Some big issues are going to be thrashed out at the Green Party conference.
Should MPs have the right to dissent from the party line without being thrown out of parliament?
Should Party caucus’s have the right to over rule the membership?
The battle lines are being drawn between those who want to give power to the executives to ignore their membership, and give power to the executives to expel dissenting MPs. And between those who want to protect the right of the membership and parliamentary dissenters to be heard.
Free speech is a topical hot potato out in society, but also inside parliament, and also, inside the Green Party.
Yesterday Pete George related a quote from Nandor Tanczos;
Pete George1
18 August 2018 at 7:03 am
“Freedom of expression is often one of the first victims of a successful socialist revolution”.
Like PG I think it is noteworthy that Tanczos has made this comment in the current political environment. It has not come out of a vacuum.
Tanczos comment was made against a background of debate inside the Green Party, over caucus over ruling the membership.
And especially as the Green Party’s caucus’s decision to back the NZ First’s Waka Jumping Bill, which is also an infringement of free speech in parliament, because it gives party executives the right to over rule MPs right to free speech under threat of expulsion from parliament.
Most Green Party members, (And apparently, at least three leading Green Party ex-MPs), believe that these two things, are an attack on parliamentary and party democracy.
And they are right.
But I would go further than this, and argue that both these two things put together actually spell the end of the Green Party, at least as far as being a parliamentary force, by limiting the Green Party’s ability to lobby and influence other MPs to support the issues that they hold dear.
(Principally the protection of the biosphere from the multiple assaults from the corporate polluters, whose well funded lobbyists have the ear of the bigger parties.)
I don’t think it goes too far, to say that these two changes will see the Green Party caucus captured by the bigger parties. And the end of any minority dissenting political voice in parliament.
I would go even further to suggest that these two changes will accelerate the traditional process of smaller parties becoming shaded out and marginalised by the bigger more conservative parties in parliament. A process which eventually leads to voter collapse for the smaller party.
Waka Jumping: Former MPs hope Greens conference will make party pull support
HENRY COOKE – @stuff.co.nz, August 18, 2018
They should stop debating this meaningless process crap and start really celebrating their significant successes within this government. Shaw did a useful job of it yesterday. Shaw and Sage have been the people delivering actual policy results. The Greens will do better than 5% if they do a better job of showing how effective they are.
For once I agree with you Ad about the “meaningless crap” Waka bill. Yes “technically” it might curb individual rights but when looked at the practical reality, without the Waka jumping bill it was used in more destructive ways to reduce democracy and bribe or manipulate the electoral process and balance of power. We have plenty of examples!
Hopefully the significant successes are still to come, but the Greens are in government which should be celebrated and hopefully they and Labour and NZ First can work together to make a much greater positive environmental impact as well as start reversing the effects of devastating Natz social and environmental policy over the past decade.
Hi Ad,
I know for a fact that some New Zealand First MPs are drawn to some Green Party positions on the environment. And at least a couple have some quite progressive views, especially around climate change.
The Waka Jumping Bill clearly targets the Greens. The Waka Jumping Bill will act to curb any influence the Greens may have on other MPs in parliament, who may harbour some sympathy for their views. Under threat of dismissal by their executives, no NZ First or Labour MP will want to take up a position that supports a Green position against their Party’s position.
“The Greens will do better than 5% if they do a better job of showing how effective they are.”
Ad
But even you Ad, must realise that the Green Party’s ability to be effective in swaying parliament from a minority position will be harmed by the Waka Jumping Bill.
Any MPs from any of the other parties who might be convinced of supporting a Green Party bill, on any issue that their executive disagrees with, can now be disciplined or threatened by that executive if they don’t fall into line.
And as history has proved, a minor Party that cannot get any wins on the board will be seen as ineffective and a wasted vote even by their own supporters.
If this bill is used to its full extent against the Green Party by the other governing parties, I can see the Green’s effectiveness in influencing parliament being severely curtailed.
If, as you maintain Ad, the Green Party’s electoral success is going to be measured by how “effective they are” then by this measure their vote must go down, not up.
Under threat of dismissal by their executives, no NZ First or Labour MP will want to take up a position that supports a Green position against their Party’s position.
They’re actually there to support their party’s position – not their position.
But even you Ad, must realise that the Green Party’s ability to be effective in swaying parliament from a minority position will be harmed by the Waka Jumping Bill.
No it won’t.
Any MPs from any of the other parties who might be convinced of supporting a Green Party bill, on any issue that their executive disagrees with, can now be disciplined or threatened by that executive if they don’t fall into line.
Wrong.
The support will happen in the background. The Green Executive is supporting the Waka Jumping bill because they’ve got wins elsewhere from NZ1st.
And as history has proved, a minor Party that cannot get any wins on the board will be seen as ineffective and a wasted vote even by their own supporters.
The Green Party is getting ‘wins’ all over the freaking show and they’re not being quiet about it so why do you think that they’re not getting anywhere? Too busy consulting with your navel?
If this bill is used to its full extent against the Green Party by the other governing parties
I’m pretty sure that that can’t happen.
If, as you maintain Ad, the Green Party’s electoral success is going to be measured by how “effective they are” then by this measure their vote must go down, not up.
Which is you talking out your arse.
The Greens have got wins from this. Wins that they wouldn’t have got if they’d not supported it through.
And remember, the majority of people support this legislation and so the Greens are more likely to get even more support from the populace because their support of it.
In relation to that, how would it apply to the Green party with 2 co-leaders?
Say a situation arose whereby both co-leaders wern’t happy with each other and sought a 2/3 caucus majority to expel each other from Parliament – what then?
This law makes the taking of political vengeance out of the voters hands and places it in the hands of any errant dictator who holds the leadership of a party.
It really is the ‘World according to Winston’ and it is sad that the long principled Green party is aiding and abetting this legislative paranoia.
From now on, if you aspire to be an MP, you must do so under the duress that you are accountable to voters once every three years but beholden to your party leader every day of every year.
I would argue that even list MPs have been put in their positions by a democratic process, and should only be removed by a democratic process, and not by fiat from the executive.
That the democratic process that list MPs are chosen on, is an internal party one, makes it no less a democratic process.
And that in fact they do have a mandate that they represent through that process.
A list MP, (even just by the very nature of their method of selection), who may be more in-touch with the feelings of the grass roots party membership. When it comes to a difference, or dispute between Party and caucus, might feel moved to defy the executive and stand with the membership. In that situation, for this to be grounds for the executive to dismiss that MP from parliament would clearly be undemocratic.
If the executive or caucus really do have an issue with a list MP then they should only be allowed to put it back to the membership for a decision on whether or not that MP be sacked from parliament.
whatever you think of the waka jumping bill, Shaw and co are in the business of government, while Jeanette Fitzsimons and Sue Bradford are in the business of giving virtuoso performances as to why they were not.
You are right . Big but . Imagine if labour and nzf were only one seat ahead of nact. How easy would it be for the nats to destabilise and even pull down the gov . The same goes for a rogue list mp(I’m not forgetting the greens this is just a scenario)
For the good of mmp waka jumping or dismissed list mps must leave parliament if they quit or are fired from their party .
“Imagine if labour and nzf were only one seat ahead of nact. How easy would it be for the nats to destabilise and even pull down the gov .”
bwaghorn
Hi Waghorn.
Jeanette Fitzsimmons argues against your premise, because she feels that the Labour and New Zealand MPs would back away from this bill, and wouldn’t take the risk of crashing the government. And that if the Green Party Caucus refused to be intimidated by NZ First and Labour, and instead mustered the courage to call their bluff, they would not take the risk of crashing the government by pushing this bill through against Green Party opposition.
“The opposition to the party hopping bill now is because it’s wrong. It’s because it denies MPs basic freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom of thought – it’s contrary to the bill of rights and to our policy.”
Fitzsimons doesn’t believe the Government would fall apart if the Greens pulled their support for the bill.
“I simply don’t buy the line that Jacinda [Ardern] and [Winston] Peters would say ‘oh we don’t want to be Government any more so let’s let it all collapse because we didn’t get this bill through.’ I mean really?”
But it’s not just about crashing the gummint is it? NZF have supported a lot of environmental stuff that they can’t be happy with and there will be more. A dysfunctional government would be just as disastrous.
You don’t think there will be any more environmental policy this term? How will the Greens supporting this bill mean they won’t achieve anything more? You make no sense.
Makes perfect sense.
The Waka Jumping Bill makes no sense except as a means to keep the Greens in line.
Being the smallest partner in a three Party coalition, the Green Party can only get policy through with the support of other progressive or sympathetic MPs outside of their party.
Well that ain’t gonna happen now that their executives can threaten to chuck them out, if they dare depart from the party line to support a Green Party policy, either in Committee, or on the Floor of the House.
Meaning of course, that for the most part no Green Party policy will ever see the light of day.
And the Greens will disappear into irrelevancy, becoming little more than a dead end appendix attached to the side of the mainstream legislative digestive system. Maybe getting a little inflamed now and then, resulting in a little bit of heartburn. But on the whole manageable, and longer term on the waiting list for an appointment to be prepped to be completely excised, come 2020.
Yes that’s right, because there is this large group of National MPs who are rearing to cross the floor at any opportunity they can to support Green policy.
Meanwhile, a good relationship between coalition partners allows for each coalition agreement to be met.
Jeanette Fitzsimmons argues against your premise, because she feels that the Labour and New Zealand MPs would back away from this bill, and wouldn’t take the risk of crashing the government. And that if the Green Party Caucus refused to be intimidated by NZ First and Labour, and instead mustered the courage to call their bluff, they would not take the risk of crashing the government by pushing this bill through against Green Party opposition.
That is not a valid position.
This isn’t the Greens giving in and getting nothing for it. They’ve got wins elsewhere for their support. NZ1st get this win, Greens get a win elsewhere and we end up with a functioning government rather than one that can’t do anything.
First they stated they inadvertently accepted it in their agreement with Labour. So I don’t see NZF unnecessarily giving anything up.
Then they stated their hands were tied as they were bound by their agreement. Which turned out to be a lie. Now you are claiming they said they secured wins, which seems to me to be another lie.
The Chairman, who pretends to support The Greens and wish them well, repeats his claim that “The Greens lied”, over and over.
He
is
not
a
supporter
of
The Greens.
Calls something a “reported fact”. Links to an opinion piece.
Does the coalition agreement explicitly state they have to vote for it? No.
Does “good faith” imply that if the other party in an agreement wants a particular thing very strongly, and you only oppose it moderately, that in “good faith” you might concede that point to preserve the relationship? In some circumstances, it can.
I was referring to the fact within – i.e. the advice given to the Greens from the Cabinet Office.
Which states good faith is a political statement around how the Greens endeavour to work with the Government. It commits them to work through areas of concern in good faith, but does not bind them to support everything set out in the Labour/New Zealand First coalition agreement.
Therefore, when the Greens told us they were bound by the agreement, they lied.
And while cheerleaders like Robert are happy to accept them lying, a number of us aren’t.
Not collapse the government. That’s right. Greens have signed an agreement that says negioate in good faith. Refusing to negotiate is the exact opposite of good faith.
The reality is the signed agreement is there. Sure life wout continue but just one NZF mp jumps the Waka and greens would never be in government again. Do they really want to start the first year in a government showing exactly why they were locked out during the 2000s.
This business about whether a politican lied or not. If a politician said they never lied then you would know that was a lie. Making a big deal about one changing their mind or finding that it wasn’t politic to continue is not a big problem unless someone deeply supercilious, great word, decides it is and makes a ‘federal case’ out of it.
Most Green Party members, (And apparently, at least three leading Green Party ex-MPs), believe that these two things, are an attack on parliamentary and party democracy.
That’s because they don’t understand the real problem – parliamentary politics doesn’t actually work the way that they believe it works.
The Green Party MPs are now in a position where they’re having to make decisions faster than consultation with the party members allows. They’re also going to have to make compromises and deals that don’t fully uphold the agreed position of the party. Especially when what consultation does happen brings about a stalemate which is what happened in this case (Which actually means that the original position is not as hard and fast as some in the party believed).
Yes, I’m aware that the Green Party makes decisions by consensus but what percentage of members were actually part of that consensus?
The Waka Jumping Bill should go through because some 80% of the population support it. A majority of National’s members support it as well but National leaders and MPs are fully against it and so the party will vote against it in block including the ones who are for it. And they won’t have this public hoohaa going on.
Party politics requires a party MP to tow the party line which will be against what some in the party want including some of those MPs.
This is why I think we need Participatory Democracy. Where the will of the majority rules and not the clique in parliament. Parliament would still be there but they’d be there to enact what the majority decide and not what they personally think.
“The battle lines are being drawn between those who want to give power to the executives to ignore their membership, and give power to the executives to expel dissenting MPs. And between those who want to protect the right of the membership and parliamentary dissenters to be heard”
Yet, party co-leaders Shaw and Davidson said they were simply reviewing all of the party’s “documents”.
