"so on the 7th of July Winston was denying something he now admits to yesterday?" "Folks, Winston can’t just lie to our faces and be allowed to get way with it".
Strikes me there's a simple explanation that would get Winnie off the moral hook: NZF hired the secret agents after the 7th and before the 18th.
"It’s also incredibly dangerous to allow social media Brexit manipulators like Arron Banks and Andy Wigmore who used Facebook and Cambridge Analytica to become involved in NZ politics."
Really?? Buncha snowflakes are we? Can't handle it? However Bomber does pull himself together. He reveals Winston's master plan: angry white men. The thesis is that there's
"a large number of angry white men who don’t bother voting because they feel culturally alienated by the current paradigms of micro-aggression policing and Millennial sensibilities. This group of males are economically paranoid by their perceived lack of cultural power and whose economic anxiety clashes with being told they are the ones with the privilege."
Facebook and Cambridge Analytica changed all this. They suddenly had hundreds of data points to know how to precisely push those angry white non voters into rage fuelled voting machines. This manipulation of white male anger become the driving force that saw Trump win, Brexit win and Scott Morrison win.
With Crusher Collins clearly intending to trigger the same culture war hot buttons NZ First are now actively chasing, the race to trigger angry white men will see a spike in divisiveness aimed at getting a reaction out of woke Green activists which will echo resentment around social media feeds.
If you are an alienated angry white male, watching that Woke Green activist screaming in your social media feed is all you need to support whatever they are screaming against. Will the NZ Woke take the bait? They sure as fuck will.
So you see how this can be made to work. Get the left identified in the public mind as shrill wokeists who are totally delusional. Just a question of whether National or NZF stampede those hordes of angry white males into polling booths. Probably both.
The repetitive use of the word "woke" certainly helps the Brexit PR CA guys, why keep perpetrating that? I refuse to and I never hear it anywhere but here on TS & Peters & Collins. To not take the bait, stop using the word or even acknowledge it even means anything.
Disrespectful to BLM, since they invented it! As long as politically-correct folks embrace the term, it will maintain currency. Been in general use so many years now that there's no point trying to close the stable door – the horse has bolted!
Oxford Dictionaries record early politically conscious usage in 1962 in the article "If You're Woke You Dig It" by William Melvin Kelley in The New York Times and in the 1971 play Garvey Lives! by Barry Beckham ("I been sleeping all my life. And now that Mr. Garvey done woke me up, I'm gon' stay woke. And I'm gon help him wake up other black folk."). Garvey had himself exhorted his early 20th century audiences, "Wake up Ethiopia! Wake up Africa!"
Earlier, J. Saunders Redding recorded a comment from an African American United Mine Workers official in 1940 ("Let me tell you buddy. Waking up is a damn sight harder than going to sleep, but we'll stay woke up longer.") Lead Belly uses the phrase near the end of the recording of his 1938 song "Scottsboro Boys", while explaining about the namesake incident, saying "I advise everybody to be a little careful when they go along through there, stay woke, keep their eyes open".
The first modern use of the term "woke" appears in the song "Master Teacher" from the album New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) (2008) by soul singer Erykah Badu. Throughout the song, Badu sings the phrase: "I stay woke." Although the phrase did not yet have any connection to justice issues, Badu's song is credited with the later connection to these issues.
To "stay woke" in this sense expresses the intensified continuative and habitual grammatical aspect of African American Vernacular English, in essence to always be awake, or to be ever vigilant. David Stovall said: "Erykah brought it alive in popular culture. She means not being placated, not being anesthetized."
Implicit in the concept of being woke is the idea that such awareness must be earned. The rapper Earl Sweatshirt recalls singing "I stay woke" along to the song and his mother turning down the song and responding: "No, you're not."
I wonder why his mother rendered that negative verdict. Perhaps the dude was too young at the time to be genuinely self-aware in that sense & his mum knew she had to alert him to the importance of being authentic, not just copying…
Good point, since it raises the question of how identity is created in identity politics. I've always seen it as self-created, but it is true that identities are socially-created via labelling.
Since I lack experience of personal interactions with the minority group in Aotearoa that is being labelled woke by some, I can't testify to the extent to which those who marched in support of BLM here have genuinely performed the cultural appropriation of the woke label. Perhaps others here can?
Yeah, this bit really took me back into my 1960s self: " A major task of self-development during early adolescence is the differentiation of multiple selves as a function of social context (e.g., self with father, mother, close friends) with an awareness of the potential contradictions."
I remember the post-adolescent phase more clearly though. Late teens had me trying to present myself consistently to others and being puzzled that doing so felt inappropriate in some social contexts. I decided to yield to those feelings, and respond to circumstances intuitively instead.
The fact that NZ adopts memes from overseas which are probably spread through social media fastest to the young ones means that overseas usage has a quick uptake here, 'woke' included.
Also cis – that is used as part of identity trashing.
Well, if a sociologist wanted to establish a causal link, he/she would ask them, eh? BLM are just as likely to report cultural transmission as the gospel according to Badu.
BLM are just as likely to report cultural transmission as the gospel according to Badu.
This would be another evidence-free assertion that assumes no crossover of any note between an album you've never heard and a movement you've got no idea about?
Disrespectful to BLM, since they invented it! As long as politically-correct folks embrace the term, it will maintain currency. Been in general use so many years now that there's no point trying to close the stable door – the horse has bolted!
Pretty sure I explained this to you already. 'Woke' has a specific meaning in US black communities. It has a different meaning in NZ. In NZ it is now almost always used as a pejorative or tool of mocking or dismissal.
Collins and co are using it to foster dissent and taunt the left. Lefties might be using it as shorthand but I think the word meaning is still in transition here and like others I think it's better to avoid using it at all, unless one knows how to use it in reference to BLM, which I almost never see in NZ. I don't see many lefties/liberals/progressives using it to describe themselves now, some used to.
Haven't read Bomber's piece today, but he generally uses it to position himself and his argument in conflict with other left wing people. You might want to ask why he does that and whether it's useful.
Lefties might be using it as shorthand but I think the word meaning is still in transition here
Since language evolves. Clearly context ought to guide usage of labels.
Gordon Campbell: “Ngati Woke” March 2020
But he was citing Shane Jones. Sourcing the term in 19th century usage as the wiki does (re freeing slaves) suggests that to do transformational social change, one must first awaken from habitual acceptance of the status quo.
In that sense woke as a current term does signal a generic usage outside BLM. So any attempt to limit usage is probably doomed to failure. I do agree that usage to demonise leftists is problematic – but I expect it to escalate. Group labelling is integral to identity politics. Leftists calling Trump racist fueled that fire, so no surprise rightists have called their bluff…
I just woke up, but wouldnt have a clue what a woke is?some buzzword that somebody invented, that means nothing to the vast majority. use it and feel part of the crowd, or use it and feel like a tool…
The righties in America use the term woke as they once used unAmerican (leftie fellow traveller/not a Christian or not white in their thinking – supporting civil rights in the south).
The meaning of words evolve, why should woke meaning remain constant, or as a few wish it to be ?
look at a word like gay, todays usage of the word has little to do with how it was in past used.
I did find criticism of Nationals front benches ethnic composition strange. Its clearly the parties business who it puts on its front bench, but Muller etc handled this poorly. Collins seems to have killed it off.
This kind of reaction (rejecting the framing) to baseless criticisms should be kept in mind as the way to go.
Talkback hosts have been pumping "woke" for some time now, with such repetitious intensity that it's clear they are trying to embed the word in the minds of their listeners so that when it's needed, the single word will trigger anger with those who become furious believing they understand exactly what the word refers to, where in fact their response is emotional and Pavlovian.
Yet another example of a word or phrase that is forced down the throats of the population and means different things to different people. It is used by self proclaimed, trend setting leaders of political discourse who have an agenda to push which can be either Left or Right.
As far as I can see it is mainly a tool of the Right in NZ and is being used to denigrate the Left in a DP context.
Appropriated African American vernacular used as an insult.
