I like the look of the new Labour leadership team. I don't think it will do them any harm. Whether it will win the election for them is another matter. I think the biggest problem is that it looks like we are heading into tough economic times which is not good for any incumbent government.
It looks like Hipkins is intending to move back to the centre, and appears to be dropping some of the woke stuff, which is probably a good strategy to win back some of the centre vote. This is probably good for the Greens as well because Labour voters unhappy with that shift will likely move further left to the Greens.
It looks like some of the contentious stuff will be dropped prior to the election. The strategy of dropping unpopular, contentious policy prior to the election is probably necessary. However, the problem is that National will probably argue that the unpopular stuff has just been postponed, not dropped. And the best way to stop the unpopular stuff rearing its ugly head again will be to vote National in.
Interesting times. As I said, I think the change is net positive for Labour. Whether it will be enough to win is another matter.
I saw it commented on the news that he used the word "New Zealand" exclusively in his interview rather than "Aotearoa" for what it is worth. I think the thought was it indicated he was going to step away from some of the co-governance stuff that has been a bone of contention for many for instance.
I actually heard our prime minister on Newstalk ZB this morning on the Mike Hosking show (although Hosking is still away). Now that hasn't happened for a while.
He communicates and comes across well, and can answer the questions.
Perhaps if he decides to can the TVNZ / RNZ merger, and stops 3/5 waters there is a very real chance of a Labour led government after October 2023.
Rest assured, on behalf of his masters Mi Cockskin will be gunning for PM Hipkins!
More centrism from Labour is the last thing the working class of this country need, but the argument about winning back certain voters is clear enough. Plus it will give Greens and Te Pāti Māori some good negotiating strength if there is an opportunity for a Labour led Govt.
So many things predispose me not to like Chris Hipkins, but he and Ardern have formed the ski jump right over the top of National's weekend, so good start.
Looking forward to the Cabinet reshuffle and work programme reprioritisation.
I want to see the new Prime Minister put a lot more pressure on Robertson to show he really is part of the election win plan through Budget, not just Budget Business As Usual.
Yes I'd like your definition of woke. It is used and abused so much that plain speaking and less jargon would be useful.
Actually my preference would be that you don't use the word 'woke'.
I am finding it has more and more of a 'rightie' flavour and people are using it as a cipher so they don't have to admit to sexist, anti democratic or racist views
I believe "woke" or "identity politics" is the idea perpetuated by upper middle class to rich liberals that gender, sexuality, race is more important than class and poverty.
Woke politics in my experience is corporate friendly activism that places the individual above the community. My gender, my sexuality, my identity. Me me me.
Woke activists care less about policies and more about "representation" and "diversity" of the people saying the policies.
Woke activists often reject the idea of class and often truly believe a millionaire of colour lives a less privileged life than a white person on dole.
When confronted by the fact that there are more poor white people in NZ than poor people of colour and that we should create universal programs to lift everyone out of poverty woke activists resort to name calling, denialism, what aboutisms and suggest "targeted programs".
Woke in my honest opinion is neo-neoliberalism, sounds nice but ultimately it's corporate friendly, individualism using left wing talking points to alienate groups from uniting based on class and shared circumstances and fighting amongst each other based off race, gender and sexuality.
There are elements of it that are surely noble, but there are elements of it such as putting people in boxes and ignoring class issues that as a gay mixed race person who grew up poor I find disgraceful.
The left wants everyone to have a great life and succeed regardless of what ethnicity, gender or sexuality you are where as the woke want you to succeed because of your race gender or sexuality.
When you're focusing on you and your identity and how different you are every day you're not focusing on other people.
Class is and still is the best unifying factor the left has going for it. The 90% vs the 1% and it's 9% enablers.
Corey, I totally agree with what you have written.
I have long been of the view that 'woke' is a rightist construct just as 'PC' was a rightist/male construct.
I will have a deeper & slower read and may comment further though most times with your posts my conclusion is 'I wish I could have written something just as good.'
The left wants everyone to have a great life and succeed regardless of what ethnicity, gender or sexuality you are where as the woke want you to succeed because of your race gender or sexuality.
This is powerful and lines up with the link that MB had about leftists being more empathetic
Well said, so basically as Bryce Edwards has said "Less Grey Lynn- more Kelston". That, and pleeeease stop burning the DoC huts. Just last week a woman with a badly injured leg was found by rescuers.. sheltering in a DoC Urewera hut.
I think a problem for Labour is that they could lose some of the idiot vote, judging by the stupid woman I saw making a comment on the news last night.
She said that she was probably going to go back to voting National now Jacinda was gone. So, the whole reason for her voting decision appeared to be a personality she liked regardless of the policy mix of the party she was voting for.
I think a problem for Labour is that they could lose some of the idiot vote, judging by the stupid woman I saw making a comment on the news last night.
What a mixed comment. Does passive aggressive cover it ? Im really wondering how to respond : (
I really have little time for people whose sole decision is voting is on the basis of one person they like, regardless of what the policies of that party are. The reason I see them as stupid is because they appear to be led totally by their feels rather than their brain.
I'd say it was more that he coat-tailed on the Covid response. It was not some irrational 'love Jacinda' thing.
Labour has, sadly, a number of others that came in in similar fashion, who may not have proven their value to the public at large.
Some of the more divisive policies fall somewhat short of either a respectable level of public support, or a clear overriding public interest justification. These should have been identified in the drafting stage, not as they come into force.
OK – I'll back away from the 'entirely' – and agree that the Covid response was also a big factor (although, difficult to separate Ardern from the Covid-response leadership)
But all of the analysis supports the view that personal support for Ardern was a very significant factor in 2020
"The popularity of Jacinda Ardern – and the lack of popularity of Judith Collins – is also highly likely to have contributed to Labour’s success. Of our NZES respondents, 65% said they most wanted Ardern to be prime minister on election day, compared to only 17% supporting Collins (no one else received over 2% support). "
Personally I always vote for the party and the electorate candidate separately. The party vote is what gives you the government. The electorate vote just gives you an MP. Nice when you have a electorate MP that is worth voting for.
But when the local candidate doesn't fit, then I vote for someone else. When it was FPP, I'd hold my nose. But MMP means that I have a choice.
David Shearer for instance. I voted for someone else during the candidate selection as a Mt Albert member mostly because his views felt like they were from a by-gone era. Liked him as a person. He felt like he would have worked better as a politician in the 1990s.
The by-election was interesting. I wasn’t able to vote because Newton was in Auckland Central. But the campaign…. That was like going back a decade in the techniques being used. That was understandable for a by-election. But the 2011 election was the same, less of a MMP campaign in the electorate and more of a FPP campaign to get out the the party faithful. A local MMP election needs to target swing voters and concentrates on party vote.
Some time in 2012, I'd come to the conclusion that I wasn't happy with hims ideas. They'd represent some conservative like Josie Pagani far more than me or the people of Mt Albert. It was also why I didn't vote for Richard Prebble when he was still with Labour and I was voting in Auckland Central. That was when I started working across the border in Mt Albert.
I pretty well dropped out of the Mt Albert LEC in 2012. A vote by walking. It wasn't the sole reason. I'd been running out of time anyway from projects at work and other things I was doing – like this site.
I voted for Labour in 2014. Ironically I was actually in the Mt Albert election in 2014 for the first time for a decade. I seem to remember that I didn't vote for David Shearer. I just couldn't do it at the polling booth. So old school and so damn wasteful because he kept running FPP campaigns. Not to mention ill-considered conservative policies that looked for niche electorate votes and didn't represent Labour members across the whole country.
It was exactly the reason that other old school campaigners (Jim Anderton and the Biege wonder come to mind) won regularly won silo electorates but lost party votes because they simply weren't chasing the important vote. NZF managed to recover from the same trap
In the aftermath of the 2014 election I wrote "Labour obviously never worked out MMP" because I was really getting pissed off. It will be a pain if the electorate candidates do a 2014 election strategy this year.
I'm still a member in Mt Albert and I'm still in the bounds of the Mt Alert electorate (just – one building to the east is Auckland Central). Hopefully we'll get a decent selection of candidates to pick from. Hopefully we will pick a candidate I can vote for.
Probably the last time voting at the end of this year in Mt Albert. I still don't have time to do much active campaigning this election, and we'll probably move elsewhere (in Auckland?) by next election.
