Once all the seperated families have been reunited, will Trans- Tasman travel return to pre-pandemic business as usual levels?
Or will the public be left with a $1.5 billion stranded asset?
<
blockquote>
Alethea Warrington, campaigner at climate action charity Possible, when speaking to Reuters. “This polling shows that after a year of quick and easy virtual meetings, travellers aren’t planning to go back to business as usual.”
The UK’s aviation sector has been decimated by the pandemic, with Heathrow – the UK’s largest airport – seeing its passenger numbers slide by 72.2 per cent in 2020 from the year before.
International Air Transport Association analysts have forecasted that despite the Covid-19 vaccines and testing procedures rolling out worldwide, the recovery of demand for air travel may not reach pre-crisis levels until 2024.
While this estimate would imply that the aviation sector just needs to hold on for a few years until it can return to growth, the attitudes presented in the latest survey suggests a full recovery could take longer.
The weakest link is that the flight crew can still work on low risk routes and then work on the trans – Tasman bubble. I would have just had a trans – Tasman flight crew.
To have green flights but not green flight crews is asking for it.
Why do you keep doing this? Give us a reason, based on your personal analysis of the content, why we should click on this and read and listen to this podcast if not for any other reason because you believe for some reason that some guy is somehow wonderful and the sun shines out of his arse?
Oh yes, wonderful indeed. The man who delivered us George Bush the Lesser, better known as Shrub. Without Mr Nader, convergence moonbats would have had to work so much harder to find things to feed their eternal grievance complexes. Or not.
The man who delivered us George Bush the Lesser, better known as Shrub.
Nader was on the Supreme Court, was he? Or was he dressed up as Democratic Party strategic mastermind Warren Christopher, who decided not to be unsporting and insist on a full recount of the Florida votes?
I'd like to give a little shoutout to Sabine this morning. Sabine has been so dogged in her highlighting of the social housing and poverty issues in Rotorua.
I swear I complain so little about the media, but even RNZ this morning had two reporters from their Wellington office declaring at length how excited they were to be at the airport waiting to get on their Australian flights this morning …
… and yet it was just one guy who owned a bar in Rotorua on RNZ this morning who was able to talk about the Mongrel Mob colours proudly displayed in Rotorua shop windows, drug deals done in daylight, children running around at night, and a general fear for the future of Rotorua due to the huge levels of poor people stuck in low-end motels due to shortages of public housing.
It was like RNZ was sticking up gleefuly for the middle class who could afford to fly, while it relegated time spent on the degradation of the poor and working class in Rotorua.
There are plenty like Sonja Davies who took Labour to task in years gone by for similar issues, so keep it up Sabine.
There is a strong connection between emergency housing and the health care of those in emergency housing. Both are a crisis. This can also be said for others who can hardly afford the rent or find it hard to access or afford health care.
The issue is everywhere not just in Rotorua and an everywhere solution needs to be a priority.
Agree Sabine does good work on poverty and housing….but when I suggested that the Greens had the solution with their Wealth Tax that would raise 7.9 billion dollars annually specifically to tackle poverty she told me it wasn't about political parties….sorry Sabine that is exactly what it is about….who we vote for counts
We've got a Labour-dominated government for three terms at least, and there's no way around the Greens being a small and shrinking field of influence within that. Unlikely to change even in 2026. Both major parties will actively stop a Wealth Tax. The best chance of influence is from within Labour.
Ad-I disagree. With (entirely feasible) numbers like this at the next election:
Lab 44 Greens 9 MP 2 Nats 35 ACT 8 Others 2
the Greens would have a great deal of influence. I notice the Greens are polling 8% in the UK at the moment in the latest poll which is historically very high.
They got about the same last year and have fuck-all influence in this government.
And even if they improved slightly, they would not get their Wealth Tax up there with tall boots, spandex, a brisk following wind, a long pole and a cape.
We had three years of a coalition that got us very little in terms a solution to our homeless and poverty issue, heck it is an issue that is growing out of proportions every day.
We have a pandemic that still does not scare polititians into doing the right thing by those that need public assistance
When the Greens pay attention to who runs as a potential candidate and when they maybe start putting in a bit of work into the rural areas then maybe they become part of the solution, atm they are not. Not here in Rotorua anyways.
Last, this is not an issue of Rotorua, or Auckland, i advocate for those that live where i live, as charity always begins at home. But in reality, Rotorua is any other town, the only difference are the homeless that get send here by Winz. They sadly get stuck, we no option of housing or jobs, and yes Virginia the Government is really not here to help.
The woman who tweeted this has locked her account for a bit so cut and pasting.
I don’t think it’s possible to overestimate how angry women are about this, but certainly some people seem to be missing the fact. NZ govt is moving on gender self ID this year, so it’s useful to follow what is happening in the UK.
'Police Scotland said that if a rape or attempted rape was perpetrated by a “male who self-identifies as a woman . . . the male who self-identifies as a woman would be expected to be recorded as a female on relevant police systems.'
'Campaigners claim that the position could lead to a “distortion” in society’s understanding of crime and the measures needed to tackle it. They also say the policy is at odds with what Humza Yousaf, the justice secretary, has said should be legal proof that a suspect is female.'
'The issue..follows concern over moves by public bodies to “erase” biological sex data from official records…Dr Kath Murray, of the policy analysts Murray Blackburn Mackenzie, said that a person’s sex at birth was hugely relevant information in the case of rape.'
This is the bit which is said to be a contradiction: 'In answer to a written query from Johann Lamont MSP, [Humza Yousaf] said a person born male would need a full gender recognition certificate for that person to be statistically recorded as having committed rape.', in a ->
..letter apparently seen by the Times.
Finally 'the Scottish government declined to comment, saying that “this is a matter for Police Scotland”.'