Going off that comment re Shaw and Davidson, it seems the so-called leader of the left faction (Davidson) is also aligning against the membership on this one.
Makes one wonder what else is it the caucus wants to do that they know the wider membership won’t like?
I’m not as familiar with the waka-jumping bill as I should be, and I’m wary of it when in view of the pedigree of some who oppose it, but I would point out that when NZ first MPs left their party under the Shipley ministry, and when Alamein Kopu left the Alliance party, the result was precisely this propping up of the larger parties that you fear the waka-jumping legislation will foster.
Alcohol is a significant carcinogen.
Stop drinking.
“The biggies are really smoking and alcohol. Both tobacco smoke and alcoholic beverages are classified by the IARC as Group 1A: that’s “carcinogenic to humans”. In other words, there’s no doubt about it. Other things in this category include arsenic, asbestos and plutonium.
We have a big blind spot about alcohol; we know how bad it is for us, but we don’t want to hear it or do anything about it. Nevertheless, alcohol is linked with at least seven cancers, and the level of drinking that increases our cancer risk is lower than we’d probably like to hear. The less we drink, really, the better. ”
Professor Doug Selman is an expert on the matter.
He has been Director of the National Addiction Centre, Christchurch School of Medicine & Health Sciences since its inception in 1996 and Professor within the University of Otago since 2006.
He says the following.
“Alcohol is a cause of cancers of the mouth, throat, oesophagus, liver, large bowel and breast, and quite possibly the pancreas, prostate and melanoma as well, although the evidence for these others is not as strong at this point. These were the conclusions of a large international meta-analysis, involving 572 separate studies, published in the British Journal of Cancer.
The really important point that Connor makes is that many of the cases of these alcohol-related cancers occur in moderate drinkers, ie they are not confined to people with severe alcoholism.”
With the rate of price increases on cigarettes over the last decade, I’d argue that tax increases are more effective in bringing overall rates of use down.
“You [could] probably double the tax, in the case of tobacco what we’ve done… is push the taxed component up to more than half of the total retail price, well it would be sensible to do the same with alcohol,” he said.
I’d group alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco under one regime and tax the bejeesus out of them at a common rate, and have a common age of consent to buy and to use at 21.
21: your birthday to get truly wasted at.
That would be more useful than different labels that no-one gives a damn about.
More evidence.
The New Zealand Medical Association.
“Despite its normalisation in society, alcohol is not an ordinary commodity. It is a toxin, an intoxicant and an addictive psychotropic drug. As such, its sale and supply is subject to regulation in virtually every country. The current regulatory environment for the sale and supply of alcohol in New Zealand is not doing enough to protect New Zealanders from alcohol-related harms.”
‘New Zealand: Where alcohol is normalised – and that means more drinking.
Boozing has become normalised in New Zealand, and that means it’s likely we’ll drink more – and at higher risk levels, new research says.
One of the study’s authors, Massey University’s Docter Taisia Huckle, said: “What does normalisation look like? It looks like New Zealand.
“We have a situation where alcohol is completely normalised in society, through advertising, marketing and availability, alcohol is reasonably priced.”
School children could walk past three liquor outlets on the way to school or see advertising on social media, she said.
‘The Ministry of Health estimates that over 780,000 adults are hazardous drinkers. Statistics NZ figures show the drinking habits for more than a third of people aged 18-24 could be potentially hazardous – regularly consuming six more drinks in a single session.
Dr Jackson warns there’s been an increase in hazardous drinking every year since 2011, and says it’s increased by more than 50 percent among those aged 45 to 64 years.
As well as this, hazardous drinking in the 66-74-year age group more than doubled from 2011/12 to 2015/16.
“Our older drinkers are some of the heaviest drinkers in the world,” she says.
This drinking has a chilling effect our health system. During the 2016-2017 financial year, 4070 people were hospitalised due to their alcohol consumption.’
So why do so many New Zealanders still drink?
They are brainwashed.
‘Despite multiple reports over many years of the damage that alcohol is inflicting on individuals and communities, including the critical issue of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder risk, little real action is occurring, according to the authors.
“It is as if the New Zealand population has been brainwashed and in the grips of a mass social delusion – viewing alcohol as a harmless recreational product which enhances quality of life, and thinking if you are not regularly consuming the tonic you are clearly not part of the cool and successful social mainstream, and possibly a rather ‘iffy’ member of society.”
I am nursing a hangover this morning from a very long and civilised four course lunch with friends in Titirangi yesterday that did the whole shooting match – beer & cocktails, aperitifs, champagne, various bottles of wine with different courses, dessert wine, brandy, and then (quelle horreur!) more liquor & furtively smoked tobacco based products on the porch. The whole affair took us five hours before the taxis came and carried off the guests in a number of greater or lesser state of hors de combat.
It was a splendid day.
🙂
Yes, it will eventually kill us but then again, ultimately so does the calendar.
Well done.
It’s great to push the boat out from time to time.
I was more referring to quiet drink with a colleague after work.
I get kiwi can have a major issue with alcohol abuse.
I was responding to the notion that there is no upside to consuming alcohol based on my experiences.
I am reluctant to confess that I have become smitten with home brewing cider.
The latest being a wonderful hopped chilli cider.
All the hectoring in the world about cancer and other non-immediate consequences aren’t going to overcome the fact that consuming alcohol gives rise to pleasurable experiences.
But the one observation that prompted me to stop the alcohol except for occasional social functions is that I sleep much much better if I haven’t had a drink. I doubt I’m unique in that respect.
For once I agree with you. We did full 3 course dinner at home in celebration of several things. A hangover today and the chance of cancer in the future was well worth it.
Better to enjoy this life than try and spend every minute worrying.
Doug sellman is the worst kind of academic. Becoming an expert for the sole purpose of banging on about something that the majority of people enjoy and use responsibly and trying to demonise normal behaviour.
‘Alcohol harm more than triple the cost of all Treaty claims so far – economist.
Optimistic numbers show that more than half of the alcohol drunk in New Zealand is harmful – costing each New Zealander $1635 a year.
That cost – which annually dwarfs money paid out for Treaty of Waitangi settlements – didn’t even factor in “intergenerational harm”, which would push the number higher still, Berl principal economist Ganesh Nana said.
Nana presented his figures to a Te Papa conference on who should pay for the harm of alcohol.
That harm in New Zealand was $7.8 billion annually compared to $2.2b spent on Treaty of Waitangi settlements since the 1990s, he said.
He found alcohol-related harm cost every New Zealander $1635 each per year.
“Lost production of labour is costing us $3.3b a year, health costs combined with road crashes $860 million and alcohol-fuelled crime $1.1b a year.”
When you like to gamble it serves to know the risks. Out of interest, do you have an idea, approximate is fine, what the lifetime risks are for developing and dying from cancer? You may not like the answer …
“Yes, it will eventually kill us but then again, ultimately so does the calendar.”
I guess herion users could say the same thing. And people who surf the roofs of trains or play Russian Roulette. Thrills n spills!
I have a friend who was huffing and puffing in the gym one day and he asked his personal trainer if any of it would extend his life beyond a fairly inflexible pre-determined genetic end point. His personal trainer said yes, it would would – up to ten years if he tried hard. But the trouble is, it is all at the wrong end.
None of us are here for more than a blink in the eye of eternity. The world is a great place and the delights of Dionysus are part of it, enjoy it while you can because in the worlds of J M Keynes, in the long run we are all dead.
Sanctuary, yes, on a personal level, but as Ed points out, it’s bigger than that: the issue of young mothers drinking alcohol then producing babies suffering from fatal alcohol syndrome must give you pause to think that as a social trend, burgeoning alcohol consumption could do with some focus from us all; yes?
“…he issue of young mothers drinking alcohol then producing babies suffering from fatal alcohol syndrome must give you pause to think that as a social trend, burgeoning alcohol consumption could do with some focus from us all; yes? …”
No, not really. Alcohol abuse is endemic to all societies.
We all know how to deal with this issue. Ban supermarket sales, bring in minimum pricing, restrict the number of off-licence outlets and control their opening hours – say, close them all between 9pm and 12am and all day Sunday. Until then, nothing much will change, and until a politician proposes such measures I have given up worrying about it.
We don’t have that mythical drinking culture they chattering classes strive for. And anyway as i said, it is just a myth. Those southern Europeans the travelling middle class so admire get as pissed as any German or Anglo-Saxon. Who hasn’t been woken up by a braying donkey under a blazing sun in an Olive grove, suffering a blinding hangover, after to much beer, Ouzo and Retsina with the locals in a lovely Cretan taverna?* They were drinking too, you know.
We just mistake their lack of violence when plonked for moderation.
Personally, i would like to see more research on why we are so violent when drunk.
*OK, so that might have just been me. I was young, give me a break.
It’s worrying how much in denial people are.
We have a crisis folks.
Pretending we don’t doesn’t make it go away.
How many more deaths?
How many more babies with foetal alcohol syndrome?
How many more suicides?
How many more rapes?
How much more domestic violence?
How many more car crashes?
How many more hospitalisations?
Are you saying that we have august personages in Titirangi blogging here? I don’t understand your brief reference. Is it in-language between yourself and another elite who are slumming here?
“Conservatively, it’s thought 600 children are born in New Zealand every year with some form of brain damage caused by their mother drinking alcohol, often before they even knew they were pregnant. But many experts think the real number.”
Actually, I linked anyone interested to a variety of experts in the field on a serious issue facing this country.
Thanks for your entirely negative put down response.
This is Open Mike.
Ed. That makes sobering reading and while it could be argued you over did the messaging, your research shows how serious the issue is for New Zealanders and individuals who drink alcohol, even at moderate levels. I found this passage especially chilling:
“Dr Jackson warns there’s been an increase in hazardous drinking every year since 2011, and says it’s increased by more than 50 percent among those aged 45 to 64 years.
As well as this, hazardous drinking in the 66-74-year age group more than doubled from 2011/12 to 2015/16.
“Our older drinkers are some of the heaviest drinkers in the world,” she says.
This drinking has a chilling effect our health system. During the 2016-2017 financial year, 4070 people were hospitalised due to their alcohol consumption.’”
It is Open Mike and while you’ll always attract criticism, often fair, for overdoing your delivery, not “snapping” back would help the medicine go down 🙂
If only it were sobering literally as well as metaphorically.
Government ( left and right ) in the pockets of massive multinational liquor corporations and their lobbyists have their ears.
Robert G
As lefties I would expect support for the fair treatment of our citizens including good education on limiting drinking and help to give up when pregnant.
Also willingness to limit drug availability, and the end of treating alcohol especially wine as a sophisticated person’s tipple and therefore not to be belittled. Try having a glass of water first in pubs would be a good way of protecting your organs from being pickled too strongly as a first step!
Which would help mitigate climate change more – stopping a diet based around flesh and blood eating and the massive resources needed to generate that sweeping sausage or prohibiting alcohol?
Hey Ed, this is a reply to your comment above in regards to lobbying.
Now I am right with you.
The alcohol industry is one of the barriers to changing legislation around marijuana reform.
Supermarkets too, seem to have the grog all tied up.
Lobbying could be more acceptable if it was transparent and had limits around it.
Don’t panic, go organic!
Eat organic meat, and know that the animal was part of a farm organism, which uses animal manure to enrich compost for sustainable cropping.
Maybe not a climate denier, but certainly someone who puts their own selfish desires above the needs of others and the planet.
So, in other words, a neoliberal capitalist.
don’t forget the alcohol drinker – hard to tell if the demon drink took him or the excessive flesh consumption. But one thing we do know is that evil has a name now…
I think both marty. Flesh and blood eating gives protein and alcohol gives a more toxic, carbohydrate that ruins the brain and creates deficiencies in reliability in the addicted one’s working and family life.
Someone was pointing out how we have lost control of our wine industry largely to foreigners. NZs grow on contract mostly is the word. Also it uses a lot of water like dairying. And relies on elevated incomes at the upper end. Let them make homebrew when the market falls and we will grow oats on the land left vacant. This grain is a major valued one after wheat and as I understand it has lots of good things in it.
Good for my breakfast, and doesn’t lead to a red-veined nose like the big drinkers I have observed.
Actually, all indicators seem to show that New Zealanders are drinking less, not more. Off all the pubs that were open back in 1998, I would wager that only half to two thirds are still open today.
New research, which was presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s annual conference, has found that moderate drinking is linked to a longer life. Drinking about two glasses of wine or beer a day was linked to an 18% drop in a person’s risk of early death—an even stronger effect than the life-preserving practice of exercise, according to the researchers.
The bottom line
There’s still a lot scientists don’t know about drinking, but the research clearly suggest that moderation is key. While it’s smart to cut back if your drinking veers into bingeing territory, there’s likely no reason to stop drinking if you do so in small amounts — just as you probably shouldn’t feel compelled to start sipping if you don’t already.
