"The Government yesterday announced a $45 million investment in police on Wednesday, including $15.496 million for a new Tactical Response Model, an additional 78 constabulary staff and 28 intelligence analysts, and frontline training.
The Tactical Response Model will include Tactical Dog Teams and Tactical Prevention Teams with advanced training to undertake warrants and other work involving moderate risk. They will be "generally unarmed" unless specific deployment requires it.
"I want to be clear – the new Tactical Response Model is not Armed Response Teams," Williams said as the funding boost was unveiled.
"These officers will wear standard police uniforms, drive standard police vehicles, and will not be armed in their day-to-day duties. They will support frontline investigation and prevention teams and will focus on high-risk offenders, firearms, methamphetamine, and organised crime groups."
National began calling for the return of ARTs a few months ago after Police Commissioner Andrew Coster revealed violent criminal behaviour was ramping up, and offenders seemed to be more willing to use guns against police.
National's police spokesperson Simeon Brown said on Twitter it was "good" the Government was paying attention to the needs of police, but it looked like the ARTs were being introduced in "disguise". "This is good news for frontline officers but simply reinforces that the ARTs should never have been abandoned."
Police Association president Chris Cahill said the plan "falls short of the overwhelming call from our members for general arming", but he's willing to see how it goes: 'We are prepared to give this tactical response model an opportunity to deliver what our members so clearly need to police safely without the need for general arming.
It's a big ask, but all indications are that police and the Government are serious about a viable alternative between the status quo and an armed police service.'"
… … … …
I found this very interesting. Kind of DOES look to me like the Armed Response Teams, except that I gather they will only carry firearms by order on a case by case basis. Which may give local commanders some wriggle room.
While I personally hesitate to rush to support general arming of the police, having read of the alarming number of cases in recent times where officers have found themselves getting shot at and have been lucky to escape with their lives, I am wondering whether sole officers in patrol cars are too unsafe these days, and should perhaps be wearing their glocks on their hips while on duty.
But then an obvious downside could be that, alone, they may be too much at risk of having their firearm grabbed & used against them. There's no external safety catch on glock pistols. You just pull 'em & fire then, from what I've seen on YouTube gun-lovers' videos.
Some police officers may feel safer and behave differently – if arming NZ police becomes the norm then there will likely be a change in some criminal behaviour too.
Imho routine arming of NZ police would be a backward step – really sad if it’s necessary. #KiwiWayOfLife
No mention of firearms in this 2019 NZ police recruitment video.
Yes, the number of firearms in the possession of criminals is a problem, as is how they choose to use them.
My (uninformed/naive) concern is that some criminals may choose to use their guns more frequently if they know that police officers are routinely armed. I do hope that any 'arms race' (between police officers and criminals) will make the NZ police, and Kiwis in general, safer (or at least no less safe), but I have doubts.
The issue with armed police, as we have seen overseas is it becomes the " police protecting themselves from the public," instead of " the police protecting the public".
We have enough of that attitude from too many already.
Mainly from some of the younger police officers, I suspect.
Sadly, the days of minimum height restrictions & a calm, friendly, helpful manner being some of the principal police recruitment requirements are long gone.
As are the days of at least SOME police officers walking city & town streets, on the beat, when the public/community & the officers got to know & to generally trust each other.
Police officers are now too remote from their corporate-style executive management, & vice versa, I fear.
looks to me more like specialist full-time teams to focus on the big-bads in society. A model that has had mixed results in other police forces – fine until they build an esprit de corps of being "elite" and going for the "big busts" with "high threat levels".
Then they can end up taking down stupid teenagers with the aggression levels needed for arresting pablo escobar.
Well, I dunno what the answer is ensuring our police don’t get shot with no way to immediately defend themselves.
I wouldn’t take on the job of a police officer these days, even if I could.
I posted on other forum for a few years with a poster who’s got two daughters. The older one’s a GP, doing well for herself. He & their mum must have brought them up well because even tho he wasn’t keen the younger one’s a policewoman, in Auckland.
He said she sees a lot of really shitty stuff going on, but she still wants to do the job.
At the time we were posting about it, she’d already been stabbed with a screwdriver once – in South Auckland.
I’m sure I’d be worrying all the time if my “dad’s girl” was a policewoman.
If she's close enough to get stabbed, a gun won't be much help.
One of the good things NZ did was make the AOS largely supplemental to other routine police duties (used to be, anyway – dunno about these days). So they're frontline cops rather than being a sequestered unit where bad attitudes can brew.
