national said a report on their culture was ready in back in April. At the time they said they would wait until the bullying report about parliament was released, then they would release their own report.
Now that the parliament report on bullying has been released, all of a sudden nationals report on their party culture is not ready……. why is that? Sounds dodgy as to me.
Something like ‘how to turn a white-wash into something that vaguely resembles a damning report that is more credible given the other report that has just been released’.
Edit: which impartial third party has put their name(s) on the National Party report?
Editing probably advisable inasmuch as the party folk who work in parliament participate in the toxic workplace culture reported by the Francis review. Their in-house culture review therefore has a parliamentary interface component, which will be illuminated by yesterday's news.
Plus we heard Mallard telling NatRad this morning that he's under the impression that rape has happened in parliament in recent years. He's encouraging any victims to report to that police, and giving reassurance complainants will be supported in doing so. Sufficiently serious to make the Nats want to check if any of their people are involved, eh? Reasonable to postpone release of their review pending that check…
Not mentioned on any NZ news source that I am aware of, as I said in my official complaint to RNZ, all we ask for is fair and balanced reporting…is that too much to ask for from at least one news source in NZ?, and especially our state broadcaster.
Massive May Day March in Defense of the Bolivarian Revolution.
Yep RNZ's a wierd scene alright adrian , free to air funded by us and yet run exactly along the lines of a fully commercial station .The only sources it seeks are uk and us based cnn ( which they apparently have playing in the office )and bbc .Odd and out of all perspective also is the number of interviews of americans who seemingly are first choice to consult on almost anything happening arround the world buggered if i know why !!
Yes weston it is a damn shame alright, even our beloved Kim Hill has over time turned into a real reactionary, and I used to so look forward to her political interviews, she was one of NZ's greats, but unfortunately no longer.
Bizarrely one of the few places in MSM media that I know of that offer a critique to a lot of these stories is Tucker Carlson on Fox (and believe me I am no fan of Fox)…what a crazy situation we have ended up in.
Yeah, he also did a piece in support of Bernie and AOC's bill to bring the credit card industry into line on their interest rates, all very strange, I would never have predicted that Fox would be one of the few place in US main stream media to find a bit (and to be fair it is only a bit) of fairness and balance in reporting, but all the same it says volumes about 'liberal' media today.
Weston 3.1: Odd and out of all perspective also is the number of interviews of americans who seemingly are first choice to consult on almost anything happening arround the world buggered if i know why !!
You lay it on the line westie – we have found out why and now know we are buggered!
In the last week Paddy Gower on newshub and Seymour and Wallis on Q&A have all claimed that we have a white supremacist and race problem in NZ which was exposed by the terrorist attack in Chch.
Pardon me, but the attack was carried out by a foreigner attacking New Zealanders. New Zealand was a victim, not the perpetrator.
There is no evidence to support the contention made by Gower, Seymour or Wallis.
Sure, there may be a problem in NZ with white and other supremacies and with racism, but there is no evidence linking those problems to the attacks. Those problems exist in most every country on the planet so the logic isn't there.
We were attacked by a foreigner. We were a victim. NZ was not a party to the attack, as Gower, Seymour and Wallis state.
You're right. A reality check often reveals that folks are being driven by perceptions only. In the aftermath of the massacre I made a few comments to similar effect: we know there's been a skinhead subculture in Chch for yonks, with white supremacist culture seemingly attached. Yet no media report connecting the shooter to it ever showed up – just media reporting a speculative connection.
I also queried the others arrested in the vicinity of the massacre on that day, media-linked to it, yet lack of follow-through by police suggests no link to the shooter. I commented at the time that they may just have been regular viewers of tv crime shows. Media reports of those arrests said they were carrying guns.
Raises the question of what percentage of any random selection of Chch locals carry guns, eh? Hollywood syndrome: gun glamour. Brainwashed followers acting out fantasies produced by the mystique…
he is right insofar that the perpetrator of the crime was a "foreigner' and australian.
but he is not right with white male supremacy. The western/white world actually has a big issue with predominantly white blokes that have an issue with the loss of privilege, the fact that women will not go back to the kitchen and endless pregnancies without a fight, and that people of color will also not go and sit at the back of the bus without a fight.
So the issue is our culture, our white western christian culture is breeding these guys, and thanks to our privilege he moved here without issues, bought guns legally without issues, and then one day decided to kill 50 people.
And he did so out of stated reason, but then, because Ms. Ardern said so we were not allowed an open discussion on these reasons. No we have to not name him, not talk about him and simply pretend it did not happen the way it happend, and now VTO comes along and is trying to whitewash history.
The 50 people got killed because they were brown, of a different religion and are currently the one group of people that every one can demonise with nary a slap one the hand.; Hence why only murder charges when terrorism charges would apply.
Its like some saying we must 'End Iran' cause Iran is doing shit we are actually doing but its easier to blame Iran and besides they are brown and muslim so there. Just much smaller on the scale of things.
Anything to have a crack at white men eh sabine. Grab at those wispy leaves blowing in the wind wont you, try and tie them into something with substance eh, leverage other memes off those weak knots then. You are predictable, tedious, offensive and lack credibility.
Some time ago you demanded I not respond to your posts. How about you do the same with mine.
ummm hey buddy Sabine actually answered your question – how about listening – you may eventually get the answer that agrees with what you already have decided to believe.
its not my fault that there are a shit load of white men behaving like utterly depraved people like that white middle class boy from Australia with lots o money from Grandpa who migrated to NZ because he knew that as a white boy its the easiest thing for him to – also did i mention he is from OZ"?, buy a few guns, get some target training in and then rock up on a Friday at a house of prayer and shoot 50 men women children in the back like the fucking coward he is.
so there go whinge some more about how men are hard done by especially the white ones.
btw, i didn't "whinge about how men are hard done by eespecially the white ones" but the fact you think I did also betrays you and your agenda
In addition this wee white-man-hating gem also betrays you and your agenda "there are a shit load of white men behaving like utterly depraved people ". Delusional.
you wanted me to stay away from you, which is easily done and has been done as you asked. I ask you to stay away from me too. But if you don't then expect your extreme claims to be confronted.
Detail, specifics and accuracy are not your fine points are they marty. That was clearly a whinge at sabine and her white-man-hating ways, not at how white men are hard done by.
Sabine, NZ has a problem with all races killing their babies and/or partners. Domestic violence is rife. Weapons are carried by gangs which are of all races. I don't want to state the obvious but I think you need to do a fact check before you make these statements.
It is true that the world we live in was and still is designed by the wealthy upper class, in the majority men but certainly not whites only. But brutality is carried out by those who are fanatically inclined or emotionally disturbed with many shades of one or the other in between. I view it as a complete failure of society,communities and governments to have allowed mentally disturbed people to be "treated" by using the label "community care"which means nothing more than medieval methods of denial of care. It is an abdication of responsibility to leave such vulnerable group to their own devices and too many are becoming victims or perpetrator. Whether or not a deranged person has wealthy parents is irrelevant unless policy of envy is at play.
my post was in response to vto who spoke about the white man who killed 50 brown and white people in their temple.
nothing to do with anything else but that.
And i, as a white person don't feel entitled to speak about the way others live their lifes, or how they choose to break the law. What i know is that a lot of the issues Maori have in NZ is due to the discrimination suffered at the hands of the colonials that came first, then by the subsequent governments who took their language, their rights of passage (moko), their land, and replaced it with white mens clothes and hairdoes, alcohol, poverty, hunger and war fare for that land.
so while i don't disagree with you i also don't see the point in regards to what the original post was about.
And agin, even the wealth of the murderer has little to do other then it enabled him to travel to meet up with white supremacist in europe, get indoctrinated, travel to nz ( i migrated here and thus now what it costs and it is not cheap by any means) find a flat, buy guns, pay a gun club fee and train to shoot 50 predominantly brown people – men women and children – in their temple of worship because as he himself stated, it was the easiest country for him to do so. And one reason it was so easy was because he is a white australian with money and they have no issue migrating here – because we consider australians our neighbors.
And us white people will start to have to look at what is and not what we want there to be. And white supremacism, a fear of 'being replaced', a fear of loss of privilege is there and it is causing a whole lot of trouble and death. We have had no issue demanding all sorts of answers from muslims when they had their young ones commit terrorism, and we should not shy away from asking us the same question. Why does a young, average looking man, healthy, with some wealth go and kill 50 people. People who had no intend on doing any harm to him, who had no intend of replacing him, people who Greeted him "Welcome Brother'.
Maybe we should think about that, rather then find excuses that are rather flimsy. And i stand by that.
You know what those taggers-on were doing on the day of the massacres and the several days following? Was intentionally not reported much methinks..
They were the camo'ed survivalist and other nutters of various shades who came out thinking this was the time. That armageddon was here. Weapons locked and loaded, camo on, out they came. Not white supremacists. The Papanui High couple were out to help the coppers.. We had one with a samurai sword in our suburb.. there were reports of others elsewhere around the country.
The thin veneer of civilisation was peeling back there for a moment for us to get a peek…
It has been explained a few times to you when you asked the same question before. Why not write a letter to Jacinda and see what she says – you might get in the paper again lol
I think if you were genuine and sincere in your inquiry you would have, by now, gone out and found the answer to this burning question that troubles you so. But instead you use the question to sow seeds of distrust and doubt.
But why not ask the leaders and get your answer, why not? cos you already know the answer.
yep insincere – time for your real agenda eh – time for game playing to be over eh, time for fronting up to your REAL issue eh, time for vto to put up eh.
Those local white supremacist losers have been talking about killing others for decades, here in NZ. All because the bulk of them lack the conviction to carry through with their evil doesn't mean they aren't here cheering the shit on and trying to recruit loose cannons.
They are all part of global networking now, and as such are (an even bigger) real and present danger to society.
The supremacist/extremist issue within wider society was acknowledged wtb, no problem. The problem is linking the attack to NZ – the only evidence being pointed to which could link the attack to NZ society is the extremist element within society and as already pointed out, those local extremists exist in every society – 'white', muslim, african, maori. So the logic is missing. You need something more specific to link it to NZ. Otherwise your evidence links it to every society and not specifically NZ.
You need something more specific to link it to NZ. Otherwise your evidence links it to every society and not specifically NZ.
The white supremacist's attack against and murdering of innocent people at prayer happened in New Zealand, in fact it happened in your city Christchurch. THAT is your link and your evidence.
Why is this an issue for you – why not answer that instead of beating around the bush as you like to do – don't be scared – what's your fucken issue son.
I thought it was because we have extremists here? That is the point above. You have introduced a new element.
In addition you are ignoring the fact that it was not a New Zealander, it was a foreigner. Was New Zealand fingered when the Rainbow Warrior was blown up and a man killed by foreigners who came here for that purpose?
There is no need to link the NZ attack to NZ, as it occurred in NZ…
I get your point but it is merely semantics and you can do much better than semantics – I've seen it.
Fact is we have a lot of white supremacists here. These are not just the bike clubs and skinheads, but the business class who associate with them, or worse, the secret societies.
I've met a white power enforcer who worked for businessmen in Invercargill. His job was to beat up black people who got uppity with their affairs. It's not worth my life to expose the pricks, that is the Police's job, except, they're probably in the police force too.
I wish it were not so. We've got some absolute dirtbags in this country.
