Imagine folks who make pledges like this taking up places in local schools, councils, utilities, etc… because that's EXACTLY what they're doing in the USA right now. And our local mob are learning from them – fast.
Coincidentally 2022 marks the one hundred year anniversary of Mussolini's March on Rome.
Thank Goodness, that unlike Australia or Italy we don't have an unelected regent who could over rule our elected law makers and put the protesters in power.
March on Rome
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The March on Rome (Italian: Marcia su Roma) was an organized mass demonstration and a coup d'etat in October 1922…
….When fascist demonstrators and Blackshirt paramilitaries entered Rome, Prime Minister Luigi Facta wished to declare a state of siege, but this was overruled by King Victor Emmanuel III. On the following day, 29 October 1922, the King appointed Mussolini as Prime Minister, thereby transferring political power to the fascists without armed conflict. [1][2]
These mega-churches preaching prosperity gospel are 'godsends', campaign funds (divine missions and all that) and megaphones for right-wing politicians. Massive audiences. And they in turn provide judges, laws and tax free windfalls to appease the churches.
It's corrupt AF really. Add the white supremacy in and it's plain evil.
DeSantis seems to be the new most dangerous useful idiot. I'm sure it's you who pointed that out a while ago. His anti-woke law was just dog-whistling the church (that pledge in the OP specifically has a pledge against 'wokeness', f'n ridiculous Q-level crazy m'f'ers).
Trump now seems entirely expendable to these good christian folks. Finding it hard to raise a tear.
Jeepers, that sort of one-dimensional crap frightens the life out of me.
For God's sake (I'm not being ironical) people, read candidate bios thoroughly and get out to vote – to make sure such demented half-wits don't get elected to any body in this country.
The action is organised by a group associated with Destiny Church.
Its leader Brian Tamaki is expected to announce that he is forming a new party he hopes will draw votes from a number of anti-government groups, including those which are against Covid-19 public health measures and vaccine mandates.
Wellington mayor Andy Foster told Karyn Hay on Lately that police and council wanted to be prepared in case anything went wrong today, but he did not expect that would happen.
"Brian Tamaki and the Destiny Church have said what they intend to do, and they usually stick to what they say they will do."
There is a Mussolini look-alike demagogue raving on at the demo, waving arms etc……oh its Brian Tamaki in his life of Brian where he does imitations of hateful creatures of the past.
PS I did not go to the counter protest. Bad feeling still about what may happen.
Watching the protest and there are two women who have gradually moved one of those big green plastic bollards away from where it joins the concrete. No doubt waiting for the sign to push it completely and storm onto the forecourt.
Shanreagh…I can tell, (I think) by your earlier comments..etc..you are Brave alright.And I remember you from earlier protest..helping with clean up etc. Good onya.
The cleaner-upperers had a limited amount of work as officials were not keen about sending volunteers onto the actual protest grounds from a health perspective for fear of glass, rubbish and general unmentionables, the pong during the protest was terrible.
They encouraged us to clean up around the streets where we live so we did that.
Get people on the ground and then kick the s**t out of them? Why else would you need to get your boots on?
[Not funny to accuse another commenter of being violent towards others, now and/or in the past. Read the Policy about joking about violence and this includes tar & feathers and lynching. This is your warning – Incognito]
Not all the skinheads/bootboys were like that (except the CHCH ones, which mainly were)…just as not all boffhead rugby jocks are violent thugs when they are drunk…but lots were.
It is good to see that Brian's mates are doing their best to limit climate change by using public transport rather than cars.
Lots of Labour MPs were turning up for the ceremonial lynching of their erstwhile colleague in taxis. None of this sharing vehicles with the hoi polloi for them.
Well I saw two of them in separate taxis and I'll admit I am extrapolating. Probably off the same flight from Auckland of course.
Don't you think they will tar and feather him first?
Then he can steal the quip from Abe Lincoln.
“I feel like the man who was tarred and feathered and ridden out of town on a rail. To the man who asked him how he liked it, he said: ‘If it wasn’t for the honor of the thing, I’d rather walk.’”
Well thats a bugger for your furtive imagination. He's some how managed to wipe the tar and feathers off with a damp cloth before giving a press conference by now.
Probably needs an indepent report into modern asphalt quality.
There was a case in Wellington over the weekend that seemed to illustrate that fact. A slip out in Eastbourne affected two vehicles owned by one family. Their Tesla was half buried and left immovable. Their Ford Ute (a Ranger by the look of it) was shunted out into the road but didn't seem to be nearly as badly damaged as the EV was.
I remember Richard Dawkins warning of a "fascist Christian theocracy" in some of the wackier sectors of US society (The God Delusion). Even he didn't suppose it would become this serious and/or mainstream so soon.
What do you call this horrifying new phenomenon? Aha: ChrISIS! (You read it here first!)
"So my prescription — and it’s only a start — is less live campaign coverage, more context and thoughtful framing, and more fearless straight talk from news leaders about what’s at stake and why politics coverage looks different. The latter could take many forms: editors’ notes on stories, columns written by news directors and posted prominently on websites, public appearances, and more."
That is about the way that Stuff operates these days. They don't inform us about what the candidates say or do. They tell us what they want to happen and why their favorites are the only ones that anyone could possibly vote for.
Frankly I would much rather hear from the candidates themselves.
For those of you out there following the constant and seemingly unending stream of Liberal hypocrisy…here is a good one that needs to be remembered during the upcoming Brazilian elections…
So as we all know, Glenn Greenwald is persona non grata in the fine minded circles of MSM liberal press and its like minded public readers/listeners….thinking RNZ/The Guardian/Washington Post etc here…and variously described on this very site by regular commentors as “Putin’s puppet, Right Wing, Carlson lap dog” etc etc…
Yet, Greenwald, who I might add does not describe himself as ‘Left Wing’, has without a shadow of a doubt, done more tangible good for the actual Left Wing /Antiwar movement than any Liberal rag has over the past half a decade or more.
Just his incredibly brave reporting in an extremely hostile environment on the outrageous illegal imprisonment of Lula da Silva alone, leading directly to his release, therefore Luls’s ability to run in the upcoming Brazilian elections (which Lula is leading) is by itself more important and more effecting to Left Wing politics, possibly (if Lula is elected) the fight against climate change than anything the entire Liberal press has managed to achieve over the past couple of years combined…yet Liberals and the Liberal press will still hate on him…which actually says more about Liberals and their politics than it does about Glenn Greenwalds.
The character behind the Christo-Fascist conservative mob that stacked the US Supreme Court persuaded a donor to give him the proceeds of a US$1.6 billion corporate sale. Tax free.
A US$1.6 billion slush fund to outspend the opposition for years to come.
.
WASHINGTON — A new conservative nonprofit group scored a $1.6 billion windfall last year via a little-known donor — an extraordinary sum that could give Republicans and their causes a huge financial boost ahead of the midterms, and for years to come.
The source of the money was Barre Seid, an electronics manufacturing mogul, and the donation is among the largest — if not the largest — single contributions ever made to a politically focused nonprofit. The beneficiary is a new political group controlled by Leonard A. Leo, an activist who has used his connections to Republican donors and politicians to help engineer the conservative dominance of the Supreme Court and to finance battles over abortion rights, voting rules and climate change policy.
And yet it is Biden/Democratic Party strategy to actually fund and boost some of those same ultra Far Right Republicans over more moderate Republican candidates, some who are even pro choice….
"John Gibbs, who defended a notorious anti-Semitic troll banned by Twitter, got over $400,000 in ad dollars. Pennsylvania state Sen. Doug Mastriano, who compared gun control to policies under Nazi Germany and shared an image saying Roe v. Wade was “so much” worse than the Holocaust, got more than $800,000. Maryland state Del. Dan Cox, who has associated with QAnon conspiracy theorists, got $1.2 million. And Illinois state Sen. Darren Bailey, who pushed to evict Chicago from the state, got $35 million.
