“If you are planning to be a lifelong renter, a reality check.”
That has to be the most hilarious opening line I’ve read for a long time…there is a serious disconnect of understanding in this country between home owners and actual ‘lifelong renters’.
very very few people in this country, with options/money would ever rent their whole life, seriously
Not very flash of Kim Hill to claim the “Are Hamas killing their youth” (so-called) question as her own this morning’s interview with Dr Ramzy Baroud. It’s been a while since I tuned into Saturday mornings. Oh well.
And did I just hear her comment rather off-handedly that his sister will be “busy” given that she’s in Gaza?!
She’s come the odd cropper though, including this memorable occasion fifteen years ago when John Pilger took her to task for her smug and complacent introductory comments…
Lots of little eggs gabby …. 2014: Operation Protective Egg: Killed / Broken 495 were children and 253 women.
Life in Gaza
1.8m people / eggs living in Gaza
4,505 per square kilometre
475,000 living in emergency shelters or with other families
17,200 homes destroyed or severely damaged by Israeli attacks
244 schools damaged
Source: Ocha (26 August 2014)
2008, as part of Operation Cast Egg . Around 1,391 Palestinians were killed, including an estimated 759 civilians, according to B’Tselem. Reports say this included 344 children eggs and 110 women eggs.
“Israel’s favorite metaphor for its periodic strikes on Gaza—”mowing the lawn”—suggests violence that is routine, indiscriminate, and risk-free.”
The regular pattern is for Israel, then, to disregard whatever agreement is in place, while Hamas observes it — as Israel has officially recognized — until a sharp increase in Israeli violence elicits a Hamas response, followed by even fiercer brutality. These escalations, which amount to shooting fish in a pond, are called “mowing the lawn” in Israeli parlance.
“Israeli military strategists talk, chillingly, of “mowing the lawn”. Even leaving aside the morally questionable nature of seeing human flesh as grass”
Eggs / grass aside …. Hamas are a red herring … “The Gaza open air prison camp where 1.94 million Palestinians live behind a blockade and are refused access to the other occupied Palestinian areas and the rest of the world is the problem”. ….
Half of all children have been psychologically traumatised by war, occupation and blockade. Close to 300,000 children need psychosocial help.
Same with The west bank where …. “ • Israeli terrorists, both soldiers and settlers, harass, kidnap, and kill Palestinians with almost complete impunity.
• Also in the West Bank, countless checkpoints are established and manned by Israeli terrorists/soldiers. When these are open and closed is completely arbitrary. They make the simple act of going to school or work an hours-long ordeal. People have died at checkpoints when seeking emergency medical treatment, simply because the Israelis manning them didn’t feel like letting them through
• Over 550,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank, in violation of international law.
• Palestine homes are routinely bulldozed, leaving the families that resided in them homeless, to make room for new Jewish-only roads or illegal housing developments.”
“Hamas represents a large constituency. Many Gazans voted for the party because they were disgusted with the corruption of the secular Fatah movement and were impressed with the social service system Hamas had created. Like other resistance movements—the African National Congress, the Irish Republican Army—Hamas was on its way toward becoming a political party. “…
“if you claim to respect democracy, you must recognize the results of free and fair elections. And if you want a party to change its position—and it’s willing to talk—you have to sit down at the table and negotiate with it.,,, But Israel—and by extension the United States—didn’t choose this option.”
Yes, I was stunned when she put it to Dr Ramzy Baroud that is is very hard for Israel to except that Palestinians want the right to return to their land (or some such)
If someone stole stuff from you 70 years ago, and you’ve been asking for it back for 70 years why in the name of all things sane should the thief be shown compassion because they don’t want to give the stolen goods back?
Was she just being the devils advocate?
I do hope so.
Though she even insulted him suggesting he wasn’t alive during the 87 intifada, therefore I suppose without the right to speak for those who were. But he replied with modesty and courtesy that she didn’t deserve.
As Baroud said, we’re sick of hearing about Israels rights.
And another point is, that if Jews have the right to return to a land they claim was theirs 2000 years ago, why do Palestinians not have the same right to return to land that was theirs 70 years ago.
I posted this on open mike on the 17th, but it might of got lost with the budget stuff.
This written by sword fish”……..it’s about how the meme about the honey moon bounce in the polls was started by Ferrari and picked up by msm and spouted as fact
This is a must read. Maybe even post it with sword fishes permission.
I thought that Grant Robertson looked good on The Nation this morning. A bit like a younger version of Steven Joyce in a good way.
Ten years as an MP, three years in Opposition with finance responsibilities, and now as Minister of Finance he comes across as in control of his job and responsibilities.
He looks to be a financial asset for the Government, and has the potential to be a real asset for the country if he stays on track as a prudent and incremental progressive.
Labour may end up benefiting more from his behind the scenes work than from the surface celebrity of Ardern.
One Two, Incrementalism is not fashionable but it is sensible.
Michael Cullen and Labour introduced Kiwi Saver. The impact is only now being truly felt and understood for some nearing home ownership or retirement. That is ten+ years for the policy to really make a difference in people’s lives. It will continue to do good for people and the country.
The so called “Cullen Fund” has countered our debt and added strength to our current retirement planning…. again ten+ years in the making and strengthened by this Government
Both policies were so valuable that the last National Government watered them down, but did not remove them.
That this budget of 2018 is a “Foundation Budget” working towards by increments to the “Well being Budget” of 2019, which will be a world wide first, putting people and the environment front and centre, with money as the change agent used in clever ways to achieve a sustainable way of living.
Any person repeating national memes of “no plan” “we did more” “we are better” “the election was stolen” “not enough” has not been paying attention.
After 9+ years of squeeze… there are so many voices in the wilderness and this new Government cares and that is why they are working so hard and so fast to try to mitigate the many tragic circumstances some people face… it will never be enough for some, but they are doing what they said they would. Put people and environment first incrementally. Sadly powerful forces in the world and here do not like change that shares wealth or power, so working incrementally is key. “Good things take time”
It is good to hear you praise Grant Robertson and I agree with you PG. He is clearly on top of his job. But I take issue with your depiction of Jacinda Ardern as a “surface celebrity”. If you really believe that is all there is to her, then your judgement of her is seriously awry.
While this is the picture her Nat opponents are trying to paint of Jacinda, all the evidence has succeeded in proving the exact opposite. She is highly intelligent and has a maturity well beyond her years. Her grasp of national and international affairs is equal to her predecessor, Helen Clark and the respect and confidence in her that her overseas counterparts have openly expressed… is testament to that. Add to that her strength of character and resilience, and there’s not much more one could ask for.
Her rhetorical skills are right up there too – she absolutely savaged the hapless Bridges with natural triplets and juxtapositions like “too much shouty shouty and not enough planny planny”.
The Gnats, accorded too much sunshine by a limp media, have neglected their skills and become accustomed to lying as a default strategy. It’s weak.
Not at all – Helen never got anything like the ringing endorsement Jacinda got from Angela Merkel. Gnat wishful thinking has fooled you guys bigtime about Jacinda – sure she presents well, but she’s got plenty of depth, and is a much better communicator. There is a sincerity about her which is rare in contemporary politicians – reminiscent of Edward Walker’s description of Ivy.
Of course if you take your views from tragic mistakes like Malcolm Turnbull or the near-sighted and vindictive scribblers of the Herald you won’t pick that up.
Pete George, They are truly complementary. But personally I would like Grant to be more progressive. Jacinda Ardern has cut-through. She has the ability to connect emotionally and shows judgement in having Grant Robertson in that portfolio. Do not think Jacinda is ‘surface’ only. She is a policy wonk with a phenomenal grasp of complexities, and any who work with her soon show admiration for her acumen work ethic and humanity, coupled with sharp wit and eloquence. She is the coalition’s glue.
To Lynn Prent: what happened to the Replies drop-down menu on the RH side? I can only see Comments or Opinions but no longer the replies to my comments!?
Edit: As soon as I submit a comment my details disappear too and I have to re-enter them for each and every comment, which is cumbersome 😉
No, I haven’t knowingly changed anything. But to be sure I played around with settings in two different browsers (MS Edge and G Chrome) and ran a few tests here on TS and it made no difference.
I just noticed it as I commented to that my required name and mail get wiped automatically too. I’m using Firefox and it did update to V60.0.1 the other night between my latest reply with the fields empty and my previous one when they auto-filled in. Mozilla has been making a lot of security changes to Firefox with every update.