Interestingly, in Christchurch, when my mate tuned up a few National Front members, they hired a Maori hitman to get us. White power – lolz!
If some New Zealanders had dumped a pig's head on the Rainbow Warrior, hurled abuse at the crew and talked about getting Greenpeace boats out of our waters all prior to the event, you can bet they would have been implicated.
Plenty harboured and expressed such ill will towards greenpeace back then, and continue to today. But NZ did not sink the Rainbow Warrior. The point remains.
vto The point is well made. People mutter and utter words of extremes – 'I'll kill you you little bastard' might be shouted by some parent with a lack of controlled language. But it is very unlikely to happen.
Tuhoe apparently used to voice angry threats, and practice martial arts; the police spied and read intention and invaded their village. But they hadn't done anything except use wild launguage and perhaps they were practising stuff they might have learned from being in our Defence Forces,
The USA Forces carry out maneouvres with our Forces, and other countries', on our soil regularly. We haven't been attacked yet, though there may be willingness and intention, but so far no action to point at, except the deaths of a soldier or two.
yes grey, and I believe it is one of the fundamentals to whole of the terror attacks matter.
The matter is too large and significant to let this particular fundamental take on a life of its own (that NZ society is responsible for and led to the terror attack), when there is no evidence for it (as outlined imo above).
I agree 100% vto. It particularly upsets me that the Oz has dumped this on us. However Jacinda has turned it round and used the attention of the world on it to try and make improvements. If it had happened in Australia it would have vanished without a trace? Or would they have been exposed as harbouring some nasty behaviours and been shamed into releasing the Manus Islanders? I hear they are contemplating suicide again after Labour managed to shoot themselves in the foot.
He never imagined he would 'get away' with it; he fully anticipated being caught and imprisoned for the rest of his life. The only reason why he switched to a local target was that he belatedly realised they would be easier.
Since 9/11 I had always thought NZ would make an excellent target for terrorist attack. Reason being that we are perceived as the safest place in the world so if people aren't safe here then they aren't safe anywhere – terrorism aim achieved.
and then it was a white boy that came and killed people en masse and not the advertised threat of brown muslim boy.
And that is the issue here VTO, if it would have been a brown muslim boy we would not stop discussing the religion of 'hate', how they are all out to get us, and such, and finally how to prevent it.
Instead we are told to not discuss it, we are told to not name the men who did it, we are told to not show is ugly mug, we are told to not read/discuss and disect his manifesto, and above all we are told to never discuss why on earth he would choose a. NZ (and white people find it relatively easy to migrate here especially people from OZ – and to be fair NZ'lers get easily into OZ), why he would choose Christchurch (yeah, a town with Ersatz Nazis and wanna be white supremacists) for his attack, rather then say live in South Auckland and try it there.
Fact is that there is a lot of terrorism that comes from white people. And us white people we now need to wonder and ask ourself and i have raised that question often, Why is a white boy, from one of the most desirable places on this planet, from a well to do family so hateful so fearful and so fucked up that he would migrate to a neighboring country ( he could have killed muslims in OZ) got himself plenty o guns and ammuniton, learned how to shoot real good, and then killed 50 people by shooting them in the back.
And that question we have repeatedly refused to ask, in fact we have been told by our PM to never ask to never speak about it. And that is also cowardice.
"The problem is linking the attack to NZ – the only evidence being pointed to which could link the attack to NZ society is the extremist element within society and as already pointed out, those local extremists exist in every society"
According to Gower's report, people from the Al Noor mosque believe the terrorist had help.
Probably best to wait for a completed investigation too before claiming New Zealand's innocence on this.
Maybe 'NZ' played no part in the 15 March acts of terrorism – maybe Muslims in places of worship in Christchurch are the (murder) victims of a foreign terrorist acting alone, and 'we' (wider NZ and all NZers other than the victims) are simply innocent, albeit naive, bystanders. Unfortunately, there are currently insufficient facts available to decide.
Maybe the terrorist plotted secretly in complete isolation and received no encouragement or assistance from any like-minded NZers. I fervently hope that's true, but agree with maui that it's prudent to at the very least suspend judgement on the complicity of any NZers, and (given the unprecedented seriousness of the events of 15 March) proceed with caution until the Royal Commission of Inquiry has reported.
The naivety of NZ's security and intelligence professionals regarding 'our' vulnerability to white supremacist terrorists was certainly a contributing factor.
This is the thing when you demand that a society does not discuss these things in public. You don't know what is, you leave lots of speculation and as we can see we already have apologists rock on up denying it was one of us, it was a Foreigner. Lol, cause Australians are foreigners. Yeah, right Tui.
The white first dudes of this planet are international, they meet, they greet they go to concerts, they go to readings/discussions etc.
Why do you think Bannon is hanging about in Europe? To sightsee?
The making any discussion of this criminal act essentially 'verboten' was so far – in my eyes – the single dumbest thing Labour and Ms. Ardern as PM could have done and they have done a few dumb things since they came to power.
But by essentially pretending it did not happen here, and this is not 'us' and such, they laid the groundwork for future deniers and also they laid the ground – most likely unwittingly (at least i hope this is the case) for it to happen again, cause we ain't learning and we still don't know – the public – with what we are dealing here.
Your comment @ 4 and Paddy Gower's claim "a white supremacist and race problem in NZ has been exposed by the Chch attack"…
I don't think he was suggesting a direct link with the perpetrator. Rather he is highlighting the fact that white supremacists and racists have been present in NZ for decades which is true because I knew a group of them.
They didn't roam the streets in leather jackets and boots waving swastika flags. Nor did they call themselves anything. It was back in the 1970s (and part of the 1980s) before social media was a thing and cell phones hadn't been invented. What they did do (among other things ) was roam around disrupting political gatherings and hoaxing individuals. Some of those hoaxes targeted persons of Catholic or Jewish persuasion and in the case of two of them… went on to have serious consequences for the targets and the political party they represented. That is, the Labour Party.
As a group they hated Maoris, they hated Jews and some of them hated Catholics. They hated Greenpeace and similar groups and they hated unions with a passion – at least in the case of two of them. If they were still around as a group today they would hate Muslims too. I see them now as the fore-runners to the alt right, white supremacists that exist throughout NZ today.
And here's the crunch: they were members of the Labour Party!
Yes, understand and appreciate all of that Anne and have seen them for years too. That is all explained in the points above re extremists like them in every society and how it interacts, or doesn't, with the terror attacks.
Want to know why the Aussie election went that way? It had nothing to do with Labour, or Liberals or any other party or any of their campaigns. It had nothing to do with the leaders and their charisma or lack of. It had nothing to do with the economy or the local factory or anything else.
The Aussie election went that way because western voters are now voting in preparation for conflict. And conservatives are where that voting goes.
That's it.
And the Christchurch terror attacks, perversely, would have pushed this along.
edit: this phenomenon has consequences for us in our elections next year…
The Liberal first preference tally actually fell by close to 1 per cent, according to Australian Electoral Commission counts posted at midday.
The Liberal vote was 3,293,099, a 0.91 per cent fall from the 2016 level. It’s barely moved over two years, and certainly was not a flood of support.
So it must have been a Labor decline that did it in. No so. Labor’s first preference vote fell even less than the Liberals’. The ALP had 4,016,676 primary votes, a drop of 0.87 per cent from 2016.
The lesson, as in all modern elections, is not how many votes a party gets, but where they are cast. The Liberals won 27.76 per cent of the primary vote and Labor 33.86 per cent. But we know who won the election.
Firstly, the polls indicated a Labour win, but that didn't eventuate. In other words, people were thinking left, but when push comes to shove and people have been put in fear, then they will vote along different lines – those of self-preservation. And there is plenty to put the people in fear – boat people, Trump NK and Iran etc, Chch.
Secondly, it is going on worldwide and has been for a few years now – brexit, trump, various euro elections, even the Ukraine comedian. It is a rising phenomenon.
But yes Red, the point made in your link above is also relevant. Next year's election here will be very interesting – maybe NZ is the last western holdout against the rising tide of conservatism and conflict.
True. I've repeatedly made the point that Australia electorate is not all that politically different to NZ, but their electoral system is. And this more than anything else has driven the result.
The Greens collected 10.04 per cent of the first preference vote, a total of 1,190,776. The Nationals had 4.89 per cent, or 579,457.
But the Nationals have won 10 seats and the Greens one. It depends where the votes land.
It was like that here, but it's the same or even worse, in the US, and the UK. Rural seats tend to be heavily favoured for conservative voters, and the "ruling class", whereas urban seats, with far greater numbers, get much less say in the electoral booth. It's not one person, one vote in such systems. The power of a vote in California, for instance, is only about 1/84 that of a vote in Wyoming.
Exactly. I guess what irks me more than a little is the rampant kiwi conceit that our Australian cousins are all six fingered redneck boofheads. No doubt some are, and there is a modest surplus of them in Queensland, but for the most part they're very much like us.
It's the quirks of their electoral system that make them look more conservative.
The OPCW in its final report refers to "experts" unnamed, rather than its own Fact Finding Team who visited the site
Newsworthy ,I would have thought.
The 15 page document is very thorough, and explores different scenarios, eventually concluding that the only plausible scenario was that the cylinders were manually placed rather than dropped by air
Could Putin and Assad have maliciously brain washed this senior, vastly experienced OPCW investigator?
Read the report yourself , it addresses elements of the Bellingcat findings (incidentally, unlike the OPCW engineering report,Bellingcat operatives did not visit the site. As always their investigation was conducted in front of a computer screen)
Yeah, but you would think that because you rate Consortium News above Bellingcat. Bellingcat have earned a reputation for finding out the truth by image analysis, Consortium News are just another Kremlin mirror site.
Have you read some of the columns allegedly written by Parry? They are not consistent with a PhD qualified native English speaking journalist. As of several years ago this site abandoned all pretense of journalistic integrity and became a purveyor of wildebeests of dubious provenance – your preferred kind of gnus.
Yet the conclusions are not robust. The report asserts that the gas cylinders were "more likely to have been placed than to have arrived by air". Ok – but open and shut, which would have required a stronger statement "could not have/were unlikely to have/did not arrive by air".
Nor, despite the use of OPCW forms, did this form the official report. These were minority views that were ultimately excluded.
Consortium News has recent form as a largely unreliable bunch of repeaters of proPutin bullshit. Bellingcat is open source – if moved to do so you can check their images and conclusions for yourself.
It may have been left out for good reason – lacking factual backing for instance. No surprise that a pack of Putin boosters like Consortium would dig it up and circulate it though – most "Independent News Sources" don't have agents in the OPCW however, and the question arises as to how an outfit as threadbare as Consortium manages to fund them.
"He said his reading of the report was that the offences were all committed by one person, and said he did not know who that person was. He admitted that having them tell their story over and over again was a problem with the court system, "which I know people are looking at, at the moment". "I'm not aware whether they're MPs or staff. Reading the report carefully I get the sense that the man is still on the premises … I don't know who it is, if I knew who it is I would tell the police.""
JLR triggered this, so many will assume he's the one. Ain't necessarily so. Lack of official rape complaints can be explained by perception that they are a bad career move, I guess. Confidentiality of the review process means crimes get disclosed, and all participants remain anonymous. Nonetheless, Mallard deserves credit for taking responsibility for his past parliamentary violence & trying to do what's right for current victims…
I don't know who it is, if I knew who it is I would tell the police.""
