The local Grey Power has asked for questions to be asked at a meeting for local body candidates.
The only two topics raised from all the responses are 1. climate change and 2. housing.
Those seem to be the issues for seniors, at least. Climate change is an interesting one since that change is going to be physically affecting the planet far more when we seniors are dead.
The other issue for a general election will be timely and responsive health care.
The issues when we were young were quite different- Apartheid, Vietnam, Nuclear war.
On reflection not so different as today. Apartheid has become hate speech and racism. Vietnam has become Afghanistan. Nuclear war is on the rise as an issue with attacks on existing treaties but also has its modern equivalent in climate change.
The issues when we were young were quite different- Apartheid, Vietnam, Nuclear war.
Oh yes, and it defined who we were and what we became.
At last 45-50 years later, a new generation of young people are walking in our tracks. It's enough to give us some hope for the future. But first, the world needs to clear away the destruction and debris caused by excessive greed and neo-liberalism.
The current youth led action on Climate Change in particular does also provide a chance for a “clean sheet of paper” approach to neo liberalism. And in fact if the current Govt. is fortunate enough to be re-elected, consigning the structural underpinnings of NZ neo liberalism to history, should the political priority of us all.
By 2023 other generation’s of voters will be on the verge of outnumbering “boomers” so change will come, and hopefully not too late.
I'm a boomer. In my first draft of my comment above I toyed with a further paragraph that said something along the lines of "So much for the baby boomer bashers who accuse us of self-centred greed" considering the issues that now most concern seniors.
I can't wait till we're outnumbered – but of course I'll be dead by then (beforehand) hoping my offspring will float me down the Ganga in a flaming cardboard box, or alternatively – stick me under a tree in the backyard as its fertiliser.
(More likely though, I might prove to be so toxic, that the Kowhai planted in remembrance of my father would probably end up in my case with purple flowers or a colour as yet unknown.
What'd be better though would be some bloody virus which, upon touch would end up tainting the mind – killing off the entire religious belief system in neo-liberalism.)
"By 2023 other generation’s of voters will be on the verge of outnumbering “boomers” so change will come, and hopefully not too late."
Have been outnumbered for quite some time…considerably outnumbered.
(see chart in attached article)
"In 2013 boomers made up the largest proportion of the adult population (30.8 per cent). In the four years that have passed since then, millennials have overtaken them.
If you include all of the 14 to 17-year-old millennials in the 2017 adult population there are now likely over 1 million adult Millennials in New Zealand."
Yes, there are those angles to it, but generation Rent and generation Student Loan have a different take on life from those secure in their own homes on National Super. No prediction that will see the newer voters dive Green/left after being raised in a market economy, saturated with neo liberal individualist psychology.
In 2013 the percentage of adults (those eligible to vote, with minimal exceptions) that were 'boomers' was a shade over 30%, leaving an almost 70% of non boomers to comfortably out vote on any issue/platform should they get off their arses and stop looking for scapegoats…and even with the poor turnout they will have had a greater number at the polls.
The political course taken by NZ lies at the feet of the entire electorate as it they that have consistently provided a majority for the status quo….such is democracy.
Sacha@11.04
yep, alienation, transience, isolation, decline of postal communication, underselling of the unpublished roll–a biggie for migrants and women and those in debt–and the list goes on
And that sickening perennial meme propagated by those who don't want the hands of the hoi polloi on the levers of power- "Don't vote. It only encourages them"!
Plus gaol prisoners.
Plus location of booths.
And social encouragement. I'm going to be writing a piece for a Grey Power newsletter encouraging people to vote.- not just members.
Will churches, sports groups, residents associations, migrant groups, community associations, service clubs do the same?
Who does that for the all the other social groupings?
Will some Millennial use the power of social media to do the same?
Who asks, "Have you voted yet? Have you looked at the list of candidates? Got your voting forms?" etc
For part of the time at least we had a progressive government walking alongside us and giving us support. I refer to the Kirk-led government in the 1970s. I still mourn the loss of that man. He had his flaws I know, but he was an inspiring and visionary leader. How different things would have been had he lived.
The new generation have the Ardern-led government and despite misgivings by some people, I believe they will prove to be a progressive government provided we (the voters) give then the time and space to carry it all out.
PS. I missed your comment TM but I think you might be from an older generation too, so you will know what I’m saying.
Yes, was in Biko squad in ’81 tour, marched for Nuke Free NZ and Homosexual Law Reform etc. I remember the silence across town on the day of Norm Kirk’s funeral, have read Margaret Hayward’s “Diary of the Kirk years”, was proud of Norm beyond the French nuclear test Frigate–so many things were instituted in his brief tenure including Integrated schools…etc. etc.
Another term or two and this would have been a different country indeed. It is only a partial excuse, but Douglas and co sneaked in their neo lib revolution under cover of Muldoon’s damage really.
Re TM at 10.48. I don't see the young ones showing any more understanding about today's politics than I did last century. It's a different time but the zeitgeist seems to be last century's but diminished, harder, more competitive, and lacking real caring and understanding of those getting ground down who are outside the bounds of the group. The environment is different in type, it is part of their purview and they are understanding the implications of BAU but people have to prove worthy of being considered; there seems a self-hate for humanity that gets projected onto others.
Was that the squad which assembled in Fowlds Park? I was in that squad – minus helmet and padded jacket so we were placed near the rear out of harm's way. Still saw the violence on both sides though. Protesters being repeatedly batoned simply because they were making a lot of noise. I also saw protesters overturning a car parked on the side of the road which was pure vandalism. They got away with it because the police were too busy hitting noisy protesters into the ground further down the road. Madness.
What will be the main issues during the next election?
For Labour (and the Greens by association) voter trust will be a big issue.
Considering things like growing housing demand, hardship grants and food bank queues have all worsen and not improved. How much will voters trust them to deliver to give them another go?
Are you kidding? Where did you get the idea that very many people "trust" National and that despite it being suggested otherwise, whether you like it or not, a lot of NZers know that the "growing housing demand, hardship grants and food bank queues" began in the years of their tenure and that the numbers now are the culmination of too rapid immigration and some low grade training outlets.
I think you are naive on that, the media have done quite a job on recent events but the fact is outside of a handful of people no one incl Ms Bennett has full or close to full knowledge of the event that "Labour" has had a hammering over. Anyone with life experience knows that a number of facts will add up to the full picture and I dearly hope the QC has all she needs and does a good job of getting the facts and that a just and factual report on that can be given to the public. One thing I am sure of is the Winston Peters had no need to and would have never have commented in the way did with out solid reason that media and Bennett have spoken out without all the relevant facts.
Word on the street would suggest otherwise. Not one person I've spoken to in the real world believes them. And this feedback is also coming from other lefties.
As for Winston, without Labour having a hope in the next election, he loses his ability to play the two (National – Labour) off. So of course he's come to their backing in this regard.
Here's something to ponder if you wish. If no complaint was ever laid, why is Jacinda saying there is no excuse for their mishandling of it?
Not one person I've spoken to in the real world believes them.
They were probably just humouring you so that you'd go away and let them deal with the next customer. If they existed at all: I suppose if you spoke to nobody about it, then not one person you spoke to would disagree with you…
The real world? Are you actually going to bore me with that drivel? Obviously you're not quite busy enough and I live in the real world too? It's full of a variety of people some of them wired right, very few wired left and the rest to busy to pay attention to politics on a daily basis yet, maybe more next year. They will have a variety of things to think about and I am pleasantly surprised sitting down to chat that they are certainly not that keen to be "preached" to and even less to be misled – you might be surprised where they see that approach coming from. Let's such say that the salesman National once has is streets ahead of what you have now, it's viewed as useless.
Based on that the rest of your blurb is pointless and yet to reach it conclusion.
Here's something to ponder if you wish. The Rt Hon Winston Peters cannot stand liars and BS. If no one had lied, why is the Rt Hon Winston Peters commenting on it?
If I was even the slightest doubtful about the whole thing once Winston Peters got back, clearly checked out or even demanded details, as he would, and then said what he was said that allayed my possible doubts. The doubts probably came due to the media insinuations now I just hope the whole story can be told as fully as possible.
Winston requires both National and Labour to do well (but not too well) so as they will both require him, thus making him king maker allowing him to play them off against each other to secure a better deal for NZF.
If voters have no trust in Jacinda, Labour are unlikely to do well in the next election.
I think you should write opinion pieces for the media. You seem to repeat your own lines like you believe them. That’s good, passion and unwavering conviction, no matter what.
Above all, keep it simple, e.g. offer only binary opinions and binary choices, and under no circumstances try to be nuanced. Voters seem to appreciate that because it makes their task so much easier for them.
I was going to answer your second question but then realised that your questions can’t be genuine and that I’m wasting my time trying to engage with you. Nobody over the age of two and active on a leading blog site of the Labour movement would ask such dumb or leading questions.
You come running down the mountain every morning yelling 'Wolf'. I used to entertain your concerns but I can't feed any more of these cute little dogs you keep leading home.
This inquiry shows that once a document is presented how a previous witness statement can be found to be misleading.
The problem with misleading is that it has an impact on the character of the person making an allegation of the truth being hidden or alternative facts being dismissed when they should not be.
I wonder how Mapp and Coleman are feeling about being misled when they were Defence Minsters? Not impressed I should think, but they will keep their mouths shut.
"We wanted to go in and pay our respects to the victims in the chiller, while at the same time raising awareness to the general public – because in this day and age there is no reason to exploit animals for food,"
I think what I find annoying, deep down – and, again, some meat-eaters, you don’t have to own up to this, but it might interest you to discover whether you feel it – is the very fact that I can’t discount vegans any more. The thing that’s annoying about there suddenly being lots of them is the nagging suspicion that they might be right. When there were hardly any vegans, I hardly ever had to think about that.
that and guilt – both conscious and subconscious..
(there is a recognised childhood trauma where/when children realise that 'meat' is those cute animals they love..they then get conditioned by family/environment – so it becomes normalised..)
and their dietary normalcy/given is being challenged..
these are what most have yet to process..
..and this is just the beginning..the earliest stirrings..
and really – those like p.m. doing an 'impersonation of a boomer whose discount-coupon has expired'..had better learn how to suck it up..
the future is nearly here…
and really – it was hardly yellow-jacket/hong kong street anarchy – was it..?
it was a very kiwi demonstration – quite polite..really..
