"We need a fierce new republicanism, not the twee deference of liberal anti-monarchism"..+1
A week has now ended of enduring the most disgusting display of slavish boot licking I have witnessed by New Zealand media in my life time…
But now, finally Queen Elizabeth the Second will be buried…just as the crumbling Imperialist regime that she was the active and vigorous figurehead for, buried (destroyed or seized) records of its Imperialist crimes and atrocities carried out in 23 countries and territories in the aptly name ‘Operation Legacy’ carried out during the 1950’s-60’s, an operation that she would have been fully informed of at the very least.
“One of the most pernicious aspects of modern Britain, about which so many are in denial, is its failure to address the real history of the British Empire.”
This woman whom we are supposed to mourn for, maybe even shed a tear for, was the proud figurehead of a nation that murdered, raped, tortured, stole on an industrial scale, its way around the world until it was no longer able to..not because it had repented its multitude of sins against humanity and the environment, of course not..no, it was only when it had lost the physical power as a Nation to inflict its brutal Imperialist nature around the world, that it finally stopped…much like some sick podophile, that only stops to inflicting abuse upon his victims when he is too old and frail.
I would suggest that some acknowledgment and some mourning and maybe even some tears for the untold numbers of victims of postwar British Imperialism under the reign of Queen Elizabeth II would be a far more appropriate response that this time.
“Common torture tactics included starvation, electrocution, mutilation, and forcible penetration”
Shame on Starmer for kow-towing to the monarchist element by stifling political debate on this issue and others during the never-ending royal mourning period.
I, for one, will be washing my hair when the funeral starts this evening.
Scotland is planning an Independence referendum on 19th October 2023. With Scotland exiting the Union, and Northern Ireland already half way out, the edifice that we call Britain and UK will become defunct.
The argument to retain the Windsor monarchy as Aotearoa’s Head of State become very weak at that point.
The nose dive in the economy and international standing of England resulting from it’s isolationist project will further distance Kiwis from that place.
when it had lost the physical power as a Nation to inflict its brutal Imperialist nature around the world, that it finally stopped…much like some sick podophile, that only stops to inflicting abuse upon his victims when he is too old and frail.
When people attempt to graft Q Anon metaphors, about the Democratic liberal regime in DC, with western imperialism in general a lot of dots get joined. When that becomes apology for both isolationism nd extra territorial aggression by others/non western actors, it ends up being incoherent.
In fact the chance of Andrew deputising for King Charles 111 is about the same as the Queens recently deceased dog Candy rising from the dead to do it instead.
The one and only job left to Andrew is looking after the remaining dogs of the Queen.
I was referring to the British Imperialist project as being like a predator, not Andrew..but as it so happens, Andrew is himself a well known podophile…and was protected from facing justice by his mother…Queen Elizabeth.
Queen ‘to spend millions funding Prince Andrew’s defence against sex abuse claims’
And I did not mention in 1.1.2 – just quoted your post paragraph 4.
Your reply is tagged to mine to that of Tony Veitch.
I will say that neither funding a defence in court if ones family is able, nor using state provided defence counsel otherwise, is protection from facing justice.
And we are referring to a female over 16 and under 18 by the way.
"And we are referring to a female over 16 and under 18 by the way"
No we are not…you and I have no idea how old the girls were who where abused by Prince Andrew (favorite son of and protected by Queen Elizabeth)…over what appears to be years of that deviant behaviour…
Then you are posing your belief in the reality of other cases of abuse, despite no charges made. The case made against Andrew in a court involved a person between age 16 and 18.
Well I for one are not going to waste any more time on this subject…if you are fine with a sex abuser participating in the abuse of sex slaves (of any age or sex) and facing no legal ramifications for those crimes because of his wealth and position that is your business.
Vaguely / unenthusiasitically / more-or-less republican on principle … but, at the same time, I recognise the practical utility of a constitutional monarchy … and I'm fiercely – and I want you to reflect extensively on this over the next few hours (possibly while quietly smoking a pipe), I am fiercely – proud of my apathy / half-heartedness / significant de-prioritisation of the issue.
The Guardian article linked in that post contradicts itself on the redundancies. It regularly refers to redundancies which elsewhere in the article, transpires that they haven't happened yet. It's possible people have resigned or taken voluntary redundancy, but as far as I can tell, the changes are still being consulted on in line with UK law.
There are a couple of references online to Thiel’s currently holding German citizenship, but I don't think he does, and it would seriously surprise me, since Germany does not permit dual citizenship, and neither New Zealand nor the US prohibits relinquishing citizenship. Much as I'm no fan of Thiel or the circumstances of his having been granted NZ citizenship, it's singularly annoying to read comments railing against bloody foreigners from a position of lazy ignorance.
Why should someone not qualify for NZ super if they have paid into the scheme during their working life?
Your lazy ignorance is borne out by the fact that you simply assumed that Thiel had triple citizenship, and launched into some nebulous stuff about some countries not allowing dual citizenship, when one of them was, in fact, one whose citizenship you were claiming he had alongside others.
Germany and the US both recognize the principle of dual citizenship but only in specific cases. Usually, dual citizenship in Germany and USA is permissible when obtained by birth— regardless of which country you were born in. But, German and US dual citizenship is impossible for naturalized citizens unless exceptional circumstances apply.'
Peter Thiel, as far as I know, was born to German parents who subsequently emigrated, not to one German and one US citizen. Germany does not, as a rule, allow dual citizenship, and I could find only a couple of vague references to Thiel's citizenship of Germany, with no accompanying, exceptional information. It therefore seems unlikely, as I stated. There are several situations in which Germany allows dual citizenship, but it would become very long-winded to go into them here.
I am also well aware that all three of the current governing parties in Germany have a stated intention of allowing dual citizenship, which they included in their coalition agreement; the fact is, however, that they have not implemented it to date, and I’ll believe it when I see it.
Do yourself a favour, and don't just spend ten seconds googling something before deciding you're an expert.