National Democrats, party-aligned nonprofits, and some of their candidates have together spent millions to elevate the most extreme positions of far-right candidates in races in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Colorado, and Maryland, and it’s a strategy that’s divided party operatives. The total investment this cycle was over $44 million as of last quarter, according to an Open Secrets analysis."
If you have to affirm as otherwise you might be breaking the law, why not. Just don't forget to put out a litter box, some catnip, a few treats and a small serving of raw meat. After all Cats are carnivores, and also allocate lots of free time for grooming, education is i guess secondary for the cats and all the other kids.
In the meantime in NZ. You don't like the sex that was 'assigned' to the fruit of the birthing bodies womb? Go legally change the 'assigned sex' to what ever you seem fit.
This is about adults assigning shit to children, changing legally their sex marker on official documentation and so on.
Scenario. A child called John in a crowded place gets lost. The police to start a search for John. Now John is dressed in blue jean, t-shirt and has short black hair and 6 years old. As per their birth certificate they are a boy.
Now John did not actually get lost but got abducted. John in now somewhere locked up in a house with some adults. Police comes knocking on the door, asks have you seen John? And the person answering the door states, no boys here, just a girl, Jane. Jane is dressed in blue jean, t-shirt and has short black hair and would be considered a girl if examined by a doctor. The cops leave. Jane is later found in a small woods. The copper who asked the people is devastated because they did not knew that John was a trans identified girl, and thus had no chance to correctly identifying Jane as the lost child John.
So, frankly this scenario can/could happen, and i would not be surprised in the future if it does happen. It depends on the parents admitting that the boy is a girl. The same parents who legally changed the documentation on their childs might be the parents who would not divulge that John is actually a Jane and that the child cops should look for is a girl.
But but the economy must grow, and surely if you buy an E-car you can feel all non colonial and exempt from the karmic colonial revenge'.
I do like the hungerstones in the Rivers of Europe. You know what they show? that these levels have been reached before, and people survived and continued on. Also they are good forewarning to those that care about omens and signs in order to prepare.
I grew up with these hungerstones and have seen some of the inscriptions myself whilst a child in the 70 during a big drought in 1974, and later. And you know what, all the rivers have them, they all come with warnings and if you live in a society where the old has value you can find also the 'must do' instructions.
While they are the marker of hunger and strive, they are also a time capsule to let us know that human kind has been there and survived.
And above all i like the fact that history ryhmes and the current and future generation will also learn to survive and adapt and ad its own verses. The young ones mostly will live, the old will wither away and die, and such is nature. So yes, Robert, i take great comfort in that knowledge. Its the sound of nature.
The hunger stones, and perhaps the Nilometer represent the guidance of previous generations, urging caution so that we may not have to endure unprepared the calamities of our time.
NZ rivers could use a few hunger stones, though of course you'd never see them for the slime, and our elected representatives would ignore them in favour of whatever implausible explanation big dairy invents. Dairy donates – rivers do not.
'Survive' framing is bang on – (some) humans will survive. Remarkable really that such a clever and (on the face of it) successful species could foul spaceship Earth in the geological blink of an eye.
Even those political leaders who accept that 'we' are causing the looming catastrophe will neccessarily adopt an increasingly survivalist focus as reality bites. Hunger stone 'alarms' will not change behaviour – BAU ho!
And finally… burn, baby, burn
Stuart Kirk, global head of responsible investing at HSBC Asset Management, told a Financial Times event: “Who cares if Miami is six metres under water in 100 years?”
The night we lost the war on climate change
The real problem, he [President Carter] told America about its unrestrained fuel consumption, was “our failure to plan for the future, or to take energy conservation seriously.”
…
“Some of these efforts will also require dedication, perhaps even some sacrifice from you,” Carter told Americans in February 1977 about efficient use of resources. He stressed “cooperation and mutual effort.”
'some' humans have always survived, hence why we are here to actually have conversations about these things.
The 'hunger stones' are a reminder of those that came before us and what they endured. And in the best case they are a reminder that we are not so much different from them, and that it can happen to us too. And yes, why should we not start carving dates and warnings into our river stones for future generations? Maybe our elders were less selfish then we were.
More resilient (had to be) – this iteration of civilisation is now too bloated (albeit beautiful in parts) and fragile to survive what it has wrought, imho.
Katharine Hayhoe, chief scientist for the Nature Conservancy in the US and professor at Texas Tech University, said the world was heading for dangers unseen in the 10,000 years of human civilisation, and efforts to make the world more resilient were needed but by themselves could not soften the impact enough.
“People do not understand the magnitude of what is going on,” she said. “This will be greater than anything we have ever seen in the past. This will be unprecedented. Every living thing will be affected.”
In 1976 with the third La Nina in the UK there was a significant heatwave (persistent) long drought,followed by a wet and cold winter .
A large scale economic crisis was under way,with high inflation,high energy costs,strikes,uncollected rubbish and unburied bodies and a significant wealth destruction due to high debt and interest rates.
Callaghan had to go with bended knee to the receivers (aka IMF) Citicorp is forecasting 18.6% inflation for the UK suggesting little has changed.
The deep cold event in the SH is statistically significant in July,with effects from the Hunga-Tonga volcano underway,and starting to show in the NH.
I think it is a given that Labour will expel Sharma from the caucus.
But, if Sharma's objective is to inflict as much damage on Labour as possible as it seems to be, should he resign to force a bi-election?
As I understand it, it is a seat that Labour is likely to lose, and would also keep the issues bubbling away. Thus, he could potentially cause Labour the embarrassment of losing a seat, and would probably keep on getting media attention commenting on the issues. Especially if he choses to run again as an independent.
Yes, I don't expect that Labour will try and force the issue. But as I understand it, Sharma could choose to resign himself. In that case, I don't think there would be any option but to hold a by-election, so long as it is more than six months from the end of the government term.
He is a medical doctor. I expect he could probably earn a lot more away from parliament than by staying in it. So, he could easily decide to resign out of spite.
Looking at this type of situation without a political slant on it, I think the cause for this type of situation relates to why they decided to give up a good, high paying career to go into politics where they probably earn less.
To do that, someone would need to have high ideals and a belief they could make a difference. Perhaps the brutality of politics, and how little they are able to actually contribute is a shock to people with that outlook, and the are just unable to cope with the environment.
The Greens have musterers rather than whips, yetwhen it came to performance management their own rules said you could knife your best player without blinking an eye, so they did.
It was just three months ago that Ardern finally did a reshuffle after the removal of Wall, Fa'afoi and a few others. Clearly it was too little too late for a few.
Everyone finds a way to make their own peace with $170,000 a year.
When Clair Szabo was making the calls to all her MPs in April and May they all had a good idea of who was still up for the fight for a seat, who could just go to the list, who was retiring, it wasn't hard to see trouble.
The loud water-gurgling sucking noise from the polls is going to pull down the drain about 25% of Labour's MPs and they all know it. So the scramble for the list and the safest of seats has begun in earnest.
Who says that he had any expectation of getting into Parliament? Hamilton West was a National seat for four terms before this one. Sharma contested it in 2017 also and lost by 7731 votes. Sue Moroney ran for the second time in 2014 and lost by 5784 votes. Sharma may have wanted to just fly the Labour flag and perhaps raise his own profile.
18 years ago today, I was heading to my law school class in Wellington’s Old Government Buildings, opposite Parliament.
I saw people starting to gather at Parliament, a larger gathering of protestors then usual, so I decided to pop over to see what the cause of the protest was.
It was a group from a little known church then called ‘Destiny’ arriving in black and white uniforms to protest a range of the then 5th Labour Government policies.
