn scummy attacks on women there was an inference I somehow didn't mind such.
I ask for answers when I see complaints with implications that "something should be done" with no suggestion of what that could be.
Prosecuting some of the pricks would be a start. Barring the 'what were you wearing' defence would be helpful.
And something about consent having to be proved. Along the lines of the accused having to demonstrated reasonable grounds for believing each act (which would take in removing condoms) was desired by the other party.
Flogging a Dead Horse #1…
Seems like debunked Guardian hack Luck Harding is still not yet ready to abandon his wet dream fantasy that Russia helped Trump into the Whitehouse in 2016, a narrative that most thinking humans have now accepted was some sort of smoke screen to protect Clinton and the establishment Dems from taking any kind of responsibility for their embarrassing defeat during that election..a narrative now only mentioned in polite company by hardcore fantasists (like Harding and enabled by The Guardian)…..
Kremlin papers appear to show Putin’s plot to put Trump in White House
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/15/kremlin-papers-appear-to-show-putins-plot-to-put-trump-in-white-house
RUSSIAGATE: Luke Harding’s Hard Sell
https://consortiumnews.com/2021/07/16/luke-hardings-hard-sell/
debunked Guardian hack Luck Harding…
As in "bad luck", I suppose, Adrian? Or, in his case, rotten luck.
I don't know how that sniveling drip has the hide to show himself after his toe-curlingly embarrassing exposure at the hands of Aaron Maté…
https://twitter.com/aaronjmate/status/1070324381396684802?lang=en
The headline warns the Prime Minister to, "dismiss protesting farmers as rednecks at (her) peril."
I could not find any reference to where the PM had done such a thing. Would anyone with a Hurled subscription be able to tell us where the PM said or implied 'protesting farmers are rednecks'?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/claire-trevett-dismiss-protesting-farmers-as-rednecks-at-your-peril-prime-minister/ZVYHGYGEVDLLSP2AL3435HGEFY/
This headline tells it as it is…Bribery, filth and 'scumlords'…
Appalling conditions compounded by weak legislation with the usual crap enforcement.
The obvious scumlords…and they're easily identified…should have their slums confiscated by the Crown with zero compensation.
FFS…make the punishment fit the crime.
I'd really like to see inspectors have the ability to force sales of rental properties and a ban from being associated in any way (including as a property manager or investor) with residential tenancies. Don't think a licence to landlord is worth anything imho cause scum LL's need more than some certificate of completion. They need repercussions, and serious ones at that. God knows the rest of us are paying via the health and welfare systems for their shoddy treatment of tenants.
FFS…make the punishment fit the crime.
I suggest that the landlord needs to put the tenant up in a motel until the repairs or legal installation is carried out or not be paid rent until the work is carried out.
And
That the landlord needs to live in the rental if the work is not carried out and pay for a motel for the tenants.
My elderly parents had their first Pfizer vaccine yesterday, no side effects yet. I'm in Group 3 due to a health condition and have booked my first vaccine for this Thursday. My sister in-law works at Waikato Hospital and is fully vaccinated, as is my brother. All good.
Smooth sailing for us too, both Group 3, both fully vaccinated, only side effect was slightly sore arms at injection site.
Sore arms and tiredness seem to be the most common side effects. Had my first dose on Thursday and that night the jab site was quite painful. By morning it had receded to a mild irritation. Been feeling a bit tired but don't know if it is due to injection.
Whatever: for anyone feeling a bit unsure of the jab… the side effects are minor and only last a day or so.
I'm wanting feedback from people who use a mobile phone to comment on TS.
Trying to gauge how many people are having problems and the nature of the problems. Details is good. Cheers.
Always use my OPPO A53s, ColorOS 7.2 with Android 10. Chrome browser with Adgurd private dns.
I use the Mobile version of The Standard, but the Desktop version also currently works. No issues with functionality at the moment, but I don't comment very often.
Okay, I think I have worked it out now. You have to use the link button (looks like a chain link with a diagonal dash above the bullet point buttons), rather than just pasting the link into the text body. No idea what the flag or 3 horizontal lines buttons mean.