JLR triggered this, so many will assume he's the one.
You are crossing a line there imo – YOU may think that and I've never yet heard another person say it – own your shit dennis and it is shit – dirty and smelly.
Not sure what your problem is this time. If it's that you think I believe JLR is a rapist, you're dead wrong. He doesn't seem that kind of person. However, recalling what one of the women he had an affair with told the media last year, it's understandable some would jump to that conclusion.
So Marty, the shit is all in your mind! Wouldn't it be better to clean it out and dispose of it?? Projecting it onto others seems a waste of time and energy, eh?
There's absolutely no way any of us can own the comment made by that woman last year. Only she can do that. The impression formed in the minds of the readers of her comment is also theirs alone. Nothing to do with me whatsoever!!
You – i turned off game of thrones at the start – too full of american accents and isms.
BM – there was only 1 american actor in the first series
You – oh really? anyway, and so on
You've got opinions not based on reality and it behooves you not to extrapolate or tenuous connect too far because often you do so with little knowledge as you did with the tiny example I have given.
Reminding me that I'm just as human as everyone else isn't actually necessary, incredible though it may seem. My comment was about likely perceptions created in the minds of many, as the result of political developments. You tried to warp the thread into something about me, instead. Better to keep to the topic!
in case i'm wrong please put one link of anyone else saying what you said and implied – just one example of someone else and these 'likely perceptions in the minds of many' please.
Why? You believe other commentators on the Standard ought to do research for you? Why? Seems rather irrational. Isn't it obvious that we all have different values and priorities? Human nature!
Come on Rosemary, is there really any point in posing as simple-minded? You know that none of those women would have had affairs with him if they thought he was a rapist, don't you? Would any woman choose to have affair with someone they thought could be a rapist? Obviously they also believed "He doesn't seem that kind of person.
You are once again prattling on about things you know nothing about.
Did you know abused partners go back to an abusive spouse on average SEVEN TIMES before leaving for good.
"Would any woman choose to have affair with someone they thought could be a rapist?"
You are so ignorant it's incomprehensible you think you know stuff about this. Have something valid to contribute or just give it a rest for all the victims sake.
I struggled mightily not to hit you with strings of invective.
Your opinion about what you think I may or may not know is totally irrelevant to the political issues raised by the controversy. No, it is not all about me!! Why is that so hard for you to understand??
"Those women" aren't mind readers, and so might not have been able to determine ahead of time whether or not they were choosing to have an affair with a rapist.
Even some rapists might not be aware they would rape prior to first offense. 'Reckons' and 'seems' aren’t always on the money – it's not Rosemary who's being simple-minded.
So you're agreeing with me: people form impressions about the character of others, and identifying the rapist in parliament isn't a simple matter. Cool.
I agree with your contention that it's unlikely any of those women would have had entered into an affair with someone they thought could be a rapist.
"Would any woman choose to have affair with someone they thought could be a rapist?" – DF
Perhaps the nub of our disagreement is that you seem to believe that those women (and presumably, by extension, all women) can reliably identify a (potential) rapist prior to engaging in an affair (or whatever.) Now I don’t want to put words in your mouth, but wouldn’t that mean you think rape is the woman's fault, because she ignores the signals from her infallible ‘rapist radar‘, choosing to pursue the affair regardless!
If you believe something different then perhaps you should consider taking a course in Plain English! "Elliptical obfuscation" !! Praxis Dennis, praxis.
You're kidding! Why would anyone feel responsible for whatever impression someone else got?? Of course I don't have such unrealistic expectations of women! I have no idea why you hallucinated such a wacky notion…
Hi Dennis. Now I'm genuinely puzzled. English is my first language, but from your subsequent comments I am obviously misunderstanding the thrust of your comment @7.1.1.2.1.
Come on Rosemary, is there really any point in posing as simple-minded? You know that none of those women would have had affairs with him if they thought he was a rapist, don't you? Would any woman choose to have affair with someone they thought could be a rapist? Obviously they also believed "He doesn't seem that kind of person.
So it’s simply a matter of belief? You 'believe' that JLR isn't a rapist, and the evidence you cite in support of your belief is that it matches your view of the apparent belief of his multiple sexual partners (the ones we know about)? Is this really the sole basis of your belief?
Seems flimsy, but I bow to you superior reasoning and logic.
No, I would never claim "superior reasoning and logic". I don't recall claiming superiority ever, to be honest. And I too am puzzled. Beliefs about other people form in one's mind as the result of impressions they make. Doesn't everyone know that? Hardly contraversial, really! Reasoning doesn't even come into it. Just common knowledge about human nature.
'Would you enter into a business partnership with a person who you thought was a fraudster?'
I've never entered into a business partnership, but my (uninformed) answer to your hypothetical question is no. My answer might be representative, but I sincerely doubt it is universal.
P.S. Did I just believe/feel my potential business partner was a fraudster, or were my thoughts based on objective evidence? That would matter to me. If possible, I would prefer to have some objective evidence to support my thoughts/reckons/feels, but in the absence of such evidence I’d have no option but to follow DF’s lead and ‘go with my gut!
One in three women being sexually abused in some way in their lifetimes is met not with horror but with a stream of comments saying, “it’s more one in five!” or “What about men!” or “where do these stats come from?”
Every woman I know has been sexually harassed, abused, or assaulted. Every single one. If anything I think one in three is lower than the reality. We talk about victims, and how many attacks, because otherwise the question is:
Who is raping us?
The answer is your teacher, your mentor, the man whose book you kept next to your bed, your GP, your flatmate, your uncle, the police officer you asked for help, your dentist, your neighbour, your plumber, your best friend, your brother, your manager, your editor, the bouncer at your favourite club, the barista who makes your coffee, your Tinder date, a politician, the guy who fixed your sister’s computer, the bus driver, your cousin, your best friend’s brother, your ex-boyfriend, your husband, the waiter at that restaurant, your dad, your personal trainer …
That’s harder to ignore than:
A monster.
An evil man.
A guy who was “a bit off”.
Someone who was “not right”.
And ignoring the issue of sexual violence is what we do.
It’s estimated that 90% of sexual violence is committed by someone known to the victim. They didn’t see something off, because there wasn’t anything off. There wasn’t any indication. No early warning system. No alarm. No red flag.
a very small one actually. Maybe 5 – 10 % are rapists. I would also venture that rapists are repeat offender.
And because we don't actually treat rape as the crime that it is, and we still put the blame on women and girls and lets not even go to the fact that men have their own issues – re toxic masculinity – in reporting this crime, the fact that the police is only sometimes happy enough to actually do its job – often times only when the victim is so bad that they can't really not do anything these rapists get away and do it again and again and again.
But, and this is important RL, us women we don't know who is going to rape us. When i went to bed that night as a preteen – sharing the room with my 6 year old sister – i did not know that my stepfather would come and rape me that night. And frankly i am sure that i was not the only one, but just one of many.
and that is the issue. We don't know who is going to rape us. We don't know who is going to sexually assault us. We don't know until they do.
so to me know it is simple. So as long as i don't know the bloke, i am not going to accept drinks, not going to drive in his car, not going without a weapon of sorts alone in a carpark, tell my friends where i go, with whom, and i as billions of other women do have a whole scenario that i follow so as to not get raped, assaulted, mugged, killed.
but maybe you want to read this, and then you might want to answer me my question, what did you think i will tell you, and what do believe?
David Richards, 41, was sentenced to 12 years in jail on Thursday in Knox County Tennessee for raping his adoptive daughter – 60 years less than the maximum term sought by prosecutors. As he handed down the lenient sentence, Judge Steve Sword cited Richard’s work as a pastor and the Bible study he began in jail as mitigating factors. Richards was found guilty of rape, incest, and sexual battery by an authority figure for abusing his daughter, Amber Richards, for two years beginning when she was 14, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel.
Rosemary About coffee on your laptop, not sure. But I dropped quite a bit on my keyboard once. Turned it upside down over a towel and let it drip out then dried off, using a cottonbud for awkward places, and it was fine. It liked the blend. Hope this is helpful.
DF Better not have referred to JLR at all don't you think. Gathering in possible suspects on innuendo is not what I thought a practical man with principles would do.
I've made the point about the relevance of political psychology many times: these situations emphasise how relevant it is! Some commenters here try to shoot the messenger, but who cares?? Mass psychology drives public perceptions of political events, regardless how many commenters try to be puerile.
You think reminding people of the political context of Mallard's impression isn't good?? Would you like to explain why you believe historical context is bad to include in political discussion? Or do you believe JLR's affairs didn't trigger the review. Or both??
That's the bit to which I can't see any good side, but it's also the only bit that adds any information. "reminding people of the political context" is just you being patronising.
You could just have easily said "JLR triggered this, so perhaps some good has come out of that entire tawdry series of events: exposing the toxic culture of parliament".
"Tory grandee Michael Heseltine has said he will not be supporting the Conservatives in the European election, and will instead vote Liberal Democrat. The former deputy prime minister and lifelong pro-European said the party has become “infected by the virus of extremism” and he cannot endorse its support for leaving the EU."
"In an article for The Sunday Times, he said: “The reason for my experiment with the Lib Dems is, of course, the government’s position on Brexit. I cannot, with a clear conscience, vote for my party when it is myopically focused on forcing through the biggest act of economic self-harm ever undertaken by a democratic government.” His call for the Tories to reclaim the political centre ground was echoed by former prime minister Sir John Major."
I think the study of history generally and that of politics should include the cycles that occur where countries and large groups go into a spasm of self-harming behaviour. Is it a default position to go for some apparently pure and uncompromising method when times get hard and a certain level of anxiety is reached? Many countries or large social entities are definitely suffering from 'spasms' at present.
Speaking of those self identified Christians and regarding abortion laws Chris Hedges has
a reasoned piece;
"Ignore the religious rhetoric and moral posturing about abortion. This debate is not about the sanctity of life. It is about corporate capitalists who desperately need more bodies and intend to coerce women to produce them"
With regards to this report on bullying at parliament this from RNZ
"Now it has been laid bare in the report by independent reviewer Debbie Francis but still the elected representatives guilty of grossly abusing their positions remain anonymous and will likely never be publicly identified."
We have a right to know who these individual MPs are after all they are responsible for their behaviour as elected and appointed individuals.
Oh come on mosa. Just getting the information was important to build the picture, and complainants and informants were promised that it would be kept private. We do know it goes on. We cannot afford to go into a 'spasm' of blame and punishment over past practice when our attention needs to be on CC and international machinations. And it has happened, so our lagging attention to the future mustn't be dragged away again from facing forward.
So no it is not a cop out, that's just ignoring facts:
Informants were promised privacy.
It would be disruptive of the uneasy balance in Parliament and its efficacy for its big job.
If the victims of serious harassment and rape want to bring an action they should be assisted in this but need to understand that others who don't want to bring it to the light of day will unwittingly be exposed to public gaze.
The Labour government will again be going further than its mandate of running the country well, in wanting to be ideologically pure, instead of being both principled and practical. That part will be in establishing a sleaze-free approach to what we have been told is a government process that can be very demeaning and bullying to those not part of the in-group.
greywarshark sensitivities aside what i am arguing is that if these MPs remain hidden then how can the public and those wanting a career in parliament have any confidence that the house of representatives is dealing with the culprits and that people will take responsibility for their actions.