Interesting comments, thanks. I live a few minutes stroll from what was David's electorate office on New North Road and met him on a number of occasions around his electorate work. I really liked David as a person, but I came to the view that he was in the wrong political party, and that, unlike Helen Clark, politics didn't sit comfortably on his shoulders. I was genuinely surprised when he put his name forward to contest the Labour leadership, and I was even more surprised when he won! From memory, I gave him my electorate vote in 2011 and 2014, even though I didn't party vote Labour.
David Shearer is a very fine man. He has a lot of skills, but the skills involved with negotiating aid corridors with dictators and warlords are not suited to todays 30 second soundbites.
He had potential as a good Electorate MP, but that was it.
I agree that I try to look with a critical eye at the local candidate – and vote for the person separately from the party vote.
It's made a bit more difficult when parties put up some fairly shallow, or single-issue focused candidates (my experience with both National and Labour candidates in my electorate in 2020). And, the reality is that, even the most outstanding candidate from Greens (pace Auckland Central) and ACT (pace Epsom) – doesn't have a chance in a standard electorate – so your vote would be wasted.
I commented elsewhere, that so far Labour have been unwilling to support (formally or informally) a Green candidate with a better shot at winning an electorate, than the Labour one. It was in the context of Auckland Central – and the possible effect on Swarbrick if Helen White takes over Mt Albert.
Logically, a 'cup of tea' scenario (as National/ACT have done in Epsom) to ensure that Swarbrick wins comfortably – would be a better result for the Left – but we've yet to see it eventuate.
I only really consider policy, but have come to realise this is probably just a wrong way. Most people its primarily personality.
Obviously policies can change and will. I mean the last thing any RW voters should think is that NACT will carry out most of the stupid they are proposing, and thats the very limited set of stuff they have policy on.
It seems more sensible to judge personalities and the kinds of policy preferences they lead to, because events can totally change the policy landscape during a term.
Unfortunately I struggle with this judgement. I actually thought Bill English would be a safe sensible, and therefore appealing PM at one time. Probably you could help with this, just want to see a few details from people involved in the wealth of business experience in the National party. What kind of managers have they been, what kinds of deals did they do, was everyone involved better off?
The judging on personality (or at least the elements of personality that the media let you see) – can result in the Peter Dunne scenario, and the 'worm' of 2002. [NB: I'm older than I thought, I remember it clearly!]
Unfortunately, many people simply vote on looks or personality. Remember, half the voting population is below average intelligence and often have no ideas of what policies they are voting for.
No your wrong, half of the population is of average intelligence, 25% above 25% below, have a look at a bell curve, use your average intelligence to google one.
If this is correct why is the Comms mantra to tailor press releases to an average age of 11. Presumably with average 11 year knowledge.
Are you saying that people may be intelligent in terms of Bell Curve distribution but their comprehension is no better than an 11 year old. if so I would agree.
I have long had the belief that the Labour Govt has thought that the electorate as a whole was wiser and more intelligent than they really are, so they pitch comprehension at a higher level. The strange views/misunderstandings about 3/5 Waters and Co Governance on here, where I have long believed we are all have good comprehension, is testament that.
Interestingly the 70 to 74 cohort has the highest average IQ at 119, but that is more to do with wealth = health and the earlier demise of the unhealthy.
a fair bit of bullshit on twitter about how the signs are just a joke, no-one really wants to behead or eat feminists. Feminists pointed out that men already do behead women and other extremely violent shit. At the least it's incredibly tone deaf in a country that has a high rate of murder of women.
And placard abuse is not that different to online abuse. It increases tolerance for harassment, and sometimes leads to increased violence. Which is ironic from the movement that claims that feminists being critical of gender identity are responsible for violence against trans people (rather than the men that do the actual violence).
But of course they will argue that it's just the 'terfs' they are targeting, which is another version of dehumanising the women who's beliefs you don't approve of.
For those that think the signs are a joke or no big deal, here's the context: a sustained movement of death, rape and other threats aimed at women's rights campaigners or any woman who speaks up online. Women get these threats in public spaces (online and IRL), and their DMs, emails etc. This is what liberals who deny women's right to our own spaces and culture are sanctioning. And then they wonder why we don't want any men, trans identified or otherwise, in our spaces.
Is there a poster on TS that understands German politics?
I’m looking for a decent reason why Scholz hasn’t allowed Leopard 2 tanks to be shipped to Ukraine. Form a logistical pow that should be a no-brainier.
It is all a bit confusing, and seems to change by the minute. But the latest I have heard is that Germany won't stand in the way of other countries supplying Leopards. Though, that is probably forced because those other countries are threatening to supply them with or without German permission.
And, Poland will be training Ukrainians on using the Leopards, so it is a bit of a done deal.
And, Germany has tended to get there in the end with other weapon systems. So, lets just say they are late adopters.
They have said they will supply tanks if the US does it first. So, that might mean the US supplying a token number of Abrams tanks. Though, that is not the ideal tank for Ukraine for a number of reasons.
Part of the reluctance of Germany sending their tanks is probably something to do with the image of German tanks close to the border of Russia, given WW2 history where German tanks were a prominent part of the German invasion of Russia.
German politics is still haunted by the second world war. They've spent eighty year systematically repudiating heroic leadership of the kind they embraced under Hitler and instead raising technocratic rationalism to a complete ideology of government. So now they have an ossified technocratic leadership frozen in place by the nature of MMP, a system designed to restrain radicalism but after sixty years of this system Germany has been left in the grip of a near terminal political inertia. The epitome of this was the "Merkle doctrine" of engagement with Russia, the idea being that if only Germany cleaved closer to Russia economically it could mitigate and dissipate any threat from the east. The problem of course is that relationship degenerated into something akin to Germany having a political version of battered woman syndrome vis-a-vis Russia.
On top of that you've got a weird coalition of the far left (Die Linke) and the far right (AfD opposed to supporting the Ukraine, the former due to a pacifism that amounts to defeatism combined with a reflexive opposition the military-industrial complex and the latter because they are fascists making common cause with Russia against democracy.
So the broad centrist consensus in Germany is one of a slothful political system that prizes "rational consensus" above all else, takes a long time to make any decision let alone a complete change of direction, a pathological desire to avoid another war in the east (the idea of German tanks again fighting on the steppes of Russia is an anathema to centrist German politicians), and a decades long cultural rejection of the idea of the legitimacy of national identity (i.e. another reaction to the extemism of the Nazi narrative of the German identity as the master race) which looks at horror at Ukrainians dying to defend the idea of an separate Ukrainian identity and sovereignty all means that Germany is currently paralyzed. Turning the ship of the German body politic around is going to take a long long time.
Turning the ship of the German body politic around is going to take a long long time.
'If ever' if you read Sabine's post.
Having lived and studied in Germany I found that there is a carefulness about discussions on arming, armies, weapons, wars. I found, though, that there is a keenness to follow up its membership with the UN in supplying aid and peace-keeping forces. Fellow NZers who have worked beside them in this have valued the experience. Nato works too, with others to protect themselves and others.
So I am not sure that words such as the last para of Sanctuary's post, with its hint of annoyance, really hits the mark and reality about dealing with these tanks. The German people are not a bunch of children taking an inordinately time to hand over a toy that another child wants to play with.
one of a slothful political system that prizes "rational consensus" above all else, takes a long time to make any decision let alone a complete change of direction, a pathological desire to avoid another war in the east (the idea of German tanks again fighting on the steppes of Russia is an anathema to centrist German politicians), and a decades long cultural rejection of the idea of the legitimacy of national identity (i.e. another reaction to the extemism of the Nazi narrative of the German identity as the master race) which looks at horror at Ukrainians dying to defend the idea of an separate Ukrainian identity and sovereignty all means that Germany is currently paralyzed.
Thank you Sabine for your post.
To the German people take as long as you want about these tanks.
Two issues that people not from Germany have a hard time understanding sometimes.
A. the Germans lost a million man in Russia. One Army. The 6th Army. Those that came back took ten years to come back. the last Russian prisoner of war returned in 1955.
To this day we do not speak of the Wehrmacht and their offerings to the gods of war and selfish greed.
They have fought russia and lost and they have not forgotten. Both of my grandfathers send to war in their early 20s did not come back. In fact non of the male relatives came back. I was raised in a household of old women and young men/girls.