Conversely, I found the scaling didn't work at all with image button, but copy-pasting did on laptop.
At least the link from NRT seems to be working again – that's been out for months.
no idea what all that means because you didn't say what you are referring to.
If you want to link into a comment from a mobile phone, click in the URL of the browser, and cut and paste from there (just like in a computer).
I use an android Samsung x4 I prefer desktop but have to switch to mobile to comment most of the time.
Same on an iphone iOS 14.6
I like desktop because of the Replies list, and the aesthetics, but can't comment from there so am continually switching back and forth between mobile and desktop.
Currently on an HP laptop with windows 7, chrome or firefox and no probs.
Otherwise an Oppo bat fone. I use the mobile version as the desktop doesn't show any replies. More to do with my end I would imagine…
I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and use mobile Chrome version 91.0.4472.120 (the latest version for my phone). I can post using mobile view but not desktop view. I also have mobile Firefox version 90.1.1 (Build #2015820747), also the latest version, and report the same thing. I also have Samsung Internet (Samsung's mobile browser based on Chrome) version 14.2.1.69 (the latest version), and it didn't load this page beyond the title. When checking on my Samsung Tab S5E (tablet), Samsung Internet allows posting in mobile but not desktop.
By post, I mean that when I press the reply button on the page, I can type in the comments editor in mobile view, but not desktop view.
For all the talk about high-density housing, and its importance in addressing the failure of decades of NZ planning, the reality is that good transitional housing requires great design and location and considerations. Despite the accumulated capital gains that has delighted some of the property owners across the country from land-use changes to high-density, this delight does not necessarily result in a change from existing building designs, or better living experiences for those who end up residing in resulting houses.
As far as Auckland Council is involved past the zoning change, their ability to influence resulting builds has been hampered by their failure to connect the Auckland Design Manual to the Unitary Plan, and developers are businesses who develop to increase their profit margins, not to provide long-term homes that take into account affordability, long-term residents well-being and transition considerations over and above the current inadequate regulatory requirements. This is not a treatise against property developers, just a statement of fact.
Given the current cost of emergency housing at $1million a day, and the more accepted cost of Accommodation Supplement at $30 million a week it is apparent to more than a few of us that current mechanisms to address housing, including Kiwibuild are treating housing as a commodity rather than a human need, and despite all protestations to the contrary are propping up an overheated market. Of course, politically, the cost of depressing house prices are not to be considered, even though many NZers are paying the price of the economic benefit enjoyed by a few that have the ability to financially invest and benefit from this commodification of a human need.
I am one of those that firmly believe the solution to actually access to healthy housing to all NZers, requires a dedicated commitment to vast amounts of state housing, where tenure is stabilised and the building of state housing must consider the wellbeing of residents and connection to community AS WELL AS utilising the investment of government and the judicious use of resources and design to transition these dwellings in terms of climate change. Once all NZers have access to affordable, secure, fit-for-purpose housing as can be provided by the state, then the developers and housing investors can continue with their business model without interference. We should not expect businesses to provide the necessities of living if the government shows little interest in the same. Once again, I believe this disinterest is a result of a lack of political will, the voters that they care about are those that are benefitting from rising housing costs, or are appeased by policies that seem to allow them to get on the property ladder (Kiwibuild).
As at 31 March 2021, the number of those on the State Housing list was 23,688. There has been a marked increase, after a Covid year, but the fact is that this is the number of people awaiting state housing after meeting all requirements.
In the introduction Kainga Ora states:
If Kainga Ora was purely investing in state houses, that would be a build price per household unit of $1.3 million. However, they are both providing state housing AND contributing/relying on housing inflation by also providing houses for market and Kiwibuild. I believe there is a disconnect going on here, that is enshrined in the current interpretation of their objective:
The belief that the market is working as it should, allows them to participate in being property developers themselves, and also working in PPP with other developers in order to create a profit.