I went through a non meat eating phase and ended up with a bad case of anaemia. It's all about moderation. Fresh red meat once a week is all that is needed to maintain a healthy blood count for most people.
If they can produce "non meat" meat (as TM puts it @ 3.1.2) which is both tasty and has the required protein levels of real meat, then all the better for everyone including the animals.
That is where these obsessive vegans should be concentrating… not interfering with shoppers going about their business in a supermarket.
Veggie/vegan here, Weka is accurate there. We need to have milk in for our little one, who needs the calcium etc. But it's been pretty easy to cut out dairy and meat, far easier than maybe a decade ago, in part due to the expanding range of dairy-free and meat free products.
The holy grail is finding a dairy-free cheese that melts right and tastes right, it seems right now that you can pick one of these features – but not both.
i've never met a part-time vegan – 'cos if they are still eating flesh/dairy then they are either still carnivores – or vegetatrans – or flexi-terians..
vegans they ain't..
so your 'guess' is somewhat oxymoronic..by linguistic definition..eh..?
and can i just say – 'you ain't seen nuthin' yet..!'
That’s the kind of reaction they got from aggravated shoppers who were denied access to their meat on sunday…
Nope.
Apart from a few people who got aggressive, Stock said most shoppers were respectful. "Most people walked past, looked, took a flyer or walked passed respectfully," he said.
Nothing more outraged than a thwarted shopper! Gimme mah meat man!
Vegans are the future like it or not. Personally I am looking forward to “non meat” meat, I like a good burger, and “non dairy” dairy. More efficient land use and animal exploitation and cruelty diminished.
To date insect farming is a nonsense. Protein via legumes works well for vegetarians, as it did for the poor in many countries historically:
"Pease pudding hot!
Pease pudding cold!
Pease pudding in the pot
Nine days old."
There is also the celtic bean: Archaeobotanical research on prehistoric crops in Britain has primarily focussed on cereals and the potential importance of alternative crops, such as pulses, has often been overlooked. This paper reviews evidence for Celtic bean (Vicia faba L.) in British prehistory, using a database of archaeobotanical assemblages from 75 sites. Celtic bean is rare in the Neolithic – Early Bronze Age and it only becomes frequent from the Middle Bronze Age (ca. 1500 cal BC) onwards, particularly in southern England. Though there is a paucity of evidence at many sites, it is suggested that this reflects a preservation bias and in some areas at least, Celtic bean formed an important element of past agricultural systems. http://dro.dur.ac.uk/18202/
It's more iron and calcium that require effort to get into a vegetarian diet, especially since the Popeye myth about spinach was, sadly, a misplaced decimal point.
I'd be well tempted… I'm not a fan of the evangelical Christians that knock on the door etc but jeez rather them than a mildly crazed vegan… #plants have feeling to
Well I wouldn't want to impede their right to peaceful protest, and certainly wouldn't condone violence upon them to counteract their aggressive posturing, but having a rump steak waved in their mushes would raise a chuckle.
I have no problem with people being vegan but that stunt will simply turn people against them. Those were just a bunch of dickheads as my vegetarian partner said.
As someone who travelled through Afghanistan in '74, was told to get out of Kabul because something 'bad' was happening, saw chaos, confusion, and fear on people's faces, and was diverted to Mazar-i-Sharif in the north to see the Buzkashi – a bit like rugby on horseback – I have fond memories of Afghanistan and could not help comparing it in some ways with Aotearoa / New Zealand.
" Social Credit is taking a stand on the continuing avalanche of New Zealand assets and land being bought up overseas entities and further actions are being contemplated "
Vaguely recall watching the Black and White Minstrel Show as a youngster (~6 year-old?) – don't believe it engendered any conscious racism, but how to be sure?
"This racial controversy led to the programme's eventual cancellation from television in 1978, although a stage version ran for ten years after the show's cancellation at Victoria Palace Theatre, London. This was followed by tours of Australia and New Zealand."
"Since its cancellation in 1978, The Black and White Minstrel Show has come to be seen widely as an embarrassment, despite its huge popularity at the time."
Many would have done stuff in their younger days that might give cause for embarrassment now, and these activities are becoming more difficult to hide – a sign of the times.
A textbook political hit job, including the drip feed and subsequent furnishing of further examples. An attack only possible of course because Justin was such a dickhead when younger. And still likes dress ups it seems. It will be a high price to pay for many Canadians, including migrants, if a more right wing Government results.
Flawed people are often capable of positive things, but really, what is it about “blackface” that appeals to some white men? Or, in the case of other leaders placing their penises in pigs heads? or “grabbing ’em by the pussy”? or pulling on subordinates pony tails? Wealthy and systemic male privilege and arrogance, plus various parts racism and misogyny no doubt.
Will Trudeau survive this one? Hard to tell, he should retire in shame, but to what extent should people that admit wrong doing be allowed a second chance? The Canadian voters will answer that.
This article looks at black-face within cultural tradition and its relevance or propriety in modern society raised by media attention to an English politician's photo at a local folk festival.
A difference though between Morris dancing tradition and the late and unlamented haka parties of my University youth in Christchurch?
Recently my wife gave me a golliwog made in Picton for tourists. I thought how cute as more than 70 years ago my Mum had made me a golliwog based on a black woollen stocking. A neat toy for a little boy.
But when my son saw my wife's gift he was adamant that it was a serious racist symbol and should be destroyed. I saw it as a friendly cuddly toy. Funny how contemporary attitudes are so different. Poor old Little Black Sambo.
Yes, I had a golliwog too, and at the age of about ten gave away to a younger couain.
At primary school. we had a black-faced well dressed coin box that had a hand that accepted a coin and a lever then tilted the coin into the mouth of the black face and into its innards.
The money, a penny at a time, went to the African missions.
Now, the coin has flipped and African and Asian clergy are now missionising New Zealand, as the new Nelson Anglican Bishop exemplifies.
It connects to what President Macron spoke of with the decline of Western hegemony. And probably explains a lot of Western fear behaviour based on old attitudes and power structures.(And I just wanted to reminisce about my golly!)
Blackface or brownface, is it possible for a young racist to become (over the course of 20 years give or take) less racist ('not racist' even), and so become a nicer guy?
Were Trudeau's late teenage attitudes/values on matters of race set in stone, or might he have been capable of change?
No need to consider, let alone attempt to answer – these questions, and particularly any answers, are unimportant. The sooner that racist Trudeau is out of office the better.
“Many voters may conclude that Mr. Trudeau’s record of championing ethnic diversity and immigration, he said, offsets the offensive acts he did years before entering politics. As prime minister, Mr. Trudeau has welcomed thousands of refugees, promised to improve the lives of Indigenous people and apologized for historical abuses.”
“Suraj Shing, 35, an Uber driver from India, said he wasn’t voting for Mr. Trudeau because he was annoyed about his rising rent. But the photographs didn’t bother him. “Maybe somebody thinks it’s racist,” he said. “I don’t think so because he’s a very nice guy, he goes to mosques, he’s a very multicultural guy.”
Thanks Marty, just relieved I’ve never done anything racist (apart from watching the B&W Minstrel Show when I was ~6), because that taint doesn’t go away – not in a million years. Nor should it.
Pity Trudeau didn’t seek/get good advice at the time, but it’s too late now.
Sure I abide by moderation. I did not find that this commenter was sincere. Seemed to me they were s%@&ring the whole way through. That is just by way of explanation so my motives aren't misinterpreted.
Noted and appreciated. IMO, you missed the sarc tag. That particular commenter is well known for taking on The Chairman using a similar style. It may not always be effective, it may not always be liked (by the recipient), but it is not just shitstirring. In any case, one can make a point without getting up close and personal and the moderation note was to avoid further escalation that would have had more dire consequences.
Quite possibly, they were trying to make multiple points but you homed in on just one. FWIW, I don’t like it when the outcome is fairly predictable; they could have elaborated and tweaked their comment(s). But they didn’t, unfortunately, and instead gave you almost enough rope …
Has Trudeau apologised for his insensitivity and wrongheadedness? It would help if he realises what a fuckwit he has been and says so.
Note 7 6 1 marty mars where he is at the West Point Grey
Academy – presumably visiting as 29 is old to be studying. But recently there has been comment on the educational places these leaders get dragged up in and their inhuman and antisocial practices.
Like Corbyn and UK Labour party antisemitism, or Ardern and NZ Labour party rape culture, Trudeau's public apologies, sincere or not, are immaterial. Gotcha!
"It's very unusual for an event like this to come into a campaign and completely disrupt the major brand of a political leader."
This is just a media beat-up and we should think twice before reacting to stories like this. lt's interesting that we hear from Trudeau in that video that he was dressing up as Aladdin, a well-known children's story hero who is an Arab I think. It wasn't blackface, black and white minstrel style, which echoed and parodied the performances of poor black entertainers and mimicked their personas in a Jim Crow* way.
Personally I find it mocking and insulting that some jeans brands have brought out expensive jeans that are slashed across the knees. Just my sensitivity, but it's like saying to the poor that 'we can dress like you if we want and still belong in our class, but whatever you wear you will wake up poor and an outsider tomorrow.' People can insult others without a word in more subtle ways than putting brown on the face.
If being ready to take everything as an insult, it is hard to communicate at all. Personally I do not like people who are very practised in saying the right thing, so as to gain advantage, acceptance and trust. They seem genuine but it is likely to be for show. Thin-skinned people are hard to talk to, as they have more than one private agendas, and people who take on causes or are very rigid about their beliefs make conversation a minefield.
Yes but one should read Russell Brown's piece on it. I fear Patrick Gower missed a great opportunity to inform people and choose to pad the documentary with fluff instead.
Brown does good journalism, but his concern is always one sided when it comes to drug reform laws.
as with any sort of 'drug' ( includes alcohol, pharmaceuticals, and cannabis) its the harm caused by and to the high user group that is the only part we spend all the time and effort into regulating.
Bland comments like 'use amoung young people is declining' are often demographic changes , especially from migration, and arent related to the harm amoung the high user group – which could be increasing.
Alcohol usage shows more young people are in the dont drink/hardly ever group . This mostly is from migration where asian women especially dont find it culturally acceptable to drink moderately or higher.
meanwhile, the binge drinking from both those late teens early 20s and the older 40-65 yr group isnt decreasing. Some say those two demographics are 80% of the volume of alcohol consumer.
Much the same outcomes for cannabis reform, among some demographics heavy cannabis use is routine and commonplace.
