Andy Sinclair is the CEO of Hyundai Motors New Zealand:
The nation’s first zero emission hydrogen-fuelled electric truck arrived in late November. Hyundai New Zealand has bought five XCIENT FCEV (fuel cell electric vehicle) trucks, with the help of some funding from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, and using the fuel cell technology developed by the Hyundai Motor Company from Korea.
New Zealand will be one of the first three countries in the world to run hydrogen trucks in fully commercial daily operations with freight operators (along with Korea and Switzerland). At the start of commercial operations, the trucks will be fuelled by their own hydrogen refueller until the first group of hydrogen-refuelling stations are built.
For the engine nerds out there, the XCIENT is powered by a 350kw electric motor with 2237Nm of torque. It has a range of about 400km – the driving distance between Auckland and Palmerston North.
The difference from diesel trucks is instantly noticeable to experienced drivers. They are almost as quiet as their passenger car peers, with no loud engine noises. There are two other fascinating technologies. A special filter is required to clean the air that goes into the engine. In a neat twist, it ends up removing particulates belched into the environment by diesel trucks on the road alongside the XCIENT. The other technology is an artificial engine-sound generator. The truck is so quiet at low speeds that the sound is needed as a safety precaution.
The spending included about $188 on chocolate fish, an executive team meeting at Mood on 17th Ave that cost $796 and $471.50 on the chief executive’s annual car valet.
Aitken said the council provided a “supply of chocolate fish” to its finance team who worked long hours at the end of the financial year and preparing the annual plan for adoption.
“Our executive team also provided a supply of chocolate fish to attendees of a series of internal roadshows, which included presentations on the Long-term Plan, the implementation of our community relations strategy, and council’s vision and values. Spare chocolate fish have been given to staff as a form of special recognition throughout the remainder of the year.”
Aitken said the executive team meeting at Mood was a “planning day” for 36 attendees – equating to $22 per person for food and drinks. A further $178 was spent on staff chocolates for an “executive walkabout” on December 8, 2020.
Tauranga City Council was the biggest spender, with 15 staff members spending more than $88,500 with council credit cards between November 8, 2020 and November 7, 2021.
As capitalists everywhere well know–they appropriate socially produced wealth for tiny elite gain–the riches that come from the physical and intellectual labour of the worlds workers applied to natural and technological resources.
The petty indulgences of local Govt. minions while unseemly, are nothing compared to the real bludgers of society in finance capital.
But the income that produces those taxes is in no small part a product of our transport, education, and health systems. So that's socially produced wealth, isn't it?
But the income those taxes come from was markedly increased by all the infrastructure and systems we have available to us in this society, so yes.
Private enterprise often adds value to the capital it starts with. So does public enterprise. We have a mixed economy. Not all economic growth is due to private enterprise.
"But the income those taxes come from was markedly increased by all the infrastructure and systems we have available to us in this society, so yes."
But that infrastructure was originally funded by taxes, so no.
"Private enterprise often adds value to the capital it starts with. So does public enterprise. We have a mixed economy. Not all economic growth is due to private enterprise."
Public enterprise can only begin with the capital it taxes from the private sector. In a mixed market economy, the public sector is able to use that capital to plan and to provide the infrastructure for growth. But ultimately it is all funded by private sector income.
"Those systems are all paid for out of taxes, so no."
You do realise the state has always had income streams other than taxation. The state used to have more than they do now but they were sold at bargain based prices to members of the business round table et al.
It also has lots of assets that were stolen – as does the private sector – Taranaki farmers for instance.
The rest of society are individuals and businesses paying tax.
With their personal productivity boosted vastly by public resources. IP protection, law and order, roads, schools, trades education, workers kept healthy by the public health system.
"You do realise the state has always had income streams other than taxation."
The only income stream a government can have is from private enterprise. When the government owned the post office (and it took months to get a phone), all of their income came from tax payers buying their services. The difference is that for most products and services, the private sector just does a much better job.
"Any idea what the private sector is like at running airlines?"
Public Airlines only survive because the government is spending other peoples money. 'Flagship' carriers were replaced by private sector operators until economic shocks (eg Covid) prompted governments to intervene (again with other peoples money). But there are a number of countries desperate for the private sector to take back nationalised airlines (e.g. Air India, Malaysian Airlines).
If governments see airlines as strategic assets, then they can take an ownership share. But the operation is best left to the private sector.
EDIT:
“In conclusion, there are lots of reasons to privatize an airline, or to keep it state-owned. The crucial differentiator is the quality of that airline’s management. An airline that is owned by the government but allowed to operate as an efficient, profit-focused entity can do very well, but those that are too encumbered by politics are unlikely to succeed.” https://simpleflying.com/pros-cons-state-owned-airlines/
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian responds to media on NATO-US role in Ukraine crisis…when you have the Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson telling you..correctly…how you should be doing your job as a Journalist..you know you have lost the moral high ground…..
Why should the US stop other nations from voluntarily applying to join NATO? There is a reason nations like Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia would want to join a collective defence pact. Do you know what that reason is? I'll give you a clue – It rhymes with Tussar and it's military is currently bombing Ukraine.
Thanks for displaying your lack of Geo-Political insight and understanding for all to see..and therefore saving me the time of having to spell it out…well done.
The Ukrainian army and its far-right paramilitary allies were responsible for the vast majority of civilian casualties, with the United Nations reporting in January 2022 that, between 2018 and 2021, 81.4% of all civilian casualties caused by active hostilities were in Donetsk and Luhansk.
These are Russian-speaking Ukrainians being killed their own government. They are not secret Russian forces.
Researchers at the US government-sponsored RAND Corporation acknowledged in a January 2022 report in Foreign Policy magazine that, “even by Kyiv’s own estimates, the vast majority of rebel forces consist of locals—not soldiers of the regular Russian military.”
He makes many points that counter the official stories we are told to accept
"He makes many points that counter the official stories we are told to accept"
Where's an official story we are told to accept as you suggest? The fact that you even see fit to include the "even by Kyiv's own estimates" gives lie to your proposition.
It has been well known and reported that it is predominantly separatists fighting the government i.e. locals fighting locals.
If someone makes a valid point and your response amounts to "Well you just lack the special insight into geo-political affairs that I have," you've effectively conceded the point.
No. What is happening in Ukraine at present and is not happening in any of the Baltic states is WHY Ukraine wanted to join NATO. Do you think Russia will try it on with Estonia anytime soon?
Agreed. While Ukraine had quite few internal issues to sort out (there clearly is a conservative right-wing fascist element within it's population and consequently it's military for instance and still lots of corruption) they like other countries that once were under the USSR yoke did not wish to go back there.
Putin had no right to invade Ukraine let alone do much of the stuff that is going on.
Meanwhile while I get it is a war scenario what the hell is this tying people to lampposts with their pants down and beating them that is going on in Ukraine. It's weird shit by scared people but I'm assuming that this does reflect the conservative nature of the country (is it religious? Is it a remnant of USSR punishment methods) that this is seen as a justified punishment. It isn't something I've come across before.