'Peter Andreas Thiel is a German-American billionaire entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and political activist. A co-founder of PayPal, Palantir Technologies, and Founders Fund, he was the first outside investor in Facebook. As of May 2022, Thiel had an estimated net worth of $7.19 billion and was ranked 297th on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.Wikipedia
Born:Peter Andreas Thiel, October 11, 1967, Frankfurt, West Germany
Citizenship:Germany (1967–present), United States (1978–present), New Zealand (2011–present)
Education:Stanford University (BA, JD)'
you decided to just zoom in on Thiel…my original post was NOT solely about him.Don't be a silly sausage…Mr Wurst.
[Don’t play the man, play the ball and the ball only – Incognito]
Yeeeeeeeees (slow clap). I said I could find a couple of references online, and that was one of them. If you looked a bit furter, you'd find similar Wiki-articles, in various language giving him German citizenship until 1978, and US citizenship from then onwards. If you look at the (many) articles from the time that his NZ citizenship came to light and later, in German and in English, or reviews of his biography, you will struggle to find a mention of his holding German citizenship*.
Given that you presented your point as a grouch about people, implicitly from various nations, holding multiple citizenships, I would expect you to check your facts properly. Your statements are a lazy, throw-away potshot at foreigners, but you’re actually dealing with a serious issue, the sort that tends to foster similar lazy grumblings, and is a huge blight on discourse in culture in New Zealand and elsewhere. If you are going to foray into that territory, you should learn to be specific, and to make sure you have your ducks on a row.
For me, it's more around citizenship. If you want to be a Kiwi, and entitled to live here, and be supported by our social security system, then you need to become a Citizen, not a Permanent Resident. If that means that you have to relinquish your US or Malaysian citizenship, then that's your choice.
I think that 'Permanent Residence' status should be limited to (say) 10 years – thinking here of people seconded to work here, or on long term contracts – and should only be renewable under extraordinary circumstances.
I don't give Kiwis a free pass on this either – I'm glad that the residence rules are changing for qualification for super (though not quickly enough IMO). Provided you've lived in NZ for 10 years after the age of 20 – you currently qualify. So there are a large chunk of Kiwis who have effectively never contributed to the NZ tax base – since they've been living and working overseas, but who are eligible to 'return' to NZ when they’re 60 (last 5 years) and get the pension when they're 65. It just doesn't sit well with me.
Provided you’ve lived in NZ for 10 years after the age of 20 – you currently qualify. So there are a large chunk of Kiwis who have effectively never contributed to the NZ tax base – since they’ve been living and working overseas …
Too many contradictions in there! Please do better.
You can (and I know this because a cousin has done so) – leave NZ at the age of 25. Live, work, and pay tax overseas (in a range of countries around the world, in her case), and return to NZ at the age of 60. Live here for 5 years, and qualify for the pension. She has, over the course of her working life, contributed almost nothing to the NZ tax base – but will be drawing benefits from it (both super and healthcare) for the next 20+ years.
Surely, however, by that reasoning, the only qualification should be the contributions one makes, and citizenship should be utterly irrelevant. I'm not seeing a compelling argument for anything at all regarding citizenship here.
It seems to me that the question invited by your line of enquiry so far is not what the point of PR is (the overarching point is obviously to enshrine a framework of legal rights around somebody's commitment of life and work to a geographical region), but what the point of the rather more nebulous concept of citizenship is.
I can’t be bothered with your obvious selective blindness to your own contradictions except to point out that your wording has already changed ever so slightly and subtly. You’re also missing a huge fact of contributing to the NZ tax base.
Perhaps you can engage your brain and stop erecting those contradictory walls. If you’re not a resident in NZ this whole thread becomes moot, doesn’t it?
The proof is in the pudding. If it looks like, smells like, and tastes like chocolate, then it is most likely chocolate pudding. Or it is that you’re shite at making pudding.
PS it seems that your reply was to the wrong comment in the thread
That's a bit too broad a brush. Residency for tax purposes and immigration status are not the same thing. This thread is just continuing in the same handwavy vein as it started, with the brilliant, "That millionaire Peter Thiel with his thousand passports, and all those Malaysians getting rich off stealing our super, and all that sort of type" gambit.
You introduced Thiel at the start of this thread with a clear intention to steer it in a certain direction and in a certain way. You got called out on that and obviously can’t handle that and the fact that somebody disagrees with you, with good reason. Deal with it or don’t start disingenuous discussion threads aka if you can’t stand the heat then get out of the kitchen.
Yours was, in fact, a very narrow discussion. If you want to have a wider discussion about citizenship and what it means, go ahead. However, I think, 'That millionaire Peter Thiel with his thousand passports, and all those Malaysians getting rich off stealing our super, and all that sort of type' was a perfect summation of your argument so far.
Also, I didn't single out Thiel. You did that; just look at your first post.
I spent getting on for fifteen years working abroad because wages and positions in my industry were decimated by the widespread, corrupt and actually illegal use of foreign slave fishermen.
In compensation various governments hit me with punitive tax impositions. If they'd done their job, I'd never have left in the first place.
It is possible to have a dual citizenship (German and New Zealand). I have both: German since my birth and New Zealand since I successfully applied for it.
In general Germany doesn't allow dual citizenship, but there are exceptions. You can apply for such an exception via "Beibehaltungsantrag" (if you already have German citizenship). You have to explain two things:
The reason to keep the German citizenship
The reason you require the additional citizenship
German Internal Affairs is going to review your application and decides if you can keep your German citizenship with the additional citizenship.
For a well resourced and connected person like Thiel this shouldn't be a major hurdle.
True. However, the date given for Thiel's naturalisation as a US citizen is 1978, when he was 10 years old, and presumably considerably less well-connected than he is nowadays (by the time he was grown up, the ship of ‘Beibehaltung’ would have well and truly sailed); there are virtually no references to his having German citizenship in articles (in German or English) about the minor scandal over his NZ citizenship several years ago, despite a significant proportion of them including the angle that he is a US nationalist, and that a 2nd citizenship would compromise his allegiance.