Gender self identification is an issue that Judith Collins should start speaking against. A friend and I were discussing this last week and we decided after all of our years of voting on the left we were now unable so, due to both Labour and the Greens supporting gender self identification. I wonder how Jacinda will feel when Neve finds out she has to compete with boys who say they are girls on the sports field at school and it is because her mother was trying to be "nice" to transgenders. Sex and gender are not interchangeable. Now I await the backlash.
Because the issue is quite concerning legally and in that case criminally.
Gender identification seem to be a "trendy" issue these days and it is not ever mentioned that a child/young person has already enough to work through with their hormone level change and the psychological component. This is not just on that rare occasion where a person identifies to the opposite gender and seeks a solution to this undoubtedly very difficult situation. It is something that will not necessarily discussed in schools and parents are sometimes unable to deal with those issues that are being portrait as an all compassing societal theme but are not. But it impact right into their home life.
Criminally speaking, this needs redefinition. Rape has been identified with a specific gender, but without going into details, injuries can be caused in all sorts of manner as we have seen in those cases in India.
Culturally it means that many people see this as an affront, insensitive to their believe system and a gross intrusion on their identification within a group affiliation.
Many seem to think this can be legislated but all it does is creating clusters and separation in communities.
So, no I don't agree with just denying a voice and walk away in the believe that anyone being in disagreement is a troll. I think it needs a bit more thought.
At no time did or do I agree with having our PMs daughter involved in any discussion. But this is a separate issue and no it will not involve you with a troll as you mentioned.
The gender ID however is quite a serious one and should be discussed in the open instead of giving the impression that it is a given that we now identify with 16 of them. It is completely unacceptable to have this kind of social engineering imposed as if this is the norm.
edit
Janice you raise clear questions in trying to cut through this melee' of sex identification which puzzles me. I think it is being raised as a result of our society's norms being upended by various political and financial ploys as those actors advance their own psychopathological obsessions with achieving a false self, based on consumption and constant self-adulation.
This relentless pursuit feeds off but also back into society and its culture, and has the effect of diminishing the self-image of the rest of us. Then the choice seems either follow the same self-interested pattern, or cast around for a different, seemingly better self-image to shelter behind.
Under English law (and I presume Scottish law also), a female cannot be charged with rape, only with sexual assault ('penetration' being a requisite in England for the charge of rape).
By self identifying as a female, presumably the alleged perpetrator will limit the maximum sentence they will be liable to.
Also note that in the UK if a male rapist self IDs as a woman (ie tells the justice system they are, doesn’t have to have transitioned), then the woman who was raped can be compelled in court to refer to the rapist as she. This is rape culture, institutionally abusive and retraumatising. That this is sanctioned by some on the left is unconscionable and needs addressing as to why.
The self-identification bill coming up was pushed by Genter from last term and is seriously dividing multiple activist groups in both women and LGBT groups in Auckland.
The bill and its impact needs a post by itself. Bags not.
Self-identification as anything seems inadequate for legal purposes – though I think we can fairly safely tolerate, accept or indulge it (depending on our disposition) in normal social interactions.
If I self-identify as a hippopotamus, a creature unable to form 'intent' of any sort, do I then get away with killing someone? Some form of expert corroboration (insofar as anybody is actually an expert on his) seems to be desirable in legal settings.
No – just someone more knowledgeable than ourselves (quite a large pool). And the legal system frequently resorts to expert testimony because it has no alternative that creates a similarly convincing feeling of objectivity.
If I self-identify as a hippopotamus, a creature unable to form 'intent' of any sort, do I then get away with killing someone? Some form of expert corroboration (insofar as anybody is actually an expert on his) seems to be desirable in legal settings.
Dangerous animals that kill people tend to be put down. Not sure a lethal injection or a bullet is "getting away" with anything.
Heh. Travelling through Africa, we heard a lot about how dangerous hippopotamus were. We also heard a lot about how lions, crocodiles, hyenas etc would get hunted down and killed if they attacked a human. But I never heard of hippos getting dealt to after attacking humans, even though hippo attacks are apparently much more common than other animal attacks.
Behold the hippopotamus!
We laugh at how he looks to us,
And yet in moments dank and grim,
I wonder how we look to him.
Peace, peace, thou hippopotamus!
We really look all right to us,
As you no doubt delight the eye
Of other hippopotami.
Flanders and Swann waxed lyrical about hippos. And it indicates that as a self-identification it may earn a big round of applause and make quite a splash.
Weka, Yes but the self identification as a female undermines that very clear law. I can already see the QC's rubbing their hands in anticipation.
Jimmy, in South Africa numerous women have been charged with rape. They drugged men, kidnapped them and forced them to have sex whilst in a drugged state ('involuntary erection'). It was part of some crazy superstition nonsense a few years ago.
Really ?. Havent there been cases of women being charged with sexual offences against men to the point of sexual union? I vaguely remember something from a few years ago, and what is anal penetration with an instrument charged as, if not rape?
The technical meaning of “rape” in New Zealand law
Crimes Act 1961, ss 128, 128B
In New Zealand law, the word “rape” is restricted to cases of a male penetrating a female’s vagina with his penis. However, under the law this is just one of two types of the crime of “sexual violation”. The other type – “unlawful sexual connection” – covers all the other types of sexual assault described above, and it has the same maximum penalty (20 years’ jail) as cases of “rape” of a female by a male.
Crimes Act 1961, s 135 (definitions of “genitalia” and “sexual connection”) and ss 128, 128B
Being a rather pretty boy in my day I got hit on by creeps a lot, including many women. It was horrible for me, too.
This is a mess aye. While I support the trans community – thinking something does not make it so. Me thinking I'm a woman does not remove my penis, nor the potential for penetration.
I think in the case of rape they need to keep it biological.
Thinking some more on it, I think biological is the wrong approach in that people also use inanimate objects in abusive situations. The use of the word 'penetration' in the law is a reasonable start – if it means by any object, and where consent is lacking. Determining that rape must involve a penis is plainly wrong in many circumstances.
The sex of an offender should not be a consideration in law except where that law attempts to redress specific gender imbalance.