I think I’ll stick with the age old Everything in moderation including moderation.
DTB
I think that research about moderate alcohol being good for you stands up to todays scrutiny in current studies.
Drinking every day is bad for you. It is better to have a day off after two days on or something like that. And then only have one glass. It is the sort of perfection that it would be hard to achieve.
…And it’s sadly not surprising that nearly all of the claims to freedom of expression in this country have been made in defence of racist denigration and slurs. Whether it’s a city councillor suggesting that Captain Cook should have killed more Māori in 1769, or another old white man concluding that Māori are an inferior race, their purported freedom of speech has besmirched a grand ideal with sordid small-mindedness.
…Most pleasingly, perhaps, the protesters seemed to realise that the much touted “right to offend” that is regarded as part of free speech, is often just a mask which obscures a desire to hurt and damage the most vulnerable in society. It’s the kind of spoken violence which can lead to fascism posing as freedom.
…And, as history shows, those who constructed colonisation on racist distinctions between inferior Indigenous Peoples and superior Europeans did not necessarily “hate” the people they wished to dispossess. They had simply learned that the “other” was less worthy and needed to be colonised.
The so-called humanitarian colonisers who came here in the 19th century did not necessarily “hate” Māori. Indeed, they sometimes professed to love us and simply wanted to dispossess us in a sensitive and caring way. But they “knew” we were inferior and would say so with a good faith intent.
They therefore felt free to malign us because it seemed the natural way of things in which they were entitled to rule the “lesser breeds” with a violent benevolence. Their free speech was the speech of a deceitful and illogically racist power more than an irrational hatred, and today’s racists are no different in that they seek to maintain that power at all costs.
Some may even claim to respect and want “what is best” for us, but they attack our values, our language, and even our rights because they still see them as less worthy and a threat to the privilege which colonisation has given them. Their freedom depends on limiting ours to the terms and conditions which they determine, as it always has in the whole cruel history of colonisation.
…In this country, there has long been a tradition of speaking which may be seen as a particular Māori way of exercising free speech within the rules and kawa of the marae. Thus, in every iwi and hapū the physical space of the marae has two separate but intimately connected parts — the marae ātea where the rituals and speeches of welcome generally occur under the mantle of Tūmatauenga, the atua of war, and the whare tīpuna or meeting house which is the domain of Rongo, the atua of peace.
Is that a conspiracy theory from the Maori left? That the white Europeans colonised lands because the natives where less worthy? I thought the imperialism was for resources, so they could fight-off the other Kings, Kaisers and Tsar. If it wasn’t the English, it would have been the French. And any French colony I ever saw, had dogs shitting where they shouldn’t. Pardon, but many of us Maori can still recognise a glass half full 😉
English could quickly see the Maori where equals, too strong to push around, so they did a Treaty, then slowly marginalised the natives with law, banking and all that til capitalism had full control. Ok, maybe the English where more skilled at industrial governance and finance. But the Maori are stronger on mana and all that.
There are lots of threads to the weave. Each valid because of the specific perspective and also as a whole, combined narrative.
Personally I don’t think the English were benevolent to Māori – they still stole the land and resources and tried to annihilate Te Ao Māori albiet with silk gloves on rather than their usual rusty blade.
Marty! I don’t understand your comment but would like to: which bit is bullshit? I don’t want to have given the wrong impression so would appreciate the chance to clarify.
If you are killed in 1942 by a Nazi or non Nazi German do you think you care about their naziness?
The English were NEVER the best of the bunch – their trail of misery spans the globe and adversly affected many differnt indigenous peoples. We rate the english and conform history showing how nice they were because of historic clingons.
And yes we are here and we are what we are. We are the waka and the waka is us,
Thanks, Marty. I share your view of “The English” and their/our rapacious ways/history, however…I still wonder who you would nominate to have replaced them as the incoming culture, given that there was bound to be one; the French? Portuguese? Russians? Chinese? Who, I wonder, would you welcome in place of the English?
The complication for me, is … blood. If we are to regard our genetic material as tapu, what do we say about our English toto? Can we dismiss it as not us, indulge in some selective self-hatred, or what?
Thanks, Marty. I’m sorry, I can’t follow this discussion; must be too distracted by the beautiful sunny day we are enjoying here me aku mokopuna e takaro ana around my legs and the temptation to plant out the 100 red currants I lifted yesterday from my cuttings bed…in any case, kia pai to ra e hoa.
Robert I wonder sometimes about how it would have been if French had got here and showed real, lasting interest. They still interfere from Paris in Tahitian politics but have they been worse than other countries in their style? The Portugese left Timor L’Este in a bit of a mess. Russians and China have tried to change their own political systems and lines of power, with great upheavals in the main country spreading out to their adherents.
The start of NZ was not to be a place to banish Brit criminals like Australia which seems to have left a calculating materialistic culture there. So the zeitgeist was slightly different here at the start, but Maori still had to struggle against free market business approaches, a set of legal attacks on their land owning rights, disease, rigid class systems, and an attempt to obliterate their language and culture. But the Treaty prevented a wholesale bulldozer approach by colonists. Whether the other colonising countries used this legal, or similar agreement I don’t know.
There is no easy answer – live in perfect peace and that means to be vulnerable to determined adventurers. How people are trying to find a place that they can hold as their own and not be denied a place or job in it by the whims of others who seek to possess whatever they want and dispossess those who have it.
This morning on Radionz Mediawatch there was an item on some bent pseudo-history fantasy that had been made in NZ with a mix of useful dips into the useful bits of science, mixed with supposition and factoids from informed people who can not be named because they would be chastised for leaking by their peers or families. Mediawatch got it taken down from TV on Demand – I think in their Documentary and Factual section! https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/mediawatch/audio/2018658273/seven-foot-tall-pre-maori-disappear-from-tvnz
I don’t think there’s any conspiracy theory involved in what marty is saying.
Colonisers have always found ways of morally validating their actions – they have to, otherwise the contradiction between their ethical frameworks and what they actually do, becomes too great.
There are a number of justifications – all related: christianising heathens, Darwinian inevitably of more advanced populations displacing less advanced, and cultural superiority. Technology differences are often the vector for such misconceptions – if one culture has sailing ships, astronomical instruments, steam engines, 400 years of printed books including Shakespeare and the King James bible and the other doesn’t – it is likely to mistakenly consider itself superior and do bad things.
Don Brash is the contemporary exemplar of this strand in NZ racism – the deep conviction that the Maori view of the world is pretty worthless and not worth considering
At the time of writing this, there are 11 comments in Open Mike, six by Ed and all on alcohol consumption in NZ – a subject of some concern obviously. However, my half asleep observation is that Ed supports his six comments with seven links – all to NZ mainstream media sources namely Stuff, the Herald, Scoop, and Newshub all being media that Ed continually criticises and urges us to ignore. Ummm. …
This was intended to be in the 2 thread but sorry, I am on IPad and don’t know how to move it there.
The link is to scientific experts.
Selman, Huckle, Bullen, Connor…..
I could link, using the msm, the arguments made for a pro alcohol shill, such as Leggatt.
Sorry to inconvenience you by introducing this important topic for discussion.
Debating the benefits of a plant based diet and discussing the alcoholic state of New Zealand.
These appear to be off limits subjects for some here.
This is Open Mike.
Ed does not urge people to ignore those media. What he does do is urge people to read and view them skeptically. Otherwise we end up repeating, even endorsing, fantasies and black propaganda such as “Putin put Trump into the White House”, “Criticizing Israeli crimes = antisemitism”, “Nicky Hager stole those emails”, and “New Zealand’s troops in Afghanistan are helping to keep the peace.”
THE CHIMERA OF BRITISH ANTI-SEMITISM, AND
HOW NOT TO FIGHT IT IF IT WERE REAL
by Norman G. Finkelstein, Aug. 17, 2018
The current hysteria engulfing the British Labour Party resolves itself into a pair of interrelated, if discrete, premises: Anti-Semitism in British society at large and the Labour Party in particular have reached crisis proportions. If neither of these premises can be sustained, then the hysteria is a fabrication. In fact, no evidence has been adduced to substantiate either of them; on the contrary, all the evidence points in the opposite direction. The rational conclusion is that the brouhaha is a calculated hoax—dare it be said, plot?—to oust Jeremy Corbyn and the principled leftist politics he represents from British public life.
But even if the allegations were true, the solution would still not be to curb freedom of thought in the Labour Party. At its worthiest, the Left-Liberal tradition has attached a unique, primordial value to Truth; but Truth cannot be attained if dissentients, however obnoxious, are silenced. Given the fraught history of anti-Semitism, on the one hand, and its crude manipulation by Jewish elites, on the other, an objective, dispassionate assessment could appear beyond reach. Still, it must be attempted. The prospect of a historic victory for the Left might otherwise be sabotaged as, thus far, Corbyn’s supporters, whether it be from fear, calculation, or political correctness, dare not speak the name of the evil that is afoot.
The degree of anti-Semitism infecting British society has been the subject of numerous polls over a sustained period of time. These surveys have uniformly, consistently, and unambiguously concluded that anti-Semitism (1) has long been a marginal phenomenon in British society, infecting under 10 percent of the population, (2) is far less salient than hostility to other British minorities, and (3) is less pronounced in the UK than almost anywhere else in Europe. One might suppose that settled matters. But in 2017 the British Institute for Jewish Policy Research (JPR) published a study that purportedly refined conventional wisdom by measuring the “elasticity” of anti-Semitism: that is, not just the percentage of confirmed anti-Semites, but also the prevalence of stereotypes that stigmatize Jews.[1] It found that, whereas a mere 2-5 percent of the British population can be reckoned anti-Semites, fully 30 percent harbor at least one anti-Semitic stereotype.
Before parsing the study’s data, a couple of truisms warrant recalling. First, a generalization is something that is held to be generally true; it evidently allows for exceptions. ….
Gambling, alcohol, tobacco . sugar, shit food all high profit , lots of money for the corrupt that run the place.
I heard Kim Hill interview a guy on depression yesterday and he made a lot of sense but then he mentioned possible link between mental ill health and processed food and I thought , well that’s the last we’ll hear of you .
I also see that anti psychotics use is on the rise sounds like a win win for to high profit industries.
What nonsense. Firstly the antipsychotics in question that are prescribed in this setting olanazpine, quetiapine and risperidone sell all of 280k, 290k and 113k per annum all via generic pharmaceutical companies so hardly very profitable, secondly to suggest that processed foods are involved in the mix of antipsychotic Rxing is frankly bullshit.
Do you think it all getting too weird and wonderful McFlock! Nobody can afford to do anything without thinking about it these days.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/insight/audio/2018658561/insight-foetal-alcohol-damaging-baby-brains
Women drinking before and all during their pregnancies have to have someone look after their maimed babies with foetal alcohol syndrome and who require huge amounts of patience, sometimes they will almost destroy a house in one of their rampages, and to move beyond this can be helped but cannot cope with anything but certainty and regular timetables.
So recreational sex for them? Only if they have a hysterectomy or a long-term contraceptive implanted. The world is at a dangerous point climatically and in numbers and government has sold itself to the money grubbers. We can;t afford to be casual all the time and not try to help ourselves. The world is having disasters, wars, refugees, huge suffering and we cry when we have pin pricks of controls imposed.
I’m not saying women should drink all through pregnancy, no. But a teetotal, vegan, celibate society sounds bloody awful, to me at least. Tobacco-free is irritating enough.
Mcflock
I am beginning to question the importance of being so controlled as at present when not strictly necessary. Do you feel we are living in a ‘should’ society of semi-puritans? It is like the doctor that wants to stop the 80 year old from drinking whiskey – it’s bad for you. Reply, what the hell – what have I got to lose is appropriate I think.
Song from long time ago – Enjoy yourself it’s later than you think, Enjoy yourself while youre still in the pink.
Not only does she twist the truth she amps the conspiracy angle.
is there any gallery journalist who unabashed acts so consistently as a national party ‘operative’.
Not a squeak about why the big jump overall in nationals expenses in the last 3 months. or even if personal use of Crown limos should be curtailed and it only be for parliamentary business ( which wouldnt have excluded Bridges regional tour) . of course a follow up question could have been have you used a limo for a private night out ?
As a quiz fan, I have just heard about Brit Eggheads this has been going for decades.
On youtube – great fun. Minimum of fancy stuff – well staged.
I have thought of a different line to those concentrating on running in marathons (or acquiring lots of dosh and baubles) till it fills their whole lives and thoughts. What about –
‘Be in the human race, where clever people work out to help themselves along with each other and our home – the planet, to reach the finishing line and outwit the machines through exploiting their weak points, not trying to outrun them (because we never can).’
She’s one switched on lady. The best thing to do in labor is to keep active, keep moving, which makes baby come quicker. The worst thing to do is sit around, making labor longer.