I asked some protestors what policies in particular they were opposed to. The responses were mixed but were in general variations on the following: the government is making our 14 year old sons become gay prostitutes and enter gay civil unions."
"There was music and slow dancing next to the Wellington Cenotaph today, and a celebration of community and connection in the counter protest to the so called “voices for freedom”. People came together for diversity and democracy and against the right wing messages of hate and division, and the misinformation peddled by Brian Tamaki and “voices”."
I have recently spoken to a few people who were in Welly's for the recent occupation of the parliament grounds.
All of them mentioned how empowering it was to be in such a diverse group- culturally, politically, religion/spiritually ethnically etc and get along. On other words "a celebration of community and connection…"
A buddy passed thru in the weekend en route to Welly'sand he is motivated by the 'fire crisis' and the sale of Marsden Point. Two fairly important issues that seemed to have passed by without much comment let alone upset in TS.
But lets just stick to the far right rhetoric and everything will be OK…
I mentioned two issues that are impactful for one of the attendees; the 'fire crisis' and the discontinuation of Marsden Point.
Gsays (@5:43 pm), can't comment on the 'fire crisis', but imho it was a mistake to decommission the oil refining capability at Marsden Point. I'm not, however, going to throw my lot in with a generalised 'anti-government' protest because of it.
I've joined a few (not nearly enough, and local only)) protests in the last 7 years: several anti-TPPA (or whatever it’s called now) ones, an anti-military expo one (Ghahraman spoke), and a couple of climate change demos, but didn't and don't want any elected NZ Government overthrown – even (god help me) a NAct Govt.
Yes, spaceship Earth is in a bind, and there's growing discontent with all manner of decisions, events and trends in NZ and the wider world. Still, the only way I could support an umbrella anti-Govt movement would be if I believed it could act as a safety valve, rather than fueling forces that will to continue to fray our society.
Fwiw, I admire your advocacy for a more equal Aotearoa – kia kaha.
Yesterday's protest has been described as "anti-government", so what do the protestors want? To overthrow our elected Govt and put various politicians and/or public servants on trial? Would they be happier if Luxon/Seymour were in charge, and if so then why?
Could the protests be linked in part to the charitable status of Destiny Church? What exactly is their beef?
Brian Raymond Tamaki (born 2 February 1958), is a New Zealand fundamentalist Christian religious leader and far-right political activist. A Tainui man from the Ngati Ngawaero and Ngati Maniapoto tribes, he is the leader of Destiny Church, a pentecostal Christian organisation in New Zealand which advocates strict adherence to fundamentalist biblical morality, and is notable for its position against homosexuality, its patriarchal views, and for its calls for a return to biblical conservative family values and morals. He has also stated the COVID-19 pandemic is a sign the world has "strayed from God", which led to widespread condemnation, with one Anglican vicar describing Tamaki as "dangerous". This, alongside many comments he has made, and how he has amassed a large fortune by preaching the prosperity gospel to a mostly working-class audience, has made him a controversial figure in New Zealand.
His church has led a strong campaign that opposes COVID-19 vaccination, lockdowns and mask mandates since the pandemic began in New Zealand, and are currently engaging in protests against mandates at Parliament. In 2022 Tamaki was being briefly imprisoned for breaching bail conditions as he took part in an anti-vaccination protest in Christchurch. In the same year, following its failure to file, Destiny Church's charity status was revoked.
I mentioned two issues that are impactful for one of the attendees; the 'fire crisis' and the discontinuation of Marsden Point.
I thought Marsden Point may have riled a few round these parts but no. My understanding is that it was a condition of sale of Z service stations. Our nation's resilience and independence sold for a fistful of silver.
It's ok though, Minister Woods has been assured by 'officials' nothing untoward will happen.
Go back to sleep, Aotearoa, your government has got this. (Apologies to Dead Kennedys).
And yet it led to a 3 week occupation of Parliament grounds (not to mention other sites)…I would have thought that your previous incorrect dismissal of such action may have caused pause for thought….apparently not.
The Tamaki Religious Cult … the Green Upper-Middle Pakeha Woke Cult … the Maori ethno-nationalist Cult … none care too much for liberal democracy, majority sentiment or fundamental human rights.
Each grounded in a remarkably crude & distorted worldview … all 3 valorize & sacralize an elect group … all 3 guaranteed to viciously scapegoat & make swathes of innocent people suffer.
Dugin is hardly the influential mastermind our news attempts to convey In Russia he's a total has been, kicked out of Moscow University because he's too radical.This act of terrorism that killed his daughter will no doubt rally Russians behind him though .For a time.
He has never met Putin and has never held a public position of any stature, the west loves him because he is Russia's version of Alex Jones
By 2017, Dugin was openly critical of the president — in an interview that year, he derided Putin for holding an incoherent worldview: “I think that even he doesn’t understand what he’s saying because now he’s a liberal, now a conservative; now he’s for sovereignty, now for globalism, and now against globalism.” As of 2022, Dugin has no personal or professional links to the Kremlin. “Those who think that I stand on the periphery of power are correct.” Dugin stated a few years ago. “I have no influence. I don’t know anybody, have never seen anyone, I just write my books, and am a Russian thinker, nothing more. I write books, somebody reads them.”
Dugin is hardly the influential mastermind our news attempts to convey In Russia he's a total has been….
What are you trying to imply here Francesca?
That because Dugin is a total has been, he best serves Russia as a dead martyr?
Even better if his daughter is martyred, so Dugin can remain a living martyr with a platform to push pro-war, extreme Russian Nationalism and imperialism?
….Mr. Dugin has been one of the most visible proponents of the idea of an imperial Russia at the helm of a “Eurasian” civilization locked in an existential conflict in the West.
A leading advocate for the conquest of Ukraine, he recently has urged the Kremlin to escalate its assault.
Ms. Dugina espoused many of her father’s views, appearing regularly on state television to promote the idea of an imperialist and aggressive Russia. Although she was not well known in Russia beyond ultranationalist and imperialist circles, she also played a role in building ties between Russia and Europe’s far right….
I listened to a clip of this 'philosopher' pontificating on truth.
Truth being one of the fundamentals of philosophy it was an underwhelming and immature angle he came from. He basically said truth is reliant on someone believing something. He came across more as a political propagandist than a philosopher.
FWIW the definition of truth that works for me is 'that which does not change'.
There's more to it than that — Michael Millerman is a philosopher who has translated some of Dugin's stuff (which got him blacklisted from academia) and he has some interesting stuff to say. Right wing thought should not be written off lightly when it has such a massive influence
Solved. Although I did expect the assassin/s to be discovered in a safe house decorated with framed portraits of Zelenskyy, wearing Saint Javelin T-shirts and in possession of explosives and a 1975 map of Moscow.
To avoid suspicion Natalia Volk and her accomplice posed as a mother and daughter. In reality Natalia Vovk is a highly trained assassin skilled in bomb making and her accomplice is a midget disguised as a 12 year old girl.
Only an idiot would believe a mother would bring her 12 year old daughter along on a dangerous hit job.
The FSB have released a description of a tall brunette who bears an uncanny resemblance to Lara Croft accompanied by a 12 year old girl. The FSB have advised the public that the pair not to approached as they are both considered to be armed and dangerous highly trained top secret Western assassins. (The dermal filler in the older woman's lips prove her guilt as an agent of the decadent West).
Unfortunately the highly distinctive pair were able to slip past our vigilant border guards into Estonia. All is not lost, undercover FSB agents in Estonia armed with novichok tipped umbrellas have been alerted to be on the look out for the pair.
The National Republican Army (Национальная Республиканская Армия) is an alleged underground partisan group of Russians inside Russia working towards the violent overthrow of the Putin regime.