Says it all, really.
While Black folks are routinely dismissed and discriminated against because of our hairstyles and AAVE in personal and professional settings, white people profit off of our styles, wear dreads and awkwardly co-opt our words and cadences for cool-points.
Meanwhile, white millennials will play the word on their Scrabble boards and laugh as they collect points for a word they do not use properly. People will buy “stay woke” cocktails with Red Bull, and tweet that you should “stay woke” in reference to the unfairness of the C minus they got in trigonometry. Woke will lose its Blackness, it will fade into whiteness–the same whiteness which assumed the term was just misconjugated verb, and now thinks that it makes a great descriptor for their Corgi who is nice to Black people.
You must have never gone to the Daily Blog or Kiwblog. It’s used in a dispargaging way for the liberal left at both sites. At Kiwblog its just their new term for PC, at the Daily Blog its a term for those who deplatform others on social media (so the site tries to make any one woke as unwelcome as possible).
“Snowflake” and “virtue signaling” were US imports–derisive terms essentially used in one direction only, uttered by reactionaries in regards to those they wished to denigrate, usually perceived as being left.
“Woke” however has accumulated wider usage and connotations for both left and right, and seems set to hang around longer, as did PC. No one but the out of touch, uses “PC” any more except in an ironic way perhaps. “I know its not PC…but…” does remain a BBQ favourite though for bigots about to blather some more offensive shit.
“Woke” is offensive to me when used in the same way as “PC” was. Where perfectly just causes and actions are corralled under one label as being on the margins rather than something the mainstream need to concern themselves with.
Sure the awake to injustice, rather than unaware of it, or comfortable with its continuance.
Disparaging the woke reminds me of someone like Karl Du Fresne in MSM column or Desterre on blog saying criticism of old white male boomers is ageist, racist and sexist and they will deplatform or not vote for such people (young, coloured and female).
One could go back to JFK's book Why England Slept (not being awake to the white racist nation's fascist threat to peace/world order) to whom on the right would be wary of the woke and why.
When used by those on the left it is a disapproving term for other people on the left who exhibit a vehement response to identity-based slights and injustices – but have no underlying structural analysis of how those slights and injustices arise. (Put simply: it's Marxists criticising identity politics)
When used by those on the right, it is a generalised disparagement of everyone on the left who is annoyed by any form of injustice and has the impertinence to speak up about it with force or passion. As has been said above, it now replaces 'political correctness' and is mostly an expression of how irritated the right is by hearing anything from unimportant people who don't really count in their internalised hierarchies of humans
When used by ordinary people – it is just fatigue at having one’s language policed by zealots looking for hidden signs of impure thoughts. Rather like post-modernist literary critics, even the faintest linguistic cloudiness can be ‘problematized’ into a thing that deserves extensive commentary leading to denunciation.
"… mostly an expression of how irritated the right is by hearing anything from unimportant people who don't really count in their internalised hierarchies of humans".
…and is mostly an expression of how irritated the right is by hearing anything from unimportant people who don't really count in their internalised hierarchies of humans.
Oh God, how true is that for so many of us who are/were not deemed to have been born to the right parents. And what makes it more ironic is that in many cases (including my own) their judgement is borne of ignorance and lack of intelligence.
In the face of electoral oblivion, Peters played the hits. His proposals at the Highbrook Conference Suites may as well have been designed by a random New Zealand First policy generator. Peters argued for a limit on immigration numbers to 15,000 per year, and insisted a New Zealand First immigration minister would be a “bottom line” in any coalition agreement.
New Zealand First was like a “rock, steadfast against the surging sea,” he said. It would ensure the country didn’t “lurch too far left, or too far right”. Instead it would be safe with Peters, the eye in a storm of attempted progress.
Fear is a hard sell at the moment though. Most of Peters’ voting base just spent the last 12 weeks in front of the TV being reassured by prime minister Jacinda Ardern. It’s hard to present yourself as a barrier fending off the hordes of political loons when your coalition partner’s biggest selling point is its calm, steady handling of a global crisis.
The reviewer looks for something more relevant to a brighter future, finds it lacking. I'm inclined to agree that the x factor is missing. Winston's ripe for retirement.
Winstons trying to lift the parties popularity, at the last poll of under 2% he seems to think it's because of his association with Labour and the Greens.
I would suggest that it's because he has stymied the efforts of Labour and the Greens in their attempt improve conditions for all, not a few.
His boasting and denials on Q&A yesterday was directed at his base, the voice of sensibility, he claims.
Not really standard OP, most RSEs are well looked after and the arseholes exploiting the minority are getting eliminated.
In the vineyards the pay is above minimum and in most cases well above that, but the most important thing to remember is someone from Vanuatu and the like earning good money when seen on comparable basis back home are earning more like the PM does here, Marlborough vineyard work has made it possible to build hundreds of houses and start businesses in the islands, and when strife hits the islands locals here are quick to fill containers with building materials and gear and ship it up there with money raised locally.
Did you actually read the item which btw has been updated since my initial post?
And did you read the first 2 episodes? I'll concede that in most occasions the RSE workers think they're doing OK IF and WHEN they're treated OK and not as though they're some cheap alternative to local labour that they should be grateful for because some jumped up little gittus and his borderline crim mates think they're royalty who are magnanimously doing a few lesser beings a favour.
And, when they're not treated with the respect that is their due, AND/OR being paid their entitlements, they have a right to complain – just as anyone else does.
Their is a history to all this as you possibly well know (if you're claiming expertise in the matter) – going back a while. It doesn't JUST concern RSE workers either.
Unfortunately, Lees-Galloway (once again) has invited the opposition a few more free hits – which is a shame, because I'm told he's relatively intelligent and a 'nice guy'. Shame he's such a shit judge of character
You could almost be describing the Russian crews stranded in Lyttleton through the delinquency of Grinevich et al. Thirty years on and the only thing that has changed is that the exploitation has moved onshore.
How can earning 10 times the hourly rate back home and working for people who band together and support your community when disaster strikes be equated to Russian crews on Russian ships?
Perhaps you were unaware of how low wages are in Russia – when the first Russian charters began operating in NZ (probably the Fletcher Sovryflot vessels), crew received the princely sum of $2 US per day – vastly more than they could have made at home.
They were exploited, and illegally of course, with the connivance of both major parties. The vessels were required to be registered in NZ for fisheries purposes (which also sent a bit of work to local dockyards), but this also made them subject to NZ law in its entirety including minimum wage law. This was never enforced of course – both Labour and National MPs being completely onboard with slavery.
But to answer your question – the Lyttleton vessel crews were in dispute about unpaid wages, and just as reluctant to be repatriated before they their court case was settled as Once Was Tim's RSE workers.
In fact some kind of migrant worker ombudsman office is highly desirable, so that these very common exploitation rorts are carried through the courts to completion even if the complainants are obliged to return home, and the scoundrels responsible face the justice that at present they generally escape.
Road trip to and from Whangarei for me from the Far North today, Mangamuka Gorge closed, so National will probably promise to build a Tunnel through it to go with their promised Bridges /sarc National, Building a Blighted Future
Thanks Sacha, SH10 is open and only adds another 10min to a trip so shouldn't be a problem really, but the Gorge road does sound munted and will need a lot of money spent on it. Was really just poking fun at Nationals un-costed yet promised tunnels and bridges. Blue skies and we're drying out here now, fingers crossed.
Heard a civil defence guy on radio saying slips and washouts all over the show, warning locals to not assume the road is same as last time they drove it.
As the Dotard of Doltistan and his Banana Republicans do their best to shatter the norms and values of functioning democracy, let's take a moment to be grateful for the relatively healthy state of our own democracy and how minor the rorts and distortions we get fired up about here really are.
Here there really is no question that the result of the election will be respected, and any subsequent transfer of power will happen in a peaceful and orderly manner. Contrast that with the decomposing jack'o'lantern's tease of refusing to accept the upcoming election results, with the real risk of armed extremists committing violence.