Thinking of Julie-Anne today. All the best beautiful lady 🙂
Yes Greens looking to the future and will no doubt ensure that women in far suth can have a birthing unit with reach of a fairly short drive through bad weather conditions, and so no closing of birthing units.
All the best to Julie Anne G and baby and partner too!!
I’d like to see mandatory community service for every executive in charge of a company that has a worker death on their watch . Money is not enough.
Then if management are found to be responsible by ignoring safety then they serve time in prison as well as fair compensation to the families, and thus sending a message to the executives in charge of corporations that one death is too many deaths.
Also with construction. If the building falls aka CTV style, then whoever was in charge of the companies at the time of building have to do community service no matter what and then other charges just come on top.
Also like to see an automatic payment to the family of the dead worker of $50k straight away to help them, without any litigation having to have to take place, and years going by and any compensation eaten up by lawyers anyway. Then other cost on top.
Thanks Ed (13) … Whittall is a totally unscrupulous man, no compassion or decency whatsoever!
From one of “guilt free” Whittall’s statements …
** My coping mechanism has always been to talk to my family. I have never sought professional psychological assistance, but I have sought the assistance of my family and I have a wonderful wife.”**
How fortunate for him, when so many who lost loved ones through the Pike River tragedy, don’t have the benefit of having the opportunity to communicate with their spouses or sons at their time of need. They still lay buried in the mine!
Come to think of it now with the benefit of hindsight, looking back at Pike River spokesman Whittall’s comments to media at the time of the mine explosion, they came across as rehearsed, false and totally without empathy or compassion towards the grieving families! In other words, what he said was absolute BS! Betrayal of the bereaved at the highest level!
Hey Whittall can observe and truthfully tell about it! It is human nature to bklame someone. And fair enough, if they are found responsible for a bad outcome because of negligence or of not caring about the reasonable safety conditions expected in modern mines.
On Friday a friend of mine was feeling guilty because she wasn’t contactable for a few hours when someone close to her had a bereavement.
She knew that it was just one of those things – she’s almost always contactable, shit just happened at the worst time. But she felt guilty because she wasn’t there to support her friend.
It’s human nature to feel guilt for things you didn’t do – to go over whether there’s anything you could have done. And, speaking from experience, that stays with you.
I just hope that his claims of being “guilt free” are denial and part of a slow healing process, not a reflection on his character. 29 people he was responsible for died. That should effect any normal human permanently, even if whatever happened wasn’t directly his fault. Not permanently crippling, but to not feel any guilt at all sounds callous.
Elizabeth Warren has a big idea that challenges how the Democratic Party thinks about solving the problem of inequality.
Instead of advocating for expensive new social programs like free college or health care, she’s introducing a bill Wednesday, the Accountable Capitalism Act, that would redistribute trillions of dollars from rich executives and shareholders to the middle class — without costing a dime.
Warren’s plan starts from the premise that corporations that claim the legal rights of personhood should be legally required to accept the moral obligations of personhood.
I am sure they will go down a treat in the land of the free. I would say it is about as viable as Warren passing a DNA test for her Cherokee blood line If she wants other forms of ownership than capital go start a workers cooperative or other form of enterprise. The whole idea of capitalism is for capital to be attracted to the best opprtunity not simply reinvest for reinvestment sake in a firm, hence shareholders reinvest elsewhere If firm does not have viable internal investment options, thus allowing the most efficient use of capital Similarly capitalism forces the firm and it manager to perform or see a falling share price and threat of take over Putting artificial constraints on this as warren proposed would simply weaken US firms competitiveness to that of crony capitalism countries
Gosh bewildered. I get that feeling when I read your comments. This is a left leaning blog and you seem more right. Left in latin I think is sinister and I feel that is how you view us. Am I wrong?
A Gisborne District councillor says she’s disappointed by an apology she received about racially inappropriate comments she says were made at an official meeting.
Meredith Akuhata-Brown said she was at a council meeting when she heard two of her colleagues joking that not enough Māori had been killed during early encounters with James Cook.
At first, Ms Akuhata-Brown said she could not quite believe what she had heard.
“Stunned silence to be honest. I had just dealt with some other issues and had been away overseas talking about tolerance etcetera, so I was quite shocked,” she said.
“I guess now, when I look back, I wish I had’ve said something, but I was just shocked.”
Here is a interesting read in the fires in Sweden and California and how some of the main firefighters are saying is the cause of CC which is now causing them to rethink on how to fight fires IRT CC. Old Mr Dump is blaming the environmental policies of the California State Government, but the firies are saying this is about CC not the States environmental policies.
But I will say this if people are going to live in the bush you must have a bush fire emergency plan weather you intend to go or stay and fight and once you are committed to your COA then stick to your plan and don’t leave it to the last minute if you change your mind as it will be to late.
Good morning The AM Show well te sandflys are still giving me Mana.
Yes Duncan I seen these moves all the time shillary tryed it to and TVNZ 1 deserves what they get new management needed there I say. Ana to kai.
Good game this weekend Mark looks like you need to play a couple with yours and Mulls game on the Crowd goes Wild Ka kite ano shillary try a few moves against ECO MAORI failed
Many thanks to the NRL for have a indigenous League competition this is the new way winning of Papatuanukue to celebrate te tangata whenua ECO MAORI Says all country’s should celebrate there tangata whenua we look at te Mokopunas future and Papatuanukue future differently we are more environmently conscious back to the League Ka pai Australia League Ka kite ano link below
This is why I Back Elon Mus because you have this person and his administration and the Go/Pro Oil Party who don’t give a—–about the Mokopunas or Papatuanukue future they are just on a Huge power grab link is Below.
This is the reality of the people who trump have in his defence team and administration and he wonders why most people are flipping him the Bird link below Ka kite ano.
Here we go the state suppression machine at work behind closed doors
Why have the statetues of Egypt had all there nose cut off because they are African nose the Powers that be do want to admit that It was Africas who founded one of the first great civilisation of Papatuanukue.
I also don’t agree that tangata whenua arrived in Atoearoa 800 years ago this is a direct oppression of Maori cant have these savages know that they were sailing around Papatuanukue thousands of years before the elete class was still hugging the coast line. They say we wiped out the giant Mour in a hundred years year right it would have taken 200 years at least. I Believe in some of the story’s. To not believe some of the evidence is to have total trust that man is not decfull and we can see that a few will do what ever it takes to keep power. So the probability of Atoearoa history beening suppred is 100% from ECO MAORI views and the reality of how some people have to be woken up to these facts link below Ka kite ano
There you go A small community has the saloution to our problems of waste They have been working on it for 18 years they are the biggest employer of the community Ka kite ano link below
Mana wahine here’s a lady who is not afraid to speak out about the bad parts to there culture the men can do what they want and the ladies are treated as property ka pai
Ka kite ano link below
Good evening Newshub that’s awesome Mp pay freeze Ka pai
Looks like our Australian cousin don’t want to drop there Paris climate changes commitment’s Ka pai Australian voter’s think about your mokopunas future’s
Yes we have to look after OUR elderly some people treat them like a commodity they deserve to be treated with respect .
There you go Mike this intense Papatuanuku weather is all part of Te human caused Global Warming some idiots are still denying these fact’s that we are seeing in reality .
That’s one reason why Eco Maori love’s Aotearoa no snakes not many animals that can cause harm besides human’s that is.
Ka kite ano P.S still trying to sort out our moko health issuse
The Crowd Goes Wild Jame’s and Mull”s It was a good game of Rugby this weekend .
Good run down on the League game .
That was a huge crash at te car racing I missed what comp it is lol Drifting looked good run by Mad Mike did you say
Ka kite ano
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Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Asia Pacific Report A score of Palestine solidarity protesters draped themselves in white shrouds with mock blood in a sombre “die-in” demonstration at Te Komitanga Square — the heart of Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city — today as speakers urged people to take a stronger boycott against Israeli products. The ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Tackling violence against women will be the sole agenda item for a national cabinet meeting Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has convened for Wednesday. The meeting, held remotely, follows thousands of Australians attending rallies across ...
The protest outside the White House correspondents’ dinner hotel. Image: Anatolu video screenshot APR More than two dozen Palestinian journalists had called for a boycott of the dinner, writing an open letter urging their American colleagues not to attend. “You have a unique responsibility to speak truth to power and ...
“Our exporters should, therefore, be deeply concerned that the Fast-track Approvals Bill was not assessed for consistency with any of our free trade commitments prior to being introduced to the House,” says Gary Taylor, Chief Executive of the Environmental ...
NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff is calling on all political parties to support the new Member’s Bill from Labour’s workplace relations and safety spokesperson Camilla Belich MP that would ensure negligent companies are held accountable when their employees ...
A historian with an uncanny track record of predicting US election winners tells RNZ's Sunday Morning that President Biden looks to be on track for another term, but things could still go very wrong for him. ...
A historian with a track record of predicting US election winners tells RNZ's Sunday Morning that President Biden looks to be on track for another term, but things could still go wrong for him. ...
Ngaio Marsh House is one of Christchurch’s best kept secrets – and contains more than a few mysteries of its own.Trust Ngaio Marsh to leave more than a few mysteries scattered through her house long after her departure. For a start, there’s the curious concrete portal in the garden, ...
Appointment viewing has been lost to the mists of time, but memories of Montana Sunday Theatre can still be conjured by hitting play on a particular piece of classical music. “You’re not going to be able to sell it.” Over 30 years on, Karen Bieleski still recalls how the task ...
Performance Review King Luxon sat behind His massive polished oak desk. It is Performance Review time. There is a knock on the door. “Enter!” says the King. In steps Minister of Disabilities and Carer Pedicures, Penny Simmonds. “I can explain everything …” she begins. “Fine,” says King Luxon, pressing the ...
The pair opened their first fully collaborative exhibition, Nina for Flowers, last Saturday. Gabi Lardies visited their studio to find out who Nina is and what working together was like.‘It didn’t start out like, ‘This is a show about Nina,’” says Josephine Jelicich, gripping a thermos of peppermint tea. ...
Thank you, Dr Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner, for your brilliant invention. I’m another mid-20s Kiwi who had an OE last year. I hopped on my bicycle where France meets the Atlantic and cycled east. I pedalled through the Loire Valley, down rivers lined with willows and ancient wisteria-draped chateaus. I relished ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
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Some big issues are going to be thrashed out at the Green Party conference.
Should MPs have the right to dissent from the party line without being thrown out of parliament?
Should Party caucus’s have the right to over rule the membership?
The battle lines are being drawn between those who want to give power to the executives to ignore their membership, and give power to the executives to expel dissenting MPs. And between those who want to protect the right of the membership and parliamentary dissenters to be heard.
Free speech is a topical hot potato out in society, but also inside parliament, and also, inside the Green Party.
Yesterday Pete George related a quote from Nandor Tanczos;
Like PG I think it is noteworthy that Tanczos has made this comment in the current political environment. It has not come out of a vacuum.
Tanczos comment was made against a background of debate inside the Green Party, over caucus over ruling the membership.
And especially as the Green Party’s caucus’s decision to back the NZ First’s Waka Jumping Bill, which is also an infringement of free speech in parliament, because it gives party executives the right to over rule MPs right to free speech under threat of expulsion from parliament.
Most Green Party members, (And apparently, at least three leading Green Party ex-MPs), believe that these two things, are an attack on parliamentary and party democracy.
And they are right.
But I would go further than this, and argue that both these two things put together actually spell the end of the Green Party, at least as far as being a parliamentary force, by limiting the Green Party’s ability to lobby and influence other MPs to support the issues that they hold dear.
(Principally the protection of the biosphere from the multiple assaults from the corporate polluters, whose well funded lobbyists have the ear of the bigger parties.)
I don’t think it goes too far, to say that these two changes will see the Green Party caucus captured by the bigger parties. And the end of any minority dissenting political voice in parliament.
I would go even further to suggest that these two changes will accelerate the traditional process of smaller parties becoming shaded out and marginalised by the bigger more conservative parties in parliament. A process which eventually leads to voter collapse for the smaller party.
Waka Jumping: Former MPs hope Greens conference will make party pull support
HENRY COOKE – @stuff.co.nz, August 18, 2018
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/106380985/waka-jumping-former-mps-hopes-greens-conference-will-make-party-pull-support
They should stop debating this meaningless process crap and start really celebrating their significant successes within this government. Shaw did a useful job of it yesterday. Shaw and Sage have been the people delivering actual policy results. The Greens will do better than 5% if they do a better job of showing how effective they are.
For once I agree with you Ad about the “meaningless crap” Waka bill. Yes “technically” it might curb individual rights but when looked at the practical reality, without the Waka jumping bill it was used in more destructive ways to reduce democracy and bribe or manipulate the electoral process and balance of power. We have plenty of examples!
Hopefully the significant successes are still to come, but the Greens are in government which should be celebrated and hopefully they and Labour and NZ First can work together to make a much greater positive environmental impact as well as start reversing the effects of devastating Natz social and environmental policy over the past decade.