Ilya Ponomarev, a former member of Russia’s Duma who was expelled for anti-Kremlin activities, has identified the group as being behind the assassination of Russian propagandist Darya Dugina in August 2022, and “many other partisan actions carried out on the territory of Russia in recent months” [1].
The purported NRA manifesto states: We declare President Putin a usurper of power and a war criminal who amended the Constitution, unleashed a fratricidal war between the Slavic peoples and sent Russian soldiers to certain and senseless death. Poverty and coffins for some, palaces for others – the essence of his policy.
We believe that disenfranchised people have the right to rebel against tyrants. Putin will be deposed and destroyed by us!…
Sharma expelled. Gives press conference afterwards (will be up on various media soon), and at one point sort-of apologises. Remarkably, he claims that when he wrote his original piece for the Herald, he expected the PM to do his bidding the next day, and was surprised when that didn't happen. Clueless.
When pressed to give the worst examples of him being bullied, he again tells the story of the America's Cup event when he was kept waiting, and a reporter suggests that might be "disrespectful" but hardly "bullying". Again – that was the worst he could come up with.
His press conference was all a bit sad. The trouble in his office has been going on for 18 months apparently and it was probably well known around Parliament that he was struggling. My suspicion is that it has been weaponised by National and their Herald/NewsHub cronies as a distraction from the Uffindel nonsense. I hope the guy can resume his medical career eventually – and that such a possibility hasn't also been sabotaged by a political game where everyone in Labour is seen as a potential vector for an attack on Ardern.
Sharma told reporters he had been expelled as he exited the caucus meeting.
"It's not easy, obviously, walking into a situation like this," he said. "I'm gonna go and have a coffee, and take some time to think about it, genuinely."
Gotta love their total lack of self-awareness. In the Ardern "dictatorship", the limp-wristed liberal courts allow basic rights like the accused having lawyers, innocent until proven guilty, habeas corpus, etc.
But not the freedom-lovers …
“The 'people’s court' is about to commence,” the speakers at Parliament declare. Chants of 'guilty' can be heard from the crowd. (NZME live updates)
Not to ignore the danger, but you sort of have to laugh. Brian Tamaki saying being in jail was "taxing." He didn't say "tithing."
And then suggesting that Hannah Tamaki be Speaker.
An angle on that is that we could have our own sort of Clarence and Ginni Thomas power couple. Hannah in the chair? Imagine where the decisions would be made! Mind you the black robe would suit her.
This issue has a lot of the locals absolutely furious – and feeling helpless against the Tories uncaring callousness. Mentioned class action lawsuits to a couple of SNP and scot celeb profiles searching for answers… I hope the idea caught on.
Tourism operators on the entire English coastline, parents, and environmentalists should all band together and SLAM the bastards for every penny they're worth.
Regardless of the party, without the expertise, public acceptance and resource allocation the same problems exist….get rid of the politics and start talking pragmatics,
A great, upsetting, unsurprising article, dense with shocking detail.
Here's another about two men who set out to solve the crimes on the Windrush River and embarrassed the big water companies mightily, not that they cared to admit it – it's long, dense with fascinating detail and human action, reads like a very good thriller.
A tide of effluent, broken laws and ruthless cuts is devastating the nations’ waterways. An academic and a detective have dredged up the truth of how it was allowed to happen – but will anything be done?
Hammond, a retired professor specialising in machine learning, arrived here two decades ago, and delighted in the variety of wildlife he could see in his garden: voles, otters, deer, foxes, badgers, grass snakes, lizards, swans and ducks, as well as chub, barbel and grayling swimming among the long fronds of the water-crowfoot as it swayed over the gravel beds. Kingfishers perched in the willows. It was only in 2013, when he gained a new neighbour – a keen angler and retired detective superintendent called Ashley Smith – that he realised something was wrong with his Cotswolds paradise.
Ahh the Herald- remember the Woodstock in Wellington?
Their link describing the protest goes all Republicans remembering Jan 6 crossed with the Rainbow Connection. Or maybe the Uffindell dorm. In the business section for some odd reason. Perhaps down to the people funding it on the qt.
It’s not only that the next election is guna be for democracy as we know it, but also it is guna be so cringey.
Headline:
Dreamers, schemers and believers: The original riotous Wellington convoy protests
leadin thingy:
What a riot: Some were wild and young and free, others were old and angry and crazy.
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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 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 ...
COMMENTARY:By Ronny Kareni Since the atrocious footage of the suffering of an indigenous Papuan man reverberates in the heart of Puncak by the brute force of Indonesia’s army in early February, shocking tactics deployed by those in power to silence critics has been unfolding. Nowhere is this more evident ...
Analysis - Nicola Willis is holding firm on tax cuts despite the economic outlook being worse than forecast and critics urging her to wait, writes Peter Wilson for The Week In Politics. ...
Opposition MPs and unions are criticising a proposal by New Zealand’s Ministry of Pacific Peoples to cut staff by 40 percent. The country’s largest trade union — The Public Service Association — says the ministry has informed staff that it is looking to shed 63 of 156 positions. Opposition MPs ...
A poem by Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2024 featured poet Carin Smeaton. Daughtr of the 90s when she gets promoted to usherette a baby blu eel carries her all the way up to mothership she’s hovering high she lets the underaged in to see keanu reeves she lets the only lonely ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
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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. ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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Imagine folks who make pledges like this taking up places in local schools, councils, utilities, etc… because that's EXACTLY what they're doing in the USA right now. And our local mob are learning from them – fast.
Beware the rise of Christo-Fascism.
https://twitter.com/NickKnudsenUS/status/1547259907275075584
Coincidentally 2022 marks the one hundred year anniversary of Mussolini's March on Rome.
Thank Goodness, that unlike Australia or Italy we don't have an unelected regent who could over rule our elected law makers and put the protesters in power.
As for over ruling elected lawmakers….the experts at that are the…C.I.A.
Iran and Chile are two good case …studies.
The mask is off.
https://twitter.com/patriottakes/status/1541508454740885511
These mega-churches preaching prosperity gospel are 'godsends', campaign funds (divine missions and all that) and megaphones for right-wing politicians. Massive audiences. And they in turn provide judges, laws and tax free windfalls to appease the churches.
It's corrupt AF really. Add the white supremacy in and it's plain evil.
DeSantis seems to be the new most dangerous useful idiot. I'm sure it's you who pointed that out a while ago. His anti-woke law was just dog-whistling the church (that pledge in the OP specifically has a pledge against 'wokeness', f'n ridiculous Q-level crazy m'f'ers).
Trump now seems entirely expendable to these good christian folks. Finding it hard to raise a tear.
Jeepers, that sort of one-dimensional crap frightens the life out of me.
For God's sake (I'm not being ironical) people, read candidate bios thoroughly and get out to vote – to make sure such demented half-wits don't get elected to any body in this country.
Show me..the MONEY !
"Usually" ? ! Well, thats ALLgood. lol
One of my kids is on the train into Wellington and he says there are loads of Tamaki protestors going to the demo.
Hi BG. If like you (I think)….your Kid will know…and how to stay Safe. Best !
He is 28….but thanks.
There is a Mussolini look-alike demagogue raving on at the demo, waving arms etc……oh its Brian Tamaki in his life of Brian where he does imitations of hateful creatures of the past.
PS I did not go to the counter protest. Bad feeling still about what may happen.
Watching the protest and there are two women who have gradually moved one of those big green plastic bollards away from where it joins the concrete. No doubt waiting for the sign to push it completely and storm onto the forecourt.
If it was in Auckland – I would be there for the counter protest as soon as I could get my boots on.
You're braver than I am then.
Shanreagh…I can tell, (I think) by your earlier comments..etc..you are Brave alright.And I remember you from earlier protest..helping with clean up etc. Good onya.
Thank you.
The cleaner-upperers had a limited amount of work as officials were not keen about sending volunteers onto the actual protest grounds from a health perspective for fear of glass, rubbish and general unmentionables, the pong during the protest was terrible.