I have lost my automatic login and have to enter info individually with a different icon thing. I thought it might be connected with my site going down last night – through Vodafone but it seems that others have problems too. I have Firefox too, and have been getting red notices that I have too update my details which I haven’t got round to.
A flurry of oil and gas exploration is set to be unleashed in Taranaki during the next 18 to 36 months as companies make decisions on whether to ‘drill or drop’ existing permits.
The schedule will see as many as 20 wells being drilled both onshore and offshore in the region before early 2019 as the price of oil steadily rises, to US$80 from below US$40 two years ago.
Among the companies involved in the region are Todd Energy, Tamarind Resources, and OMV.
A Petroleum Exploration and Production Association New Zealand (PEPANZ) spokesman said a decision would be made on a total of 31 exploration permits to be completed in Taranaki, as well as off the east coast of both the North and South Islands over the next three years.
There are 31 oil and gas exploration permits currently active, 22 are offshore. These permits cover an area of 100,000 square kilometers, nearly the size of the North Island, and run as far out as 2030 and could go an additional 40 years under a mining permit.
Another day waking up to find there has been another US shooting. They are becoming so common in the US. But then when you have a lobby group like the NRA sponsored by gun manufacturers legally bribing politicians to make sure that no legislation is passed to slow these things down and protect the people, what can you expect.
The NRA in the US has no shame having elected a man as their NRA president who in testimony has admitted to being a Traitor to his own country and selling guns to those deemed terrorist organizations by the US. He only got out of jail time on a technicality because a lot of the evidence used to convict him was found to be inadmissible as it was given by him during a hearing to a congressional hearing while he was under an immunity deal.
These are the sort of problems you have when you give lobbyists access to legally bribe politicians. This was something you saw in very minor ways starting to creep into NZ under previous National Governments with their Cabinet Club dinners where lobbyists got full access to National MPs and the former PM John Key. Here we saw a small number of deaths to with no one really held accountable, but the deaths here where due to lobbying for lax safety enforcement in places like the logging and mining industry.
A comment made about one young USA shooter has stuck with me. He is supposed to have said something like – society is so bad and everyone is contemptible and humans destroying the earth and that it would be better if all of us died. It is dangerous for young people to start thinking like this before they have had layers of denial of the reality of their, and general human behaviour, to insulate him.
Another item from 17/5/2018 on the apartheid-like laws that used to be the norm in earlier times. A book explores that history.
‘Racist as f***’: Book backs up Taika Waititi’s claims about New Zealand racism https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12053300 Looking at archives and old newspapers, he discovered Māori were treated as “enemies of the state”, long after the Waikato War had finished.
“During a series of epidemics, Māori were banned from moving about the country, because their brown skin was equated with disease,” Hamilton said.
“When smallpox broke out in 1913, Māori villages were sealed off, and Māori were banned from the roads and from trains unless they had a special certificate showing they’d been immunised.
“No Pākehā was ever subjected to these rules. They were blatantly racist, made life almost impossible for Māori, and were in force for many months.”
Māori were also excluded from bars, cinemas and barber shops in South Auckland.
“For much of the 20th century it was hard to get a drink in places like Papakura and Pukekohe if you were the wrong colour,” Hamilton said.
The book details the experience of Rongomanu Bennett, a Māori psychiatrist who was refused a beer in the Papakura Tavern in 1959.
He began a campaign and made headlines around the world.
“The New York Times called Papakura ‘the Little Rock of New Zealand’, after the Arkansas city where African Americans were fighting segregation,” Hamilton said.
The Prime Minister at the time eventually backed up Bennett, and Papakura Tavern agreed to serve Māori.
Apparently in the 70’s there was separate seating for Māori patrons in the Pukekohe theatre. Two years ago, I heard the Tangata Whenua providing a report on the health of a stream in a council meeting being referred to as ‘n*****s’. As residents of Franklin we have the misfortune to receive the eLocal, ensuring at least one Māori bashing article per issue. My list of present day casual racism witnessed is long, but others would be much longer, and no doubt, more damaging.
Bastion Point was in 1976.
Moutoa Gardens 1995.
Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004.
Tuhoe raid – Operation 8 2007.
These have happened in this generation.
Are you sure that you are living in this country, if you think Taika Waititi doesn’t have a point?
Your comment implied that Taiki Waititi had no evidence to back up the present tense. I provided a small number, which you ignored.
If you want to maintain your complacency over the specific racism directed towards Maaori in New Zealand, then continue on as you are. Ignore the living reality of Tangata Whenua and dilute any conversation with generalisations. I’m sure your comfort level will not be disturbed.
There’s an article about a book dealing with historical racism – it was used in relation to Taika Waititi’s comment I pointed out the two did not overlap in terms of history – and lo abuse cometh in my direction. I did not ignore the references you made – I have no argument with them. Your focus is on specific racism towards maori – I find all racism objectionable and I tire of one category of racism being portrayed as more important than others.
If you find abuse in my comment, then I’m not surprised at your perspective.
Generalising about racism, particularly noticeable in NZ is an avoidance technique. No one has suggested that racism is not a global issue. My response to you paraphrases the BLM movement: “Racism towards Maaori matters as well.”. I haven’t seen you acknowledge that the existence of it still causes damage and is harmful.
Let’s acknowledge that racism etc occurs all around the world in Tom Lehrer’s inimitable style.
Then let’s get back to regarding Maori people respectfully and understand their strivings to cope in our capitalist world of take from above (the Highland Clearings syndrome). It should be noted that – Sir Francis Henry Dillon Bell GCMG KC PC was a New Zealand lawyer and politician who served as the Prime Minister of New Zealand from 10 to 30 May 1925. Wikipedia
considered Maori communist because they shared and lived co-operatively, not coldly, individually with rich and abject poor as the settlers were prepared to do. (This is in my memory, and I can’t quote source.) And this country’s citizens are increasingly adopting the same behaviour as a satisfactory culture now.
We have much to learn from Maori in living with those of a different culture and be co-operative to the advantage of both. When we acknowledge that, we will be able to turn aside lingering accusations of racism.
The only reason you know about it is that the BBC et al reported on it. Otherwise, it falls under the category of “none of your goddamn business how people who’ve survived attempted murder choose to convalesce”.
PS: witless assumptions and slavish adherence to Moscow propaganda do not generate “difficult questions”. They just say something about you.
Correct again Ed. The lamestream who can dish the dirt on anyone they so choose, have no idea what’s happened to the two victims in the biggest story in Britain. What the hell!
Try again Ed: Russia is an official suspect of the UK investigation, no matter how much you love or hate them. Suspects don’t get updates; saying so makes no statement as to guilt whatsoever.
Apart from Steven Morris and Patrick Wintour and Jill Lawless and Andrew Griffin and Fiona Hamilton and Leila Nathoo, who’ve all had stories on the Skripal poisoning published in the last 24 hours, that is.
The Skripal poisoning requires a conspiracy, whoever you think did it.
You ‘see a conspiracy’ enacted by the Russians.
I accept there was a conspiracy. There had to be.
But I am not prepared to be judge, jury and executioner based on evidence presented by such dubious sources as MI5, Theresa May and Boris Johnson.
Also, you continually use the word conspiracy as if it were an insult.
Have you looked up what the word means in a dictionary?
To help, you….
noun
a secret plan by a group to do something unlawful or harmful.
“a conspiracy to destroy the government”
synonyms: plot, scheme, stratagem, plan, machination, cabal; More
the action of plotting or conspiring.
“they were cleared of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice”
synonyms: plotting, collusion, intrigue, connivance, machination, collaboration; treason
“he was due to stand trial for conspiracy to murder”
Ed is not a conspiracy theorist. From what I’ve seen he’s got a good grasp (of reality) in geopolitical, environmental and local issues, etc. Using good independent journalism Ed can’t really go wrong. Craig Murray, John Pilger, Robert Fisk, Rachel Stewart et al.
So first you link to an organisation as though to suggest the organisation is a person, and I simply point out that the person you linked to doesn’t measure up against the other journalists he shares a platform with, and then you ask a question that makes no sense whatsover.