Hi Ad,
I know for a fact that some New Zealand First MPs are drawn to some Green Party positions on the environment. And at least a couple have some quite progressive views, especially around climate change.
The Waka Jumping Bill clearly targets the Greens. The Waka Jumping Bill will act to curb any influence the Greens may have on other MPs in parliament, who may harbour some sympathy for their views. Under threat of dismissal by their executives, no NZ First or Labour MP will want to take up a position that supports a Green position against their Party’s position.
But even you Ad, must realise that the Green Party’s ability to be effective in swaying parliament from a minority position will be harmed by the Waka Jumping Bill.
Any MPs from any of the other parties who might be convinced of supporting a Green Party bill, on any issue that their executive disagrees with, can now be disciplined or threatened by that executive if they don’t fall into line.
And as history has proved, a minor Party that cannot get any wins on the board will be seen as ineffective and a wasted vote even by their own supporters.
If this bill is used to its full extent against the Green Party by the other governing parties, I can see the Green’s effectiveness in influencing parliament being severely curtailed.
If, as you maintain Ad, the Green Party’s electoral success is going to be measured by how “effective they are” then by this measure their vote must go down, not up.
NZF and Labour are the only parties with major defections. Not Greens.
Labour went through 6 years debating member V MP “rights” and it was electoral disaster. Learn our lessons.
If all they are going to do is debate process, they will be equated as disunited. Exactly as Hooten predicted last week.
They’re actually there to support their party’s position – not their position.
No it won’t.
Wrong.
The support will happen in the background. The Green Executive is supporting the Waka Jumping bill because they’ve got wins elsewhere from NZ1st.
The Green Party is getting ‘wins’ all over the freaking show and they’re not being quiet about it so why do you think that they’re not getting anywhere? Too busy consulting with your navel?
I’m pretty sure that that can’t happen.
Which is you talking out your arse.
The Greens have got wins from this. Wins that they wouldn’t have got if they’d not supported it through.
And remember, the majority of people support this legislation and so the Greens are more likely to get even more support from the populace because their support of it.
In relation to that, how would it apply to the Green party with 2 co-leaders?
Say a situation arose whereby both co-leaders wern’t happy with each other and sought a 2/3 caucus majority to expel each other from Parliament – what then?
This law makes the taking of political vengeance out of the voters hands and places it in the hands of any errant dictator who holds the leadership of a party.
It really is the ‘World according to Winston’ and it is sad that the long principled Green party is aiding and abetting this legislative paranoia.
From now on, if you aspire to be an MP, you must do so under the duress that you are accountable to voters once every three years but beholden to your party leader every day of every year.
Its government but it ain’t democracy.
/agreed
Agreed
List mps have to get the arse from parliament if they leave the party
Electorate mps get to stay .
It us that simple .
Hi Waghorn,
I would argue that even list MPs have been put in their positions by a democratic process, and should only be removed by a democratic process, and not by fiat from the executive.
That the democratic process that list MPs are chosen on, is an internal party one, makes it no less a democratic process.
And that in fact they do have a mandate that they represent through that process.
A list MP, (even just by the very nature of their method of selection), who may be more in-touch with the feelings of the grass roots party membership. When it comes to a difference, or dispute between Party and caucus, might feel moved to defy the executive and stand with the membership. In that situation, for this to be grounds for the executive to dismiss that MP from parliament would clearly be undemocratic.
If the executive or caucus really do have an issue with a list MP then they should only be allowed to put it back to the membership for a decision on whether or not that MP be sacked from parliament.
whatever you think of the waka jumping bill, Shaw and co are in the business of government, while Jeanette Fitzsimons and Sue Bradford are in the business of giving virtuoso performances as to why they were not.
“Shaw and co are in the business of government…”
Largely due the earlier party building groundwork laid by people like Fitzsimons and Bradford.
And if Shaw and co want to stay in the business of government, they must remember they have to keep the wider party on board.
You are right . Big but . Imagine if labour and nzf were only one seat ahead of nact. How easy would it be for the nats to destabilise and even pull down the gov . The same goes for a rogue list mp(I’m not forgetting the greens this is just a scenario)
For the good of mmp waka jumping or dismissed list mps must leave parliament if they quit or are fired from their party .
Hi Waghorn.
Jeanette Fitzsimmons argues against your premise, because she feels that the Labour and New Zealand MPs would back away from this bill, and wouldn’t take the risk of crashing the government. And that if the Green Party Caucus refused to be intimidated by NZ First and Labour, and instead mustered the courage to call their bluff, they would not take the risk of crashing the government by pushing this bill through against Green Party opposition.
But it’s not just about crashing the gummint is it? NZF have supported a lot of environmental stuff that they can’t be happy with and there will be more. A dysfunctional government would be just as disastrous.
And none more “unhappy”, than climate change denier and fossil fuel fan boy, Shane Jones.
But, I think Solkta that you are wrong, “there will be more”. This bill will help ensure there isn’t.
Which will bring a smile back to Shane’s face.
You don’t think there will be any more environmental policy this term? How will the Greens supporting this bill mean they won’t achieve anything more? You make no sense.
Makes perfect sense.
The Waka Jumping Bill makes no sense except as a means to keep the Greens in line.
Being the smallest partner in a three Party coalition, the Green Party can only get policy through with the support of other progressive or sympathetic MPs outside of their party.
Well that ain’t gonna happen now that their executives can threaten to chuck them out, if they dare depart from the party line to support a Green Party policy, either in Committee, or on the Floor of the House.
Meaning of course, that for the most part no Green Party policy will ever see the light of day.
And the Greens will disappear into irrelevancy, becoming little more than a dead end appendix attached to the side of the mainstream legislative digestive system. Maybe getting a little inflamed now and then, resulting in a little bit of heartburn. But on the whole manageable, and longer term on the waiting list for an appointment to be prepped to be completely excised, come 2020.
Yes that’s right, because there is this large group of National MPs who are rearing to cross the floor at any opportunity they can to support Green policy.
Meanwhile, a good relationship between coalition partners allows for each coalition agreement to be met.
My guess is that Jeanette Fitzsimons will be copying the Shane Jones look today.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/103068858/photo-says-it-all-how-shane-jones-reacted-to-governments-oil-news
That is not a valid position.
This isn’t the Greens giving in and getting nothing for it. They’ve got wins elsewhere for their support. NZ1st get this win, Greens get a win elsewhere and we end up with a functioning government rather than one that can’t do anything.
“This isn’t the Greens giving in and getting nothing for it. They’ve got wins elsewhere for their support.”
Can you show me where the Greens have stated that?
And if that is the case, why did they lie and say their hands were tied?
Internal emails.
They didn’t lie.
First they stated they inadvertently accepted it in their agreement with Labour. So I don’t see NZF unnecessarily giving anything up.
Then they stated their hands were tied as they were bound by their agreement. Which turned out to be a lie. Now you are claiming they said they secured wins, which seems to me to be another lie.
The Chairman, who pretends to support The Greens and wish them well, repeats his claim that “The Greens lied”, over and over.
He
is
not
a
supporter
of
The Greens.
It’s not just my claim Robert, it’s a reported fact.
https://pro.newsroom.co.nz/articles/3760-bryce-edwards-the-process-of-the-waka-jumping-bill-shows-why-we-shouldn-t-trust-politicians
Calls something a “reported fact”. Links to an opinion piece.
Does the coalition agreement explicitly state they have to vote for it? No.
Does “good faith” imply that if the other party in an agreement wants a particular thing very strongly, and you only oppose it moderately, that in “good faith” you might concede that point to preserve the relationship? In some circumstances, it can.
I was referring to the fact within – i.e. the advice given to the Greens from the Cabinet Office.
Which states good faith is a political statement around how the Greens endeavour to work with the Government. It commits them to work through areas of concern in good faith, but does not bind them to support everything set out in the Labour/New Zealand First coalition agreement.
Therefore, when the Greens told us they were bound by the agreement, they lied.
And while cheerleaders like Robert are happy to accept them lying, a number of us aren’t.
Not collapse the government. That’s right. Greens have signed an agreement that says negioate in good faith. Refusing to negotiate is the exact opposite of good faith.
The reality is the signed agreement is there. Sure life wout continue but just one NZF mp jumps the Waka and greens would never be in government again. Do they really want to start the first year in a government showing exactly why they were locked out during the 2000s.
This business about whether a politican lied or not. If a politician said they never lied then you would know that was a lie. Making a big deal about one changing their mind or finding that it wasn’t politic to continue is not a big problem unless someone deeply supercilious, great word, decides it is and makes a ‘federal case’ out of it.
The Greens lied to their supporters to help them sallow what many deemed to be a dead rat.
And the consequence of that is they have now hurt their credibility.
Moreover, they’ve been caught out lying, yet there has been no public apology, which further damages their character, values, thus brand.
That’s because they don’t understand the real problem – parliamentary politics doesn’t actually work the way that they believe it works.
The Green Party MPs are now in a position where they’re having to make decisions faster than consultation with the party members allows. They’re also going to have to make compromises and deals that don’t fully uphold the agreed position of the party. Especially when what consultation does happen brings about a stalemate which is what happened in this case (Which actually means that the original position is not as hard and fast as some in the party believed).
Yes, I’m aware that the Green Party makes decisions by consensus but what percentage of members were actually part of that consensus?
The Waka Jumping Bill should go through because some 80% of the population support it. A majority of National’s members support it as well but National leaders and MPs are fully against it and so the party will vote against it in block including the ones who are for it. And they won’t have this public hoohaa going on.
Party politics requires a party MP to tow the party line which will be against what some in the party want including some of those MPs.
This is why I think we need Participatory Democracy. Where the will of the majority rules and not the clique in parliament. Parliament would still be there but they’d be there to enact what the majority decide and not what they personally think.
I don’t think PG rates as an authority on socialist revolutions of any kind – fascist ones being more his métier.
“The battle lines are being drawn between those who want to give power to the executives to ignore their membership, and give power to the executives to expel dissenting MPs. And between those who want to protect the right of the membership and parliamentary dissenters to be heard”
Yet, party co-leaders Shaw and Davidson said they were simply reviewing all of the party’s “documents”.
Going off that comment re Shaw and Davidson, it seems the so-called leader of the left faction (Davidson) is also aligning against the membership on this one.
Makes one wonder what else is it the caucus wants to do that they know the wider membership won’t like?
Unlike Labour, National and NZF, the Greens do not need a Waka jumping bill, because we can simply remove MP’s by vote/consensus, if we wish.
Democracy.
What’s your take on Shaw and Davidson reviewing all of the party’s “documents” and Fitzsimmons concern?
I don’t think it’s going to help reunite the party.
I don’t think listening to concern trolls is going to help in any way.
I’m not as familiar with the waka-jumping bill as I should be, and I’m wary of it when in view of the pedigree of some who oppose it, but I would point out that when NZ first MPs left their party under the Shipley ministry, and when Alamein Kopu left the Alliance party, the result was precisely this propping up of the larger parties that you fear the waka-jumping legislation will foster.
Alcohol is a significant carcinogen.
Stop drinking.
“The biggies are really smoking and alcohol. Both tobacco smoke and alcoholic beverages are classified by the IARC as Group 1A: that’s “carcinogenic to humans”. In other words, there’s no doubt about it. Other things in this category include arsenic, asbestos and plutonium.
We have a big blind spot about alcohol; we know how bad it is for us, but we don’t want to hear it or do anything about it. Nevertheless, alcohol is linked with at least seven cancers, and the level of drinking that increases our cancer risk is lower than we’d probably like to hear. The less we drink, really, the better. ”
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=12107518
Stop drinking.
Professor Doug Selman is an expert on the matter.
He has been Director of the National Addiction Centre, Christchurch School of Medicine & Health Sciences since its inception in 1996 and Professor within the University of Otago since 2006.
He says the following.
“Alcohol is a cause of cancers of the mouth, throat, oesophagus, liver, large bowel and breast, and quite possibly the pancreas, prostate and melanoma as well, although the evidence for these others is not as strong at this point. These were the conclusions of a large international meta-analysis, involving 572 separate studies, published in the British Journal of Cancer.
The really important point that Connor makes is that many of the cases of these alcohol-related cancers occur in moderate drinkers, ie they are not confined to people with severe alcoholism.”
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/83179106/Doug-Sellman-An-irresponsible-alcohol-industry-is-doing-its-best-to-confuse
With the rate of price increases on cigarettes over the last decade, I’d argue that tax increases are more effective in bringing overall rates of use down.
https://www.smokefree.org.nz/smoking-its-effects/facts-figures
For cigarettes, a decade ago 16% of 15-17 year olds smoked, now it’s 4%.
Also the social assistance through spatial regulation and quit programmes is really strong.
I’d be very keen to hear from people who’ve modelled the effect of tax increases on alcohol consumption.
Dr John Marsden agrees with you.
