“As an astroturfing right wing organisation grows more desperate, the probability of it invoking racism for publicity approaches 1”
The taxpayers union, warmed over ACToids of six white males and one white women, has struggled to be noticed since Farrar set it up as an extreme right ginger group. Sure enough, they’ve gone for alarmist racism in a last, doomed, frantic attempt to break through.
Won’t link to such a bunch of desperate, irrelevant, racist right wing whites.
Racism is underpinned and informed by ideological, historical and systemic phenomena such as Darwinism, colonialism and resultant asymmetries of power in our current social/political relations.
It’s oxymoronic to refer to black racists. A black person can be bigoted or discriminatory or whatever, but because of what I mention above on the nature of racism, never racist.
As a white person I can never be subjected to racism due to the same reasons outlined above, which is not to say I can’t be severely discriminated against, fucked over and done in. (eg systemic discrimination that was brought to bear on the Irish)
you are off the planet and so is the entire politically correct ideology which comes up with these self-justifications.
Your foolishness is exhibited especially by this statement of yours …. “As a white person I can never be subjected to racism “. Go learn the definition of “racism”. There are plenty online and even in dictionaries. That definition you tried to give is born of subjectivity and one particular circumstance.
Sanctuary was racist.
… Alternatively, go find another definition for the circumstance you describe (which circumstance certainly exists of course).
….
the one thing I do agree with is your first sentence – not this stupid issue again. Do you never learn?
I think you missed the point vto. Bill is pointing out the differences between bigotry based on race, and racism that is created via power structures and ideology.
btw, what did you think of the UK GP campaign video?
No I see it completely and was thinking about it after punching out that quick reposte.
The problem is clearly one of definition.
The racism Bill describes is merely one form of racism. There are myriad others. You might call Bill’s form colonial-hangover racism, or institutional racism or power racism or some such. There are many other forms of racism – some of which are seen in NZ on a daily/weekly basis.
Bill’s described racism is a subset of racism itself.
Racism itself is a subset of bigotry and discrimination.
Bill explained it in as simple as you get terms and you dis him off – I really wish you didn’t get bored and try and start these wasteoftime thoughtposts – I believe you are so much better than this shit.
Yes after I posted it the regret mode kicked in for the manner of response (though not the substance). It was punched out too quickly and too roughly. Bad habits are hard to kick.
Abbott government gives $4m to help climate contrarian set up Australian centre
Bjørn Lomborg has been given money from the hard-pressed federal budget to set up a ‘consensus centre’ at the University of Western Australia
The Guardian,
16 April, 2015
The Abbott government found $4m for the climate contrarian Bjørn Lomborg to establish his “consensus centre” at an Australian university, even as it struggled to impose deep spending cuts on the higher education sector.
Lomborg uses cost-benefit analysis to advise governments what spending produces the best social value for money spent, concluding that climate change is not a top-priority problem.
It was nearly a good article from Armstrong except for these bits:
“But the notion that there is some huge spin machine operating out of the Beehive which relentlessly force feeds journalists with National’s take on events is a myth.”
Armstrong is trying to ignore the affect of Nicky Hagar’s book in outing Jason Ede and the downstream spin offs. Obviously the Nats are missing him badly.
and
“The search for the lost surplus has been National’s Holy Grail. It has also become a measure of whether National can justifiably lay claim to being a better manager of the economy than Labour.”
Labour did produce 8 surplus’s, I’m not sure how the Nat’s producing ONE surplus can “justify” them as better managers. Driving around Hamilton, Cambridge and Papamoa it does make you wonder why commentators are not picking up the billions of dollars being spent on the “Express Ways” in a time when our debt is climbing to an eye watering $80 billions dollars. These express ways are nice to have but there is no way we can afford them now, and lets not talk about the pitiful cost/benefit from an economic point of view.
Of course when it comes to the likes of Armstrong and numerous others there never was the necessity for force feeding. Ironic that Armstrong’s identification and purported debunking of “the myth” should rely for authenticity on his own disgraceful conduct as a political journalist.
Never mind. There is blood in the water now. Key knows it. Look at his demeanour of late. Watch out for redoubled filthy tactics.
Well spotted. Though one comment from JA is a bit unbelievable.
“But the notion that there is some huge spin machine operating out of the Beehive which relentlessly force feeds journalists with National’s take on events is a myth.”
I thought it was relentless?
Edit: Saarbo you too.
@Wyndham
I see an Akl house price collapse of 20% some time in 2016 which should feed through nicely to an electorate “feel-bad” situation for the Nats at the election in 2017. (Houses bought for $800k become worth $640k with negative equity of $80k).
And as Armstrong says it will all be Key and his “do-nothing” government’s fault.
I’m hoping for a house price collapse of about 70% to convince the two main parties once and for all that the future of Aotearoa doesn’t lie with speculation in urban property. There’d be a lot of pain, but then there already is.
In failing to institute some kind of tax or other disincentive to curb speculative sales, Key now has the unenviable choice of having to take tougher and less popular action to force a correction, but not one which sends prices plummeting through the floor.
LOL
All the political parties are absolutely terrified of the correction that they know needs to happen and are thus either ignoring it (National et al) or hoping that something will happen that will allow things to continue as is (Labour). Neither of these will work.
The government has to step in and crash the market else the market crash automatically.
EDIT:
And the total piece by Armstrong is still sychobabble in support of National and Key.
The MediaWorks canning of CampbellLive was planned months ago, right when they cut the sponsorship contract with Mazda to three months instead of a usual term – one year.
An unusual move for a cash-strapped media house, don’t you think?
“Last night, in an open dig at network bosses who have suggested replacing the show with a soap opera, Campbell Live opened to the theme tune Let Me Entertain You.”
Actually an open dig at John Key, who said Campbell Live is more entertainment than journalism.
Regarding the rest of the article, yes it’s been clear from the start that nothing Mediaworks have said is true.
And to those people on this site who deride conspiracies by using silly expressions like tinfoil hat, here is one before your eyes.
Remember the expression conspiracy theory is useful for the powerful as it is an easy way to stop critical thinking,
There are credible conspiracy theories. There are ludicrous conspiracy theories.
The fact that one conspiracy theory – that Mediaworks senior management have been planning to can Campbell Live for a long time despite their protestations – is credible doesn’t mean they all are.
I know you mean well Paul, and I agree so-called conspiracy theories shouldn’t be dismissed without thinking. However, people who become consumed by a singular narrative about how the world is run switch off from a whole lot of information. It isn’t conducive to critical thinking or a healthy democracy.
I’m pretty sure I could dig out quite a few comments on TS that resolutely declare no real journalism existed in NZ. Then the threat to Campbell Live emerged and the show’s received more attention, which is great to see.
Just think how effective its campaigns on issues like zero hours, kids’ lunches and the GCSB bill could have been if so many people in our country hadn’t switched off for a variety of reasons.
felix. From my non-legal seat I suspect that Mediaworks has to be very careful what they say as there must be contractual rules at stake. Denial is a damage control position as Key also demonstrates.
What do you mean by the cold salutations comment? It wasn’t Mazda’s choice to have a short contract, it was MediaWorks’. In fact, Mazda could have just walked, and no doubt that would have suited the network.
That’s the point of this story: the network itself had a predetermined outcome to the review of the show.
Whatever. John Campbell was celebrating the milestone, too.
I was bemused by it when I saw the 10-year programme, because no other editorial team in New Zealand could include a sponsor plug like that without it seeming like the sponsor owned the show. I doubt anyone would think to level that charge at Campbell, which says a huge amount about the show’s credibility and quality.
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Federated Farmers: “There is a case for government contributing to water storage ………. to reflect the contribution water storage makes to the environment and the community”
So in short: water shortages impact the environment and community….
and who pray,mister federated farmer are the main cause of these water shortages?
One of the great ironies of the New Zealand right is the way they trumpet successful businesses – they took the risks! They deserve the rewards! Their success is built on smarts, not government handouts – and then turn around and prop up people who persist in trying to dairy farm in regions like Canterbury which have droughts almost every single year.
It’s not socialism when it’s public money going to shore up private profits. It’s business as usual for Kiwi “entrepreneurs” and hard working farmers, backbone of the nation. Plus it keeps water out of iwi control.