The original comment smacks heavily of grabbing a prominent person to frame a narrative of divided allegiance, and lifting a little factoid about triple citizenship from Wikipedia to enhance the implication, despite a preponderance of available evidence not supporting his triple citizenship, in order to smear 'Malaysians' (and by extension any foreigners). Especially galling is the reference to Malaysia's not allowing dual citizenship, when the German situation, also referenced in the comment, is also heavily restrictive.
Because we're a tiny weak country with no savings generating next-to-no capital and so we have to suck in capitalists by any means necessary including being a safe boring country where you can get dual citizenship. That's what the Immigration categories look like.
Your saying NZ has next-to-no, what appears to be, savings which the country then can't invest. Is this the claim?
Because relying on foreign investors to compensate for that will surely see the profits of their investment are sent off shore. If thats the strategy the country appears to have picked a worse than merely doing no good strategy.
The problem is not so much the capital , it is the lack of capability, therefore we need foreign capital to provide the wherewithal for the offshore technology we desire/need….and when I say technology, I mean pretty much anything that is not cottage industry…i.e. what we need is not available in NZD.
I did some back of the envelope calculations the other day about NZ and LC.
Let's say that in another year's time 50% of the NZ population has had covid (2.5m). If the LC rate is 10% of infections (more likely higher than that), that's 250,000 people with ongoing symptoms. Let's say 25% of those are serious to the point where people can't work or can only work part time. That's 62,500 people that need health care and financial support as well as support with life tasks like childcare or cleaning their house.
For comparison, current SLP numbers are about 90,000 (long term people unable to work due to disability who get a WINZ benefit).
What I want to know is what is likely to be happening at year 5. Or year 10. If subsequent covid infections increase risk of LC, are we heading for most people eventually getting LC? What happens at the point that there are more people with LC unable to work than those able to keep society functioning? Or even running the health system?
Mostly I want to know what is going on in people's minds that we aren't talking about this as a major crisis on the horizon.
I can't quite get my head around it, because if those figures are in the ball park of correct, then how will this not make society seriously dysfunctional?
Potentially yes…however what is far more likely to occur is a reduction in productivity that we will argue over the cause of and learn to live with (until we no longer can)
England was a nation of shopkeepers (merchant empire).
All English officers looked and sounded the same and most were incompetent, but some were not and often one could not tell the difference, until it was too late.
The royal family live above the shop (preside over the merchant economy) and represent the continuance of the old aristocratic order (landed gentry) but neither Victoria nor Elizabeth 11 exercised decision-making power (though Albert's interest in urban renewal had an impact). Others decided the extension of the franchise and the NHS and the empire to Commonwealth transition.
The concept of blaming the figurehead of the regime for what was done by the government of the people is a bit like the ritual of parties changing leaders on losing an election. Blaming royalty for an empire largely built since 1689 (constitutional monarchy) is simplistic. It's a parody of ritual sacrifice to redeem a people from their own past to build some new republican utopia – a Mayflower ship exodus journey to the New World.
Of course nations formed by immigrants and the local indigenous people will forge their own destiny, connected to, or separate from other nations, in their own time.
At the moment our and their royal performs a ceremonial function, a bit like an animated mannequin in a shop window – in that Liz Truss will write the words that her King will speak to parliament (and here our PM for Dame Cindy Kira). From a mothers son, who could express his views, to a ventriloquist dummy for the person in No 10.
Probably just as well, given Charles is so much of the 20th C, then William can develop the role for a monarchy in the 21st C.
neither Victoria nor Elizabeth 11 exercised decision-making power
Who is 'Elizabeth 11'? The late queen was the second English monarch to hold the name 'Elizabeth', which means she is usually referred to as 'Elizabeth II', or, if you are intent on using Arabic numerals, Elizabeth the 2nd. 'Elizabeth 11' is a nonsensical description.
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These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Photo by Jari Hytönen on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
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. ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Next week the government will again next try to get its legislation through to deal with non-citizens who won’t cooperate with efforts to deport them. The bill, which the opposition and crossbench refused to rush ...
A long-term project that will set out an alternative vision for Aotearoa that looks beyond the narrow confines of the policy straight jacket adopted by successive governments. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bree Hurst, Associate Professor, Faculty of Business and Law, QUT, Queensland University of Technology TK Kurikawa/Shutterstock A much-awaited report into Coles and Woolworths has found what many customers have long believed – Australia’s big supermarkets engage in price gouging. What started ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniel Ghezelbash, Associate Professor and Deputy Director, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW Law & Justice, UNSW Sydney The Albanese government wanted to avoid an inquiry into its migration amendment bill. The report, handed down yesterday by a senate committee that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joo-Cheong Tham, Professor, Melbourne Law School, The University of Melbourne Lobbying is at the heart of government. Who has access to and influence over key government officials shapes the decisions governments make – and how they make them. The ability to influence ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Myfany Turpin, Associate Professor, Ethnomusicology, Linguistics and Ethnobiology, University of Sydney The act representing Australia at this year’s Eurovision contest has sadly not qualified for the grand final. Yet for Zaachariaha Fielding and Michael Ross, the duo that makes up Electric Fields, ...
In announcing changes to the school lunches programme, David Seymour said kids would no longer be served ‘woke’ foods. To clear up any confusion, The Spinoff has compiled a guide to the wokeness levels of some common food items. Apple = NOT WOKE Avocado = WOKE Avocado, smashed = EVEN ...