Yeah it's a mess. Need better minds than mine to make sense of it.
Yeah it's a mess. Need better minds than mine to make sense of it.
Same here. Part of the problem is the antiquated 1961 Crimes Act. 60 f – ing years old and MPs are trying to fit new legislation into legislation which is already detrimental to those who make a complaint or have an historical complaint.
It's not actually a mess. It's already covered in legislation: rape is by males on females, other kinds of sexual assault are dealt with as unlawful sexual connection.
As McFlock points out, the Crimes Act has been amended to remove some gendered language, but it's still clear what the meaning of rape is (males raping females),
128 Sexual violation defined
(1)
Sexual violation is the act of a person who—
(a)
rapes another person; or
(b)
has unlawful sexual connection with another person.
(2)
Person A rapes person B if person A has sexual connection with person B, effected by the penetration of person B’s genitalia by person A’s penis,—
(a)
without person B’s consent to the connection; and
(b)
without believing on reasonable grounds that person B consents to the connection.
(3)
Person A has unlawful sexual connection with person B if person A has sexual connection with person B—
(a)
without person B’s consent to the connection; and
(b)
without believing on reasonable grounds that person B consents to the connection.
That's in law. In public debate, rape has a wider meaning.
With regard to my original comment, the issue is whether gender identification takes precedent over sex based rights, and this is exactly why feminists are saying there is conflict of rights. This is going to be an issue this year as the government pushes to legislate gender self ID and parts of the left push to suppress debate.
Part of the amendment included the definition of penis:
penis includes a surgically constructed or reconstructed organ analogous to a naturally occurring penis (whether the person concerned is male, female, or of indeterminate sex)
Rape is a crime committed with a penis. The Crimes Act doesn't make any statement about the sex or gender of the person with the penis.
Whether the the use of "male" and "female" in the community law link is based on a definition in an unreferenced piece of legislation, or simply reflects community law's own understanding of the entire trans debate, I do not know.
The relevant law does not seem to define people with penises as "male", nor does it restrict "genitalia capable of being penetrated" to only people for whom those organs were naturally-occurring.
sorry, haven't been keeping up. Appreciate those two comments, it makes sense they've done this and good to get up to speed myself. From a feminist perspective this leaves it as a cultural and political issue, are women going to still be able to name sexed/gendered violence, and what are the forces trying to change that and why.
Rape is a crime commited by males, and the legal definition should remain that.
Agreed – no need to change the legal definition of rape in NZ. The legal hierarchy of sexual violations varies between countries, but in NZ the maximum penalty for rape and other types of sexual violation is the same; 20 yrs (see Weka @5.2.1.3.2)
Note, however, that:
…many jurisdictions, such as Canada and several US and Australian states, have abandoned the term "rape" in favor of other terms such as "sexual assault", "sexual intercourse without consent", or "criminal sexual conduct". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laws_regarding_rape
'Sexual assault culture' doesn't have quite the same ring to it as 'rape culture'.
I recognise it as a personal failing, and yet feel uneasy about the ramifications of blurring the lines between biological sex identity and gender identity. If these two identities are incongruent to the extent of causing distress (gender dysphoria), then the idea that suppressing (the reality of one's) biological sex is the optimal solution is problematic. If only societies could celebrate diversity to the extent that medical interventions were not the preferred route to contentment – think faʻafafine on steroids (we all have 'em), and in all 'directions'.
I see a lot of sense in the research and views of Cordelia Fine:
And also in the research and views of Simon Baron-Cohen e.g.
Men, Women, and Ghosts in Science Classifying individuals in general terms, he [Simon Baron-Cohen] concludes that among men, about 60% have a male brain, 20% have a balanced brain, and 20% have a female brain. Women show the inverse figures, with some 60% having a female brain. Many facts argue that these differences have their roots in biology and genetics.
And most important of all, could we try to select for the one characteristic we need most, scientific originality? Originality and creativity are all too rare, and I know of no evidence that these traits are more frequent in one sex.
There is some discordance between these valuable views. When it comes to gender reassignment, perhaps my unease stems from the idea that society is running before it can walk, or that pre-pubescent children are making decisions about their own gender reassignment. But, for now, if society can't change, then affording individuals agency for personal change is a step in the right direction, imho.
The revitalisation of the wool industry is a great idea. I just want some decent woolies to wear for winter, y'know. Instead the stores are loaded with synthetic or synthetic/natural gloves hats and scarves, and they're not nearly so warm, or durable. And they create plastic rubbish.
Everything is plastic we need to reverse it as fast as we can.
Yeah wool doesn't burn well at all. I think that's because it smells so bad it puts itself out.
…Last year the Chief of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) General Angus Campbell recommended the meritorious unit citation be revoked for the Special Operations Task Group, in the wake of the Inspector-General of the ADF's Inquiry report into war crimes.
The group served in Afghanistan between 2007 and 2013, and included around 3000 personnel. General Campbell announced the move while handing down the explosive report which found Australian special forces murdered at least 39 prisoners and civilians during the Afghanistan war.
The decision was met with significant criticism within defence and veterans circles, as well as the government.
You don't take your rellies words for gospel. At the start of Covid19 my b-in-law who is a practical bloke and not one to get fussed, said why worry it is just another flu. I said yes but – it seems a lot more infectious, and if too many get sick at the same time the hospitals will be overwhelmed and the medical system might break down. I felt the need for caution on that point and it seems now it was a realistic understanding of something that has gone on to pose more and more problems for the recovered. Why can't people think for themselves? Sit down together and go through what they know, and what the stats are, and look at what other countries are trying, and how that is going.
Just ringing up and doing an emotional doesn't show an adult approach to a problem. And most of the anti-vaxxers I've seen are adults.
A worried Maori man is concerned at the fast-moving flim-flam filling people's minds.
A recent post from a cousin falsely claims China is refusing to inoculate any of its citizens for safety reasons. It encourages people to cure themselves of the virus through 'heat therapy', by inhaling steam from a boiled kettle, gargling hot water and drinking cups of hot tea four times each a day. On the fifth day, it says, 'you are Corona negative'.