Here we go to substantial efforts to enable everyone to vote freely and that the final result fairly reflects the electorate's wishes. Contrast that with the partisan dirty tricks that are so prevalent in the US, such as voter suppression, removing polling booths, gerrymandering etc.
All of that without even starting on the failings of sham democracies such as Russia, Zimbabwe, Syria etc where elections only exist to stoke their ruler's ego and give useful idiots elsewhere talking points to hang false equivalences and other sham arguments from.
Could that possibly be because there weren't any actual UN election observers at the 2014 Syrian election? I've yet to find any reports of any.
Could it be that what is referred to was a gathering of pro-Assad propagandists calling themselves observers, holding a press conference at the UN, so that gullible useful idiots can spread propaganda fake news misdescribing it as "a press conference of UN observers of the Syrian Presidential election of 2014" ?
Forgive the preachy tone, but journalism was given its Fourth Estate privileges in order to discern who benefits from any given public policy, who’s likely to suffer the consequences of it, and what the wider repercussions are likely to be when this or that political direction is taken..
Don't bother asking Gordon when this happened. It didn't. Only in his mind – he's a leftist, of course. Trawl through the relevant history in search of his origin myth: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Estate
Gordon does make an important point in his footnote, however, and readers ought to check that out! Media responsibilities to the public are imaginal/real…
Oh, true. I was just reacting to the obvious falsity of his claim. The fourth estate does seem to have become accepted as a de facto component of the privilege system – even if the proof of that remains lacking. Thus my reference to imaginal/real. The social contract, however ephemeral, does condition people, politics, even power…
Thanks for that link Dennis – interesting footnote from Campbell; perceptive and fun.
"A disturbing downside of the media air kisses to Collins (for her services to news bulletins past and present) has been the skewing of the news agenda that has come in its wake. On Wednesday PM Jacinda Ardern delivered a major speech on this country’s route of re-engagement with the outside world, including a four part breakdown of the plans for handling the Covid-19 infection outbreaks that Ardern conceded would almost certainly ensue.
However, this announcement got buried in the blizzard of Collins stories, at least one of which (“The Many Sides of Judith Collins”) consisted of one journalist asking three other journalists to share their perceptions of Collins. Meanwhile, the Australians were treating the Ardern speech as rather big news. The Melbourne Age ran it prominently on its website. So did the Sydney Morning Herald, under the headline: “‘We have a plan’: Ardern says NZ must prepare for virus resurgence.”"
Could much of our media be regarded as infected with a sort of virus that attacks the 'little grey cells'? Perhaps some should go into isolation and spend it in thinking and reading non-fiction books that aren't Jordan Peterson's.
"Perhaps some should go into isolation…" – like your thinking Grey; a gulag would be too good for the worst of them, IMHO. In NZ, however, we'll just have to muddle through with 'a contest of ideas'.
Wouldn't mind so much, if only it was a fair joust, but one competitor in particular does have substantial recent form for playing dirty.
Keep laughing Robert it's good for the health. And funnily enough being a bit grey gives a number of characters to present, which is privately amusing at times.
I think you will find that the Fees Free policy has had very minimal impact on the increased enrolments that the institutions are seeing because the eligibility critera for Fees Free restricts alot of learners who have previouly studied at Level 3 .
[You have already used at least three different user names here and you don’t need to use a fourth one! We ask every commenter to pick one and stick with it. I have changed yours to the most recent (22 June 2020) user name that you seem to have used here – Incognito]
You didn't read what I wrote. I said increase enrolments would make it hard for National to attack fees-free. I didn't say increased enrolments are a result of fees-free.
My sister is in her second year of study to be a early childhood educator, something she had never considered until fee's free. I'm mighty proud of her.
Just Is What type of education though? I look at what we have and find it facing backwards to the 2Oth century. I just found this 2012 article by George Monbiot commenting on 'the barons', the present young dispossessed from just about everything that we all thought that WW2 fighting was for.
To be young in the post-industrial nations today is to be excluded. Excluded from the comforts enjoyed by preceding generations; excluded from jobs; excluded from hopes of a better world; excluded from self-ownership.
Those with degrees are owned by the banks before they leave college. Housing benefit is being choked off. Landlords now demand rents so high that only those with the better jobs can pay. Work has been sliced up and outsourced into a series of mindless repetitive tasks, whose practitioners are interchangeable. Through globalisation and standardisation, through unemployment and the erosion of collective bargaining and employment laws, big business now asserts a control over its workforce almost unprecedented in the age of universal suffrage.
The promise the old hold out to the young is a lifetime of rent, debt and insecurity. A rentier class holds the nation's children to ransom. Faced with these conditions, who can blame people for seeking an alternative?
But the alternatives have also been shut down: you are excluded yet you cannot opt out.
This is what I see. So a different sort of education is needed, one that won't just reinforce the above behaviour, one that will help ameliorate the present situation, and will encourage strong, good and kind people to help each other to grow individually to largely follow their own path within the community. They might be like freemen, or husbandmen of medieval times, or guildsmen. There could be the option of leaving school at 13 and going into an apprenticeship with block courses off for learning other subjects, one of which would be humanity and philosophy, but not religion as such.
Guilds might be the answer for us now. They could be formed on a local region basis to take on apprentices to make things for local use and work up superior types of product for sale in other regions or for export. This would apply to both males and females. https://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/guilds.html
There are trends in treatment and lack of opportunity for women to learn skills apart from domestic work among religious groups at present that are following medieval paths as referred to here:
… general observations about English peasant women: "A peasant woman's life was, in fact, hemmed in by prohibition and restraint." If single, women had to submit to the male head of her household; if married, to her husband, under whose identity she was subsumed. English peasant women generally could not hold lands for long, rarely learnt any craft occupation and rarely advanced past the position of assistants, and could not become officials.
For elite woman of the medieval ages, the situation sounds similar to that available to late 20th century women – since then opportunities and conditions have changed under neolib and freemarket strictures:
Noble women were natural parts of the cultural and political environments of their time due to their positions and kinship. Particularly when acting as regents, elite women would assume the full feudal, economic, political and judicial powers of their husbands or young heirs. These women were never prohibited during the Middle Ages from receiving fiefdoms or owning real property during their husbands' lives. Noble women were often patrons of literature, art, monasteries and convents, and religious men. It was not uncommon for them to be knowledgeable in Latin literature. For the wives of elite merchants in Northern Europe, their roles extended to commercial undertakings both with their husbands and on their own, however in Italy tradition and law excluded them from commerce.
My intent was for just basic high quality teaching from year 1 in all our schools and institutions, access for everyone, smaller classes, proper wages for those who educate.
We know low decile schools tend to have poor outcomes for many students, is there a way to change that.
Make sure the school buildings are fit for purpose, safe and healthy.
Tertiary education Institutes have been commercialized, its all about profit.
But what are we educating for? We are not teaching kids to think. Our lives have changed immeasurably and we don't have the width of learning and practice of analysis to have understanding and influence on what is happening. We have lost the 20th century, and we have had a poor batting average, we must regroup now in education, or we'll be run out. And that isn't cricket, for the oldies to give to the young ones. I have gone all sporty, time to retire for the post game cup of tea.
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I'd agree with Bryce … I think Winston's in real trouble. With inadequate Bridges & Muller in charge of the Nats, there was still an outside chance of a last-minute 2002-style resurrection for NZF (though even then, it would’ve almost certainly been a highly anaemic version of that hefty 02 swing) … but Collins' leadership might just be the final nail in the Winstonista coffin. They're certainly fighting for their electoral lives (hence, the UK Beagle Boys).
.
I've always held my tongue because there was Thatcher, the shoe collector wife of that leader, Ismeralda? Imelda? Shipley, but not many, and generally, they don't seem to get caught up in sex scandals or sending unsolicited porn…
I mentioned in the Wellington central post that Martyn 'Bomber' Bradbury appeared to have a tendency toward misogyny. He's promptly confirmed that he genuinely despises women in a childishly immature post on the Daily Blog.