When you choose to serve the public and be paid by them how you conduct yourself is important and should be transparent.
This from No right turn.
The report of course refuses to name those MPs, meaning that the independent reviewer is effectively part of this conspiracy of silence as well. Which is not acceptable. Naming names is the first step towards accountability, and that needs to happen if anything is to change.
It's a difficult one. People who err so arrogantly should be brought to account. They are getting away with nasty stuff.
But then there has been a pact of privacy. We know that stats say that much sexual misbehaviour and crime is not reported so can't be taken further and justice meted. So BAU if nothing is done from this report.
And one lack of justice does not excuse another lack of justice and respect – to those who came forward. The Witchhunter Generals' opinions that purity and sanctimony will prevail if the victims are burned along with their perpetrators will, I am absolutely sure, not be agreed with by those most affected who will feel persecuted.
Sometimes there is no easy answer to achieving probity. Back off WG's and pour cold water on your hot breaths of retribution; put your simplistic interference to one side to avoid adding further trauma to this unhappy revelation.
The leaked report – from engineering firm Beca to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment – said the narrow, glass-fronted block at 230 High Street has:
piles that are about 10 times too weak
a support column that is overloaded by five times
steel frame fixings that are not strong enough
inadequate foundations
The report also said calculations underestimated the earthquake loading by 25%.
The Korean engineer assures us it is quite okay. And I am sure that his credentials are also as we have good standards in NZ and good surveillance of those standards.
This am on Radionz there was a report on the use of a computer check on social welfare call centre responses. This check was designed by a person at AUT. I am wary of computer paradigms being the deciding factor of people's entitlements. But the check on the program would help to establish if there had been racial bias I think. So it was helpful to run calls past it to see how it registered. They looked at calls that had been passed on for action and calls that were recorded and not actioned, to see if this resulted in further calls indicating real need for action.
Kathryn speaks with Stanford University Associate Professor of Medicine, Jeremy Goldhaber-Fiebert, who has evaluated the effectiveness of a predictive risk assessment tool developed by a New Zealand researcher and implemented for two years in the United States. The Ministry of Social development originally commissioned Professor Rhema Vaithianathan, Co-Director of the Centre for Social Data Analytics at AUT to develop the model. It uses data about children and their families to identify those at risk of physical, sexual or emotional abuse before the age of two. MSD stopped short of implementing the tool, but Allegheny County in Pittsburg, Pensylvania began using it in 2016, and commissioned Stanford University researchers to evaluate it.
Oranga Tamariki dispensed with this a year or so ago. I am concerned that we don't instead get into sanctimonious, pious territory of 'We know best' and judgmental rather than compassionate, appropriate support responses.
The rise of RW conservative women with an opinion of themselves as model cultural templates is noticeable, finding platforms such as anti-abortion and anything that is a change in societal norms. They adopt towards the precariat and women considered below their societal level, attitudes of derision, or patronising and officious power.
Their success in the anti-abortion measures in eight states of the USA will whet their appetite to fight here. The large response against the attempt to introduce a very mild euthanasia bill is an example of their reach and influence. A backgrounder on the citizen consultation held throughout NZ says that the 9 minute time allowed for oral submissions was applied for by thousands who often merely stated their disagreement. Nick Smith and Maggie Barry facilitated this process, though Ms Barry was accused of adopting a disrespectful tone to some.
The conservative religious, such as the conservative Catholic and conservative Pasifika congregations combined will be a force against rights that women hold dear. Choosing overseas people for appointments over NZs, may increase the type of conservative, neo-liberal official or CEO. We have Irish conservative Catholic Mrs Moss at Oranga Tamiriki for which a local person could easily have been found. We also have Dr Mary English who is conservative Catholic and has Pasifika roots, building relationships in health and welfare for Pasifika people. These are people in key roles. When the National Party stopped funding the suicide health line and gave the contract to Dr English's organisation, *The Daily Blog cried favouritism and nepotism for Bill English's wife. Many community organisations working at the coalface of welfare, with much experience have felt the cold winds of funding neglect. We need to watch where the funding goes, and that it is fairly distributed to those who do much with little, without much patronage.
Students strike today kia kaha it agree make it 0 carbon by 2040 moving the goal ahead by 10 years .
Banning sugary or big taxes is a know brainer it should have been implemented years ago the bad facts are all there to see WTF.
The big hole in the government balance sheat was created by joyce
Amanda that is a powerful tawhirimate in America tossing cars around like toys don global warming its staring you in the FACE.
Duncan Its good to see that you get it with the police chasers the people who are being chased are out of control.
The parents of these tamariki being chased could be working 2 jobs to survive with the low wages and high living cost take the glasses off Mark.
Geffory Rush I quite like the characters he has played its good to see him get JUSTICE.?????????????????????????????.
If the policys look like a Christian party it a Christian party why don't they run a Wahine up and lift Maori Wahine all Wahine mana up. Its good you want good changes. But I am protecting the left from the cheating rednecks who will strip the common persons wealth and give our powercompanys to the wealthy. I know who is pushing this I can see the consequences of your actions. I agree the housing situation is bad thanks to national this phenomenon has swept the western world I wonder why House less tangata. If this movement was logical and not emotional you would target the drugs that actually cause harm even target sugar.???????????
There you go judy a pauleen hanson you're views are very similar hence your toilet won't float in Aotearoa maybe you should go to Australia.
Don't compare Aotearoa to Venuzla it a total tug of war between the east and west that is tearing apart that country .
We should commit to reducing our carbon footprint as fast as possible.
Its the correct thing to do it is what humans have done for millions of years providing a better future for our tamariki.
What is happening now is not human or humane money is the root of these inhuman traits to rise to the top of humanity's way of doing things.
Some are totally focused on today and not on our mokopuna tomorrow's our futures well being the neanderthal are blinded by money they use this money to blind the common people of the world to believe there lies that are all about protecting the oil barons wealth and POWER.
Why you should take action on climate change
mpact on the environment because I want a future I can look forward to. And at the rate we're going, I know my hope is unrealistic, to say the least.
We are lucky, however, that we are so privileged to have the opportunity to stop it. We are the people who, in the future, will either be venerated for making the changes necessary to stop the full effects of climate change on the human race, or despised for ignoring the warning signs Ka kite ano links below
Humans causing shrinking of nature as larger animals die off
Average size of wild animals predicted to fall by a quarter in 100 years through extinctions
The researchers estimate that more than 1,000 larger species of mammals and birds will go extinct in the next century, from rhinos to eagles. They say this could lead to the collapse of ecosystems that humans rely on for food and clean water.
Humans have wiped out most large creatures from all inhabited continents apart from Africa over the last 125,000 years. This annihilation will accelerate rapidly in the coming years, according to the research.
The future extinctions can be avoided if radical action is taken to protect wildlife and restore habitats, and the scientists say the new work can help focus efforts on key species.
Animal populations have fallen by 60%since 1970, suggesting a sixth mass extinction of life on Earth is under way caused by the razing of wild areas, hunting and intensive farming. Scientists said this month that human society was in danger from the decline of the Earth’s natural life-support systems, with half of natural ecosystems now destroyed and a total of a million species at risk of extinction Ka kite ano links below
Thanks to Nanaia and the Provenance growth fund giving 50 million over 5 years to assist Maori farmer whanau in the development of there whenua in te taiwhiti.
Pee is a shocking poison its just as bad in te taiwhiti it is making a mess of te tangata
I think is a awesome idea to combine studying papatuanuku and getting the Kaumatua knowledge on the subjects
The Pacific music awards were on last night was very good Eco Maori loves his music ka kite ano
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 ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Tuesday, March 19:Kāinga Ora’s dry rot The Spinoff DailyBill McKibben on ‘Climate Superfunds’ making Big Oil pay for climate damage The Crucial YearsPreston Mui on returning to 1980s-style productivity growth NoahpinionAndy Boenau on NIMBYs needing unusual bedfellows Urbanism SpeakeasyNed Resnikoff's case ...
Negative yesterday, negative today. Negative all year, according to one departing reader telling me I’ve grown strident and predictable. Fair enough. If it’s any help, every time I go to write about a certain topic that begins with C and ends with arrrrs, I do brace myself and ask: Again? Are ...
Bryce Edwards writes – It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support ...
Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played.“Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I- Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka KotahiThe fact that a ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st CenturyThe SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims StuffSteve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The government’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Chumbawamba have reportedly issued the deputy PM a cease-and-desist notice after he used their song 'Tubthumping' before his state of the nation speech. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
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national said a report on their culture was ready in back in April. At the time they said they would wait until the bullying report about parliament was released, then they would release their own report.
Now that the parliament report on bullying has been released, all of a sudden nationals report on their party culture is not ready……. why is that? Sounds dodgy as to me.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2019/05/22/597817/mixed-messages-from-national-on-culture-review
Maybe it’s being ‘re-calibrated’ as we speak …
Some hurried editing, for sure.
Something like ‘how to turn a white-wash into something that vaguely resembles a damning report that is more credible given the other report that has just been released’.
Edit: which impartial third party has put their name(s) on the National Party report?
Editing probably advisable inasmuch as the party folk who work in parliament participate in the toxic workplace culture reported by the Francis review. Their in-house culture review therefore has a parliamentary interface component, which will be illuminated by yesterday's news.
Plus we heard Mallard telling NatRad this morning that he's under the impression that rape has happened in parliament in recent years. He's encouraging any victims to report to that police, and giving reassurance complainants will be supported in doing so. Sufficiently serious to make the Nats want to check if any of their people are involved, eh? Reasonable to postpone release of their review pending that check…
Gnat report red-acting?
They just have to pencil in a guarantee of anonymity, you know, to safeguard the victims.
I wonder if it's gone the same way that Labour's Youth Camp investigation went. https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2018/08/labour-refuses-to-release-youth-camp-report.html
Not mentioned on any NZ news source that I am aware of, as I said in my official complaint to RNZ, all we ask for is fair and balanced reporting…is that too much to ask for from at least one news source in NZ?, and especially our state broadcaster.
Massive May Day March in Defense of the Bolivarian Revolution.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEIubp9KpCo
Yep RNZ's a wierd scene alright adrian , free to air funded by us and yet run exactly along the lines of a fully commercial station .The only sources it seeks are uk and us based cnn ( which they apparently have playing in the office )and bbc .Odd and out of all perspective also is the number of interviews of americans who seemingly are first choice to consult on almost anything happening arround the world buggered if i know why !!
Well, if you look between the lines… it's an old white boys club. Our news is the world according to old white boys.
Tokenism accepted begrudgingly.
@WeTheBleeple, You are right except is has now turned into more of a white boys and girls club I think…with tokenism accepted begrudgingly.
What we want is Tolkienism so the Hobbits get to be the centre of civilisation!
Yes weston it is a damn shame alright, even our beloved Kim Hill has over time turned into a real reactionary, and I used to so look forward to her political interviews, she was one of NZ's greats, but unfortunately no longer.
Bizarrely one of the few places in MSM media that I know of that offer a critique to a lot of these stories is Tucker Carlson on Fox (and believe me I am no fan of Fox)…what a crazy situation we have ended up in.
Tuckers reasoning as to why he'd block driverless trucks (to protect truck drivers jobs) is something I'm sure all lefties would agree on
Bipartisan anti-robot bias in the media? So what do we call this new syndrome – antiroboticism??