This is the problem area, the rest is fluff as if we dont address the problem smokers/high quantity users and instead spend time like Gower did on the low user and irrelevant commercial aspects , we will have a huge problem.
The one thing that concerns me with alcohol, cigarettes, vaping, weed, synthetics, is when in the hands of minors or even young adults up to age 25 there can be addiction from substances and an unintended effect on the brain (psychosis, depression, anxiety, disinterest in education).
If the Gower docco showed anything it's that the Colorado model shouldn't be the one we adopt here. Big weed will push all sorts of sh1t upon the market, especially those ultra strong thc oils, and where there's big money the susceptible young will be at great risk.
As one interviewee said 'they weren't prepared and never expected what happened', and there are other ways to decriminalise cannabis without going crazy capitalist.
It could all be moot anyway as the polling for med weed is strong but for recreational, the numbers have plummeted.
The worst example was the dabbing stuff – One hit as strong as ten joints. That kids were known to dissolve the in a bottle of water to drink at school is something we definitely need to regulate against.
Shortcomings aside I think Gowers piece is relevant.
As will all pieces delivered by talking heads that have over 100,000 viewers leading up to the referendum.
I've only caught the first episode and yes, Patrick's Patrick focus aside, I think he approached the subject with an open mind, keen to share the views of many.
For an intro into the referendum, episode 1, I thought Gower made a good hash of it.
Can't see much wrong with that, and would be in line with home brewing, but then one of the main points put forward by Chloe is a standardised end product. Gower seemed to think the big weed scenario would be unstoppable, especially with the money at stake, so while one may be open to decrimming there are good arguments against too if that free market is to come here.
Standardised products coulc be reserved for medical use and licenced to pharmaceutical companies. Probably needs tight and intelligent regs there, but I'm guessing at the level of disprin rather than opiates. Maybe pharmacy only rather than buying at the supermarket.
There's a whole thing there about the people that are down on smoking. I think smoking is probably better recreationally than mass commercial edibles, because of dose control.
Not ideal, but I think decriminalising takes the crime element out of current usage and allows society time to get to grips with how that plays out in NZ specifically (rather then the US or Europe) and what to do next.
As medicine, absolutely it would be strictly policed as to what's in it, as meds are, so no issue there. Of course without big investments, current green fairies would probably fall away if they can't certify, so that could be a draw back for some in the debate.
With the crime/gang thing, an advantage of the commercial side is the drop in prices. On the show it had an ounce here at $400, and in Colorado $60, so that would slash the criminal element in one go, but the down side is all the other stuff, the gummies, the teas, the super strength dabs etc… Not to mention no tax or gst take for the govt.
Whatever happens, the argument for is going to have to be well put and argued.
If someone manufactures a cannabis product and tries to sell it at the local dairy then I guess it's the same as trying to sell any other prohibited product?
Did you read the articles I linked to? The three links feature separate polls from three different pollsters, and though two mention the 1 news result, they are in fact 'single serve'.
If you read the links you'd have noticed in the Helius poll how it references the previous two polls they'd done, which show support plunges from 60% in November last year, to the 52% you've used to justify a position, down to the current 39%.
Support in the survey – which featured 1003 respondents – is down from 52 per cent in April, and 60 per cent in November last year.
As trends go that's pretty simple to follow.
So I reject your original post where "there has only been two polls on it (recreational use) to date with both results largely being the opposite of each other.", as I do your summary in the follow up, after posting three different examples, including the one which highlights your selective link fail.
A man rents his home out to AirBnB while he is holidaying in Asia. It gets turned into a brothel going all night with women from Queenstown serving. They resulted in large electricity and cleaning bills which AirBnB are talking about reimbursing.
But you have to wonder about the owner's own attitudes. He starts talking about emotional trauma and brings in his dead mother's feelings as an example of why he should get it!
The owner said he wanted Airbnb to consider payment for "emotional trauma".
His mother, who once owned the house, would be "spinning in her grave", he said."It's been the family home for 55 years. I just have that feeling of being violated."
It's more that affordable housing in Queenstown is the unhealthy old crap that's been scheduled for redevelopment for the past 20 years.
I'm surprised the owner, QLDC, hasn't been taken to task about the poor condition of some of the old cribs. Although Council did get rid of the worst of them when they took over / didn't renew the old leases.
Lots of good things happening here though, housing trusts in both Queenstown and Central Otago with a co-ownership model, and several high density KiwiBuild projects that hopefully are still happening
Lots of good things happening here though, housing trusts in both Queenstown and Central Otago with a co-ownership model, and several high density KiwiBuild projects that hopefully are still happening
No help to the guy in the article now planning to live in his car.
While they may not been the best of homes, they where cheap and the people staying there where happy to continue staying there.
Scheduled for redevelopment for the past 20 years. Yet it seems nobody thought of the outcome for the poor staying there given they had 20 years to come up with an affordable alternative.
They are all volunteers, no one made them come and live in Queenstown, and very unlikely any of them were born in the town. Everyone who's currently living at Lakeview (that name should give a clue about how good the site is) went there knowing it was a short term tenure in the best site in town, and on bloody good terms, so it shouldn't be news to them.
People come to Queenstown thinking the streets are paved with gold, have done since 1863, reality is that it's their gold that the streets are paved with. That reality hits hard, and in proportion to the net worth at time of arrival.
Great news Chairman, I know you have a spare room, Rudolph that used to live in cabin number 19 will be at your place tomorrow at 9am. I wouldn't extend an invite to just anyone on your behalf but I know how much you care. Rudie has a medium sized dog….he says that on tenancy applications, it's a woolly mammoth.
None of what's mentioned in those comments is new, it's been the case since 1860's. People want to be here because it's a very vibrant place and will do whatever it takes to stay here. That includes working 5 jobs and living 10 or 20 to a house. Until they can't make it work any more, then they bitch and moan and expect their lifestyle to be subsidised. These people push down / underbid wages and push up / over bid accomodation.
The other side of the coin is the children of long term, multigenerational locals who can't put it together in the town, along with people working in essential services. We have the housing trust that is doing great work at this end but to an extent they are creating demand for themselves. A lot of employers are doing the deed as well with workers accomodation provided.
A past deputy mayor here, Margaret McHugh (of naked strawberry fame) said that we turned over half our population every two years. That was late 80's or early 90's and I don't think much has changed apart from this current cycle has gone 10 years so far, when past cycles have been around 7 years bust to bust.
Once the inevitable bust arrives the blowin lifestylers will depart, and the long term, serious residents will have opportunities to get established in town. But short of putting up border posts and restricting entry, or paving over the whole place with 20 story highrises, I don't think there is a solution. The other option is to restrict development and let prices go really stratospheric and price most of the current demand out of the place, but that's Aspen and the town decided in 90's that they didn't want to go there.
These people push down / underbid wages and push up / over bid accomodation.
In what way do you believe this happens?
Are you suggesting people ask for lower wages and while on lower incomes offer to pay higher rents while seeking to live in overcrowded houses? All for the sake of living in this so-called vibrant place?
Do you believe people really desire and are happy to live this way. If so, then there wouldn't be a problem, would there? There wouldn’t be (as you put it) bitching and moaning.
Clearly employers that do offer accommodation aren't doing it for love.
Moreover, if the housing trust was doing such great work demand for affordable housing would be met and housing cost wouldn't be soaring.
If a downturn eventuates, employment opportunities will diminish, thus falling housing cost will have little impact if people don't have a job.
This may have been going on for years but clearly things need to change. Otherwise it will merely be the usual suspects that will continue to prosper and prevail as the lower classes continue to struggle.
Wages need to increase and more accommodation (whether upwards, outwards or both) needs to be created.
"Are you suggesting people ask for lower wages and while on lower incomes offer to pay higher rents while seeking to live in overcrowded houses? All for the sake of living in this so-called vibrant place? "
Not suggesting, know it goes on. We get a lot of people who are very motivated to be here and compete for jobs and accomodation.
"Do you believe people really desire and are happy to live this way. If so, then there wouldn't be a problem, would there? There wouldn’t be (as you put it) bitching and moaning."
Those that doing the aggressive bidding are pretty happy if they get the job or flat, up to the point they can't pay their bills, then it all goes southward. Employers and landlords are pretty happy too. Those that get outbid, not so much. And this is at all levels, not just low income as minimum wage has an effect, but get up the chain and it's all on. The bitching and moaning comes from those that can't get lifestyle expectations to match income, not just a Queenstown problem but very common here.
Adding supply, whether by the trust or open market developers creates opportunities and stimulates demand, so it's self perpetuating and there's really no economy to prop it all up. Building houses to house people to build more houses. Until the ponzi / pyramid scheme goes tits up.
The previous government poured petrol on the fire with the SHAs, which sent an economy already going at 100% off into the stratosphere and did nothing for affordability, which in a Queenstown context becomes a buzzword for increasing supply and stimulating further demand.
It may be smarter in situations like Queenstown that don't actually have a productive economy to restrict supply, allow prices to rise and moderate demand.
It's largely common practice now days for people to have to compete for jobs and accommodation (and that's largely nationwide and in a number of sectors). However, while those on WFF tend to be happy with a lower wage as it doesn't impact upon their benefits, thus income and while those that are desperate for work may also accept a job at a lower rate of pay (not to say they are happy about it) there's not many that are happy about it. Hence, there is a lot of discontent/moaning.
As for competing for accommodation, the feedback also suggests many aren't happy about it. Therefore, I disagree with your conclusions in these two matters.
If it weren't for large and growing numbers of tourist (especially in Queenstown) helping to maintain consumer spending, a number of businesses wouldn't be happy either. High accommodation costs rob consumers of disposable income, thus businesses of their returns.
I agree adding to the housing supply stimulates the economy and in turn can increase local demand somewhat, however, this can be curbed to some extent by manufacturing the new homes out of town and trucking them down.
Another solution, but we have to consider the kids, better to have the planet burn than for polys to admit to being sucked in by fake news.
“So there you have it. If we already knew that there is no need to use the fossil fuels that are destroying the planet’s climate, because hemp biofuel provides a better alternative, we now know that there is no need to destroy the environment by mining for lithium and the materials that are used in batteries. We can literally grow technology. Hemp can save and power the world.”
The rush to blame Iran did seem rather Wag the Doggish…
“We are not aware of any information that points to Iran,” said Japanese defense minister Taro Kono.
Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono told reporters Wednesday that he has not seen any intelligence indicating Iran was behind the attacks on Saudi Arabian oil facilities over the weekend, contradicting Saudi and Trump administration claims about the incident.