However, they could, if politically supported do better. Their request to increase the rate of state housing builds was denied by the current Labour government. But they do have the ability to identify development opportunities that exist within their Crown Entity roles.
For a thought experiment, could they look at purchasing Ellerslie racecourse? Six hectares in a location well positioned for walkable community and transport, and if developed with good design by Kainga Ora might provide more household units for state housing than they currently have planned to meet demand.
There is high-density housing, and there is well-designed high density housing. I don't think we are currently doing well at the second.
Kainga Ora could be investing in developments like 8 House in Copenhagen on approx 2-2.5 hectares, which was conceived in 2006 and delivered around 2010.
The cost of €92,000,000 provided 61,000 sqm of building, including 10,000 retail/commercial space, 500 sqm of community space and 476 household units (of which over 300 are unique in design). 1700 sqm of green roof. All household units have access to outside space – balcony or front garden, and many have dual aspect windows. There is also a 1 km walkway ramp that connects all residents to each other, and to the open courtyards.
It is worth taking a look at the other projects that BIG studio has been involved in. I investigated their work after my son expressed interest in the Lego House which was one of their projects. I have also read a couple of interviews with developers that are using the architectural studio because their innovative design reduces build costs on multi-story developments.
You can see how they developed the design concept in a short video on Vimeo, but more importantly, you can also see how residents experience living in such as development – regarded as a village in the sky:
https://youtu.be/uoR_LMi8Lx8
I'm not really wanting to start another round of the ivermectin shitfight. But following on the heels of the discrediting and withdrawal of the egyptian study that ivermectin boosters heavily relied on, a new study has just been published where those running the study have taken reasonable care around controls, randomisation etc, and found that ivermectin did not have any benefit.
https://www.news24.com/health24/medical/infectious-diseases/coronavirus/ivermectin-balance-of-evidence-shows-no-benefit-against-covid-19-20210705
primary source: https://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-021-06348-5
Try reading your sources.
Oddly enough, I did read them before posting. Do you think I might have missed something important?
Maybe the researcher's conclusion?
Or perhaps this nugget?
Or perhaps this little wrinkle pointing to ivermectin being ineffective as prophylaxis?
Or perhaps you could point to what led you to suggest I should read my sources?
They used a low dose of Ivermectin in the study, and they only did a short dose of 2 consecutive days. From what I gather this is not the recommended dosage to treat with this drug.
What is the recommended dose, who made the recommendation, and on what basis was the recommendation made?
There's two links in that quote you found, what do they say? (hint: neither of them have any recommendation on actual dosages to try against covid, let alone having any kind of evidentiary basis)
When it comes to the proposal that some specified substance treats some specified ailment, the default assumption has to be that it doesn't do shit in real life, no matter what happens in test tubes when the concentration is cranked way up. It's up to those claiming it actually does something useful to prove that, to a high standard.
Nobody has come anywhere close to showing ivermectin does anything useful against covid to even a mediocre standard. Even with absolute garbage studies, the claimed improvements are really small by the time the probable outright frauds are weeded out. It's significant that as the quality of study improves, less actual beneficial effect is found.
https://respectfulinsolence.com/2021/07/16/ivermectin-is-the-new-hydroxychloroquine-take-4/
The two links were from the erroneous study you posted, so I doubt they will be much help re dosage.
In the real world.. when conducting a scientific experiment it's often best to use the same dosage as what doctors say work in the real world… to you know test the hypothesis!
So back to the question above, which you ghosted as you usually do for inconvenient questions:
What is the recommended dose, who made the recommendation, and on what basis was the recommendation made?
A key point of all these studies showing zero effectiveness is that the dosage used was the best guess by the doctors conducting the trial at what would be the most effective dose regime. Those that have had the honesty and integrity to set up reasonably robust trials of what they think is most likely to give positive outcomes have found – nothing, zip, nada. Those who let their hopes and motivated reasoning lead them into conducting badly designed and badly analysed trials with high risk of bias have found – at best very small effects, which haven't been replicated elsewhere.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/wellington/125772143/speak-up-for-women-group-shocked-by-reported-slapping-of-protrans-rights-rally-organiser
As always, there are multiple sides to a story/narrative and I refuse to be shoehorned into one or the other. It will be interesting to see how many submissions will be received this time and whether public opinion has changed much; opinion and debate certainly seem to be more polarised, which is never a good sign.
