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.
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 27 were:1. The Minister for Ford Rangers strikes againTransport Minister Simeon Brown was again the busiest of the Cabinet ministers this week, announcing an ...
You got a fast carAnd I want a ticket to anywhereMaybe we make a dealMaybe together we can get somewhereAny place is betterYesterday’s newsletter, Trust In Me, on the report of abuse in state care, and by religious organisations, between 1950 and 2019, coupled with the hypocrisy of Christopher Luxon ...
New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Carereport released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced$802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Carereport in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquirypublished its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone iconon the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive:Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloittereport for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’sOliver LewisScoop:Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announcedthe Board of Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Orderimage, ...
Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
Waiting In The Wings:For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSAannounced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
Te Rangi e tu nei (The sky above us) Te Papa e takoto nei (The land beneath us) Tatou katoa te hunga ora (To us all the living) Tena koutou katoa (Greetings) ...
A late change to charter school legislation will cheat educators out of fair pay and negotiating power proving charter schools are just a vehicle to make profit out of our education system. ...
In 2004 te iwi Māori rallied against the Crown’s attempt to confiscate our coastlines and moana with the Foreshore and Seabed Act. This led to the largest hīkoi of a generation and the birth of Te Pāti Māori. 20 years later, history is repeating itself. Today the government has announced ...
It has been five and a half years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was established to investigate the abuse of children, young people, and vulnerable adults within state and faith-based institutions. Yesterday, the final report - Whanaketia through pain and trauma, from darkness to light ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to take action off the back of the International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. ...
On Friday the International Court of Justice reaffirmed what Palestinian’s have been telling us for decades: that the occupation and colonisation of Palestinian lands by Israel is illegal and must end immediately. They also called for reparations for Palestinian’s who have lived under Israeli occupation since it began in 1967. ...
Labour calls on the Government to act after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories is illegal. ...
The 53.7 percent rise in benefit sanctions over the last year is more proof of this Government’s disdain for our communities most in need of support. ...
Aotearoa could be a country where every child grows up feeling safe, loved and with a sense of belonging in their whānau and community. But for some of our children, this is far from reality. Instead, they are trapped in a maze of intergenerational harm that they can’t escape on ...
Te Pāti Māori are calling for David Seymour to resign as Associate Health Minister in response to his call for Pharmac to ignore the Treaty of Waitangi. “This announcement is just another example of the government’s anti-Tiriti, anti-Māori agenda.” Said Co-leader and spokesperson for health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “Seymour thinks it ...
The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country - with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent on average while annual inflation is at 3.3 per cent. ...
National’s Emissions Reduction Plan will take New Zealand further from the economy we need to ensure the next generation has a stable climate and secure livelihoods. ...
Following consultation with named parties and thorough consideration of privacy interests, the Green Party is in a position to release the Executive Summary of the final report from the independent investigation into Darleen Tana. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should be asking serious questions of his Minister for Resources Shane Jones now it’s been revealed he misled the public about a dinner with mining companies that he didn’t declare and said wasn’t pre-arranged. ...
Te Pāti Māori have submitted to the Justice Select Committee against the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill. The bill will further entrench racism in our justice system and fails to focus on rehabilitation. “Reinstating Three Strikes will empower a systematically racist system and exacerbate the overrepresentation of Māori in ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is set to make a determination on the Residential Tenancies Amendment (RTA) Bill in the coming weeks. “This legislation will give landlords the power to kick our whānau out onto the street for no reason” said Housing spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “Their solution to the housing ...
“National’s campaign was about tackling crime and the best they can do is a two-year long Ministerial Advisory Group,” Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
“There are more examples of charter schools failing their students than there are success stories. The coalition Government is driving to dismantle our public school system and instead promote a privatised, competitive structure that puts profits before kids,” Jan Tinetti said. ...
“This government is choosing to deliberately mislead and withhold information, keeping our people in the dark about this government’s agenda and the future of our mokopuna,” said co-leader and spokesperson for Health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The call comes after the demand from the Chief Ombudsman that Associate Minister of Health, Casey ...
“Today’s climate announcement by Simon Watts makes clear the National Government is simply paying lip service to meeting its climate change targets,” Megan Woods said. ...
National is choosing to make life harder for workers by taking away the rights our communities have fought hard for. Here's how they’re taking workers backwards. ...
Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue. We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views. “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
Tēnā tātou katoa, Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts. “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet. “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks. “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. At the heart of this report are the ...
For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024. “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane. “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says. “This will be our third visit to ...
Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum. While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation. “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan. “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
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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.![angry angry](https://cdn2.thestandard.org.nz/wp-content/plugins/ark-wysiwyg-comment-editor/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/angry_smile.png?x42494)
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.![smiley smiley](https://cdn2.thestandard.org.nz/wp-content/plugins/ark-wysiwyg-comment-editor/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/regular_smile.png?x42494)
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!
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![smiley smiley](https://cdn2.thestandard.org.nz/wp-content/plugins/ark-wysiwyg-comment-editor/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/regular_smile.png?x42494)
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/
![](https://www.footprintnetwork.org/content/uploads/2022/06/2022_Past_EOD_en_sm.jpg)
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.![smiley smiley](https://cdn2.thestandard.org.nz/wp-content/plugins/ark-wysiwyg-comment-editor/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/regular_smile.png?x42494)
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
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.