This perpetual war that the USA has dragged us into, is making our military as nasty and self absorbed as the USA military. And whilst there probably was no conspiracy – the culture of NZ military made it simpler to lie and cover up things NZ citizens would not have tolerated.
Maire Leadbetter knows about Indonesia and how it operates. Her concerns for West Papua should be echoed by all thinking NZs. It is hard to keep up with clowns to the left and right for the people stuck in the middle with constant violence.
...And of course to take a stand on behalf of Veronica Koman and all of those in jail for taking part in demonstrations, raising the banned Morning Star flag and daring to express their hopes for freedom. The perfect opportunity comes up when Ms Ardern attends the UN General Assembly next week.
About Veronica Koman:.
Veronica Koman is an Indonesian human rights lawyer with exceptional courage. She has long been subject to threats on account of her work defending West Papuan clients and for her advocacy for West Papuan rights. During this current crisis she shared videos on her Twitter account documenting the unrest. For this she now faces charges of ‘incitement’ and ‘spreading fake news’. She is currently in Australia and Jakarta has asked her to turn herself in. If she does not an Interpol ‘red’ notice will be issued. Australia is refusing to say how it will respond, but won’t rule out acting on such a notice. ..
Another parallel is the silence of New Zealand and its western allies in the face of mounting crisis. I visited East Timor in April 1999 and while I was there 57 people were killed as they sheltered in a Liquica church. On my return I took advantage of an opportunity to waylay Foreign Minister Don McKinnon to show him some photos of injured victims and plead with him to try to persuade the UN to send a peacekeeping force to stem the mounting violence. He declined. A couple of months later the UN did become involved, but with small numbers and a limited mandate based on the fiction that Indonesia’s security forces were cooperative. New Zealand sent ten unarmed policemen who did a great job against impossible odds, but our leaders still declined to criticise Indonesia or even cut off defence ties.
Great question by Agora in the top slot this morning.
"What will be the main issues during the next election?"
I don't think it matters. We just need confidence in those holding the rudder.
I think the best way to achieve that is for all members of our government to about now outlaw saying "It's National's fault."
Don't give them the oxygen. Champions don't swing focus onto their defeated. In the business world… "It's the last guys' fault" would get laughed out of a meeting. A focused boss would say "I don't care about the last guys, only their customers, what are we doing to please them better and win more?"
Sorry for posting this post a wee bit, as I’ve had a hell of week firefighting since Sunday anyway I may post something on how to get there about what happened and some of the debrief points from last nights community meeting.
Today is the 20th Anniversary of the first Troops from the International Force East Timor (INTERFET) and this humble poster landed in ET the following early morning with the RAAF’s No2 AFDS (No2 Airfield Defence SQN) who had only competed his Airfield Defence Guard (ADG) Basic Cse.
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
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 ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive One minister is talking tough while a colleague – whose ministry had acted tough and drawn a barrage of flak – has shown an official softening. Some ministers are doing what Labour was good at, which is distributing public funds to causes regarded as worthy or ...
A ballot for 4 Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Insurance Contracts Bill (Duncan Webb) Income Tax (Clean Transport FBT Exclusion) Amendment Bill (Julie Anne Genter) Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill (Greg Fleming) Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) ...
One of the strongest narratives about "our" spy agencies is that they are basically institutional traitors, working for foreign powers (or just themselves), without any control or oversight by the elected government. And today, we have yet another report from the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security which explicitly confirms this. ...
“It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April to meet the Prime Minister’s ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
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The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
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A lengthy response to the recently released draft Government policy statement on transport will soon be delivered from Auckland Council to Minister of Transport Simeon Brown. A submission raising concerns about funding distribution and the plan’s treatment of Auckland passed through the council’s transport committee on Wednesday, despite some councillors ...
The unidentified foreign intelligence operation discussed in a scathing report by New Zealand’s Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) last week appears to be a controversial United States intelligence system. The IGIS report said the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) decision to host a foreign system from 2012-2020 was “improper” ...
Tauranga, Rotorua, Wellsford, Onehunga, Westhaven marina – Gavin Strawhan walks the meanish streets of New Zealand in his entertaining debut novel The Call, almost sure to roar into the number 1 position on the Nielsen bestseller chart, its front cover bearing a rave from somebody: “A really good and genuinely ...
As a young gymnast, Aimee Didierjean was always conscious of making sure her underwear wasn’t showing on the competition floor. A peek of a bra strap, or briefs if a leotard rode up, would cost a gymnast points in her routines. “When I was growing and going through puberty, it ...
Jubi/West Papua Daily Repeated cases of Indonesian military (TNI) soldiers torturing civilians in Papua have been evident, as seen in the viral video depicting the torture of civilians in the Puncak Regency allegedly done by soldiers of Raider 300/Brajawijaya Infantry Battalion. There is a pressing need for stringent law enforcement ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In 2023, Anthony Albanese was shooting for the moon, his eyes on the Voice referendum. On one view, he looked like the idealist reflecting his left-wing roots. In 2024, we’re seeing a pragmatic, determined, ...
The House - The principle that all MPs are honourable and that they should be taken at their word has been tested multiple times this week in Parliament. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Helen Dickinson, Professor, Public Service Research, UNSW Sydney Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock Since the review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) released its recommendations in December, there has been a series of Town Hall events to discuss them around the country ...
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What will be the main issues during the next election?
The local Grey Power has asked for questions to be asked at a meeting for local body candidates.
The only two topics raised from all the responses are 1. climate change and 2. housing.
Those seem to be the issues for seniors, at least. Climate change is an interesting one since that change is going to be physically affecting the planet far more when we seniors are dead.
The other issue for a general election will be timely and responsive health care.
The issues when we were young were quite different- Apartheid, Vietnam, Nuclear war.
On reflection not so different as today. Apartheid has become hate speech and racism. Vietnam has become Afghanistan. Nuclear war is on the rise as an issue with attacks on existing treaties but also has its modern equivalent in climate change.
Good question.
Oh yes, and it defined who we were and what we became.
At last 45-50 years later, a new generation of young people are walking in our tracks. It's enough to give us some hope for the future. But first, the world needs to clear away the destruction and debris caused by excessive greed and neo-liberalism.
A lot to reflect on in your short post Anne!
The current youth led action on Climate Change in particular does also provide a chance for a “clean sheet of paper” approach to neo liberalism. And in fact if the current Govt. is fortunate enough to be re-elected, consigning the structural underpinnings of NZ neo liberalism to history, should the political priority of us all.
By 2023 other generation’s of voters will be on the verge of outnumbering “boomers” so change will come, and hopefully not too late.
I'm a boomer. In my first draft of my comment above I toyed with a further paragraph that said something along the lines of "So much for the baby boomer bashers who accuse us of self-centred greed" considering the issues that now most concern seniors.
Then I asked myself, "Or is it guilt"?
I can't wait till we're outnumbered – but of course I'll be dead by then (beforehand) hoping my offspring will float me down the Ganga in a flaming cardboard box, or alternatively – stick me under a tree in the backyard as its fertiliser.
(More likely though, I might prove to be so toxic, that the Kowhai planted in remembrance of my father would probably end up in my case with purple flowers or a colour as yet unknown.
What'd be better though would be some bloody virus which, upon touch would end up tainting the mind – killing off the entire religious belief system in neo-liberalism.)
@Anne sums it up pretty well (above).
"By 2023 other generation’s of voters will be on the verge of outnumbering “boomers” so change will come, and hopefully not too late."
Have been outnumbered for quite some time…considerably outnumbered.
(see chart in attached article)
"In 2013 boomers made up the largest proportion of the adult population (30.8 per cent). In the four years that have passed since then, millennials have overtaken them.
If you include all of the 14 to 17-year-old millennials in the 2017 adult population there are now likely over 1 million adult Millennials in New Zealand."
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/90189060/baby-boomers-v-millennials–what-we-know-about-the-generation-gap
'generations of voters'
your point?
"By 2023 other generation’s of voters will be on the verge of outnumbering “boomers” so change will come, and hopefully not too late."
Only if they actually vote. And don't, like every other generation before them, become more conservative as they age.
Yes, there are those angles to it, but generation Rent and generation Student Loan have a different take on life from those secure in their own homes on National Super. No prediction that will see the newer voters dive Green/left after being raised in a market economy, saturated with neo liberal individualist psychology.
Sigh… the wilfully ignorant are a special breed,
In 2013 the percentage of adults (those eligible to vote, with minimal exceptions) that were 'boomers' was a shade over 30%, leaving an almost 70% of non boomers to comfortably out vote on any issue/platform should they get off their arses and stop looking for scapegoats…and even with the poor turnout they will have had a greater number at the polls.
The political course taken by NZ lies at the feet of the entire electorate as it they that have consistently provided a majority for the status quo….such is democracy.
Ah, you are talking about people eligible to vote, whereas I mean those who actually do.
who chooses if you vote?
There are many reasons why people do not vote. A whole field of research, even.
bully for the research…at the end of the day if you want a say, you vote…dont vote and blame no one except yourself.
Sacha@11.04
yep, alienation, transience, isolation, decline of postal communication, underselling of the unpublished roll–a biggie for migrants and women and those in debt–and the list goes on
And that sickening perennial meme propagated by those who don't want the hands of the hoi polloi on the levers of power- "Don't vote. It only encourages them"!
Plus gaol prisoners.
Plus location of booths.
And social encouragement. I'm going to be writing a piece for a Grey Power newsletter encouraging people to vote.- not just members.
Will churches, sports groups, residents associations, migrant groups, community associations, service clubs do the same?
Who does that for the all the other social groupings?
Will some Millennial use the power of social media to do the same?
Who asks, "Have you voted yet? Have you looked at the list of candidates? Got your voting forms?" etc
@ anne..
yes anne – and those in the forefront of those giving you hope are extinction-rebellion..
are you standing with them – ?
in word – or in action..?
…and I've been thinking 😯
For part of the time at least we had a progressive government walking alongside us and giving us support. I refer to the Kirk-led government in the 1970s. I still mourn the loss of that man. He had his flaws I know, but he was an inspiring and visionary leader. How different things would have been had he lived.
The new generation have the Ardern-led government and despite misgivings by some people, I believe they will prove to be a progressive government provided we (the voters) give then the time and space to carry it all out.
PS. I missed your comment TM but I think you might be from an older generation too, so you will know what I’m saying.