Dust off your signs, loosen those vocal chords. Community groups and
supporters will be picketting along the one-way (south-bound) by the
Railway Station this Saturday from 12 – 2pm: https://www.facebook.com/TPPAActionDunedin?fref=ts
During the picket, there will also be discussion regarding the upcoming protest (date to be confirmed) at the Octagon about the decision of the SDHB that is causing outrage in Otago and Southland where local hospitals are proposing to serve frozen meals from Auckland, under contract with Compass: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Protest-Date-to-be-confirmed/1387144851610961
Heartening to read that other issues are to be discussed at the picket. if this indicated the beginnings of a process concerned with deepening and broadening involvement across a raft of issues…
“..the human right to adequate housing was a binding legal obligation for the state, … the Government had a duty to protect this right and a responsibility to provide remedies.”
Also in the theme of human rights to adequate housing
In 1947, we thought rental accommodation should be dry. What has changed?”
The Government had spent million insulating state homes, which house some of the nation’s poorest people, and subsidising insulation in the private housing market. However, it had not committed to minimum standards for rental homes, with Prime Minister John Key last December expressing concern that standards would put pressure on rents.
1947 – it was the law that landlords provided dry accommodation. These days – not so much.
The story was more prominent on news sites yesterday. It’s also referenced today near the top of the lead story on the house ‘earning’ almost as much as a judge:
”A Weekend Herald investigation into soaring house prices comes amid warnings from the Reserve Bank about the housing market and calls for immediate action by the country’s chief human rights watchdog.”
Thanks Ergo, didn’t see yesterday’s page but as the article wasn’t published until late afternoon, it couldn’t have been all that prominent for very long.
I went to the page you linked to but can’t see it referenced on that page. There is the Fran O’Sullivan piece but not the Issac Davison piece, maybe they have recycled the page since you posted the link..
I meant it was referenced in the story, in the second paragraph. And yeah it would be good if the words contained a link to the original story. But at least the fact the human rights commissioner is demanding action forms part of the coverage of the housing crisis.
Dust off your signs, loosen those vocal chords. Community groups and
supporters will be picketting along the one-way (south-bound) by the
Railway Station this Saturday from 12 – 2pm: https://www.facebook.com/TPPAActionDunedin?fref=ts
During the picket, there will also be discussion regarding the upcoming protest (date to be confirmed) at the Octagon about the decision of the SDHB that is causing outrage in Otago and Southland where local hospitals are proposing to serve frozen meals from Auckland, under contract with Compass: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Protest-Date-to-be-confirmed/1387144851610961
“The FBI head agent in charge of the anthrax investigation – Richard Lambert – has just filed a federal whistleblower lawsuit calling the entire FBI investigation bullshit”
Would you trust the FBI freedom? If you can’t trust the State run protection agency who do you trust?
And the 7 Senators who were most likely to vote against the Patriot Act happen to be the ones to receive anthrax in the mail. Mmmmm. Let me think……
“They have consent to extract 500,000,000 litres a year”
“The Council consent papers say they will fill one thousand shipping containers of bottled water a week”
My questions are two fold- Traffic and Taxes
Traffic: How are these shipping containers getting to market? That is a lot of extra trucks on the region’s crumbling highways!
Was this expensive aspect properly addressed during the consent process ?
Taxes: Why are we still giving away our dwindling resources?
The oil and gas we lose at least brings us around 5% of the “declared profit”
Itself an insanely low figure.
Norway, as we know, does this: “Norway’s income tax on oil and gas profits has two components: A 28 percent tax on profits (the same income tax charged on all businesses in Norway), and a special 50 percent tax on profits from offshore oil and gas production, for a total tax of 78 percent.”
Water, without a doubt, is the Black Gold of the 21st Century. This One Pure NZ deal, and the numerous other deals still flowing through the pipelines, are socially corrupt fiscally idiotic and morally bankrupt.
Thanks ev – talk about lesting we forget – I wonder if we actually ever see the bullet that kills us and once we’re dead does it even matter what killed us. Fukushima has killed the canaries and it is not going away anytime soon. medium or long.
It was the preferred choice out of a limited range of choices where none of the choices were all that palatable. You also seem to have missed this bit:
The government has repeatedly put the kibosh on tolls for Auckland’s motorway and increased fuel taxes.
It’s unlikely that this government will allow toll roads as it will impact on car use and thus decrease profits for oil companies.
I saw that statement which I find to be at odds with the trend of signing up long term technological infrastructure contracts
The added attraction of tracking movements of commuters in greater detail would be motivational for the controllers I would have thought
I would doubt tolls will impact car use for many with their commute being avoidable by personal transport and it would be easy enough for the tactical policy behind toll implementation to be cynical enough that people would ‘have to pay’
Zero confidence that any option is implemented would realize benefits necessary for Auckland as can be witnessed by this topic still going well after 30/40 years of discussion
Meanwhile Sydney continues to expand the Light Rail Network
The added attraction of tracking movements of commuters in greater detail would be motivational for the controllers I would have thought
Why do you think the government or private business are interested in peoples daily commute?
That said, having the statistics of use are needed for planning purposes.
I would doubt tolls will impact car use for many with their commute being avoidable by personal transport…
That entire sentence fails to make any sense at all.
Zero confidence that any option is implemented would realize benefits necessary for Auckland as can be witnessed by this topic still going well after 30/40 years of discussion
That is a valid observation. I suspect that building infrastructure for cars has been seen as the fast and cheap option by the councils over the years as it puts a large chunk of the operating expense of transport directly on individuals and removes it from rates allowing rates to be kept low. This despite the fact that building proper public transport would have been cheaper per individual even though rates would have been slightly higher.
1. You think that we can get away without planning?
2. So what you’re saying there is that many people wouldn’t be able to give up their cars because they can’t get to work without them?
3. The rates on the house that I’m living in are about the same as PAYE for someone on minimum wage. They don’t go up with income. So, for many rates are actually low while for many others it’s probably quite high. I think this means that we need a better way to calculate rates. But that’s not what I was getting at. By shifting the costs onto individuals through forcing them to buy cars costs were kept off the councils thus allowing them to have rates lower than what they really should have been.
1. The planning Auckland needs is not the planning / outcomes Auckland would get from the implementation of tolls
2. See point 1
3. I understand what you were getting at and agree there is a requirement to examine other methods to calculating local taxes
IMO the most efficient is to put an additional charge on the price of fuel with the mechanisms already in place and make sure all collected funds are only invested into Auckland transport initiatives with a ring fence around public transportation priorities
No new infrastructure required or long term contracts with private technology and data firms paying tolls on roads that have been paid for many times over
Unfortunately most people do not understand ‘toll roads’ – No I’m not suggesting you are one of them
The emails also show top Sony executives working behind the scenes to shake the money tree for Cuomo’s 2014 re-election campaign.
The governor has been the loudest voice in Albany pressing for hundreds of millions of dollars state tax breaks for the film industry as part of a program that Cuomo and his industry allies say has created jobs and spurred economic development.
And that is why we need to get corporations and businesses out of politics.
Martin O’Malley may be challenging Hillary Clinton from the left for US Presidency. He has proposed reinstating all banking regulations that were in place from the Great Depression until the 1980s/90s; doubling the minimum wage; and (this one is important) being completely opposed to the TPP. He is even considered to the left of Elizabeth Warren. I do not know if he would win the Democratic primary, but if he wins he will force Hillary Clinton to take a position on these issues, including something like the TPP. Which she has not said if she supports yet.
hope Martin O’Malley does stand and win the Democratic nomination ….Hillary Clinton as President would be as bad, if not worse, if that is conceivable , as another Bush
Martin would never win the presidency, so effectively you’re saying you’d rather have a Republican in the white house than Clinton, which logically doesn’t make sense if you actually support the democrats and not the republicans.
The logical thing is to understand where a long line of ‘not quite as bad as the other guy’ candidates has gotten us, and where sticking to that strategy is likely to get us.
Sure, but absent any credible mechanism to change the status quo, theorising doesn’t achieve much.
Given the US is a democracy, voting turnout is quite low and the extreme partisan nature of their politics and subsequent dumbing down of their campaigns, an awful lot of stuff has to change before ‘outsider’ candidates have much of a chance.
Just one basic obstacle: the constitution mandates that election days are on Tuesday. This is not a public holiday, and a lot of Americans aren’t given any time by their employer to vote.
The US has sent 300 members of an airborne brigade to Kiev, in direct contravention of the Minsk 2 agreement to keep all foreign troops off Ukranian soil.