Yeah, he also did a piece in support of Bernie and AOC's bill to bring the credit card industry into line on their interest rates, all very strange, I would never have predicted that Fox would be one of the few place in US main stream media to find a bit (and to be fair it is only a bit) of fairness and balance in reporting, but all the same it says volumes about 'liberal' media today.
You can't trust johnny foreigner and his foreign jibberjabber to give the right facts westie.
I feel that we have a special deal with Voice of America for our news.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_of_America
Weston 3.1: Odd and out of all perspective also is the number of interviews of americans who seemingly are first choice to consult on almost anything happening arround the world buggered if i know why !!
You lay it on the line westie – we have found out why and now know we are buggered!
In the last week Paddy Gower on newshub and Seymour and Wallis on Q&A have all claimed that we have a white supremacist and race problem in NZ which was exposed by the terrorist attack in Chch.
Pardon me, but the attack was carried out by a foreigner attacking New Zealanders. New Zealand was a victim, not the perpetrator.
There is no evidence to support the contention made by Gower, Seymour or Wallis.
Sure, there may be a problem in NZ with white and other supremacies and with racism, but there is no evidence linking those problems to the attacks. Those problems exist in most every country on the planet so the logic isn't there.
We were attacked by a foreigner. We were a victim. NZ was not a party to the attack, as Gower, Seymour and Wallis state.
You're right. A reality check often reveals that folks are being driven by perceptions only. In the aftermath of the massacre I made a few comments to similar effect: we know there's been a skinhead subculture in Chch for yonks, with white supremacist culture seemingly attached. Yet no media report connecting the shooter to it ever showed up – just media reporting a speculative connection.
I also queried the others arrested in the vicinity of the massacre on that day, media-linked to it, yet lack of follow-through by police suggests no link to the shooter. I commented at the time that they may just have been regular viewers of tv crime shows. Media reports of those arrests said they were carrying guns.
Raises the question of what percentage of any random selection of Chch locals carry guns, eh? Hollywood syndrome: gun glamour. Brainwashed followers acting out fantasies produced by the mystique…
he is right insofar that the perpetrator of the crime was a "foreigner' and australian.
but he is not right with white male supremacy. The western/white world actually has a big issue with predominantly white blokes that have an issue with the loss of privilege, the fact that women will not go back to the kitchen and endless pregnancies without a fight, and that people of color will also not go and sit at the back of the bus without a fight.
So the issue is our culture, our white western christian culture is breeding these guys, and thanks to our privilege he moved here without issues, bought guns legally without issues, and then one day decided to kill 50 people.
And he did so out of stated reason, but then, because Ms. Ardern said so we were not allowed an open discussion on these reasons. No we have to not name him, not talk about him and simply pretend it did not happen the way it happend, and now VTO comes along and is trying to whitewash history.
The 50 people got killed because they were brown, of a different religion and are currently the one group of people that every one can demonise with nary a slap one the hand.; Hence why only murder charges when terrorism charges would apply.
Its like some saying we must 'End Iran' cause Iran is doing shit we are actually doing but its easier to blame Iran and besides they are brown and muslim so there. Just much smaller on the scale of things.
Anything to have a crack at white men eh sabine. Grab at those wispy leaves blowing in the wind wont you, try and tie them into something with substance eh, leverage other memes off those weak knots then. You are predictable, tedious, offensive and lack credibility.
Some time ago you demanded I not respond to your posts. How about you do the same with mine.
ummm hey buddy Sabine actually answered your question – how about listening – you may eventually get the answer that agrees with what you already have decided to believe.
Sabine did not answer anything she just dropped a lot of stereo types and revealed her own bias
its not my fault that there are a shit load of white men behaving like utterly depraved people like that white middle class boy from Australia with lots o money from Grandpa who migrated to NZ because he knew that as a white boy its the easiest thing for him to – also did i mention he is from OZ"?, buy a few guns, get some target training in and then rock up on a Friday at a house of prayer and shoot 50 men women children in the back like the fucking coward he is.
so there go whinge some more about how men are hard done by especially the white ones.
your bitterness betrays you
btw, i didn't "whinge about how men are hard done by eespecially the white ones" but the fact you think I did also betrays you and your agenda
In addition this wee white-man-hating gem also betrays you and your agenda "there are a shit load of white men behaving like utterly depraved people ". Delusional.
you wanted me to stay away from you, which is easily done and has been done as you asked. I ask you to stay away from me too. But if you don't then expect your extreme claims to be confronted.
"Anything to have a crack at white men eh sabine"
that is what you said at 9.07am
"btw, i didn't "whinge about how men are hard done by eespecially the white ones" but the fact you think I did also betrays you and your agenda"
and then you said that at 12.59pm? looks like a whinge to me or have you forgotten what you wrote. Bit agenderary by you I fink.
Detail, specifics and accuracy are not your fine points are they marty. That was clearly a whinge at sabine and her white-man-hating ways, not at how white men are hard done by.
good grief, stop with the 'bitterness' bullshit. Seriously the one who is bitter is you.
I simply laid out the fact as they are. Nothing more nothing less.
And yes dear, you whinge a lot.
Sabine, NZ has a problem with all races killing their babies and/or partners. Domestic violence is rife. Weapons are carried by gangs which are of all races. I don't want to state the obvious but I think you need to do a fact check before you make these statements.
It is true that the world we live in was and still is designed by the wealthy upper class, in the majority men but certainly not whites only. But brutality is carried out by those who are fanatically inclined or emotionally disturbed with many shades of one or the other in between. I view it as a complete failure of society,communities and governments to have allowed mentally disturbed people to be "treated" by using the label "community care"which means nothing more than medieval methods of denial of care. It is an abdication of responsibility to leave such vulnerable group to their own devices and too many are becoming victims or perpetrator. Whether or not a deranged person has wealthy parents is irrelevant unless policy of envy is at play.
again, you miss the point.
my post was in response to vto who spoke about the white man who killed 50 brown and white people in their temple.
nothing to do with anything else but that.
And i, as a white person don't feel entitled to speak about the way others live their lifes, or how they choose to break the law. What i know is that a lot of the issues Maori have in NZ is due to the discrimination suffered at the hands of the colonials that came first, then by the subsequent governments who took their language, their rights of passage (moko), their land, and replaced it with white mens clothes and hairdoes, alcohol, poverty, hunger and war fare for that land.
so while i don't disagree with you i also don't see the point in regards to what the original post was about.
And agin, even the wealth of the murderer has little to do other then it enabled him to travel to meet up with white supremacist in europe, get indoctrinated, travel to nz ( i migrated here and thus now what it costs and it is not cheap by any means) find a flat, buy guns, pay a gun club fee and train to shoot 50 predominantly brown people – men women and children – in their temple of worship because as he himself stated, it was the easiest country for him to do so. And one reason it was so easy was because he is a white australian with money and they have no issue migrating here – because we consider australians our neighbors.
And us white people will start to have to look at what is and not what we want there to be. And white supremacism, a fear of 'being replaced', a fear of loss of privilege is there and it is causing a whole lot of trouble and death. We have had no issue demanding all sorts of answers from muslims when they had their young ones commit terrorism, and we should not shy away from asking us the same question. Why does a young, average looking man, healthy, with some wealth go and kill 50 people. People who had no intend on doing any harm to him, who had no intend of replacing him, people who Greeted him "Welcome Brother'.
Maybe we should think about that, rather then find excuses that are rather flimsy. And i stand by that.
You know what those taggers-on were doing on the day of the massacres and the several days following? Was intentionally not reported much methinks..
They were the camo'ed survivalist and other nutters of various shades who came out thinking this was the time. That armageddon was here. Weapons locked and loaded, camo on, out they came. Not white supremacists. The Papanui High couple were out to help the coppers.. We had one with a samurai sword in our suburb.. there were reports of others elsewhere around the country.
The thin veneer of civilisation was peeling back there for a moment for us to get a peek…
It has been explained a few times to you when you asked the same question before. Why not write a letter to Jacinda and see what she says – you might get in the paper again lol
no nothing was 'explained'. and certainly no evidence was provided. the question remains. despite your 'witty' one-liners again lol.
write the letter big boy and put the answer up BEFORE it makes the news – make sure you comb your hair before the TV people arrive lol
you love to make fun of people don't you.
is a poorly trait
I think if you were genuine and sincere in your inquiry you would have, by now, gone out and found the answer to this burning question that troubles you so. But instead you use the question to sow seeds of distrust and doubt.
But why not ask the leaders and get your answer, why not? cos you already know the answer.
too much muddle-headed assumption in there to waste more time
facts and evidence
so hard to keep to facts and evidence
yep insincere – time for your real agenda eh – time for game playing to be over eh, time for fronting up to your REAL issue eh, time for vto to put up eh.
answers
no
no
no
no
answer – bau
[Peace to both of you. Please calm it down – MS]
get off the drugs dickhead
[Peace to both of you. Please calm it down – MS]
Those local white supremacist losers have been talking about killing others for decades, here in NZ. All because the bulk of them lack the conviction to carry through with their evil doesn't mean they aren't here cheering the shit on and trying to recruit loose cannons.
They are all part of global networking now, and as such are (an even bigger) real and present danger to society.
You sir, are either ill informed or dishonest.
The supremacist/extremist issue within wider society was acknowledged wtb, no problem. The problem is linking the attack to NZ – the only evidence being pointed to which could link the attack to NZ society is the extremist element within society and as already pointed out, those local extremists exist in every society – 'white', muslim, african, maori. So the logic is missing. You need something more specific to link it to NZ. Otherwise your evidence links it to every society and not specifically NZ.
The white supremacist's attack against and murdering of innocent people at prayer happened in New Zealand, in fact it happened in your city Christchurch. THAT is your link and your evidence.
here is another if you care to read.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2019/05/revealed-how-white-supremacists-terrorised-new-zealand-for-decades.html
Why is this an issue for you – why not answer that instead of beating around the bush as you like to do – don't be scared – what's your fucken issue son.
"happened in New Zealand"
I thought it was because we have extremists here? That is the point above. You have introduced a new element.
In addition you are ignoring the fact that it was not a New Zealander, it was a foreigner. Was New Zealand fingered when the Rainbow Warrior was blown up and a man killed by foreigners who came here for that purpose?
Your evidence fails.
There is no need to link the NZ attack to NZ, as it occurred in NZ…
I get your point but it is merely semantics and you can do much better than semantics – I've seen it.
Fact is we have a lot of white supremacists here. These are not just the bike clubs and skinheads, but the business class who associate with them, or worse, the secret societies.
I've met a white power enforcer who worked for businessmen in Invercargill. His job was to beat up black people who got uppity with their affairs. It's not worth my life to expose the pricks, that is the Police's job, except, they're probably in the police force too.
I wish it were not so. We've got some absolute dirtbags in this country.
Interestingly, in Christchurch, when my mate tuned up a few National Front members, they hired a Maori hitman to get us. White power – lolz!
I dont consider the point 'semantics' at all – it is fundamental.
NZ society did not do this, despite having elements of the offending group in society.
In the same way NZ society did not sink the Rainbow Warrior, despite having elements of the offending group in society.
If some New Zealanders had dumped a pig's head on the Rainbow Warrior, hurled abuse at the crew and talked about getting Greenpeace boats out of our waters all prior to the event, you can bet they would have been implicated.