Rarere laughs – he can't help himself sometimes. But the truth is he's afraid. He knows of two kaumātua who are also sharing misinformation online, and he's deeply worried they won't take the vaccine. He says the thought of them contracting the virus, and suffering, is inconceivable.
Bit hard to see the brexit link here as 9 European clubs are doing the same and the UK clubs european participation was hardly effected by brexit anyway.
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A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
New Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
“Instead of following along countries that are investing in death and better ways of killing people faster, we need to invest in life and in making Aotearoa a fair, just and equitable place where everyone has what they need for a dignified life.” ...
MARIAMENO KAPA-KINGI, TPM MP FOR TAI TOKERAU This Government will not waver in its mission to exterminate Māori. CHRISTOPHER LUXON Oh well look you know I don’t think that hard-working Kiwis want to hear language like that. It’s just really unhelpful rhetoric. My Government is genuinely committed to advancing outcomes ...
The body positivity movement started with women confronting the unrealistic expectations and unrepresentative portrayals of them in media and advertising. Men weren’t part of it … their bodies hadn’t been sexualised to the same extremes and they didn’t really need it. But now that’s changed. And in a warped sort ...
The New Zealand comedy legend takes us through her life in television, including the time she hugged Elton John and the unshakeable legacy of a girl named Lyn. In 1981, Ginette McDonald stood on the stage of Auckland’s St James Theatre and directly addressed Queen Elizabeth II. It was a ...
An essay by Lily Duval from the just-released anthology Otherhood: Essays on being childless, childfree and child adjacent.I was 22 when my friend Alice gave birth in the living room of our pokey Addington flat. She laboured in the blow-up pool for hours. Garish fish swam along the inflated ...
Ella Borrie on the best books about motherhood she’s come across so far. Over the past few years I’ve been drawn to books about motherhood. I’m fascinated by the joys and horrors of becoming a parent. The question of children also feels more pressing than it used to. It’s like ...
Out of gift ideas for mum? You can’t go wrong with a bottle of toilet cleaner and a new squeegee. Emily Writes is the writer and editor of Emily Writes Weekly. This week marks five years since I published a post on The Spinoff about Mother’s Day marketing titled ‘A ...
My husband is posted overseas for 12 months and I’m armed with an expensive, newfangled vibrator. Will I miss him? The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.A few days after my husband leaves, a new sex toy arrives at the front door. Nestled ...
Jaimie Baird’s new book Here Today Gone Tomorrow is a record of four decades of graffiti and street art in Wellington, told through more than 1,200 photographs. He spoke with Joel MacManus about what inspired the book. How did you first get interested in photographing street art? I remember ...
Editor Madeleine Chapman looks back at a busy week where food of all political leanings dominated. Sometimes you’re just going about your week thinking you’ve got a good handle on what might be coming as far as news topics and then someone (usually a politician) says something so ridiculous that ...
In a week of cold rain and frost, the climate in courtroom four upstairs at the Invercargill courthouse was simmering with restrained indignation. At times it felt like the famous Mexican standoff scene from Reservoir Dogs, or, as someone watching the proceedings described it, there was so much throwing of ...
A banner notification alerts me to the fact that I’ve received an Instagram message from @felicity.loves. She always comments on my posts. I shouldn’t have opened the message, but clicked on the notification before rationalising this. OMG! Are you in Wellys? X I debate not replying, but Instagram will inform ...
In Melbourne’s hardscrabble western suburbs where AFL – Aussie rules football – is a state religion, Callum Donaldson has been quietly grafting away, four months into an odyssey that he hopes will take him to another promised land: the NRL. It was a solid 2023 for the softly spoken 20-year-old ...
Pacific Media Watch Television New Zealand Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to investigative journalism and Pacific communities in a ceremony at Government House, reports 1News. She has been the Pacific correspondent for 1News since 2002, breaking many ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Tuesday’s budget will respond to the deepening public agitation over Australia’s housing shortages by pouring new money into crisis accommodation for women and children, social housing and infrastructure. A specially-convened national cabinet late Friday ticked ...
By Kaneta Naimatu in Suva Journalists in the Pacific region play an important role as the “eyes and ears on the ground” when it comes to reporting the climate crisis, says the European Union’s Pacific Ambassador Barbara Plinkert. Speaking at The University of the South Pacific (USP) on World Press ...
Aldora Itunu is back in the Black Ferns squad after a three-year absence. The last of her 24 internationals was an underwhelming loss to France (7-29) in Castres to conclude the disastrous 2021 Northern Tour. The powerhouse prop won a Rugby World Cup in 2017 and thought she was done. ...
The fight to control major transport policy and projects in Auckland has burst into the open again, with councillors rejecting Mayor Wayne Brown’s latest attempt to steer things more under his influence. Councillors from the left and right broke ranks on the mayor’s bid to control Auckland Transport more directly ...
Exhausted by the general election campaign, horrified by the twilight zone of coalition negotiations, distracted by the silly season and waiting for the honeymoon to begin, Raw Politics has been in hibernation since October. From today, we’re back. Our weekly political video show and podcast returns for ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Authorities in the small town of Boulouparis have commemorated Armistice Day on May 8 with a new memorial honouring New Zealand soldiers who were stationed in New Caledonia during World War II. The ceremony took place in the township on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Dehm, Senior lecturer, international migration and refugee law, University of Technology Sydney The High Court unanimously ruled today that the Australian government can keep asylum seekers in immigration detention indefinitely in cases where they do not “voluntarily” cooperate with their own ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Munro, Lecturer, Creative Industries and Digital Media, University of South Australia Twenty-four hours after the release of Macklemore’s pro-Palestine protest song Hind’s Hall on social media on May 7, the video had already notched up over 24 million views. In ...
Failing to anticipate the complexity of the consenting system is being cited as the the current builder's shortcomings, an Infrastructure Commission review says. ...