The Minister Responsible for GCSB and the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security have been notified of this review, and have been provided a finalised Terms of Reference. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Minglu Chen, Senior Lecturer, Government and International Relations, University of Sydney Robert Way/Shutterstock As the past few years have illustrated so clearly, the Australia-China relationship is complicated. As such, it is crucial for Australians to develop a more nuanced understanding of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mariana Campbell, Research Lecturer, Conservation, Charles Darwin University Marilyn Connell Australian freshwater turtles are facing an alarming trend. Almost half of these species are listed as vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered. The Mary River turtle (Elusor macrurus) is one of Australia’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Debbie Passey, Digital Health Research Fellow, The University of Melbourne Algorithms have become integral to our lives. From social media apps to Netflix, algorithms learn your preferences and prioritise the content you are shown. Google Maps and artificial intelligence are nothing without ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Josephine Barbaro, Associate Professor, Principal Research Fellow, Psychologist, La Trobe University Unsplash We’ve come a long way in terms of understanding that everyone thinks, interacts and experiences the world differently. In the past, autistic people, people with attention deficit hyperactive disorder ...
PNG Post-Courier Papua New Guinea’s deputy opposition leader James Nomane has accused the government of “reckless economic management” that has forced devaluation to manage loan repayments in foreign currency and placate the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Prime Minister James Marape “must stop lying to the people of Papua New Guinea”, ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Bookseller Confessional, in which we get to know Aotearoa’s booksellers. This week: Jane Arthur, author of Brown Bird, and former bookseller at Good Books.The book I wish I’d writtenI have been working on not comparing myself to others. On accepting that what I can ...
The final decision on the Wellington District Plan makes it official: High-density housing is legal across most of Wellington. Housing minister Chris Bishop has announced his decision on the Wellington District Plan, approving a series of amendments to radically upzone most of Wellington, allowing tens of thousands of new townhouses ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. “Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to ...
RNZ News As Israel presses ahead with strikes in Rafah and seizing the Rafah crossing from Egypt, aid agencies are sounding the alarm of a “catastrophic humanitarian situation”. Rafah was “significant” because it was the only part in Gaza that had not been terribly damaged by the conflict, United Nations ...
With funding set to be scrapped for the Hamilton-Auckland commuter train, Te Huia enthusiast Georgie Dansey argues for it to be thrown a lifeline. It’s 5.45am and the chain of my crappy old bike falls off slugging up the one hill in Hamilton. I contemplate yeeting the bike into the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Cooke, Honorary Fellow, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland We feel ecological grief when we lose places, species or ecosystems we value and love. These losses are a growing threat to mental health and wellbeing globally. We all see ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shauna Brail, Associate Professor, Institute for Management & Innovation, University of Toronto A shift to hybrid and remote work continues to affect worker presence in Toronto’s downtown.(Shutterstock) Downtown Toronto, the core of Canada’s largest city, continues to reel from the lingering ...
Responding to an Auditor-General's report slamming failures in the administration of the 2023 General Election, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said: ...
Productivity apps now make up a big chunk of the software market. But do they work? And why do they all have AI integrations?Despite being firmly on the record as a physical planner fan, I sometimes dream of something better than my pretty diary and its scrawled, ugly, interior ...
The Taxpayers’ Union says the Beehive need to lead by example, following reports of more than $50,000 spent upgrading video conferencing equipment and furniture in the Prime Minister’s office. Taxpayers’ Union Campaign Manager, Connor Molloy, ...
An objective list of the 50 most powerful people in New Zealand, as judged by the Spinoff Editorial Board. It’s power list season, baby, and we want in on the action. Sure, there’s the rich list and the powerful “c-suite” list and the young people with power (hmmm) but here, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thalia Anthony, Professor of Law, University of Technology Sydney ShutterstockThis article contains information on deaths in custody and the names of deceased people, and describes ongoing colonial violence towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. First Nations people in Australia ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alex Simpson, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Macquarie University Netflix Baby Reindeer’s phenomenal success has much to do with its writer and lead, Richard Gadd, who plays Donny in a tender semi-autobiographical account of sexual abuse, harassment and stalking. Gadd’s story has ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Collins, Laureate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Newcastle KarolinaGrabowska/Pexels If you didn’t have food allergies as a child, is it possible to develop them as an adult? The short answer is yes. But the reasons why are much ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Moon, Professor of History, Auckland University of Technology Ans Westra, self-portrait, c. 1963. National Library ref AWM-0705-F They try but invariably fail – those writers who believe they are capable of encapsulating in prose or verse the essence of ...
Stewart Sowman-Lund looks at the growing concern around the world in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. What’s all this? When Covid-19 arrived on our shores in early 2020, some argued we were too slow, or crucially, ill-prepared for a pandemic. So ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Franco Montalto, Professor of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering and Director, Sustainable Water Resource Engineering Laboratory, Drexel University Water runs into a storm drain in a Los Angeles alley on Aug. 19, 2023, during Tropical Storm Hilary.Citizen of the Planet/Universal Images ...
The inquest into the death of Gore toddler Lachlan Jones has turned up a new witness who says he saw two teenagers and a small child in a high vis vest in the area where the boy’s body was found the day he died. Lachie’s body was discovered face up ...
Stories from the tenancy trenches, featuring spider infestations, cupboard rats and same-sex discrimination. Lucy’s brother was living in a damp 1930s building in Mt Eden where “he had to tie the cupboard doors closed so the rats didn’t get in”. Although he shared custody of his six-year-old son, his property ...
Simeon Brown, Chris Luxon, and Wayne Brown climbed into a hole and announced a plan to solve Auckland’s water woes. This is how it’ll work. New Zealand’s pipes are munted. They’re cracked and leaking, and struggling to handle all the extra poos excreted by our rising population. It’s a big, ...
I knew Taika Waititi quite well when he was a kid. His mother lived in a tall narrow house in Aro St, and my youngest sister had a similar house two doors along. They were both single mums, they each had a son aged seven. Taika and my nephew Stepan ...
Opinion: “As time passes, knowledge of the circumstances of the August 2016 outbreak will fade and its immediate impact will be lost.” This statement is from the 2017 report of the Official Inquiry into the Havelock North campylobacteriosis outbreak. The then National-led government established the inquiry after the outbreak left ...