Plenty harboured and expressed such ill will towards greenpeace back then, and continue to today. But NZ did not sink the Rainbow Warrior. The point remains.
vto The point is well made. People mutter and utter words of extremes – 'I'll kill you you little bastard' might be shouted by some parent with a lack of controlled language. But it is very unlikely to happen.
Tuhoe apparently used to voice angry threats, and practice martial arts; the police spied and read intention and invaded their village. But they hadn't done anything except use wild launguage and perhaps they were practising stuff they might have learned from being in our Defence Forces,
The USA Forces carry out maneouvres with our Forces, and other countries', on our soil regularly. We haven't been attacked yet, though there may be willingness and intention, but so far no action to point at, except the deaths of a soldier or two.
yes grey, and I believe it is one of the fundamentals to whole of the terror attacks matter.
The matter is too large and significant to let this particular fundamental take on a life of its own (that NZ society is responsible for and led to the terror attack), when there is no evidence for it (as outlined imo above).
I agree 100% vto. It particularly upsets me that the Oz has dumped this on us. However Jacinda has turned it round and used the attention of the world on it to try and make improvements. If it had happened in Australia it would have vanished without a trace? Or would they have been exposed as harbouring some nasty behaviours and been shamed into releasing the Manus Islanders? I hear they are contemplating suicide again after Labour managed to shoot themselves in the foot.
You got to wonder why Shatpant thought he'd get away with it here don't you veety.
He never imagined he would 'get away' with it; he fully anticipated being caught and imprisoned for the rest of his life. The only reason why he switched to a local target was that he belatedly realised they would be easier.
I thought he'd anticipated being killed. Could be wrong but had the impression he failed in his plans when taken alive.
Well either way the notion of 'getting away with it because NZ just loves mass murderers’ seems a tad far fetched.
Since 9/11 I had always thought NZ would make an excellent target for terrorist attack. Reason being that we are perceived as the safest place in the world so if people aren't safe here then they aren't safe anywhere – terrorism aim achieved.
and then it was a white boy that came and killed people en masse and not the advertised threat of brown muslim boy.
And that is the issue here VTO, if it would have been a brown muslim boy we would not stop discussing the religion of 'hate', how they are all out to get us, and such, and finally how to prevent it.
Instead we are told to not discuss it, we are told to not name the men who did it, we are told to not show is ugly mug, we are told to not read/discuss and disect his manifesto, and above all we are told to never discuss why on earth he would choose a. NZ (and white people find it relatively easy to migrate here especially people from OZ – and to be fair NZ'lers get easily into OZ), why he would choose Christchurch (yeah, a town with Ersatz Nazis and wanna be white supremacists) for his attack, rather then say live in South Auckland and try it there.
Fact is that there is a lot of terrorism that comes from white people. And us white people we now need to wonder and ask ourself and i have raised that question often, Why is a white boy, from one of the most desirable places on this planet, from a well to do family so hateful so fearful and so fucked up that he would migrate to a neighboring country ( he could have killed muslims in OZ) got himself plenty o guns and ammuniton, learned how to shoot real good, and then killed 50 people by shooting them in the back.
And that question we have repeatedly refused to ask, in fact we have been told by our PM to never ask to never speak about it. And that is also cowardice.
yes the murderer of children, women and men knelt at prayer thought it through with cunning – a life behind bars is too easy imo
According to Gower's report, people from the Al Noor mosque believe the terrorist had help.
Probably best to wait for a completed investigation too before claiming New Zealand's innocence on this.
Maybe 'NZ' played no part in the 15 March acts of terrorism – maybe Muslims in places of worship in Christchurch are the (murder) victims of a foreign terrorist acting alone, and 'we' (wider NZ and all NZers other than the victims) are simply innocent, albeit naive, bystanders. Unfortunately, there are currently insufficient facts available to decide.
Maybe the terrorist plotted secretly in complete isolation and received no encouragement or assistance from any like-minded NZers. I fervently hope that's true, but agree with maui that it's prudent to at the very least suspend judgement on the complicity of any NZers, and (given the unprecedented seriousness of the events of 15 March) proceed with caution until the Royal Commission of Inquiry has reported.
The naivety of NZ's security and intelligence professionals regarding 'our' vulnerability to white supremacist terrorists was certainly a contributing factor.
This is the thing when you demand that a society does not discuss these things in public. You don't know what is, you leave lots of speculation and as we can see we already have apologists rock on up denying it was one of us, it was a Foreigner. Lol, cause Australians are foreigners. Yeah, right Tui.
The white first dudes of this planet are international, they meet, they greet they go to concerts, they go to readings/discussions etc.
Why do you think Bannon is hanging about in Europe? To sightsee?
The making any discussion of this criminal act essentially 'verboten' was so far – in my eyes – the single dumbest thing Labour and Ms. Ardern as PM could have done and they have done a few dumb things since they came to power.
But by essentially pretending it did not happen here, and this is not 'us' and such, they laid the groundwork for future deniers and also they laid the ground – most likely unwittingly (at least i hope this is the case) for it to happen again, cause we ain't learning and we still don't know – the public – with what we are dealing here.
But then we can't upset dear white people.
Disclaimer, i am a white person.
@ vto.
Your comment @ 4 and Paddy Gower's claim "a white supremacist and race problem in NZ has been exposed by the Chch attack"…
I don't think he was suggesting a direct link with the perpetrator. Rather he is highlighting the fact that white supremacists and racists have been present in NZ for decades which is true because I knew a group of them.
They didn't roam the streets in leather jackets and boots waving swastika flags. Nor did they call themselves anything. It was back in the 1970s (and part of the 1980s) before social media was a thing and cell phones hadn't been invented. What they did do (among other things ) was roam around disrupting political gatherings and hoaxing individuals. Some of those hoaxes targeted persons of Catholic or Jewish persuasion and in the case of two of them… went on to have serious consequences for the targets and the political party they represented. That is, the Labour Party.
As a group they hated Maoris, they hated Jews and some of them hated Catholics. They hated Greenpeace and similar groups and they hated unions with a passion – at least in the case of two of them. If they were still around as a group today they would hate Muslims too. I see them now as the fore-runners to the alt right, white supremacists that exist throughout NZ today.
And here's the crunch: they were members of the Labour Party!
Yes, understand and appreciate all of that Anne and have seen them for years too. That is all explained in the points above re extremists like them in every society and how it interacts, or doesn't, with the terror attacks.
I have been a guest at 3 Lions Club meetings in the last decade.
Granted they were small town clubs but the national anthem was only sung in English.
Felt and feels jarring.
I don't know if other clubs have different anthem 'policies'.
Who is Wallis? Is that a surname? I hope it isn't Wallace Chapman.
Louisa Wall, sorry Wall, not Wallis
Thanks – that fits with past behaviour of Wall and Wallace.
Aussie oi !
Want to know why the Aussie election went that way? It had nothing to do with Labour, or Liberals or any other party or any of their campaigns. It had nothing to do with the leaders and their charisma or lack of. It had nothing to do with the economy or the local factory or anything else.
The Aussie election went that way because western voters are now voting in preparation for conflict. And conservatives are where that voting goes.
That's it.
And the Christchurch terror attacks, perversely, would have pushed this along.
edit: this phenomenon has consequences for us in our elections next year…
Then there is this interesting analysis:
https://www.news.com.au/national/federal-election/raw-voting-figures-reveal-the-real-losers-in-saturdays-shock-election/news-story/8401c6ad677fae3ca6af0bd9a6ce161d
At the same time I’m not against the point your making; there is a real disquiet and the possibility conflict does tilt people towards being cautious.
A couple of things pointed to the point.
Firstly, the polls indicated a Labour win, but that didn't eventuate. In other words, people were thinking left, but when push comes to shove and people have been put in fear, then they will vote along different lines – those of self-preservation. And there is plenty to put the people in fear – boat people, Trump NK and Iran etc, Chch.
Secondly, it is going on worldwide and has been for a few years now – brexit, trump, various euro elections, even the Ukraine comedian. It is a rising phenomenon.
But yes Red, the point made in your link above is also relevant. Next year's election here will be very interesting – maybe NZ is the last western holdout against the rising tide of conservatism and conflict.
When's the wedding?
True. I've repeatedly made the point that Australia electorate is not all that politically different to NZ, but their electoral system is. And this more than anything else has driven the result.
Interesting statistics Red.
It was like that here, but it's the same or even worse, in the US, and the UK. Rural seats tend to be heavily favoured for conservative voters, and the "ruling class", whereas urban seats, with far greater numbers, get much less say in the electoral booth. It's not one person, one vote in such systems. The power of a vote in California, for instance, is only about 1/84 that of a vote in Wyoming.
Exactly. I guess what irks me more than a little is the rampant kiwi conceit that our Australian cousins are all six fingered redneck boofheads. No doubt some are, and there is a modest surplus of them in Queensland, but for the most part they're very much like us.
It's the quirks of their electoral system that make them look more conservative.
Aussies are mostly awesome, be prepared for mud slinging, fire it straight back. 😀
I now have a modest repertoire of sheep jokes for pre-emptive strikes; although sadly they seem to have gone out of fashion in recent times.
RL That points to an unsatisfactory Oz electoral system. A bit like the FPP that we changed to get a better measure of public sentiment.
Well Labour is cautious to the point of cowardice so they should be fine.
And still no mainstream coverage of the document leaked by OPCW staff to the group of UK academics who comprise The Syria Working Group
https://consortiumnews.com/2019/05/17/confirmed-chemical-weapons-assessment-contradicting-official-syria-narrative-is-authentic/
The OPCW in its final report refers to "experts" unnamed, rather than its own Fact Finding Team who visited the site
Newsworthy ,I would have thought.
The 15 page document is very thorough, and explores different scenarios, eventually concluding that the only plausible scenario was that the cylinders were manually placed rather than dropped by air
Could Putin and Assad have maliciously brain washed this senior, vastly experienced OPCW investigator?
Read the report yourself , it addresses elements of the Bellingcat findings (incidentally, unlike the OPCW engineering report,Bellingcat operatives did not visit the site. As always their investigation was conducted in front of a computer screen)
Yeah, but you would think that because you rate Consortium News above Bellingcat. Bellingcat have earned a reputation for finding out the truth by image analysis, Consortium News are just another Kremlin mirror site.
OK Stuart
Consortium news is out for you despite being founded and run until recently by an acclaimed US journalist , Robert Parry
Wikipedia ok for you ?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Parry_(journalist)
Perhaps this source won't trigger you , it gets down to the nitty gritty.
https://opensociet.org/2019/05/19/truth-vanishes-beneath-a-cloud-of-poison-gas/
Have you read some of the columns allegedly written by Parry? They are not consistent with a PhD qualified native English speaking journalist. As of several years ago this site abandoned all pretense of journalistic integrity and became a purveyor of wildebeests of dubious provenance – your preferred kind of gnus.
Did you read the engineering assessment report by the OPCW ?
The conclusions (under multiple hypothesis analysis) suggest strongly the containers did not arrive from the air.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ayBv-nEOMTtIc-QOvejQBdCnZQXTuJ5z/view
Yet the conclusions are not robust. The report asserts that the gas cylinders were "more likely to have been placed than to have arrived by air". Ok – but open and shut, which would have required a stronger statement "could not have/were unlikely to have/did not arrive by air".