If you want a sense of Robert Mackey’s journalism, read his NYT and Guardian pieces. He tends towards being descriptive.
edit – if you want to argue with yourself over what Mackey did and didn’t get wrong in that piece, you could begin with the content of the 148 comments it attracted. They cover it off quite well. 😉
All I suggested is that The Intercept (or Mackey if you prefer) did a better job than Fisk on this occasion, which is pertinent to Maui’s assertion that Ed is well informed.
It is becoming clearer that the Government’sKiwi build and the increase in state house construction announced in the budget will not be enough to catch up with the 9 years of neglect by the National government.
Should the government be thinking of a solution that could end the housing crisis overnight and not cost the taxpayer a cent, and legislate against perfectly good houses
and apartments being allowed to be left empty, without reasonable excuse?
Ghost homes – properties lie empty in spite of crisis
Inner-city Auckland apartments and residences in Manly, Takapuna, Newmarket and Gulf Harbour rate highest for empty or “ghost” dwellings, an analysis shows.
John Polkinghorne, associate director of specialist property consultancy RCG, said a breakdown of the city’s empty dwellings showed these areas had the highest number of vacant dwellings on Census night.
Stanley Bay, Turanga, Grafton West and Glen Innes East have the next most vacancies in the top 10, he found in his analysis of the 33,330 vacant dwellings from the last Census.
Chris Darby, an Auckland councillor, is concerned about Stanley Bay, where he has noticed many empty properties, particularly in one prestigious street
The analysis showed 75 empty houses there at Census 2013 but Darby says many more are now vacant. One former resident complained how her family home had been left empty and how upsetting she and the family found that…..
……In Auckland, Watercare cannot supply data on low-use properties.
“Our water use data is held within our billing system, which is set up to enable us to support our customers by identifying unusually high water usage. Unfortunately, our system has not been set up to identify customers that use no water,” said a spokeswoman.
You would think it would also be set up to track low use of water by properties.
Low use of water week after week should raise an alarm and have someone dispatched out to check on water monitoring equipment to make sure it has not been tampered with or is faulty.
Marae thats the way Narnia Mahuta you tell them they national and Maori party they stuffed up the prospects for maori they were the government that has suppressed the poor people whom are mostly brown and Maori you are doing good holding your own against two men .Ka pai e hao Ka kite ano
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To impact or not to impeach? I understand why some of those who are justifiably aghast at Trump’s behaviour over recent days might still counsel against impeaching him for a second time. To impeach him, they argue, would run the risk of making him a martyr in the eyes of ...
The Capitol Building, Washington DC, Wednesday, 6 January 2021. Oh come, my little one, come.The day is almost done.Be at my side, behold the sightOf evening on the land.The life, my love, is hardAnd heavy is my heart.How should I live if you should leaveAnd we should be apart?Come, let me ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Jan 3, 2021 through Sat, Jan 9, 2021Editor's ChoiceAfter the Insurrection: Accountability, Reform, and the Science of Democracy The poisonous lies and enablers of sedition--including Senator Hawley, pictured ...
This article, guest authored by Prof. Angela Gallego-Sala & Dr. Julie Loisel, was originally published on the Carbon Brief website on Dec 21, 2020. It is reposted below in its entirety. Click here to access the original article and comments. Peatlands Peatlands are ecosystems unlike any other. Perpetually saturated, their ...
The assault on the US Capitol and constitutional crisis that it has caused was telegraphed, predictable and yet unexpected and confusing. There are several subplots involved: whether the occupation of the Michigan State House in May was a trial run for the attacks on Congress; whether people involved in the ...
On Christmas Eve, child number 1 spotted a crack in a window. It’s a double-glazed window, and inspection showed that the small, horizontal crack was in the outermost pane. It was perpendicular to the frame, about three-quarters of the way up one side. The origins are a mystery. It MIGHT ...
Anne-Marie Broudehoux, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)Will the COVID-19 pandemic prompt a shift to healthier cities that focus on wellness rather than functional and economic concerns? This is a hypothesis that seems to be supported by several researchers around the world. In many ways, containment and physical distancing ...
Does the US need to strike a grand bargain with like-minded countries to pool their efforts? What does this tell us about today’s global politics? Perhaps the most remarkable editorial of last year was the cover leader of the London Economist on 19 November 2020. Shortly after Joe Biden was ...
Alexander Gillespie, University of Waikato and Valmaine Toki, University of WaikatoAotearoa New Zealand likes to think it punches above its weight internationally, but there is one area where we are conspicuously falling behind — the number of sites recognised by the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Globally, there are 1,121 ...
An event organised by the Auckland PhilippinesSolidarity group Have a three-course lunch at Nanam Eatery with us! Help support the organic farming of our Lumad communities through the Mindanao Community School Agricultural Foundation. Each ticket is $50. Food will be served on shared plates. To purchase, please email phsolidarity@gmail.com or ...
"Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here." Prisons are places of unceasing emotional and physical violence, unrelieved despair and unforgivable human waste.IT WAS NATIONAL’S Bill English who accurately described New Zealand’s prisons as “fiscal and moral failures”. On the same subject, Labour’s Dr Martyn Findlay memorably suggested that no prison ...
This is a re-post from Inside Climate News by Ilana Cohen. Inside Climate News is a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for the ICN newsletter here. Whether or not people accept the science on Covid-19 and climate change, both global crises will have lasting impacts on health and ...
. . American Burlesque As I write this (Wednesday evening, 6 January), the US Presidential election is all but resolved, confirming Joe Biden as the next President of the (Dis-)United State of America. Trump’s turbulent political career has lasted just four years – one of the few single-term US presidents ...
The session started off so well. Annalax – suitably chastised – spent a pleasant morning with his new girlfriend (he would say paramour, of course, but for our purposes, girlfriend is easier*). He told her about Waking World Drow, and their worship of Her Ladyship. And he started ...
In a recent column I wrote for local newspapers, I ventured to suggest that Donald Trump – in addition to being a liar and a cheat, and sexist and racist – was a fascist in the making and would probably try, if he were to lose the election, to defy ...
When I was preparing for my School C English exam I knew I needed some quotes to splash through my essays. But remembering lines was never my strong point, so I tended to look for the low-hanging fruit. We’d studied Shakespeare’s King Lear that year and perhaps the lowest hanging ...
When I went to bed last night, I was expecting today to be eventful. A lot of pouting in Congress as last-ditch Trumpers staged bad-faith "objections" to a democratic election, maybe some rioting on the streets of Washington DC from angry Trump supporters. But I wasn't expecting anything like an ...
A growing public housing waiting list and continued increase of house prices must be urgently addressed by Government, Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson said today. ...
The Government has released its Public Housing Plan 2021-2024 which outlines the intention of where 8,000 additional public and transitional housing places announced in Budget 2020, will go. “The Government is committed to continuing its public house build programme at pace and scale. The extra 8,000 homes – 6000 public ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has congratulated President Joe Biden on his inauguration as the 46th President of the United States of America. “I look forward to building a close relationship with President Biden and working with him on issues that matter to both our countries,” Jacinda Ardern said. “New Zealand ...
A major investment to tackle wilding pines in Mt Richmond will create jobs and help protect the area’s unique ecosystems, Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor says. The Mt Richmond Forest Park has unique ecosystems developed on mineral-rich geology, including taonga plant species found nowhere else in the country. “These special plant ...
To further protect New Zealand from COVID-19, the Government is extending pre-departure testing to all passengers to New Zealand except from Australia, Antarctica and most Pacific Islands, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “The change will come into force for all flights arriving in New Zealand after 11:59pm (NZT) on Monday ...
Bay Conservation Cadets launched with first intake Supported with $3.5 million grant Part of $1.245b Jobs for Nature programme to accelerate recover from Covid Cadets will learn skills to protect and enhance environment Environment Minister David Parker today welcomed the first intake of cadets at the launch of the Bay ...
The Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern and the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands Mark Brown have announced passengers from the Cook Islands can resume quarantine-free travel into New Zealand from 21 January, enabling access to essential services such as health. “Following confirmation of the Cook Islands’ COVID ...
Jobs for Nature funding is being made available to conservation groups and landowners to employ staff and contractors in a move aimed at boosting local biodiversity-focused projects, Conservation Minister Kiritapu Allan has announced. It is estimated some 400-plus jobs will be created with employment opportunities in ecology, restoration, trapping, ...
The Government has approved an exception class for 1000 international tertiary students, degree level and above, who began their study in New Zealand but were caught offshore when border restrictions began. The exception will allow students to return to New Zealand in stages from April 2021. “Our top priority continues ...