B. The east Germans lived with the Russians and are not quite as gung ho then some arm chair soldiers in far away lands to fight them eithers. They know the Russians. Angela Merkel knew the Russians, she speaks fluently Russian enough to get a 1.0 highest grade when she sat her Abitur.
Then that issue of pesky 'crt' or 'denazification" as it was for us Germans. We went through the 'all Germans are horrible people who killed millions and we can never allow that to do again'.
That too leaves marks and might change a way of thinking. Again, not something that i expect people to understand that have not been at that end of education. But then ' all white people are racists' is coming close to it.
Germany got their peace contract from the allies in 1990. Until then Germany was split in 4 parts, myself i grew up in the US American Zone of Germany. You had East Germany which was the Russian Zone of Germany, The French and the English shard the rest.
Until that day Germany was not allowed to have a military in the sense of having a 'free military' that other countries might have. So the Army was restrcited in how many men it could have, ditto for the Airforce, and Navy. This was of course to prevent Germany from being a military power.
When the Bundeswehr was established in 1955, its founding principles were based on developing a completely new military force for the defence of West Germany. In this respect the Bundeswehr did not consider itself to be a successor to either the Reichswehr (1921–1935) of the Weimar Republic or Hitler'sWehrmacht (1935–1946). Neither does it adhere to the traditions of any former German military organization.[dubious – discuss] Its official ethos is based on three major themes:[12]
Every single German (and Austrian) has gone through De-nazification via School. This process was quite different in the years directly after the war vs the years that i spend in school in the 70s. The focus of my education was on Responsibility and collective guilt and on how to 'Never Again' commit the same sins. In the process of that quite a few pacifists were created.
Pacifism in Germany is a thing. Never again is a thing. Not being allowed to have an army and to wage war also had an impact on the people that are the parents of current youth and young people. Trickle Trickle Trickle.
All of these reasons might be coming into play when telling Germans that one wants to sell/deliver weapons to another country to wage war. This is just a bit of back story, and people need to understand that the Germany Army is literally 30 years old. What was the Bundeswehr before the Re-unification was nothing more then a few pieces of meat the Allies would have thrown at the Russians whilst they retreated to the UK. That was known. Germany was considered a buffer zone by the allies.
Germany has provided weapons, under the Auspices of Nato, and you could argue it should do so again this time around.
However……there might still be restrictions on what exactly the Germans can and can not do with regards to armaments to third parties, and this might to do more with European rules/regulations then Germany itself.
Anyways, Germans generally don't like to participate in war for reasons. the German government still is quite beholden to their old overlords the allies much to the distress of Germans. (There is quite a few people who would shut down Ramstein and the various US Spy stations any day of the week, me inc).
This is a big article here that has a good run down on what / why and how.
also Germany just ditched their Minister of Defense and appointed a different person. That might also have something to do with it.
Update from January 20, 4:10 p.m .: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg made it clear on the sidelines of the Ukraine conference at the US air base in Ramstein that he expected further developments in the debate about the possible delivery of German Leopard 2 tanks. On the question of whether Germany is harming European unity because it has not yet delivered any Leopard 2 tanks, Stoltenberg said: "The consultations will continue."
Since the beginning of the war, the type of support has been constantly evolving. The Norwegian also emphasized that Germany was one of the allies that supported Ukraine the most. "Artillery, ammunition, air defense systems and now also Marder-type infantry fighting vehicles: Germany is really a leader in supporting Ukraine in many, many areas," he emphasized.
Update from January 20, 2:25 p.m .: The new Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) has checked the inventory of Leopard main battle tanks for a possible delivery to Ukraine. Pistorius said on Friday at the US Ramstein Air Force base in Rhineland-Palatinate that he had given his ministry the corresponding order "this morning", which included various types of tanks for the armed forces and in industry. He also announced that the federal government would make a decision about the leopard in coordination with the partners "as soon as possible".
The UK wants to give Ukraine 14 Challenger 2 main battle tanks. Poland wants to supply Leopard tanks to Ukraine, and Finland is also in favor. However, since the Leopard tanks were developed in Germany, the delivery hinges on the permission of the German government for the transfer of German-made armaments to third parties.
Got a couple of books on the History of the German Military & in particular the General Chief of Staff.
Is that had the 3 Great Reformers of the German/ Prussian Military got their way ie make the Military accountable to Parliament & not the Head of State ie the German Crown.
Then it's very likely that Germany's & probably for that matter European History would be very different today.
Something I would really like to get a left-wing perspective on as it is something that concerns me quite a bit.
A number of months back there was the publicised letter from a group of academics expressing concern about what they said was Maori knowledge being elevated to the same level as science in science education.
Jerry Coyne blogs a letter from a NZ science teacher about the new science curriculum. Take the time to read the full post, but here is some of what will be taught in science:
The concept of mauri, that inanimate objects have a life force
I would be very concerned if this is actually the case. I strongly value quality education, and the teaching of science. But I would be very concerned if teaching of science was to be diluted by unscientific stuff dressed up as science.
I can see value in the teaching of science history in teaching about Maori navigation methods for instance. And I can see value in say anthropology in teaching about Maori legends. And I can see value in Maori knowledge say about the properties of NZ plants that could lead perhaps to new medical treatments for instance.
But, if Maori historical knowledge, including legends etc as stated in the kiwiblog post, is given the same status in a science curriculum as modern science, I would be greatly concerned, as I would see that as a dilution rather than a benefit. And if science is given some sort of "imperialistic" status as "Western Science" I would be greatly concerned. To me science is science. It doesn't matter who does it or where it comes from.
But, perhaps those making these types of complaints have got the wrong end of the stick. So, I would be interested to hear from those here who have some insight into what the true situation is.
I'd be a bit concerned if anything posted on kiwiblog shows up in the science curriculum. That is the question right? Should any ideology be infering what is and isn't true.
Government in NZ is so ignorant of science that they even passed a law to say that men can claim to be women and change their birth certificate to 'prove' it and be able to invade women only spaces. So don't be surprised what they put into the education system.
They have put the same sort of crap into the Education system. Have a look at the Relationship and Sexuality Education syllabus. It is chock full of gender ideology. Science hardly gets a look in.
Anker or Molly (I think) one or both have taken an interest in this and both had some careful posts late last year before 3 Waters took over. I did not agree with all of them. Weka too on regen ag and how it is turning agricultural science based on fertiliser plus, plus to a science based on observation and moderation.
Others of us commented then too.
I personally have a problem with Westerners defining what they believe is science unless it is caveated/divided
Western views
Maori views or first peoples views
I also have a problem with people saying 'unless this work fits within this ( read western) paradigm it is not science'
In NZ the separation of thought has meant that Maori Rongoa is left out. We as NZ people are poorer for it. As first people they had their own methods remedies of treating illness, growing plants, navigation, knowledge of climate & weather patterns. That it relies on oral tradition or patterns of doing after experimenting does not mean it is valueless because it has not started with an hypothesis, testing, written recording and conclusion
Maori also got from Hawaiki to NZ and so far as I know they did not have magic carpets. So they had to have a form of celestial navigation or another type of navigation and skilled people who could read them. (there are a number of Maori navigation pieces in large scale on the lawn behind Parliament.)
I am really wary of the Kiwiblog type approach which I sense is western, western western……oh and did I mention western.
For me there is no right wing science or left wing science.
There is just science and the query is what should it contain. I believe that western world actually does not contain everyhting that fits us for living. Following on from that I belive that the western world does not contain the only source of wisdom based on observation and experimentation.
MB linked to material on how LW & RW see and react to people/situations/problems in the world around them. This might be useful to tease out how people make sense of their world in the work you are doing
Thanks for the interesting discussion. It would be good to continue this discussion going forward. It would be interesting to see a post put up about it actually.
For me there is just science. Not Western science and Maori science.
If something falls within the definition of science then it is science, where ever it is from.
The key aspect of science is research that has the capacity to produce accurate, reliable, and repeatable results, that also have a predictive capacity that leads to future discovery.
That doesn't mean that knowledge that falls outside the scope of science doesn't have value.
I think the navigation of early Maori is certainly falls within the scope of science. As do other Maori knowledge that would have allowed them to plan their lives. For instance, knowledge of seasons, and food production based on these etc.