Exactly. Also see this commentary of an interview of Stephen Cohen: journalist, writer and Russia specialist at Princeton and NY University. Cohen has been a long time writer for The Nation, one of the worlds longest standing progressive publications.
I notice the 173rd is there to train the Ukrainian military. Given previous successes in training the Iraqi Army, will we expect to see Ukrainian soldiers featuring prominently on the podium for the next Olympic track events?
When is O’Bomber going to have his Nobel Prize taken off him?
When is O’Bomber going to have his Nobel Prize taken off him?
Sadly the farce train left the station some time ago and the tragedy one is pulling into the station.
However, IMO if Obama somehow pulls off the nuclear/peace deal with Iran in the face of Israeli lobby opposition, he might actually have finally earnt his Nobel Prize.
We’ll look for mid-level bureaucrats trying to tell the truth, and put out a welcome mat for unhappy system administrators and bank whistleblowers. We’ll read mind-numbing government procurement contracts and grudgingly-released financial disclosure forms. We’ll listen to two-hour corporate earnings calls.
Have to say it, the thought of Key at Gallipoli, so say, honouring those men who died…would they have been proud of what he has done for the country they died for? Is he providing a future for kiwi’s who need jobs, security, homes and a future? I find it insulting and hypocritical, but do not wish to equally dishonour the men by making this an emotive comment.
I don’t understand. You’d be dishonoring dead kids if you show emotion? I would’ve thought that if you were dying on a turkish hillside with your guts leaking out from .308 bullet holes you’d definitely feel something – fear, regret, extreme pain. Who are you to say what they felt or think now they’re dead? What do you think this is? A sport? Macho ANZAC shit really is a bore.
Exactly, I would never presume to have any idea about what it must have felt like, I was talking about Key’s “honouring” those men, how has he done that beyond going to the ceremony?
I am not sure what your point is though Cindy?
All of the sex education in school I ever had was evidence and science based. I’m not even sure if abstinence was even discussed, certainly not as a ‘strategy’ to sex anyway.
No sex education was ever mentioned anywhere at school in my time -many decades ago. However I read widely and even at Primary School I was able to set my peers straight. Fascinating subject for young minds.
A teacher of 5 year olds told me that in the school library he processed books while listening to the kids informal and matter of fact discussions about sex matters. They knew heaps and their parents would have blushed had they known how some kids explained, using the activities of their parents as evidence.
I read widely and even at Primary School I was able to set my peers straight.
We could’ve done with you at my primary school. A lengthy discussion with a few of my peers elicited the revelation that adults took their clothes off and lay down together. So, two of our number tried it and lay down (back to back) to see what it was like. Their conclusions were not encouraging. Strange creatures these adults.
I went through a single sex Catholic school. No sex education at all, save for “Beware of cars, boys, they’re bedrooms on wheels.” And that was from a woman journalist on a leadership course.
I vowed that the sex education I taught would be as good as I needed as a young man, but certainly better than what I got. I told my students that was why I was so keen to teach this subject fully and openly, including the above quote. They knew that I was trustworthy and genuine.
I loved the lesson where I inflated a condom and then burst it by rubbing on the unlubricated rubber. Of course, I had already demonstrated how a fully lubricated rubber did not burst, on the other side of the demonstration condom, so that when the inevitable burst came after about five strokes there was lubricant spraying everywhere.
I taught Relationships for more than a decade to Year 10 boys, including sex education. It was factual, and at times funny, as it had to be. We did cover abstinence as a strategy in the area of avoidance of STDs and pregnancy, along with all other methods.
A very good course, taught by two specialist teachers, which helped keep pregnancy and STD rates, as discerned by the local DHB, at a plateau when the rest of the country was climbing. Parents were consulted and met with the teachers to allay concerns, students having the right to opt out.
I also play a little game with the students toward the end of my presentation.
I write down a few things at random places on the chalk board, or whatever is handy nearby. I write down the possible consequences of a promiscuous or contraceptive lifestyle that the teenagers and I come up with.
This is where I bring up the risk of sexually transmitted diseases. I’ll write things like, “Unplanned pregnancy,” “Chance of Gonorrhea,” “Depression,” “Porn addiction,” “Risk of Genital Herpes,” etc. Then I draw a bull’s eye in the middle of the board. I mark this one “Love.”
I ask a few students to take turns, from their seats, to toss the eraser to the board, trying to hit the bull’s eye.
An errant throw might strike, “Risk of HIV,” or “Depression” instead. I explain that if we live the promiscuous lifestyle, it becomes more difficult to obtain what we really desire, which is love.
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Transforming New Zealand: Brian EastonBrian Easton will discuss the above topic at 2/57 Willis Street, Wellington at 5:30pm on Tuesday 26 February at 2/57 Willis Street, WellingtonThe sub-title to the above is "Why is the Left failing?" Brian Easton's analysis is based on his view that while the ...
Salvation Army’s State of the Nation 2025 report highlights falling living standards, the highest unemployment rates since the 1990s and half of all Pacific children going without food. There are reports of hundreds if not thousands of people are applying for the same jobs in the wake of last year’s ...
Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Correction: On the article The Condundrum of David Seymour, Luke Malpass conducted joint reviews with Bryce Wilkinson, the architect of the Regulatory Standards Bill - not Bryce Edwards. The article ...
Tomorrow the council’s Transport, Resilience and Infrastructure Committee meet and agenda has a few interesting papers. Council’s Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport Every year the council provide a Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport which is part of the process for informing AT of the council’s priorities and ...
All around in my home townThey're trying to track me down, yeahThey say they want to bring me in guiltyFor the killing of a deputyFor the life of a deputySongwriter: Robert Nesta Marley.Support Nick’s Kōrero today with a 20% discount on a paid subscription to receive all my newsletters directly ...
Hi,I think all of us have probably experienced the power of music — that strange, transformative thing that gets under our skin and helps us experience this whole life thing with some kind of sanity.Listening and experiencing music has always been such a huge part of my life, and has ...
Business frustration over the stalled economy is growing, and only 34% of voters are confidentNicola Willis can deliver. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 12 are:Business frustration is growing about a ...
I have now lived long enough to see a cabinet minister go both barrels on their Prime Minister and not get sacked.It used to be that the PM would have a drawer full of resignations signed by ministers on the day of their appointment, ready for such an occasion. But ...
This session will feature Simon McCallum, Senior Lecturer in Engineering and Computer Science (VUW) and recent Labour Party candidate in the Southland Electorate talking about some of the issues around AI and how this should inform Labour Party policy. Simon is an excellent speaker with a comprehensive command of AI ...
The proposed Waimate garbage incinerator is dead: The company behind a highly-controversial proposal to build a waste-to-energy plant in the Waimate District no longer has the land. [...] However, SIRRL director Paul Taylor said the sales and purchase agreement to purchase land from Murphy Farms, near Glenavy, lapsed at ...
The US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act has been a vital tool in combatting international corruption. It forbids US companies and citizens from bribing foreign public officials anywhere in the world. And its actually enforced: some of the world's biggest companies - Siemens, Hewlett Packard, and Bristol Myers Squibb - have ...
December 2024 photo - with UK Tory Boris Johnson (Source: Facebook)Those PollsFor hours, political poll results have resounded across political hallways and commentary.According to the 1News Verizon poll, 50% of the country believe we are heading in the “wrong direction”, while 39% believe we are “on the right track”.The left ...
A Tai Rāwhiti mill that ran for 30 years before it was shut down in late 2023 is set to re-open in the coming months, which will eventually see nearly 300 new jobs in the region. A new report from Massey University shows that pensioners are struggling with rising costs. ...
As support continues to fall, Luxon also now faces his biggest internal ructions within the coalition since the election, with David Seymour reacting badly to being criticised by the PM. File photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Not since 1988 when Richard Prebble openly criticised David Lange have we seen such a challenge to a Prime Minister as that of David Seymour to Christopher Luxon last night. Prebble suggested Lange had mental health issues during a TV interview and was almost immediately fired. Seymour hasn’t gone quite ...
Three weeks in, and the 24/7 news cycle is not helping anyone feel calm and informed about the second Trump presidency. One day, the US is threatening 25% trade tariffs on its friends and neighbours. The reasons offered by the White House are absurd, such as stopping fentanyl coming in ...
This video includes personal musings and conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Wherever you look, you'll hear headlines claiming we've passed 1.5 degrees of global warming. And while 2024 saw ...