Yes, was in Biko squad in ’81 tour, marched for Nuke Free NZ and Homosexual Law Reform etc. I remember the silence across town on the day of Norm Kirk’s funeral, have read Margaret Hayward’s “Diary of the Kirk years”, was proud of Norm beyond the French nuclear test Frigate–so many things were instituted in his brief tenure including Integrated schools…etc. etc.
Another term or two and this would have been a different country indeed. It is only a partial excuse, but Douglas and co sneaked in their neo lib revolution under cover of Muldoon’s damage really.
Re TM at 10.48. I don't see the young ones showing any more understanding about today's politics than I did last century. It's a different time but the zeitgeist seems to be last century's but diminished, harder, more competitive, and lacking real caring and understanding of those getting ground down who are outside the bounds of the group. The environment is different in type, it is part of their purview and they are understanding the implications of BAU but people have to prove worthy of being considered; there seems a self-hate for humanity that gets projected onto others.
Was that the squad which assembled in Fowlds Park? I was in that squad – minus helmet and padded jacket so we were placed near the rear out of harm's way. Still saw the violence on both sides though. Protesters being repeatedly batoned simply because they were making a lot of noise. I also saw protesters overturning a car parked on the side of the road which was pure vandalism. They got away with it because the police were too busy hitting noisy protesters into the ground further down the road. Madness.
For Labour (and the Greens by association) voter trust will be a big issue.
Considering things like growing housing demand, hardship grants and food bank queues have all worsen and not improved. How much will voters trust them to deliver to give them another go?
Are you kidding? Where did you get the idea that very many people "trust" National and that despite it being suggested otherwise, whether you like it or not, a lot of NZers know that the "growing housing demand, hardship grants and food bank queues" began in the years of their tenure and that the numbers now are the culmination of too rapid immigration and some low grade training outlets.
I didn't say anything about people trusting National.
Nevertheless, don't forget, even in Helen's time it was all about trust.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10531965
My main point was exactly that that, no, you never mentioned people's trust in National and for some there is none any more.
Yet, they (National) are still polling relatively well.
Meanwhile, trust in Labour has taken a hammering of late.
I think you are naive on that, the media have done quite a job on recent events but the fact is outside of a handful of people no one incl Ms Bennett has full or close to full knowledge of the event that "Labour" has had a hammering over. Anyone with life experience knows that a number of facts will add up to the full picture and I dearly hope the QC has all she needs and does a good job of getting the facts and that a just and factual report on that can be given to the public. One thing I am sure of is the Winston Peters had no need to and would have never have commented in the way did with out solid reason that media and Bennett have spoken out without all the relevant facts.
Word on the street would suggest otherwise. Not one person I've spoken to in the real world believes them. And this feedback is also coming from other lefties.
As for Winston, without Labour having a hope in the next election, he loses his ability to play the two (National – Labour) off. So of course he's come to their backing in this regard.
Here's something to ponder if you wish. If no complaint was ever laid, why is Jacinda saying there is no excuse for their mishandling of it?
They were probably just humouring you so that you'd go away and let them deal with the next customer. If they existed at all: I suppose if you spoke to nobody about it, then not one person you spoke to would disagree with you…
Right on the money McFlock.
The real world? Are you actually going to bore me with that drivel? Obviously you're not quite busy enough and I live in the real world too? It's full of a variety of people some of them wired right, very few wired left and the rest to busy to pay attention to politics on a daily basis yet, maybe more next year. They will have a variety of things to think about and I am pleasantly surprised sitting down to chat that they are certainly not that keen to be "preached" to and even less to be misled – you might be surprised where they see that approach coming from. Let's such say that the salesman National once has is streets ahead of what you have now, it's viewed as useless.
Based on that the rest of your blurb is pointless and yet to reach it conclusion.
Here's something to ponder if you wish. The Rt Hon Winston Peters cannot stand liars and BS. If no one had lied, why is the Rt Hon Winston Peters commenting on it?
If I was even the slightest doubtful about the whole thing once Winston Peters got back, clearly checked out or even demanded details, as he would, and then said what he was said that allayed my possible doubts. The doubts probably came due to the media insinuations now I just hope the whole story can be told as fully as possible.
Winston requires both National and Labour to do well (but not too well) so as they will both require him, thus making him king maker allowing him to play them off against each other to secure a better deal for NZF.
If voters have no trust in Jacinda, Labour are unlikely to do well in the next election.
I think you should write opinion pieces for the media. You seem to repeat your own lines like you believe them. That’s good, passion and unwavering conviction, no matter what.
Above all, keep it simple, e.g. offer only binary opinions and binary choices, and under no circumstances try to be nuanced. Voters seem to appreciate that because it makes their task so much easier for them.
Meanwhile, trust in the media has taken a hammering of late.
Yet, they (the media) are still selling relatively well.
Another PoV, for balance …
Have the media really been that trust worthy to begin with?
Moreover, aren't they (the media) struggling financially?
Word on the street would suggest so. https://www.newsworksnz.co.nz/insight/research/trust-in-media/
I was going to answer your second question but then realised that your questions can’t be genuine and that I’m wasting my time trying to engage with you. Nobody over the age of two and active on a leading blog site of the Labour movement would ask such dumb or leading questions.
However, just to humour you:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/115293908/nzme-interim-profit-falls-to-73pc-to-950000
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/115184121/stuff-revenue-down-10pc-and-operating-profit-falls-in-challenging-market
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/115165099/pm-not-approached-on-nzmestuff-merger-but-broadcasting-minister-may-have-been
Free speech means little without the right to question.
Free speech is squandered by some.
Do you mean like James Shaw giving his questions to National?
What on Earth was he thinking? We’ll never know.
Did the other seven Green MPs also give their questions to National? Such a travesty of free speech, don’t you think?
Best thing the Greens could have done with them, what with the way the nats squander their question time.
You come running down the mountain every morning yelling 'Wolf'. I used to entertain your concerns but I can't feed any more of these cute little dogs you keep leading home.
Operation Burnham has got my attention.
This inquiry shows that once a document is presented how a previous witness statement can be found to be misleading.
The problem with misleading is that it has an impact on the character of the person making an allegation of the truth being hidden or alternative facts being dismissed when they should not be.
The inquiry is uncovering how much self-serving bullshit Defence bosses have spun, including misleading the govt: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/115911608/crucial-evidence-suddenly-upsets-operation-burnham-inquiry
I wonder how Mapp and Coleman are feeling about being misled when they were Defence Minsters? Not impressed I should think, but they will keep their mouths shut.
To be fair, Mapp has already been public about it. But I'm not expecting either of them to say much.
Have they both left parliament?
I think the truth is going to be refreshing.
A bold move from our vegan friends… good on them for standing up for our sentient beings in the supermarket. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12268832
They certainly raised awareness in the general public of what sanctimonious fuckwits vegans can be, I'll give them that.
That's the kind of reaction they got from aggravated shoppers who were denied access to their meat on sunday…
3/4 of those in US who 'try vegetarianism or veganism' return to eating meat.
That stat is a bit suspect mate.
This is a good read
heh..!..yep..!..that nails it..
that and guilt – both conscious and subconscious..
(there is a recognised childhood trauma where/when children realise that 'meat' is those cute animals they love..they then get conditioned by family/environment – so it becomes normalised..)
and their dietary normalcy/given is being challenged..
these are what most have yet to process..
..and this is just the beginning..the earliest stirrings..
and really – those like p.m. doing an 'impersonation of a boomer whose discount-coupon has expired'..had better learn how to suck it up..
the future is nearly here…
and really – it was hardly yellow-jacket/hong kong street anarchy – was it..?
it was a very kiwi demonstration – quite polite..really..
True.
I went through a non meat eating phase and ended up with a bad case of anaemia. It's all about moderation. Fresh red meat once a week is all that is needed to maintain a healthy blood count for most people.
If they can produce "non meat" meat (as TM puts it @ 3.1.2) which is both tasty and has the required protein levels of real meat, then all the better for everyone including the animals.
That is where these obsessive vegans should be concentrating… not interfering with shoppers going about their business in a supermarket.
@ anne..
i agree with yr comment on focussing on plant-food substitution..(sort of..)
but consciousness-raising as to the realities of the flesh being purchased is also a valid exercise..(if slaughterhouses had glass-walls etc etc..')
and stopping eating flesh gives you anaemia..eh..?
i'm calling complete and utter b.s. on that one…(got any evidence..?..)
and why must you call vegans 'obsessive'..?..why the ad-hom..?
and you mean 'obsessive' like you used to be about stopping the vietnam war..?
sheesh..!
I'm guessing that many of the new, CC vegans aren't actually vegan and still eat small amounts of meat and dairy.
Veggie/vegan here, Weka is accurate there. We need to have milk in for our little one, who needs the calcium etc. But it's been pretty easy to cut out dairy and meat, far easier than maybe a decade ago, in part due to the expanding range of dairy-free and meat free products.
The holy grail is finding a dairy-free cheese that melts right and tastes right, it seems right now that you can pick one of these features – but not both.
@ weka..
um..!..vegan is kind of an absolute thing..
something that people either do – or don't..
i've never met a part-time vegan – 'cos if they are still eating flesh/dairy then they are either still carnivores – or vegetatrans – or flexi-terians..
vegans they ain't..
so your 'guess' is somewhat oxymoronic..by linguistic definition..eh..?
and can i just say – 'you ain't seen nuthin' yet..!'
Nope.
Nothing more outraged than a thwarted shopper! Gimme mah meat man!
Vegans are the future like it or not. Personally I am looking forward to “non meat” meat, I like a good burger, and “non dairy” dairy. More efficient land use and animal exploitation and cruelty diminished.
But vegans need 20% more protein, isnt that going to change the land use equation…or will it be farmed insects?
Certainly almonds are umm not so enviromentally friendly….
15 Gallons of water to produce 16 Almonds…
thousands of acres of wetland converted…
https://sustainability.ucsf.edu/1.713
@ cricklewood..
i agree – i won't use almond milk (and urge others not to) 'cos of its' huge environmental-footprint..
it makes a mockery of drinking it 'for environmental reasons'..
Yep. Plant-based "milks" also need quotation marks – milk comes from mammary glands, not the industrial processing of plants.
heh..!..p.m. is clearly with the reclaim-the-name movement..
(part of the desperate flailings of a dairy industry facing so many more- much larger problems..as it (inevitably) slides towards the gurgler..)