However, a lot of that is really now science history rather than current science. For example, we now have satellite GPS that allows much more reliable navigation.
I agree there is value in Maori knowledge of NZ plants etc for medical treatments. But to develop these would require “western” science as those methods (double blind studies etc) are needed to provide statistical evidence of usefulness and to exclude placebo effects. So, the road still leads to western science.
I think there is certainly a lot of value in studying Maori culture, and valuable lessons to be learned. But, if it doesn't fall within the scope of science, it should probably be studied as an art.
I think a better thing to do in our education system would be to study the work of prominent Maori scientists. This would definitely fall within the scope of science and provide incentive for Maori students to achieve at a similar level.
I have posted a bit on this tsmithfield. Shanreagh is correct as Molly has too.
She initially had some anedotal evidence of a group of teachers setting the school geology curriculum (science) and the Maori advisor offering up for the lesson plan students being adviced to stand in the water and see what the feel (this is not a direct quote, but from memory).
I have followed the debate around the Listener 7. Seven immenant NZ academics, including Professor Robert Nola who is an internation expert in the Philosophy of Science. I would say Professor Nola is well qualified to define what science is. The Listener 7 said Maturanga Maori fell well short of meeting the definition of science (they were very respectful at the same time about MM, but just said it couldn't be considered science). MM of course has many aspects that can't be considered science.
Professor Garth Cooper was one of the listener 7 and is of Maori heritage. He has done outstanding work in the field of teaching Maori medical students, research and discovery in diabetes and developing programmes for Maori re diabetes.
“A distinctly curious feature of the backlash against the seven professors’ letter published in The Listener titled “In Defence of Science” is that none of its most prominent critics have actually defended mātauranga Māori (traditional Māori knowledge) as being scientific.”
For more on the Listener 7 read the above link. Graham Adams has covered this extensively.
From a health point of view, what I have read about Rongao Maori (Maori healing ) I find problematic. A particular article I read inwith interviews with Rongao healers that talked about the importance of plants whakapapa. I say I believe this is problematic, because Maori health stats are so poor.
What's the connection between poor Māori health stats and rongoa Māori?
Research wise there is unlikely to be a connection.
I think it is possible that people who seek out Rongao Maori may do this instead of visiting a Dr. I don't have any evidence for this. But if it is true, then it could lead to postponed diagnosis.
I think it is important that all people have a good science education so they understand the benefits of Western medicine. This is surely what would have been preferable for the anti vaxer types?
There is however good evidence to show that Pāhekā dominated systems treat Māori in ways that inhibit good engagement, and that when Māori services are provided (separate or integrated) Māori have better outcomes and are more likely to engage.
Irihapeti Ramsden's work a really good place to look for understanding on this. Here's a good starter. Note how she's talking about making changes for all cultures https://ngataonga.org.nz/set/item/569
Many Māori have experiential reasons to not trust mainstream medicine. Because of how they've been treated, or mistreated.
The best outcomes come from culturally appropriate services, and integrated care ie make rongoa Māori available alongside GP and specialist care. We won't get that by positioning Western Science as the be all and end all. This is one of the reasons why I think the position of segregating Māori culture is a fail.
btw, rongoa has a science base as well, to the extent that some of the plants have been studied. It's a particular Western view to see it as lesser or ineffective.
I am not at all surprized Kawakawa leaves have been proven through science to have healing properties. St Johns Wort is a herb that the Germans did much research on and it was found to have an anti depressant effect. It is not to be taken with other anti depressants though as many herbal medicines are not to be taken with allopathic medicine.
It is sad that Maori find it hard to access healthcare because of mistrust due to their experiences. Richie Poulton from the Dunedin Longitudinal study put out a statement during the pandemic about the anti vaxers. They analyed data from the study participants that showed those who were anti vax were more likely to have experienced adverse life events in childhood and had anti authority tendancies.
I will read Ramsdem's article.
Having worked in the health sector in the 1990s we managed to engage well with Maori and their whanau.
If Maori are using Rongoa Maori in their healing of course the origins of the plant matter. I am picking that many Maori may be uncomfortable with hybridised* plants, or plants where the seed has been treated a la Monsanto.
I had an experience with flax at our family beach property. My next door neighbour was an art tutor at a local wananga. He said our flax was a special kind, that was not used for fine weaving but was used in other ways, it had a different preparation required before use.
So imagine if Maori had not known this whakapapa/origin of this flax, others would be using it, wasting time preparing for fine weaving and then not getting the result that was wanted.
NB The spelling is Rongoa Anker, please correct you auto correct…it makes my eyes hurt spelled the other way.
* I know that those engaged in serious native reveg programmes do not use hybrids. They eco source or grow on from unhybridised plants in the area.
It is exactly because health stats are so poor that those practising Rongoa Maori need to have the best, authentic plants available to them. Their patients deserve the best and those practising Rongoa Maori what their remedies work. Only if they are made from the best ingredients can they have the best results.
This is why in western medicine some prescriptions have expiry dates, this is because the older they are usually the less effective they are. The less effective they are, such as in antibiotics, the more chance of breeding antibiotic resistant diseases.
I went to the links, read through the NZ Science Curriculum on line and could not find "it will be taught in science that science is a Western knowledge system."
What I did find: tsmithfield on The Standard quotes Jerry Coyne who quotes getting a letter from a person who quotes a teacher who went to a regional session about the government curriculum for integrating modern science.
The meeting was a professional development day to discuss the NCEA science curriculum. At the meeting a unit plan from the host school was presented. This was quoted as evidence of the potential for the curriculum to be distorted.
On here that has been turned into "here is some of what will be taught in science: That science is a Western knowledge system."
Fair enough for people to qualms and concerns about the science curriculum but it is ironic in a discussion about science and presumably accuracy, to see how this is presented.
Does anyone have any predictions for the Cabinet reshuffle? (Apart from those portfolios/roles Hipkins has already handed over to Nash, Tinetti and Robertson.) Obviously PMs tend to hold few portfolios other than intelligence services, but what about Sepuloni? Might she pass on MSD, which she’s held for 5 years, or is that too much of a priority area? It seems likely Roberston will remain MOF? Who might we expect to get promoted and/or handed key portfolios?
I think the reshuffle is expected shortly after Hipkins is sworn in on Wednesday. My pick is either late Wed, or Thurs.
Those who have indicated they are leaving politics at the time of the election (14 Oct.) are likely to lose their portfolios and we will see the arrival of fresh faces in the Cabinet. Dr Deborah Russell, MP for New Lynn is likely to be one of them. She is a taxation expert.
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, ...
Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
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. ...
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 ...
This year’s Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity and the contribution of Pacific communities to New Zealand culture, says Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti. Dr Reti announced dates for the 2024 Pacific Language Weeks during a visit to the Pasifika festival in Auckland today and says there’s so ...
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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Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
The government says it still intends to deliver tax cuts by July, but will not lock them in until they have got them past their coalition partners. ...
Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII has hosted members of the Green Party Caucus at Tuurangawaewae Marae in Ngaaruawahia. The audience follows the King’s Hui-aa-Motu on 20 January, where more than 10,000 people gathered to discuss national ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dr Rachael Potter, Research Associate and Lecturer in Work and Organisational Psychology, University of South Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Pregnant women and workers with children are often unfairly treated by their bosses and colleagues, despite laws to protect against workplace discrimination ...
Reacting to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s refusal to rule out introducing new taxes at the budget, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said: “Today’s refusal to rule out new taxes suggests the Government is nothing more ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne Aila Images/Shutterstock Aged-care workers will receive a significant pay increase after the Fair Work Commission ruled they ...
He’s bringing ‘Sophie’ back, yeah. Goodshirt’s ‘Sophie’ music video is one of the most instantly recognisable New Zealand music videos of all time. Featuring a woman listening to the song on headphones while her entire house is burgled behind her, the video won the New Zealand music award for Best ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Blaxland, Professor, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University A year ago, the AUKUS agreement was formally announced between Australian and UK Prime Ministers Anthony Albanese and Rishi Sunak and US President Joe Biden. The agreement mapped out the “optimal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andreas Helwig, Associate Professor, Electro-Mechanical Engineering, University of Southern Queensland SmartS/Shutterstock Steam locomotives clattering along railway tracks. Paddle steamers churning down the Murray. Dreadnought battleships powered by steam engines. Many of us think the age of steam has ended. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carrie Leonetti, Associate Professor of Law, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Victims who experience family violence in Aotearoa New Zealand are treated differently, depending on which part of the justice system they turn to for help. But a new member’s bill ...