Opinion: Nicholas Khoo looks at two key points in the high-stakes foreign policy pact debate – and asks if NZ can engage with as little drama as possible. The post Where to next for the Aukus ruckus? appeared first on Newsroom. ...
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Opinion: ‘Reference-class forecasting’ is at the heart of improving pricing a project and identifying the expected timeframe but it doesn’t appear to be in use here The post ‘Think fast and act slowly’ is failing big projects appeared first on Newsroom. ...
What do a sombrero in Argentina and cognitive driving tests have in common? Don’t worry, we’re not setting up a bad joke. Hinengaro Clinic dementia clinician Gregory Winkelman has the answer on today’s episode of The Detail. “We ask a patient’s spouse or son or daughter: If you went to ...
Wellington long jumper Phoebe Edwards is back and she’s having fun again. Until this year, Edwards, a top athlete in her teens, had never competed as a senior athlete in New Zealand. In March, the 26-year-old won a national long jump title in a lifetime best of 6.28m after ...
After replacing a fifth of their caucus in just four months, the Greens’ opportunity to reset, reshuffle and refocus on the Government is quickly slipping away The post Persistent Green Party scandals delay caucus reset appeared first on Newsroom. ...
ANALYSIS:By Olli Hellmann, University of Waikato When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day today on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also to mark a defining event for national identity. The battle of Gallipoli against ...
By Robin Martin, RNZ News reporter A New Zealand local authority, Whanganui District Council, has passed a motion calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, condemnation of all acts of violence and terror against civilians on both sides of the conflict and the immediate return of hostages. It comes as ...
Asia Pacific Report The Aotearoa chapter of the Women’s International league for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) has appealed to the New Zealand government to call out Israel over the “cruel and barbaric use of force” in Gaza and demand a permanent ceasefire. The league’s open letter was sent to Prime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government will invest $566 million over a decade on data, maps and other tools to promote exploration and development in Australia’s resources industry. The project will fund “the first comprehensive map of what’s ...
Asia Pacific Report Following an open letter by Auckland University academics speaking out in support of their students’ right to protest against the genocidal Israeli war on Gaza, a group of academics at Otago University have today also called on New Zealand academic institutions to “repair colonial violence” and end ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Linda J. Graham, Professor and Director of the Centre for Inclusive Education, Queensland University of Technology Ryan Tauss/ Unsplash, CC BY Two male students have been expelled from a Melbourne private school for their involvement in a list ranking female students. ...
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Time for a republic!
“King Charles III has no such reputation. He’s already sacked his staff and made several brattish clangers on video. He helped make a hero of his late wife Diana through his and his family’s antics, and his Jeffrey Epstein-linked brother Andrew will automatically deputise for the king in case of emergencies. On top of this, Charles has been for many years an ambassador for the British arms industry.”
https://www.thecanary.co/opinion/2022/09/16/we-need-a-fierce-new-republicanism-not-the-twee-deference-of-liberal-anti-monarchism/
"We need a fierce new republicanism, not the twee deference of liberal anti-monarchism"..+1
A week has now ended of enduring the most disgusting display of slavish boot licking I have witnessed by New Zealand media in my life time…
But now, finally Queen Elizabeth the Second will be buried…just as the crumbling Imperialist regime that she was the active and vigorous figurehead for, buried (destroyed or seized) records of its Imperialist crimes and atrocities carried out in 23 countries and territories in the aptly name ‘Operation Legacy’ carried out during the 1950’s-60’s, an operation that she would have been fully informed of at the very least.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Legacy
“One of the most pernicious aspects of modern Britain, about which so many are in denial, is its failure to address the real history of the British Empire.”
https://jacobin.com/2016/11/british-empire-kenya-oman-ireland-state-secrecy/
This woman whom we are supposed to mourn for, maybe even shed a tear for, was the proud figurehead of a nation that murdered, raped, tortured, stole on an industrial scale, its way around the world until it was no longer able to..not because it had repented its multitude of sins against humanity and the environment, of course not..no, it was only when it had lost the physical power as a Nation to inflict its brutal Imperialist nature around the world, that it finally stopped…much like some sick podophile, that only stops to inflicting abuse upon his victims when he is too old and frail.
I would suggest that some acknowledgment and some mourning and maybe even some tears for the untold numbers of victims of postwar British Imperialism under the reign of Queen Elizabeth II would be a far more appropriate response that this time.
“Common torture tactics included starvation, electrocution, mutilation, and forcible penetration”
https://mandemhood.com/operation-legacy-how-the-british-government-destroyed-its-history/
And have no delusions that Queen Elizabeth II and her Royal family are a beguine presence in UK politics…..right up to her death..and beyond..
How the Queen lobbied for changes in the law to hide her wealth https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2021/feb/10/how-the-queen-lobbied-for-changes-in-the-law-to-hide-her-wealth-podcast
Queen secretly lobbied Scottish ministers for climate law exemption
https://inews.co.uk/news/queen-lobbied-scottish-government-land-exemption-climate-law-1125202
The Queen exempt from 160 laws after immunity written in to protect her
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/queen-exempt-160-laws-after-24490290
Royals vetted more than 1,000 laws via Queen’s consent
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/feb/08/royals-vetted-more-than-1000-laws-via-queens-consent
I am sure King Charles will most certainly maintain Queen Elizabeths and the British Royal families deep ties and empathy with the common man….
Prince Charles vetted laws that stop his tenants buying their homes
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/feb/09/prince-charles-vetted-laws-that-stop-his-tenants-buying-their-homes
Its time to stop the whitewashing of the history of Queen Elizabeths II and allshe stands for and represents…lets start that legacy project today…
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2022/9/17/whitewashing-queen-elizabeths-legacy-wont-save-the-monarchy
Agreed Tony and Adrian, and well researched. A republic is long overdue both in NZ and in the UK.