Today’s deal between Meridian and Rio Tinto for the Tiwai smelter to remain open another four years provides time for a managed transition for Southland. “The deal provides welcome certainty to the Southland community by protecting jobs and incomes as the region plans for the future. The Government is committed ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has appointed Anna Curzon to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). The leader of each APEC economy appoints three private sector representatives to ABAC. ABAC provides advice to leaders annually on business priorities. “ABAC helps ensure that APEC’s work programme is informed by business community perspectives ...
The Government’s prudent fiscal management and strong policy programme in the face of the COVID-19 global pandemic have been acknowledged by the credit rating agency Fitch. Fitch has today affirmed New Zealand’s local currency rating at AA+ with a stable outlook and foreign currency rating at AA with a positive ...
The Government is putting in place a suite of additional actions to protect New Zealand from COVID-19, including new emerging variants, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “Given the high rates of infection in many countries and evidence of the global spread of more transmissible variants, it’s clear that ...
$36 million of Government funding alongside councils and others for 19 projects Investment will clean up and protect waterways and create local jobs Boots on the ground expected in Q2 of 2021 Funding part of the Jobs for Nature policy package A package of 19 projects will help clean up ...
The commemoration of the 175th anniversary of the Battle of Ruapekapeka represents an opportunity for all New Zealanders to reflect on the role these conflicts have had in creating our modern nation, says Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Kiri Allan. “The Battle at Te Ruapekapeka Pā, which took ...
Babies born with tongue-tie will be assessed and treated consistently under new guidelines released by the Ministry of Health, Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. Around 5% to 10% of babies are born with a tongue-tie, or ankyloglossia, in New Zealand each year. At least half can ...
The prisoner disorder event at Waikeria Prison is over, with all remaining prisoners now safely and securely detained, Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis says. The majority of those involved in the event are members of the Mongols and Comancheros. Five of the men are deportees from Australia, with three subject to ...
Travellers from the United Kingdom or the United States bound for New Zealand will be required to get a negative test result for COVID-19 before departing, and work is underway to extend the requirement to other long haul flights to New Zealand, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed today. “The new PCR test requirement, foreshadowed last ...
Jacinda Ardern has reminded Labour MPs "ongoing vigilance" will be required in 2021 to avoid another Covid outbreak, admitting she held her breath over the summer break. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zareh Ghazarian, Senior Lecturer, School of Social Sciences, Monash University Despite many young Australians having a deep interest in political issues, most teenagers have a limited understanding about their nation’s democratic system. Results from the 2019 National Assessment Program – Civics and ...
Pinged $65 for overstaying 10 minutes in a parking block? Put away your hard-earned cash and read this first.Hopefully, by now, I’ve already established myself at The Spinoff as the resident tightarse, determined to avoid all unfair and unnecessary punishments (see: oversize baggage charges). Today, I’m focusing my attention on ...
Nuclear weapons states and their allies risk reputational ruin if they flout a new UN Treaty, Carolina Panico argues The United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons will come into force this month, on January 22, 2021, turning nuclear weapons into illegal objects. It is an achievement that ...
How does one turn into a rabid extremist over the description of a children’s bike? Emily Writes looks at Facebook comments so you don’t have to.You’ve been there, I know it. You’re scrolling along, trying to avoid QAnon conspiracy theories and Trump apocalypse memes when a story catches your eye. ...
Joe Biden is now the President of the United States and many people across America and throughout the world will consequently be breathing more easily. But while the erratic, unpredictable and irresponsible years of the Trump Presidency may be over, ...
Tough border testing for New Zealand honey imports to Japan is re-igniting the conversation about the use of the weed killer glypohsate in New Zealand. ...
The Taxpayers Union should be aware of the law and of the history of ACC. The ACC is a legal system introduced in 1974 to replace the common law right of accident victims to sue for damages for personal injury sustained as a result of negligence ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Denis Muller, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Advancing Journalism, University of Melbourne Terrorism, political extremism, Donald Trump, social media and the phenomenon of “cancel culture” are confronting journalists with a range of agonising free-speech dilemmas to which there are no easy answers. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nial Wheate, Associate Professor of the Sydney Pharmacy School, University of Sydney You’ve just come from your monthly GP appointment with a new script for your ongoing medical condition. But your local pharmacy is out of stock of your usual medicine. Your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deanna D’Alessandro, Professor & ARC Future Fellow, University of Sydney On Wednesday this week, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was measured at at 415 parts per million (ppm). The level is the highest in human history, and is growing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Renwick, Professor, Physical Geography (climate science), Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington It might be summer in New Zealand but we’re in for some wild weather this week with forecasts of heavy wind and rain, and a plunge in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zareh Ghazarian, Senior Lecturer, School of Social Sciences, Monash University Despite many young Australians having a deep interest in political issues, most teenagers have a limited understanding about their nation’s democratic system. Results from the 2019 National Assessment Program – Civics and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle O’Shea, Senior Lecturer, School of Business, Western Sydney University Last week, the McIver’s Ladies Baths in Sydney came under fire for their (since removed) policy stating “only transgender women who’ve undergone a gender reassignment surgery are allowed entry”. The policy was ...
There are good grounds for optimism after the guardrails of American democracy held firm through to Joe Biden's inauguration today as President, writes Stephen Hoadley Pessimism abounds about the perilous condition of American democracy. Commentators and headline writers proffer memes such as ‘broken and divided nation’, ‘the threat from within’. ...
*This article was originally appeared on RNZ and is republished with permission. Donald Trump will forever be remembered as the president who was impeached twice - and for his rhetoric that struck a chord so deep in America that it will take years to dissipate. Donald Trump leaves Washington with the lowest approval ...
A new plan shows how and where the Government will build 8,000 new state housing places it funded in Budget 2020, Marc Daalder reports Jacinda Ardern has kicked off the political year with a major announcement, promising hundreds of new state housing places in regional centres across the country. With ...
This is the full transcript of President Joe Biden's speech after being sworn in at his inauguration this morning in Washington DC Chief Justice Roberts, Vice President Harris, Speaker Pelosi, Leader Schumer, Leader McConnell, Vice President Pence, and my distinguished guests, my fellow Americans, this is America's day. This ...
Analysis: President Donald Trump has left the White House, and his deputy chief of staff confirms he is withdrawing his candidacy to lead the OECD. New Zealander Christopher Liddell withdrew his nomination to be Secretary-General of the powerful 37-member OECD and was one of the last members of the Trump Administration to depart ...
Kate Wills is facing stage four cancer with the same fierce approach she takes into her ocean swimming - never say can't. Even on the mornings Kate Wills feels wretched from her fortnightly chemotherapy treatment, she drags herself up at 5am and goes swimming. “I have to. It’s my job – to ...
Some costs associated with meetings speak for themselves, others are less conspicuous. Victoria University of Wellington's Val Hooper lays those costs out, making suggestions on where we can rein them in. Meetings – when last did we count the costs? And so it’s back to work and one of the ...
Andrew Paul Wood assesses the best-selling picture book by Grahame Sydney It's no great secret the commercially very successful Grahame Sydney has a long-standing beef that his work doesn’t receive more critical and institutional approval. I sympathise about the lack of critical attention, but I can understand why. The Discourse™ ...
This story was produced in collaboration with the Center for Public Integrity and Columbia Journalism Investigations. It was originally published by Public Integrity, Mother Jones, The Arizona Republic and Orlando Sentinel. It is republished here as part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the ...
Analysis: It has been easy to ignore anyone daring to criticise or even question any aspect of the government’s Covid-19 response. Their voices have rarely been heard, and when they have been raised they have been quickly and decisively howled down by the favoured coterie of academics. ...
Welcome to The Spinoff’s US presidential inauguration live blog: inauguration news, analysis and reaction, updated through Wednesday and Thursday. The inauguration ceremony begins at 5.15am Thursday, NZ time, and Joe Biden takes the oath of office around 6am. 7.25am: And what about Trump?In the early hours of this morning, NZ ...
In 10 x 100, we survey a group of 100 people via Stickybeak and ask them 10 questions. Last month we quizzed Wellingtonians. Today, we ask NZ drivers how they’ve found a holiday period without international tourists, and what they get up to while they’re on the road.Across Aotearoa roads ...