In this case, the primary object of his hate is the leader of the National Party, with another woman, Fran O'Sullivan getting a backhander too.
No mention of where the image used came from, and unless I miss my guess, it appears to be something he has composed himself. Presumably while typing one handed.
To save clicking through, it's a composite of Judith Collin's face under a PornHub header.
te reo putake hit piece on a female journalist. If you have not read it, ask te reo putake he can give it to you.
[still no idea what you are on about and I’m not willing to trawl through TRP’s posts to try and figure it out. I warned you yesterday not to do this bullshit innuendo stuff and poking at people without any real intent to communicate. You’re out for a week. Please up your game when you return – weka]
I saw the same thing on TDB, and saw Bomber as attacking the Herald's standards of journalism, in pushing Fran's positive promotion of Judith.
I think Bomber tends to rush in boots and all, and does not always think about how easy it is for people with different attitudes to misinterpret the bombast that he has thrown forth.
I don't see him as a misogynist, only as a naughty, at times over-exuberant propagandist.
This in response to an unprecedented assault on the laws of asylum .So much for the rule of law and simple human decency
TRP's attacks on Assange were ugly and well in line with the character assassination that Nils Melzer described .TRP jumped on the bandwagon along with all the other republicans and cowards baying for his blood
Collins def gets rabid whenever she starts on "those lot at Labour" rants, she's just full of seething anger, I can't think of a counterpart in Labour or Greens. Nicky knows where the bodies are buried, he's seen the emails, I'm glad he's speaking out.
Reading between the lines, this sounds like an intensely personal issue, and shouldn't be lumped in with the other Nats getting out (especially as he has a safe seat).
Andrew Falloon will not stand for National in the Rangitata seat
Suicides of friends and unresolved grief, for which he has been having counselling given as the reason in a written statement. Get well Andrew.
Stuff understands the (National) Party was alerted to some of Falloon’s behaviour, which was “unbecoming of an MP”.
Wonder if we’ll ever find out what the behaviour was? And call me cynical but ‘mental health issues’ seems to have become a very convenient way for all political parties to shut down a potentially damaging issue.
Probably making sure lots of people don't die and that we survive the economic recession. After that I expect they will release policy in the lead up to the election.
Certainly is … my older brother brought a couple of Kliban's books of cartoons home around 1981/82 IIRR. Whack Your Porcupine & Two Guys Fooling Around with the Moon … brilliantly eccentric, irreverent & off-centre.
Took them to College to amuse friends & one or two teachers (including the one below … which my Biology teacher thought was hilarious … though possibly borders on non-PC now):
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Thus far May has followed on from a quiet April in the blogging department, but in fairness, it has been another case of doing what I am supposed to be doing, namely writing original fiction. Plus reading. So don’t worry – I have been productive. But in order to reassure ...
Buzz from the Beehive A new government agency will open for business on July 1 – the Social Investment Agency. As a new standalone central agency effective from 1 July, it will lead the development of social investment across Government, helping ministers understand who they need to invest in, what ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “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 look at who is funding them. The ...
Alwyn Poole writes – After being elected to Parliament in 2008 the maiden speech of Hipkins was substantially around education policy. He was Labour’s spokesperson for education 2011 – 2017. He was Minister for Education from 2017 until February 2023. This is approximately 88% of the time Labour ...
Eric Crampton writes – A fashion industry group is lobbying for protections. They make the usual arguments and a newer one. None of it makes sense. An industry group says it pumped $7.8 billion into the economy last year – that’s 1.9 percent of New Zealand’s GDP. ...
In December 2006, Fiji's military leader Voreqe Bainimarama overthrew the elected government in a coup. He ruled Fiji for the next 16 years, first as dictator, then as "elected" Prime Minister. But now, he's finally been sent to jail where he belongs. Sadly, this isn't for his real crime of ...
Don't like National's corrupt Muldoonist "fast-track" law? Aotearoa's environmental NGO's - Greenpeace, Forest & Bird, WWF, Coromandel Watchdog, Coal Action Network Aotearoa, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining, and others - have announced a joint march against it in Auckland in June: When: 13:00, 8 June, 2024 Where: Aotea Square, Auckland You ...
Seymour describes sushi as too woke for school meals. There are no fish sushi meals recommended by the School Lunches programme. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: The Government will swap out hot meals for packaged sandwiches to save $107 million on school lunches for poor kids. MSD has pulled ...
I don't mind stealin' bread from the mouths of decadenceBut I can't feed on the powerless when my cup's already overfilled, yeahBut it's on the table, the fire's cookin'And they're farmin' babies, while slaves are workin'The blood is on the table and the mouths are chokin'But I'm goin' hungry, yeahSome ...
The Ardern Government’s chickens came home to roost yesterday with the news that the country is short of natural gas. In 2018, Labour banned offshore petroleum exploration, and industry executives say that the attendant loss of confidence by the industry impacted overall investment in onshore gas fields. Energy Resources Minister ...
Hi,If you’ve been digging through the newly launched Webworm store (orders are being dispatched worldwide as I type!) you’ll have noticed the best model we had was Calvin.This is Calvin.Calvin.Calvin is 7, and is the son of my producer over on Flightless Bird, Rob — aka “Wobby Wob”. Rob also ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Climate change is everywhere. And when something's everywhere it can feel like it's nowhere. So how do we get our heads ...
Its a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...
Yesterday Winston Peters focussed his attention on the important matter at hand. Tweeting. Like the former, and quite possibly next, orange POTUS, from whom he takes much of his political strategy, Winston is an avid X’er.His message didn’t resemble an historic address this time. In fact it was more reminiscent ...
Buzz from the Beehive A significant decline in natural gas production has given Resources Minister Shane Jones an opportunity to reiterate his enthusiasm for the mining and burning of coal. For good measure, he has praised an announcement from Genesis Energy that it will resume importing coal. He and Energy ...
“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 look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim.Extreme Left Auckland University of TechnologyEvidenceThe ...
Eric Crampton writes – I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes – Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
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 ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
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. ...
Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is supportive of the cross-party approach to climate adaptation announced by the Minister of Climate Change today. ...
The Sustainable Business Council (SBC) and Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC) welcome today’s announcement from Government around a bipartisan inquiry into an enduring climate adaptation framework for New Zealand. ...
The Free Speech Union welcomes the decision by the Department of Internal Affairs, and Minister Brooke Van Velden, to abandon proposals to further regulate online speech. ...
BusinessNZ is congratulating the Minister of Climate Change for his work in achieving cross-party consensus for a way forward on climate adaptation. ...
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Bomber struggles to get his head around it: "So, ummmmmm." https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2020/07/19/ummm-shouldnt-winston-be-taken-to-task-for-this-outrageous-falsehood/
Winston a liar?? Surely not! 🤔
Strikes me there's a simple explanation that would get Winnie off the moral hook: NZF hired the secret agents after the 7th and before the 18th.
Really?? Buncha snowflakes are we? Can't handle it? However Bomber does pull himself together. He reveals Winston's master plan: angry white men. The thesis is that there's
So you see how this can be made to work. Get the left identified in the public mind as shrill wokeists who are totally delusional. Just a question of whether National or NZF stampede those hordes of angry white males into polling booths. Probably both.
The repetitive use of the word "woke" certainly helps the Brexit PR CA guys, why keep perpetrating that? I refuse to and I never hear it anywhere but here on TS & Peters & Collins. To not take the bait, stop using the word or even acknowledge it even means anything.
Disrespectful to BLM, since they invented it! As long as politically-correct folks embrace the term, it will maintain currency. Been in general use so many years now that there's no point trying to close the stable door – the horse has bolted!
Where have you heard anyone using it about themselves?
On it's wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woke
I wonder why his mother rendered that negative verdict. Perhaps the dude was too young at the time to be genuinely self-aware in that sense & his mum knew she had to alert him to the importance of being authentic, not just copying…
Given we are talking about NZ, some examples of that embrace rather than people slagging others for it would be welcome.
Good point, since it raises the question of how identity is created in identity politics. I've always seen it as self-created, but it is true that identities are socially-created via labelling.