Photo by Heather M. Edwards on UnsplashHere’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s politics and economy in the week to Feb 10 below. That’s ahead of live chats on the Substack App and The Kākā’s front page on Substack at 5pm with: on his column in The ...
Is there anyone in the world the National Party loves more than a campaign donor? Why yes, there is! They will always have the warmest hello and would you like to slip into something more comfortable for that great god of our age, the High Net Worth Individual.The words the ...
Waste and fraud certainly exist in foreign aid programs, but rightwing celebration of USAID’s dismantling shows profound ignorance of the value of soft power (as opposed to hard power) in projecting US influence and interests abroad by non-military/coercive means (think of “hearts and minds,” “hugs, not bullets,” “honey versus vinegar,” ...
Health New Zealand is proposing to cut almost half of its data and digital positions – more than 1000 of them. The PSA has called on the Privacy Commissioner to urgently investigate the cuts due to the potential for serious consequences for patients. NZNO is calling for an urgent increase ...
We may see a few more luxury cars on Queen Street, but a loosening of rules to entice rich foreigners to invest more here is unlikely to “turbocharge our economic growth”. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Let us not dance daintily around the elephant in the room. Our politicians who serve us in the present are not honest, certainly not as honest as they should be, and while the right are taking out most of the trophies for warping narratives and literally redefining “facts”, the kiwi ...
A few weeks ago I took a look at public transport ridership in 2024. In today’s post I’m going to be looking a bit deeper at bus ridership. Buses make up the vast majority of ridership in Auckland with 70 million boardings last year out of a total of 89.4 ...
Oh, you know I did itIt's over and I feel fineNothing you could say is gonna change my mindWaited and I waited the longest nightNothing like the taste of sweet declineSongwriters: Chris Shiflett / David Eric Grohl / Nate Mendel / Taylor Hawkins.Hindsight is good, eh?The clarity when the pieces ...
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashHere’s what we’re watching in the week to February 16 and beyond in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty:Monday, February 10The Kākā’s weekly wrap-up of news about politics and the economy is due at midday, followed by webinar for paying subscribers in Substack’s ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, February 2, 2025 thru Sat, February 8, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
Today, I stumbled across a Twitter Meme: the ending of The Lord of the Rings as a Chess scenario: https://x.com/mellon_heads/status/1887983845917564991 It gets across the basic gist. Aragorn and Gandalf offering up ‘material’ at the Morannon allows Frodo and Samwise to catch Sauron unawares – fair enough. But there are a ...
Last week, Kieran McAnulty called out Chris Bishop and Nicola Willis for their claims that Kāinga Ora’s costs were too high.They had claimed Kāinga Ora’s cost were 12% higher than market i.e. private devlopersBut Kāinga Ora’s Chair had already explained why last year:"We're not building to sell, so we'll be ...
Stuff’s Political Editor Luke Malpass - A Fellow at New Zealand IniativeLast week I half-joked that Stuff / The Post’s Luke Malpass1 always sounded like he was auditioning for a job at the New Zealand Initiative.Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. For a limited time, subscriptions are 20% off. Thanks ...
At a funeral on Friday, there were A4-sized photos covering every wall of the Dil’s reception lounge. There must have been 200 of them, telling the story in the usual way of the video reel but also, by enlargement, making it more possible to linger and step in.Our friend Nicky ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is methane the ...
The Government’s idea is that the private sector and Community Housing Providers will fund, build and operate new affordable housing to address our housing crisis. Meanwhile, the Government does not know where almost half of the 1,700 children who left emergency housing actually went. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong ...
Oh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youOh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youSongwriters: Alexander Ebert / Jade Allyson CastrinosMorena,I’m on a tight time frame this morning. In about an hour and a half, I’ll need to pack up and hit the road ...
This is a post about the Mountain Tui substack, and small tweaks - further to the poll and request post the other day. Please don’t read if you aren’t interested in my personal matters. Thank you all.After oohing-and-aahing about how to structure the Substack model since November, including obtaining ...
This transcript of a recent conversation between the Prime Minister and his chief economic adviser has not been verified.We’ve announced we are the ‘Yes Government’. Do you like it?Yes, Prime Minister.Dreamed up by the PR team. It’s about being committed to growth. Not that the PR team know anything about ...
The other day, Australian Senator Nick McKim issued a warning in the Australian Parliement about the US’s descent into fascim.And of course it’s true, but I lament - that was true as soon as Trump won.What we see is now simply the reification of the intention, planning, and forces behind ...
Among the many other problems associated with Musk/DOGE sending a fleet of teenage and twenty-something cultists to remove, copy and appropriate federal records like social security, medicaid and other supposedly protected data is the fact that the youngsters doing the data-removal, copying and security protocol and filter code over-writing have ...
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tuneBird fly high by the light of the moonOh, oh, oh, JokermanSong by Bob Dylan.Morena folks, I hope this fine morning of the 7th of February finds you well. We're still close to Paihia, just a short drive out of town. Below is the view ...
It’s been an eventful week as always, so here’s a few things that we have found interesting. We also hope everyone had a happy and relaxing Waitangi Day! This week in Greater Auckland We’re still running on summer time, but provided two chewy posts: On Tuesday, a guest ...
Queuing on Queen St: the Government is set to announce another apparently splashy growth policy on Sunday of offering residence visas to wealthy migrants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, February 7:PM Christopher ...
The fact that Waitangi ended up being such a low-key affair may mark it out as one of the most significant Waitangi Days in recent years. A group of women draped in “Toitu Te Tiriti” banners who turned their backs on the politicians’ powhiri was about as rough as it ...
National’s cuts to disability support funding and freezing of new residential placements has resulted in significant mental health decline for intellectually disabled people. ...
The hundreds of jobs lost needlessly as a result of the Kinleith Mill paper production closure will have a devastating impact on the Tokoroa community - something that could have easily been avoided. ...
Today Te Pāti Māori MP for Te Tai Tokerau, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, released her members bill that will see the return of tamariki and mokopuna Māori from state care back to te iwi Māori. This bill will establish an independent authority that asserts and protects the rights promised in He Whakaputanga ...
The Whangarei District Council being forced to fluoridate their local water supply is facing a despotic Soviet-era disgrace. This is not a matter of being pro-fluoride or anti-fluoride. It is a matter of what New Zealanders see and value as democracy in our country. Individual democratically elected Councillors are not ...
Nicola Willis’ latest supermarket announcement is painfully weak with no new ideas, no real plan, and no relief for Kiwis struggling with rising grocery costs. ...
Half of Pacific children sometimes going without food is just one of many heartbreaking lowlights in the Salvation Army’s annual State of the Nation report. ...
The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation report is a bleak indictment on the failure of Government to take steps to end poverty, with those on benefits, including their children, hit hardest. ...
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill which would restore decision-making power to local communities regarding the fluoridation of drinking water. The ‘Fluoridation (Referendum) Legislation Bill’ seeks to repeal the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 that granted centralised authority to the Direct General of Health ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill aimed at preventing banks from refusing their services to businesses because of the current “Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Framework”. “This Bill ensures fairness and prevents ESG standards from perpetuating woke ideology in the banking sector being driven by unelected, globalist, climate ...
Erica Stanford has reached peak shortsightedness if today’s announcement is anything to go by, picking apart immigration settings piece by piece to the detriment of the New Zealand economy. ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...
Labour is relieved to see Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her government’s terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers – temporarily. ...
It is the first week of David Seymour’s school lunch programme and already social media reports are circulating of revolting meals, late deliveries, and mislabelled packaging. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. “As schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamariki’s review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 What’s Up hotline. “When I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...
A bill to make revenue collection on imported and exported goods fairer and more effective had its first reading in Parliament, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. “The Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill modernises the way in which Customs can recover the costs of services that are needed ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has achieved significant progress in completing applications for New Zealand citizenship. “December 2024 saw the Department complete 5,661 citizenship applications, the most for any month in 2024. This is a 54 per cent increase compared ...
Reversals to Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions begin tonight and will be in place by 1 July, says Minister of Transport Chris Bishop. “The previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads. “National campaigned on ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced Budget 2025 – the Growth Budget - will be delivered on Thursday 22 May. “This year’s Budget will drive forward the Government’s plan to grow our economy to improve the incomes of New Zealanders now and in the years ahead. “Budget 2025 will build ...