I kind of understand it with the terrible history of that area .Stalin’s Holodomor visited upon Ukrainians, huge emptying of the areas of the Donbas, by starvation, Russian workers sent in to keep the steel factories going.The opportunity to wreak vengeance by siding with the Nazis (western Ukrainians and not all )in WW2, aiding and abetting the mass killing of Ukrainian Jews, Roma, and Poles.
When the Russian army made its way home from chasing the Germans to Berlin, they stopped in Kiev and guerrilla warfare took off , with revenge killings on both sides .
The divisions are baked in
“A fully independent Ukraine emerged only late in the 20th century, after long periods of successive domination by Poland–Lithuania, Russia, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.). Ukraine had experienced a brief period of independence in 1918–20, but portions of western Ukraine were ruled by Poland, Romania, and Czechoslovakia in the period between the two World Wars, and Ukraine thereafter became part of the Soviet Union as the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (S.S.R.
Independence in 1991,thats when it changed its name to Ukraine according to Brittanica
Do yourself a favour Gosman and exercise your mind a smidgen by researching the background of this situation. Russia issued a red line ages ago. If Zelenskyy was really in control of what is regarded as the most corrupt European country, he would have pointed out the limits and told NATO and the US to fuck off to their side of the line. Instead, he was prepared to sacrifice his people to a sad and predictable fate.
In the meantime, he could also have made even a mild effort to abide by the Minsk accords. His failure to do so has ended up with a higher death toll (as per yesterdays numbers) in Donbas than in Ukraine so far. As for your 'whataboutery' Russia seems never have been a threat to any other country from the former USSR.
Regrettably, it is people like you who have encouraged our Government to prostitute the country by selling out on its supposed international morality and 'independent foreign policy' stance by sucking up to NATO/US like a domestic violence victim with a sever case of Stockholm syndrome. No doubt our Prime Minister impressed you with her 15 minutes of fame electronic cuddle-up with the President of Ukraine and her offer to provide NATO funding and protective gear to excite young Ukrainians to face off against Russian kids in a suicidal shootout as a prelude to a possible nuclear conflagration. The $5 million would have been better spent on humanitarian aid for Ukrainians than feeding the military industrial complex.
Putin still had choices. He chose to do what he did. Nobody forced him to invade another country. It is still his decision and his fault. It is also his decision to continue.
Not really. Actions are often predetermined by strategic situations. Ukraine seems to be the meat in the sandwich in a struggle between the US and Russia for the domination of that area. The strategic implications of Ukraine's joining NATO, with respect to that struggle, would have been the determining factor in Putin's decision.
The US didn't "encourage" them to join NATO, in fact NATO was reluctant to have them. It gave in to their demands, if anything. Their well-justified demands, as it turns out.
I still don't grasp while so many people think a country wanting to join an alliance it neighbour doesn't like justifies a massive unprovoked invasion. I can imagine all the usual suspects justifying a brutal Chinese attack on Taiwan by saying the US is just as bad and besides, Kiang Kai-Shek was corrupt and a thoroughly unpleasant man.
Anyway, the Ukrainians just might be on the verge of winning this war without the help of the Standard's ragtag of of appeasers, pacifists and would-be Quislings.
Thanks to the massive aid they've had US intelligence says they still have 90% of their combat power, so the attritional phase of the war is going their way. The Russians are not "regrouping" they have been defeated.
The Russian air force sortie rate into the Ukraine is dwindling in the face of a still-effective SAM network, to the point where the Ukrainians appear to now be able to embark on limited manoeuvre warfare with successful counter attacks at Makariv and Makovyshche clearing Russian forces from the M06 highway, re-opening a major supply route for Kyiv west to Zhytomyr and thence to the Ukrainian supply hub at Lviv.
If these counter-attacks develop into a counter offensive in the direction of Borodyanka with the aim of trapping Russian forces against the West bank Dnieper then a real chance of a first class Russian collapse in the decisive theatre of this war presents itself.
Putin wouldn't survive a military humiliation of that order.
What a twisted little world you gung-ho keyboard Generals live in. Far easier to stuff more arms into Ukraine that they will be paying for forever than to give in to the realities of MEANINGFUL negotiations that intelligent world leaders are attempting to get on the table. (Reluctant to include Naftali Bennett in that list but he appears to be genuine.)
Some of us 'ragtag of appeasers, pacifists and would-be Quislings.' have more humanity and concern for the Ukrainians than you could possibly muster in a lifetime judging by all your bullshit and bluster. We also lack your hypocrisy gene. Surely you are not blind to the fact that Russia is not doing anything much different to what your empire heroes have sown so many times before.
Actually, fuck it – time for a bit of nuclear conflagration to make your day. Perhaps you can arrange it.
Being a useful idiot is a tough job, you have to rationalise the most ridiculous illogic. See also "Ukraine has neo-Nazi groups similar to Russia's ones, therefore Russia must invade to 'denazify' Ukraine."
I hope you're right re the military situation. Can't help thinking the resulting peace negotiations would be the making of a "Treaty of Versailles betrayal" story for Russian fascists, though.
Standard's ragtag of of appeasers, pacifists and would-be Quislings.
Way to go full dickhead.
Anti war is just that, anti-war. But that is probably a bit to much logic for you.
Most pacifists commenting here, if not all have condemned the invasion as a war crime. So you lack logic their as well.
But then again, jingoistic dogs are not know for their ability to go beyond guttural violent depravity.
[Clearly, the shoe fits, but it is still not an invitation to spew your “hyperbolized rhetoric”, which is irony in full display. Tone it down – Incognito]
Yeah, no better source than the dude who denied the existence of a nation called “Ukraine”and who went on to assert that the crisis besetting Ukraine at the time were caused by their own internal divisions, not primarily Putin’s actions.
Is US fudging their covid death count numbers? On 13th March I said (elsewhere) they were close to hitting a million. They had something like 993 000 deaths at that stage, and > 1 500 average deaths daily. But today they're still a few thousand shy of the million. The last three days deaths reported were 327, 88, and 7.
Miraculous! A headline worthy story! Covid is vanishing!
Mar 20 reported a seven day average down to 719. The numbers don't add up.
It is extremely difficult for Covid numbers to be fudged in the way you suggest as each State manages health reporting. They may take advice from Federal organisations like the CDC but it is still managed locally. What you suggest is happening would require a level of centralised control that just doesn't exist in the US health care system. You can see the reason for the fall in deaths when you look at the numbers reporting the virus. The Omicron outbreak has now subsided.
No, a far simpler explanation. This happens every week and is due to reporting (or not) around weekends. It seems to be more the case for the US than other countries.
The 'nothing to see here','Russian misinformation ' campaign run by the American msm,regarding Hunter Biden going to the Ukraine for a 'job',has come back to haunt the U.S President.