Since I lack experience of personal interactions with the minority group in Aotearoa that is being labelled woke by some, I can't testify to the extent to which those who marched in support of BLM here have genuinely performed the cultural appropriation of the woke label. Perhaps others here can?
https://www.psychologytoday.com/nz/blog/science-choice/201412/basics-identity
Yeah, this bit really took me back into my 1960s self: " A major task of self-development during early adolescence is the differentiation of multiple selves as a function of social context (e.g., self with father, mother, close friends) with an awareness of the potential contradictions."
I remember the post-adolescent phase more clearly though. Late teens had me trying to present myself consistently to others and being puzzled that doing so felt inappropriate in some social contexts. I decided to yield to those feelings, and respond to circumstances intuitively instead.
O’kay.
So you are citing an 'embrace' for which you have no actual evidence? Noted.
You’ll see it when you believe it.
Only insofar as no evidence of repudiation has shown up in the media. If that minority feels they aren't woke, they need to start saying so!!
Isn’t that a horror movie, The Awakening? Scary stuff, those woke beings.
No repudiation, you say.
‘When did you stop beating your wife, Dennis?’
The fact that NZ adopts memes from overseas which are probably spread through social media fastest to the young ones means that overseas usage has a quick uptake here, 'woke' included.
Also cis – that is used as part of identity trashing.
So you have provided a link that disproves your assertion BLM "invented" the term "woke".
Cheers. Politically correct is one thing, but you are not factually correct in that instance.
Yes, I learnt that from the wiki. They recycled lingo that had become historical. So we live & learn, as usual…
"They" being "Erika Badu" using lingo from a few decades previously, well before BLM was a thing.
Well, if a sociologist wanted to establish a causal link, he/she would ask them, eh? BLM are just as likely to report cultural transmission as the gospel according to Badu.
This would be another evidence-free assertion that assumes no crossover of any note between an album you've never heard and a movement you've got no idea about?
Oh right, Collins, Peters et al are addressing the BLM movement here in NZ, all clear now.
Pretty sure I explained this to you already. 'Woke' has a specific meaning in US black communities. It has a different meaning in NZ. In NZ it is now almost always used as a pejorative or tool of mocking or dismissal.
Collins and co are using it to foster dissent and taunt the left. Lefties might be using it as shorthand but I think the word meaning is still in transition here and like others I think it's better to avoid using it at all, unless one knows how to use it in reference to BLM, which I almost never see in NZ. I don't see many lefties/liberals/progressives using it to describe themselves now, some used to.
Haven't read Bomber's piece today, but he generally uses it to position himself and his argument in conflict with other left wing people. You might want to ask why he does that and whether it's useful.
Lefties might be using it as shorthand but I think the word meaning is still in transition here
Since language evolves. Clearly context ought to guide usage of labels.
Gordon Campbell: “Ngati Woke” March 2020
But he was citing Shane Jones. Sourcing the term in 19th century usage as the wiki does (re freeing slaves) suggests that to do transformational social change, one must first awaken from habitual acceptance of the status quo.
In that sense woke as a current term does signal a generic usage outside BLM. So any attempt to limit usage is probably doomed to failure. I do agree that usage to demonise leftists is problematic – but I expect it to escalate. Group labelling is integral to identity politics. Leftists calling Trump racist fueled that fire, so no surprise rightists have called their bluff…
Stay woke.
I just woke up, but wouldnt have a clue what a woke is?some buzzword that somebody invented, that means nothing to the vast majority. use it and feel part of the crowd, or use it and feel like a tool…
"I just woke up"
Turns out that is the correct usage.
The righties in America use the term woke as they once used unAmerican (leftie fellow traveller/not a Christian or not white in their thinking – supporting civil rights in the south).
Stay woke indeed.
The meaning of words evolve, why should woke meaning remain constant, or as a few wish it to be ?
look at a word like gay, todays usage of the word has little to do with how it was in past used.
Word evolution is great – those using 'woke' as a slur are asleep at the wheel.
#ReclaimWoke
I did find criticism of Nationals front benches ethnic composition strange. Its clearly the parties business who it puts on its front bench, but Muller etc handled this poorly. Collins seems to have killed it off.
This kind of reaction (rejecting the framing) to baseless criticisms should be kept in mind as the way to go.
Talkback hosts have been pumping "woke" for some time now, with such repetitious intensity that it's clear they are trying to embed the word in the minds of their listeners so that when it's needed, the single word will trigger anger with those who become furious believing they understand exactly what the word refers to, where in fact their response is emotional and Pavlovian.
Just another tiresome import from the US righties by their unoriginal local counterparts.
Judith Collins has used it already.
Yesterday, Winston claimed his party is the only true Green party in Parliament.
Stealing the self-labling of those you oppose is a common strategy nowadays.
Ahhh, Winnie, my favourite Charlatan
Shane Jones must rate alongside, Mista Smokey? He's slick and loud.
Daresay. Maybe.
But who's the classy one, Robbie G?
Winston is crimped and coiffured, it's true!
Winston maybe a handbrake vote from National supporters as they continue to implode.
Collins dodgy past and corroberators in Dirty politics are still players in the shadows.
Now, this comes to mind, from a fair way back:
Helen Clark saying, "Every three years, Winston pops up like Rumpelstiltskin."
It ended badly for ol' Rumpy, as I recall.
Winston is green the way the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is democratic.
And Winston, of course 😉
Yet another example of a word or phrase that is forced down the throats of the population and means different things to different people. It is used by self proclaimed, trend setting leaders of political discourse who have an agenda to push which can be either Left or Right.
As far as I can see it is mainly a tool of the Right in NZ and is being used to denigrate the Left in a DP context.
I'm still waiting for an example of the term being used in NZ except to describe others..
NZ lefties used to. Don't see it any more though.
Never seen it from that direction myself. Must be leading a sheltered existence. 🙂
haha, I would have thought my existence more sheltered than yours. I'm thinking of twitter. Will see if I can find an example.
the wokest may have blocked me by now
Appropriated African American vernacular used as an insult.
Says it all, really.
While Black folks are routinely dismissed and discriminated against because of our hairstyles and AAVE in personal and professional settings, white people profit off of our styles, wear dreads and awkwardly co-opt our words and cadences for cool-points.
Meanwhile, white millennials will play the word on their Scrabble boards and laugh as they collect points for a word they do not use properly. People will buy “stay woke” cocktails with Red Bull, and tweet that you should “stay woke” in reference to the unfairness of the C minus they got in trigonometry. Woke will lose its Blackness, it will fade into whiteness–the same whiteness which assumed the term was just misconjugated verb, and now thinks that it makes a great descriptor for their Corgi who is nice to Black people.
https://web.archive.org/web/20170709055948/https://wearyourvoicemag.com/identities/race/white-people-ruined-on-fleek-woke
edit: this too
https://www.wabashcenter.wabash.edu/2018/06/dear-white-people-woke-requires-work/
Here we go. Collins will lead a well funded campaign using all the latest tools.
Manufacturing consent, dissent and whatever it takes to get a bigger vote.
They've worn out 'social justice warrior' and 'snoflake'.
You must have never gone to the Daily Blog or Kiwblog. It’s used in a dispargaging way for the liberal left at both sites. At Kiwblog its just their new term for PC, at the Daily Blog its a term for those who deplatform others on social media (so the site tries to make any one woke as unwelcome as possible).
“Snowflake” and “virtue signaling” were US imports–derisive terms essentially used in one direction only, uttered by reactionaries in regards to those they wished to denigrate, usually perceived as being left.
“Woke” however has accumulated wider usage and connotations for both left and right, and seems set to hang around longer, as did PC. No one but the out of touch, uses “PC” any more except in an ironic way perhaps. “I know its not PC…but…” does remain a BBQ favourite though for bigots about to blather some more offensive shit.
“Woke” is offensive to me when used in the same way as “PC” was. Where perfectly just causes and actions are corralled under one label as being on the margins rather than something the mainstream need to concern themselves with.