“You [could] probably double the tax, in the case of tobacco what we’ve done… is push the taxed component up to more than half of the total retail price, well it would be sensible to do the same with alcohol,” he said.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2018/08/new-zealand-needs-to-double-tax-on-alcohol-economist.html
I think we need to tackle product labelling, advertising and availability as well.
http://www.lawcom.govt.nz/sites/default/files/projectAvailableFormats/NZLC%20R114.pdf
I’d group alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco under one regime and tax the bejeesus out of them at a common rate, and have a common age of consent to buy and to use at 21.
21: your birthday to get truly wasted at.
That would be more useful than different labels that no-one gives a damn about.
Good points made.
More evidence.
The New Zealand Medical Association.
“Despite its normalisation in society, alcohol is not an ordinary commodity. It is a toxin, an intoxicant and an addictive psychotropic drug. As such, its sale and supply is subject to regulation in virtually every country. The current regulatory environment for the sale and supply of alcohol in New Zealand is not doing enough to protect New Zealanders from alcohol-related harms.”
‘New Zealand: Where alcohol is normalised – and that means more drinking.
Boozing has become normalised in New Zealand, and that means it’s likely we’ll drink more – and at higher risk levels, new research says.
One of the study’s authors, Massey University’s Docter Taisia Huckle, said: “What does normalisation look like? It looks like New Zealand.
“We have a situation where alcohol is completely normalised in society, through advertising, marketing and availability, alcohol is reasonably priced.”
School children could walk past three liquor outlets on the way to school or see advertising on social media, she said.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/104684246/new-zealand-where-alcohol-is-normalised–and-that-means-more-drinking
The facts stand out.
‘The Ministry of Health estimates that over 780,000 adults are hazardous drinkers. Statistics NZ figures show the drinking habits for more than a third of people aged 18-24 could be potentially hazardous – regularly consuming six more drinks in a single session.
Dr Jackson warns there’s been an increase in hazardous drinking every year since 2011, and says it’s increased by more than 50 percent among those aged 45 to 64 years.
As well as this, hazardous drinking in the 66-74-year age group more than doubled from 2011/12 to 2015/16.
“Our older drinkers are some of the heaviest drinkers in the world,” she says.
This drinking has a chilling effect our health system. During the 2016-2017 financial year, 4070 people were hospitalised due to their alcohol consumption.’
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/06/new-zealand-reaches-crisis-point-with-drinking.html
So why do so many New Zealanders still drink?
They are brainwashed.
‘Despite multiple reports over many years of the damage that alcohol is inflicting on individuals and communities, including the critical issue of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder risk, little real action is occurring, according to the authors.
“It is as if the New Zealand population has been brainwashed and in the grips of a mass social delusion – viewing alcohol as a harmless recreational product which enhances quality of life, and thinking if you are not regularly consuming the tonic you are clearly not part of the cool and successful social mainstream, and possibly a rather ‘iffy’ member of society.”
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1807/S00122/time-for-government-action-on-reducing-alcohol-related-harm.htm
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/105735528/calls-for-bold-government-action-as-study-reveals-drinking-habits-of-pregnant-kiwi-women
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/105735528/calls-for-bold-government-action-as-study-reveals-drinking-habits-of-pregnant-kiwi-women
“Why do so many New Zealanders still drink?”
One of the reasons is it is social lubricant.
What health benefits are there from several belly laughs?
I am nursing a hangover this morning from a very long and civilised four course lunch with friends in Titirangi yesterday that did the whole shooting match – beer & cocktails, aperitifs, champagne, various bottles of wine with different courses, dessert wine, brandy, and then (quelle horreur!) more liquor & furtively smoked tobacco based products on the porch. The whole affair took us five hours before the taxis came and carried off the guests in a number of greater or lesser state of hors de combat.
It was a splendid day.
🙂
Yes, it will eventually kill us but then again, ultimately so does the calendar.
I am glad you had a nice day.
However, there are known externalities to alcohol consumption.
We cannot just dismiss them.
http://www.ahw.org.nz/Portals/5/Resources/pdf/Violence_F_Sheet.pdf
Well done.
It’s great to push the boat out from time to time.
I was more referring to quiet drink with a colleague after work.
I get kiwi can have a major issue with alcohol abuse.
I was responding to the notion that there is no upside to consuming alcohol based on my experiences.
I am reluctant to confess that I have become smitten with home brewing cider.
The latest being a wonderful hopped chilli cider.
I had to give up home brewing on account of the impact my fine stouts were having on my liver and waistline.
Now I have bees as a hobby, they obligingly make lots of honey for me, which makes for excellent Xmas presents.
I have not troubled to record the opinion of the bees on this matter.
To sanctuary above, when you say bees, I think mead…
All the hectoring in the world about cancer and other non-immediate consequences aren’t going to overcome the fact that consuming alcohol gives rise to pleasurable experiences.
But the one observation that prompted me to stop the alcohol except for occasional social functions is that I sleep much much better if I haven’t had a drink. I doubt I’m unique in that respect.
For once I agree with you. We did full 3 course dinner at home in celebration of several things. A hangover today and the chance of cancer in the future was well worth it.
Better to enjoy this life than try and spend every minute worrying.
Doug sellman is the worst kind of academic. Becoming an expert for the sole purpose of banging on about something that the majority of people enjoy and use responsibly and trying to demonise normal behaviour.
Does an economist persuade you then?
‘Alcohol harm more than triple the cost of all Treaty claims so far – economist.
Optimistic numbers show that more than half of the alcohol drunk in New Zealand is harmful – costing each New Zealander $1635 a year.
That cost – which annually dwarfs money paid out for Treaty of Waitangi settlements – didn’t even factor in “intergenerational harm”, which would push the number higher still, Berl principal economist Ganesh Nana said.
Nana presented his figures to a Te Papa conference on who should pay for the harm of alcohol.
That harm in New Zealand was $7.8 billion annually compared to $2.2b spent on Treaty of Waitangi settlements since the 1990s, he said.
He found alcohol-related harm cost every New Zealander $1635 each per year.
“Lost production of labour is costing us $3.3b a year, health costs combined with road crashes $860 million and alcohol-fuelled crime $1.1b a year.”
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/106343048/alcohol-harm-more-than-triple-the-cost-of-all-treaty-claims-so-far–economist
Optimistic numbers show that more than half of the alcohol drunk in New Zealand is harmful
I’m sure a good Merlot is not in that half.
Yes we celebrated Simon’s 17th birthday, the one teacher to 30,000 kid idea, and the fact the party hasn’t completely imploded last night too.
When you like to gamble it serves to know the risks. Out of interest, do you have an idea, approximate is fine, what the lifetime risks are for developing and dying from cancer? You may not like the answer …
“Yes, it will eventually kill us but then again, ultimately so does the calendar.”
I guess herion users could say the same thing. And people who surf the roofs of trains or play Russian Roulette. Thrills n spills!
I have a friend who was huffing and puffing in the gym one day and he asked his personal trainer if any of it would extend his life beyond a fairly inflexible pre-determined genetic end point. His personal trainer said yes, it would would – up to ten years if he tried hard. But the trouble is, it is all at the wrong end.
None of us are here for more than a blink in the eye of eternity. The world is a great place and the delights of Dionysus are part of it, enjoy it while you can because in the worlds of J M Keynes, in the long run we are all dead.
Sanctuary, yes, on a personal level, but as Ed points out, it’s bigger than that: the issue of young mothers drinking alcohol then producing babies suffering from fatal alcohol syndrome must give you pause to think that as a social trend, burgeoning alcohol consumption could do with some focus from us all; yes?
“…he issue of young mothers drinking alcohol then producing babies suffering from fatal alcohol syndrome must give you pause to think that as a social trend, burgeoning alcohol consumption could do with some focus from us all; yes? …”
No, not really. Alcohol abuse is endemic to all societies.
We all know how to deal with this issue. Ban supermarket sales, bring in minimum pricing, restrict the number of off-licence outlets and control their opening hours – say, close them all between 9pm and 12am and all day Sunday. Until then, nothing much will change, and until a politician proposes such measures I have given up worrying about it.
We don’t have that mythical drinking culture they chattering classes strive for. And anyway as i said, it is just a myth. Those southern Europeans the travelling middle class so admire get as pissed as any German or Anglo-Saxon. Who hasn’t been woken up by a braying donkey under a blazing sun in an Olive grove, suffering a blinding hangover, after to much beer, Ouzo and Retsina with the locals in a lovely Cretan taverna?* They were drinking too, you know.
We just mistake their lack of violence when plonked for moderation.
Personally, i would like to see more research on why we are so violent when drunk.
*OK, so that might have just been me. I was young, give me a break.
A member of the Titirangi elite.
It’s worrying how much in denial people are.
We have a crisis folks.
Pretending we don’t doesn’t make it go away.
How many more deaths?
How many more babies with foetal alcohol syndrome?
How many more suicides?
How many more rapes?
How much more domestic violence?
How many more car crashes?
How many more hospitalisations?
Before the complacency ends.
Something tells me the bourgeoisie will not listen and continue to sup.
There’s quite a few of us here.
We’re like the leftie X-Files.
Are you saying that we have august personages in Titirangi blogging here? I don’t understand your brief reference. Is it in-language between yourself and another elite who are slumming here?
More belly laughs….
“Conservatively, it’s thought 600 children are born in New Zealand every year with some form of brain damage caused by their mother drinking alcohol, often before they even knew they were pregnant. But many experts think the real number.”
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/insight/audio/2018658561/insight-foetal-alcohol-damaging-baby-brains
Oh wow. You found a new hobby-horse, rode it to death, and started flogging the corpse. All in one sub-thread.
Actually, I linked anyone interested to a variety of experts in the field on a serious issue facing this country.
Thanks for your entirely negative put down response.
This is Open Mike.
Ed. That makes sobering reading and while it could be argued you over did the messaging, your research shows how serious the issue is for New Zealanders and individuals who drink alcohol, even at moderate levels. I found this passage especially chilling:
“Dr Jackson warns there’s been an increase in hazardous drinking every year since 2011, and says it’s increased by more than 50 percent among those aged 45 to 64 years.
As well as this, hazardous drinking in the 66-74-year age group more than doubled from 2011/12 to 2015/16.
“Our older drinkers are some of the heaviest drinkers in the world,” she says.
This drinking has a chilling effect our health system. During the 2016-2017 financial year, 4070 people were hospitalised due to their alcohol consumption.’”
It is Open Mike and while you’ll always attract criticism, often fair, for overdoing your delivery, not “snapping” back would help the medicine go down 🙂
If only it were sobering literally as well as metaphorically.
Government ( left and right ) in the pockets of massive multinational liquor corporations and their lobbyists have their ears.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7994823/Liquor-lobbyists-press-Collins
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/103655890/the-national-party-was-donated-three-times-more-money-than-labour-last-year–but-labour-won
Robert G
As lefties I would expect support for the fair treatment of our citizens including good education on limiting drinking and help to give up when pregnant.
Also willingness to limit drug availability, and the end of treating alcohol especially wine as a sophisticated person’s tipple and therefore not to be belittled. Try having a glass of water first in pubs would be a good way of protecting your organs from being pickled too strongly as a first step!
I guess popping a disco biscuit is also out of the quetsion?
or sniffing the Peruvian marching powder?
You found a new hobby-horse, rode it to death, and started flogging the corpse.
What about climate change and veganism?
Which would help mitigate climate change more – stopping a diet based around flesh and blood eating and the massive resources needed to generate that sweeping sausage or prohibiting alcohol?
Of course climate change is the number one issue.
Most other things fade into insignificance by comparison.
Stopping eating meat is probably the biggest thing you can do as an individual to mitigate climate change.
Hey Ed, this is a reply to your comment above in regards to lobbying.
Now I am right with you.
The alcohol industry is one of the barriers to changing legislation around marijuana reform.
Supermarkets too, seem to have the grog all tied up.
Lobbying could be more acceptable if it was transparent and had limits around it.
Nick Leggatt.
Paid to pimp for the booze barons.
How does he sleep at night?
On a metaphoric pillow stuffed with cash.
Don’t panic, go organic!
Eat organic meat, and know that the animal was part of a farm organism, which uses animal manure to enrich compost for sustainable cropping.
And what percentage of New Zealand’s farming is produced in that way?
The vast majority looks like this.
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/dominionfilm
Ed
I quite like a good red with my filet stake. And I aren’t about to give it up in order to save the world.
That comment says a lot.
Yes a harmer of sentient beings and a climate denier all rolled into one.
Maybe not a climate denier, but certainly someone who puts their own selfish desires above the needs of others and the planet.
So, in other words, a neoliberal capitalist.
don’t forget the alcohol drinker – hard to tell if the demon drink took him or the excessive flesh consumption. But one thing we do know is that evil has a name now…
I think both marty. Flesh and blood eating gives protein and alcohol gives a more toxic, carbohydrate that ruins the brain and creates deficiencies in reliability in the addicted one’s working and family life.