They encouraged us to clean up around the streets where we live so we did that.
And me also ! Onya matey. Respect !
Were you a skinhead in your younger days?
Get people on the ground and then kick the s**t out of them? Why else would you need to get your boots on?
[Not funny to accuse another commenter of being violent towards others, now and/or in the past. Read the Policy about joking about violence and this includes tar & feathers and lynching. This is your warning – Incognito]
Probably doesn't want to step, barefoot, in the kind of "legacy' the previous Parliamentary protesters left underfoot … 🙂
Yes Robert that was certainly the reason that the volunteers were turned away from helping with the clean-up. Health and safety concerns.
Squidgy!
YesTrue Robert.
Mod note
OK
Not all the skinheads/bootboys were like that (except the CHCH ones, which mainly were)…just as not all boffhead rugby jocks are violent thugs when they are drunk…but lots were.
Myself have Kid that age. They still your Kid in that you care. Allgood : )
True
It is good to see that Brian's mates are doing their best to limit climate change by using public transport rather than cars.
Lots of Labour MPs were turning up for the ceremonial lynching of their erstwhile colleague in taxis. None of this sharing vehicles with the hoi polloi for them.
Well I saw two of them in separate taxis and I'll admit I am extrapolating. Probably off the same flight from Auckland of course.
By ceremonial lynching your saying Dr Sharma will only be let out of the front door of parliament today?
Don't you think they will tar and feather him first?
Then he can steal the quip from Abe Lincoln.
“I feel like the man who was tarred and feathered and ridden out of town on a rail. To the man who asked him how he liked it, he said: ‘If it wasn’t for the honor of the thing, I’d rather walk.’”
If you were invited to go down in history like Abe Lyncoln (quipped), wouldn't you accept?
Well thats a bugger for your furtive imagination. He's some how managed to wipe the tar and feathers off with a damp cloth before giving a press conference by now.
Probably needs an indepent report into modern asphalt quality.
I believe, although I am open to correction, that it is bitumen rather than tar that is used to make asphalt.
You're "open to correction", alwyn?
Good.
Nic the NZer has corrected you.
Where did he do that Robert? Are you knowledgeable on Tar and Bitumen.
Nic's all over you, alwyn.
Your suggestion that Sharma appears covered in tar isn't racist…
… is it?
Please drop it, thanks.
Awww!
Okay.
the ceremonial lynching of their erstwhile colleague
And there's the prize for the most ignorant, obnoxious analogy of the day.
"Lots of Labour MPs were turning up for the ceremonial lynching of their erstwhile colleague in taxis."
Heh if it was National….actually I dunno would the country have enough limousines for them?
Just the one member of the National Caucus gets to use a limo.
About 25 of the Labour MPs have a Limo on call at all times. Plus a free self drive car of course.
Now what was your point again?
There aren't that many of them, Barfly – thank Gaia!
I suspect Gaia may be a fan of Limo's Robert.
There was a case in Wellington over the weekend that seemed to illustrate that fact. A slip out in Eastbourne affected two vehicles owned by one family. Their Tesla was half buried and left immovable. Their Ford Ute (a Ranger by the look of it) was shunted out into the road but didn't seem to be nearly as badly damaged as the EV was.
Perhaps Gaia likes big Utes rather than EVs?
Your use of specific examples to prove a generality is …
…impressive, alwyn.
I'm sold.
I remember Richard Dawkins warning of a "fascist Christian theocracy" in some of the wackier sectors of US society (The God Delusion). Even he didn't suppose it would become this serious and/or mainstream so soon.
What do you call this horrifying new phenomenon? Aha: ChrISIS! (You read it here first!)
And they say Dugin's mad
No just evil. IMO.
Via the Bulletin, interesting read from a Washingtom Post journalist about how to report in the current climate.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2022/08/21/margaret-sullivan-last-column-trump-2024-media/
"So my prescription — and it’s only a start — is less live campaign coverage, more context and thoughtful framing, and more fearless straight talk from news leaders about what’s at stake and why politics coverage looks different. The latter could take many forms: editors’ notes on stories, columns written by news directors and posted prominently on websites, public appearances, and more."
That is about the way that Stuff operates these days. They don't inform us about what the candidates say or do. They tell us what they want to happen and why their favorites are the only ones that anyone could possibly vote for.
Frankly I would much rather hear from the candidates themselves.
There's a website that displays all candidate profiles with their thoughts and declarations, alwyn – go there!
https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/300668179/kiwi-singer-margaret-urlich-57-dies-after-battle-with-cancer
so incredibly sad to hear of the passing of Margaret Urlich. Too young.
she was an incredible talent.
third talented women we have lost (with associations with Australia) in the last couple of weeks.
my sincere condolences to her friends and family
For those of you out there following the constant and seemingly unending stream of Liberal hypocrisy…here is a good one that needs to be remembered during the upcoming Brazilian elections…
So as we all know, Glenn Greenwald is persona non grata in the fine minded circles of MSM liberal press and its like minded public readers/listeners….thinking RNZ/The Guardian/Washington Post etc here…and variously described on this very site by regular commentors as “Putin’s puppet, Right Wing, Carlson lap dog” etc etc…
Yet, Greenwald, who I might add does not describe himself as ‘Left Wing’, has without a shadow of a doubt, done more tangible good for the actual Left Wing /Antiwar movement than any Liberal rag has over the past half a decade or more.
Just his incredibly brave reporting in an extremely hostile environment on the outrageous illegal imprisonment of Lula da Silva alone, leading directly to his release, therefore Luls’s ability to run in the upcoming Brazilian elections (which Lula is leading) is by itself more important and more effecting to Left Wing politics, possibly (if Lula is elected) the fight against climate change than anything the entire Liberal press has managed to achieve over the past couple of years combined…yet Liberals and the Liberal press will still hate on him…which actually says more about Liberals and their politics than it does about Glenn Greenwalds.
Lula holds lead as Brazil’s election campaign officially begins
Lula: no need to fell a single tree to boost Brazil farm output
The character behind the
Christo-Fascistconservative mob that stacked the US Supreme Court persuaded a donor to give him the proceeds of a US$1.6 billion corporate sale. Tax free.A US$1.6 billion slush fund to outspend the opposition for years to come.
.
WASHINGTON — A new conservative nonprofit group scored a $1.6 billion windfall last year via a little-known donor — an extraordinary sum that could give Republicans and their causes a huge financial boost ahead of the midterms, and for years to come.
The source of the money was Barre Seid, an electronics manufacturing mogul, and the donation is among the largest — if not the largest — single contributions ever made to a politically focused nonprofit. The beneficiary is a new political group controlled by Leonard A. Leo, an activist who has used his connections to Republican donors and politicians to help engineer the conservative dominance of the Supreme Court and to finance battles over abortion rights, voting rules and climate change policy.
https://archive.ph/bu92B (nyt)
And yet it is Biden/Democratic Party strategy to actually fund and boost some of those same ultra Far Right Republicans over more moderate Republican candidates, some who are even pro choice….
Democrats have been boosting ultra-right candidates. It could backfire.
Democrats spend millions on Republican primaries
"John Gibbs, who defended a notorious anti-Semitic troll banned by Twitter, got over $400,000 in ad dollars. Pennsylvania state Sen. Doug Mastriano, who compared gun control to policies under Nazi Germany and shared an image saying Roe v. Wade was “so much” worse than the Holocaust, got more than $800,000. Maryland state Del. Dan Cox, who has associated with QAnon conspiracy theorists, got $1.2 million. And Illinois state Sen. Darren Bailey, who pushed to evict Chicago from the state, got $35 million.