For the Government, 2025 will bring a relentless focus on unleashing the growth we need to lift incomes, strengthen local businesses and create opportunity. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today laid out the Government’s growth agenda in his Statement to Parliament. “Just over a year ago this Government was elected by ...
The Jewish Council’s proposals are divisive, contrary to New Zealand’s human rights framework, and ignore the rights of other ethnic minorities in Aotearoa. ...
"This is shocking, and astounding," says Augusta Macassey-Pickard, spokesperson for the group. "We knew that this process was rushed, and flawed, but this is another level of compromised." ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific presenter/Bulletin editor Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark maintains that Cook Islands, a realm of New Zealand, should have consulted Wellington before signing a “partnership” deal with China. “[Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown] seems to have signed behind the backs of his own ...
COMMENTARY:By Saige England Mediawatch on RNZ today strongly criticised Stuff and YouTube among other media for using Israeli propaganda’s “Outbrain” service. Outbrain is a company founded by the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) military and its technology can be tracked back to a wealthy entrepreneur, which in this case could ...
Luxon said protesters linked to Destiny Church "went too far" by disrupting Pride events in Auckland, while church leader Brian Tamaki said he told protesters, "I want you to storm the library they're in." ...
Hundreds of engineers are losing their jobs and leaving our shores due to infrastructure project delays, creating "significant" risk to our nation's development, says the head of New Zealand's engineering body. ...
By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown says the deal with China “complements, not replaces” the relationship with New Zealand after signing it yesterday. Brown said “The Action Plan for Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) 2025-2030” provides a structured framework for engagement between the Cook Islands ...
The government should not set military style academies into youth justice law, the children's commissioner says, despite its first bootcamp getting a glowing report. ...
The infamous over-the-suit T-shirt worn by the PM at a Parliament barbecue has gone on sale to raise funds for children living in poverty, in a TradeMe auction. ...
MONDAYSheriff Seymour rode slowly down the main street of Dodge on his faithful white horse Atlas Network.He liked what he saw.Children were being fed free lunches prepared by kind people who collected the scraps from an offal rendering plant.“Very strongly flavoured liver, such as ox liver, can be soaked overnight ...
Once upon a time it was all about being an astronaut, a firefighter or doctor; but these days kids have their sights set on becoming vloggers or YouTubers.That’s according to a 2019 study by Lego that surveyed 3000 children between the ages of eight to 12 from the US, the ...
Madeleine Chapman reflects on the week that was. From the moment I started high school and realised almost every other girl in my year was at least partially interested in what the boys were up to, I realised that I would be single for life. The feeling wasn’t one of ...
The Pacific profiles series shines a light on Pacific people in Aotearoa doing interesting and important work in their communities, as nominated by members of the public. Today, Selina Alesana Alefosio.All photos by Geoffery Matautia.On a bright Sunday morning from her grandparent’s home in Pito-one, I spoke with ...
The White Lotus star reflects on her life in TV, including the local ad reference that doesn’t work in Australia, and her bananas co-star on Neighbours.Morgana O’Reilly was scrolling her phone next to her sleeping son on an idle Saturday morning when she got the call confirming that she ...
Claire Mabey explores the pros and cons of puff quotes on book covers.In January, Publishers Weekly put out an article by Sean Manning – publisher of Simon & Schuster’s flagship US imprint – in which he said he’d “no longer require authors to obtain blurbs for their books”.The ...
New Zealand’s Entomological Society is hosting its annual bug of the year contest. Here are some of the insects in the running. For some reason – perhaps humans’ inherent competitiveness, the idealisation of democracy, the need to demarcate winners and losers – one of the best ways to get people ...
A journey along the border, with words and illustrations by Bob Kerr.The Spinoff Essay showcases the best essayists in Aotearoa, on topics big and small. Made possible by the generous support of our members.The Sunset Limited leaves Union Station New Orleans on time at nine in the morning. We ...
Neville Peat is the 2024 recipient of the Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement in nonfiction. He’s written 56 books, mostly on natural history; this excerpt is from The Falcon and the Lark: A New Zealand High Country Journal, first published in 1992. The falcon wintering on the Rock and ...
It was a light-hearted gesture Greta Pilkington will be forever grateful for – thanks to an Aussie rival who jumped in when the Olympic sailor couldn’t be at her own graduation.Pilkington, then 20, had been leading a double life – while qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics in the ILCA ...
I was born in the back of my grandfather’s ute, by an overgrown windbreak in a remote place called Wahi-Rakauyou can’t find on a map. I was born a girl but given the man’s name Harvey, as my dad always wanted a violent-minded boy to one day help him ...
“We’re not here to interfere in people’s property rights,” Ngāi Tahu’s Te Maire Tau has told the High Court.Tau, a historian, Upoko (traditional leader) of Ngāi Tūāhuriri, and a university professor of history, is the lead witness in a case designed to force the Crown to recognise the tribe’s rangatiratanga ...
Pacific Media Watch Trump administration officials barred two Associated Press (AP) reporters from covering White House events this week because the US-based independent news agency did not change its style guide to align with the president’s political agenda. The AP is being punished for using the term “Gulf of Mexico,” ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific Presenter/Bulletin editor France’s top diplomat in the Pacific region says talks around the “unfreezing” of New Caledonia’s highly controversial electoral roll are back on the table. The French government intended to make a constitutional amendment that would lift restrictions prescribed under the Nouméa Accord, which ...
By bringing these global voices to the fight for free expression in New Zealand, we’ll continue to protect and expand our culture of free speech, says Nathan Seiuli, the Free Speech Union's Events Manager. ...
The issue is no longer a hypothetical one. US President Donald Trump will not explicitly suggest death camps, but he has already consented to Israel’s continuing a war that is not a war but rather a barbaric assault on a desolate stretch of land. From there, the road to annihilation is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cecelia Cmielewski, Research Fellow, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University To be selected as the artist and curator team to represent Australia at the Venice Biennale is considered the ultimate exhibition for an artistic team. To have your selection rescinded, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steve Turton, Adjunct Professor of Environmental Geography, CQUniversity Australia Severe Tropical Cyclone Zelia is bearing down on the northwest coast of Australia and is likely to make landfall early Friday evening. It’s a monster storm of great concern to Western Australia. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danielle Ireland-Piper, Associate Professor, ANU National Security College, Australian National University A Victorian government decision to allow dingo culling in the state’s east until 2028 has reignited debate over what has been dubbed Australia’s most controversial animal. Animals Australia, an animal welfare ...
Open Letter to Robin Hood.
http://againstausterity.org/article/open-letter-robin-hood
Sanctuary’s law:
“As an astroturfing right wing organisation grows more desperate, the probability of it invoking racism for publicity approaches 1”
The taxpayers union, warmed over ACToids of six white males and one white women, has struggled to be noticed since Farrar set it up as an extreme right ginger group. Sure enough, they’ve gone for alarmist racism in a last, doomed, frantic attempt to break through.
Won’t link to such a bunch of desperate, irrelevant, racist right wing whites.
is there a difference between black racists and white racists?
seems to be some racism on your very own part there Sanctuary
Not this stupid debate again!
Racism is underpinned and informed by ideological, historical and systemic phenomena such as Darwinism, colonialism and resultant asymmetries of power in our current social/political relations.
It’s oxymoronic to refer to black racists. A black person can be bigoted or discriminatory or whatever, but because of what I mention above on the nature of racism, never racist.
As a white person I can never be subjected to racism due to the same reasons outlined above, which is not to say I can’t be severely discriminated against, fucked over and done in. (eg systemic discrimination that was brought to bear on the Irish)
+1 thanks for nipping that in the bud.
ha ha never had I heard anything so ridiculous
blacks can never be racist
you are off the planet and so is the entire politically correct ideology which comes up with these self-justifications.
Your foolishness is exhibited especially by this statement of yours …. “As a white person I can never be subjected to racism “. Go learn the definition of “racism”. There are plenty online and even in dictionaries. That definition you tried to give is born of subjectivity and one particular circumstance.
Sanctuary was racist.
… Alternatively, go find another definition for the circumstance you describe (which circumstance certainly exists of course).
….
the one thing I do agree with is your first sentence – not this stupid issue again. Do you never learn?
I think you missed the point vto. Bill is pointing out the differences between bigotry based on race, and racism that is created via power structures and ideology.
btw, what did you think of the UK GP campaign video?
http://thestandard.org.nz/the-uk-greens-election-video/
No I see it completely and was thinking about it after punching out that quick reposte.