UK Labour MP Clive Lewis puts the argument well here:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/sep/16/mourning-republicans-system-privilege
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/sep/16/idea-of-monarchy-as-symbol-of-duty-or-sacrifice-a-lie-says-labours-clive-lewis?fbclid=IwAR2L99LCXZlPClsiXiH6yEWr-GdcipGPiednJVCABOnOYTUoLKo7prpbDNg
Shame on Starmer for kow-towing to the monarchist element by stifling political debate on this issue and others during the never-ending royal mourning period.
I, for one, will be washing my hair when the funeral starts this evening.
Scotland is planning an Independence referendum on 19th October 2023. With Scotland exiting the Union, and Northern Ireland already half way out, the edifice that we call Britain and UK will become defunct.
The argument to retain the Windsor monarchy as Aotearoa’s Head of State become very weak at that point.
The nose dive in the economy and international standing of England resulting from it’s isolationist project will further distance Kiwis from that place.
Agree with all of that Bill. This article says much about the rotten state of the UK:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/sep/18/levelling-up-liz-truss-boris-johnson-britain-inequalities
When people attempt to graft Q Anon metaphors, about the Democratic liberal regime in DC, with western imperialism in general a lot of dots get joined. When that becomes apology for both isolationism nd extra territorial aggression by others/non western actors, it ends up being incoherent.
In fact the chance of Andrew deputising for King Charles 111 is about the same as the Queens recently deceased dog Candy rising from the dead to do it instead.
The one and only job left to Andrew is looking after the remaining dogs of the Queen.
I was referring to the British Imperialist project as being like a predator, not Andrew..but as it so happens, Andrew is himself a well known podophile…and was protected from facing justice by his mother…Queen Elizabeth.
Queen ‘to spend millions funding Prince Andrew’s defence against sex abuse claims’
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/queen-prince-andrew-epstein-millions-legal-case-b1931084.html
And I did not mention in 1.1.2 – just quoted your post paragraph 4.
Your reply is tagged to mine to that of Tony Veitch.
I will say that neither funding a defence in court if ones family is able, nor using state provided defence counsel otherwise, is protection from facing justice.
And we are referring to a female over 16 and under 18 by the way.
"And we are referring to a female over 16 and under 18 by the way"
No we are not…you and I have no idea how old the girls were who where abused by Prince Andrew (favorite son of and protected by Queen Elizabeth)…over what appears to be years of that deviant behaviour…
Jeffrey Epstein abused girls as young as 11 on secluded private island, lawsuit says
Ghislaine Maxwell trained underage girls as sex slaves
Queen moves to protect Andrew from media at Balmoral, report says
Then you are posing your belief in the reality of other cases of abuse, despite no charges made. The case made against Andrew in a court involved a person between age 16 and 18.
Well I for one are not going to waste any more time on this subject…if you are fine with a sex abuser participating in the abuse of sex slaves (of any age or sex) and facing no legal ramifications for those crimes because of his wealth and position that is your business.
You get/got to display your inability to back up what you claim, and your resort to strawman about the person you debate with is risible.
Nope, just not interested engaging in drawn out, pointless debates with defenders of known sex abusers.
You were the one who responded to my post to another person, rather than to the one I made to your own.
Agree, the logical (and I think the statutory) deputy for KC3 is his heir – William.
.
Vaguely / unenthusiasitically / more-or-less republican on principle … but, at the same time, I recognise the practical utility of a constitutional monarchy … and I'm fiercely – and I want you to reflect extensively on this over the next few hours (possibly while quietly smoking a pipe), I am fiercely – proud of my apathy / half-heartedness / significant de-prioritisation of the issue.
The Guardian article linked in that post contradicts itself on the redundancies. It regularly refers to redundancies which elsewhere in the article, transpires that they haven't happened yet. It's possible people have resigned or taken voluntary redundancy, but as far as I can tell, the changes are still being consulted on in line with UK law.
Agree that the timing sucked though.
Testing…my comment keeps disappearing?
I can see it : )
Too many links
What is the rationale for NZ allowing multiple citizenship?
You see someone like citizen Thiel adding NZ to his passport collection, which includes Germany and the U.S.A.
There are of course countries like Malaysia who do not allow dual citizenship.
Malaysian immigrants can retain their Malaysian passport and still qualify for NZ Super.
Surely govt benefits should only be accessed by citizens apart from emergency situations.
PR covers all bases,why bother with citizenship?
Am I missing…something regarding the status quo?
There are a couple of references online to Thiel’s currently holding German citizenship, but I don't think he does, and it would seriously surprise me, since Germany does not permit dual citizenship, and neither New Zealand nor the US prohibits relinquishing citizenship. Much as I'm no fan of Thiel or the circumstances of his having been granted NZ citizenship, it's singularly annoying to read comments railing against bloody foreigners from a position of lazy ignorance.
Why should someone not qualify for NZ super if they have paid into the scheme during their working life?
I have mentioned previously about an example where a 55 y. o immigrant could not meet the points criteria in Australia.. but could for NZ.
Came here bought a house, got PR… never worked here and recently became eligible for Super.
Your allegation of 'lazy ignorance' is not supported by any compelling arguments.
Rather lazy of you.
Dual citizenship, I will presume.
Germany doesn't allow dual citizenship (except for children – who get to make a choice at their majority)
https://manila.diplo.de/ph-en/service/citizenship/-/1988130
There are some esoteric exceptions – but I'd be surprised of Thiel qualified for any of them.
It seems most likely that he relinquished his German citizenship when he got his US one.
Your lazy ignorance is borne out by the fact that you simply assumed that Thiel had triple citizenship, and launched into some nebulous stuff about some countries not allowing dual citizenship, when one of them was, in fact, one whose citizenship you were claiming he had alongside others.
Your lazy ignorance is exemplified by not knowing facts..and relying on 'but I don't think he does'…
Germany’s new coalition government to allow dual nationality (thelocal.de)
Germany and the US both recognize the principle of dual citizenship but only in specific cases. Usually, dual citizenship in Germany and USA is permissible when obtained by birth— regardless of which country you were born in. But, German and US dual citizenship is impossible for naturalized citizens unless exceptional circumstances apply.'