National Democrats, party-aligned nonprofits, and some of their candidates have together spent millions to elevate the most extreme positions of far-right candidates in races in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Colorado, and Maryland, and it’s a strategy that’s divided party operatives. The total investment this cycle was over $44 million as of last quarter, according to an Open Secrets analysis."
Reminds me of the Wright family funding of Plunkett’s The Platform here in NZ.
What's new ….pussycat!-just hope no one decides to identify…as..a mouse…could be..issues.
Furries Australia: Year 8 Melbourne private school girl identifies as a cat | news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site
If you have to affirm as otherwise you might be breaking the law, why not. Just don't forget to put out a litter box, some catnip, a few treats and a small serving of raw meat. After all Cats are carnivores, and also allocate lots of free time for grooming, education is i guess secondary for the cats and all the other kids.
In the meantime in NZ. You don't like the sex that was 'assigned' to the fruit of the birthing bodies womb? Go legally change the 'assigned sex' to what ever you seem fit.
https://www.justice.govt.nz/family/change-the-sexgender-on-a-birth-certificate/
The question that has stumped scores of academics='what is a woman',has been answered by Martina Navratilova='an adult,human,female'.
this has got nothing to do with anything.
This is about adults assigning shit to children, changing legally their sex marker on official documentation and so on.
Scenario. A child called John in a crowded place gets lost. The police to start a search for John. Now John is dressed in blue jean, t-shirt and has short black hair and 6 years old. As per their birth certificate they are a boy.
Now John did not actually get lost but got abducted. John in now somewhere locked up in a house with some adults. Police comes knocking on the door, asks have you seen John? And the person answering the door states, no boys here, just a girl, Jane. Jane is dressed in blue jean, t-shirt and has short black hair and would be considered a girl if examined by a doctor. The cops leave. Jane is later found in a small woods. The copper who asked the people is devastated because they did not knew that John was a trans identified girl, and thus had no chance to correctly identifying Jane as the lost child John.
I understand what you mean,but your 'story ' is flawed and implausible.
how so?
You knw where my scenario came from? This case, i just changed the age/background.
Now the cop that knocked on the door stood there and took the explanations given and the girl in this case ended up dead after days of torture.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/auckland-teen-torture-case-girls-body-found-inside-a-rusty-drum-at-abandoned-state-house/DXT3NDUVEID3LZVMEY3AUVXURQ/
So, frankly this scenario can/could happen, and i would not be surprised in the future if it does happen. It depends on the parents admitting that the boy is a girl. The same parents who legally changed the documentation on their childs might be the parents who would not divulge that John is actually a Jane and that the child cops should look for is a girl.
Hard to figure how much more perfect a storm Europe could face:
– War, worst in 80 years
– Drought, worst in 1,000 years
– Heatwave, worst in 500 years
– Energy shortage
One dare not utter the phrase 'karmic colonial revenge' since it all lands on the backs of the poor and of animals.
And it looks like we are in for the third El Nino in a row.
La Niña, I think.
But but the economy must grow, and surely if you buy an E-car you can feel all non colonial and exempt from the karmic colonial revenge'.
I do like the hungerstones in the Rivers of Europe. You know what they show? that these levels have been reached before, and people survived and continued on. Also they are good forewarning to those that care about omens and signs in order to prepare.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunger_stone
You like the hungerstones?
Gruesome.
At least it wasnt the Hunger Games?
I grew up with these hungerstones and have seen some of the inscriptions myself whilst a child in the 70 during a big drought in 1974, and later. And you know what, all the rivers have them, they all come with warnings and if you live in a society where the old has value you can find also the 'must do' instructions.
From below
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/19/hunger-stones-wrecks-and-bones-europe-drought-brings-past-to-surface
While they are the marker of hunger and strive, they are also a time capsule to let us know that human kind has been there and survived.
And above all i like the fact that history ryhmes and the current and future generation will also learn to survive and adapt and ad its own verses. The young ones mostly will live, the old will wither away and die, and such is nature. So yes, Robert, i take great comfort in that knowledge. Its the sound of nature.
The hunger stones, and perhaps the Nilometer represent the guidance of previous generations, urging caution so that we may not have to endure unprepared the calamities of our time.
NZ rivers could use a few hunger stones, though of course you'd never see them for the slime, and our elected representatives would ignore them in favour of whatever implausible explanation big dairy invents. Dairy donates – rivers do not.
'Survive' framing is bang on – (some) humans will survive. Remarkable really that such a clever and (on the face of it) successful species could foul spaceship Earth in the geological blink of an eye.
https://www.clubofrome.org/publication/the-limits-to-growth/
Even those political leaders who accept that 'we' are causing the looming catastrophe will neccessarily adopt an increasingly survivalist focus as reality bites. Hunger stone 'alarms' will not change behaviour – BAU ho!
https://www.overshootday.org/
Nothing much, too late.
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/climate-change/
'some' humans have always survived, hence why we are here to actually have conversations about these things.
The 'hunger stones' are a reminder of those that came before us and what they endured. And in the best case they are a reminder that we are not so much different from them, and that it can happen to us too. And yes, why should we not start carving dates and warnings into our river stones for future generations? Maybe our elders were less selfish then we were.
More resilient (had to be) – this iteration of civilisation is now too bloated (albeit beautiful in parts) and fragile to survive what it has wrought, imho.
What's our message – BAU; keep calm and carry on? Better than nothing?
Third La Nina.
In 1976 with the third La Nina in the UK there was a significant heatwave (persistent) long drought,followed by a wet and cold winter .
A large scale economic crisis was under way,with high inflation,high energy costs,strikes,uncollected rubbish and unburied bodies and a significant wealth destruction due to high debt and interest rates.
Callaghan had to go with bended knee to the receivers (aka IMF) Citicorp is forecasting 18.6% inflation for the UK suggesting little has changed.
The deep cold event in the SH is statistically significant in July,with effects from the Hunga-Tonga volcano underway,and starting to show in the NH.
https://twitter.com/SimonLeeWx/status/1561832321380130820?cxt=HHwWiICxqZWO36wrAAAA
Nice Tweet but not much sign of cooling here.
3rd season in a row of no Ruapehu snow.
Ohakune is just stuffed.
Its 10hpa ie Stratosphere where cooler temperatures reduce vertical dissipation and effect weather patterns in the troposphere (amplify the sign).
Cooler at 10hpa a consequence of warming troposphere apparently, not the other way around. Can't find link.
Let them pivot to something else then ski tourism, which btw is not good for the environment.
Wenn du mich siehst, dann weine (“If you see me, then weep”), links to the guardian
Pretty amazing historical records of low water emerging worst in 500ish years now.
I think it is a given that Labour will expel Sharma from the caucus.
But, if Sharma's objective is to inflict as much damage on Labour as possible as it seems to be, should he resign to force a bi-election?
As I understand it, it is a seat that Labour is likely to lose, and would also keep the issues bubbling away. Thus, he could potentially cause Labour the embarrassment of losing a seat, and would probably keep on getting media attention commenting on the issues. Especially if he choses to run again as an independent.
Labour has 65 MPs currently.
They won't enforce the Party Hopping Act.
They’ll just allow him onto the bench as an Independent. Unloved by all, career ruined.
Labour could afford a dozen to join Sharma and function happily.
Just a year to go though.
Yes, I don't expect that Labour will try and force the issue. But as I understand it, Sharma could choose to resign himself. In that case, I don't think there would be any option but to hold a by-election, so long as it is more than six months from the end of the government term.
https://elections.nz/democracy-in-nz/about-elections/what-is-a-by-election/
His career as an MP is sure wrecked. But he obviously has other strings to his bow. So, won’t be a huge loss for him.
What and leave a well paid cushy job that will continue for the next 16 months?
Given that Sharma has shown that it is all about him and his interests, not a chance.
He is a medical doctor. I expect he could probably earn a lot more away from parliament than by staying in it. So, he could easily decide to resign out of spite.