As always, there are multiple sides to a story/narrative and I refuse to be shoehorned into one or the other.
Indeed. I'm so tempted to put up a thread title "Man's Day" and exclude all women and any pro-feminist viewpoints from it. But that would be … provocative. Still given that feminists have spent two generations systematically dismantling all the traditional male-only spaces where men might have talked without the distraction of the female perspective – I can't help but note the delicious irony icing on this particular little cupcake.
But as I stated yesterday, all of this was a more or less predictable outcome of the left elevating the post-modernist cult of Identity Politics to the loudest voice in our ideological narrative. Did it never occur to those who promoted it with such fervour, that the day might come when others would learn to play it as well?
Heh! It wouldn’t surprise me if some here would try to counter that by saying that some (most?) of TS could be considered ‘Man’s Day’. However, I understand the desire for a safe harbour to talk with like-minded people but this too easily leads to pseudo-debate and echo chamber stuff, IMO. I don’t think it fits well with the kaupapa of this site, but I stress that this is my personal opinion and I have to and (thus) will respect the opinions of others if/when they make a strong case for it.
Regarding the merit of the loudest voice leading/ruling, this also happens to be one of allegations raised in regard to the self-destruction of the Auckland chapter of SS4C (see my other comment in OM). Indeed, it is highly predictable, especially in hindsight 😉
Like you I'm not particularly against the idea of the thread. It seems largely populated by women who collectively burned their bridges with the male half of humanity a long time ago – and if they need an exclusive space to talk then well and good. But it's also obvious this is not a privilege they would extend to men.
I have a strong egalitarian streak and react to exclusive zones, spaces, meetings, communications, et cetera, and to hierarchical structures as well – a personal problem, obviously 😉 This is also one of the reasons why I have a major issue with the current state of the OIA in particular and with Government and State transparency and accountability in general.
I believe strongly in fair and inclusive debate, which is one reason why I’m on this site and put considerable time and effort into it. Good robust debate is key; it is also lacking, not just here on The Standard but everywhere – people seem to have lost or never learned how to debate each other effectively. It is not about winning or losing, about being right or wrong, about power – all the power is in the coming together in and of mind & spirit; polarisation, division, separation, and exclusion always remove collective power and therefore individual power and mana as well.
I see this reflected in the smoke & mirrors surrounding the so-called hate speech laws as well as He Puapua, for example – all symptomatic of the same problem. This this does not bode well for tackling global issues that affect all humanity and the planet for that matter. Sometimes, it feels we’re still stuck in day-care …
I hear you. We don't always agree but I can sincerely respect the motives you express here.
If I might add an optimistic note, while the standard of debate does fall short of what we might imagine as ideal, but honestly I think in some respects it has gotten better over the years. A quick glance at many social media comment threads shows that we could be a lot worse.![yes yes](https://cdn2.thestandard.org.nz/wp-content/plugins/ark-wysiwyg-comment-editor/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/thumbs_up.png?x42494)
Affirmative, you and I don’t always agree but that’s ok with me; what matters is how we disagree and, for the record, I don’t have any major personal complaints 🙂
As far as your optimistic note is concerned, I don’t know whether to laugh or to cry 😉
Interesting discussion….after talking to female members of my circle re trans rights and 'womens space' I've come to the conclusion that like any group of people the viewpoints will vary tremendously though with one underlying theme…its all good for for men.
Oh that it was.
Choice!
I haven't seen a comment like this about women since the 1970s when we were all dried up prunes and men haters for thinking as we did.![wink wink](https://cdn2.thestandard.org.nz/wp-content/plugins/ark-wysiwyg-comment-editor/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/wink_smile.png?x42494)
And I can readily find equivalent ghettos on the internet of men who have similarly 'burned their bridges with women'. You call it misogyny.