Emmanuel Macron's anti-separatist policies have garnered backlash from the international Muslim community. Now, a global coalition has complained to the UN. ...
Summer reissue: Join Michèle A’Court, Alex Casey and Leonie Hayden as they go on an odyssey of women’s rage, and find out how we can channel our anger into good. First published September 15, 2020.Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The Spinoff’s journalism is funded by ...
By Lorraine Ecarma in Cebu City The University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) will continue to stand against any threats to human rights, chancellor Clement Camposano has declared in response to the termination of a long-standing accord preventing military incursion on campus. In a Facebook post, Camposano said the academic ...
ANALYSIS:By Jennifer S. Hunt, Australian National University Every four years on January 20, the US exercises a key tenant of democratic government: the peaceful transfer of power. This year, the scene looks a bit different. If the last US presidential inauguration in 2017 debuted the phrase “alternative facts”, the ...
By Lulu Mark in Port Moresby In spite of Papua New Guinea’s mandatory mask-wearing requirement under the National Pandemic Act 2020, many public servants attending a dedication service in Port Moresby have failed to wear one. They were issued masks before entering the Sir John Guise Indoor Complex but took ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Moro, Associate Professor of Science & Medicine, Bond University How do scabs form? — Talila, aged 8 Great question, Talila! Our skin has many different jobs. One is to act as a barrier, protecting us from harmful things in the ...
US President Donald Trump is pardoning former White House adviser Steve Bannon, who is accused of fraud in a case involving funds for the border wall. ...
Joel Little with Lorde, Dera Meelan with Church & AP, Josh Fountain with Maala and Randa and Benee – producers make good songs great. Now a new fund from NZ on Air is putting the focus on them.Six months ago it looked like the music industry was on the brink ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Denise Buiten, Senior Lecturer in Social Justice and Sociology, University of Notre Dame Australia On average, one child is killed by a parent almost every fortnight in Australia. Last week, three children — Claire, 7, Anna, 5, and Matthew, 3 — were ...
This commendable and realistic decision again underlines that it is the police, not government, who are largely responsible for the reduction in cannabis prosecutions over the past 15 years, writes Russell Brown.The news that New Zealand police have discontinued the annual Helicopter Recovery Operation, which has, each summer for more ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ilan Noy, Professor and Chair in the Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington We will not be able to put the COVID-19 pandemic behind us until the world’s population is mostly immune through vaccination ...
Welcome to The Spinoff’s US inauguration live blog: inauguration news, analysis and reaction, updated throughout Wednesday and Thursday, NZ time. Reach me at catherine@thespinoff.co.nz.4.00pm: What will Trump be doing tomorrow?It’s pretty well known by now that outgoing president Donald Trump intends to throw out the rulebook when it comes to ...
The Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance is calling out Mayor Phil Goff for his undignified comment that the claim made by Councillor Greg Sayers asking why Auckland Council is funding yoga classes is “bullshit.” Yesterday, Councillor Greg Sayers penned ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Melbourne At 4am Thursday AEDT, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be inaugurated as president and vice president of the United States, replacing Donald Trump and Mike Pence. What follows is ...
*This article was originally published on RNZ and is republished with permission. New Zealanders flocked to beaches and lakes this summer, but it wasn't enough to fill the gap left by international tourists in other regions. The tourism industry is struggling to fill a $6 billion hole left by international tourists ...
Summer reissue: Chef Monique Fiso joins us for a chat about Hiakai – her acclaimed Wellington restaurant, and the title of her stunning new book.First published November 3, 2020.Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The Spinoff’s journalism is funded by its members – click here to learn ...
A new trough was brought to our attention this morning, although ethnicity will limit the numbers of eligible applicants. If you are non-Maori, it looks like you shouldn’t bother getting into the queue – but who knows?We learned of the trough from the Scoop website, where the Kapiti ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Britta Denise Hardesty, Principal Research Scientist, Oceans and Atmosphere Flagship, CSIRO Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing costs economies up to US$50 billion globally each year, and makes up to one-fifth of the global catch. It’s a huge problem not only for the ...
Police stopping major cannabis eradication operations has given the green light to drug dealers and gangs to expand operations, make more profit, and continue to wreak havoc on the most vulnerable in our society, says Sensible Sentencing Trust. ...
Varieties of merino wool footwear are emerging faster than Netflix series about British aristocracy. Michael Andrew takes a look at the rise of the shoe that almost everyone – including his 95-year-old grandma – is wearing.Some might say it all started with Allbirds. After all, to the average consumer, it ...
A new report from New Zealand’s Independent Monitoring Mechanism (IMM) highlights the realities and challenges disabled people faced during the COVID-19 emergency. The report, Making Disability Rights Real in a Pandemic, Te Whakatinana i ngā Tika ...
The Maritime Union is questioning the reasons provided for ongoing delays at the Ports of Auckland. Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Craig Harrison says there is a need for an honest conversation about what has gone wrong at the ...
As New Zealand faces a dire shortage of veterinarians, a petition has been launched urging the Government to reclassify veterinarians as critical workers so we can Get Vets into NZ. “New Zealand desperately needs veterinarians from overseas to counter ...
New Zealand is fast developing a reputation as a South Pacific vandal, says Greenpeace, as the government continues to fight against increased ocean protection. At the upcoming meeting of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO), ...
The Department of Internal Affairs and Netsafe are urging parents and caregivers to be mindful of the online content their tamariki may be consuming in the lead up to the inauguration of president-elect of the United States of America Joe Biden ...
Care is at the centre of Auckland Zoo’s mandate, and it’s clear to see when you witness the staff doing their day-to-day jobs up close. Leonie Hayden went behind the scenes to talk to two people who would do anything for the animals they look after. “We were having this ...
The Game Animal Council (GAC) is applying its expertise in the use of firearms for hunting to work alongside Police, other agencies and stakeholder groups to improve the compliance provisions for hunters and other firearms users. The GAC has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Verica Rupar, Professor, Auckland University of Technology “The lie outlasts the liar,” writes historian Timothy Snyder, referring to outgoing president Donald Trump and his contribution to the “post-truth” era in the US. Indeed, the mass rejection of reason that erupted in a ...
The internet ain’t what it used to be, thanks to privacy issues, data leaks, censorship and hate speech. But a group of New Zealanders are working on a way to give power back to the people. A flood of headlines over the last week made it clear: the internet has become ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Brooks, Scientia Professor of Evolutionary Ecology; Academic Lead of UNSW’s Grand Challenges Program, UNSW The views of women and men can differ on important gendered issues such as abortion, gender equity and government spending priorities. Surprisingly, however, average differences in sex ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer S. Hunt, Lecturer in National Security, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Every four years on January 20, the US exercises a key tenant of democratic government: the peaceful transfer of power. This year, the scene looks a bit ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Collins, Laureate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Newcastle In Australia and around the world, research is showing changes in body weight, cooking, eating and drinking patterns associated with COVID lockdowns. Some changes have been positive, such as people cooking ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hao Tan, Associate professor, University of Newcastle Australian coal exports to China plummeted last year. While this is due in part to recent trade tensions between Australia and China, our research suggests coal plant closures are a bigger threat to Australia’s export ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Asha Bowen, Head, Skin Health, Telethon Kids Institute A year ago, in late January 2020, Australia reported its first cases of COVID-19. Since then, we have seen almost 29,000 confirmed cases and 909 deaths. As cases climbed in Australian cities in 2020, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kevin Davis, Emeritus Professor of Finance, University of Melbourne Political pressure forced the federal government in 2017 – when Scott Morrison was treasurer – to call the royal commission into misconduct in the banking, superannuation and financial services sector. Commissioner Kenneth Hayne ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justin Ellis, Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Newcastle, University of Newcastle The Rise and Fall of Saint George is a story about place, belonging and community that taps into universal tensions of identity and faith in multicultural societies. Playing for ...
An in-depth analysis of media coverage of the euthanasia and cannabis referendums has found that while both sides of the euthanasia referendum were given reasonably fair and balanced coverage, the YES position in the cannabis debate received a heavily ...
*This article was originally published on RNZ and is republished with permission Auckland has no plans to hand over the ownership of it assets under the government's planned water reforms, with Auckland Mayor Phil Goff saying his top priority is to ensure it stacks up for the city. Despite ...
Auckland Transport is putting nine new electric buses on the roads today, as it dramatically accelerates its plans to get rid of all its diesel buses – in a funding challenge to the council. Public transport operators are being told to not buy any more diesel buses or risk losing their council ...