Dual Citizenship – Germany/US (schengenvisainfo.com)
:Facepalm:
Peter Thiel, as far as I know, was born to German parents who subsequently emigrated, not to one German and one US citizen. Germany does not, as a rule, allow dual citizenship, and I could find only a couple of vague references to Thiel's citizenship of Germany, with no accompanying, exceptional information. It therefore seems unlikely, as I stated. There are several situations in which Germany allows dual citizenship, but it would become very long-winded to go into them here.
I am also well aware that all three of the current governing parties in Germany have a stated intention of allowing dual citizenship, which they included in their coalition agreement; the fact is, however, that they have not implemented it to date, and I’ll believe it when I see it.
Do yourself a favour, and don't just spend ten seconds googling something before deciding you're an expert.
Wiki….
Peter Thiel
'Peter Andreas Thiel is a German-American billionaire entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and political activist. A co-founder of PayPal, Palantir Technologies, and Founders Fund, he was the first outside investor in Facebook. As of May 2022, Thiel had an estimated net worth of $7.19 billion and was ranked 297th on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.Wikipedia
Born:Peter Andreas Thiel, October 11, 1967, Frankfurt, West Germany
Citizenship:Germany (1967–present), United States (1978–present), New Zealand (2011–present)
Education:Stanford University (BA, JD)'
you decided to just zoom in on Thiel…my original post was NOT solely about him.Don't be a silly sausage…Mr Wurst.
[Don’t play the man, play the ball and the ball only – Incognito]
Mod note
Yeeeeeeeees (slow clap). I said I could find a couple of references online, and that was one of them. If you looked a bit furter, you'd find similar Wiki-articles, in various language giving him German citizenship until 1978, and US citizenship from then onwards. If you look at the (many) articles from the time that his NZ citizenship came to light and later, in German and in English, or reviews of his biography, you will struggle to find a mention of his holding German citizenship*.
Given that you presented your point as a grouch about people, implicitly from various nations, holding multiple citizenships, I would expect you to check your facts properly. Your statements are a lazy, throw-away potshot at foreigners, but you’re actually dealing with a serious issue, the sort that tends to foster similar lazy grumblings, and is a huge blight on discourse in culture in New Zealand and elsewhere. If you are going to foray into that territory, you should learn to be specific, and to make sure you have your ducks on a row.
* A quick glance at the Wikipedia edit history shows that the change to state his German citizenship as current was made on 11.02.2022, as a sole edit and with no reason or reference provided.
The source of 'facts' is often contested.
If the Wiki reference has been amended this year, I can accept it.
The reality is my original post had 7 paragraphs.
You chose to zoom in on the one that mentioned Thiel.
I posed the question regarding the value of citizenship.
As for-' 'and launched into some nebulous stuff about some countries not allowing dual citizenship, '
Unless nebulous has a new meaning,I specifically mentioned Malaysia .
For me, it's more around citizenship. If you want to be a Kiwi, and entitled to live here, and be supported by our social security system, then you need to become a Citizen, not a Permanent Resident. If that means that you have to relinquish your US or Malaysian citizenship, then that's your choice.
I think that 'Permanent Residence' status should be limited to (say) 10 years – thinking here of people seconded to work here, or on long term contracts – and should only be renewable under extraordinary circumstances.
I don't give Kiwis a free pass on this either – I'm glad that the residence rules are changing for qualification for super (though not quickly enough IMO). Provided you've lived in NZ for 10 years after the age of 20 – you currently qualify. So there are a large chunk of Kiwis who have effectively never contributed to the NZ tax base – since they've been living and working overseas, but who are eligible to 'return' to NZ when they’re 60 (last 5 years) and get the pension when they're 65. It just doesn't sit well with me.
Too many contradictions in there! Please do better.
Sorry, not seeing the contradictions – perhaps the link to the official website will make it clearer.
https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/products/a-z-benefits/nz-superannuation.html
You can (and I know this because a cousin has done so) – leave NZ at the age of 25. Live, work, and pay tax overseas (in a range of countries around the world, in her case), and return to NZ at the age of 60. Live here for 5 years, and qualify for the pension. She has, over the course of her working life, contributed almost nothing to the NZ tax base – but will be drawing benefits from it (both super and healthcare) for the next 20+ years.
Surely, however, by that reasoning, the only qualification should be the contributions one makes, and citizenship should be utterly irrelevant. I'm not seeing a compelling argument for anything at all regarding citizenship here.
In that case, what is the benefit to NZ of having PR?
It seems to me that the question invited by your line of enquiry so far is not what the point of PR is (the overarching point is obviously to enshrine a framework of legal rights around somebody's commitment of life and work to a geographical region), but what the point of the rather more nebulous concept of citizenship is.
Nailed it!
I can’t be bothered with your obvious selective blindness to your own contradictions except to point out that your wording has already changed ever so slightly and subtly. You’re also missing a huge fact of contributing to the NZ tax base.
Perhaps you can explain how you're contributing to the NZ tax base, if you're not resident in NZ? You don't pay NZ taxes on your overseas income.
Perhaps you can engage your brain and stop erecting those contradictory walls. If you’re not a resident in NZ this whole thread becomes moot, doesn’t it?
I realise that you are a moderator…however your assumptions about my intentions….are wrong.
The proof is in the pudding. If it looks like, smells like, and tastes like chocolate, then it is most likely chocolate pudding. Or it is that you’re shite at making pudding.
PS it seems that your reply was to the wrong comment in the thread
That's a bit too broad a brush. Residency for tax purposes and immigration status are not the same thing. This thread is just continuing in the same handwavy vein as it started, with the brilliant, "That millionaire Peter Thiel with his thousand passports, and all those Malaysians getting rich off stealing our super, and all that sort of type" gambit.
Melodramatic drivel.