Someone was pointing out how we have lost control of our wine industry largely to foreigners. NZs grow on contract mostly is the word. Also it uses a lot of water like dairying. And relies on elevated incomes at the upper end. Let them make homebrew when the market falls and we will grow oats on the land left vacant. This grain is a major valued one after wheat and as I understand it has lots of good things in it.
Good for my breakfast, and doesn’t lead to a red-veined nose like the big drinkers I have observed.
Good points.
On this you’re totally correct; huge blind spot. I don’t drink much at all, but on reflection here I’m going to cut it altogether. Good references.
So SOMA Ed ?
Actually, all indicators seem to show that New Zealanders are drinking less, not more. Off all the pubs that were open back in 1998, I would wager that only half to two thirds are still open today.
The data provided in tharticle would suggest consumption is up.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/104684246/new-zealand-where-alcohol-is-normalised–and-that-means-more-drinking
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/104684246/new-zealand-where-alcohol-is-normalised–and-that-means-more-drinking
Can Alcohol Help You Live Longer? Here’s What the Research Really Says
I think I’ll stick with the age old Everything in moderation including moderation.
Cheers:)
DTB
I think that research about moderate alcohol being good for you stands up to todays scrutiny in current studies.
Drinking every day is bad for you. It is better to have a day off after two days on or something like that. And then only have one glass. It is the sort of perfection that it would be hard to achieve.
Seen this? https://www.stuff.co.nz/science/106158271/huge-alcohol-clinical-trial-collapses
My link said many of the same things but it referenced a different study.
A good read
Is that a conspiracy theory from the Maori left? That the white Europeans colonised lands because the natives where less worthy? I thought the imperialism was for resources, so they could fight-off the other Kings, Kaisers and Tsar. If it wasn’t the English, it would have been the French. And any French colony I ever saw, had dogs shitting where they shouldn’t. Pardon, but many of us Maori can still recognise a glass half full 😉
English could quickly see the Maori where equals, too strong to push around, so they did a Treaty, then slowly marginalised the natives with law, banking and all that til capitalism had full control. Ok, maybe the English where more skilled at industrial governance and finance. But the Maori are stronger on mana and all that.
There are lots of threads to the weave. Each valid because of the specific perspective and also as a whole, combined narrative.
Personally I don’t think the English were benevolent to Māori – they still stole the land and resources and tried to annihilate Te Ao Māori albiet with silk gloves on rather than their usual rusty blade.
Would you have preferred the French, marty mars?
None of the bastards would be my choice.
But it was inevitable that someone would arrive; perhaps the English were the best option? And if so, lets get on with making the best of it 🙂
Bullshit mate. Sad to read that crap from you.
Marty! I don’t understand your comment but would like to: which bit is bullshit? I don’t want to have given the wrong impression so would appreciate the chance to clarify.
If you are killed in 1942 by a Nazi or non Nazi German do you think you care about their naziness?
The English were NEVER the best of the bunch – their trail of misery spans the globe and adversly affected many differnt indigenous peoples. We rate the english and conform history showing how nice they were because of historic clingons.
And yes we are here and we are what we are. We are the waka and the waka is us,
End.
Thanks, Marty. I share your view of “The English” and their/our rapacious ways/history, however…I still wonder who you would nominate to have replaced them as the incoming culture, given that there was bound to be one; the French? Portuguese? Russians? Chinese? Who, I wonder, would you welcome in place of the English?
The complication for me, is … blood. If we are to regard our genetic material as tapu, what do we say about our English toto? Can we dismiss it as not us, indulge in some selective self-hatred, or what?
Robert my father is English. My whakapapa includes his lines. That is just the way it is. This is the way with whakapapa – lots of Scots in there too.
There is no answer to if not the English then who – it is irrelevant.
Thanks, Marty. I’m sorry, I can’t follow this discussion; must be too distracted by the beautiful sunny day we are enjoying here me aku mokopuna e takaro ana around my legs and the temptation to plant out the 100 red currants I lifted yesterday from my cuttings bed…in any case, kia pai to ra e hoa.
Robert I wonder sometimes about how it would have been if French had got here and showed real, lasting interest. They still interfere from Paris in Tahitian politics but have they been worse than other countries in their style? The Portugese left Timor L’Este in a bit of a mess. Russians and China have tried to change their own political systems and lines of power, with great upheavals in the main country spreading out to their adherents.
The start of NZ was not to be a place to banish Brit criminals like Australia which seems to have left a calculating materialistic culture there. So the zeitgeist was slightly different here at the start, but Maori still had to struggle against free market business approaches, a set of legal attacks on their land owning rights, disease, rigid class systems, and an attempt to obliterate their language and culture. But the Treaty prevented a wholesale bulldozer approach by colonists. Whether the other colonising countries used this legal, or similar agreement I don’t know.
The Dutch also could be considered as they were prominent in parts of the Pacific.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_East_Indies#Social_history
There is no easy answer – live in perfect peace and that means to be vulnerable to determined adventurers. How people are trying to find a place that they can hold as their own and not be denied a place or job in it by the whims of others who seek to possess whatever they want and dispossess those who have it.
Pitcairn Island in 2015 story –
https://theculturetrip.com/europe/articles/11-unclaimed-lands-you-can-actually-rule/
Scottish stories:
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/sep/26/this-island-is-not-for-sale-how-eigg-fought-back
and
Joining together and investing to own your own place:
http://www.visitknoydart.co.uk/kf
https://theculturetrip.com/europe/articles/11-unclaimed-lands-you-can-actually-rule/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_micronations
Micro island colonised by plastic – timely piece.
https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/05/henderson-island-pitcairn-trash-plastic-pollution/
This morning on Radionz Mediawatch there was an item on some bent pseudo-history fantasy that had been made in NZ with a mix of useful dips into the useful bits of science, mixed with supposition and factoids from informed people who can not be named because they would be chastised for leaking by their peers or families. Mediawatch got it taken down from TV on Demand – I think in their Documentary and Factual section!
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/mediawatch/audio/2018658273/seven-foot-tall-pre-maori-disappear-from-tvnz
They married quite a few. That was probably a dirty beastly trick too.
Ha I think it wasn’t a strategy for them that arrived here.
For conquering Māori it was a strategy – ties whakapapa together.
That is – for Māori who conquered other Māori it was a strategy…
I don’t think there’s any conspiracy theory involved in what marty is saying.
Colonisers have always found ways of morally validating their actions – they have to, otherwise the contradiction between their ethical frameworks and what they actually do, becomes too great.
There are a number of justifications – all related: christianising heathens, Darwinian inevitably of more advanced populations displacing less advanced, and cultural superiority. Technology differences are often the vector for such misconceptions – if one culture has sailing ships, astronomical instruments, steam engines, 400 years of printed books including Shakespeare and the King James bible and the other doesn’t – it is likely to mistakenly consider itself superior and do bad things.
Don Brash is the contemporary exemplar of this strand in NZ racism – the deep conviction that the Maori view of the world is pretty worthless and not worth considering
+111
He makes my skin crawl. Wormtongue
Yeah brash and those rwnjs have that effect – filthy lying scum.
Just a half asleep musing.
At the time of writing this, there are 11 comments in Open Mike, six by Ed and all on alcohol consumption in NZ – a subject of some concern obviously. However, my half asleep observation is that Ed supports his six comments with seven links – all to NZ mainstream media sources namely Stuff, the Herald, Scoop, and Newshub all being media that Ed continually criticises and urges us to ignore. Ummm. …
This was intended to be in the 2 thread but sorry, I am on IPad and don’t know how to move it there.
The link is to scientific experts.
Selman, Huckle, Bullen, Connor…..
I could link, using the msm, the arguments made for a pro alcohol shill, such as Leggatt.
Sorry to inconvenience you by introducing this important topic for discussion.
Debating the benefits of a plant based diet and discussing the alcoholic state of New Zealand.
These appear to be off limits subjects for some here.
This is Open Mike.
Thank you Ed, it is important to have a no alcohol diet and a solely plant based one if you can.
Yes it is.
Good for you.
And good for the planet.
And those that don’t stop booze ed?
btw I know your a born again vegan – when did you stop the booze?
But the alcohol, it made from plants.
I think where Ed went wrong was beginning his comments with “Stop drinking”.
We don’t like being told what to do.
solkta
You come up with some good points at times. Can you try to keep up the standard and not deteriorate into sneers and sly smarts.
Are they vegan plants? Not like those venus flytrap non vegan bums.
Some of the plants used for booze look closely related to triffids. I’d be worried about those.
http://d3lp4xedbqa8a5.cloudfront.net/s3/digital-cougar-assets/nzww/2015/07/24/post-41358/67-4.jpg
You can make it from chickens too: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cock_ale
Ed does not urge people to ignore those media. What he does do is urge people to read and view them skeptically. Otherwise we end up repeating, even endorsing, fantasies and black propaganda such as “Putin put Trump into the White House”, “Criticizing Israeli crimes = antisemitism”, “Nicky Hager stole those emails”, and “New Zealand’s troops in Afghanistan are helping to keep the peace.”
Thank you Morrissey.
THE CHIMERA OF BRITISH ANTI-SEMITISM, AND
HOW NOT TO FIGHT IT IF IT WERE REAL
by Norman G. Finkelstein, Aug. 17, 2018
The current hysteria engulfing the British Labour Party resolves itself into a pair of interrelated, if discrete, premises: Anti-Semitism in British society at large and the Labour Party in particular have reached crisis proportions. If neither of these premises can be sustained, then the hysteria is a fabrication. In fact, no evidence has been adduced to substantiate either of them; on the contrary, all the evidence points in the opposite direction. The rational conclusion is that the brouhaha is a calculated hoax—dare it be said, plot?—to oust Jeremy Corbyn and the principled leftist politics he represents from British public life.
But even if the allegations were true, the solution would still not be to curb freedom of thought in the Labour Party. At its worthiest, the Left-Liberal tradition has attached a unique, primordial value to Truth; but Truth cannot be attained if dissentients, however obnoxious, are silenced. Given the fraught history of anti-Semitism, on the one hand, and its crude manipulation by Jewish elites, on the other, an objective, dispassionate assessment could appear beyond reach. Still, it must be attempted. The prospect of a historic victory for the Left might otherwise be sabotaged as, thus far, Corbyn’s supporters, whether it be from fear, calculation, or political correctness, dare not speak the name of the evil that is afoot.
The degree of anti-Semitism infecting British society has been the subject of numerous polls over a sustained period of time. These surveys have uniformly, consistently, and unambiguously concluded that anti-Semitism (1) has long been a marginal phenomenon in British society, infecting under 10 percent of the population, (2) is far less salient than hostility to other British minorities, and (3) is less pronounced in the UK than almost anywhere else in Europe. One might suppose that settled matters. But in 2017 the British Institute for Jewish Policy Research (JPR) published a study that purportedly refined conventional wisdom by measuring the “elasticity” of anti-Semitism: that is, not just the percentage of confirmed anti-Semites, but also the prevalence of stereotypes that stigmatize Jews.[1] It found that, whereas a mere 2-5 percent of the British population can be reckoned anti-Semites, fully 30 percent harbor at least one anti-Semitic stereotype.
Before parsing the study’s data, a couple of truisms warrant recalling. First, a generalization is something that is held to be generally true; it evidently allows for exceptions. ….
Read more….
http://normanfinkelstein.com/2018/08/17/finkelstein-on-corbyn-mania/
From the Herald
“I gambled 72 hours non-stop without eating, I gambled without thinking of the consequences.”
The casino made him a VIP………
Host responsibility yea right
Sky City must be happy politicians are in their pocket.
Gambling, alcohol, tobacco . sugar, shit food all high profit , lots of money for the corrupt that run the place.
I heard Kim Hill interview a guy on depression yesterday and he made a lot of sense but then he mentioned possible link between mental ill health and processed food and I thought , well that’s the last we’ll hear of you .
I also see that anti psychotics use is on the rise sounds like a win win for to high profit industries.
“I also see that anti psychotics use is on the rise sounds like a win win for to high profit industries.”
How is this a win win for high profit industries in NZ ?
big pharma sell more drugs to hide the effects of processed food so they can sell more of it ,
What nonsense. Firstly the antipsychotics in question that are prescribed in this setting olanazpine, quetiapine and risperidone sell all of 280k, 290k and 113k per annum all via generic pharmaceutical companies so hardly very profitable, secondly to suggest that processed foods are involved in the mix of antipsychotic Rxing is frankly bullshit.
For a healthy and happy life……
Avoid processed food
Avoid alcohol
Avoid eating animals
Healthy… meh. Maybe.
Happy? Fucking doubtful.
