Open mike 19/04/2025
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6:00 am, April 19th, 2025 - 37 comments
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- Luxon’s Ladies.
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- Monday 12 May
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The Government’s plans to limit the powers and scope of the Waitangi Tribunal is a disgrace. ...4 days ago - Tribunal review an attack on Te Tiriti o Waitangi
The Government’s plans to limit the powers and scope of the Waitangi Tribunal is a disgrace. ...4 days ago
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Survivors of abuse in state care have a right to feel disappointed and sidelined by the Government. ...4 days ago
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The Green Party is appalled by the Government’s decision to severely underfund financial compensation for survivors of abuse in state care. ...4 days ago
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Labour is launching a members’ bill to stop the Government from putting tobacco industry interests ahead of public health. ...5 days ago
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The Green Party is appalled by the Government’s use of urgency to rewrite the Wildlife Act–without consultation, without an impact statement, and in direct response to a court ruling in favour of protecting wildlife. ...6 days ago
- Release: National cuts women’s pay
National has forced through a law change that will take money out of women’s pockets. ...6 days ago
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Te Pāti Māori stands in staunch and emotional opposition to the Government’s so-called Equal Pay Amendment Bill, calling it a calculated attack on working women and a cruel betrayal of the generations who have fought for pay equity in Aotearoa. “This bill doesn’t just undermine equal pay — it completely ...6 days ago
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In the last 12 months life has only got worse for Māori under Christopher Luxon’s Government. ...6 days ago
- Release: More than one in 10 Pacific people unemployed under National
There are more Pacific people unemployed as the rate increases to a staggering 10.8% under National. ...6 days ago
- Release: Unemployment remains high under National
Job losses remain stubbornly high under National, as their attack on jobs, wages, and women rages on. ...6 days ago
- Govt for the rich is failing the unemployed
The latest job market statistics show that unemployed people are being failed by a Government more focused on punishing the poor than creating jobs. ...6 days ago
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Te Pāti Māori is demanding urgent changes to the draft Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) framework, calling it a dangerous step backwards for Takatāpui, trans, and rainbow rangatahi. “This draft erases Takatāpui voices, ignores whānau diversity, and delays consent education. It’s not just inadequate, it’s unbelievably unsafe” said Te Pāti ...1 week ago
- RSE Draft Erases Rainbow and Takatāpui Youth
Te Pāti Māori is demanding urgent changes to the draft Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) framework, calling it a dangerous step backwards for Takatāpui, trans, and rainbow rangatahi. “This draft erases Takatāpui voices, ignores whānau diversity, and delays consent education. It’s not just inadequate, it’s unbelievably unsafe” said Te Pāti ...1 week ago
- Release: Labour welcomes inquiry into school lunches
Labour welcomes the Auditor-General’s inquiry into the Government’s school lunches programme. ...1 week ago
- Release: Women will keep being paid less under National
This Government is taking the women’s movement backwards, ensuring women will continue to be paid less into the future. ...1 week ago
- Govt takes workplace equity efforts backwards
The Green Party has called out the Government’s latest attack on workers with the announcement that it is halting all pay equity claims. ...1 week ago
- Release: Questions over Erica Stanford’s personal email use
Erica Stanford has been misusing her personal email address to manage sensitive information relating to Budget and visa changes prior to their public release. ...1 week ago
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Today, Green Party MP Steve Abel has added a new Member’s Bill to the biscuit tin to ensure any product sold in New Zealand meets New Zealand’s animal welfare standards, even if it’s produced overseas. ...1 week ago
- Iwi Rights Under Attack in Government Treaty Clause Purge
Te Pāti Māori warns that the Government’s Treaty Clause Review represents the most severe erosion of iwi rights in modern legal history. “Luxon's Government is doing what the Treaty Principles Bill failed to do. They are removing every legal reference to Te Tiriti across health, housing, conservation, and child wellbeing ...1 week ago
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After failing to be upfront about cuts to intensive care beds, it’s now becoming clear that other downgrades to Dunedin Hospital are being concealed by the Minister of Health. ...2 weeks ago
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This May Day Labour is standing with workers to defend decent jobs and fair pay. ...2 weeks ago
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The government wants to repeal the Plain Language Act.
“The Plain Language Act requires NZ government agencies to ensure the language in documents they write for the public is appropriate to the intended audience clear, concise, and well organised”
There is a window for submissions, until 14 May, and I’ll be submitting.
This is definitely one for all democracy-loving people to have a say. I have loved seeing legislation, forms, etc improve 1000% from the bad old days of impenetrable legalese.
Writing government communication in opaque language will limit widespread public engagement. It also penalises poorer readers and non-native speakers. There is no justification for the repeal, except to choke democratic access to government.
Thanks for the heads up. Will do.
Dumb.
Presumably people are employed to audit and edit documents for plain language compliance. So maybe it's short-sighted penny-pinching as well as not caring if people don't properly understand what their rights and entitlements actually are?
Almost certainly both. Goodness me – why spend money on helping people to understand their rights!
Weird….haven't they got better things to do like fixing the health service rather than taking the country backwards?
Ah yes- but if there's no longer a requirement for the public to be able to understand what the government in saying (plain English), then we're never going to know what their gobblygook around anything to do with the health system means…
The USA is withdrawing from its alliance with Russia to pillage Ukraine of its resources.
(as per the alliance of Prussia and Austria and Russia to carve up Poland).
The Ukraine should ask for the EU to act as broker of a cease-fire with Russia.
Basis for talks.
First – hand the $200B in frozen Russian assets given to Ukraine in compensation for the act of war, this to be used for a re-build on any cease-fire, or to continue resistance otherwise.