Nor, despite the use of OPCW forms, did this form the official report. These were minority views that were ultimately excluded.
Consortium News has recent form as a largely unreliable bunch of repeaters of proPutin bullshit. Bellingcat is open source – if moved to do so you can check their images and conclusions for yourself.
Its a probability analysis, it was not a binary problem.
It was an unpublished dissenting opinion.
It may have been left out for good reason – lacking factual backing for instance. No surprise that a pack of Putin boosters like Consortium would dig it up and circulate it though – most "Independent News Sources" don't have agents in the OPCW however, and the question arises as to how an outfit as threadbare as Consortium manages to fund them.
Seems you haven't read the links
OPCW staff leaked the report to The Syria Working Group, a group of UK academics who I predict you will say are deep in Putin and Assad's pocket
From there any media organisation was free to pick it up
Our very own Scoop did
Look I know you'll do absolutely anything to push Putin's lines. Why not cite Fancy Bear as evidence? They've attacked Bellingcat unsuccessfully too.
Strive to be evenhanded enough not to be dismissed for bias.
"Speaker of the House Trevor Mallard says it's his impression from the report on bullying at Parliament that people have been raped there, and he is urging the victims to go to police or support agencies." https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/389766/parliament-bullying-mallard-urges-rape-victims-to-seek-support
"He said his reading of the report was that the offences were all committed by one person, and said he did not know who that person was. He admitted that having them tell their story over and over again was a problem with the court system, "which I know people are looking at, at the moment". "I'm not aware whether they're MPs or staff. Reading the report carefully I get the sense that the man is still on the premises … I don't know who it is, if I knew who it is I would tell the police.""
JLR triggered this, so many will assume he's the one. Ain't necessarily so. Lack of official rape complaints can be explained by perception that they are a bad career move, I guess. Confidentiality of the review process means crimes get disclosed, and all participants remain anonymous. Nonetheless, Mallard deserves credit for taking responsibility for his past parliamentary violence & trying to do what's right for current victims…
You are crossing a line there imo – YOU may think that and I've never yet heard another person say it – own your shit dennis and it is shit – dirty and smelly.
Not sure what your problem is this time. If it's that you think I believe JLR is a rapist, you're dead wrong. He doesn't seem that kind of person. However, recalling what one of the women he had an affair with told the media last year, it's understandable some would jump to that conclusion.
So Marty, the shit is all in your mind! Wouldn't it be better to clean it out and dispose of it?? Projecting it onto others seems a waste of time and energy, eh?
it is not understandable at all – your mind thought that up – own it.
There's absolutely no way any of us can own the comment made by that woman last year. Only she can do that. The impression formed in the minds of the readers of her comment is also theirs alone. Nothing to do with me whatsoever!!
think on this
You – i turned off game of thrones at the start – too full of american accents and isms.
BM – there was only 1 american actor in the first series
You – oh really? anyway, and so on
You've got opinions not based on reality and it behooves you not to extrapolate or tenuous connect too far because often you do so with little knowledge as you did with the tiny example I have given.
Reminding me that I'm just as human as everyone else isn't actually necessary, incredible though it may seem. My comment was about likely perceptions created in the minds of many, as the result of political developments. You tried to warp the thread into something about me, instead. Better to keep to the topic!
in case i'm wrong please put one link of anyone else saying what you said and implied – just one example of someone else and these 'likely perceptions in the minds of many' please.
Why? You believe other commentators on the Standard ought to do research for you? Why? Seems rather irrational. Isn't it obvious that we all have different values and priorities? Human nature!
Yep – didn’t think I was wrong on this one. Thanks for the confirmation dennis.
He doesn't seem that kind of person.
Can anyone help with advice on removing the coffee sprayed on my laptop?
Pray tell, DF, what does a rapist look/sound like? Because if we knew, we wouldn't have to suspect all of you.
Come on Rosemary, is there really any point in posing as simple-minded? You know that none of those women would have had affairs with him if they thought he was a rapist, don't you? Would any woman choose to have affair with someone they thought could be a rapist? Obviously they also believed "He doesn't seem that kind of person.
You are once again prattling on about things you know nothing about.
Did you know abused partners go back to an abusive spouse on average SEVEN TIMES before leaving for good.
"Would any woman choose to have affair with someone they thought could be a rapist?"
You are so ignorant it's incomprehensible you think you know stuff about this. Have something valid to contribute or just give it a rest for all the victims sake.
I struggled mightily not to hit you with strings of invective.
But STFU!
Your opinion about what you think I may or may not know is totally irrelevant to the political issues raised by the controversy. No, it is not all about me!! Why is that so hard for you to understand??
"Those women" aren't mind readers, and so might not have been able to determine ahead of time whether or not they were choosing to have an affair with a rapist.
Even some rapists might not be aware they would rape prior to first offense. 'Reckons' and 'seems' aren’t always on the money – it's not Rosemary who's being simple-minded.
So you're agreeing with me: people form impressions about the character of others, and identifying the rapist in parliament isn't a simple matter. Cool.
So you're confirming how poor your comprehension is? Cool.
Oh, you intended a different meaning?? Perhaps delineating it explicitly could work better. Elliptical obfuscation only gets us so far…
I agree with your contention that it's unlikely any of those women would have had entered into an affair with someone they thought could be a rapist.
Perhaps the nub of our disagreement is that you seem to believe that those women (and presumably, by extension, all women) can reliably identify a (potential) rapist prior to engaging in an affair (or whatever.) Now I don’t want to put words in your mouth, but wouldn’t that mean you think rape is the woman's fault, because she ignores the signals from her infallible ‘rapist radar‘, choosing to pursue the affair regardless!
If you believe something different then perhaps you should consider taking a course in Plain English! "Elliptical obfuscation" !! Praxis Dennis, praxis.
You're kidding! Why would anyone feel responsible for whatever impression someone else got?? Of course I don't have such unrealistic expectations of women! I have no idea why you hallucinated such a wacky notion…
Hi Dennis. Now I'm genuinely puzzled. English is my first language, but from your subsequent comments I am obviously misunderstanding the thrust of your comment @7.1.1.2.1.
So it’s simply a matter of belief? You 'believe' that JLR isn't a rapist, and the evidence you cite in support of your belief is that it matches your view of the apparent belief of his multiple sexual partners (the ones we know about)? Is this really the sole basis of your belief?
Seems flimsy, but I bow to you superior reasoning and logic.
@DMK
'Would you enter into a business partnership with a person who you thought was a fraudster?'
I somehow doubt you have any trouble parsing this sentence.
No, I would never claim "superior reasoning and logic". I don't recall claiming superiority ever, to be honest. And I too am puzzled. Beliefs about other people form in one's mind as the result of impressions they make. Doesn't everyone know that? Hardly contraversial, really! Reasoning doesn't even come into it. Just common knowledge about human nature.
I've never entered into a business partnership, but my (uninformed) answer to your hypothetical question is no. My answer might be representative, but I sincerely doubt it is universal.
P.S. Did I just believe/feel my potential business partner was a fraudster, or were my thoughts based on objective evidence? That would matter to me. If possible, I would prefer to have some objective evidence to support my thoughts/reckons/feels, but in the absence of such evidence I’d have no option but to follow DF’s lead and ‘go with my gut!
https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/30-01-2019/what-does-a-rapist-look-like/
@ Sabine
In your view what percentage men are rapists?
a very small one actually. Maybe 5 – 10 % are rapists. I would also venture that rapists are repeat offender.
And because we don't actually treat rape as the crime that it is, and we still put the blame on women and girls and lets not even go to the fact that men have their own issues – re toxic masculinity – in reporting this crime, the fact that the police is only sometimes happy enough to actually do its job – often times only when the victim is so bad that they can't really not do anything these rapists get away and do it again and again and again.
But, and this is important RL, us women we don't know who is going to rape us. When i went to bed that night as a preteen – sharing the room with my 6 year old sister – i did not know that my stepfather would come and rape me that night. And frankly i am sure that i was not the only one, but just one of many.
and that is the issue. We don't know who is going to rape us. We don't know who is going to sexually assault us. We don't know until they do.
so to me know it is simple. So as long as i don't know the bloke, i am not going to accept drinks, not going to drive in his car, not going without a weapon of sorts alone in a carpark, tell my friends where i go, with whom, and i as billions of other women do have a whole scenario that i follow so as to not get raped, assaulted, mugged, killed.
but maybe you want to read this, and then you might want to answer me my question, what did you think i will tell you, and what do believe?
https://metro.co.uk/2019/05/13/pastor-raped-daughter-14-gets-light-prison-sentence-man-god-9515582/
she is just lucky he did not impregnate.
Rosemary About coffee on your laptop, not sure. But I dropped quite a bit on my keyboard once. Turned it upside down over a towel and let it drip out then dried off, using a cottonbud for awkward places, and it was fine. It liked the blend. Hope this is helpful.
DF Better not have referred to JLR at all don't you think. Gathering in possible suspects on innuendo is not what I thought a practical man with principles would do.
I've made the point about the relevance of political psychology many times: these situations emphasise how relevant it is! Some commenters here try to shoot the messenger, but who cares?? Mass psychology drives public perceptions of political events, regardless how many commenters try to be puerile.
Utter gobshite of a man.
If it's a conclusion that many people would make by themselves, your connection between the report and a specific individual would be redundant.
For those people who hadn't made that (extremely unreliable) association, you have now made it for them.
I'm not seeing a good side to that aspect of your comment.
You think reminding people of the political context of Mallard's impression isn't good?? Would you like to explain why you believe historical context is bad to include in political discussion? Or do you believe JLR's affairs didn't trigger the review. Or both??
That's the bit to which I can't see any good side, but it's also the only bit that adds any information. "reminding people of the political context" is just you being patronising.
You could just have easily said "JLR triggered this, so perhaps some good has come out of that entire tawdry series of events: exposing the toxic culture of parliament".
edit: Stuff reports it was a staffer anyway. Thanks for your concern.
Glad it wasn't him. No, my concern for him doesn't need thanks, & I ain't nobody's patron.
DF has that unremitting unrepentant side. Being a rational man, everything he says is rational, it just follows.
British aristocrat resorts to centrism: "Lord Heseltine made clear he would resist any attempt to force him out of the party over his stance on the election on 23 May." https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/european-elections-michael-heseltine-brexit-lib-dems-conservatives-a8920376.html
"Tory grandee Michael Heseltine has said he will not be supporting the Conservatives in the European election, and will instead vote Liberal Democrat. The former deputy prime minister and lifelong pro-European said the party has become “infected by the virus of extremism” and he cannot endorse its support for leaving the EU."
"In an article for The Sunday Times, he said: “The reason for my experiment with the Lib Dems is, of course, the government’s position on Brexit. I cannot, with a clear conscience, vote for my party when it is myopically focused on forcing through the biggest act of economic self-harm ever undertaken by a democratic government.” His call for the Tories to reclaim the political centre ground was echoed by former prime minister Sir John Major."
I think the study of history generally and that of politics should include the cycles that occur where countries and large groups go into a spasm of self-harming behaviour. Is it a default position to go for some apparently pure and uncompromising method when times get hard and a certain level of anxiety is reached? Many countries or large social entities are definitely suffering from 'spasms' at present.