350 Aotearoa is calling the Environment Select Committee’s decision to allow oral submissions from just 40% of individual, unique submitters who asked to speak to the committee ‘a disgraceful blight to democracy’. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Helal, Assistant Dean (Sustainability), The University of Melbourne Dubai skylineAleksandarPasaric/Pexels Since ancient times, people have built structures that reach for the skies – from the steep spires of medieval towers to the grand domes of ancient cathedrals and mosques. Today ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edward Musole, PhD Law Student, University of New England Girts Ragelis/ShutterstockRecent trends show Australians are increasingly buying wearables such as smartwatches and fitness trackers. These electronics track our body movements or vital signs to provide data throughout the day, with ...
Papua New Guinea experienced a significant earthquake on 24 March in East Sepik and there has also been recent flooding there and in surrounding provinces. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yousuf Mohammed, Dermatology researcher, The University of Queensland Maridav/Shutterstock You wake up, stagger to the bathroom and gaze into the mirror. No, you’re not imagining it. You’ve developed face wrinkles overnight. They’re sleep wrinkles. Sleep wrinkles are temporary. But as your ...
The Environment Select Committee has just announced that 60 percent of individuals who asked to speak at the hearings will not be heard. This equates to almost 700 people who made individual submissions and more than 1000 more who made a form submission. ...
The Royal New Zealand Ballet is performing Swan Lake around the country. What kind of dream does the ballet sell?Before going to see the Royal New Zealand Ballet perform Swan Lake, I had about as much familiarity with the plot of this ballet as could be expected from having ...
A new poem by Auckland poet Eamonn Tee. High Tide at Local Maxima It is only going to get worse. The streams will be narrow and fickle. The week will bend and buckle like a pot-bellied waist. You will make it to the weekend with one ...
The New Zealand entrepreneur behind beauty business Ethique is gearing up to launch a new eco-venture. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Our thirst for a tasty bevvy is insatiable, but it comes with a hefty plastic price for the planet: 580 billion ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 James by Percival Everett (Mantle, $38) A retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from ...
By Kamna Kumar in Suva Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Henry Puna stressed the importance of media freedom and its link to the climate and environmental crisis at the 2024 World Press Freedom Day event organised by the University of the South Pacific’s journalism programme. Under the theme “A Planet for ...
Tara Ward previews a new local TV series offering alternative visions of motherhood. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. A woman is clambering up the side of her two-story house, clinging desperately to a drainpipe. Nearby, her child is perched on the ...
Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is supportive of the cross-party approach to climate adaptation announced by the Minister of Climate Change today. ...
The Sustainable Business Council (SBC) and Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC) welcome today’s announcement from Government around a bipartisan inquiry into an enduring climate adaptation framework for New Zealand. ...
The Free Speech Union welcomes the decision by the Department of Internal Affairs, and Minister Brooke Van Velden, to abandon proposals to further regulate online speech. ...
Its new building in Wellington will not be nearly big enough for all its records, and it has also run out of money to build its new storage facility in Levin. ...
BusinessNZ is congratulating the Minister of Climate Change for his work in achieving cross-party consensus for a way forward on climate adaptation. ...
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The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
The Trans-Tasman bubble opens today.
Once all the seperated families have been reunited, will Trans- Tasman travel return to pre-pandemic business as usual levels?
Or will the public be left with a $1.5 billion stranded asset?
<
blockquote>
Alethea Warrington, campaigner at climate action charity Possible, when speaking to Reuters. “This polling shows that after a year of quick and easy virtual meetings, travellers aren’t planning to go back to business as usual.”
The UK’s aviation sector has been decimated by the pandemic, with Heathrow – the UK’s largest airport – seeing its passenger numbers slide by 72.2 per cent in 2020 from the year before.
International Air Transport Association analysts have forecasted that despite the Covid-19 vaccines and testing procedures rolling out worldwide, the recovery of demand for air travel may not reach pre-crisis levels until 2024.
While this estimate would imply that the aviation sector just needs to hold on for a few years until it can return to growth, the attitudes presented in the latest survey suggests a full recovery could take longer.
https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2021/04/business-flyers-could-stick-to-video-calls-even-after-covid-19-pandemic-survey-suggests/
The weakest link is that the flight crew can still work on low risk routes and then work on the trans – Tasman bubble. I would have just had a trans – Tasman flight crew.
To have green flights but not green flight crews is asking for it.
The wonderful Ralph Nader
Treasure him while he is still with us.
https://ralphnaderradiohour.com/the-war-crimes-of-george-w-bush/
Why do you keep doing this? Give us a reason, based on your personal analysis of the content, why we should click on this and read and listen to this podcast if not for any other reason because you believe for some reason that some guy is somehow wonderful and the sun shines out of his arse?
Oh yes, wonderful indeed. The man who delivered us George Bush the Lesser, better known as Shrub. Without Mr Nader, convergence moonbats would have had to work so much harder to find things to feed their eternal grievance complexes. Or not.
The man who delivered us George Bush the Lesser, better known as Shrub.
Nader was on the Supreme Court, was he? Or was he dressed up as Democratic Party strategic mastermind Warren Christopher, who decided not to be unsporting and insist on a full recount of the Florida votes?
Without Mr Nader, convergence moonbats….
???? Wasn't it the Russians?
I'd like to give a little shoutout to Sabine this morning. Sabine has been so dogged in her highlighting of the social housing and poverty issues in Rotorua.
I swear I complain so little about the media, but even RNZ this morning had two reporters from their Wellington office declaring at length how excited they were to be at the airport waiting to get on their Australian flights this morning …
… and yet it was just one guy who owned a bar in Rotorua on RNZ this morning who was able to talk about the Mongrel Mob colours proudly displayed in Rotorua shop windows, drug deals done in daylight, children running around at night, and a general fear for the future of Rotorua due to the huge levels of poor people stuck in low-end motels due to shortages of public housing.