But if the tactical response teams end up 9-5 warrant serving, they won't get that out-of-unit exposure.
Just spotted this, in today’s news. Very pertinent. Especially the embedded video of the Police Commissioner, talking about NZ’s criminals having more firearms, where they’re getting them from, & their being much more prepared to use them days.
Found this equally fascinating:
“Judge Russell Collins said a cultural report on Forde’s past and his addiction to meth “painted a pretty sad picture”, involving a childhood beset with violence and alcoholism.
The report, written by high-profile Mongrel Mob member Harry Tam, also said Forde had been subjected to reverse-racism as a Pākehā child raised in Flaxmere, and this had contributed to his becoming a criminal.
The judge said he understood Forde’s reasons for having the firearms, but that could not be accepted as a mitigating argument, and the public had no tolerance for this kind of offending.”
Interesting profile in NY Times ( yes, I know) about the 'other' Bronx progressive congressman that isnt AOC
Unlike AOC who was raised in Westchester suburbs and whos father was an architect Ritchie Torres grew up in a single parent household and worked at dead end minimum wage job.
'“I don’t hire ideologues or zealots,” he tells me on a walk through his district. “Most of the people in the South Bronx are practical rather than ideological. Their concerns are bread and butter, health and housing, schools and jobs.”
He goes off on an interesting tangent on one topic
'Torres is also particularly alarmed by the phenomenon that the Russian American evolutionary anthropologist Peter Turchin calls “elite overproduction.”
“We produce far more college graduates than there are elite positions for those graduates to occupy,” Torres observes. When those graduates find themselves deep in debt, shut out of the kinds of jobs they were promised and crushed by the cost of housing, “it is bound to have a radicalizing effect.”
“The possibility of an additional MIQ facility in Rotorua has created an unlikely political alliance – with National MP Todd McClay, Māori Party MP Rawiri Waititi and Labour List MP Tamati Coffey all united in opposition.
The unified voice from Rotorua’s three MPs comes in the wake of the joint head of managed isolation and quarantine, Megan Main, confirming Rotorua may host additional facilities.
…
Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick said it had been made “very clear” at a meeting with MIQ officials involving council, iwi, Lakes DHB and Rotorua Economic Development that “Rotorua cannot sustain any more MIQ facilities”.
“Our community has taken on its fair share of MIQ for some time now and we have accepted this at a time when we are also trying to rebuild our economy, and despite housing challenges that have required the use of accommodation stock to fulfil a critical need.”
“Running MIQ facilities impacts on local DHB, police and security resources, and those are resources our community misses out on and that therefore increase risk in these areas. We also need to retain capacity for visitors – which we currently still have.”
…
“Minister Hipkins announced at Wednesday’s 1pm press conference a decision on the location of new MIQ facilities would be announced soon, and his office told Stuff ‘this week, or next week at the latest.'”
… … … … … …
Might be best to look elsewhere, Chris. Wonder if he’ll conclude the same thing?
Maybe the Government could buy the hotels and use them for emergency housing. If they have spare space, those who need emergency housing from other parts of the country can be shipped in. How would the Rotorua luminaries react to that?
Maybe the suggestion can go ahead but the locals can stipulate where those housed come from. Step on down Hamish Walker.
Yes, Sasha, I know. I do sometimes use the Quotes Button on the toolbar.
Problem is my little iPad2 is 2011 -with a pretty small "RAM-brain" for some websites now. I find that after posting 1 or at best 2 comments, the iPad won't let me insert any more text into a new comment.
My workaround is to turn off Javascript in Settings. Then I can type as many comments as I like. BUT – No Javascript : No Toolbox. 😟
I can detect little sympathy in the wider public for poor vaccination rates in the Maori community.
At the end of the day, if Maori don't get vaccinated despite the resources being thrown at the vaccination effort and it is gangs largely made up of Maori that are acting as reservoirs of community covid then the political will to protect Maori communities in the medium term is going to be somewhere between none and less than none.
This political reality seems to elude some people, who will continue to insist on blaming everyone but the mirror when covid catastrophe envelopes the Maori community.
“Vaccination rates of Māori in Taranaki are improving as health providers push for more whānau to get the Covi-19 jab.
District Health Board statistics show that although Māori make up 15.6 percent of people eligible for Covid-19 vaccination in Taranaki, they have only received 10 percent of the shots given in the region.