'long after all mainstream media outlets killed a legitimate story about Hunter Biden’s infamous laptop, the New York Times finally announced it had ‘authenticated’ the computer and its messages. The computer, left at a Delaware computer repair shop, is filled with damning information about Hunter’s operations, which appeared to take advantage of his family’s political power. Hunter’s only proper marketable skill was opening doors with his last name. It’s still unclear how deeply and directly Hunter’s father, Joe, is implicate….'
The Democratic party's National Democratic Institute, the Republican party's International Republican Institute, the US state department and USAid are the main agencies involved in these grassroots campaigns as well as the Freedom House NGO and billionaire George Soros's open society institute.
Officially, the US government spent $41m (£21.7m) organising and funding the year-long operation to get rid of Milosevic from October 1999. In Ukraine, the figure is said to be around $14m.
Over at The NZ Herald they've had their thinking caps on, and come up with a new word of the day (no not Wordle) "An Ardernity". A clever play on words. Even the NZH are getting annoyed with the announcing a decision but we wont tell you what it is for another 48 hours.
When I was the same mental age as Chris Bishop and David Seymour I couldn’t wait till Christmas Day to open my present even though I already knew it was a football.
Beautiful comment – thanks. Being annoyed at receiving a heads up on an impending policy announcement really is infantile. I believe the PM has rightly said that if the media don't want the heads up, she won't give it. Add to this the mania for 'certainty' where none is possible, and we really get the flavour of how deranged so many people have become over what amounts to nothing more than rational and unremarkable public health measures.
"When I was the same mental age as Chris Bishop and David Seymour".
Come, come. Such boasting really doesn't become you. It is quite beyond belief that you were ever that smart. Even if you were only half their level at your peak it illustrates the rapid drop in brain size and decline in mental acuity that occurred as you got older doesn't it?
Have you recently had Covid 19? That can also cause these problems.
Two snotty little boys with a (political) football are upset because none of the other older kids in the street wants to play ball with them, not even Chippy. Alwyn is picking his brain because he can’t get his head around such injustice. Alwyn, blow your nose, wipe your face and go do a puzzle with no more than 8 pieces.
There seems to be a new version of gotcha politics at play here,
The opposition hears that a new move is going through the 'about to be announced new decisions" process and demands that it happens, saying the government is slow etc. But government can't announce something until processes such as cabinet approval and regulation creation occur.
So does the government attempt to counter this barracking by announcing decisions as a heads up with detail to follow?
In this case, the PM announced the heads up saying it wasn't immediately, crucially needed.
So, the government gets barracked for 'unnecessary' delays, etc.
In the long term it's a bad thing for our democracy that this type of attack politics comes from both media and opposition.
Fair enough if reasonable, but like using the word 'shambles' and 'crises' unreasonably, the net result is public turn-off, or public distrust in ordinary government processes, and a weakening of the proper roles of media and opposition.
They're using John Key as an attack weapon now? National have gone back six leaders to find someone to attack Ardern? Because Luxon, and Collins, and Muller, and Bridges, and English weren't very good at it.
And what is craw-sticking about Key's attack is that this comes from a man who never issued a press release that carried bad news. That job always fell to an underling. Pffffft!
The NZH political reporter probably didn’t put a lot of thinking as such into his balanced report, which is not an opinion piece. Whoever came up with the headline may have put a bit more ‘thought’ into it.
You are too easily impressed by a silly wordplay by David Seymour, who didn’t write the report and doesn’t work for the NZH AFAIK.
If I may ask, what’s your thought on the matter of having to wait 48 hours? Care to share?
David Seymour thinks New Zealand is the missing link to the world being putting right. No doubt his supporters will be on board with the big bold Act, us saving Ukraine.
"Act Party leader David Seymour wants New Zealand to send missile launchers to Ukraine – and has called New Zealand the "weakest link in the West" in its response to the Russian invasion.
"Asked what he would have done if he were in government, Seymour said he would have called Australia to ask what they were doing."
It's the sort of talk of an 8 year old boy when the question is 'you hear a noise downstairs at night what do you do?' The kid of course gets up and goes downstairs, tackles the burglar and scares them away. Or these days would he get under the blankets and call Australia?
Michael walker and Barnaby Raine host Tysky Sour interview with a very anti russian young woman from Kakiev more about Ukraine the Zazanin Zaghari story pommie politics Pinochet conservatives and more !
It's hard when someone keeps doing things to suggest he's an idiot, from being thought an idiot.
Brian Tamaki in full flight on his travels with Freedom & Rights.
"Making clear he was not aiming for political office, he said he wanted NZ's official religion to be Christianity – and for all other religions to be outlawed."
So we're to be free and have choice except we can't choose our religion?
The first proposal was to broaden protection under the Human Rights Act. It currently prohibits hatred incited against people because of their colour, race, or ethnic origin. The law would be expanded to include religious groups and rainbow communities.
Hmm, I wonder what group of people, who experience some of the worst targeted abuse in society, are missing from this list.
Nope. NZ already has laws against inciting violence. Inciting "hate" is too nebulous and subjective, and very likely to cause stupid outcomes as in Scotland where they have police visiting private citizens who write rude things on Twitter. What a waste of time and effort.
The legislation was drafted in response to the Christchurch mosque massacre, but I suspect that the Muslim community feedback was not supportive.
However I expect it will be forced through sooner or later because it is an important part of the woke millennial cultural project to force their rather cultic belief system on everyone.
“RUSSIA ALREADY VICTORIOUS? | U.S. COL. DOUGLAS MACGREGOR'S ASSESSMENT OF THE UKRAINE CONFLICT
Russia is likely more victorious than Western media indicates. Russia is slowed by their intention of saving as many civilians as possible, which Western media will not acknowledge.
In addition to the above:
Ukrainian war ….. hypersonic weapons and Russia v USA v China
The puzzle….. so it’s all about timing of your military advantage
I wonder …. who has won this race ….Russians or US or China.
Very much noted US news via RNZ underplay Russians exhibiting real use of hypersonic weapons….
(maybe NZs 4th estate and Labour/National are Bidens bitches or fluffers)
The U.S. Army has finally provided an official range for its future Long Range Hypersonic Weapon, or LRHW. This range figure notably means it would have been prohibited under the now-defunct Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, or INF, that the United States and Russia were parties to until 2019. This disclosure also follows criticism earlier this yearfrom a senior Air Force officer about the utility of this weapon, especially in the Pacific region.
"The Long Range Hypersonic Weapon provides a capability at a distance greater than 2,775 km," an Army spokesperson said, according to Breaking Defense. This means that the LRHW can strike targets at least 1,725 miles away. For comparison, the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) short-range ballistic missile, the longest-range ground-based missile system currently in Army service, can only reach targets out to 300 kilometers, or close to 186 miles.”
”US ARMY
One of the first inert Long Range Hypersonic Weapon missile canisters, which are now being used for training purposes, arrive at an undisclosed US Army base in 2021.