Sharma is one of the few Labour MP's that would almost certainly earn more out of politics.
He's about to find out.
Looking at this type of situation without a political slant on it, I think the cause for this type of situation relates to why they decided to give up a good, high paying career to go into politics where they probably earn less.
To do that, someone would need to have high ideals and a belief they could make a difference. Perhaps the brutality of politics, and how little they are able to actually contribute is a shock to people with that outlook, and the are just unable to cope with the environment.
That is so incredibly sweet of you.
The Greens have musterers rather than whips, yetwhen it came to performance management their own rules said you could knife your best player without blinking an eye, so they did.
It was just three months ago that Ardern finally did a reshuffle after the removal of Wall, Fa'afoi and a few others. Clearly it was too little too late for a few.
Everyone finds a way to make their own peace with $170,000 a year.
When Clair Szabo was making the calls to all her MPs in April and May they all had a good idea of who was still up for the fight for a seat, who could just go to the list, who was retiring, it wasn't hard to see trouble.
The loud water-gurgling sucking noise from the polls is going to pull down the drain about 25% of Labour's MPs and they all know it. So the scramble for the list and the safest of seats has begun in earnest.
Who says that he had any expectation of getting into Parliament? Hamilton West was a National seat for four terms before this one. Sharma contested it in 2017 also and lost by 7731 votes. Sue Moroney ran for the second time in 2014 and lost by 5784 votes. Sharma may have wanted to just fly the Labour flag and perhaps raise his own profile.
But he'd have to earn it.
He would probably feel like he was contributing more to the world in the medical area. So, probably the best place for him to be.
Agreed.
Is that a comment on our suits in parliament in general or just for this very particular case?
Kiri Allan writes:
"
18 years ago today, I was heading to my law school class in Wellington’s Old Government Buildings, opposite Parliament.
I saw people starting to gather at Parliament, a larger gathering of protestors then usual, so I decided to pop over to see what the cause of the protest was.
It was a group from a little known church then called ‘Destiny’ arriving in black and white uniforms to protest a range of the then 5th Labour Government policies.
I asked some protestors what policies in particular they were opposed to. The responses were mixed but were in general variations on the following: the government is making our 14 year old sons become gay prostitutes and enter gay civil unions."
https://www.facebook.com/KiriAllanLabourMP
Was that the event where Tamaki said that by 2008 Destiny would be the Government?
His job title isn't
prophetprofit for nothing.Yep that's probably true. There are a lot in the beehive IMO that are very over paid.
Eugenie Sage writes:
"There was music and slow dancing next to the Wellington Cenotaph today, and a celebration of community and connection in the counter protest to the so called “voices for freedom”. People came together for diversity and democracy and against the right wing messages of hate and division, and the misinformation peddled by Brian Tamaki and “voices”."
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=506826414588316&set=pcb.506827331254891
I have recently spoken to a few people who were in Welly's for the recent occupation of the parliament grounds.
All of them mentioned how empowering it was to be in such a diverse group- culturally, politically, religion/spiritually ethnically etc and get along. On other words "a celebration of community and connection…"
A buddy passed thru in the weekend en route to Welly'sand he is motivated by the 'fire crisis' and the sale of Marsden Point. Two fairly important issues that seemed to have passed by without much comment let alone upset in TS.
But lets just stick to the far right rhetoric and everything will be OK…
I must be a bit viscous because I don't get what this recent NZ protest is trying to achieve – Groundswell light?
Expect more "End the Government", 'don't limit us' themed protests as the effects of limits ramp up.
Dutch farmers dump manure, garbage on roads to protest planned emission reductions
Germany braces for social unrest over energy prices
Yellow vests protest: France may consider imposing emergency to control civil unrest
Police abuse stop and search powers to target protesters, suggests data
Elections to protests: How Iraq descended into crisis
“They are shooting us brazenly" [PDF]
Iran's militarized response to May 2022 protests
Thai protesters say PM reaches term limit, must step down
Social unrest in Latin America rises due to COVID and economic stress
Gsays (@5:43 pm), can't comment on the 'fire crisis', but imho it was a mistake to decommission the oil refining capability at Marsden Point. I'm not, however, going to throw my lot in with a generalised 'anti-government' protest because of it.
I've joined a few (not nearly enough, and local only)) protests in the last 7 years: several anti-TPPA (or whatever it’s called now) ones, an anti-military expo one (Ghahraman spoke), and a couple of climate change demos, but didn't and don't want any elected NZ Government overthrown – even (god help me) a NAct Govt.
Yes, spaceship Earth is in a bind, and there's growing discontent with all manner of decisions, events and trends in NZ and the wider world. Still, the only way I could support an umbrella anti-Govt movement would be if I believed it could act as a safety valve, rather than fueling forces that will to continue to fray our society.
Fwiw, I admire your advocacy for a more equal Aotearoa – kia kaha.
The irony is the counter protest using words like "trash" and "fascist" seem to be the group using more hateful and divisive language.
Yesterday's protest has been described as "anti-government", so what do the protestors want? To overthrow our elected Govt and put various politicians and/or public servants on trial? Would they be happier if Luxon/Seymour were in charge, and if so then why?
Could the protests be linked in part to the charitable status of Destiny Church? What exactly is their beef?
There is nothing more viscous and snarky than a 'leftie' that's been outflanked.
I've yet to meet a viscous and snarky lefty.
Sounds like there were a coupla hundred of 'em at the 'counter protest' yesty.
A missed opportunity.
A reply to Drowsy: You ask, "what's their beef?".
I mentioned two issues that are impactful for one of the attendees; the 'fire crisis' and the discontinuation of Marsden Point.
I thought Marsden Point may have riled a few round these parts but no. My understanding is that it was a condition of sale of Z service stations. Our nation's resilience and independence sold for a fistful of silver.
It's ok though, Minister Woods has been assured by 'officials' nothing untoward will happen.
Go back to sleep, Aotearoa, your government has got this. (Apologies to Dead Kennedys).
The Wellington weather has let us down again. I was hoping for storms plus.
Sod all people (Stuff says 1000) attending anyway Peter.
Those Tamaki was able to press to attend.
And the last protest over 500 people the NZ left had was …..
The climate change protest in Auckland attracted 10 000 …
2017
Yep, that is now upgraded to 2000+ as the pictures tell different tales.
A nation-wide protest, calling all supporters from Reinga to Bluff, peopled mainly by adherents to a cult, could only muster 2 000?
pffffffftttt!
its better then 1000
🙂
Twice the number – good turnout for the launch of a doomed-from-the-start political party.
Confusing though, for Brian's minions, who will be scouring the voting papers for the Eftpostel's name.
From the protest; bull-horn wielding "whip":
"When I say***, you say***
(Crowd – ***)
When I say ^^^, you say ^^^
(Crowd – ^^^)
When I say $$$, you say $$$
(Crowd – $$$)
When I say ###, you say ###
(Crowd ###)
And they have the temerity to call us "sheep" 🙂
"repeat after me: you're all individuals" life of brian.
I'm not
The counter-protest yelled "Go Home!"
And the best response I saw on the live, came from one of the many Maori women there – "We are home, you fullas stole it off us!"
That is funny!
Mind you, she could have been Ngai Tahu 🙂
It was only 3 trucks from Buff if I recall correctly Robert.
And they stopped when they got to Invercargill (or Gore) I believe 🙂
Powerful message.
And yet it led to a 3 week occupation of Parliament grounds (not to mention other sites)…I would have thought that your previous incorrect dismissal of such action may have caused pause for thought….apparently not.
I dismiss such cobbled-together attempts to damage democracy, out of hand. This time around, the convoy (from this end of the country) was a crock.
.