But last week 1143 Māori had shots in Taranaki, making up 21 percent of all vaccinations in the region – double the previous rate.
It will take a sustained effort to catch up with non-Māori: despite last week’s doubling, the Māori share of all shots so far in Taranaki only gained slightly, from 9.7 percent to 10 percent by the end of the week.”
…. …. ….
Ae, it’s a bit of a mystery why Māori vax rates are still so low. There seem to have been lots of prominent Māori publicly encouraging whanau to get vaccinated. The Māori King arrived rather late to the party but has just recently put something out urging all Māori to get their jabs. Might have been waiting to get his first?
My tuakana (elder same-sex sibling) texted me on 21 August:
“Got mine over a month ago.
Out of the blue call from Māori Tui Ora!
Was due last week for second but heard on news … ring and delay so 7 weeks from first”
…
Well said Sanctuary. That catastrophe could be our undoing in that we settlers may well reap what we have sown ( because of our abysmal treatment of the indigenous people, for those who can't join the dots.).
Yes. I feed a four foot long NZ Native Longfin called Elvira too. I feed them off a 3′ long pointed stick. Meat or dog roll chunks.
Best for them not to arrive together.
Eli attacks Granville. It’s own damn fault. Silly young sod Granville arrived one day at the Eel Spot, where I feed them, behind Elvira, & decided to bite the end of her tail.
He was lucky to survive what happened next. Elvira’s a very BIG girl !
Elvira (below) is a four foot long NZ Native Longfin.
Ella is an even bigger NZ Native Longfin. Longer by about two more inches. I had them arrive for a feed side by side once. I had to work out how to tell them apart. Elvira has a black "beauty spot" on the port side of her dorsal fin, two inches back from where it starts.
"My" stream is pretty big. It would likely be called a river in some countries.
Sometimes it's full of eels – both types.
NZ Native Longfins are protected in all of Wellington's waterways.
That’s what I was thinking yesterday, after it happened.
“Geoscience Australia put the 9.15am quake’s magnitude – a measure of the energy released – at about 5.9. The quake’s epicentre was just south of Mansfield and about 10 kilometres below the Earth’s surface”
…
That’s pretty big. From all the fallen bricks I saw in some street on One News at 6, they’re lucky no one seems to have been injured.
The fallen bricks were, at least as I heard it, in Chapel St, Prahran. It is normally very busy but because of the pandemic the shops were closed. No open shops equals no people. Don't let anyone tell you that there is no good coming from Covid 19.
The proverbial saying 'every cloud has a silver lining' is used to convey the notion that, no matter how bad a situation might seem, there is always has some good aspect to it.
i watched many of the submissions to the Select committee on the BMDRR Bill yesterday.
of note a submission from NZ’s older “states women” including Phillips Bunkle and Sandra Coney. While supporting rights for transgender people, they are against gender self ID and are calling for a royal commission of enquiry into the issues around gender ideology. Their submission starts around 4 50
I am sure people wonder why I continue to post about these issues on the Standard. I do because there is almost a complete media black out on this Bill and almost without exception the only coverage fails to report about gender ideology in any sort of balanced way.
I was also struck by the unprofessional manner of many of the MPs on the committee.
the labour MP for Nelson, Rachel Boyack sat with her eyes closed through out one presentation that she was clearly opposed to. It was very obvious where the committee biases lay, smiling and affirming submissions they supported. Is this usual in select committees? It shouldn’t be. It should be for MPs to neutrally listen and ask relevant questions.
Beth from SUFW gave a great presentation and the micro aggression against her was palpable. Rather than ask questions about the points she raised, Deborah Russell attempted to undermine SUFW, by asking how many people supported them, DR then spoke about NCW and how they have more supporters. I didn’t realise a select committees job was to undermine people who took the time and had the guts to make a presentation. DR attempts back fired as SUFW were able to say200+ active members and over 5000 followers and while NCW have many thousands, very few people follow them on social media. No other submitters asked how many they represent.
[edited link to make it direct and permanent – weka]
The Select Committee's role isn't to uncritically accept what they hear and see from submitters. If submitters choose to submit they need to understand and accept that they will be engaged with and challenged by MPs as that is the nature of political debate.