That both sexes are in a very real sense sundering their ancient connection and literally 'going their own separate ways' is in my view a totally predictable consequence that I was in my own fumbling way attempting to outline years ago. Watching it all unfold in real-time gives me no pleasure, trust me.
"… I don’t think it fits well with the kaupapa of this site…"
Do you feel that way about the Lefties on the Standard posts too?
Yes, and I have said as much in the past.
👍
I'm not hurt by the "dismantling of traditional male-only spaces", because those spaces harboured and legitimised the very misogynistic oppression and abuse which is in the process of being addressed today.
As always, those against identity politics are those against the questioning of their traditional power.
Why some men feel the need to insert themselves into every discussion, mansplaining the righteousness of the status quo is beyond me.
How very 80's of you.
Would you like me to make a plea on the Women's Day thread to let you in so you can tell them about all the mistakes they've made over the years?
No. As I said above, they're welcome to talk among themselves. I've refrained from commenting on almost anything gender related for almost four years now and contrary to what you imagine, I'm not at all keen on 'inserting myself into that conversation'.
I'm merely observing the the endless 'gender critical' threads of recent months and noting it as a predictable outcome of the entire post-modernist project, of which 'identity politics' was a large component. Which is pretty much all I have to say for the moment.
If you would like to 'learn by reading' on the Women's Day thread TeWhareWhero's summation (post 7.1) of the move from Womens' Studies to Gender issues/Studies is instructive.
Yes, that is indeed an interesting comment. Cheers.
November 19, you're welcome.
Can you wait that long before you comment here again? Please, thank you.
I heard about that elsewhere, good to have a verifiable source for the story, Incognito. This from the SUFW spokeswoman was also good (not often I type that phrase!):
After the Wi Spa violence, it is good to know that the local branch of that trans averse franchise are not gearing up for literal, rather than figurative war. Though trusting that many trans folk believe a word she says at this point seems a bit of a forlorn hope. Really hoping people don't start going to protests armed with protective gear that could become weapons at the wrong moment.
you seem to be running a line that GCF women are violent despite any evidence for that.
Meanwhile, https://terfisaslur.com/ documents the range of violent, often sexually violent imagery that's been targeted at GCFs by GAs online.
Almost like violence runs along gendered lines (by which I mean sex and gender, but we already knew that).
And just so you know, I had a quick look at the link from the other thread re Wi Spa and I'm not finding any credible evidence that the video was a hoax. I'm seeing speculation that it was, which is fine, but that's a different thing.
It also looks like the stabbings were by far right activists. This was in a conflict with antifa. I'm not seeing how women are involved in this at all.
I don't want to spend much time on this tonight, so I'm giving you a warning in comment rather than stepping into moderator mode. You will have to up your game in this debate. If you want to argue that women in NZ present a violent threat to trans people at protest actions, you will need to make an actual argument and back it up if making claims. Dropping in slur comments and using trans activist opinion based websites as evidence fails the requirements here for robust debate.
My suggestion is read the Policy. I want strong debate on sex/gender from all sides because I belief that NZ will be better for an open and honest examination of the issues. You bring in important perspectives, but you are going to have to learn how to present them directly. If you don't know what I am getting at here, please ask.
In the end my moderation response will come down to how much of my time gets sucked up chasing up useless links or asking for back up for claims or explanations of arguments poorly made. This isn't specific to you, or the topic, it's how it's been for a long time on site.
Because this isn't the first time I've had to explain how things work here, next time I have to think about this as a moderator I'll be putting boundaries in place. I suggest you get into the habit of linking well every time, and also cut and pasting the bits from the link that support what you are saying. This is so others don't have to do the work to find what your actual argument is. The onus is on you to state your argument clearly.
Warning read.
Imho some cis NZers are a threat to trans NZers, and NZ is pretty typical in this regard. If it's too much to expect acceptance, or even tolerance, then at least a little more understanding on all 'sides' wouldn't go amiss.
https://www.genderjustice.nz/why_this_matters
Can't help wondering if those who identify as trans NZers today are that much better off than 25 years ago when data were collected for the above study.