(and a 'movement' at best aspiring to be the smallest footnote in any history of political-activism..)
in short – good luck with that..!
heh..!
PM is with the "words have meanings" movement. Apparently we're a fringe group these days.
u shd see if u r eligible for some funding..
There are some oppressed minorities that none weep for…
To date insect farming is a nonsense. Protein via legumes works well for vegetarians, as it did for the poor in many countries historically:
"Pease pudding hot!
Pease pudding cold!
Pease pudding in the pot
Nine days old."
There is also the celtic bean: Archaeobotanical research on prehistoric crops in Britain has primarily focussed on cereals and the potential importance of alternative crops, such as pulses, has often been overlooked. This paper reviews evidence for Celtic bean (Vicia faba L.) in British prehistory, using a database of archaeobotanical assemblages from 75 sites. Celtic bean is rare in the Neolithic – Early Bronze Age and it only becomes frequent from the Middle Bronze Age (ca. 1500 cal BC) onwards, particularly in southern England. Though there is a paucity of evidence at many sites, it is suggested that this reflects a preservation bias and in some areas at least, Celtic bean formed an important element of past agricultural systems.
http://dro.dur.ac.uk/18202/
It's more iron and calcium that require effort to get into a vegetarian diet, especially since the Popeye myth about spinach was, sadly, a misplaced decimal point.
Lab grown food for lab grown hugh-mans.
Lab grown is a euphemism for genetic engineered and highly processed
I just hope it's on video when a punter chases them down the meat aisle with a manky sausage or slab of liver in each hand.
I'd be well tempted… I'm not a fan of the evangelical Christians that knock on the door etc but jeez rather them than a mildly crazed vegan… #plants have feeling to
Well, at least these ones had taped their mouths shut and had their hands full with signs. Easy enough to move around.
Unless they had some annoying jerks to nag you if you moved past the blockade, of course.
Well I wouldn't want to impede their right to peaceful protest, and certainly wouldn't condone violence upon them to counteract their aggressive posturing, but having a rump steak waved in their mushes would raise a chuckle.
I have no problem with people being vegan but that stunt will simply turn people against them. Those were just a bunch of dickheads as my vegetarian partner said.
@ jimmy..
funny story about vegetarians: many of them dislike vegans more than flesh-eaters do..
that's 'cos vegetarians tend to think of themselves as 'the good guys' in this food-schema..
and don't take kindly to having it pointed out to them – that they ain't…
You're a diet saint phil.
Now get a haircut and a job.
Sorry, I'm having a lend, as you were.
As someone who travelled through Afghanistan in '74, was told to get out of Kabul because something 'bad' was happening, saw chaos, confusion, and fear on people's faces, and was diverted to Mazar-i-Sharif in the north to see the Buzkashi – a bit like rugby on horseback – I have fond memories of Afghanistan and could not help comparing it in some ways with Aotearoa / New Zealand.
" Social Credit is taking a stand on the continuing avalanche of New Zealand assets and land being bought up overseas entities and further actions are being contemplated "
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2019/09/20/complaint-to-ombudsman-over-oios-failure
It's interesting Social Credit isn't given more voter support.
I thought they were the NZ dems? Did the change their name again, or is it a different crowd?
Shoutout to Patrick Reynolds for getting on the NZTA Board.
Excellent news.
To be found to have worn blackface once may be regarded as misfortune, twice looks like carelessness, three times looks like you're racist.
Trudeau can't say how many times he wore blackface.
Vaguely recall watching the Black and White Minstrel Show as a youngster (~6 year-old?) – don't believe it engendered any conscious racism, but how to be sure?
Many would have done stuff in their younger days that might give cause for embarrassment now, and these activities are becoming more difficult to hide – a sign of the times.
By the 1990s, people should have figured out blackface was wrong.
That having been said, at least he's owning it and not doing an "apology if you were offended" spiel.
A textbook political hit job, including the drip feed and subsequent furnishing of further examples. An attack only possible of course because Justin was such a dickhead when younger. And still likes dress ups it seems. It will be a high price to pay for many Canadians, including migrants, if a more right wing Government results.
Flawed people are often capable of positive things, but really, what is it about “blackface” that appeals to some white men? Or, in the case of other leaders placing their penises in pigs heads? or “grabbing ’em by the pussy”? or pulling on subordinates pony tails? Wealthy and systemic male privilege and arrogance, plus various parts racism and misogyny no doubt.
Will Trudeau survive this one? Hard to tell, he should retire in shame, but to what extent should people that admit wrong doing be allowed a second chance? The Canadian voters will answer that.
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/black-faced-morris-dancers-traditional-disguise-or-simply-racist-9794704.html
This article looks at black-face within cultural tradition and its relevance or propriety in modern society raised by media attention to an English politician's photo at a local folk festival.
A difference though between Morris dancing tradition and the late and unlamented haka parties of my University youth in Christchurch?
Recently my wife gave me a golliwog made in Picton for tourists. I thought how cute as more than 70 years ago my Mum had made me a golliwog based on a black woollen stocking. A neat toy for a little boy.
But when my son saw my wife's gift he was adamant that it was a serious racist symbol and should be destroyed. I saw it as a friendly cuddly toy. Funny how contemporary attitudes are so different. Poor old Little Black Sambo.
Yes, I had a golliwog too, and at the age of about ten gave away to a younger couain.
At primary school. we had a black-faced well dressed coin box that had a hand that accepted a coin and a lever then tilted the coin into the mouth of the black face and into its innards.
The money, a penny at a time, went to the African missions.
Now, the coin has flipped and African and Asian clergy are now missionising New Zealand, as the new Nelson Anglican Bishop exemplifies.
It connects to what President Macron spoke of with the decline of Western hegemony. And probably explains a lot of Western fear behaviour based on old attitudes and power structures.(And I just wanted to reminisce about my golly!)
yep nice guys can be racist.
Blackface or brownface, is it possible for a young racist to become (over the course of 20 years give or take) less racist ('not racist' even), and so become a nicer guy?
Were Trudeau's late teenage attitudes/values on matters of race set in stone, or might he have been capable of change?
No need to consider, let alone attempt to answer – these questions, and particularly any answers, are unimportant. The sooner that racist Trudeau is out of office the better.
if you don't want to be a racist then don't be a racist – pretty basic stuff and good advice for trudeau too
Thanks Marty, just relieved I’ve never done anything racist (apart from watching the B&W Minstrel Show when I was ~6), because that taint doesn’t go away – not in a million years. Nor should it.
Pity Trudeau didn’t seek/get good advice at the time, but it’s too late now.
idiot
Trudiot
make fun as much as you like – it shows your privilege and lack of empathy and stupidity as well
My "making fun" reply to the comment "idiot" shows: (i) My "privilege", (ii) My "lack of empathy", and (iii) My "stupidity".
Guilty as charged – Trudeau’s racist behaviour is a “black or white” matter.
wow I thought you thought a bit more than that – seems I gave you too much credit
[This thread is about Trudeau and not about another commenter – Incognito]
See my Moderation note @ 6.55 PM.
Sure I abide by moderation. I did not find that this commenter was sincere. Seemed to me they were s%@&ring the whole way through. That is just by way of explanation so my motives aren't misinterpreted.
Noted and appreciated. IMO, you missed the sarc tag. That particular commenter is well known for taking on The Chairman using a similar style. It may not always be effective, it may not always be liked (by the recipient), but it is not just shitstirring. In any case, one can make a point without getting up close and personal and the moderation note was to avoid further escalation that would have had more dire consequences.
thanks incognito – I got the sarcasm – I just thought it was a smokescreen for the actual points they really wanted to make but didn't want to say.
I'll try to be less reactive.
Quite possibly, they were trying to make multiple points but you homed in on just one. FWIW, I don’t like it when the outcome is fairly predictable; they could have elaborated and tweaked their comment(s). But they didn’t, unfortunately, and instead gave you almost enough rope …
Has Trudeau apologised for his insensitivity and wrongheadedness? It would help if he realises what a fuckwit he has been and says so.
Note 7 6 1 marty mars where he is at the West Point Grey
Academy – presumably visiting as 29 is old to be studying. But recently there has been comment on the educational places these leaders get dragged up in and their inhuman and antisocial practices.
Like Corbyn and UK Labour party antisemitism, or Ardern and NZ Labour party rape culture, Trudeau's public apologies, sincere or not, are immaterial. Gotcha!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkX85WL_tQA
This is just a media beat-up and we should think twice before reacting to stories like this. lt's interesting that we hear from Trudeau in that video that he was dressing up as Aladdin, a well-known children's story hero who is an Arab I think. It wasn't blackface, black and white minstrel style, which echoed and parodied the performances of poor black entertainers and mimicked their personas in a Jim Crow* way.
Personally I find it mocking and insulting that some jeans brands have brought out expensive jeans that are slashed across the knees. Just my sensitivity, but it's like saying to the poor that 'we can dress like you if we want and still belong in our class, but whatever you wear you will wake up poor and an outsider tomorrow.' People can insult others without a word in more subtle ways than putting brown on the face.
If being ready to take everything as an insult, it is hard to communicate at all. Personally I do not like people who are very practised in saying the right thing, so as to gain advantage, acceptance and trust. They seem genuine but it is likely to be for show. Thin-skinned people are hard to talk to, as they have more than one private agendas, and people who take on causes or are very rigid about their beliefs make conversation a minefield.
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Crow_(character)
pretty much.
Wouldn't be the first idiot kid to do something stoopid thinking it was cool.
yeah nah
Britain has submitted papers to the EU in Brussels in regard to Brexit and the EU have given Johnson the snub.
Source Reuters.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2019/09/united-states-drone-strike-kills-30-civilians-in-afghanistan.html
Hard to know what to say.
BAU. But Iran…
Thad'll learn them Eyerainians.
Wasn't the recent 2 part Patrick Gower documentary interesting?
Yes but one should read Russell Brown's piece on it. I fear Patrick Gower missed a great opportunity to inform people and choose to pad the documentary with fluff instead.
https://publicaddress.net/hardnews/a-fun-but-flawed-weed-documentary/
Thanks for the link, Brigid.
Brown does good journalism, but his concern is always one sided when it comes to drug reform laws.
as with any sort of 'drug' ( includes alcohol, pharmaceuticals, and cannabis) its the harm caused by and to the high user group that is the only part we spend all the time and effort into regulating.
Bland comments like 'use amoung young people is declining' are often demographic changes , especially from migration, and arent related to the harm amoung the high user group – which could be increasing.