The complete LRHW missile consists of a large rocket booster with an unpowered hypersonic boost-glide vehicle on top. The rocket is used to loft the conical boost-glide vehicle to a desired speed and altitude. The vehicle then detaches and comes zooming back down toward its target along an atmospheric flight trajectory at hypersonic velocity, defined as anything above Mach 5.
Hypersonic boost-glide vehicles are designed to have a high degree of maneuverability, especially compared to traditional ballistic missiles, even those with advanced maneuverable reentry vehicles. This makes them ideal for striking time-sensitive or other high-value targets protected by dense enemy air and missile defenses and doing so on short notice, even at extended ranges. The combination of speed and maneuvering makes it very difficult for opponents to spot and track these weapons, let alone try to defend against them, including just trying to relocate critical assets or otherwise seek cover.
“RUSSIA ALREADY VICTORIOUS? | U.S. COL. DOUGLAS MACGREGOR'S ASSESSMENT OF THE UKRAINE CONFLICT
Question 1 Is US behind Russia in hypersonic weapons technology?
Question 2 If you corner a wild animal…. (NATO surrounding Russia via Ukraine) What do you expect the result will be…?????
It’s like a psychotic parent (US) taking a child (Ukraine) to a wild dog and saying hey “child” take it’s territory (bone) it’s not going to bite. The sickness is that the parent knows full well the dog will bite (as its in its natureg). The worst thing is the parent gets some sick physiological kick out of it…(aka power advantage).
Question 3 Why did US et al not push Ukraine to be a non military Swiss like state? What was the point of the destruction in Ukraine?
Question 4 Has Biden (Obama et al) effectively thrown Ukraine under a bus to benefit there world view
Question 5 Who benefits (follow the money and power)
[Less is generally more – I reckon that very few will read long comments and all the (embedded) links in these. 10 or more links will hold up any comment in Auto-Moderation until a Moderator makes the time to review & release it – Incognito]
Ive always thought 'better out than in ' so in general im not in favour of censorship .Youre link to the Bitchute site which is using a genuine Greyzone piece to make its point tells us that you by association are surely imbued with the same fairly ugly antisemitism which coupled with your incoherent comment gives us a reasonable idea of who you are .Congratulations for revealing yourself as a complete fuckwit !
Weston…. OMG did you eat a bad sandwich, suck on a car tail pipe or just get out of bed the wrong way. Ya logic circuits are fried mate. you said to me:
” Greyzone piece to make its point tells us that you by association are surely imbued with the same fairly ugly antisemitism which coupled with your incoherent comment gives us a reasonable idea of who you are .Congratulations for revealing yourself as a complete fuckwit !”
Did you even bother to watch the interview?
No, probably note…. Spending too much time with ya head up your own arse (carbon monoxide and methane not a good combo for clear thoughts)
How the f$&&k did you arrive at “antisemitism”
Good luck with that …. Maybe take some Prozac to calm ya farm and a chaser of viagra to make your mind now, shall we say, firm (or less flaccid)
Hugs kisses …. Watch the video… use analytical thought, get back to me mate
Ive already watched that video karl on Grey zone itself so i didnt need it second hand plus the site had sidebars labled jew this an jewery that why was i suposed to be impressed ?
For some reason im having a few glitches commenting karl so if u get this twice you,ll know why .Ive already watch the vid on greyzone itself so didnt need to go to Bitchute to watch it .The side bars or the click bait pics on that site are rabidly antisemetic suggesting that jewery are responsible for this an that and this persons a filthy jew etc Its not my cup of tea karl why did you think it would impress anybody ?
Not my worry what others might make of it karl particularly although im pretty sure it wouldnt go down well .the actual interview i thought was thoughtfull balanced and relevant most if not all the stuff from greyzone is .
Saying that however..if it wasn’t for the “freedom” to host that video it may never get the air time it deserves and people wouldn’t stumble across it.
Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook are all definitely playing in the pig pen of propaganda to. RNZ / Herald seem to also play in the pen, seemingly parrot Bidens BS to a large extent. An alliance to Democrats…some digging to done there.
However alternative sites need to exist to promote freedom of speech
Elon Musk had the bulls to say this regarding censorship:
”Starlink has been told by some governments (not Ukraine) to block Russian news sources,” he tweeted.
“We will not do so unless at gunpoint,” Musk added. “Sorry to be a free speech absolutist.”
Additionally Twitter has been going all out jihad on the satirical site babylonbee for taking the piss out of msm, wokeness and Biden. Banning them for satire. Babylonbees response rather funny I thought as Twitter do allow Taliban (no hypocrisy there ehh)
KABUL—Taliban spokesperson Mohammad Naeem Warda has finally been banned from Twitter this week after carelessly sharing a satirical headline from The Babylon Bee.
"Wallahi, I just thought the joke was funny," said the bloodthirsty terrorist PR rep. "A man who thinks he's a woman? Whoever heard of such a thing? Those Babylon Bee people are so fun and crazy, even though they're infidels who must die a painful death by our hands."
At the end of the day probably a critically thinking population is the best defence against “hate” not curbs on freedoms of speech.
The issue is getting a critically thinking population. Maybe the “powers” at be don’t really want that. But hey, that’s another debate
Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
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TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
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 ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8. The universe was ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
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Andy Sinclair is the CEO of Hyundai Motors New Zealand:
Good luck with this taking off.
Looks like a vanity project to me.
The volatility of Hydrogen,plus transportation and storage challenges will be negatives imo.
Like chocolate? Become a councillor…
Democracy is an excellent system to game. Competitive players get to spend other people's money on themselves all the time.
It is very easy to spend other people's money.
As capitalists everywhere well know–they appropriate socially produced wealth for tiny elite gain–the riches that come from the physical and intellectual labour of the worlds workers applied to natural and technological resources.
The petty indulgences of local Govt. minions while unseemly, are nothing compared to the real bludgers of society in finance capital.
What is 'socially produced wealth', and can you give an example?
A happy, healthy, and educated society.
I get that e.g. Education can be provided by the state, but ultimately that is paid for out of taxes. That's privately produced wealth, isn't it?
But the income that produces those taxes is in no small part a product of our transport, education, and health systems. So that's socially produced wealth, isn't it?
Those systems are all paid for out of taxes, so no.
But the income those taxes come from was markedly increased by all the infrastructure and systems we have available to us in this society, so yes.
Private enterprise often adds value to the capital it starts with. So does public enterprise. We have a mixed economy. Not all economic growth is due to private enterprise.
"But the income those taxes come from was markedly increased by all the infrastructure and systems we have available to us in this society, so yes."
But that infrastructure was originally funded by taxes, so no.
"Private enterprise often adds value to the capital it starts with. So does public enterprise. We have a mixed economy. Not all economic growth is due to private enterprise."
Public enterprise can only begin with the capital it taxes from the private sector. In a mixed market economy, the public sector is able to use that capital to plan and to provide the infrastructure for growth. But ultimately it is all funded by private sector income.