I've always understood the job of the members of a Select Committee is to ask questions that enhance their understanding of the presenter's submission – points of clarification or follow-up. These people (BDMRR SC) showed no curiosity whatsoever and a couple of them were openly hostile to presenters (SUFW and SWS). This is not what we, taxpayers, pay them for. They need to understand that. The whole idea of this SC process is to substitute for a full and proper public consultation which almost no bill gets and none deserves more than this one.
Thank you for continuing to post about these issues Anker and Weka and others. I don't comment but I always read the posts and all the comments and share your concerns.
thanks so much for the headsup about the FOWL submission. Susan Middleton was outstanding. Ten fucking minutes vs Royal Commission of Inquiry.
I will try and put up a post on Saturday about this, probably a Women's Space post because I see the most important political issue at the moment is for women to have space to talk and organise.
That's fantastic Weka. Just a thought…..I wonder what you think about making this a open post? I.e. open for everyone to comment? I think if you did then men on this site might be more likely to read it.
Just re-read you post about women needing to talk and organise, so disregard what I said about an open post
Its is very significant when NZ Elder Statewomen call for a Royal Commission of Enquiry. Of course nothing in the media about this.
Sandra Coney and Philida Bunkle………For those of you not old enough to know these names google An unfortunate experiment at Greenlane Hospital.
ps Weka was not sure what was meant by your moderator’s comment? Just wanting to check, Cheers,
the link you put up went to the committee’s main FB page, not the page with the video on it. I changed the link so it went directly and people will still be able to find it in a week or a year.
They were exceedingly unprofessional. I get to speak next week and had been thinking of referencing the toxic atmosphere. I did not expect cheap 'gotcha' questions and even accusations of transphobia from Dr Kerekere. Why should anyone offer themselves to provide evidence with their obvious body language. I hope very much the chickens come home to roost on this topic and expose their shameful behaviour. I wrote this in the hope that they do. https://www.publicgood.org.nz/2021/09/23/jan-tinettis-millstone/
Great article Jan. Rachel Boyack unbelievable. It was a select committee to discuss a piece of legislation and RB raised the issue of constituents complaining about something SUFW alleging said in a talk they gave 3 months ago. If it bothered RB so much why didn’t she contacts SUFW to clarify. The complaints made weren’t even correct. SUFW doesn’t talk about women’s refuge in NZ………
I thought about the impact on democracy generally, and women's politics more specifically. I don't know what such committees are usually like, but this was a terrible example of consulation.
Thanks Nordy. I hadn't watched a select committee before, so I didn't know how it worked.
Beth from SUFW was up to the challange, although surely. the challange should be about the ideas submitted for the proposed legislation? No matter, Beth handled the challenge really well.
I agree Sacha about the number of FB followers is no substitute for a well reasoned position, which I think SUFW had. It was Deborah Russell who brought up SUFW membership numbers, although no other group was asked about this. It back fired on DR.
I would recomend anyone watch SUFW, Save NZ sport of Fowls presentations. All well reasoned.
I object to the legitimisation of a changed definition of the word woman , without much wider social debate.The invitation to make submissions is not good enough for such a radical shift..In effect, self sexID is about feelings rather than evidence.What does it mean to "feel" like a woman?Even I don't know and I've had 4 kids, suffered male violence, had painful periods, been discriminated and overlooked because of my sexThe bill amendment does not define what it means by sex or gender.That is far too sloppy
"What does it mean to "feel" like a woman?" I'm damned if I know either. There's nothing that I do or think or feel that's based on my gender. I just am. There's nothing that I do from one day to the next that is effected by my gender, other than the obvious physical attributes.
How does a transgender person 'know' what it feels like to be a woman when we can't identify it.
So true about the responses to a developing female body.The queasiness of being shoved into a corner by a family friend's male gut when no one was around
"Jeez, you're finally filling out"
And the shame of that, not being able to tell someone and be believed
Agree Francesca. They are legalising the changing definition of women and they are doing it by stealth and their is deafening silence by the media.
Having said that I heard SUFW interviewed on Magic Talk today. She was clear, articulate and you could hear the hosts disbelief as he asked questions to clarrify.
The vast majority don't know about these changes and there will be hell to pay for the Green and Labour MPs over this. My prediction.
Select Committees are great places to see the type of people we have as MPs and to see just how badly some of them react to having to sit there wasting their time listening to the Hoi Polloi ….. as some of them so obviously believe.
I have some concerns about the proposed Health changes – but that looks to be a selection of some excellently qualified key people on the boards.