Alcohol usage shows more young people are in the dont drink/hardly ever group . This mostly is from migration where asian women especially dont find it culturally acceptable to drink moderately or higher.
meanwhile, the binge drinking from both those late teens early 20s and the older 40-65 yr group isnt decreasing. Some say those two demographics are 80% of the volume of alcohol consumer.
Much the same outcomes for cannabis reform, among some demographics heavy cannabis use is routine and commonplace.
This is the problem area, the rest is fluff as if we dont address the problem smokers/high quantity users and instead spend time like Gower did on the low user and irrelevant commercial aspects , we will have a huge problem.
A number of high quantity users are using it (weed) for heath reasons.
i first read that as 'using tweed for health reasons'..
i was intrigued.
.(but i am quite stoned..)
i watched the first one – and lost interest 'cos it was so much 'all about patrick'..
(what also so annoyed about his political reporting..)
'cos i am sure that i – and most other nz'ers – couldn't really give a fuck if gower smoked (or not) a joint..
it was a wasted/pissed away opportunity..
it could have been so so much better..
The one thing that concerns me with alcohol, cigarettes, vaping, weed, synthetics, is when in the hands of minors or even young adults up to age 25 there can be addiction from substances and an unintended effect on the brain (psychosis, depression, anxiety, disinterest in education).
If the Gower docco showed anything it's that the Colorado model shouldn't be the one we adopt here. Big weed will push all sorts of sh1t upon the market, especially those ultra strong thc oils, and where there's big money the susceptible young will be at great risk.
As one interviewee said 'they weren't prepared and never expected what happened', and there are other ways to decriminalise cannabis without going crazy capitalist.
It could all be moot anyway as the polling for med weed is strong but for recreational, the numbers have plummeted.
there is a certain lack of logic in having a person in one room legally consuming their med-pot..
and someone in the next room – smoking a joint – liable to be busted..
that way – crazy…
so med-pot people sharing with someone else will be busted for supply…?
how will we know..?..med-pot i/d cards..?
leading to a blackmarket in fake med-pot cards..?
madness..!
I only saw part two.
The strength of weed has come a long way since the 1960s.
Probably the only way I would tick for recreational would be a weed cafe like a coffee cafe and open 24 hours a day.
When it comes to medicinal I would use weed as a first option once panadol and the odd panadine no longer controlled chronic pain.
When something is normalised it needs to be for the right reasons.
The worst example was the dabbing stuff – One hit as strong as ten joints. That kids were known to dissolve the in a bottle of water to drink at school is something we definitely need to regulate against.
i think it calls for random water-bottle testings at schools..
it’s the least we can do..
should we extend it down to primary schools..?
can't be too sure – eh..?
(do you people ever listen to yrslves..?)
/
It's a failing of the Colorado model which directly impacts on children through mass commercialisation bought on by big weed.
A bit like your fail in attempting a glib response to a serious issue we don't need in NZ, just not as easy to dismiss.
@ treetop..
'The strength of weed has come a long way since the 1960s.'
cd we plse lay that myth to rest..?
it is a prohibitionist scare-tactic aimed at boomers who smoked then – but now don't..
(the sixties were late arriving here..more like the seventies..)
and my anecdotal evidence is that durban poison/indonesian weed/thai-grass/hashish..
was all phenomenally good..
and our first domestic crops came from those sources..
and yes..strong weed is strong weed..(and in my experience you just smoke less)
and in the main there has always been strong weed..
and it is not appreciably stronger than that of yesteryear..
that is my anecdotal-evidence..
fact/court-based evidence also acks this..
in that in any drug bust the drug is analysed for thc content..
and american court records from then to now show fuck all change in thc-content from them 'till now..
not to mention it is outright fucken cultural-imperialism/arrogance to contend that only recently (white) people discovered how to grow good weed..(!)
f.f.s..!..multiple cultures have been growing stonking weed for thousands of yrs….
the alcohol-sodden celtic lot are just late to the party – (probably too drunk to notice..)
as i said – it is prohibitionist-bullshit..
you didn't watch the program. Come back when you're better informed.
i am allergic to the self-centred histrionics of the gower..
i come out in a rash..
Then you don't have a part to play in a discussion about the show.
but i most certainly have a say in the prohibition of cannabis..
gowers' puff-piece is irrelevant – esp if it pushes the alarmist-b.s. you seem to be supporting..
As is apparent, you haven't got a clue what I'm on about, and ffs, quit the only smoker in the village routine. We get it Daffyd. 🙄
Shortcomings aside I think Gowers piece is relevant.
As will all pieces delivered by talking heads that have over 100,000 viewers leading up to the referendum.
I've only caught the first episode and yes, Patrick's Patrick focus aside, I think he approached the subject with an open mind, keen to share the views of many.
For an intro into the referendum, episode 1, I thought Gower made a good hash of it.
Who am I to say you don't know your weed.
I heard it from a person who smoked the cost of a house in weed for 25 years.
I have also heard that weed can be sprayed with meth.
At least if a person had a joint in a cafe they would know what they are getting.
Not sure how legislation would work as a person cannot smoke in a cafe.
how about this then?
– decriminalise growing and possession for personal and limited shared use
– prohibit the selling of products
Can't see much wrong with that, and would be in line with home brewing, but then one of the main points put forward by Chloe is a standardised end product. Gower seemed to think the big weed scenario would be unstoppable, especially with the money at stake, so while one may be open to decrimming there are good arguments against too if that free market is to come here.
Standardised products coulc be reserved for medical use and licenced to pharmaceutical companies. Probably needs tight and intelligent regs there, but I'm guessing at the level of disprin rather than opiates. Maybe pharmacy only rather than buying at the supermarket.
There's a whole thing there about the people that are down on smoking. I think smoking is probably better recreationally than mass commercial edibles, because of dose control.
Not ideal, but I think decriminalising takes the crime element out of current usage and allows society time to get to grips with how that plays out in NZ specifically (rather then the US or Europe) and what to do next.
As medicine, absolutely it would be strictly policed as to what's in it, as meds are, so no issue there. Of course without big investments, current green fairies would probably fall away if they can't certify, so that could be a draw back for some in the debate.
With the crime/gang thing, an advantage of the commercial side is the drop in prices. On the show it had an ounce here at $400, and in Colorado $60, so that would slash the criminal element in one go, but the down side is all the other stuff, the gummies, the teas, the super strength dabs etc… Not to mention no tax or gst take for the govt.
Whatever happens, the argument for is going to have to be well put and argued.
As for smoking, I agree with those down on it, I wouldn't smoke ever again as it's just too unhealthy.
I would vape liquid, not dried, but then that's easy to make with a jam jar, veg glycerine, buds and 3 months patience.
@ weka..
and how do you regulate/police this…?
If someone manufactures a cannabis product and tries to sell it at the local dairy then I guess it's the same as trying to sell any other prohibited product?
so the blackmarket barely misses a beat..?
what makes you think you can do that in a vacuum..?
If cannabis is legal to grow and possess and limited share, I think the black market will alter significantly.
What vacuum?
yes..it wd change the market a bit..but not by much..
the vacuum as everyone waits for their legal weed to grow..
plus people like variety of weeds/ease of purchase..
which all means the blackmarket will still largely rule..
and i thought that was one of the points of the whole exercise..?
and regulating access by the young..?
having safe/tested/regulated weed..
(in colorado they can trace a bag of weed back to its' parent-plant(s)
so we cd also do that..
myself – i prefer the urguay-model..
where the state controls the markets – and licenses growers/wholesalers/retailers..
and in a brilliant move – that closed down the blackmarket – the retail price was dictated to be $6 a gram..
blackmarket snuffed out..
market able to be controlled at will..
all profits returning to the people..
what the fuck is not to love about all that..?
@ The Al1en
I thought there has only been two polls on it (recreational use) to date with both results largely being the opposite of each other.
1 NEWS Colmar Brunton Poll 52% – 39%
Horizon research for Helius Therapeutics 47% – 39%
Newshub-Reid Research 48% – 41.7%
This (link below) was the one in support that I was referring too.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12229060
52 per cent would vote in favour of legalising cannabis, with 37 per cent against and 11 per cent with no opinion.
Which is largely opposite the 1 News Colmar Brunton poll result that two of your links were referring too.
It will be a shame if it’s not supported in the referendum. The black market will soldier on
Did you read the articles I linked to? The three links feature separate polls from three different pollsters, and though two mention the 1 news result, they are in fact 'single serve'.
If you read the links you'd have noticed in the Helius poll how it references the previous two polls they'd done, which show support plunges from 60% in November last year, to the 52% you've used to justify a position, down to the current 39%.
As trends go that's pretty simple to follow.
So I reject your original post where "there has only been two polls on it (recreational use) to date with both results largely being the opposite of each other.", as I do your summary in the follow up, after posting three different examples, including the one which highlights your selective link fail.
@ Treetop from post made at 1:07 pm
Are you suggesting 25 should be the age limit set for the use of these substances (alcohol, cigarettes, vaping, weed etc)?
No. Age 18 seems to be the bench mark for most things. Another 7 years maturity and different decision making is likey.
What is the reason to take a substance?
Pissed off with the world, wanting to escape. It works for a while and then the substance is required just to get through the day.
There are numerous reasons. It's not only about escapism.
Moreover, when it comes to escapism, if the world was a far better place for the majority, less would require to escape from it.
A man rents his home out to AirBnB while he is holidaying in Asia. It gets turned into a brothel going all night with women from Queenstown serving. They resulted in large electricity and cleaning bills which AirBnB are talking about reimbursing.
But you have to wonder about the owner's own attitudes. He starts talking about emotional trauma and brings in his dead mother's feelings as an example of why he should get it!
The owner said he wanted Airbnb to consider payment for "emotional trauma".
His mother, who once owned the house, would be "spinning in her grave", he said."It's been the family home for 55 years. I just have that feeling of being violated."
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/399196/airbnbrothel-set-up-in-suburban-dunedin-home
Meanwhile (in Queenstown) the poor are being evicted to make way for the more affluent.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/398988/campground-residents-evicted-for-a-billion-dollar-development-may-end-up-homeless
It's more that affordable housing in Queenstown is the unhealthy old crap that's been scheduled for redevelopment for the past 20 years.
I'm surprised the owner, QLDC, hasn't been taken to task about the poor condition of some of the old cribs. Although Council did get rid of the worst of them when they took over / didn't renew the old leases.