The Tamaki Religious Cult … the Green Upper-Middle Pakeha Woke Cult … the Maori ethno-nationalist Cult … none care too much for liberal democracy, majority sentiment or fundamental human rights.
Each grounded in a remarkably crude & distorted worldview … all 3 valorize & sacralize an elect group … all 3 guaranteed to viciously scapegoat & make swathes of innocent people suffer.
100% Swordfish. Could. to have you back around these parts again.
Nailed it – everyone's worldview is “crude & distorted” except for me and thee…
The Greens "viciously scapegoat"?
Where? When? Who?
What???
Russia finds their Horst Wessel
Alexander Dugin issues a statement that only the defeat of Ukraine will avenge his daughter's assassination.
Dugin is hardly the influential mastermind our news attempts to convey In Russia he's a total has been, kicked out of Moscow University because he's too radical.This act of terrorism that killed his daughter will no doubt rally Russians behind him though .For a time.
He has never met Putin and has never held a public position of any stature, the west loves him because he is Russia's version of Alex Jones
Well, other writers consider his influence appreciable, including Dugin himself.
And, Putin made Foundations of Geopolitics required reading for the Academy of the General Staff of the Russian military. The book has been compared to Mein Kampf.
The assertion that the two have never met is speculation – the writer simply does not know.
What are you trying to imply here Francesca?
That because Dugin is a total has been, he best serves Russia as a dead martyr?
Even better if his daughter is martyred, so Dugin can remain a living martyr with a platform to push pro-war, extreme Russian Nationalism and imperialism?
I listened to a clip of this 'philosopher' pontificating on truth.
Truth being one of the fundamentals of philosophy it was an underwhelming and immature angle he came from. He basically said truth is reliant on someone believing something. He came across more as a political propagandist than a philosopher.
FWIW the definition of truth that works for me is 'that which does not change'.
There's more to it than that — Michael Millerman is a philosopher who has translated some of Dugin's stuff (which got him blacklisted from academia) and he has some interesting stuff to say. Right wing thought should not be written off lightly when it has such a massive influence
https://twitter.com/M_Millerman/status/1382442767129972736?s=20&t=-Dcl2n8iF676gaunYoROBw
Solved. Although I did expect the assassin/s to be discovered in a safe house decorated with framed portraits of Zelenskyy, wearing Saint Javelin T-shirts and in possession of explosives and a 1975 map of Moscow.
But tbf, she did bring her cat.
https://twitter.com/Flash43191300/status/1561725272587640832
To avoid suspicion Natalia Volk and her accomplice posed as a mother and daughter. In reality Natalia Vovk is a highly trained assassin skilled in bomb making and her accomplice is a midget disguised as a 12 year old girl.
Only an idiot would believe a mother would bring her 12 year old daughter along on a dangerous hit job.
The FSB have released a description of a tall brunette who bears an uncanny resemblance to Lara Croft accompanied by a 12 year old girl. The FSB have advised the public that the pair not to approached as they are both considered to be armed and dangerous highly trained top secret Western assassins. (The dermal filler in the older woman's lips prove her guilt as an agent of the decadent West).
Unfortunately the highly distinctive pair were able to slip past our vigilant border guards into Estonia. All is not lost, undercover FSB agents in Estonia armed with novichok tipped umbrellas have been alerted to be on the look out for the pair.
Alternatively:
Take your pick.
Sharma expelled. Gives press conference afterwards (will be up on various media soon), and at one point sort-of apologises. Remarkably, he claims that when he wrote his original piece for the Herald, he expected the PM to do his bidding the next day, and was surprised when that didn't happen. Clueless.
When pressed to give the worst examples of him being bullied, he again tells the story of the America's Cup event when he was kept waiting, and a reporter suggests that might be "disrespectful" but hardly "bullying". Again – that was the worst he could come up with.
His press conference was all a bit sad. The trouble in his office has been going on for 18 months apparently and it was probably well known around Parliament that he was struggling. My suspicion is that it has been weaponised by National and their Herald/NewsHub cronies as a distraction from the Uffindel nonsense. I hope the guy can resume his medical career eventually – and that such a possibility hasn't also been sabotaged by a political game where everyone in Labour is seen as a potential vector for an attack on Ardern.
Ibrahim Omer and Willow Jean-Prime. Two Labour MP's I respect..Highly
The People's Court is in session.
Gotta love their total lack of self-awareness. In the Ardern "dictatorship", the limp-wristed liberal courts allow basic rights like the accused having lawyers, innocent until proven guilty, habeas corpus, etc.
But not the freedom-lovers …
“The 'people’s court' is about to commence,” the speakers at Parliament declare. Chants of 'guilty' can be heard from the crowd. (NZME live updates)
Not to ignore the danger, but you sort of have to laugh. Brian Tamaki saying being in jail was "taxing." He didn't say "tithing."
And then suggesting that Hannah Tamaki be Speaker.
An angle on that is that we could have our own sort of Clarence and Ginni Thomas power couple. Hannah in the chair? Imagine where the decisions would be made! Mind you the black robe would suit her.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/parliament-protest-wellington-on-high-alert-as-group-converges-for-demonstration/KNSHJFDO3DTZOCGNN4GVU3GFDU/
Stuff also streaming it live….nowhere near as exciting as the last day of the previous protest.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300667959/live-antigovernment-protesters-gather-at-parliament
Dr…. Sharma drama ? Well this will all go exceedingly well !
Your penultimate and ultimate sentences – pure gold!
MiB are in town; where’s my Neuralyzer when I need it?
This is the future of water in NZ under Nact:
https://twitter.com/mikegalsworthy/status/1561598399790596100?s=20&t=r_SzHMN45BHIBAGFrQUyKA
This is the model that Labour/Green are building for Aotearoa:
https://twitter.com/We_OwnIt/status/1560998337561513985?s=20&t=r_SzHMN45BHIBAGFrQUyKA
This issue has a lot of the locals absolutely furious – and feeling helpless against the Tories uncaring callousness. Mentioned class action lawsuits to a couple of SNP and scot celeb profiles searching for answers… I hope the idea caught on.
Tourism operators on the entire English coastline, parents, and environmentalists should all band together and SLAM the bastards for every penny they're worth.
Regardless of the party, without the expertise, public acceptance and resource allocation the same problems exist….get rid of the politics and start talking pragmatics,
Politics and getting the message right are 100% necessary, before a sod gets turned. Practicalities such as money and planning depend on it
A great, upsetting, unsurprising article, dense with shocking detail.
Here's another about two men who set out to solve the crimes on the Windrush River and embarrassed the big water companies mightily, not that they cared to admit it – it's long, dense with fascinating detail and human action, reads like a very good thriller.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/aug/04/sewage-sleuths-river-pollution-slow-dirty-death-of-welsh-and-english-rivers
I thought works leaders were admonished for partying? Like the Finnish PM?
Different for the Aussies? How? Why?
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/aug/23/australian-prime-minister-anthony-albanese-skols-a-beer-at-gang-of-youths-concert
He’s male, she’s female. Misogyny at its best.
The Aussies shat on their best PM in my memory, Julia Gillard
The FARCwits at Parliament have a big chip on their shoulder about JA
Women have only had full human rights in the western world for 50 years or so, it may be an historical anomaly given the sordid history of our species
Ahh the Herald- remember the Woodstock in Wellington?
Their link describing the protest goes all Republicans remembering Jan 6 crossed with the Rainbow Connection. Or maybe the Uffindell dorm. In the business section for some odd reason. Perhaps down to the people funding it on the qt.
It’s not only that the next election is guna be for democracy as we know it, but also it is guna be so cringey.
Headline:
Dreamers, schemers and believers: The original riotous Wellington convoy protests
leadin thingy:
What a riot: Some were wild and young and free, others were old and angry and crazy.
Link to whatever is there. Premium like. Headline unchanged for now.