Many, possibly a majority, of cis and trans women continue to face many challenges, but it's not a competition (or at least it shouldn't be, imho.) NZ can look to other countries to identify progressive strategies that might minimise real and perceived violence and discrimination against all women.
https://www.hrc.org/ – "Breaking down barriers that divide us"
An interesting PoV from an insider into the implosion of the Auckland chapter of SS4C. Self-appointed leadership and the lack of structure are mentioned as a possible contributing reasons. Hopefully, it was a learning curve for some, at least.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2021/07/school-strike-4-climate-s-disbanded-auckland-chapter-was-marred-by-racism-lack-of-structure-former-member.html
Several tons of blowback—but will the dismal Daily Mail get the message?
What's the bet that a similar protest is on the way for the execrable NZ Herald one of these days?
https://extinctionrebellion.uk/2021/06/27/breaking-cut-the-crap-extinction-rebellion-dump-pile-of-bullshit-outside-daily-mail-offices/
This is too soon and insensitive. I do wonder how many of the farmers who drove their tractors into town one day, have their hand out for govt help following floods the next.
I think it is perfectly ok when farmers ask and receive help and government assistance when there’s a natural disaster. It would be totally wrong to try and link that to democratic protest or to giving one party more leverage over the other – the power balance is almost never equal/symmetrical anyway. Similarly, should nurses, for example, have more negotiating leverage because of what they’re doing as part of the Covid elimination strategy? There’s a calculating and neo-liberal aspect to this, if you ask me, as with the farmers who claim that they feed us, et cetera. The unrealistic and unjustified elevation of people rather than functions has led to over-paid managers, Directors, and CEOs, IMO. The question is: where do you draw the line and how?
I know, but my irony meter is in rampant Geiger Counter mode.
When will government be able to take control over the country again, and ensure that their policies are being carried out well, in a timely fashion, and wield some stick?
This business of contracting out of the job is getting to be a farce. Government departments contract out to others, they contract out to associated suppliers, operatives, and now to computer machines and algorithms. These are not doing the job properly, and our economy is built on people doing jobs, it gets leaner paradoxically when people aren't receiving pay to do stuff that machines can do faster and more efficiently. Though it is cheaper, which looks good on one financial statement, it does people out of a job which lowers the money flow and small local business suffers.
Here larger business is suffering from this devilish system. https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO2107/S00113/exporters-can-check-out-but-no-guarantee-they-can-return.htm
Exporters’ trying to sustain essential trade and supply chains are in no man’s land, able to travel offshore but not return, blocked by the MIQ booking system which randomly throws up spots, gobbled up within seconds by gamers or people paid to sit hitting refresh round the clock despite assurances that 10 per cent of the 4,000 available rooms are allocated for critical business.
Algorithms – What are these standards for government? https://www.zdnet.com/article/new-zealand-establishes-algorithm-charter-for-government-agencies/
The storm over parts of the country is largely over – Westport hit badly. Buller River was as high as a 1926 large flood.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/125785379/state-of-emergency-evacuations-and-daring-rescues-as-rain-batters-parts-of-nz
Why do we get this undermining after there has been much research and a decision has been carefully made for all of our benefits.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/125605155/the-doctors-trying-to-hijack-new-zealands-covid19-vaccination-rollout
A group of dissident doctors have joined the ranks of those seeking to undermine confidence in New Zealand's vaccine campaign by spreading misinformation. What are they saying and do they pose a real threat to our Covid-19 response? CATE BROUGHTON reports.
On June 14, talkback radio host Peter Williams welcomed Wellington GP Matt Shelton onto his show to discuss the Covid-19 vaccine.
Shelton was from the little-known group New Zealand Doctors Speaking Out on Science (NZDSOS), Williams said.
Well, if they're at the level of claiming that global death rates have been faked to make vaccines appear effective, I'd strongly suspect they're either having problems with reality or there's cash in it somewhere for them.