It was like RNZ was sticking up gleefuly for the middle class who could afford to fly, while it relegated time spent on the degradation of the poor and working class in Rotorua.
There are plenty like Sonja Davies who took Labour to task in years gone by for similar issues, so keep it up Sabine.
Agree on both counts
There is a strong connection between emergency housing and the health care of those in emergency housing. Both are a crisis. This can also be said for others who can hardly afford the rent or find it hard to access or afford health care.
The issue is everywhere not just in Rotorua and an everywhere solution needs to be a priority.
Agree Sabine does good work on poverty and housing….but when I suggested that the Greens had the solution with their Wealth Tax that would raise 7.9 billion dollars annually specifically to tackle poverty she told me it wasn't about political parties….sorry Sabine that is exactly what it is about….who we vote for counts
We've got a Labour-dominated government for three terms at least, and there's no way around the Greens being a small and shrinking field of influence within that. Unlikely to change even in 2026. Both major parties will actively stop a Wealth Tax. The best chance of influence is from within Labour.
Ad-I disagree. With (entirely feasible) numbers like this at the next election:
Lab 44 Greens 9 MP 2 Nats 35 ACT 8 Others 2
the Greens would have a great deal of influence. I notice the Greens are polling 8% in the UK at the moment in the latest poll which is historically very high.
They got about the same last year and have fuck-all influence in this government.
And even if they improved slightly, they would not get their Wealth Tax up there with tall boots, spandex, a brisk following wind, a long pole and a cape.
Ad….you seem not understand how MMP works, or you are pretending this.
Seems to be working fine for Labour.
yeah, and the poor are poor and the homeless are homeless.
it is not working fine for anyone but labour and a very few in the middle and upper middle class.
Everyone else is scared of babys in gang colors.
We had three years of a coalition that got us very little in terms a solution to our homeless and poverty issue, heck it is an issue that is growing out of proportions every day.
We have a pandemic that still does not scare polititians into doing the right thing by those that need public assistance
When the Greens pay attention to who runs as a potential candidate and when they maybe start putting in a bit of work into the rural areas then maybe they become part of the solution, atm they are not. Not here in Rotorua anyways.
Last, this is not an issue of Rotorua, or Auckland, i advocate for those that live where i live, as charity always begins at home. But in reality, Rotorua is any other town, the only difference are the homeless that get send here by Winz. They sadly get stuck, we no option of housing or jobs, and yes Virginia the Government is really not here to help.
thanks Ad.
The woman who tweeted this has locked her account for a bit so cut and pasting.
I don’t think it’s possible to overestimate how angry women are about this, but certainly some people seem to be missing the fact. NZ govt is moving on gender self ID this year, so it’s useful to follow what is happening in the UK.
https://twitter.com/threadreaderapp/status/1383368177627791371?s=21
Gender self identification is an issue that Judith Collins should start speaking against. A friend and I were discussing this last week and we decided after all of our years of voting on the left we were now unable so, due to both Labour and the Greens supporting gender self identification. I wonder how Jacinda will feel when Neve finds out she has to compete with boys who say they are girls on the sports field at school and it is because her mother was trying to be "nice" to transgenders. Sex and gender are not interchangeable. Now I await the backlash.
I don't believe a single word of what you just said.
Backlash? You're just a stupid troll. Yawn.
I don't believe a single word of what you just said.
Backlash? You're just a stupid troll. Yawn.
I would have thought you better than that WTB.
How about expanding on the ad homs…?
Why, this is clearly a Troll. Not worth the effort at all.
Because the issue is quite concerning legally and in that case criminally.
Gender identification seem to be a "trendy" issue these days and it is not ever mentioned that a child/young person has already enough to work through with their hormone level change and the psychological component. This is not just on that rare occasion where a person identifies to the opposite gender and seeks a solution to this undoubtedly very difficult situation. It is something that will not necessarily discussed in schools and parents are sometimes unable to deal with those issues that are being portrait as an all compassing societal theme but are not. But it impact right into their home life.
Criminally speaking, this needs redefinition. Rape has been identified with a specific gender, but without going into details, injuries can be caused in all sorts of manner as we have seen in those cases in India.
Culturally it means that many people see this as an affront, insensitive to their believe system and a gross intrusion on their identification within a group affiliation.
Many seem to think this can be legislated but all it does is creating clusters and separation in communities.
So, no I don't agree with just denying a voice and walk away in the believe that anyone being in disagreement is a troll. I think it needs a bit more thought.
I agree with some of what you're saying but none of giving any credence to the post I slammed. Look at it:
Judith should speak out
How will Jacinda feel
when Neve has to compete with boys…
While you might fall for this, I do not. It's clearly dishonest in intent. Recall:
"And we decided after all our years of voting on the left we were now unable to do so."
Gimme a f'n break. Who even talks like that.
Meanwhile, troll has you engaged with me. Job done.
Discussing the issues – no, a sad pathetic fucking troll.
WTB
At no time did or do I agree with having our PMs daughter involved in any discussion. But this is a separate issue and no it will not involve you with a troll as you mentioned.
The gender ID however is quite a serious one and should be discussed in the open instead of giving the impression that it is a given that we now identify with 16 of them. It is completely unacceptable to have this kind of social engineering imposed as if this is the norm.
[removed spurious letters “WTB” from user name]
edit
Janice you raise clear questions in trying to cut through this melee' of sex identification which puzzles me. I think it is being raised as a result of our society's norms being upended by various political and financial ploys as those actors advance their own psychopathological obsessions with achieving a false self, based on consumption and constant self-adulation.
This relentless pursuit feeds off but also back into society and its culture, and has the effect of diminishing the self-image of the rest of us. Then the choice seems either follow the same self-interested pattern, or cast around for a different, seemingly better self-image to shelter behind.
Under English law (and I presume Scottish law also), a female cannot be charged with rape, only with sexual assault ('penetration' being a requisite in England for the charge of rape).