Now do private enterprise without public infrastructure provided by the rest of society.
"Those systems are all paid for out of taxes, so no."
You do realise the state has always had income streams other than taxation. The state used to have more than they do now but they were sold at bargain based prices to members of the business round table et al.
It also has lots of assets that were stolen – as does the private sector – Taranaki farmers for instance.
"Now do private enterprise without public infrastructure provided by the rest of society."
The rest of society are individuals and businesses paying tax.
With their personal productivity boosted vastly by public resources. IP protection, law and order, roads, schools, trades education, workers kept healthy by the public health system.
"You do realise the state has always had income streams other than taxation."
The only income stream a government can have is from private enterprise. When the government owned the post office (and it took months to get a phone), all of their income came from tax payers buying their services. The difference is that for most products and services, the private sector just does a much better job.
Any idea what the private sector is like at running airlines?
I'll give you the answer=hopeless.
"Any idea what the private sector is like at running airlines?"
Public Airlines only survive because the government is spending other peoples money. 'Flagship' carriers were replaced by private sector operators until economic shocks (eg Covid) prompted governments to intervene (again with other peoples money). But there are a number of countries desperate for the private sector to take back nationalised airlines (e.g. Air India, Malaysian Airlines).
If governments see airlines as strategic assets, then they can take an ownership share. But the operation is best left to the private sector.
EDIT:
“In conclusion, there are lots of reasons to privatize an airline, or to keep it state-owned. The crucial differentiator is the quality of that airline’s management. An airline that is owned by the government but allowed to operate as an efficient, profit-focused entity can do very well, but those that are too encumbered by politics are unlikely to succeed.”
https://simpleflying.com/pros-cons-state-owned-airlines/
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian responds to media on NATO-US role in Ukraine crisis…when you have the Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson telling you..correctly…how you should be doing your job as a Journalist..you know you have lost the moral high ground…..
Why should the US stop other nations from voluntarily applying to join NATO? There is a reason nations like Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia would want to join a collective defence pact. Do you know what that reason is? I'll give you a clue – It rhymes with Tussar and it's military is currently bombing Ukraine.
Thanks for displaying your lack of Geo-Political insight and understanding for all to see..and therefore saving me the time of having to spell it out…well done.
A Ukrainian leftist gives his view
https://multipolarista.com/2022/03/14/ukrainian-leftist-war-russia-us/
"He makes many points that counter the official stories we are told to accept"
Where's an official story we are told to accept as you suggest? The fact that you even see fit to include the "even by Kyiv's own estimates" gives lie to your proposition.
It has been well known and reported that it is predominantly separatists fighting the government i.e. locals fighting locals.
If someone makes a valid point and your response amounts to "Well you just lack the special insight into geo-political affairs that I have," you've effectively conceded the point.
The U.S expressly promised Russia that NATO would not expand eastwards.
But when you think about it…why would anyone trust…the U.S.
What is happening in Ukraine at present would seem to be a darn good reason why US should not have encouraged them to join NATO.
No. What is happening in Ukraine at present and is not happening in any of the Baltic states is WHY Ukraine wanted to join NATO. Do you think Russia will try it on with Estonia anytime soon?
Agreed. While Ukraine had quite few internal issues to sort out (there clearly is a conservative right-wing fascist element within it's population and consequently it's military for instance and still lots of corruption) they like other countries that once were under the USSR yoke did not wish to go back there.
Putin had no right to invade Ukraine let alone do much of the stuff that is going on.
Meanwhile while I get it is a war scenario what the hell is this tying people to lampposts with their pants down and beating them that is going on in Ukraine. It's weird shit by scared people but I'm assuming that this does reflect the conservative nature of the country (is it religious? Is it a remnant of USSR punishment methods) that this is seen as a justified punishment. It isn't something I've come across before.
you think that's weird
How about an army medic saying he has given the order to castrate russian POWs
Long memories.
/
Nah. just bog standard genocide
https://theparadise.ng/ukrainian-tv-personality-calls-for-genocide-of-russian-children-quotes-adolf-eichmann-in-unhinged-rant/
"Frau, komm."
Yep I think that is weird as well. People clearly can do dumb shit.
It isn't medieval times but sometimes seems like it.
I kind of understand it with the terrible history of that area .Stalin’s Holodomor visited upon Ukrainians, huge emptying of the areas of the Donbas, by starvation, Russian workers sent in to keep the steel factories going.The opportunity to wreak vengeance by siding with the Nazis (western Ukrainians and not all )in WW2, aiding and abetting the mass killing of Ukrainian Jews, Roma, and Poles.
When the Russian army made its way home from chasing the Germans to Berlin, they stopped in Kiev and guerrilla warfare took off , with revenge killings on both sides .
The divisions are baked in
“A fully independent Ukraine emerged only late in the 20th century, after long periods of successive domination by Poland–Lithuania, Russia, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.). Ukraine had experienced a brief period of independence in 1918–20, but portions of western Ukraine were ruled by Poland, Romania, and Czechoslovakia in the period between the two World Wars, and Ukraine thereafter became part of the Soviet Union as the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (S.S.R.
Independence in 1991,thats when it changed its name to Ukraine according to Brittanica
https://www.britannica.com/place/Ukraine
The bitterness and rage and hatred bred from years of conquest , defeat,famine and all of that
At least here in NZ we still have the opportunity to address all our wrongs in a peaceful way (I hope)
Do yourself a favour Gosman and exercise your mind a smidgen by researching the background of this situation. Russia issued a red line ages ago. If Zelenskyy was really in control of what is regarded as the most corrupt European country, he would have pointed out the limits and told NATO and the US to fuck off to their side of the line. Instead, he was prepared to sacrifice his people to a sad and predictable fate.
In the meantime, he could also have made even a mild effort to abide by the Minsk accords. His failure to do so has ended up with a higher death toll (as per yesterdays numbers) in Donbas than in Ukraine so far. As for your 'whataboutery' Russia seems never have been a threat to any other country from the former USSR.
Regrettably, it is people like you who have encouraged our Government to prostitute the country by selling out on its supposed international morality and 'independent foreign policy' stance by sucking up to NATO/US like a domestic violence victim with a sever case of Stockholm syndrome. No doubt our Prime Minister impressed you with her 15 minutes of fame electronic cuddle-up with the President of Ukraine and her offer to provide NATO funding and protective gear to excite young Ukrainians to face off against Russian kids in a suicidal shootout as a prelude to a possible nuclear conflagration. The $5 million would have been better spent on humanitarian aid for Ukrainians than feeding the military industrial complex.
Putin still had choices. He chose to do what he did. Nobody forced him to invade another country. It is still his decision and his fault. It is also his decision to continue.
Putin still had choices.
Not really. Actions are often predetermined by strategic situations. Ukraine seems to be the meat in the sandwich in a struggle between the US and Russia for the domination of that area. The strategic implications of Ukraine's joining NATO, with respect to that struggle, would have been the determining factor in Putin's decision.