Summer reissue: Join Michèle A’Court, Alex Casey and Leonie Hayden as they find out exactly what we’re voting on in the cannabis referendum, and discover how legalising weed is a women’s issue.First published August 4, 2020.Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The Spinoff’s journalism is ...
A principal analyst for the Climate Change Commission says more needs to be done to reduce agricultural emissions or the country will miss its methane targets. ...
Former New Zealand gymnast Katya Nosova is now a champion bodybuilder, who was prepared to spend Christmas alone in quarantine to compete in the 'Olympics' of her sport. Katya Nosova was willing to do everything she could to pose on the world stage in her third Ms Olympia. Despite a ...
Concerts and some sports look likely to be on the move in Auckland after a big win for Eden Park – and politicians and officials may now want to win the public some control over the independent stadium. The advent of big concerts at Eden Park will, in all likelihood, mean ...
Despite promises of improvement, questions remain about colonoscopy services in Otago and Southland.David Williams reports The apology, when it came, was fulsome. “On behalf of the Southern DHB, I offer a sincere apology for lapses and inadequacies in colonoscopy services over the past several years,” district health board chair ...
The UN will be investigating the ‘disproportionate and indiscriminate use of force by the Israeli occupying forces .
Time for sanctions.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/gaza-killings-israel-hamas-un-war-crimes-investigate-border-deaths-sniper-a8357981.html
I doubt that will ever happen, but we can hope.
Waste of time does the un ever achieve anything?
The UN has achieved a lot – when the US wasn’t deliberately preventing it.
Ed, the OIC has just declared political measures against countries recognising Jerusalem as the capital.
Have been watching the OIC summit live on Al Jazeera this morning,Erdogan is currently speaking.
The BDS movement is gaining in strength.
What are they doing still boycotting soda stream and Teva medicines ?
Trolling for the apartheid Israeli state now.
How low can you go?
🙄
“If you are planning to be a lifelong renter, a reality check.”
That has to be the most hilarious opening line I’ve read for a long time…there is a serious disconnect of understanding in this country between home owners and actual ‘lifelong renters’.
very very few people in this country, with options/money would ever rent their whole life, seriously
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/104021981/renters-planning-to-be-tenants-in-retirement-face-big-savings-target
The fact is high rentals have destroyed the social fabric of this country and the only exits are the social housing or home ownership at any price.
Clearly Stuff need to quote better experts.
Nice piece of archeological work.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12043041
Not very flash of Kim Hill to claim the “Are Hamas killing their youth” (so-called) question as her own this morning’s interview with Dr Ramzy Baroud. It’s been a while since I tuned into Saturday mornings. Oh well.
And did I just hear her comment rather off-handedly that his sister will be “busy” given that she’s in Gaza?!
Yes Bill, her evolution to a system lacky has been slow but certain.
She’s come the odd cropper though, including this memorable occasion fifteen years ago when John Pilger took her to task for her smug and complacent introductory comments…
https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/face-to-face-with-kim-hill-john-pilger-2003
You can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs billy.
Lots of little eggs gabby …. 2014: Operation Protective Egg: Killed / Broken 495 were children and 253 women.
Life in Gaza
1.8m people / eggs living in Gaza
4,505 per square kilometre
475,000 living in emergency shelters or with other families
17,200 homes destroyed or severely damaged by Israeli attacks
244 schools damaged
Source: Ocha (26 August 2014)
2008, as part of Operation Cast Egg . Around 1,391 Palestinians were killed, including an estimated 759 civilians, according to B’Tselem. Reports say this included 344 children eggs and 110 women eggs.
19 medic eggs shot in one day 10.30 mins
Hamas is going to get sick of omelets at that rate reasy, or maybe not.
I think your comparing eggs to grass gabbzy
https://www.nrc.no/news/2018/april/gaza-the-worlds-largest-open-air-prison/
“Israel’s favorite metaphor for its periodic strikes on Gaza—”mowing the lawn”—suggests violence that is routine, indiscriminate, and risk-free.”
The regular pattern is for Israel, then, to disregard whatever agreement is in place, while Hamas observes it — as Israel has officially recognized — until a sharp increase in Israeli violence elicits a Hamas response, followed by even fiercer brutality. These escalations, which amount to shooting fish in a pond, are called “mowing the lawn” in Israeli parlance.
“Israeli military strategists talk, chillingly, of “mowing the lawn”. Even leaving aside the morally questionable nature of seeing human flesh as grass”
Eggs / grass aside …. Hamas are a red herring … “The Gaza open air prison camp where 1.94 million Palestinians live behind a blockade and are refused access to the other occupied Palestinian areas and the rest of the world is the problem”. ….
Half of all children have been psychologically traumatised by war, occupation and blockade. Close to 300,000 children need psychosocial help.
Same with The west bank where …. “ • Israeli terrorists, both soldiers and settlers, harass, kidnap, and kill Palestinians with almost complete impunity.
• Also in the West Bank, countless checkpoints are established and manned by Israeli terrorists/soldiers. When these are open and closed is completely arbitrary. They make the simple act of going to school or work an hours-long ordeal. People have died at checkpoints when seeking emergency medical treatment, simply because the Israelis manning them didn’t feel like letting them through
• Over 550,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank, in violation of international law.
• Palestine homes are routinely bulldozed, leaving the families that resided in them homeless, to make room for new Jewish-only roads or illegal housing developments.”
http://johnpilger.com/videos/palestine-is-still-the-issue
“Hamas represents a large constituency. Many Gazans voted for the party because they were disgusted with the corruption of the secular Fatah movement and were impressed with the social service system Hamas had created. Like other resistance movements—the African National Congress, the Irish Republican Army—Hamas was on its way toward becoming a political party. “…
“if you claim to respect democracy, you must recognize the results of free and fair elections. And if you want a party to change its position—and it’s willing to talk—you have to sit down at the table and negotiate with it.,,, But Israel—and by extension the United States—didn’t choose this option.”
https://www.alternet.org/noam-chomsky-real-reason-israel-mows-lawn-gaza
https://fpif.org/mowing-lawn-gaza/
https://www.mintpressnews.com/counting-israels-next-mowing-lawn-palestine/216640/
Yes, I was stunned when she put it to Dr Ramzy Baroud that is is very hard for Israel to except that Palestinians want the right to return to their land (or some such)
If someone stole stuff from you 70 years ago, and you’ve been asking for it back for 70 years why in the name of all things sane should the thief be shown compassion because they don’t want to give the stolen goods back?
Was she just being the devils advocate?
I do hope so.
Though she even insulted him suggesting he wasn’t alive during the 87 intifada, therefore I suppose without the right to speak for those who were. But he replied with modesty and courtesy that she didn’t deserve.
As Baroud said, we’re sick of hearing about Israels rights.
And another point is, that if Jews have the right to return to a land they claim was theirs 2000 years ago, why do Palestinians not have the same right to return to land that was theirs 70 years ago.
http://subzpsubzp.blogspot.co.nz/2018/01/farrars-honeymoon-scam_19.html?m=1
I posted this on open mike on the 17th, but it might of got lost with the budget stuff.
This written by sword fish”……..it’s about how the meme about the honey moon bounce in the polls was started by Ferrari and picked up by msm and spouted as fact
This is a must read. Maybe even post it with sword fishes permission.
We need more of this
I thought that Grant Robertson looked good on The Nation this morning. A bit like a younger version of Steven Joyce in a good way.
Ten years as an MP, three years in Opposition with finance responsibilities, and now as Minister of Finance he comes across as in control of his job and responsibilities.
He looks to be a financial asset for the Government, and has the potential to be a real asset for the country if he stays on track as a prudent and incremental progressive.
Labour may end up benefiting more from his behind the scenes work than from the surface celebrity of Ardern.
Unfortunately for the country GR probably does not underatand that incrementalism is a death sentence in a myriad of ways…
Neither do you Pete George…it seems from your comment…
How many disingenuous statements can you identify in your comment…don’t confuse with the backhanded compliments or memes…they’re slightly different…
One Two, Incrementalism is not fashionable but it is sensible.
Michael Cullen and Labour introduced Kiwi Saver. The impact is only now being truly felt and understood for some nearing home ownership or retirement. That is ten+ years for the policy to really make a difference in people’s lives. It will continue to do good for people and the country.