By self identifying as a female, presumably the alleged perpetrator will limit the maximum sentence they will be liable to.
Also note that in the UK if a male rapist self IDs as a woman (ie tells the justice system they are, doesn’t have to have transitioned), then the woman who was raped can be compelled in court to refer to the rapist as she. This is rape culture, institutionally abusive and retraumatising. That this is sanctioned by some on the left is unconscionable and needs addressing as to why.
The self-identification bill coming up was pushed by Genter from last term and is seriously dividing multiple activist groups in both women and LGBT groups in Auckland.
The bill and its impact needs a post by itself. Bags not.
Yep, it’s a shit show. I’ll have to do a post eventually but not looking forward the backlash I’ll get for it.
Feel free to drop any relevant links in front of me (re the Bill, timeframes, analysis).
Self-identification as anything seems inadequate for legal purposes – though I think we can fairly safely tolerate, accept or indulge it (depending on our disposition) in normal social interactions.
If I self-identify as a hippopotamus, a creature unable to form 'intent' of any sort, do I then get away with killing someone? Some form of expert corroboration (insofar as anybody is actually an expert on his) seems to be desirable in legal settings.
Ah – we need an Expert:
No – just someone more knowledgeable than ourselves (quite a large pool). And the legal system frequently resorts to expert testimony because it has no alternative that creates a similarly convincing feeling of objectivity.
The skit is an expression of how I feel when reading threads on this topic. Also just close enough to workaday reality to induce melancholia.
DMK I laughed like a drain right to the end.
This is literally my job.
Dangerous animals that kill people tend to be put down. Not sure a lethal injection or a bullet is "getting away" with anything.
Heh. Travelling through Africa, we heard a lot about how dangerous hippopotamus were. We also heard a lot about how lions, crocodiles, hyenas etc would get hunted down and killed if they attacked a human. But I never heard of hippos getting dealt to after attacking humans, even though hippo attacks are apparently much more common than other animal attacks.
to be fair, shooting a hippo will probably just piss it off, unless you have a handheld artillery piece.
Here is the answer in prose form:
THE HIPPOPOTAMUS
I shoot the Hippopotamus
with bullets made of platinum,
Because if I use leaden ones
his hide is sure to flatten 'em.
Hilaire Belloc
.
Behold the hippopotamus!
We laugh at how he looks to us,
And yet in moments dank and grim,
I wonder how we look to him.
Peace, peace, thou hippopotamus!
We really look all right to us,
As you no doubt delight the eye
Of other hippopotami.
– Ogden Nash
Flanders and Swann waxed lyrical about hippos. And it indicates that as a self-identification it may earn a big round of applause and make quite a splash.
Under the 1961 Crimes Act NZ. Rape involves a penis and a vagina. Our Crimes Act needs to be updated when it comes to gender identity.
Why? Rape is a crime commited by males, and the legal definition should remain that.
Hasn't there been some rapes committed by women?
sexual assault by women is covered by other legislation afaik.
Weka, Yes but the self identification as a female undermines that very clear law. I can already see the QC's rubbing their hands in anticipation.
Jimmy, in South Africa numerous women have been charged with rape. They drugged men, kidnapped them and forced them to have sex whilst in a drugged state ('involuntary erection'). It was part of some crazy superstition nonsense a few years ago.
Really ?. Havent there been cases of women being charged with sexual offences against men to the point of sexual union? I vaguely remember something from a few years ago, and what is anal penetration with an instrument charged as, if not rape?
it's covered by a different law I think.
https://communitylaw.org.nz/community-law-manual/chapter-8-gender-and-sexuality/sexual-orientation-and-your-rights/rape-sexual-assault-and-family-domestic-violence/
Being a rather pretty boy in my day I got hit on by creeps a lot, including many women. It was horrible for me, too.
This is a mess aye. While I support the trans community – thinking something does not make it so. Me thinking I'm a woman does not remove my penis, nor the potential for penetration.
I think in the case of rape they need to keep it biological.
This is a mess aye.
There is a lot to consider when it comes to rape and self identification.
What is the situation when a person becomes pregnant due to being raped and the pregnancy is not terminated?
I think in the case of rape they need to keep it biological.
By biological do you also mean a sperm and an ova?
Thinking some more on it, I think biological is the wrong approach in that people also use inanimate objects in abusive situations. The use of the word 'penetration' in the law is a reasonable start – if it means by any object, and where consent is lacking. Determining that rape must involve a penis is plainly wrong in many circumstances.
The sex of an offender should not be a consideration in law except where that law attempts to redress specific gender imbalance.
Yeah it's a mess. Need better minds than mine to make sense of it.
Yeah it's a mess. Need better minds than mine to make sense of it.
Same here. Part of the problem is the antiquated 1961 Crimes Act. 60 f – ing years old and MPs are trying to fit new legislation into legislation which is already detrimental to those who make a complaint or have an historical complaint.
It's not actually a mess. It's already covered in legislation: rape is by males on females, other kinds of sexual assault are dealt with as unlawful sexual connection.
As McFlock points out, the Crimes Act has been amended to remove some gendered language, but it's still clear what the meaning of rape is (males raping females),
https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1961/0043/latest/whole.html?search=ts_act%40bill%40regulation%40deemedreg_Crimes+Act+1961_resel_25_a&p=1%2f#DLM327382
That's in law. In public debate, rape has a wider meaning.
With regard to my original comment, the issue is whether gender identification takes precedent over sex based rights, and this is exactly why feminists are saying there is conflict of rights. This is going to be an issue this year as the government pushes to legislate gender self ID and parts of the left push to suppress debate.
The amendment towards gender-neutral language was in 2005.
Part of the amendment included the definition of penis:
The current law is clear about what rape is, I was not referring this to be a mess.
With regard to your original comment there is a conflict of rights which requires classification.
"By biological do you also mean a sperm and an ova?"
In this case, in NZ law, rape is defined biologically by genitalia.
That page might need updating.