Speaking of which, please tell us that you’re not against recreational sex, at least.
more recreational sex create more orgone energy heal the world.
http://www.orgonics.com/whatisor.htm
Do you think it all getting too weird and wonderful McFlock! Nobody can afford to do anything without thinking about it these days.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/insight/audio/2018658561/insight-foetal-alcohol-damaging-baby-brains
Women drinking before and all during their pregnancies have to have someone look after their maimed babies with foetal alcohol syndrome and who require huge amounts of patience, sometimes they will almost destroy a house in one of their rampages, and to move beyond this can be helped but cannot cope with anything but certainty and regular timetables.
So recreational sex for them? Only if they have a hysterectomy or a long-term contraceptive implanted. The world is at a dangerous point climatically and in numbers and government has sold itself to the money grubbers. We can;t afford to be casual all the time and not try to help ourselves. The world is having disasters, wars, refugees, huge suffering and we cry when we have pin pricks of controls imposed.
Too many damned wowsers in the world.
I’m not saying women should drink all through pregnancy, no. But a teetotal, vegan, celibate society sounds bloody awful, to me at least. Tobacco-free is irritating enough.
Mcflock
I am beginning to question the importance of being so controlled as at present when not strictly necessary. Do you feel we are living in a ‘should’ society of semi-puritans? It is like the doctor that wants to stop the 80 year old from drinking whiskey – it’s bad for you. Reply, what the hell – what have I got to lose is appropriate I think.
Song from long time ago – Enjoy yourself it’s later than you think, Enjoy yourself while youre still in the pink.
I think it’s good to know the health effects of what we do.
I’m also in favour of things like banning alcohol and tobacco advertising.
But I find that all the most interesting people have a small vice or two.
is see Stacey Kirk has done her expected Bridges soft soap commercial in Stuff
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/106285009/stacey-kirk-searching-for-the-silver-linings-in-simon-bridges-playbook
Not only does she twist the truth she amps the conspiracy angle.
is there any gallery journalist who unabashed acts so consistently as a national party ‘operative’.
Not a squeak about why the big jump overall in nationals expenses in the last 3 months. or even if personal use of Crown limos should be curtailed and it only be for parliamentary business ( which wouldnt have excluded Bridges regional tour) . of course a follow up question could have been have you used a limo for a private night out ?
News Corp HQ “is a temple to dumbing down on an international scale.”
Assisted by NZME, Stuff, Hosking, Garner, Kirk, Espiner, Mora, Williams, Soper, Duplicity….
And those that link to them – shit spreaders polluting our cleannews waterways.
As a quiz fan, I have just heard about Brit Eggheads this has been going for decades.
On youtube – great fun. Minimum of fancy stuff – well staged.
I have thought of a different line to those concentrating on running in marathons (or acquiring lots of dosh and baubles) till it fills their whole lives and thoughts. What about –
‘Be in the human race, where clever people work out to help themselves along with each other and our home – the planet, to reach the finishing line and outwit the machines through exploiting their weak points, not trying to outrun them (because we never can).’
Baby Time.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/106388432/green-mp-julie-anne-genter-bikes-to-hospital-to-be-induced
She’s one switched on lady. The best thing to do in labor is to keep active, keep moving, which makes baby come quicker. The worst thing to do is sit around, making labor longer.
Thinking of Julie-Anne today. All the best beautiful lady 🙂
She was driving her govt self drive car after shopping/lunching on Ponsonby Road 2 weeks back. No bicycle around then
Cinny (10.1) …
Yep. All the best to Julie Anne Genter. I’m sure she will keep herself physically active during her labour.
Shes being induced in the hospital …. letting nature take its course for a home birth didnt work out
That woman is hard core.
Finally the Greens do a decent story on Conference weekend.
Yes Greens looking to the future and will no doubt ensure that women in far suth can have a birthing unit with reach of a fairly short drive through bad weather conditions, and so no closing of birthing units.
All the best to Julie Anne G and baby and partner too!!
heh
big but deep.
https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us1000gcii#executive
Peter Whittall.
What an unpleasant person.
“Do I feel guilt? No,” Peter Whittall told Stuff. “It is human nature to blame someone.”
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/106366936/exclusive-pike-river-boss-peter-whittall-guilt-free-living-in-australia
I’d like to see mandatory community service for every executive in charge of a company that has a worker death on their watch . Money is not enough.
Then if management are found to be responsible by ignoring safety then they serve time in prison as well as fair compensation to the families, and thus sending a message to the executives in charge of corporations that one death is too many deaths.
Also with construction. If the building falls aka CTV style, then whoever was in charge of the companies at the time of building have to do community service no matter what and then other charges just come on top.
Also like to see an automatic payment to the family of the dead worker of $50k straight away to help them, without any litigation having to have to take place, and years going by and any compensation eaten up by lawyers anyway. Then other cost on top.
Thanks Ed (13) … Whittall is a totally unscrupulous man, no compassion or decency whatsoever!
From one of “guilt free” Whittall’s statements …
** My coping mechanism has always been to talk to my family. I have never sought professional psychological assistance, but I have sought the assistance of my family and I have a wonderful wife.”**
How fortunate for him, when so many who lost loved ones through the Pike River tragedy, don’t have the benefit of having the opportunity to communicate with their spouses or sons at their time of need. They still lay buried in the mine!
Come to think of it now with the benefit of hindsight, looking back at Pike River spokesman Whittall’s comments to media at the time of the mine explosion, they came across as rehearsed, false and totally without empathy or compassion towards the grieving families! In other words, what he said was absolute BS! Betrayal of the bereaved at the highest level!
Hey Whittall can observe and truthfully tell about it! It is human nature to bklame someone. And fair enough, if they are found responsible for a bad outcome because of negligence or of not caring about the reasonable safety conditions expected in modern mines.
On Friday a friend of mine was feeling guilty because she wasn’t contactable for a few hours when someone close to her had a bereavement.
She knew that it was just one of those things – she’s almost always contactable, shit just happened at the worst time. But she felt guilty because she wasn’t there to support her friend.
It’s human nature to feel guilt for things you didn’t do – to go over whether there’s anything you could have done. And, speaking from experience, that stays with you.
I just hope that his claims of being “guilt free” are denial and part of a slow healing process, not a reflection on his character. 29 people he was responsible for died. That should effect any normal human permanently, even if whatever happened wasn’t directly his fault. Not permanently crippling, but to not feel any guilt at all sounds callous.
Elizabeth Warren has a plan; to save capitalism.
Elizabeth Warren has a big idea that challenges how the Democratic Party thinks about solving the problem of inequality.
Instead of advocating for expensive new social programs like free college or health care, she’s introducing a bill Wednesday, the Accountable Capitalism Act, that would redistribute trillions of dollars from rich executives and shareholders to the middle class — without costing a dime.
Warren’s plan starts from the premise that corporations that claim the legal rights of personhood should be legally required to accept the moral obligations of personhood.
https://www.vox.com/2018/8/15/17683022/elizabeth-warren-accountable-capitalism-corporations
That’s so sweet and reasonable joe 90. That is a woman worth watching and supporting.
I am sure they will go down a treat in the land of the free. I would say it is about as viable as Warren passing a DNA test for her Cherokee blood line If she wants other forms of ownership than capital go start a workers cooperative or other form of enterprise. The whole idea of capitalism is for capital to be attracted to the best opprtunity not simply reinvest for reinvestment sake in a firm, hence shareholders reinvest elsewhere If firm does not have viable internal investment options, thus allowing the most efficient use of capital Similarly capitalism forces the firm and it manager to perform or see a falling share price and threat of take over Putting artificial constraints on this as warren proposed would simply weaken US firms competitiveness to that of crony capitalism countries
Gosh bewildered. I get that feeling when I read your comments. This is a left leaning blog and you seem more right. Left in latin I think is sinister and I feel that is how you view us. Am I wrong?
once i read the bill i’ll post on it.
I heard Jim Mora vapouring on about “empathy” last week
It wasn’t the first time, and as per usual, he spoke without the slightest hint of self-awareness or irony….
http://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2017/12/10-december-2014-at-821-pm-what-sort-of.html
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/364423/councillor-apology-for-not-enough-were-killed-comment-inadequate
Councillor: Apology for ‘not enough were killed’ comment inadequate
12:34 pm today
Katie Doyle, Journalist
@katiedoyle01 katie.doyle@radionz.co.nz
A Gisborne District councillor says she’s disappointed by an apology she received about racially inappropriate comments she says were made at an official meeting.
Meredith Akuhata-Brown said she was at a council meeting when she heard two of her colleagues joking that not enough Māori had been killed during early encounters with James Cook.
At first, Ms Akuhata-Brown said she could not quite believe what she had heard.
“Stunned silence to be honest. I had just dealt with some other issues and had been away overseas talking about tolerance etcetera, so I was quite shocked,” she said.
“I guess now, when I look back, I wish I had’ve said something, but I was just shocked.”
Here is a interesting read in the fires in Sweden and California and how some of the main firefighters are saying is the cause of CC which is now causing them to rethink on how to fight fires IRT CC. Old Mr Dump is blaming the environmental policies of the California State Government, but the firies are saying this is about CC not the States environmental policies.
But I will say this if people are going to live in the bush you must have a bush fire emergency plan weather you intend to go or stay and fight and once you are committed to your COA then stick to your plan and don’t leave it to the last minute if you change your mind as it will be to late.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-19/northern-hemisphere-heat-brings-unprecedented-bushfires/10134490
Good morning The AM Show well te sandflys are still giving me Mana.
Yes Duncan I seen these moves all the time shillary tryed it to and TVNZ 1 deserves what they get new management needed there I say. Ana to kai.
Good game this weekend Mark looks like you need to play a couple with yours and Mulls game on the Crowd goes Wild Ka kite ano shillary try a few moves against ECO MAORI failed
Many thanks to the NRL for have a indigenous League competition this is the new way winning of Papatuanukue to celebrate te tangata whenua ECO MAORI Says all country’s should celebrate there tangata whenua we look at te Mokopunas future and Papatuanukue future differently we are more environmently conscious back to the League Ka pai Australia League Ka kite ano link below
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12109970
This is why I Back Elon Mus because you have this person and his administration and the Go/Pro Oil Party who don’t give a—–about the Mokopunas or Papatuanukue future they are just on a Huge power grab link is Below.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/aug/19/conserving-oil-no-longer-necessary-for-us-says-trump-administration
This is the reality of the people who trump have in his defence team and administration and he wonders why most people are flipping him the Bird link below Ka kite ano.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/aug/19/truth-isnt-truth-rudy-giuliani-trump-alternative-facts-orwellian
Here we go the state suppression machine at work behind closed doors
Why have the statetues of Egypt had all there nose cut off because they are African nose the Powers that be do want to admit that It was Africas who founded one of the first great civilisation of Papatuanukue.
I also don’t agree that tangata whenua arrived in Atoearoa 800 years ago this is a direct oppression of Maori cant have these savages know that they were sailing around Papatuanukue thousands of years before the elete class was still hugging the coast line. They say we wiped out the giant Mour in a hundred years year right it would have taken 200 years at least. I Believe in some of the story’s. To not believe some of the evidence is to have total trust that man is not decfull and we can see that a few will do what ever it takes to keep power. So the probability of Atoearoa history beening suppred is 100% from ECO MAORI views and the reality of how some people have to be woken up to these facts link below Ka kite ano
https://i.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/106407948/tvnz-doco-claiming-celts-were-here-before-mori-has-been-removed-from-ondemand-service
I target the correct target this morning
Ana to kai
There you go A small community has the saloution to our problems of waste They have been working on it for 18 years they are the biggest employer of the community Ka kite ano link below
http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/106063136/a-blueprint-for-solving-new-zealands-waste-problem Ka pai Raglan Eco has some links to that community been a few years tho
Mana wahine here’s a lady who is not afraid to speak out about the bad parts to there culture the men can do what they want and the ladies are treated as property ka pai
Ka kite ano link below
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/106172556/tongan-white-sheet-ceremony-full-of-contradictions P.S I read the comment’s It said tangata whenua are not aloud to speak on a Marae not all Iwi have this colonial influenced practices Ngati Porou have name our Marae and Hapu after wahine they are aloud to speak on our Marae link below ka kite ano
Good evening Newshub that’s awesome Mp pay freeze Ka pai
Looks like our Australian cousin don’t want to drop there Paris climate changes commitment’s Ka pai Australian voter’s think about your mokopunas future’s
Yes we have to look after OUR elderly some people treat them like a commodity they deserve to be treated with respect .
There you go Mike this intense Papatuanuku weather is all part of Te human caused Global Warming some idiots are still denying these fact’s that we are seeing in reality .
That’s one reason why Eco Maori love’s Aotearoa no snakes not many animals that can cause harm besides human’s that is.
Ka kite ano P.S still trying to sort out our moko health issuse
The Crowd Goes Wild Jame’s and Mull”s It was a good game of Rugby this weekend .
Good run down on the League game .
That was a huge crash at te car racing I missed what comp it is lol Drifting looked good run by Mad Mike did you say
Ka kite ano
Some Eco Maori Music