The so called “Cullen Fund” has countered our debt and added strength to our current retirement planning…. again ten+ years in the making and strengthened by this Government
Both policies were so valuable that the last National Government watered them down, but did not remove them.
That this budget of 2018 is a “Foundation Budget” working towards by increments to the “Well being Budget” of 2019, which will be a world wide first, putting people and the environment front and centre, with money as the change agent used in clever ways to achieve a sustainable way of living.
Any person repeating national memes of “no plan” “we did more” “we are better” “the election was stolen” “not enough” has not been paying attention.
After 9+ years of squeeze… there are so many voices in the wilderness and this new Government cares and that is why they are working so hard and so fast to try to mitigate the many tragic circumstances some people face… it will never be enough for some, but they are doing what they said they would. Put people and environment first incrementally. Sadly powerful forces in the world and here do not like change that shares wealth or power, so working incrementally is key. “Good things take time”
+100
Robertson in the steps of Cullen is simply doing what a wise Minister of Finance does: invest for the long term.
Lest I forget, I am on record here being very skeptical of Roberston and he is proving me wrong.
It is good to hear you praise Grant Robertson and I agree with you PG. He is clearly on top of his job. But I take issue with your depiction of Jacinda Ardern as a “surface celebrity”. If you really believe that is all there is to her, then your judgement of her is seriously awry.
While this is the picture her Nat opponents are trying to paint of Jacinda, all the evidence has succeeded in proving the exact opposite. She is highly intelligent and has a maturity well beyond her years. Her grasp of national and international affairs is equal to her predecessor, Helen Clark and the respect and confidence in her that her overseas counterparts have openly expressed… is testament to that. Add to that her strength of character and resilience, and there’s not much more one could ask for.
Her rhetorical skills are right up there too – she absolutely savaged the hapless Bridges with natural triplets and juxtapositions like “too much shouty shouty and not enough planny planny”.
The Gnats, accorded too much sunshine by a limp media, have neglected their skills and become accustomed to lying as a default strategy. It’s weak.
“Her grasp of national and international affairs is equal to her predecessor, Helen Clark ”
You have got to be kidding on that one.
Not at all – Helen never got anything like the ringing endorsement Jacinda got from Angela Merkel. Gnat wishful thinking has fooled you guys bigtime about Jacinda – sure she presents well, but she’s got plenty of depth, and is a much better communicator. There is a sincerity about her which is rare in contemporary politicians – reminiscent of Edward Walker’s description of Ivy.
Of course if you take your views from tragic mistakes like Malcolm Turnbull or the near-sighted and vindictive scribblers of the Herald you won’t pick that up.
Pete George, They are truly complementary. But personally I would like Grant to be more progressive. Jacinda Ardern has cut-through. She has the ability to connect emotionally and shows judgement in having Grant Robertson in that portfolio. Do not think Jacinda is ‘surface’ only. She is a policy wonk with a phenomenal grasp of complexities, and any who work with her soon show admiration for her acumen work ethic and humanity, coupled with sharp wit and eloquence. She is the coalition’s glue.
What do you mean by “behind the scenes work”? Stuff that cannot bear the bright sunlight of transparency and accountability?
Yawn….
How come I keep getting this, when I try to post reminisces of my time in Syria?
Because TS server is not responding because of a ‘Request Timeout’
You know, like it’s given up waiting for you to post your
comment.
it detected the phrase “my time in syria” 🙂
It detected the phrase “my time with the Hay’et Tahrir al-Shamin (read ISIS) in the Yarmouk Syrian refugee camp”
Clever wee server
To Lynn Prent: what happened to the Replies drop-down menu on the RH side? I can only see Comments or Opinions but no longer the replies to my comments!?
Edit: As soon as I submit a comment my details disappear too and I have to re-enter them for each and every comment, which is cumbersome 😉
Have you changed settings in your browser? Specifically, cookie settings?
No, I haven’t knowingly changed anything. But to be sure I played around with settings in two different browsers (MS Edge and G Chrome) and ran a few tests here on TS and it made no difference.
Same as for me.
I just noticed it as I commented to that my required name and mail get wiped automatically too. I’m using Firefox and it did update to V60.0.1 the other night between my latest reply with the fields empty and my previous one when they auto-filled in. Mozilla has been making a lot of security changes to Firefox with every update.
I have lost my automatic login and have to enter info individually with a different icon thing. I thought it might be connected with my site going down last night – through Vodafone but it seems that others have problems too. I have Firefox too, and have been getting red notices that I have too update my details which I haven’t got round to.
Same. Firefox 60 has some big CSS rendering changes under the hood. Developer-oriented link at end of this page: https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/60.0/releasenotes/
Ah. Same behaviour in Chrome 61.0 as well.
Drill baby, drill
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/104024959/rise-in-oil-and-gas-exploration-activity-in-taranaki-by-early-2019
My advice to these companies; Don’t
Related:
New Zealand will still be drilling for oil in the deep sea in 2070?!?
When climate change is due to have ravaged most of the natural world.
When super storms are tearing up all infrastructure and making industrial civilisation and agriculture a marginal proposition.
Another day waking up to find there has been another US shooting. They are becoming so common in the US. But then when you have a lobby group like the NRA sponsored by gun manufacturers legally bribing politicians to make sure that no legislation is passed to slow these things down and protect the people, what can you expect.
The NRA in the US has no shame having elected a man as their NRA president who in testimony has admitted to being a Traitor to his own country and selling guns to those deemed terrorist organizations by the US. He only got out of jail time on a technicality because a lot of the evidence used to convict him was found to be inadmissible as it was given by him during a hearing to a congressional hearing while he was under an immunity deal.
These are the sort of problems you have when you give lobbyists access to legally bribe politicians. This was something you saw in very minor ways starting to creep into NZ under previous National Governments with their Cabinet Club dinners where lobbyists got full access to National MPs and the former PM John Key. Here we saw a small number of deaths to with no one really held accountable, but the deaths here where due to lobbying for lax safety enforcement in places like the logging and mining industry.
Apparently 22 school shooting this year!!
The shooter was 17.
A comment made about one young USA shooter has stuck with me. He is supposed to have said something like – society is so bad and everyone is contemptible and humans destroying the earth and that it would be better if all of us died. It is dangerous for young people to start thinking like this before they have had layers of denial of the reality of their, and general human behaviour, to insulate him.
The NZ Herald have run a very interesting and full piece on early Maori history and artefacts found.
Myth of Mangahawea: How scientists uncovered the home of our earliest Polynesian arrivals 19/5/2018
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12043041
Another item from 17/5/2018 on the apartheid-like laws that used to be the norm in earlier times. A book explores that history.
‘Racist as f***’: Book backs up Taika Waititi’s claims about New Zealand racism
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12053300
Looking at archives and old newspapers, he discovered Māori were treated as “enemies of the state”, long after the Waikato War had finished.
“During a series of epidemics, Māori were banned from moving about the country, because their brown skin was equated with disease,” Hamilton said.
“When smallpox broke out in 1913, Māori villages were sealed off, and Māori were banned from the roads and from trains unless they had a special certificate showing they’d been immunised.
“No Pākehā was ever subjected to these rules. They were blatantly racist, made life almost impossible for Māori, and were in force for many months.”
Māori were also excluded from bars, cinemas and barber shops in South Auckland.
“For much of the 20th century it was hard to get a drink in places like Papakura and Pukekohe if you were the wrong colour,” Hamilton said.
The book details the experience of Rongomanu Bennett, a Māori psychiatrist who was refused a beer in the Papakura Tavern in 1959.
He began a campaign and made headlines around the world.
“The New York Times called Papakura ‘the Little Rock of New Zealand’, after the Arkansas city where African Americans were fighting segregation,” Hamilton said.
The Prime Minister at the time eventually backed up Bennett, and Papakura Tavern agreed to serve Māori.
“Book backs up Taika Waititi’s claims about New Zealand racism”
didn’t he say “racist as fuck”
he didn’t say “was”
all this is before he was born.
Apparently in the 70’s there was separate seating for Māori patrons in the Pukekohe theatre. Two years ago, I heard the Tangata Whenua providing a report on the health of a stream in a council meeting being referred to as ‘n*****s’. As residents of Franklin we have the misfortune to receive the eLocal, ensuring at least one Māori bashing article per issue. My list of present day casual racism witnessed is long, but others would be much longer, and no doubt, more damaging.