Rape is a crime committed with a penis. The Crimes Act doesn't make any statement about the sex or gender of the person with the penis.
Whether the the use of "male" and "female" in the community law link is based on a definition in an unreferenced piece of legislation, or simply reflects community law's own understanding of the entire trans debate, I do not know.
they haven't changed the definition of rape though. It's still by males (people with a penis) against females (genitalia capable of being penetrated).
No date on the CL piece, would be interested to know if/when the legislation was amended.
The relevant law does not seem to define people with penises as "male", nor does it restrict "genitalia capable of being penetrated" to only people for whom those organs were naturally-occurring.
sorry, haven't been keeping up. Appreciate those two comments, it makes sense they've done this and good to get up to speed myself. From a feminist perspective this leaves it as a cultural and political issue, are women going to still be able to name sexed/gendered violence, and what are the forces trying to change that and why.
So I am clear a woman does not have a penis when it comes to rape.
Were the rapist to identify as a woman and have a penis what then?
Agreed – no need to change the legal definition of rape in NZ. The legal hierarchy of sexual violations varies between countries, but in NZ the maximum penalty for rape and other types of sexual violation is the same; 20 yrs (see Weka @5.2.1.3.2)
Note, however, that:
'Sexual assault culture' doesn't have quite the same ring to it as 'rape culture'.
I recognise it as a personal failing, and yet feel uneasy about the ramifications of blurring the lines between biological sex identity and gender identity. If these two identities are incongruent to the extent of causing distress (gender dysphoria), then the idea that suppressing (the reality of one's) biological sex is the optimal solution is problematic. If only societies could celebrate diversity to the extent that medical interventions were not the preferred route to contentment – think faʻafafine on steroids (we all have 'em), and in all 'directions'.
I see a lot of sense in the research and views of Cordelia Fine:
And also in the research and views of Simon Baron-Cohen e.g.
There is some discordance between these valuable views. When it comes to gender reassignment, perhaps my unease stems from the idea that society is running before it can walk, or that pre-pubescent children are making decisions about their own gender reassignment. But, for now, if society can't change, then affording individuals agency for personal change is a step in the right direction, imho.
Really good food for thought Drowsy – thanks.
Good news for diversification of farming dollars, and industry in NZ we hope. Help NZ – use wool carpeting – warm, hard wearing and fire-resistant.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/country/440778/sustainable-wool-research-programme-backed-by-government
Research: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/004051757504500503 – wool and particularly flame-resistant wool perform significantly better than the other man-made fibers investigated
Godfrey Hirst manufacturer report – https://www.godfreyhirst.com/au/hycraft/sites/default/files/wool_for_interior_textiles.pdf
* had the lowest propensity for flame spread (as measured by the critical radiant fluxCRF), and,
* produced much lower levels of smoke.
BRANZ report from 2007 – I haven't read it but good that they have got a report done and there may be something else since then.
https://d39d3mj7qio96p.cloudfront.net/media/documents/SR181_Fire_properties_of_floor_coverings_-_new_fire_test_methods_and_acceptabl.pdf
The revitalisation of the wool industry is a great idea. I just want some decent woolies to wear for winter, y'know. Instead the stores are loaded with synthetic or synthetic/natural gloves hats and scarves, and they're not nearly so warm, or durable. And they create plastic rubbish.
Everything is plastic we need to reverse it as fast as we can.
Yeah wool doesn't burn well at all. I think that's because it smells so bad it puts itself out.
WTB Great to see your comments FTTT. Yes keep your woolly hat on so warm and keep your brain bright and fast-moving and write lots.
Deathshead Dutton in Australia. In backward-land he might be top of the pops.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/440789/australian-defence-minister-overturns-decision-to-strip-veterans-of-military-decorations
…Last year the Chief of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) General Angus Campbell recommended the meritorious unit citation be revoked for the Special Operations Task Group, in the wake of the Inspector-General of the ADF's Inquiry report into war crimes.
The group served in Afghanistan between 2007 and 2013, and included around 3000 personnel.
General Campbell announced the move while handing down the explosive report which found Australian special forces murdered at least 39 prisoners and civilians during the Afghanistan war.
The decision was met with significant criticism within defence and veterans circles, as well as the government.
This is a laugh.
https://www.facebook.com/InsidersABC/videos/2988196971467141
BG
You don't take your rellies words for gospel. At the start of Covid19 my b-in-law who is a practical bloke and not one to get fussed, said why worry it is just another flu. I said yes but – it seems a lot more infectious, and if too many get sick at the same time the hospitals will be overwhelmed and the medical system might break down. I felt the need for caution on that point and it seems now it was a realistic understanding of something that has gone on to pose more and more problems for the recovered. Why can't people think for themselves? Sit down together and go through what they know, and what the stats are, and look at what other countries are trying, and how that is going.
Just ringing up and doing an emotional doesn't show an adult approach to a problem. And most of the anti-vaxxers I've seen are adults.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-depth/440761/why-should-maori-trust-the-covid-19-vaccine
A worried Maori man is concerned at the fast-moving flim-flam filling people's minds.
A recent post from a cousin falsely claims China is refusing to inoculate any of its citizens for safety reasons. It encourages people to cure themselves of the virus through 'heat therapy', by inhaling steam from a boiled kettle, gargling hot water and drinking cups of hot tea four times each a day. On the fifth day, it says, 'you are Corona negative'.
Rarere laughs – he can't help himself sometimes. But the truth is he's afraid. He knows of two kaumātua who are also sharing misinformation online, and he's deeply worried they won't take the vaccine. He says the thought of them contracting the virus, and suffering, is inconceivable.
Ahhh the joys of patriotic England in a Brexit world: the best of them join the EU and stuff the English altogether:
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/56795811
Good job to the fool proletariat who voted for separation.
I can't believe they left Burnley out of the mix.
Bit hard to see the brexit link here as 9 European clubs are doing the same and the UK clubs european participation was hardly effected by brexit anyway.