I like the look of the new Labour leadership team. I don't think it will do them any harm. Whether it will win the election for them is another matter. I think the biggest problem is that it looks like we are heading into tough economic times which is not good for any incumbent government.
It looks like Hipkins is intending to move back to the centre, and appears to be dropping some of the woke stuff, which is probably a good strategy to win back some of the centre vote. This is probably good for the Greens as well because Labour voters unhappy with that shift will likely move further left to the Greens.
It looks like some of the contentious stuff will be dropped prior to the election. The strategy of dropping unpopular, contentious policy prior to the election is probably necessary. However, the problem is that National will probably argue that the unpopular stuff has just been postponed, not dropped. And the best way to stop the unpopular stuff rearing its ugly head again will be to vote National in.
Interesting times. As I said, I think the change is net positive for Labour. Whether it will be enough to win is another matter.
Care to elaborate ?
I saw it commented on the news that he used the word "New Zealand" exclusively in his interview rather than "Aotearoa" for what it is worth. I think the thought was it indicated he was going to step away from some of the co-governance stuff that has been a bone of contention for many for instance.
maybe it was the real politik of not wanting the start of his leadership to be swamped on SM by racists going on about Aotearoa.
Shhh, tsmithfield is about to tell us what words need to come out of Chris Hipkins mouth to capture his vote.
That is a weak point about Aotearoa New Zealand.
Some people use it, some don't and hopefully we are not getting into entrail divining mode.
Why anyone would think this means anything about co governance is beyond me.
I actually heard our prime minister on Newstalk ZB this morning on the Mike Hosking show (although Hosking is still away). Now that hasn't happened for a while.
He communicates and comes across well, and can answer the questions.
Perhaps if he decides to can the TVNZ / RNZ merger, and stops 3/5 waters there is a very real chance of a Labour led government after October 2023.
Rest assured, on behalf of his masters Mi Cockskin will be gunning for PM Hipkins!
More centrism from Labour is the last thing the working class of this country need, but the argument about winning back certain voters is clear enough. Plus it will give Greens and Te Pāti Māori some good negotiating strength if there is an opportunity for a Labour led Govt.
So many things predispose me not to like Chris Hipkins, but he and Ardern have formed the ski jump right over the top of National's weekend, so good start.
Looking forward to the Cabinet reshuffle and work programme reprioritisation.
I want to see the new Prime Minister put a lot more pressure on Robertson to show he really is part of the election win plan through Budget, not just Budget Business As Usual.
Yes I'd like your definition of woke. It is used and abused so much that plain speaking and less jargon would be useful.
Actually my preference would be that you don't use the word 'woke'.
I am finding it has more and more of a 'rightie' flavour and people are using it as a cipher so they don't have to admit to sexist, anti democratic or racist views
I believe "woke" or "identity politics" is the idea perpetuated by upper middle class to rich liberals that gender, sexuality, race is more important than class and poverty.
Woke politics in my experience is corporate friendly activism that places the individual above the community. My gender, my sexuality, my identity. Me me me.
Woke activists care less about policies and more about "representation" and "diversity" of the people saying the policies.
Woke activists often reject the idea of class and often truly believe a millionaire of colour lives a less privileged life than a white person on dole.
When confronted by the fact that there are more poor white people in NZ than poor people of colour and that we should create universal programs to lift everyone out of poverty woke activists resort to name calling, denialism, what aboutisms and suggest "targeted programs".
Woke in my honest opinion is neo-neoliberalism, sounds nice but ultimately it's corporate friendly, individualism using left wing talking points to alienate groups from uniting based on class and shared circumstances and fighting amongst each other based off race, gender and sexuality.
There are elements of it that are surely noble, but there are elements of it such as putting people in boxes and ignoring class issues that as a gay mixed race person who grew up poor I find disgraceful.
The left wants everyone to have a great life and succeed regardless of what ethnicity, gender or sexuality you are where as the woke want you to succeed because of your race gender or sexuality.
When you're focusing on you and your identity and how different you are every day you're not focusing on other people.
Class is and still is the best unifying factor the left has going for it. The 90% vs the 1% and it's 9% enablers.
Corey, I totally agree with what you have written.
I have long been of the view that 'woke' is a rightist construct just as 'PC' was a rightist/male construct.
I will have a deeper & slower read and may comment further though most times with your posts my conclusion is 'I wish I could have written something just as good.'
This is powerful and lines up with the link that MB had about leftists being more empathetic
Muttonbird14
20 January 2023 at 10:28 am
Well said, so basically as Bryce Edwards has said "Less Grey Lynn- more Kelston". That, and pleeeease stop burning the DoC huts. Just last week a woman with a badly injured leg was found by rescuers.. sheltering in a DoC Urewera hut.
Bravo! That is the best explanation of wokeness I have ever read in my life. Thank you, I'm going to copy and paste for future reference.
I think a problem for Labour is that they could lose some of the idiot vote, judging by the stupid woman I saw making a comment on the news last night.
She said that she was probably going to go back to voting National now Jacinda was gone. So, the whole reason for her voting decision appeared to be a personality she liked regardless of the policy mix of the party she was voting for.
What a mixed comment. Does passive aggressive cover it ? Im really wondering how to respond : (
Do you feel… she was maybe woke?
LOL. Nah, just stupid.
I really have little time for people whose sole decision is voting is on the basis of one person they like, regardless of what the policies of that party are. The reason I see them as stupid is because they appear to be led totally by their feels rather than their brain.
You know they say that character is destiny.
If you heard Key talk about housing before he became PM, you could be forgiven for thinking his policy was going to make things better.
Personality is not an unreasonable way to judge political aspirants – it was not policy as such that made Dr Sharma undesirable, for instance.
Hmm. Sharma was elected in 2020 – entirely on Ardern's popularity (approx 6K+ additional votes from his previous result).
How did that work out for Labour? Or for the electorate of Hamilton West, for that matter?
Paying attention to the actual candidate, rather than the leader, is probably a fairly intelligent thing to do.
entirely on Ardern's popularity
I'd say it was more that he coat-tailed on the Covid response. It was not some irrational 'love Jacinda' thing.
Labour has, sadly, a number of others that came in in similar fashion, who may not have proven their value to the public at large.
Some of the more divisive policies fall somewhat short of either a respectable level of public support, or a clear overriding public interest justification. These should have been identified in the drafting stage, not as they come into force.
OK – I'll back away from the 'entirely' – and agree that the Covid response was also a big factor (although, difficult to separate Ardern from the Covid-response leadership)
But all of the analysis supports the view that personal support for Ardern was a very significant factor in 2020
"The popularity of Jacinda Ardern – and the lack of popularity of Judith Collins – is also highly likely to have contributed to Labour’s success. Of our NZES respondents, 65% said they most wanted Ardern to be prime minister on election day, compared to only 17% supporting Collins (no one else received over 2% support). "
https://theconversation.com/anniversary-of-a-landslide-new-research-reveals-what-really-swung-new-zealands-2020-covid-election-169351
Personally I always vote for the party and the electorate candidate separately. The party vote is what gives you the government. The electorate vote just gives you an MP. Nice when you have a electorate MP that is worth voting for.
But when the local candidate doesn't fit, then I vote for someone else. When it was FPP, I'd hold my nose. But MMP means that I have a choice.
David Shearer for instance. I voted for someone else during the candidate selection as a Mt Albert member mostly because his views felt like they were from a by-gone era. Liked him as a person. He felt like he would have worked better as a politician in the 1990s.
The by-election was interesting. I wasn’t able to vote because Newton was in Auckland Central. But the campaign…. That was like going back a decade in the techniques being used. That was understandable for a by-election. But the 2011 election was the same, less of a MMP campaign in the electorate and more of a FPP campaign to get out the the party faithful. A local MMP election needs to target swing voters and concentrates on party vote.
Some time in 2012, I'd come to the conclusion that I wasn't happy with hims ideas. They'd represent some conservative like Josie Pagani far more than me or the people of Mt Albert. It was also why I didn't vote for Richard Prebble when he was still with Labour and I was voting in Auckland Central. That was when I started working across the border in Mt Albert.