Bastion Point was in 1976.
Moutoa Gardens 1995.
Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004.
Tuhoe raid – Operation 8 2007.
These have happened in this generation.
Are you sure that you are living in this country, if you think Taika Waititi doesn’t have a point?
All I was saying was that the book quoted only stuff from when before Taika Waititi was born.
Yeah new Zealand is racist IMO in that some members of all races hate other races.
Your comment implied that Taiki Waititi had no evidence to back up the present tense. I provided a small number, which you ignored.
If you want to maintain your complacency over the specific racism directed towards Maaori in New Zealand, then continue on as you are. Ignore the living reality of Tangata Whenua and dilute any conversation with generalisations. I’m sure your comfort level will not be disturbed.
There’s an article about a book dealing with historical racism – it was used in relation to Taika Waititi’s comment I pointed out the two did not overlap in terms of history – and lo abuse cometh in my direction. I did not ignore the references you made – I have no argument with them. Your focus is on specific racism towards maori – I find all racism objectionable and I tire of one category of racism being portrayed as more important than others.
If you find abuse in my comment, then I’m not surprised at your perspective.
Generalising about racism, particularly noticeable in NZ is an avoidance technique. No one has suggested that racism is not a global issue. My response to you paraphrases the BLM movement: “Racism towards Maaori matters as well.”. I haven’t seen you acknowledge that the existence of it still causes damage and is harmful.
Let’s acknowledge that racism etc occurs all around the world in Tom Lehrer’s inimitable style.
Then let’s get back to regarding Maori people respectfully and understand their strivings to cope in our capitalist world of take from above (the Highland Clearings syndrome). It should be noted that –
Sir Francis Henry Dillon Bell GCMG KC PC was a New Zealand lawyer and politician who served as the Prime Minister of New Zealand from 10 to 30 May 1925. Wikipedia
considered Maori communist because they shared and lived co-operatively, not coldly, individually with rich and abject poor as the settlers were prepared to do. (This is in my memory, and I can’t quote source.) And this country’s citizens are increasingly adopting the same behaviour as a satisfactory culture now.
We have much to learn from Maori in living with those of a different culture and be co-operative to the advantage of both. When we acknowledge that, we will be able to turn aside lingering accusations of racism.
Thanks, greywarshark for the well considered comment and link.
Flies have short memories too.
What an amazing coincidence.
Sergei Skripal is sneaked out of hospital the day before the Royal Wedding.
How convenient.
And how convenient for the lying corrupt British state has a compliant media that asks no difficulty questions.
The only reason you know about it is that the BBC et al reported on it. Otherwise, it falls under the category of “none of your goddamn business how people who’ve survived attempted murder choose to convalesce”.
PS: witless assumptions and slavish adherence to Moscow propaganda do not generate “difficult questions”. They just say something about you.
I don’t ‘listen to Moscow.’
I listen to the brilliant George Galloway.
I liked him best crawling around on all fours pretending to be a cat.
Correct again Ed. The lamestream who can dish the dirt on anyone they so choose, have no idea what’s happened to the two victims in the biggest story in Britain. What the hell!
The only fatalities of the event were two guinea pigs and a cat.
And they died of starvation, poor creatures.
‘Industrial strength’ novichok.
They just think we are fools to believe the lies they spin.
They could at least have notified the Russian embassy eddy.
Give them another chance?
Would they have sent a wet team to get him leaving the Hospital?
John le Carre would have a ball with this affair.
You need to look at how implausible MI5’s lies on this are.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmbXA217oHc
Ed, Listening Post doing story re media coverage and Israel/Palestine, tune in, is live now, 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbZjFCGZ1Mc
Thank you
Generally speaking, police don’t keep suspects up to date with developments in ongoing investigations.
I’d forgotten how much you hated Russia.
Try again Ed: Russia is an official suspect of the UK investigation, no matter how much you love or hate them. Suspects don’t get updates; saying so makes no statement as to guilt whatsoever.
I suggest you educate yourself by listening to Galloway, Murray, Ford and others on the subject.
Independent, intelligent sources.
Don’t rely on what May and Johnson tell you.
Suspects don’t get updates, Ed, no matter what the man who introduced Nadira Alieva to spanking says.
You’re trying to be witty. Bad idea.
You’re trying to do an impression of an airbag. It’s very good.
As I said, you shouldn’t be trying to be funny. It’s almost as bad as listening to Jim Mora trying to sound serious.
Blows up in an instant but on inspection, is void of anything substantive.
Was going more for “apt metaphor” than humour.
Why is oab always so aggressive?
Youry addingy y toy people’s namesy isy really tediousy already.
The media could at least ask some questions.
Oh, but they’re all at Windsor Castle, simpering away.
Useful fools.
they’re all at Windsor Castle
Apart from Steven Morris and Patrick Wintour and Jill Lawless and Andrew Griffin and Fiona Hamilton and Leila Nathoo, who’ve all had stories on the Skripal poisoning published in the last 24 hours, that is.
You get the point.
It’s a perfect day to make a story disappear.
Are you being argumentative for arguments sake?
Quite tiring.
I get the point: you see conspiracies everywhere, and deeply resent any factual contradiction.
The Skripal poisoning requires a conspiracy, whoever you think did it.
You ‘see a conspiracy’ enacted by the Russians.
I accept there was a conspiracy. There had to be.
But I am not prepared to be judge, jury and executioner based on evidence presented by such dubious sources as MI5, Theresa May and Boris Johnson.
Also, you continually use the word conspiracy as if it were an insult.
Have you looked up what the word means in a dictionary?
To help, you….
noun
a secret plan by a group to do something unlawful or harmful.
“a conspiracy to destroy the government”
synonyms: plot, scheme, stratagem, plan, machination, cabal; More
the action of plotting or conspiring.
“they were cleared of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice”
synonyms: plotting, collusion, intrigue, connivance, machination, collaboration; treason
“he was due to stand trial for conspiracy to murder”
Ed is not a conspiracy theorist. From what I’ve seen he’s got a good grasp (of reality) in geopolitical, environmental and local issues, etc. Using good independent journalism Ed can’t really go wrong. Craig Murray, John Pilger, Robert Fisk, Rachel Stewart et al.
Craig Murray? A deeply compromised masochist fop (by his own admission) with no access.
Stewart is excellent, but then she doesn’t write foreign policy articles.
Pilger does some good work, despite his bias.
As for Fisk, The Intercept does a better job.
The intercept has some excellent contributing journalists.
Robert Mackey isn’t one of them.
What parts of the linked article did he get wrong?
What?
So first you link to an organisation as though to suggest the organisation is a person, and I simply point out that the person you linked to doesn’t measure up against the other journalists he shares a platform with, and then you ask a question that makes no sense whatsover.
If you want a sense of Robert Mackey’s journalism, read his NYT and Guardian pieces. He tends towards being descriptive.
edit – if you want to argue with yourself over what Mackey did and didn’t get wrong in that piece, you could begin with the content of the 148 comments it attracted. They cover it off quite well. 😉
“as though to suggest”?
All I suggested is that The Intercept (or Mackey if you prefer) did a better job than Fisk on this occasion, which is pertinent to Maui’s assertion that Ed is well informed.
It is becoming clearer that the Government’sKiwi build and the increase in state house construction announced in the budget will not be enough to catch up with the 9 years of neglect by the National government.
Should the government be thinking of a solution that could end the housing crisis overnight and not cost the taxpayer a cent, and legislate against perfectly good houses
and apartments being allowed to be left empty, without reasonable excuse?
Ghost homes – properties lie empty in spite of crisis
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11676319
You would think it would also be set up to track low use of water by properties.
Low use of water week after week should raise an alarm and have someone dispatched out to check on water monitoring equipment to make sure it has not been tampered with or is faulty.
Thanks Ad. I must admit I was a bit doubtful of Grant initially, but after meeting Jacinda on several occasions, I trust her. She is genuine.
Don’t know why this did not attach to your comment Ad
Company’s like this make a mess and when the——–hits the fan they file bankrupt and start another company and carry on cheating.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12054766
Ka kite ano
Marae thats the way Narnia Mahuta you tell them they national and Maori party they stuffed up the prospects for maori they were the government that has suppressed the poor people whom are mostly brown and Maori you are doing good holding your own against two men .Ka pai e hao Ka kite ano