Second – the EU refuse to recognise any loss of the territory of Ukraine because of any continuing occupation of it by Russia. Because to do would be illegal in international law.
The talks.
1.the EU propose that the cease-fire position be a compromise between existing positions and the recognised Ukraine border. Thus to retain occupation of Crimea, retreating from Kherson (over 80% Ukrainian). If wanting occupation of all of the Donbas (majority identify as ethnic Ukrainian but most speak Russian), withdrawal from Zaporizhzhia (70-25% identify as Ukrainian). No Ukrainian occupation of areas beyond their recognised border.
2.the agreed recognised cease-fire positions continue until Putin is no longer President of Russia.
3.real peace talks begin with his successor.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/558569/rubio-warns-if-it-s-not-possible-to-end-the-war-in-ukraine-us-needs-to-move-on
real peace talks begin with his successor.
So the war begins again when Putin is no longer president and the attempt is made to steal what is now Russia's territory. Is that you are saying?
Nothing beyond Russia's borders belongs to Russia.
Peace cannot be made with Putin, with Russia maybe.
All sorts of arrangements can be considered then.
"Nothing beyond Russia's borders belongs to Russia".
That is quite true. However Putin probably believes that the Russian border encompasses everywhere from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from the Artic Ocean to the Mediterranean.
I wonder when he is going to demand that the USA hands back the stolen territory of Alaska as well?
Putin hs said that in peace talks he will insist on recognition od Russian sovereignty of the areas Russia now occupies. Sovereignty of those areas I think will remain a "bottom line" in any peace talks with his successors.
That recognition is illegal in international law is why these are cease-fire talks and not peace talks.
I am not exactly a fan of Putin… but in what universe would the Russians ever agree to that as a basis for ending the war?
Why would Ukraine agree to the terms of Trump and Putin, a carve up of their land and resources?
It is how the EU can exercise its leverage.
The $200B in frozen assets going to Ukraine to resource continuing resistance is the problem the Russians should face if they do not agree to a long term cease-fire.
Why would Ukraine agree to the terms of Trump and Putin, a carve up of their land and resources?
Why would you consider the Eastern oblasts "their land".
Because, in international law, that is what they are.
Russia has been under sanctions since 2014 because of their occupation of areas of Ukraine.
Because, in international law, that is what they are.
Putin can argue that he is defending Russia against NATO. I suspect "international law" will cut no ice where defence of one's country is a issue.
Because, in international law, that is what they are.
So much the worse for international law. I suspect defence of one's country takes precedence. Russia considers activities in Ukraine since 2014 an existential threat. And they are probably right.
We live in momentous times – and that's a gross understatement.
The end of democracy in the US? Just around the corner, according to Richard Murphy!
8 minutes long.
So, basically, the 2 triggers for Trump to end democracy in the US might be the Judge who says Trump has defied the court order not to deport a man to an El Salvador prison, and Governor Newsom in California who is aiming to challenge Trump's Tariff orders because he did not get the agreement of Congress first.
Trump might then draw on the Insurrection Act, which says that if lawful operations are ignored/opposed (ie Trump's tariff orders), Trump might then invoke the insurrection Act. The result would be for Trump to declare martial law, and, if the military don't comply, Trump might call up "militias" to enforce it. Such militia's may come from the MAGA faithful.
But if the military don’t comply, surely there’d then be civil war?
20th April will be the big day in the US. Expect hundreds of thousands of people on the streets protesting any, or all, of the multitude of crimes the Trump regime has committed.
With, perhaps, Proud Boys and Maga nutcases in the crowds stirring up trouble?
Yes, I think a civil war is quite on the cards.
I doubt those so-called "militias" would last five minutes against a properly organised military. They're great at parading around with guns and looking menacing, but that's about all.
Yes well, even the most fervent MAGAs will hopefully run out of ammo eventually…
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/07/24/key-facts-about-americans-and-guns/
If the US Military goes MAGA then it will all be on.
Hilter's birthday, eh.
I heard the very intelligent lawyer for the guy who has been deported to the prison in El Salvador on BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning. She took Trump's actions apart.
The fact that the Left have such talented advocates on their side in the USA is heartening.
Had the misfortune of catching some fox spews, today, Mr El Salvador is screwed, the job of throwing mud was spectacular, Joe Biden even got blamed at one point , he'll be lucky to survive let alone make it back to the US
Madness. Imagine if Luxon did the same thing.
The tariffs are not legally authorised.
Thom Harmann thinks that the blatant corruption of Trump and his syncophants will (eventually) result in him being indicted and tried.
And his (Trumps) corruption is on quite another scale!
Interestingly enough, all Aussies problems are ours too. Lessons to learn for the election.
https://theconversation.cmail20.com/t/r-e-thdriuhl-nltldiikrh-r/
Changing tastes my foot! The significant reference in the article is to the soaring price of cocoa. The taste that's changing is the one for shelling out more and more on shrinkflated products. (Energy bars, for instance, have mostly been holding their price steady, or imposing only small increases. But I've noticed lately the empty space at the end of each wrapper seems to be getting longer with every passing month.)
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/apr/19/dark-chocolate-toblerone-to-be-discontinued-in-uk-due-to-changing-tastes
It's some years now since we've seen dark Toblerone in NZ, even at Christmas time, but still a blow to know it won't be coming this way again, at least for the foreseeable. As for the "regular" product, that was up to $18.99 last time I looked, so don't be surprised to find it too set to disappear in due course.
Climate change is apparently going to kill coffee production. Hitting humans where it hurts.
we're the frogs
/
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-28042013/#comment-625766
Up the Wahs
Looks like someone forgot today's open mike
Probably not so much forgetting, as more pressing things to do. I will put one out shortly.