I pretty well dropped out of the Mt Albert LEC in 2012. A vote by walking. It wasn't the sole reason. I'd been running out of time anyway from projects at work and other things I was doing – like this site.
I voted for Labour in 2014. Ironically I was actually in the Mt Albert election in 2014 for the first time for a decade. I seem to remember that I didn't vote for David Shearer. I just couldn't do it at the polling booth. So old school and so damn wasteful because he kept running FPP campaigns. Not to mention ill-considered conservative policies that looked for niche electorate votes and didn't represent Labour members across the whole country.
It was exactly the reason that other old school campaigners (Jim Anderton and the Biege wonder come to mind) won regularly won silo electorates but lost party votes because they simply weren't chasing the important vote. NZF managed to recover from the same trap
In the aftermath of the 2014 election I wrote "Labour obviously never worked out MMP" because I was really getting pissed off. It will be a pain if the electorate candidates do a 2014 election strategy this year.
I'm still a member in Mt Albert and I'm still in the bounds of the Mt Alert electorate (just – one building to the east is Auckland Central). Hopefully we'll get a decent selection of candidates to pick from. Hopefully we will pick a candidate I can vote for.
Probably the last time voting at the end of this year in Mt Albert. I still don't have time to do much active campaigning this election, and we'll probably move elsewhere (in Auckland?) by next election.
Interesting comments, thanks. I live a few minutes stroll from what was David's electorate office on New North Road and met him on a number of occasions around his electorate work. I really liked David as a person, but I came to the view that he was in the wrong political party, and that, unlike Helen Clark, politics didn't sit comfortably on his shoulders. I was genuinely surprised when he put his name forward to contest the Labour leadership, and I was even more surprised when he won! From memory, I gave him my electorate vote in 2011 and 2014, even though I didn't party vote Labour.
David Shearer is a very fine man. He has a lot of skills, but the skills involved with negotiating aid corridors with dictators and warlords are not suited to todays 30 second soundbites.
He had potential as a good Electorate MP, but that was it.
I agree that I try to look with a critical eye at the local candidate – and vote for the person separately from the party vote.
It's made a bit more difficult when parties put up some fairly shallow, or single-issue focused candidates (my experience with both National and Labour candidates in my electorate in 2020). And, the reality is that, even the most outstanding candidate from Greens (pace Auckland Central) and ACT (pace Epsom) – doesn't have a chance in a standard electorate – so your vote would be wasted.
I commented elsewhere, that so far Labour have been unwilling to support (formally or informally) a Green candidate with a better shot at winning an electorate, than the Labour one. It was in the context of Auckland Central – and the possible effect on Swarbrick if Helen White takes over Mt Albert.
Logically, a 'cup of tea' scenario (as National/ACT have done in Epsom) to ensure that Swarbrick wins comfortably – would be a better result for the Left – but we've yet to see it eventuate.
I only really consider policy, but have come to realise this is probably just a wrong way. Most people its primarily personality.
Obviously policies can change and will. I mean the last thing any RW voters should think is that NACT will carry out most of the stupid they are proposing, and thats the very limited set of stuff they have policy on.
It seems more sensible to judge personalities and the kinds of policy preferences they lead to, because events can totally change the policy landscape during a term.
Unfortunately I struggle with this judgement. I actually thought Bill English would be a safe sensible, and therefore appealing PM at one time. Probably you could help with this, just want to see a few details from people involved in the wealth of business experience in the National party. What kind of managers have they been, what kinds of deals did they do, was everyone involved better off?
The judging on personality (or at least the elements of personality that the media let you see) – can result in the Peter Dunne scenario, and the 'worm' of 2002. [NB: I'm older than I thought, I remember it clearly!]
Someone who seems 'nice' and 'sensible' ….
You've just summed up 9 years of the Key government.
Unfortunately, many people simply vote on looks or personality. Remember, half the voting population is below average intelligence and often have no ideas of what policies they are voting for.
So, are you saying that the idiot vote is really big?
You know it is!
No your wrong, half of the population is of average intelligence, 25% above 25% below, have a look at a bell curve, use your average intelligence to google one.
Not from the mid point. 34% are below but within the first deviation, and 16% are lower.
https://www.iqmindware.com/blog/the-bell-curve-cognitive-elites/
Average IQ is considered to be between 90 and 109.
If this is correct why is the Comms mantra to tailor press releases to an average age of 11. Presumably with average 11 year knowledge.
Are you saying that people may be intelligent in terms of Bell Curve distribution but their comprehension is no better than an 11 year old. if so I would agree.
I have long had the belief that the Labour Govt has thought that the electorate as a whole was wiser and more intelligent than they really are, so they pitch comprehension at a higher level. The strange views/misunderstandings about 3/5 Waters and Co Governance on here, where I have long believed we are all have good comprehension, is testament that.
Interestingly the 70 to 74 cohort has the highest average IQ at 119, but that is more to do with wealth = health and the earlier demise of the unhealthy.
Great example of their care for women! Scottish women parliamentarians at an anti woman rally.
[image resized – Incognito]
Many thanks.
a fair bit of bullshit on twitter about how the signs are just a joke, no-one really wants to behead or eat feminists. Feminists pointed out that men already do behead women and other extremely violent shit. At the least it's incredibly tone deaf in a country that has a high rate of murder of women.
And placard abuse is not that different to online abuse. It increases tolerance for harassment, and sometimes leads to increased violence. Which is ironic from the movement that claims that feminists being critical of gender identity are responsible for violence against trans people (rather than the men that do the actual violence).
But of course they will argue that it's just the 'terfs' they are targeting, which is another version of dehumanising the women who's beliefs you don't approve of.
For those that think the signs are a joke or no big deal, here's the context: a sustained movement of death, rape and other threats aimed at women's rights campaigners or any woman who speaks up online. Women get these threats in public spaces (online and IRL), and their DMs, emails etc. This is what liberals who deny women's right to our own spaces and culture are sanctioning. And then they wonder why we don't want any men, trans identified or otherwise, in our spaces.
https://terfisaslur.com/
I've written about the messaging from (usually) trans women/trans identified males, which can often be summarised as 'suck my dick, cunts'.
New misogyny, same as the old.
.https://thestandard.org.nz/new-misogyny-same-as-the-old-misogyny/
Is there a poster on TS that understands German politics?
I’m looking for a decent reason why Scholz hasn’t allowed Leopard 2 tanks to be shipped to Ukraine. Form a logistical pow that should be a no-brainier.
It is all a bit confusing, and seems to change by the minute. But the latest I have heard is that Germany won't stand in the way of other countries supplying Leopards. Though, that is probably forced because those other countries are threatening to supply them with or without German permission.
And, Poland will be training Ukrainians on using the Leopards, so it is a bit of a done deal.
And, Germany has tended to get there in the end with other weapon systems. So, lets just say they are late adopters.
They have said they will supply tanks if the US does it first. So, that might mean the US supplying a token number of Abrams tanks. Though, that is not the ideal tank for Ukraine for a number of reasons.
Part of the reluctance of Germany sending their tanks is probably something to do with the image of German tanks close to the border of Russia, given WW2 history where German tanks were a prominent part of the German invasion of Russia.
Under reported – Germany is ditching the overhang.
German politics is still haunted by the second world war. They've spent eighty year systematically repudiating heroic leadership of the kind they embraced under Hitler and instead raising technocratic rationalism to a complete ideology of government. So now they have an ossified technocratic leadership frozen in place by the nature of MMP, a system designed to restrain radicalism but after sixty years of this system Germany has been left in the grip of a near terminal political inertia. The epitome of this was the "Merkle doctrine" of engagement with Russia, the idea being that if only Germany cleaved closer to Russia economically it could mitigate and dissipate any threat from the east. The problem of course is that relationship degenerated into something akin to Germany having a political version of battered woman syndrome vis-a-vis Russia.
On top of that you've got a weird coalition of the far left (Die Linke) and the far right (AfD opposed to supporting the Ukraine, the former due to a pacifism that amounts to defeatism combined with a reflexive opposition the military-industrial complex and the latter because they are fascists making common cause with Russia against democracy.
