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.
There are now only a few days left to give feedback on the Draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport 2024-34 (see our earlier post this week on GPS submission guides). As we’ve reported, the GPS is a disaster for Local Government, so we were particularly interested to hear ...
Willis has pledged to go ahead with the debt-funded tax cuts, despite growing opposition from her own supporters worried about appearing fiscally irresponsible. 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 ...
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive One minister is talking tough while a colleague – whose ministry had acted tough and drawn a barrage of flak – has shown an official softening. Some ministers are doing what Labour was good at, which is distributing public funds to causes regarded as worthy or ...
A ballot for 4 Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Insurance Contracts Bill (Duncan Webb) Income Tax (Clean Transport FBT Exclusion) Amendment Bill (Julie Anne Genter) Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill (Greg Fleming) Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queen’s crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such ...
COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday — and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the country’s top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
Twenty years ago today, Māori Television launched after much controversy. Jamie Tahana looks back on its survival and impact across two decades. Chad Chambers stepped onto the stage, the brim of his cap casting a shadow across his face. His smile beamed as bright as his white freezing works gumboots, ...
Tauranga, Rotorua, Wellsford, Onehunga, Westhaven marina – Gavin Strawhan walks the meanish streets of New Zealand in his entertaining debut novel The Call, almost sure to roar into the number 1 position on the Nielsen bestseller chart, its front cover bearing a rave from somebody: “A really good and genuinely ...
On a Thursday in February, at Wellington’s Conservation House, the Conservation Authority, a statutory body advising the eponymous department and minister, Tama Potaka, opened its 195th meeting. Under consideration that afternoon was an agenda item written by Tim Bamford, chief advisor in the Department of Conservation’s biodiversity, heritage and visitors ...
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A lengthy response to the recently released draft Government policy statement on transport will soon be delivered from Auckland Council to Minister of Transport Simeon Brown. A submission raising concerns about funding distribution and the plan’s treatment of Auckland passed through the council’s transport committee on Wednesday, despite some councillors ...
The unidentified foreign intelligence operation discussed in a scathing report by New Zealand’s Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) last week appears to be a controversial United States intelligence system. The IGIS report said the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) decision to host a foreign system from 2012-2020 was “improper” ...
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