What is happening in Ukraine at present and is not happening in any of the Baltic states is WHY Ukraine wanted to join NATO
The Ukraine, and the US, are obviously not very clever, given that they failed to anticipate Russia's reaction.
The US didn't "encourage" them to join NATO, in fact NATO was reluctant to have them. It gave in to their demands, if anything. Their well-justified demands, as it turns out.
I still don't grasp while so many people think a country wanting to join an alliance it neighbour doesn't like justifies a massive unprovoked invasion. I can imagine all the usual suspects justifying a brutal Chinese attack on Taiwan by saying the US is just as bad and besides, Kiang Kai-Shek was corrupt and a thoroughly unpleasant man.
Anyway, the Ukrainians just might be on the verge of winning this war without the help of the Standard's ragtag of of appeasers, pacifists and would-be Quislings.
Thanks to the massive aid they've had US intelligence says they still have 90% of their combat power, so the attritional phase of the war is going their way. The Russians are not "regrouping" they have been defeated.
The Russian air force sortie rate into the Ukraine is dwindling in the face of a still-effective SAM network, to the point where the Ukrainians appear to now be able to embark on limited manoeuvre warfare with successful counter attacks at Makariv and Makovyshche clearing Russian forces from the M06 highway, re-opening a major supply route for Kyiv west to Zhytomyr and thence to the Ukrainian supply hub at Lviv.
If these counter-attacks develop into a counter offensive in the direction of Borodyanka with the aim of trapping Russian forces against the West bank Dnieper then a real chance of a first class Russian collapse in the decisive theatre of this war presents itself.
Putin wouldn't survive a military humiliation of that order.
What a twisted little world you gung-ho keyboard Generals live in. Far easier to stuff more arms into Ukraine that they will be paying for forever than to give in to the realities of MEANINGFUL negotiations that intelligent world leaders are attempting to get on the table. (Reluctant to include Naftali Bennett in that list but he appears to be genuine.)
Some of us 'ragtag of appeasers, pacifists and would-be Quislings.' have more humanity and concern for the Ukrainians than you could possibly muster in a lifetime judging by all your bullshit and bluster. We also lack your hypocrisy gene. Surely you are not blind to the fact that Russia is not doing anything much different to what your empire heroes have sown so many times before.
Actually, fuck it – time for a bit of nuclear conflagration to make your day. Perhaps you can arrange it.
Being a useful idiot is a tough job, you have to rationalise the most ridiculous illogic. See also "Ukraine has neo-Nazi groups similar to Russia's ones, therefore Russia must invade to 'denazify' Ukraine."
I hope you're right re the military situation. Can't help thinking the resulting peace negotiations would be the making of a "Treaty of Versailles betrayal" story for Russian fascists, though.
Way to go full dickhead.
Anti war is just that, anti-war. But that is probably a bit to much logic for you.
Most pacifists commenting here, if not all have condemned the invasion as a war crime. So you lack logic their as well.
But then again, jingoistic dogs are not know for their ability to go beyond guttural violent depravity.
[Clearly, the shoe fits, but it is still not an invitation to spew your “hyperbolized rhetoric”, which is irony in full display. Tone it down – Incognito]
Mod note
On the whole I don't think Ukraine wanted to join either. I think it was a small Neo Nazi contingent with too much influence that was pushing for it.
Stephen Cohen was professor emeritus of Russian studies and politics at NYU and Princeton. No better source.
https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/americas-collusion-with-neo-nazis/
Yeah, no better source than the dude who denied the existence of a nation called “Ukraine”and who went on to assert that the crisis besetting Ukraine at the time were caused by their own internal divisions, not primarily Putin’s actions.
/
https://archive.ph/BZEKs
Is US fudging their covid death count numbers? On 13th March I said (elsewhere) they were close to hitting a million. They had something like 993 000 deaths at that stage, and > 1 500 average deaths daily. But today they're still a few thousand shy of the million. The last three days deaths reported were 327, 88, and 7.
Miraculous! A headline worthy story! Covid is vanishing!
Mar 20 reported a seven day average down to 719. The numbers don't add up.
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/#graph-deaths-daily
Maybe they don't want to reach this auspicious milestone while strutting about the world stage posing as leader.
It is extremely difficult for Covid numbers to be fudged in the way you suggest as each State manages health reporting. They may take advice from Federal organisations like the CDC but it is still managed locally. What you suggest is happening would require a level of centralised control that just doesn't exist in the US health care system. You can see the reason for the fall in deaths when you look at the numbers reporting the virus. The Omicron outbreak has now subsided.
No, a far simpler explanation. This happens every week and is due to reporting (or not) around weekends. It seems to be more the case for the US than other countries.
Thanks Brigitte that makes a lot more sense than wishful thinking.
It is good to see they are coming down off a peak though.
You want numbers that don't add up? Try China.
The 'nothing to see here','Russian misinformation ' campaign run by the American msm,regarding Hunter Biden going to the Ukraine for a 'job',has come back to haunt the U.S President.
'long after all mainstream media outlets killed a legitimate story about Hunter Biden’s infamous laptop, the New York Times finally announced it had ‘authenticated’ the computer and its messages. The computer, left at a Delaware computer repair shop, is filled with damning information about Hunter’s operations, which appeared to take advantage of his family’s political power. Hunter’s only proper marketable skill was opening doors with his last name. It’s still unclear how deeply and directly Hunter’s father, Joe, is implicate….'
The shameful silence about the Hunter Biden laptop story | The Spectator
The US has been at it for a long time , ever since the wall came down
18 years ago, the Guardian was open and almost boastful about interference in Eastern European elections.All in the name of democracy of course
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/nov/26/ukraine.usa
Officially, the US government spent $41m (£21.7m) organising and funding the year-long operation to get rid of Milosevic from October 1999. In Ukraine, the figure is said to be around $14m.
Over at The NZ Herald they've had their thinking caps on, and come up with a new word of the day (no not Wordle) "An Ardernity". A clever play on words. Even the NZH are getting annoyed with the announcing a decision but we wont tell you what it is for another 48 hours.
Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: PM Jacinda Ardern under fire over big vax pass, mandates announcement delay – NZ Herald
The Herald annoyed with a Labour government ?
strange days indeed.
When I was the same mental age as Chris Bishop and David Seymour I couldn’t wait till Christmas Day to open my present even though I already knew it was a football.
Beautiful comment – thanks. Being annoyed at receiving a heads up on an impending policy announcement really is infantile. I believe the PM has rightly said that if the media don't want the heads up, she won't give it. Add to this the mania for 'certainty' where none is possible, and we really get the flavour of how deranged so many people have become over what amounts to nothing more than rational and unremarkable public health measures.
"When I was the same mental age as Chris Bishop and David Seymour".
Come, come. Such boasting really doesn't become you. It is quite beyond belief that you were ever that smart. Even if you were only half their level at your peak it illustrates the rapid drop in brain size and decline in mental acuity that occurred as you got older doesn't it?