So the broad centrist consensus in Germany is one of a slothful political system that prizes "rational consensus" above all else, takes a long time to make any decision let alone a complete change of direction, a pathological desire to avoid another war in the east (the idea of German tanks again fighting on the steppes of Russia is an anathema to centrist German politicians), and a decades long cultural rejection of the idea of the legitimacy of national identity (i.e. another reaction to the extemism of the Nazi narrative of the German identity as the master race) which looks at horror at Ukrainians dying to defend the idea of an separate Ukrainian identity and sovereignty all means that Germany is currently paralyzed. Turning the ship of the German body politic around is going to take a long long time.
'If ever' if you read Sabine's post.
Having lived and studied in Germany I found that there is a carefulness about discussions on arming, armies, weapons, wars. I found, though, that there is a keenness to follow up its membership with the UN in supplying aid and peace-keeping forces. Fellow NZers who have worked beside them in this have valued the experience. Nato works too, with others to protect themselves and others.
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_210076.htm
So I am not sure that words such as the last para of Sanctuary's post, with its hint of annoyance, really hits the mark and reality about dealing with these tanks. The German people are not a bunch of children taking an inordinately time to hand over a toy that another child wants to play with.
Thank you Sabine for your post.
To the German people take as long as you want about these tanks.
Two issues that people not from Germany have a hard time understanding sometimes.
A. the Germans lost a million man in Russia. One Army. The 6th Army. Those that came back took ten years to come back. the last Russian prisoner of war returned in 1955.
To this day we do not speak of the Wehrmacht and their offerings to the gods of war and selfish greed.
They have fought russia and lost and they have not forgotten. Both of my grandfathers send to war in their early 20s did not come back. In fact non of the male relatives came back. I was raised in a household of old women and young men/girls.
B. The east Germans lived with the Russians and are not quite as gung ho then some arm chair soldiers in far away lands to fight them eithers. They know the Russians. Angela Merkel knew the Russians, she speaks fluently Russian enough to get a 1.0 highest grade when she sat her Abitur.
Then that issue of pesky 'crt' or 'denazification" as it was for us Germans. We went through the 'all Germans are horrible people who killed millions and we can never allow that to do again'.
That too leaves marks and might change a way of thinking. Again, not something that i expect people to understand that have not been at that end of education. But then ' all white people are racists' is coming close to it.
Where do you want to start?
start at the beginning.
Germany got their peace contract from the allies in 1990. Until then Germany was split in 4 parts, myself i grew up in the US American Zone of Germany. You had East Germany which was the Russian Zone of Germany, The French and the English shard the rest.
Until that day Germany was not allowed to have a military in the sense of having a 'free military' that other countries might have. So the Army was restrcited in how many men it could have, ditto for the Airforce, and Navy. This was of course to prevent Germany from being a military power.
Every single German (and Austrian) has gone through De-nazification via School. This process was quite different in the years directly after the war vs the years that i spend in school in the 70s. The focus of my education was on Responsibility and collective guilt and on how to 'Never Again' commit the same sins. In the process of that quite a few pacifists were created.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denazification
Pacifism in Germany is a thing. Never again is a thing. Not being allowed to have an army and to wage war also had an impact on the people that are the parents of current youth and young people. Trickle Trickle Trickle.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacifism_in_Germany
Hence why Schroeder won and election by not going to war with the US in Iraq.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germany%E2%80%93Iraq_relations
All of these reasons might be coming into play when telling Germans that one wants to sell/deliver weapons to another country to wage war. This is just a bit of back story, and people need to understand that the Germany Army is literally 30 years old. What was the Bundeswehr before the Re-unification was nothing more then a few pieces of meat the Allies would have thrown at the Russians whilst they retreated to the UK. That was known. Germany was considered a buffer zone by the allies.
Germany has provided weapons, under the Auspices of Nato, and you could argue it should do so again this time around.
However……there might still be restrictions on what exactly the Germans can and can not do with regards to armaments to third parties, and this might to do more with European rules/regulations then Germany itself.
https://www.dw.com/en/boris-pistorius-to-become-germanys-new-defense-minister-reports/a-64418604
Anyways, Germans generally don't like to participate in war for reasons. the German government still is quite beholden to their old overlords the allies much to the distress of Germans. (There is quite a few people who would shut down Ramstein and the various US Spy stations any day of the week, me inc).
This is a big article here that has a good run down on what / why and how.
also Germany just ditched their Minister of Defense and appointed a different person. That might also have something to do with it.
https://www.fr.de/politik/ukraine-krieg-news-aktuell-ramstein-treffen-pistorius-verteidigungsminister-us-austin-polen-russland-putin-mkr-92037196.html
Thank-you Sabine, I am a littler wiser than what I was when I woke up this morning.
Thanks Sabine
That is a valuable rundown on the context of a German military
Got a couple of books on the History of the German Military & in particular the General Chief of Staff.
Is that had the 3 Great Reformers of the German/ Prussian Military got their way ie make the Military accountable to Parliament & not the Head of State ie the German Crown.
Then it's very likely that Germany's & probably for that matter European History would be very different today.
Thanks TS and posters.
”A sadder and a wiser man
He rose the morrow morn.”
Something I would really like to get a left-wing perspective on as it is something that concerns me quite a bit.
A number of months back there was the publicised letter from a group of academics expressing concern about what they said was Maori knowledge being elevated to the same level as science in science education.
There have been a number of posts on the likes of Kiwiblog, and a post there today on this subject.
From the post:
I would be very concerned if this is actually the case. I strongly value quality education, and the teaching of science. But I would be very concerned if teaching of science was to be diluted by unscientific stuff dressed up as science.
I can see value in the teaching of science history in teaching about Maori navigation methods for instance. And I can see value in say anthropology in teaching about Maori legends. And I can see value in Maori knowledge say about the properties of NZ plants that could lead perhaps to new medical treatments for instance.
But, if Maori historical knowledge, including legends etc as stated in the kiwiblog post, is given the same status in a science curriculum as modern science, I would be greatly concerned, as I would see that as a dilution rather than a benefit. And if science is given some sort of "imperialistic" status as "Western Science" I would be greatly concerned. To me science is science. It doesn't matter who does it or where it comes from.
But, perhaps those making these types of complaints have got the wrong end of the stick. So, I would be interested to hear from those here who have some insight into what the true situation is.
I'd be a bit concerned if anything posted on kiwiblog shows up in the science curriculum. That is the question right? Should any ideology be infering what is and isn't true.
If it were just kiwiblog I would agree. But it started with an open letter from a group of concerned academics.
And even Richard Dawkins has weighed in.
Government in NZ is so ignorant of science that they even passed a law to say that men can claim to be women and change their birth certificate to 'prove' it and be able to invade women only spaces. So don't be surprised what they put into the education system.
They have put the same sort of crap into the Education system. Have a look at the Relationship and Sexuality Education syllabus. It is chock full of gender ideology. Science hardly gets a look in.
Anker or Molly (I think) one or both have taken an interest in this and both had some careful posts late last year before 3 Waters took over. I did not agree with all of them. Weka too on regen ag and how it is turning agricultural science based on fertiliser plus, plus to a science based on observation and moderation.
Others of us commented then too.
I personally have a problem with Westerners defining what they believe is science unless it is caveated/divided
I also have a problem with people saying 'unless this work fits within this ( read western) paradigm it is not science'
In NZ the separation of thought has meant that Maori Rongoa is left out. We as NZ people are poorer for it. As first people they had their own methods remedies of treating illness, growing plants, navigation, knowledge of climate & weather patterns. That it relies on oral tradition or patterns of doing after experimenting does not mean it is valueless because it has not started with an hypothesis, testing, written recording and conclusion
Maori also got from Hawaiki to NZ and so far as I know they did not have magic carpets. So they had to have a form of celestial navigation or another type of navigation and skilled people who could read them. (there are a number of Maori navigation pieces in large scale on the lawn behind Parliament.)
I am really wary of the Kiwiblog type approach which I sense is western, western western……oh and did I mention western.
For me there is no right wing science or left wing science.
There is just science and the query is what should it contain. I believe that western world actually does not contain everyhting that fits us for living. Following on from that I belive that the western world does not contain the only source of wisdom based on observation and experimentation.
MB linked to material on how LW & RW see and react to people/situations/problems in the world around them. This might be useful to tease out how people make sense of their world in the work you are doing
Muttonbird14
20 January 2023 at 10:28 am
Thanks for the interesting discussion. It would be good to continue this discussion going forward. It would be interesting to see a post put up about it actually.