Speaking of those self identified Christians and regarding abortion laws Chris Hedges has
a reasoned piece;
"Ignore the religious rhetoric and moral posturing about abortion. This debate is not about the sanctity of life. It is about corporate capitalists who desperately need more bodies and intend to coerce women to produce them"
https://www.truthdig.com/articles/americas-reproductive-slaves/
coercion – /kəʊˈəːʃ(ə)n/ noun
well that is a polite term to say – criminalise an act and remove it to the point were the only way to have an abortion is a self induced one.
but yes he is right.
With regards to this report on bullying at parliament this from RNZ
"Now it has been laid bare in the report by independent reviewer Debbie Francis but still the elected representatives guilty of grossly abusing their positions remain anonymous and will likely never be publicly identified."
We have a right to know who these individual MPs are after all they are responsible for their behaviour as elected and appointed individuals.
This is a cop out !
Oh come on mosa. Just getting the information was important to build the picture, and complainants and informants were promised that it would be kept private. We do know it goes on. We cannot afford to go into a 'spasm' of blame and punishment over past practice when our attention needs to be on CC and international machinations. And it has happened, so our lagging attention to the future mustn't be dragged away again from facing forward.
So no it is not a cop out, that's just ignoring facts:
greywarshark sensitivities aside what i am arguing is that if these MPs remain hidden then how can the public and those wanting a career in parliament have any confidence that the house of representatives is dealing with the culprits and that people will take responsibility for their actions.
When you choose to serve the public and be paid by them how you conduct yourself is important and should be transparent.
This from No right turn.
The report of course refuses to name those MPs, meaning that the independent reviewer is effectively part of this conspiracy of silence as well. Which is not acceptable. Naming names is the first step towards accountability, and that needs to happen if anything is to change.
http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2019/05/a-toxic-workplace.html
It's a difficult one. People who err so arrogantly should be brought to account. They are getting away with nasty stuff.
But then there has been a pact of privacy. We know that stats say that much sexual misbehaviour and crime is not reported so can't be taken further and justice meted. So BAU if nothing is done from this report.
And one lack of justice does not excuse another lack of justice and respect – to those who came forward. The Witchhunter Generals' opinions that purity and sanctimony will prevail if the victims are burned along with their perpetrators will, I am absolutely sure, not be agreed with by those most affected who will feel persecuted.
Sometimes there is no easy answer to achieving probity. Back off WG's and pour cold water on your hot breaths of retribution; put your simplistic interference to one side to avoid adding further trauma to this unhappy revelation.
@greywarshark.
I've just had to drop EVERYTHING! Jesse had a bad experience in the RNZ lift.
(I'm thinking of the children of course – what IF the worst had happened? And fresh from going over some handlebars)
I really don't think I could cope
Huh. He should try commenting on TS. I've had and seen some bad experiences. What a wimp.
A new peril on high street.
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/rnz/new-christchurch-building-has-serious-flaws-engineers
The leaked report – from engineering firm Beca to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment – said the narrow, glass-fronted block at 230 High Street has:
The report also said calculations underestimated the earthquake loading by 25%.
Time for some selective logging with council.
The Korean engineer assures us it is quite okay. And I am sure that his credentials are also as we have good standards in NZ and good surveillance of those standards.
This am on Radionz there was a report on the use of a computer check on social welfare call centre responses. This check was designed by a person at AUT. I am wary of computer paradigms being the deciding factor of people's entitlements. But the check on the program would help to establish if there had been racial bias I think. So it was helpful to run calls past it to see how it registered. They looked at calls that had been passed on for action and calls that were recorded and not actioned, to see if this resulted in further calls indicating real need for action.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018696159/can-a-computer-model-accurately-identify-kids-at-risk-of-abuse
Kathryn speaks with Stanford University Associate Professor of Medicine, Jeremy Goldhaber-Fiebert, who has evaluated the effectiveness of a predictive risk assessment tool developed by a New Zealand researcher and implemented for two years in the United States. The Ministry of Social development originally commissioned Professor Rhema Vaithianathan, Co-Director of the Centre for Social Data Analytics at AUT to develop the model. It uses data about children and their families to identify those at risk of physical, sexual or emotional abuse before the age of two. MSD stopped short of implementing the tool, but Allegheny County in Pittsburg, Pensylvania began using it in 2016, and commissioned Stanford University researchers to evaluate it.
Oranga Tamariki dispensed with this a year or so ago. I am concerned that we don't instead get into sanctimonious, pious territory of 'We know best' and judgmental rather than compassionate, appropriate support responses.
The rise of RW conservative women with an opinion of themselves as model cultural templates is noticeable, finding platforms such as anti-abortion and anything that is a change in societal norms. They adopt towards the precariat and women considered below their societal level, attitudes of derision, or patronising and officious power.
Their success in the anti-abortion measures in eight states of the USA will whet their appetite to fight here. The large response against the attempt to introduce a very mild euthanasia bill is an example of their reach and influence. A backgrounder on the citizen consultation held throughout NZ says that the 9 minute time allowed for oral submissions was applied for by thousands who often merely stated their disagreement. Nick Smith and Maggie Barry facilitated this process, though Ms Barry was accused of adopting a disrespectful tone to some.
The conservative religious, such as the conservative Catholic and conservative Pasifika congregations combined will be a force against rights that women hold dear. Choosing overseas people for appointments over NZs, may increase the type of conservative, neo-liberal official or CEO. We have Irish conservative Catholic Mrs Moss at Oranga Tamiriki for which a local person could easily have been found. We also have Dr Mary English who is conservative Catholic and has Pasifika roots, building relationships in health and welfare for Pasifika people. These are people in key roles. When the National Party stopped funding the suicide health line and gave the contract to Dr English's organisation, *The Daily Blog cried favouritism and nepotism for Bill English's wife. Many community organisations working at the coalface of welfare, with much experience have felt the cold winds of funding neglect. We need to watch where the funding goes, and that it is fairly distributed to those who do much with little, without much patronage.
*https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2017/08/02/hold-on-national-cut-suicide-helpline-to-give-contract-to-bill-englishs-wife/
Kia ora The Am Show.
Students strike today kia kaha it agree make it 0 carbon by 2040 moving the goal ahead by 10 years .
Banning sugary or big taxes is a know brainer it should have been implemented years ago the bad facts are all there to see WTF.
The big hole in the government balance sheat was created by joyce
Amanda that is a powerful tawhirimate in America tossing cars around like toys don global warming its staring you in the FACE.
Duncan Its good to see that you get it with the police chasers the people who are being chased are out of control.
The parents of these tamariki being chased could be working 2 jobs to survive with the low wages and high living cost take the glasses off Mark.
Geffory Rush I quite like the characters he has played its good to see him get JUSTICE.?????????????????????????????.
If the policys look like a Christian party it a Christian party why don't they run a Wahine up and lift Maori Wahine all Wahine mana up. Its good you want good changes. But I am protecting the left from the cheating rednecks who will strip the common persons wealth and give our powercompanys to the wealthy. I know who is pushing this I can see the consequences of your actions. I agree the housing situation is bad thanks to national this phenomenon has swept the western world I wonder why House less tangata. If this movement was logical and not emotional you would target the drugs that actually cause harm even target sugar.???????????
There you go judy a pauleen hanson you're views are very similar hence your toilet won't float in Aotearoa maybe you should go to Australia.
Don't compare Aotearoa to Venuzla it a total tug of war between the east and west that is tearing apart that country .
I'm still suspicious of your polls
Ka kite ano
We should commit to reducing our carbon footprint as fast as possible.
Its the correct thing to do it is what humans have done for millions of years providing a better future for our tamariki.
What is happening now is not human or humane money is the root of these inhuman traits to rise to the top of humanity's way of doing things.
Some are totally focused on today and not on our mokopuna tomorrow's our futures well being the neanderthal are blinded by money they use this money to blind the common people of the world to believe there lies that are all about protecting the oil barons wealth and POWER.
Why you should take action on climate change
mpact on the environment because I want a future I can look forward to. And at the rate we're going, I know my hope is unrealistic, to say the least.
One million species are threatened with extinction. Make that one million and one – the human race should be on there. We are already seeing the direct consequences of climate change on real people as natural disasters are exacerbated by heat rise and people are made to flee their homes due to the damage done by these catastrophes. It's no secret that climate change is already showing its claws to the human race.
We are lucky, however, that we are so privileged to have the opportunity to stop it. We are the people who, in the future, will either be venerated for making the changes necessary to stop the full effects of climate change on the human race, or despised for ignoring the warning signs Ka kite ano links below
https://i.stuff.co.nz/environment/climate-news/112939231/why-you-should-take-action-on-climate-change
https://youtu.be/EAmmUIEsN9A
Some Eco Maori music for the minute.
https://youtu.be/FM7MFYoylVs
Humans causing shrinking of nature as larger animals die off
Average size of wild animals predicted to fall by a quarter in 100 years through extinctions
The researchers estimate that more than 1,000 larger species of mammals and birds will go extinct in the next century, from rhinos to eagles. They say this could lead to the collapse of ecosystems that humans rely on for food and clean water.
Humans have wiped out most large creatures from all inhabited continents apart from Africa over the last 125,000 years. This annihilation will accelerate rapidly in the coming years, according to the research.
The future extinctions can be avoided if radical action is taken to protect wildlife and restore habitats, and the scientists say the new work can help focus efforts on key species.
Animal populations have fallen by 60%since 1970, suggesting a sixth mass extinction of life on Earth is under way caused by the razing of wild areas, hunting and intensive farming. Scientists said this month that human society was in danger from the decline of the Earth’s natural life-support systems, with half of natural ecosystems now destroyed and a total of a million species at risk of extinction Ka kite ano links below
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/may/23/humans-causing-shrinking-of-nature-as-larger-animals-die-off
https://youtu.be/IejpU9fpX5s
Some Eco Maori music for the minute.
https://youtu.be/a8oRqXKYXvs
It is cool that the environmentalist are being given honors and recognize for their hard work.
Environmental heroes: the environmental awards
On May 1, Princess Anne, patron of the Whitley Fund for Nature, presented the fund’s awards recognising community-based conservation projects
Ka kite ano links below. P.S I know one who deserves recognition.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2019/may/21/environmental-heroes-the-2019-whitley-award-winners
https://youtu.be/MyKp-RsGhZY
Kia ora Newshub
Kia kaha to the Students Strikes to much you give Eco Maori a sore face with the numbers that turn out today.
I say its good to make the banks hold more money in reserve for a 1 in 200 year financial crash the markets are all over the place .
Lloyd it doesn't look good for may .and it looks like the right necks have hacked the system again while the right and left were fighting.
It's a warm start to winter this year we have not even needed to light a fire yet that's usually for Vags
Mike I seen that Geffory Rush getting his JUSTICE he is a good actor.
I see the don through his toys out of his cot .
Ka kite ano
Kia ora te ao Maori news
Thanks to Nanaia and the Provenance growth fund giving 50 million over 5 years to assist Maori farmer whanau in the development of there whenua in te taiwhiti.
Pee is a shocking poison its just as bad in te taiwhiti it is making a mess of te tangata
I think is a awesome idea to combine studying papatuanuku and getting the Kaumatua knowledge on the subjects
The Pacific music awards were on last night was very good Eco Maori loves his music ka kite ano