Have you recently had Covid 19? That can also cause these problems.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01693-6
Two snotty little boys with a (political) football are upset because none of the other older kids in the street wants to play ball with them, not even Chippy. Alwyn is picking his brain because he can’t get his head around such injustice. Alwyn, blow your nose, wipe your face and go do a puzzle with no more than 8 pieces.
Remember the old joke:
How do you keep an idiot in suspense?
I'll tell you on Wednesday.
You’re killing me! Who’s in suspense?
Who’s in suspenders?
Dr Frank
There seems to be a new version of gotcha politics at play here,
The opposition hears that a new move is going through the 'about to be announced new decisions" process and demands that it happens, saying the government is slow etc. But government can't announce something until processes such as cabinet approval and regulation creation occur.
So does the government attempt to counter this barracking by announcing decisions as a heads up with detail to follow?
In this case, the PM announced the heads up saying it wasn't immediately, crucially needed.
So, the government gets barracked for 'unnecessary' delays, etc.
In the long term it's a bad thing for our democracy that this type of attack politics comes from both media and opposition.
Fair enough if reasonable, but like using the word 'shambles' and 'crises' unreasonably, the net result is public turn-off, or public distrust in ordinary government processes, and a weakening of the proper roles of media and opposition.
You don't say there's going to be an announcement. Just do it suddenly.
Then the caterwauling is all about "surprises" and "making decisions on the fly."
And predictably, out come former PM John Key to attack PM Ardern on her press releases.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-omicron-outbreak-john-key-criticises-government-over-delayed-announcements-jacinda-ardern-set-to-reveal-vaccine-mandate-decisions/Y7Q2IUNO7M3RD5YJ7M75XPKYNY/
They're using John Key as an attack weapon now? National have gone back six leaders to find someone to attack Ardern? Because Luxon, and Collins, and Muller, and Bridges, and English weren't very good at it.
And what is craw-sticking about Key's attack is that this comes from a man who never issued a press release that carried bad news. That job always fell to an underling. Pffffft!
The NZH political reporter probably didn’t put a lot of thinking as such into his balanced report, which is not an opinion piece. Whoever came up with the headline may have put a bit more ‘thought’ into it.
You are too easily impressed by a silly wordplay by David Seymour, who didn’t write the report and doesn’t work for the NZH AFAIK.
If I may ask, what’s your thought on the matter of having to wait 48 hours? Care to share?
David Seymour thinks New Zealand is the missing link to the world being putting right. No doubt his supporters will be on board with the big bold Act, us saving Ukraine.
"Act Party leader David Seymour wants New Zealand to send missile launchers to Ukraine – and has called New Zealand the "weakest link in the West" in its response to the Russian invasion.
"Asked what he would have done if he were in government, Seymour said he would have called Australia to ask what they were doing."
It's the sort of talk of an 8 year old boy when the question is 'you hear a noise downstairs at night what do you do?' The kid of course gets up and goes downstairs, tackles the burglar and scares them away. Or these days would he get under the blankets and call Australia?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/russia-invasion-of-ukraine-act-partys-david-seymour-calls-for-nz-to-send-missile-launchers/ELKZ75S6EPQLDCOMTUE6TRSJ7A/
Considering the amount of training we do together it makes sense to see what our closet ally is up to and work in with them
It occurred to him to imply that there'd been no communication with Australia about Ukraine and that he had come up with a genius, novel notion.
Michael walker and Barnaby Raine host Tysky Sour interview with a very anti russian young woman from Kakiev more about Ukraine the Zazanin Zaghari story pommie politics Pinochet conservatives and more !
He has a tendency to get a bit over excited but he dials it back and is right on the money on this:
Great stuff puck i,ll let you off for making me watch all that kung fu crap !!
It makes you wonder how much of what we think we know is merely what the corporations want us to think
It's hard when someone keeps doing things to suggest he's an idiot, from being thought an idiot.
Brian Tamaki in full flight on his travels with Freedom & Rights.
"Making clear he was not aiming for political office, he said he wanted NZ's official religion to be Christianity – and for all other religions to be outlawed."
So we're to be free and have choice except we can't choose our religion?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/destiny-church-founder-brian-tamaki-calls-on-flock-to-lease-their-vote-to-new-political-movement/R7P4NGQ5QU7G3RYEQTZWI5VLBI/
Kudos to the government for taking their time with the proposed hate speech laws. Better yet would be if they ditch them altogether.
better than rushing them through.
Hmm, I wonder what group of people, who experience some of the worst targeted abuse in society, are missing from this list.
legislation won't stop people from being dicks.
i note that discrimination based on wealth & privilege is normal and encouraged by a major political party.
Should speech that some pointy head deems insulting be hate speech, in your opinion? Because Chris Faafoi didn't seem to know.
Nope. NZ already has laws against inciting violence. Inciting "hate" is too nebulous and subjective, and very likely to cause stupid outcomes as in Scotland where they have police visiting private citizens who write rude things on Twitter. What a waste of time and effort.
The legislation was drafted in response to the Christchurch mosque massacre, but I suspect that the Muslim community feedback was not supportive.
However I expect it will be forced through sooner or later because it is an important part of the woke millennial cultural project to force their rather cultic belief system on everyone.
Agreed.
Russia Ukraine conflict:
Potentially if genuine this analysis this could inform the Ukraine conflict. Something we don’t see in MSM
https://www.bitchute.com/video/hQ2SvStulvPf/
“RUSSIA ALREADY VICTORIOUS? | U.S. COL. DOUGLAS MACGREGOR'S ASSESSMENT OF THE UKRAINE CONFLICT
Russia is likely more victorious than Western media indicates. Russia is slowed by their intention of saving as many civilians as possible, which Western media will not acknowledge.
In addition to the above:
Ukrainian war ….. hypersonic weapons and Russia v USA v China
The puzzle….. so it’s all about timing of your military advantage
I wonder …. who has won this race ….Russians or US or China.
Very much noted US news via RNZ underplay Russians exhibiting real use of hypersonic weapons….
(maybe NZs 4th estate and Labour/National are Bidens bitches or fluffers)
If you then assess the above with the below
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/40584/the-army-has-finally-revealed-the-range-its-new-hypersonic-weapon
The U.S. Army has finally provided an official range for its future Long Range Hypersonic Weapon, or LRHW. This range figure notably means it would have been prohibited under the now-defunct Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, or INF, that the United States and Russia were parties to until 2019. This disclosure also follows criticism earlier this yearfrom a senior Air Force officer about the utility of this weapon, especially in the Pacific region.
"The Long Range Hypersonic Weapon provides a capability at a distance greater than 2,775 km," an Army spokesperson said, according to Breaking Defense. This means that the LRHW can strike targets at least 1,725 miles away. For comparison, the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) short-range ballistic missile, the longest-range ground-based missile system currently in Army service, can only reach targets out to 300 kilometers, or close to 186 miles.”