Sure the awake to injustice, rather than unaware of it, or comfortable with its continuance.
Disparaging the woke reminds me of someone like Karl Du Fresne in MSM column or Desterre on blog saying criticism of old white male boomers is ageist, racist and sexist and they will deplatform or not vote for such people (young, coloured and female).
One could go back to JFK's book Why England Slept (not being awake to the white racist nation's fascist threat to peace/world order) to whom on the right would be wary of the woke and why.
Woke.
When used by those on the left it is a disapproving term for other people on the left who exhibit a vehement response to identity-based slights and injustices – but have no underlying structural analysis of how those slights and injustices arise. (Put simply: it's Marxists criticising identity politics)
When used by those on the right, it is a generalised disparagement of everyone on the left who is annoyed by any form of injustice and has the impertinence to speak up about it with force or passion. As has been said above, it now replaces 'political correctness' and is mostly an expression of how irritated the right is by hearing anything from unimportant people who don't really count in their internalised hierarchies of humans
When used by ordinary people – it is just fatigue at having one’s language policed by zealots looking for hidden signs of impure thoughts. Rather like post-modernist literary critics, even the faintest linguistic cloudiness can be ‘problematized’ into a thing that deserves extensive commentary leading to denunciation.
So it’s all a complete mess
"… mostly an expression of how irritated the right is by hearing anything from unimportant people who don't really count in their internalised hierarchies of humans".
Elegantly put, AB.
Well put AB. Post modernist philosophy, especially when combined with neo liberal individualism, has a lot to answer for!
Read this?
https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/20-07-2020/nicky-hager-five-reasons-why-judith-collins-wont-be-prime-minister/?fbclid=IwAR2_spUsWPgQmBirXOoh9wv755K4wyEc2CvlWa9K0LkzyOa3OYCQUSJmqCs#.XxTEJXUcBnB.facebook
Thanks for that Robert
Good piece from Nicky
Have now, thank you Robert–sincerely hope Mr Hager is correct.
Nicky deals in facts and unclothes them from various buried graves. Thanks Nicky and Robert.
Cheers Robert. Nicky Hager is a credible journalist.
Unfortunately NZ is extremely short of journalists of Nicky's calibre, intellect and in depth knowledge of political issues.
Oh God, how true is that for so many of us who are/were not deemed to have been born to the right parents. And what makes it more ironic is that in many cases (including my own) their judgement is borne of ignorance and lack of intelligence.
The Lincoln Project's tribute to John Lewis.
Spinoff reviews NZF campaign launch: https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/20-07-2020/fear-and-loathing-and-john-farnham-at-winston-peters-campaign-launch/
The reviewer looks for something more relevant to a brighter future, finds it lacking. I'm inclined to agree that the x factor is missing. Winston's ripe for retirement.
Winstons trying to lift the parties popularity, at the last poll of under 2% he seems to think it's because of his association with Labour and the Greens.
I would suggest that it's because he has stymied the efforts of Labour and the Greens in their attempt improve conditions for all, not a few.
His boasting and denials on Q&A yesterday was directed at his base, the voice of sensibility, he claims.
Winston also trying to persuade a couple of % of Nat voters to switch to him as a handbrake on progress. That's all he needs to do.
I wouldn't like to predict the election outcome, but I'm kinda hoping hoping NZF sits the next term on the sidelines.
As do many of us..
Heh, no shit! You are in good company Just Is. Winston helped a Labour led Govt. assume office as per MMP, then bailed.
He has often acted more like he was actually in opposition.
Agree whole heartedly. Voters don't like blockers.
Some voters certainly do!
Episode 3: BAU – shunt the exploited out of the if possible, as quickly as possible
RSE workers: ‘Nothing will happen’
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/rse-workers-nothing-will-happen
Standard operating procedure
Not really standard OP, most RSEs are well looked after and the arseholes exploiting the minority are getting eliminated.
In the vineyards the pay is above minimum and in most cases well above that, but the most important thing to remember is someone from Vanuatu and the like earning good money when seen on comparable basis back home are earning more like the PM does here, Marlborough vineyard work has made it possible to build hundreds of houses and start businesses in the islands, and when strife hits the islands locals here are quick to fill containers with building materials and gear and ship it up there with money raised locally.
It is a form of foreign aid that works both ways.
Did you actually read the item which btw has been updated since my initial post?
And did you read the first 2 episodes? I'll concede that in most occasions the RSE workers think they're doing OK IF and WHEN they're treated OK and not as though they're some cheap alternative to local labour that they should be grateful for because some jumped up little gittus and his borderline crim mates think they're royalty who are magnanimously doing a few lesser beings a favour.
And, when they're not treated with the respect that is their due, AND/OR being paid their entitlements, they have a right to complain – just as anyone else does.
Their is a history to all this as you possibly well know (if you're claiming expertise in the matter) – going back a while. It doesn't JUST concern RSE workers either.
Unfortunately, Lees-Galloway (once again) has invited the opposition a few more free hits – which is a shame, because I'm told he's relatively intelligent and a 'nice guy'. Shame he's such a shit judge of character
Krekshun. 'Their is a history………' should read 'There is a history ……..'
(Brain was going slower than my really phat arthritic fingers – as gorgeous as they are, and frankly, you pissed me off with your comment)
You could almost be describing the Russian crews stranded in Lyttleton through the delinquency of Grinevich et al. Thirty years on and the only thing that has changed is that the exploitation has moved onshore.
How can earning 10 times the hourly rate back home and working for people who band together and support your community when disaster strikes be equated to Russian crews on Russian ships?
Perhaps you were unaware of how low wages are in Russia – when the first Russian charters began operating in NZ (probably the Fletcher Sovryflot vessels), crew received the princely sum of $2 US per day – vastly more than they could have made at home.
They were exploited, and illegally of course, with the connivance of both major parties. The vessels were required to be registered in NZ for fisheries purposes (which also sent a bit of work to local dockyards), but this also made them subject to NZ law in its entirety including minimum wage law. This was never enforced of course – both Labour and National MPs being completely onboard with slavery.
But to answer your question – the Lyttleton vessel crews were in dispute about unpaid wages, and just as reluctant to be repatriated before they their court case was settled as Once Was Tim's RSE workers.
In fact some kind of migrant worker ombudsman office is highly desirable, so that these very common exploitation rorts are carried through the courts to completion even if the complainants are obliged to return home, and the scoundrels responsible face the justice that at present they generally escape.
Road trip to and from Whangarei for me from the Far North today, Mangamuka Gorge closed, so National will probably promise to build a Tunnel through it to go with their promised Bridges /sarc National, Building a Blighted Future
Drive well. Looks hairy.
Thanks Sacha, SH10 is open and only adds another 10min to a trip so shouldn't be a problem really, but the Gorge road does sound munted and will need a lot of money spent on it. Was really just poking fun at Nationals un-costed yet promised tunnels and bridges. Blue skies and we're drying out here now, fingers crossed.
Heard a civil defence guy on radio saying slips and washouts all over the show, warning locals to not assume the road is same as last time they drove it.
Far North might be advantaged from using the flat bottomed coastal shipping that used to be common up there way into last century.
Do you think the Mangamuka Gorge will suffer the same fate as the Manawatu Gorge?
As for Collin's 31b road project, the Nats when in government just cleared the slips from the Manawatu Gorge and closed the gorge road for months.
You mean suffer an expensive alternative route being built? Not enough farmers at either end.
As the Dotard of Doltistan and his Banana Republicans do their best to shatter the norms and values of functioning democracy, let's take a moment to be grateful for the relatively healthy state of our own democracy and how minor the rorts and distortions we get fired up about here really are.
Here there really is no question that the result of the election will be respected, and any subsequent transfer of power will happen in a peaceful and orderly manner. Contrast that with the decomposing jack'o'lantern's tease of refusing to accept the upcoming election results, with the real risk of armed extremists committing violence.