The wider discussion is citizenship,what does it mean,what are the priveleges.
You single out Thiel…is it because you have a German sounding…user name!
You introduced Thiel at the start of this thread with a clear intention to steer it in a certain direction and in a certain way. You got called out on that and obviously can’t handle that and the fact that somebody disagrees with you, with good reason. Deal with it or don’t start disingenuous discussion threads aka if you can’t stand the heat then get out of the kitchen.
BTW, don’t play the man!
Yours was, in fact, a very narrow discussion. If you want to have a wider discussion about citizenship and what it means, go ahead. However, I think, 'That millionaire Peter Thiel with his thousand passports, and all those Malaysians getting rich off stealing our super, and all that sort of type' was a perfect summation of your argument so far.
Also, I didn't single out Thiel. You did that; just look at your first post.
I spent getting on for fifteen years working abroad because wages and positions in my industry were decimated by the widespread, corrupt and actually illegal use of foreign slave fishermen.
In compensation various governments hit me with punitive tax impositions. If they'd done their job, I'd never have left in the first place.
It is possible to have a dual citizenship (German and New Zealand). I have both: German since my birth and New Zealand since I successfully applied for it.
In general Germany doesn't allow dual citizenship, but there are exceptions. You can apply for such an exception via "Beibehaltungsantrag" (if you already have German citizenship). You have to explain two things:
German Internal Affairs is going to review your application and decides if you can keep your German citizenship with the additional citizenship.
For a well resourced and connected person like Thiel this shouldn't be a major hurdle.
True. However, the date given for Thiel's naturalisation as a US citizen is 1978, when he was 10 years old, and presumably considerably less well-connected than he is nowadays (by the time he was grown up, the ship of ‘Beibehaltung’ would have well and truly sailed); there are virtually no references to his having German citizenship in articles (in German or English) about the minor scandal over his NZ citizenship several years ago, despite a significant proportion of them including the angle that he is a US nationalist, and that a 2nd citizenship would compromise his allegiance.
The original comment smacks heavily of grabbing a prominent person to frame a narrative of divided allegiance, and lifting a little factoid about triple citizenship from Wikipedia to enhance the implication, despite a preponderance of available evidence not supporting his triple citizenship, in order to smear 'Malaysians' (and by extension any foreigners). Especially galling is the reference to Malaysia's not allowing dual citizenship, when the German situation, also referenced in the comment, is also heavily restrictive.
Your summation of my post is not accurate and you know…it.
"Am I missing…something regarding the status quo?"
This bit is American centric…but you get the idea…
It’s A BIG Club & You Ain’t In It!
Because we're a tiny weak country with no savings generating next-to-no capital and so we have to suck in capitalists by any means necessary including being a safe boring country where you can get dual citizenship. That's what the Immigration categories look like.
Not sure if it does us any good in reality.
Your saying NZ has next-to-no, what appears to be, savings which the country then can't invest. Is this the claim?
Because relying on foreign investors to compensate for that will surely see the profits of their investment are sent off shore. If thats the strategy the country appears to have picked a worse than merely doing no good strategy.
The problem is not so much the capital , it is the lack of capability, therefore we need foreign capital to provide the wherewithal for the offshore technology we desire/need….and when I say technology, I mean pretty much anything that is not cottage industry…i.e. what we need is not available in NZD.
Over 7% of Americans have long covid (twice the UK rate)
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/nc…
I did some back of the envelope calculations the other day about NZ and LC.
Let's say that in another year's time 50% of the NZ population has had covid (2.5m). If the LC rate is 10% of infections (more likely higher than that), that's 250,000 people with ongoing symptoms. Let's say 25% of those are serious to the point where people can't work or can only work part time. That's 62,500 people that need health care and financial support as well as support with life tasks like childcare or cleaning their house.
For comparison, current SLP numbers are about 90,000 (long term people unable to work due to disability who get a WINZ benefit).
What I want to know is what is likely to be happening at year 5. Or year 10. If subsequent covid infections increase risk of LC, are we heading for most people eventually getting LC? What happens at the point that there are more people with LC unable to work than those able to keep society functioning? Or even running the health system?
Mostly I want to know what is going on in people's minds that we aren't talking about this as a major crisis on the horizon.
I can't quite get my head around it, because if those figures are in the ball park of correct, then how will this not make society seriously dysfunctional?
We urgently need the data on the rate of LC by degree of disability.
Potentially yes…however what is far more likely to occur is a reduction in productivity that we will argue over the cause of and learn to live with (until we no longer can)
Once upon a time Napoleon noted two things
The royal family live above the shop (preside over the merchant economy) and represent the continuance of the old aristocratic order (landed gentry) but neither Victoria nor Elizabeth 11 exercised decision-making power (though Albert's interest in urban renewal had an impact). Others decided the extension of the franchise and the NHS and the empire to Commonwealth transition.
The concept of blaming the figurehead of the regime for what was done by the government of the people is a bit like the ritual of parties changing leaders on losing an election. Blaming royalty for an empire largely built since 1689 (constitutional monarchy) is simplistic. It's a parody of ritual sacrifice to redeem a people from their own past to build some new republican utopia – a Mayflower ship exodus journey to the New World.
Of course nations formed by immigrants and the local indigenous people will forge their own destiny, connected to, or separate from other nations, in their own time.
At the moment our and their royal performs a ceremonial function, a bit like an animated mannequin in a shop window – in that Liz Truss will write the words that her King will speak to parliament (and here our PM for Dame Cindy Kira). From a mothers son, who could express his views, to a ventriloquist dummy for the person in No 10.
Probably just as well, given Charles is so much of the 20th C, then William can develop the role for a monarchy in the 21st C.
Who is 'Elizabeth 11'? The late queen was the second English monarch to hold the name 'Elizabeth', which means she is usually referred to as 'Elizabeth II', or, if you are intent on using Arabic numerals, Elizabeth the 2nd. 'Elizabeth 11' is a nonsensical description.