”US ARMY
One of the first inert Long Range Hypersonic Weapon missile canisters, which are now being used for training purposes, arrive at an undisclosed US Army base in 2021.
The complete LRHW missile consists of a large rocket booster with an unpowered hypersonic boost-glide vehicle on top. The rocket is used to loft the conical boost-glide vehicle to a desired speed and altitude. The vehicle then detaches and comes zooming back down toward its target along an atmospheric flight trajectory at hypersonic velocity, defined as anything above Mach 5.
Hypersonic boost-glide vehicles are designed to have a high degree of maneuverability, especially compared to traditional ballistic missiles, even those with advanced maneuverable reentry vehicles. This makes them ideal for striking time-sensitive or other high-value targets protected by dense enemy air and missile defenses and doing so on short notice, even at extended ranges. The combination of speed and maneuvering makes it very difficult for opponents to spot and track these weapons, let alone try to defend against them, including just trying to relocate critical assets or otherwise seek cover.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/40584/the-army-has-finally-revealed-the-range-its-new-hypersonic-weapon ”
Question 1
Potentially if genuine and meant with accurate and informed analysis this could inform wider questions of the Ukraine conflict.
https://www.bitchute.com/video/hQ2SvStulvPf/
“RUSSIA ALREADY VICTORIOUS? | U.S. COL. DOUGLAS MACGREGOR'S ASSESSMENT OF THE UKRAINE CONFLICT
Question 1 Is US behind Russia in hypersonic weapons technology?
Question 2 If you corner a wild animal…. (NATO surrounding Russia via Ukraine) What do you expect the result will be…?????
It’s like a psychotic parent (US) taking a child (Ukraine) to a wild dog and saying hey “child” take it’s territory (bone) it’s not going to bite. The sickness is that the parent knows full well the dog will bite (as its in its natureg). The worst thing is the parent gets some sick physiological kick out of it…(aka power advantage).
Question 3 Why did US et al not push Ukraine to be a non military Swiss like state? What was the point of the destruction in Ukraine?
Question 4 Has Biden (Obama et al) effectively thrown Ukraine under a bus to benefit there world view
Question 5 Who benefits (follow the money and power)
[Less is generally more – I reckon that very few will read long comments and all the (embedded) links in these. 10 or more links will hold up any comment in Auto-Moderation until a Moderator makes the time to review & release it – Incognito]
Mod note for you.
Fair point…. Less is more
Ive always thought 'better out than in ' so in general im not in favour of censorship .Youre link to the Bitchute site which is using a genuine Greyzone piece to make its point tells us that you by association are surely imbued with the same fairly ugly antisemitism which coupled with your incoherent comment gives us a reasonable idea of who you are .Congratulations for revealing yourself as a complete fuckwit !
Weston…. OMG did you eat a bad sandwich, suck on a car tail pipe or just get out of bed the wrong way. Ya logic circuits are fried mate. you said to me:
” Greyzone piece to make its point tells us that you by association are surely imbued with the same fairly ugly antisemitism which coupled with your incoherent comment gives us a reasonable idea of who you are .Congratulations for revealing yourself as a complete fuckwit !”
Did you even bother to watch the interview?
No, probably note…. Spending too much time with ya head up your own arse (carbon monoxide and methane not a good combo for clear thoughts)
How the f$&&k did you arrive at “antisemitism”
Good luck with that …. Maybe take some Prozac to calm ya farm and a chaser of viagra to make your mind now, shall we say, firm (or less flaccid)
Hugs kisses …. Watch the video… use analytical thought, get back to me mate
Ive already watched that video karl on Grey zone itself so i didnt need it second hand plus the site had sidebars labled jew this an jewery that why was i suposed to be impressed ?
you still need to check the user name (and email fields) when commenting from whatever device this comment was done on. As you can see.
For some reason im having a few glitches commenting karl so if u get this twice you,ll know why .Ive already watch the vid on greyzone itself so didnt need to go to Bitchute to watch it .The side bars or the click bait pics on that site are rabidly antisemetic suggesting that jewery are responsible for this an that and this persons a filthy jew etc Its not my cup of tea karl why did you think it would impress anybody ?
if you make a mistake in your name or email address, the TS system will treat you as a new commenter and hold your comment back for manual release.
Thanks Weka i think ive sorted it
Weston….. what hell are you on
Ok i didnt look at all the multiple embedded links in yr comment karl just the bitchute one did u not notice the all the stuff to the side ?
Weston…. So you seem to be trying, the “let’s distract tactics” so no one will look up the interview….due to fear of being called a Nazi
The interview is clearly not
However….
Whats your informed opinion on
“DOUGLAS MACGREGOR'S ASSESSMENT OF THE UKRAINE CONFLICT”
Can your synapses coordinate to provide an articulate response….or has the lobotomy proven to problematic
Hugs kisses Karl
tick… tick…. Waiting
Not my worry what others might make of it karl particularly although im pretty sure it wouldnt go down well .the actual interview i thought was thoughtfull balanced and relevant most if not all the stuff from greyzone is .
Weston, glad you took the time to review the video. It provides an alternative perspective that is not being let out in NZs MSM.
I had no idea that the site that hosted the video Bitchute was controversial (never visited it before). Now I understand your initial response.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/BitChute
Saying that however..if it wasn’t for the “freedom” to host that video it may never get the air time it deserves and people wouldn’t stumble across it.
Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook are all definitely playing in the pig pen of propaganda to. RNZ / Herald seem to also play in the pen, seemingly parrot Bidens BS to a large extent. An alliance to Democrats…some digging to done there.
However alternative sites need to exist to promote freedom of speech
Elon Musk had the bulls to say this regarding censorship:
”Starlink has been told by some governments (not Ukraine) to block Russian news sources,” he tweeted.
“We will not do so unless at gunpoint,” Musk added. “Sorry to be a free speech absolutist.”
Additionally Twitter has been going all out jihad on the satirical site babylonbee for taking the piss out of msm, wokeness and Biden. Banning them for satire. Babylonbees response rather funny I thought as Twitter do allow Taliban (no hypocrisy there ehh)
https://babylonbee.com/news/taliban-spokesman-finally-banned-from-twitter-after-sharing-babylon-bee-headline
KABUL—Taliban spokesperson Mohammad Naeem Warda has finally been banned from Twitter this week after carelessly sharing a satirical headline from The Babylon Bee.
"Wallahi, I just thought the joke was funny," said the bloodthirsty terrorist PR rep. "A man who thinks he's a woman? Whoever heard of such a thing? Those Babylon Bee people are so fun and crazy, even though they're infidels who must die a painful death by our hands."
At the end of the day probably a critically thinking population is the best defence against “hate” not curbs on freedoms of speech.
The issue is getting a critically thinking population. Maybe the “powers” at be don’t really want that. But hey, that’s another debate
That’s enough bla blaa blaa from me
Take care…. It’s a crazy world