The problem is clearly one of definition.
The racism Bill describes is merely one form of racism. There are myriad others. You might call Bill’s form colonial-hangover racism, or institutional racism or power racism or some such. There are many other forms of racism – some of which are seen in NZ on a daily/weekly basis.
Bill’s described racism is a subset of racism itself.
Racism itself is a subset of bigotry and discrimination.
I don’t know why this is so hard.
Good greens video too, even though they are up against the conservative/establishment machine.
Where could a similar video be broadcast in NZ? It wouldn’t be allowed on TV here
Bill explained it in as simple as you get terms and you dis him off – I really wish you didn’t get bored and try and start these wasteoftime thoughtposts – I believe you are so much better than this shit.
Yes after I posted it the regret mode kicked in for the manner of response (though not the substance). It was punched out too quickly and too roughly. Bad habits are hard to kick.
FFS ?
http://robinwestenra.blogspot.co.nz/2015/04/focusing-on-australia.html
Abbott government gives $4m to help climate contrarian set up Australian centre
Bjørn Lomborg has been given money from the hard-pressed federal budget to set up a ‘consensus centre’ at the University of Western Australia
The Guardian,
16 April, 2015
The Abbott government found $4m for the climate contrarian Bjørn Lomborg to establish his “consensus centre” at an Australian university, even as it struggled to impose deep spending cuts on the higher education sector.
Lomborg uses cost-benefit analysis to advise governments what spending produces the best social value for money spent, concluding that climate change is not a top-priority problem.
Latest from John Armstrong
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/john-armstrong-on-politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=1502865&objectid=11434497
I’m still reeling in disbelief.
You beat me to it.
Key’s disciples are turning against him.
Let’s wait and see shall we. One article outta sycophant central means nowt at this point in the cycle.
Yes, Armstrong lost any respect I had for him when he was involved in the hatchet job on Cunliffe last year
It was nearly a good article from Armstrong except for these bits:
“But the notion that there is some huge spin machine operating out of the Beehive which relentlessly force feeds journalists with National’s take on events is a myth.”
Armstrong is trying to ignore the affect of Nicky Hagar’s book in outing Jason Ede and the downstream spin offs. Obviously the Nats are missing him badly.
and
“The search for the lost surplus has been National’s Holy Grail. It has also become a measure of whether National can justifiably lay claim to being a better manager of the economy than Labour.”
Labour did produce 8 surplus’s, I’m not sure how the Nat’s producing ONE surplus can “justify” them as better managers. Driving around Hamilton, Cambridge and Papamoa it does make you wonder why commentators are not picking up the billions of dollars being spent on the “Express Ways” in a time when our debt is climbing to an eye watering $80 billions dollars. These express ways are nice to have but there is no way we can afford them now, and lets not talk about the pitiful cost/benefit from an economic point of view.
Of course when it comes to the likes of Armstrong and numerous others there never was the necessity for force feeding. Ironic that Armstrong’s identification and purported debunking of “the myth” should rely for authenticity on his own disgraceful conduct as a political journalist.
Never mind. There is blood in the water now. Key knows it. Look at his demeanour of late. Watch out for redoubled filthy tactics.
and absolutely no mention of the ever increasing debt which surely relates to the surplus, which is at the heart of the article
Well spotted. Though one comment from JA is a bit unbelievable.
“But the notion that there is some huge spin machine operating out of the Beehive which relentlessly force feeds journalists with National’s take on events is a myth.”
I thought it was relentless?
Edit: Saarbo you too.
@Wyndham
I see an Akl house price collapse of 20% some time in 2016 which should feed through nicely to an electorate “feel-bad” situation for the Nats at the election in 2017. (Houses bought for $800k become worth $640k with negative equity of $80k).
And as Armstrong says it will all be Key and his “do-nothing” government’s fault.
I’m hoping for a house price collapse of about 70% to convince the two main parties once and for all that the future of Aotearoa doesn’t lie with speculation in urban property. There’d be a lot of pain, but then there already is.
LOL
All the political parties are absolutely terrified of the correction that they know needs to happen and are thus either ignoring it (National et al) or hoping that something will happen that will allow things to continue as is (Labour). Neither of these will work.
The government has to step in and crash the market else the market crash automatically.
EDIT:
And the total piece by Armstrong is still sychobabble in support of National and Key.
So now he spits instead of swallows. Not a big difference: he’s still on his knees.
The MediaWorks canning of CampbellLive was planned months ago, right when they cut the sponsorship contract with Mazda to three months instead of a usual term – one year.
An unusual move for a cash-strapped media house, don’t you think?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11434603
Wonder if the timeline can be moved back to Key and Weldon meeting sometime last year.
“Last night, in an open dig at network bosses who have suggested replacing the show with a soap opera, Campbell Live opened to the theme tune Let Me Entertain You.”
Actually an open dig at John Key, who said Campbell Live is more entertainment than journalism.
Regarding the rest of the article, yes it’s been clear from the start that nothing Mediaworks have said is true.
And to those people on this site who deride conspiracies by using silly expressions like tinfoil hat, here is one before your eyes.
Remember the expression conspiracy theory is useful for the powerful as it is an easy way to stop critical thinking,
There are credible conspiracy theories. There are ludicrous conspiracy theories.
The fact that one conspiracy theory – that Mediaworks senior management have been planning to can Campbell Live for a long time despite their protestations – is credible doesn’t mean they all are.
I know you mean well Paul, and I agree so-called conspiracy theories shouldn’t be dismissed without thinking. However, people who become consumed by a singular narrative about how the world is run switch off from a whole lot of information. It isn’t conducive to critical thinking or a healthy democracy.
I’m pretty sure I could dig out quite a few comments on TS that resolutely declare no real journalism existed in NZ. Then the threat to Campbell Live emerged and the show’s received more attention, which is great to see.
Just think how effective its campaigns on issues like zero hours, kids’ lunches and the GCSB bill could have been if so many people in our country hadn’t switched off for a variety of reasons.
felix. From my non-legal seat I suspect that Mediaworks has to be very careful what they say as there must be contractual rules at stake. Denial is a damage control position as Key also demonstrates.
Probably first agenda item after the Xmas break. Weldon is particularly good at getting this stuff right as he showed at NZX.
He dumped a sinecure just before they pulled the ‘go public’ pin so he’s fully focused on seeing this through.
One very willing worker is Marky mark.
The satire today in Christchurch Press on Weldon was clever. Worth reading.
yet the Mazda sponsor still appeared in the CL Ten Year celebration messages
– some pretty cold salutations when seen in this new light
7:51
http://www.3news.co.nz/tvshows/campbelllive/messages-of-thanks-to-john-campbell-2015032721#axzz3XXB5keDd
What do you mean by the cold salutations comment? It wasn’t Mazda’s choice to have a short contract, it was MediaWorks’. In fact, Mazda could have just walked, and no doubt that would have suited the network.
That’s the point of this story: the network itself had a predetermined outcome to the review of the show.
Mazda openly celebrating the ten year anniversary, all happy happy joy joy, when knowing about the sword of Damocles is a bit chilling if you ask me.
Whatever. John Campbell was celebrating the milestone, too.
I was bemused by it when I saw the 10-year programme, because no other editorial team in New Zealand could include a sponsor plug like that without it seeming like the sponsor owned the show. I doubt anyone would think to level that charge at Campbell, which says a huge amount about the show’s credibility and quality.
The Federated Farmers Comedy Show
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/agribusiness/67840314/federated-farmers-calls-for-more-government-cash-for-irrigation
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
hypocrisy
socialism
bludgery
government intervention
no free market
the farmers blow their credibility yet again
,i>”ha ha ha ha”
Couldn’t have said it better.
This report makes no sense whatsoever and highlights how Federated Farmers talks over any perspective that is not an economic one.
If it wasn’t that we have a government that is looking for validation I’d call Dr William Rolleston a fool.
Meh – edit function is kaput for me.
Try doing a shift + refresh or shift + F5. That forces a local reload of the javascript that runs the edit.
Federated Farmers: “There is a case for government contributing to water storage ………. to reflect the contribution water storage makes to the environment and the community”
So in short: water shortages impact the environment and community….
and who pray,mister federated farmer are the main cause of these water shortages?