Here we go to substantial efforts to enable everyone to vote freely and that the final result fairly reflects the electorate's wishes. Contrast that with the partisan dirty tricks that are so prevalent in the US, such as voter suppression, removing polling booths, gerrymandering etc.
All of that without even starting on the failings of sham democracies such as Russia, Zimbabwe, Syria etc where elections only exist to stoke their ruler's ego and give useful idiots elsewhere talking points to hang false equivalences and other sham arguments from.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/commentisfree/2018/jan/21/this-is-how-democracies-die
https://www.vox.com/mischiefs-of-faction/2018/9/21/17886252/forgotten-majority-norms-democracy
Andre, perhaps instead of blindly repeating the lies of your favourite media you could check that their statements aren't false.
To get you started, here is a video of a press conference of UN observers of the Syrian Presidential election of 2014.
Useful idiot indeed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnFQd4wBXnk
[url fixed, that was some weird tracking bits – weka]
"video unavailable".
yup.
Could that possibly be because there weren't any actual UN election observers at the 2014 Syrian election? I've yet to find any reports of any.
Could it be that what is referred to was a gathering of pro-Assad propagandists calling themselves observers, holding a press conference at the UN, so that gullible useful idiots can spread propaganda fake news misdescribing it as "a press conference of UN observers of the Syrian Presidential election of 2014" ?
Useless idiot is confused.
lol
http://webtv.un.org/watch/bashar-ja%E2%80%99afari-syria-and-us-observers-on-the-syrian-presidential-elections-press-conference/3629865488001/
Gordon Campbell explains why journalism was created: http://werewolf.co.nz/2020/07/gordon-campbell-on-the-mainstream-medias-romance-with-judith-collins/
Don't bother asking Gordon when this happened. It didn't. Only in his mind – he's a leftist, of course. Trawl through the relevant history in search of his origin myth: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Estate
Gordon does make an important point in his footnote, however, and readers ought to check that out! Media responsibilities to the public are imaginal/real…
You're conflating 'given privileges' with 'being created'. Nice strawman.
saying something does not exist if it does not have a creation date is spurious.
Our constitution within parliament system evolved, as did the role of the so called media estate.
Oh, true. I was just reacting to the obvious falsity of his claim. The fourth estate does seem to have become accepted as a de facto component of the privilege system – even if the proof of that remains lacking. Thus my reference to imaginal/real. The social contract, however ephemeral, does condition people, politics, even power…
Thanks for that link Dennis – interesting footnote from Campbell; perceptive and fun.
Could much of our media be regarded as infected with a sort of virus that attacks the 'little grey cells'? Perhaps some should go into isolation and spend it in thinking and reading non-fiction books that aren't Jordan Peterson's.
"Perhaps some should go into isolation…" – like your thinking Grey; a gulag would be too good for the worst of them, IMHO. In NZ, however, we'll just have to muddle through with 'a contest of ideas'.
Wouldn't mind so much, if only it was a fair joust, but one competitor in particular does have substantial recent form for playing dirty.
Aren't you a "little grey cell", Grey?
Keep laughing Robert it's good for the health. And funnily enough being a bit grey gives a number of characters to present, which is privately amusing at times.
Tertiary enrolments up! This is a problem for National because it makes attacking fees-free difficult.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/421583/tertiary-enrolments-rise-as-job-opportunities-fall
Also helps with unemployment figures.
I think you will find that the Fees Free policy has had very minimal impact on the increased enrolments that the institutions are seeing because the eligibility critera for Fees Free restricts alot of learners who have previouly studied at Level 3 .
[You have already used at least three different user names here and you don’t need to use a fourth one! We ask every commenter to pick one and stick with it. I have changed yours to the most recent (22 June 2020) user name that you seem to have used here – Incognito]
See my Moderation note @ 11:37 AM.
You didn't read what I wrote. I said increase enrolments would make it hard for National to attack fees-free. I didn't say increased enrolments are a result of fees-free.
Good to see free fees working for the older cohort and for potential tradies.
My sister is in her second year of study to be a early childhood educator, something she had never considered until fee's free. I'm mighty proud of her.
Nats hate Educating people and hate Educated people
They'd much rather prefer to import the expertise, saying there's no one in NZ with qualifications
The FACT is that Education is the BIGGEST LONG TERM INVESTMENT any country can make with huge long term benefits.
Just Is What type of education though? I look at what we have and find it facing backwards to the 2Oth century. I just found this 2012 article by George Monbiot commenting on 'the barons', the present young dispossessed from just about everything that we all thought that WW2 fighting was for.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/jul/16/barons-in-control-of-britain
To be young in the post-industrial nations today is to be excluded. Excluded from the comforts enjoyed by preceding generations; excluded from jobs; excluded from hopes of a better world; excluded from self-ownership.
Those with degrees are owned by the banks before they leave college. Housing benefit is being choked off. Landlords now demand rents so high that only those with the better jobs can pay. Work has been sliced up and outsourced into a series of mindless repetitive tasks, whose practitioners are interchangeable. Through globalisation and standardisation, through unemployment and the erosion of collective bargaining and employment laws, big business now asserts a control over its workforce almost unprecedented in the age of universal suffrage.
The promise the old hold out to the young is a lifetime of rent, debt and insecurity. A rentier class holds the nation's children to ransom. Faced with these conditions, who can blame people for seeking an alternative?
But the alternatives have also been shut down: you are excluded yet you cannot opt out.
This is what I see. So a different sort of education is needed, one that won't just reinforce the above behaviour, one that will help ameliorate the present situation, and will encourage strong, good and kind people to help each other to grow individually to largely follow their own path within the community. They might be like freemen, or husbandmen of medieval times, or guildsmen. There could be the option of leaving school at 13 and going into an apprenticeship with block courses off for learning other subjects, one of which would be humanity and philosophy, but not religion as such.
Guilds might be the answer for us now. They could be formed on a local region basis to take on apprentices to make things for local use and work up superior types of product for sale in other regions or for export. This would apply to both males and females. https://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/guilds.html
It would pay to read about 'the Estates of the Realm and how society has been ordered in different places and ages. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estates_of_the_realm
There are trends in treatment and lack of opportunity for women to learn skills apart from domestic work among religious groups at present that are following medieval paths as referred to here:
… general observations about English peasant women: "A peasant woman's life was, in fact, hemmed in by prohibition and restraint." If single, women had to submit to the male head of her household; if married, to her husband, under whose identity she was subsumed. English peasant women generally could not hold lands for long, rarely learnt any craft occupation and rarely advanced past the position of assistants, and could not become officials.
For elite woman of the medieval ages, the situation sounds similar to that available to late 20th century women – since then opportunities and conditions have changed under neolib and freemarket strictures:
Noble women were natural parts of the cultural and political environments of their time due to their positions and kinship. Particularly when acting as regents, elite women would assume the full feudal, economic, political and judicial powers of their husbands or young heirs. These women were never prohibited during the Middle Ages from receiving fiefdoms or owning real property during their husbands' lives. Noble women were often patrons of literature, art, monasteries and convents, and religious men. It was not uncommon for them to be knowledgeable in Latin literature. For the wives of elite merchants in Northern Europe, their roles extended to commercial undertakings both with their husbands and on their own, however in Italy tradition and law excluded them from commerce.
My intent was for just basic high quality teaching from year 1 in all our schools and institutions, access for everyone, smaller classes, proper wages for those who educate.
We know low decile schools tend to have poor outcomes for many students, is there a way to change that.
Make sure the school buildings are fit for purpose, safe and healthy.
Tertiary education Institutes have been commercialized, its all about profit.
But what are we educating for? We are not teaching kids to think. Our lives have changed immeasurably and we don't have the width of learning and practice of analysis to have understanding and influence on what is happening. We have lost the 20th century, and we have had a poor batting average, we must regroup now in education, or we'll be run out. And that isn't cricket, for the oldies to give to the young ones. I have gone all sporty, time to retire for the post game cup of tea.
+100%
They don't like educated well-informed people because they will ask questions.
"The FACT is that Education is the BIGGEST LONG TERM INVESTMENT any country can make with huge long term benefits."