Lots of good things happening here though, housing trusts in both Queenstown and Central Otago with a co-ownership model, and several high density KiwiBuild projects that hopefully are still happening
No help to the guy in the article now planning to live in his car.
While they may not been the best of homes, they where cheap and the people staying there where happy to continue staying there.
Scheduled for redevelopment for the past 20 years. Yet it seems nobody thought of the outcome for the poor staying there given they had 20 years to come up with an affordable alternative.
They are all volunteers, no one made them come and live in Queenstown, and very unlikely any of them were born in the town. Everyone who's currently living at Lakeview (that name should give a clue about how good the site is) went there knowing it was a short term tenure in the best site in town, and on bloody good terms, so it shouldn't be news to them.
People come to Queenstown thinking the streets are paved with gold, have done since 1863, reality is that it's their gold that the streets are paved with. That reality hits hard, and in proportion to the net worth at time of arrival.
To tired to comment at the moment but I'll leave you with a little something to read. PS take note of the comments below the article.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/115954442/workers-hot-bed-as-queenstown-housing-crisis-worsens
Great news Chairman, I know you have a spare room, Rudolph that used to live in cabin number 19 will be at your place tomorrow at 9am. I wouldn't extend an invite to just anyone on your behalf but I know how much you care. Rudie has a medium sized dog….he says that on tenancy applications, it's a woolly mammoth.
None of what's mentioned in those comments is new, it's been the case since 1860's. People want to be here because it's a very vibrant place and will do whatever it takes to stay here. That includes working 5 jobs and living 10 or 20 to a house. Until they can't make it work any more, then they bitch and moan and expect their lifestyle to be subsidised. These people push down / underbid wages and push up / over bid accomodation.
The other side of the coin is the children of long term, multigenerational locals who can't put it together in the town, along with people working in essential services. We have the housing trust that is doing great work at this end but to an extent they are creating demand for themselves. A lot of employers are doing the deed as well with workers accomodation provided.
A past deputy mayor here, Margaret McHugh (of naked strawberry fame) said that we turned over half our population every two years. That was late 80's or early 90's and I don't think much has changed apart from this current cycle has gone 10 years so far, when past cycles have been around 7 years bust to bust.
Once the inevitable bust arrives the blowin lifestylers will depart, and the long term, serious residents will have opportunities to get established in town. But short of putting up border posts and restricting entry, or paving over the whole place with 20 story highrises, I don't think there is a solution. The other option is to restrict development and let prices go really stratospheric and price most of the current demand out of the place, but that's Aspen and the town decided in 90's that they didn't want to go there.
In what way do you believe this happens?
Are you suggesting people ask for lower wages and while on lower incomes offer to pay higher rents while seeking to live in overcrowded houses? All for the sake of living in this so-called vibrant place?
Do you believe people really desire and are happy to live this way. If so, then there wouldn't be a problem, would there? There wouldn’t be (as you put it) bitching and moaning.
Clearly employers that do offer accommodation aren't doing it for love.
Moreover, if the housing trust was doing such great work demand for affordable housing would be met and housing cost wouldn't be soaring.
If a downturn eventuates, employment opportunities will diminish, thus falling housing cost will have little impact if people don't have a job.
This may have been going on for years but clearly things need to change. Otherwise it will merely be the usual suspects that will continue to prosper and prevail as the lower classes continue to struggle.
Wages need to increase and more accommodation (whether upwards, outwards or both) needs to be created.
"Are you suggesting people ask for lower wages and while on lower incomes offer to pay higher rents while seeking to live in overcrowded houses? All for the sake of living in this so-called vibrant place? "
Not suggesting, know it goes on. We get a lot of people who are very motivated to be here and compete for jobs and accomodation.
"Do you believe people really desire and are happy to live this way. If so, then there wouldn't be a problem, would there? There wouldn’t be (as you put it) bitching and moaning."
Those that doing the aggressive bidding are pretty happy if they get the job or flat, up to the point they can't pay their bills, then it all goes southward. Employers and landlords are pretty happy too. Those that get outbid, not so much. And this is at all levels, not just low income as minimum wage has an effect, but get up the chain and it's all on. The bitching and moaning comes from those that can't get lifestyle expectations to match income, not just a Queenstown problem but very common here.
Adding supply, whether by the trust or open market developers creates opportunities and stimulates demand, so it's self perpetuating and there's really no economy to prop it all up. Building houses to house people to build more houses. Until the ponzi / pyramid scheme goes tits up.
The previous government poured petrol on the fire with the SHAs, which sent an economy already going at 100% off into the stratosphere and did nothing for affordability, which in a Queenstown context becomes a buzzword for increasing supply and stimulating further demand.
It may be smarter in situations like Queenstown that don't actually have a productive economy to restrict supply, allow prices to rise and moderate demand.
It's largely common practice now days for people to have to compete for jobs and accommodation (and that's largely nationwide and in a number of sectors). However, while those on WFF tend to be happy with a lower wage as it doesn't impact upon their benefits, thus income and while those that are desperate for work may also accept a job at a lower rate of pay (not to say they are happy about it) there's not many that are happy about it. Hence, there is a lot of discontent/moaning.
As for competing for accommodation, the feedback also suggests many aren't happy about it. Therefore, I disagree with your conclusions in these two matters.
If it weren't for large and growing numbers of tourist (especially in Queenstown) helping to maintain consumer spending, a number of businesses wouldn't be happy either. High accommodation costs rob consumers of disposable income, thus businesses of their returns.
I agree adding to the housing supply stimulates the economy and in turn can increase local demand somewhat, however, this can be curbed to some extent by manufacturing the new homes out of town and trucking them down.
Get some counselling, man.
I don't know, reading the article it sounds like they were pretty disrespectful. I'd not be ok having my family home used in that way.
Ah, the gig economy…aint it grand
Govt announces curriculum changes: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/115949288/education-minister-chris-hipkins-shakes-up-new-zealands-school-curriculum
https://ukcsc.co.uk/earth-power-hemp-batteries-better-than-lithium-and-graphene/
Another solution, but we have to consider the kids, better to have the planet burn than for polys to admit to being sucked in by fake news.
“So there you have it. If we already knew that there is no need to use the fossil fuels that are destroying the planet’s climate, because hemp biofuel provides a better alternative, we now know that there is no need to destroy the environment by mining for lithium and the materials that are used in batteries. We can literally grow technology. Hemp can save and power the world.”
The rush to blame Iran did seem rather Wag the Doggish…
“We are not aware of any information that points to Iran,” said Japanese defense minister Taro Kono.
Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono told reporters Wednesday that he has not seen any intelligence indicating Iran was behind the attacks on Saudi Arabian oil facilities over the weekend, contradicting Saudi and Trump administration claims about the incident.
https://www.rawstory.com/2019/09/disputing-trump-claims-japan-says-no-evidence-iran-was-behind-saudi-attack/
Bolton's spirit lives on….
This perpetual war that the USA has dragged us into, is making our military as nasty and self absorbed as the USA military. And whilst there probably was no conspiracy – the culture of NZ military made it simpler to lie and cover up things NZ citizens would not have tolerated.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/115911608/crucial-evidence-suddenly-upsets-operation-burnham-inquiry
Berrymans all over again – and Agent Orange.
Still, we didn't go full Aussie and have a bunch of blokes watch the movie 300 one too many times.
Or at least, we haven't found out about it yet.
does anyone need a wake-up call..?
https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2019/august/1566136800/jo-lle-gergis/terrible-truth-climate-change
Maire Leadbetter knows about Indonesia and how it operates. Her concerns for West Papua should be echoed by all thinking NZs. It is hard to keep up with clowns to the left and right for the people stuck in the middle with constant violence.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2019/09/19/guest-blog-maire-leadbeater-violence-in-west-papua-has-parallels-with-east-timor-20-years-ago/
...And of course to take a stand on behalf of Veronica Koman and all of those in jail for taking part in demonstrations, raising the banned Morning Star flag and daring to express their hopes for freedom. The perfect opportunity comes up when Ms Ardern attends the UN General Assembly next week.
About Veronica Koman:.
Veronica Koman is an Indonesian human rights lawyer with exceptional courage. She has long been subject to threats on account of her work defending West Papuan clients and for her advocacy for West Papuan rights. During this current crisis she shared videos on her Twitter account documenting the unrest. For this she now faces charges of ‘incitement’ and ‘spreading fake news’. She is currently in Australia and Jakarta has asked her to turn herself in. If she does not an Interpol ‘red’ notice will be issued. Australia is refusing to say how it will respond, but won’t rule out acting on such a notice. ..
Another parallel is the silence of New Zealand and its western allies in the face of mounting crisis. I visited East Timor in April 1999 and while I was there 57 people were killed as they sheltered in a Liquica church. On my return I took advantage of an opportunity to waylay Foreign Minister Don McKinnon to show him some photos of injured victims and plead with him to try to persuade the UN to send a peacekeeping force to stem the mounting violence. He declined. A couple of months later the UN did become involved, but with small numbers and a limited mandate based on the fiction that Indonesia’s security forces were cooperative. New Zealand sent ten unarmed policemen who did a great job against impossible odds, but our leaders still declined to criticise Indonesia or even cut off defence ties.
youtube.com/watch?v=uLa_J4CcHZU
You will need to add some description of why we should bother clicking on that link. Or any other link.
spontaneity, lack of control freekery and/or holier-than-thou attitude.
But yes Ma'am. next time I will.
I very beg your pardon
youtu.be/BoyUUu1rPhE
Great question by Agora in the top slot this morning.
"What will be the main issues during the next election?"
I don't think it matters. We just need confidence in those holding the rudder.
I think the best way to achieve that is for all members of our government to about now outlaw saying "It's National's fault."
Don't give them the oxygen. Champions don't swing focus onto their defeated. In the business world… "It's the last guys' fault" would get laughed out of a meeting. A focused boss would say "I don't care about the last guys, only their customers, what are we doing to please them better and win more?"
Sorry for posting this post a wee bit, as I’ve had a hell of week firefighting since Sunday anyway I may post something on how to get there about what happened and some of the debrief points from last nights community meeting.
Today is the 20th Anniversary of the first Troops from the International Force East Timor (INTERFET) and this humble poster landed in ET the following early morning with the RAAF’s No2 AFDS (No2 Airfield Defence SQN) who had only competed his Airfield Defence Guard (ADG) Basic Cse.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOWSTvuzt_I
Viva Timor- Leste