One of the great ironies of the New Zealand right is the way they trumpet successful businesses – they took the risks! They deserve the rewards! Their success is built on smarts, not government handouts – and then turn around and prop up people who persist in trying to dairy farm in regions like Canterbury which have droughts almost every single year.
It’s not socialism when it’s public money going to shore up private profits. It’s business as usual for Kiwi “entrepreneurs” and hard working farmers, backbone of the nation. Plus it keeps water out of iwi control.
Today: Dunedin community picket at midday as part of Global Day of Action against
TPPA/TTIP, etc.
Dunedin is on the map!
http://www.nottip.org.uk/global-day-of-action-april-18-2015/
Dust off your signs, loosen those vocal chords. Community groups and
supporters will be picketting along the one-way (south-bound) by the
Railway Station this Saturday from 12 – 2pm:
https://www.facebook.com/TPPAActionDunedin?fref=ts
During the picket, there will also be discussion regarding the upcoming protest (date to be confirmed) at the Octagon about the decision of the SDHB that is causing outrage in Otago and Southland where local hospitals are proposing to serve frozen meals from Auckland, under contract with Compass:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Protest-Date-to-be-confirmed/1387144851610961
Heartening to read that other issues are to be discussed at the picket. if this indicated the beginnings of a process concerned with deepening and broadening involvement across a raft of issues…
and buried deep deep down the bottom of the National pages in the NZH
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11434343
“..the human right to adequate housing was a binding legal obligation for the state, … the Government had a duty to protect this right and a responsibility to provide remedies.”
Also in the theme of human rights to adequate housing
1947 – it was the law that landlords provided dry accommodation. These days – not so much.
The story was more prominent on news sites yesterday. It’s also referenced today near the top of the lead story on the house ‘earning’ almost as much as a judge:
”A Weekend Herald investigation into soaring house prices comes amid warnings from the Reserve Bank about the housing market and calls for immediate action by the country’s chief human rights watchdog.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11434550
Thanks Ergo, didn’t see yesterday’s page but as the article wasn’t published until late afternoon, it couldn’t have been all that prominent for very long.
I went to the page you linked to but can’t see it referenced on that page. There is the Fran O’Sullivan piece but not the Issac Davison piece, maybe they have recycled the page since you posted the link..
I meant it was referenced in the story, in the second paragraph. And yeah it would be good if the words contained a link to the original story. But at least the fact the human rights commissioner is demanding action forms part of the coverage of the housing crisis.
The Steve Braunias diary is gold today in his take on John Campbell’s nemeses:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/Steve-Braunias/news/article.cfm?a_id=974&objectid=11434543
Sadly though the majority of NZers are still sound asleep, watching XFactor, 7 Sharp and the Bachelor.
http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.co.nz/2015/04/wilkommen-im-cabaret-table-talk-at-ika.html
Urgent, given the timing, and posting this for a friend whose alert is in moderation (apologies for the double-up if that has already appeared above):
Today: Dunedin community picket at midday as part of Global Day of Action against
TPPA/TTIP, etc.
Dunedin is on the map!
http://www.nottip.org.uk/global-day-of-action-april-18-2015/
Dust off your signs, loosen those vocal chords. Community groups and
supporters will be picketting along the one-way (south-bound) by the
Railway Station this Saturday from 12 – 2pm:
https://www.facebook.com/TPPAActionDunedin?fref=ts
During the picket, there will also be discussion regarding the upcoming protest (date to be confirmed) at the Octagon about the decision of the SDHB that is causing outrage in Otago and Southland where local hospitals are proposing to serve frozen meals from Auckland, under contract with Compass:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Protest-Date-to-be-confirmed/1387144851610961
Amerithrax Whistleblower Case update:
“The FBI head agent in charge of the anthrax investigation – Richard Lambert – has just filed a federal whistleblower lawsuit calling the entire FBI investigation bullshit”
http://www.globalresearch.ca/head-of-the-fbis-anthrax-investigation-says-the-whole-thing-was-a-sham/5443516
http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/1714250-former-fbi-special-agent-in-charge-richard.html
Would you trust the FBI freedom? If you can’t trust the State run protection agency who do you trust?
And the 7 Senators who were most likely to vote against the Patriot Act happen to be the ones to receive anthrax in the mail. Mmmmm. Let me think……
I’m shocked I tell ya’, shocked to my very core! 😯
though not as shocked as when people still try to deny these things
For those who missed the story on Campbell Live ( #saveCampbellLive )
Who owns New Zealand’s Water?
http://www.3news.co.nz/tvshows/campbelllive/who-owns-new-zealands-water-2015041518#axzz3XXB5keDd
“They have consent to extract 500,000,000 litres a year”
“The Council consent papers say they will fill one thousand shipping containers of bottled water a week”
My questions are two fold- Traffic and Taxes
Traffic: How are these shipping containers getting to market?
That is a lot of extra trucks on the region’s crumbling highways!
Was this expensive aspect properly addressed during the consent process ?
Taxes: Why are we still giving away our dwindling resources?
The oil and gas we lose at least brings us around 5% of the “declared profit”
Itself an insanely low figure.
Norway, as we know, does this: “Norway’s income tax on oil and gas profits has two components: A 28 percent tax on profits (the same income tax charged on all businesses in Norway), and a special 50 percent tax on profits from offshore oil and gas production, for a total tax of 78 percent.”
Water, without a doubt, is the Black Gold of the 21st Century. This One Pure NZ deal, and the numerous other deals still flowing through the pipelines, are socially corrupt fiscally idiotic and morally bankrupt.
Another show just meant to entertain us, Mr Key?
This is a dynamite story.
No wonder the big corporates pressurised our pathetic government to close down this sort of investigative journalism.
Maybe we could learn from Bolivia and fight back against the tyranny of corporations.
Here is a bit of news about Fukushima. Not that you would read about it in the MSM of course: Fukushima: Killing The World, Hundreds of Dolphins And Millions of Sardines At The Time
Thanks ev – talk about lesting we forget – I wonder if we actually ever see the bullet that kills us and once we’re dead does it even matter what killed us. Fukushima has killed the canaries and it is not going away anytime soon. medium or long.
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/motorway-tolls-preferred-choice-funding-ambitious-transport-plan-sl-171583
Aucklanders will get what they asked for …
Q. How little thought did those who chose this option put into it ?
It was the preferred choice out of a limited range of choices where none of the choices were all that palatable. You also seem to have missed this bit:
It’s unlikely that this government will allow toll roads as it will impact on car use and thus decrease profits for oil companies.
I saw that statement which I find to be at odds with the trend of signing up long term technological infrastructure contracts
The added attraction of tracking movements of commuters in greater detail would be motivational for the controllers I would have thought
I would doubt tolls will impact car use for many with their commute being avoidable by personal transport and it would be easy enough for the tactical policy behind toll implementation to be cynical enough that people would ‘have to pay’
Zero confidence that any option is implemented would realize benefits necessary for Auckland as can be witnessed by this topic still going well after 30/40 years of discussion
Meanwhile Sydney continues to expand the Light Rail Network
Why do you think the government or private business are interested in peoples daily commute?
That said, having the statistics of use are needed for planning purposes.
That entire sentence fails to make any sense at all.
That is a valid observation. I suspect that building infrastructure for cars has been seen as the fast and cheap option by the councils over the years as it puts a large chunk of the operating expense of transport directly on individuals and removes it from rates allowing rates to be kept low. This despite the fact that building proper public transport would have been cheaper per individual even though rates would have been slightly higher.
1. It is all about data which you point out citing ‘planning purposes’
Auckland Transport use similar rationale for the ‘spy network’
2. Typo – should have read unavoidable
3. Rates are not ‘low’
1. You think that we can get away without planning?
2. So what you’re saying there is that many people wouldn’t be able to give up their cars because they can’t get to work without them?
3. The rates on the house that I’m living in are about the same as PAYE for someone on minimum wage. They don’t go up with income. So, for many rates are actually low while for many others it’s probably quite high. I think this means that we need a better way to calculate rates. But that’s not what I was getting at. By shifting the costs onto individuals through forcing them to buy cars costs were kept off the councils thus allowing them to have rates lower than what they really should have been.