For me there is just science. Not Western science and Maori science.
If something falls within the definition of science then it is science, where ever it is from.
The key aspect of science is research that has the capacity to produce accurate, reliable, and repeatable results, that also have a predictive capacity that leads to future discovery.
That doesn't mean that knowledge that falls outside the scope of science doesn't have value.
I think the navigation of early Maori is certainly falls within the scope of science. As do other Maori knowledge that would have allowed them to plan their lives. For instance, knowledge of seasons, and food production based on these etc.
However, a lot of that is really now science history rather than current science. For example, we now have satellite GPS that allows much more reliable navigation.
I agree there is value in Maori knowledge of NZ plants etc for medical treatments. But to develop these would require “western” science as those methods (double blind studies etc) are needed to provide statistical evidence of usefulness and to exclude placebo effects. So, the road still leads to western science.
I think there is certainly a lot of value in studying Maori culture, and valuable lessons to be learned. But, if it doesn't fall within the scope of science, it should probably be studied as an art.
I think a better thing to do in our education system would be to study the work of prominent Maori scientists. This would definitely fall within the scope of science and provide incentive for Maori students to achieve at a similar level.
I have posted a bit on this tsmithfield. Shanreagh is correct as Molly has too.
She initially had some anedotal evidence of a group of teachers setting the school geology curriculum (science) and the Maori advisor offering up for the lesson plan students being adviced to stand in the water and see what the feel (this is not a direct quote, but from memory).
I have followed the debate around the Listener 7. Seven immenant NZ academics, including Professor Robert Nola who is an internation expert in the Philosophy of Science. I would say Professor Nola is well qualified to define what science is. The Listener 7 said Maturanga Maori fell well short of meeting the definition of science (they were very respectful at the same time about MM, but just said it couldn't be considered science). MM of course has many aspects that can't be considered science.
Professor Garth Cooper was one of the listener 7 and is of Maori heritage. He has done outstanding work in the field of teaching Maori medical students, research and discovery in diabetes and developing programmes for Maori re diabetes.
From a health point of view, what I have read about Rongao Maori (Maori healing ) I find problematic. A particular article I read inwith interviews with Rongao healers that talked about the importance of plants whakapapa. I say I believe this is problematic, because Maori health stats are so poor.
https://utopiayouarestandinginit.com/2021/08/03/the-attacks-on-seven-eminent-professors-over-a-listener-letter-in-which-they-championed-science-have-missed-their-target/
“A distinctly curious feature of the backlash against the seven professors’ letter published in The Listener titled “In Defence of Science” is that none of its most prominent critics have actually defended mātauranga Māori (traditional Māori knowledge) as being scientific.”
For more on the Listener 7 read the above link. Graham Adams has covered this extensively.
What's the connection between poor Māori health stats and rongoa Māori?
Research wise there is unlikely to be a connection.
I think it is possible that people who seek out Rongao Maori may do this instead of visiting a Dr. I don't have any evidence for this. But if it is true, then it could lead to postponed diagnosis.
I think it is important that all people have a good science education so they understand the benefits of Western medicine. This is surely what would have been preferable for the anti vaxer types?
There is however good evidence to show that Pāhekā dominated systems treat Māori in ways that inhibit good engagement, and that when Māori services are provided (separate or integrated) Māori have better outcomes and are more likely to engage.
Irihapeti Ramsden's work a really good place to look for understanding on this. Here's a good starter. Note how she's talking about making changes for all cultures https://ngataonga.org.nz/set/item/569
Many Māori have experiential reasons to not trust mainstream medicine. Because of how they've been treated, or mistreated.
The best outcomes come from culturally appropriate services, and integrated care ie make rongoa Māori available alongside GP and specialist care. We won't get that by positioning Western Science as the be all and end all. This is one of the reasons why I think the position of segregating Māori culture is a fail.
btw, rongoa has a science base as well, to the extent that some of the plants have been studied. It's a particular Western view to see it as lesser or ineffective.
https://www.nzdoctor.co.nz/article/undoctored/scientists-confirm-kawakawas-healing-properties
(you might know Chris Pook from twitter)
Thanks for your various thoughtful responses. I feel like I have learned something.
cheers.
Thanks Weka.
I am not on twitter.
I am not at all surprized Kawakawa leaves have been proven through science to have healing properties. St Johns Wort is a herb that the Germans did much research on and it was found to have an anti depressant effect. It is not to be taken with other anti depressants though as many herbal medicines are not to be taken with allopathic medicine.
It is sad that Maori find it hard to access healthcare because of mistrust due to their experiences. Richie Poulton from the Dunedin Longitudinal study put out a statement during the pandemic about the anti vaxers. They analyed data from the study participants that showed those who were anti vax were more likely to have experienced adverse life events in childhood and had anti authority tendancies.
I will read Ramsdem's article.
Having worked in the health sector in the 1990s we managed to engage well with Maori and their whanau.
FYI, Māori are under-represented in the Dunedin Study compared the national average.
I didn't follow this point from Anker either.
If Maori are using Rongoa Maori in their healing of course the origins of the plant matter. I am picking that many Maori may be uncomfortable with hybridised* plants, or plants where the seed has been treated a la Monsanto.
I had an experience with flax at our family beach property. My next door neighbour was an art tutor at a local wananga. He said our flax was a special kind, that was not used for fine weaving but was used in other ways, it had a different preparation required before use.
So imagine if Maori had not known this whakapapa/origin of this flax, others would be using it, wasting time preparing for fine weaving and then not getting the result that was wanted.
NB The spelling is Rongoa Anker, please correct you auto correct…it makes my eyes hurt spelled the other way.
* I know that those engaged in serious native reveg programmes do not use hybrids. They eco source or grow on from unhybridised plants in the area.
It is exactly because health stats are so poor that those practising Rongoa Maori need to have the best, authentic plants available to them. Their patients deserve the best and those practising Rongoa Maori what their remedies work. Only if they are made from the best ingredients can they have the best results.
This is why in western medicine some prescriptions have expiry dates, this is because the older they are usually the less effective they are. The less effective they are, such as in antibiotics, the more chance of breeding antibiotic resistant diseases.
Not quite: https://www.medsafe.govt.nz/profs/PUArticles/March2016/MedicineExpiryDates.htm
Much of it has to do with regulation aka paper trails.
I went to the links, read through the NZ Science Curriculum on line and could not find "it will be taught in science that science is a Western knowledge system."
What I did find: tsmithfield on The Standard quotes Jerry Coyne who quotes getting a letter from a person who quotes a teacher who went to a regional session about the government curriculum for integrating modern science.
The meeting was a professional development day to discuss the NCEA science curriculum. At the meeting a unit plan from the host school was presented. This was quoted as evidence of the potential for the curriculum to be distorted.
On here that has been turned into "here is some of what will be taught in science: That science is a Western knowledge system."
Fair enough for people to qualms and concerns about the science curriculum but it is ironic in a discussion about science and presumably accuracy, to see how this is presented.
So absurd that it just has to be true.
https://twitter.com/wartranslated/status/1617094220430610432
Sometimes Bomber hits the mark – though I couldn’t find the text to give the actual quote – he said something like this:
Both Chris Hipkins and Christopher Luxon hold strong views on how NZ should be governed.
The difference is, Chippy is happy to share his views with one and all, while Luxon is terrified we may get to learn what his real views are.
Bang on.
Does anyone have any predictions for the Cabinet reshuffle? (Apart from those portfolios/roles Hipkins has already handed over to Nash, Tinetti and Robertson.) Obviously PMs tend to hold few portfolios other than intelligence services, but what about Sepuloni? Might she pass on MSD, which she’s held for 5 years, or is that too much of a priority area? It seems likely Roberston will remain MOF? Who might we expect to get promoted and/or handed key portfolios?
I think the reshuffle is expected shortly after Hipkins is sworn in on Wednesday. My pick is either late Wed, or Thurs.
Those who have indicated they are leaving politics at the time of the election (14 Oct.) are likely to lose their portfolios and we will see the arrival of fresh faces in the Cabinet. Dr Deborah Russell, MP for New Lynn is likely to be one of them. She is a taxation expert.
Well..yes! Also re-nationalise NZ Rail (having a cleanout of Kiwirail white ants). Time…is of the essence ! Get on it