Including lifelong learning by SELF EDUCATION.
A sense of self worth and confidence given to children by the people who raise them helps here.
That requires a stable household income, healthy accomodation and workplaces, available healthcare and and a secure old age.
Bryce Edwards on the AM Show this morning commenting on NZF and Winston
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/07/time-to-start-writing-off-winston-peters-expert-explains-why-nz-first-have-no-hope.html
Bryce is writing him off, but history suggests that you never know
Bryce is very supportive of the Nats new leader, no mention of her previous "History" though.
Bryce! Says it all.
.
I'd agree with Bryce … I think Winston's in real trouble. With inadequate Bridges & Muller in charge of the Nats, there was still an outside chance of a last-minute 2002-style resurrection for NZF (though even then, it would’ve almost certainly been a highly anaemic version of that hefty 02 swing) … but Collins' leadership might just be the final nail in the Winstonista coffin. They're certainly fighting for their electoral lives (hence, the UK Beagle Boys).
.
https://twitter.com/swordfish7774/status/1285012897559482368
.
– Winston Peters to David Seymour
Good contender for political quote of the year.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12349322
Elegant! He's awful (but we like him – sometimes).
Here's some stats for Global management of Corona Virus comparing Male Leaders to Female Leaders, quite interesting
Just reinforces the fact of just "How Lucky We Are"
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12349101
I remember Heather Duplicity-Allen had a mini-meltdown on air a couple of months ago about these exact observations.
Seems she is man's woman.
I was going to say Women tend to be kinder at heart but then I remembered….Collins
I've always held my tongue because there was Thatcher, the shoe collector wife of that leader, Ismeralda? Imelda? Shipley, but not many, and generally, they don't seem to get caught up in sex scandals or sending unsolicited porn…
Imelda Marcos, wife of the Phillipines President a decade or so ago.
There is a difference between strict and downright dishonest
NZFirst
Even after it's long time in Parliament, NZFirst is in fact a one person Jockey.
The sought of stallion who knows a lot, produces a few ideas, but does not get the main ideas up and running.
All words – and no work. Just talk. It's a real pity the Jockey has flopped.
But then, Winston Peters believes only in himself.
New Zealanders are not knocking on his door. They are tired. Same old words,
Yep, but you just can't write him off
I mentioned in the Wellington central post that Martyn 'Bomber' Bradbury appeared to have a tendency toward misogyny. He's promptly confirmed that he genuinely despises women in a childishly immature post on the Daily Blog.
In this case, the primary object of his hate is the leader of the National Party, with another woman, Fran O'Sullivan getting a backhander too.
No mention of where the image used came from, and unless I miss my guess, it appears to be something he has composed himself. Presumably while typing one handed.
To save clicking through, it's a composite of Judith Collin's face under a PornHub header.
Vile.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2020/07/20/political-caption-competition-1253/
And he called it a "caption competition". Just to encourage the jerkoffs. Fucksake.
Fortunately no-one has commented on it, despite 89 views.
It's a good example of why people, esp men, need to stop using the Karen meme now.
also thankfully appears not to have gone out on twitter.
This image strikes me as misogynistic too. I hope this isn't a sign of things to come.
https://twitter.com/TheDailyBlogNZ/status/1284593831497924609
So generating death threats against female journalist isn't misogyny?
Is it just good woke politics?
what are you on about adam?
te reo putake hit piece on a female journalist. If you have not read it, ask te reo putake he can give it to you.
[still no idea what you are on about and I’m not willing to trawl through TRP’s posts to try and figure it out. I warned you yesterday not to do this bullshit innuendo stuff and poking at people without any real intent to communicate. You’re out for a week. Please up your game when you return – weka]
Maybe the "captions" are premoderated, and a certain bloviate didn't approve of the responses.
I'd forgotten they don't publish certain comments.
You could pop over there and test it out 😈
was tempted, but don't know if they want a legit email 🙂
There didn't used to be any confirm email thingy.
never actually commented there, I think. Don't read it regularly.
I saw the same thing on TDB, and saw Bomber as attacking the Herald's standards of journalism, in pushing Fran's positive promotion of Judith.
I think Bomber tends to rush in boots and all, and does not always think about how easy it is for people with different attitudes to misinterpret the bombast that he has thrown forth.
I don't see him as a misogynist, only as a naughty, at times over-exuberant propagandist.
who routinely dismisses the concerns of women though.
TRP
Your attacks on Assange,with his arms pinned , turned my stomach
And I was piled on for defending him
And your point is…?
rape is rape
“I think it’s kinda ironic that Assange was rudely awakened yesterday to find he was fucked without protection.” https://thestandard.org.nz/julian-assange-journeys-end/
This in response to an unprecedented assault on the laws of asylum .So much for the rule of law and simple human decency
TRP's attacks on Assange were ugly and well in line with the character assassination that Nils Melzer described .TRP jumped on the bandwagon along with all the other republicans and cowards baying for his blood
So as far as I'm concerned he's lost any moral or empathic credibility.
I know, I know. Poor Julian, it's not like he consented to be violated in that way.
Another zinger.
https://twitter.com/BMeiselas/status/1284970853357113344
test
test 2
test 3
Nicky Hager on 5 reasons why Collins will never be PM.
https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/20-07-2020/nicky-hager-five-reasons-why-judith-collins-wont-be-prime-minister/
And damn compelling reasons too!
Collins def gets rabid whenever she starts on "those lot at Labour" rants, she's just full of seething anger, I can't think of a counterpart in Labour or Greens. Nicky knows where the bodies are buried, he's seen the emails, I'm glad he's speaking out.
She knows her base, they do angry well.
Wow!
National MP Andrew Falloon quits amid 'significant mental health issues'
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12349451
Good on him for getting help.
Must be what the scumbags at Kiwibog were depserate to share the other day when even Farrar had to warn them off. https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2020/07/for_the_avoidance_of_doubt.html
depseration is a terrible thing
Reading between the lines, this sounds like an intensely personal issue, and shouldn't be lumped in with the other Nats getting out (especially as he has a safe seat).
As the PM says … "be kind".
Andrew Falloon will not stand for National in the Rangitata seat
Suicides of friends and unresolved grief, for which he has been having counselling given as the reason in a written statement. Get well Andrew.
(Slow typing)
Wonder if we’ll ever find out what the behaviour was? And call me cynical but ‘mental health issues’ seems to have become a very convenient way for all political parties to shut down a potentially damaging issue.
If you want to quote from somewhere new, please link to it.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300061190/national-mp-for-rangitata-andrew-falloon-will-not-contest-upcoming-election
Thanks
And the PMs office was notified last week and informed the leader of the oppo, respect.
Bad enough behaviour to trash one's career I suspect.
What are labours policies this election?
Probably making sure lots of people don't die and that we survive the economic recession. After that I expect they will release policy in the lead up to the election.
To battle corona virus and to restart the economy.. Seem to be doing ok. More later..
The TMBS lads discuss why "lame liberals" getting excited by the Lincoln Project ads is mostly a bad thing. In short – the Lincoln Project people have power/influence and a horrible agenda.
The Prime Minister and Minister of Finance have today put aside $14 billion in case of a second pandemic wave.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12349475
I lived through the oil crisis and Think Big 1977-1982, and this government response says we are in a bigger crisis than even that.
Probably a matter of when rather than if.
I'm a veteran of the Muldoon Years myself.
https://twitter.com/swordfish7774/status/1285086279021944832
Is that a B Kliban cartoon?
One of my favourite cartoonists, with a sometimes surreal bent.
Certainly is … my older brother brought a couple of Kliban's books of cartoons home around 1981/82 IIRR. Whack Your Porcupine & Two Guys Fooling Around with the Moon … brilliantly eccentric, irreverent & off-centre.
Took them to College to amuse friends & one or two teachers (including the one below … which my Biology teacher thought was hilarious … though possibly borders on non-PC now):
https://twitter.com/swordfish7774/status/1287565878830051328