1. The planning Auckland needs is not the planning / outcomes Auckland would get from the implementation of tolls
2. See point 1
3. I understand what you were getting at and agree there is a requirement to examine other methods to calculating local taxes
IMO the most efficient is to put an additional charge on the price of fuel with the mechanisms already in place and make sure all collected funds are only invested into Auckland transport initiatives with a ring fence around public transportation priorities
No new infrastructure required or long term contracts with private technology and data firms paying tolls on roads that have been paid for many times over
Unfortunately most people do not understand ‘toll roads’ – No I’m not suggesting you are one of them
Leaked emails show Hollywood arranging Cuomo fundraiser, jet travel
And that is why we need to get corporations and businesses out of politics.
Martin O’Malley may be challenging Hillary Clinton from the left for US Presidency. He has proposed reinstating all banking regulations that were in place from the Great Depression until the 1980s/90s; doubling the minimum wage; and (this one is important) being completely opposed to the TPP. He is even considered to the left of Elizabeth Warren. I do not know if he would win the Democratic primary, but if he wins he will force Hillary Clinton to take a position on these issues, including something like the TPP. Which she has not said if she supports yet.
http://www.newrepublic.com/article/121569/martin-omalleys-15-minimum-wage-puts-hillary-notice
hope Martin O’Malley does stand and win the Democratic nomination ….Hillary Clinton as President would be as bad, if not worse, if that is conceivable , as another Bush
Martin would never win the presidency, so effectively you’re saying you’d rather have a Republican in the white house than Clinton, which logically doesn’t make sense if you actually support the democrats and not the republicans.
The logical thing is to understand where a long line of ‘not quite as bad as the other guy’ candidates has gotten us, and where sticking to that strategy is likely to get us.
Sure, but absent any credible mechanism to change the status quo, theorising doesn’t achieve much.
Given the US is a democracy, voting turnout is quite low and the extreme partisan nature of their politics and subsequent dumbing down of their campaigns, an awful lot of stuff has to change before ‘outsider’ candidates have much of a chance.
Just one basic obstacle: the constitution mandates that election days are on Tuesday. This is not a public holiday, and a lot of Americans aren’t given any time by their employer to vote.
Hillary will be better than whatever the Republicans offer, no doubt. But that does not mean she will be good.
The US has sent 300 members of an airborne brigade to Kiev, in direct contravention of the Minsk 2 agreement to keep all foreign troops off Ukranian soil.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-04-17/300-us-paratroopers-arrive-ukraine-after-russia-says-its-missiles-will-target-nato-m
I bet most Americans are not aware of this ….let alone debated it….such are the dire straits of their media
http://rt.com/usa/250717-chomsky-media-ukraine-cuba/
Exactly. Also see this commentary of an interview of Stephen Cohen: journalist, writer and Russia specialist at Princeton and NY University. Cohen has been a long time writer for The Nation, one of the worlds longest standing progressive publications.
http://russia-insider.com/en/top-russia-scholar-gives-us-media-politicos-public-spanking-long-interview-cohen/5807
Yep, Cohen’s been one of the very few sane analysts of Russian Politics over the last two decades.
I notice the 173rd is there to train the Ukrainian military. Given previous successes in training the Iraqi Army, will we expect to see Ukrainian soldiers featuring prominently on the podium for the next Olympic track events?
When is O’Bomber going to have his Nobel Prize taken off him?
Sadly the farce train left the station some time ago and the tragedy one is pulling into the station.
However, IMO if Obama somehow pulls off the nuclear/peace deal with Iran in the face of Israeli lobby opposition, he might actually have finally earnt his Nobel Prize.
From The Intercept,
We’ll look for mid-level bureaucrats trying to tell the truth, and put out a welcome mat for unhappy system administrators and bank whistleblowers. We’ll read mind-numbing government procurement contracts and grudgingly-released financial disclosure forms. We’ll listen to two-hour corporate earnings calls.
https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/04/16/welcome-unofficial-sources/
https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/01/28/how-to-leak-to-the-intercept/
https://firstlook.org/theintercept/unofficial-sources/
Have to say it, the thought of Key at Gallipoli, so say, honouring those men who died…would they have been proud of what he has done for the country they died for? Is he providing a future for kiwi’s who need jobs, security, homes and a future? I find it insulting and hypocritical, but do not wish to equally dishonour the men by making this an emotive comment.
I don’t understand. You’d be dishonoring dead kids if you show emotion? I would’ve thought that if you were dying on a turkish hillside with your guts leaking out from .308 bullet holes you’d definitely feel something – fear, regret, extreme pain. Who are you to say what they felt or think now they’re dead? What do you think this is? A sport? Macho ANZAC shit really is a bore.
Exactly, I would never presume to have any idea about what it must have felt like, I was talking about Key’s “honouring” those men, how has he done that beyond going to the ceremony?
I am not sure what your point is though Cindy?
Alice Dreger follows up on her twitter postings.
http://www.thestranger.com/features/feature/2015/04/15/22062331/i-sat-in-on-my-sons-sex-ed-class-and-i-was-shocked-by-what-i-heard
All of the sex education in school I ever had was evidence and science based. I’m not even sure if abstinence was even discussed, certainly not as a ‘strategy’ to sex anyway.
It’s an American thing. Like resisting the teaching of evolution.
The closest the single sex secondary where I ate my lunch ever came to acknowledging the existence of women or sex was general science.
Fortunately I had CCD to fill the gap.
/
There must have been a few priests around to share their expertise with you boys or girls?
No sex education was ever mentioned anywhere at school in my time -many decades ago. However I read widely and even at Primary School I was able to set my peers straight. Fascinating subject for young minds.
A teacher of 5 year olds told me that in the school library he processed books while listening to the kids informal and matter of fact discussions about sex matters. They knew heaps and their parents would have blushed had they known how some kids explained, using the activities of their parents as evidence.
I read widely and even at Primary School I was able to set my peers straight.
We could’ve done with you at my primary school. A lengthy discussion with a few of my peers elicited the revelation that adults took their clothes off and lay down together. So, two of our number tried it and lay down (back to back) to see what it was like. Their conclusions were not encouraging. Strange creatures these adults.
I went through a single sex Catholic school. No sex education at all, save for “Beware of cars, boys, they’re bedrooms on wheels.” And that was from a woman journalist on a leadership course.
I vowed that the sex education I taught would be as good as I needed as a young man, but certainly better than what I got. I told my students that was why I was so keen to teach this subject fully and openly, including the above quote. They knew that I was trustworthy and genuine.
I loved the lesson where I inflated a condom and then burst it by rubbing on the unlubricated rubber. Of course, I had already demonstrated how a fully lubricated rubber did not burst, on the other side of the demonstration condom, so that when the inevitable burst came after about five strokes there was lubricant spraying everywhere.
They never forgot that one! Oh happy days.
I taught Relationships for more than a decade to Year 10 boys, including sex education. It was factual, and at times funny, as it had to be. We did cover abstinence as a strategy in the area of avoidance of STDs and pregnancy, along with all other methods.
A very good course, taught by two specialist teachers, which helped keep pregnancy and STD rates, as discerned by the local DHB, at a plateau when the rest of the country was climbing. Parents were consulted and met with the teachers to allay concerns, students having the right to opt out.
Straight shooting with a touch of humour eh mac1? Like all good teachers eh?
Oh yes. “And after intercourse, boys, take your condom off your penis before losing your erection, and tie a knot in it.”
Pause.
“The condom, not your penis.”
Loved to see the looks of glazed relief come over the boy’s faces!
A moment of agony for the boys – but oh the relief!
An “abstinence educator” blows his own.
I also play a little game with the students toward the end of my presentation.
I write down a few things at random places on the chalk board, or whatever is handy nearby. I write down the possible consequences of a promiscuous or contraceptive lifestyle that the teenagers and I come up with.
This is where I bring up the risk of sexually transmitted diseases. I’ll write things like, “Unplanned pregnancy,” “Chance of Gonorrhea,” “Depression,” “Porn addiction,” “Risk of Genital Herpes,” etc.
Then I draw a bull’s eye in the middle of the board. I mark this one “Love.”
I ask a few students to take turns, from their seats, to toss the eraser to the board, trying to hit the bull’s eye.
An errant throw might strike, “Risk of HIV,” or “Depression” instead. I explain that if we live the promiscuous lifestyle, it becomes more difficult to obtain what we really desire, which is love.
http://www.donotlink.com/eqh5
🙄
I really hate abstinence “educators”.
Cry me a river. NZRFU championed professional rugby. Tough luck I say …
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11434420