The main thing will be to keep the boards focussed & not let changes get bogged down by unnecessarily bureaucratic middle management. Bureaucracies always grow becos:
Parkinson’s Fourth Law: “The number of people in any working group tends to increase irrespective of the amount of work to be completed.”
&
Parkinson’s Fifth Law: “If there is a way to delay an important decision, the good bureaucracy (or non-elected government officials), public or private, will find it.”
“Political views
Amy Adams describes herself as “socially liberal, economically conservative.” She considers herself a feminist and supported the Abortion Legislation Act 2020. She has defended abortion on the grounds of women’s reproductive rights and urged religious opponents of abortion reform to stop teaching that contraception is a sin.
Adams has also voted in favour of legalising same-sex marriage and legalising assisted dying for people with terminal illnesses.
As Minister of Justice, she wiped the convictions of men convicted of homosexual acts prior to the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1986, and apologised on behalf of the Government.” – Wikipedia
………………………………………
I don’t have a problem with Adams. She held a telecomms portfolio at one point. Two Labour Ministers have put her on the board. They presumably must believe she brings some useful skills & talents to the table?
The modelling from Te Punaha Matatini suggests that if 80 per cent of the 5+ population was fully vaccinated – around 75 per cent of the entire country – Covid-19 would still cause a serious death toll without other restrictions.
Hendy projects it would cause 60,000 hospitalisations and 7000 deaths over a one-year period.
If 90 per cent of the 5+ population was reached however – around 85 per cent of the full population – then deaths would drop to around 50 over a year.
Summarising:
80% eligible people vaccinated = 7000 deaths per year
For comparison, 27 deaths over 18+ months when vaccination rates were zero to begin with and the Delta variant did not exist from the outset. Not based on modelling, but on cold hard facts.
If vaccines remain effective against the virus or are reinforced with booster shots, if more than 90 percent of the population over the age of 5 is vaccinated and if moderate public health measures (like mandatory masking and improved ventilation) are put in place alongside a comprehensive testing, tracing and case isolation system, then the impact of the virus could be similar to an average flu year.
…
Masking and other widespread but less intrusive public health measures will help depress the R number and vaccines will still make a significant difference, reducing transmission by around 85 percent. But active testing for new cases, contact tracing of positive results, isolation of contacts and quarantine of Covid-19 cases will still be needed, the research has found.
Yup, no silver bullets unless new generation vaccines come around soon that provide lasting sterilising immunity against existing and future Covid-19 variants and possibly still dependent on a global elimination drive. We’re watching & creating the dawning of a New Brave World (not to mention CC).
Te Pūnaha Matatini modeller Professor Shaun Hendy said the cluster was clearly reaching towards the upper limit of expectations when it was detected in Auckland nearly a week ago.
Then they predicted 50 to 120 cases to have been circulating prior to the lockdown.
Now Hendy said a "best-case scenario" could see about 200 cases – greater than the outbreak in August last year – while it was possible the cluster could swell to 1000.
"It's very early to be making estimates because we don't yet know how effective alert level 4 is, but it is possible we could see 1000 cases before we close out this cluster.
"This does mean we will likely see level 4 held in place for several weeks more in the Auckland region.
I stopped searching at last year's US data because we still have loads of old people alive.
If someone needs to go to hospital because of an infectious respiratory disease, they're in deep trouble and going downhill. If they were getting better by themselves, they wouldn't need admitting. Hospitals can usually help, but if there are other factors like age or the patient has other conditions then the odds get worse.
It very much depends on the reason one goes to hospital, these days. Heart attacks? Bloody miracle workers compared to 20 years ago. Most cancers have amazeballs survival stats, too. But your liver or some acute respiratory thing? Still a tall order for a lot of people.
Ultimately, they want people to get vaccinated because they've chosen [my italics] to protect themselves and their community. That will be the main motivation used by the Government.
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Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The government’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
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The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
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Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII has hosted members of the Green Party Caucus at Tuurangawaewae Marae in Ngaaruawahia. The audience follows the King’s Hui-aa-Motu on 20 January, where more than 10,000 people gathered to discuss national ...
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He’s bringing ‘Sophie’ back, yeah. Goodshirt’s ‘Sophie’ music video is one of the most instantly recognisable New Zealand music videos of all time. Featuring a woman listening to the song on headphones while her entire house is burgled behind her, the video won the New Zealand music award for Best ...
.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2021/09/police-minister-poto-williams-insists-new-tactical-response-model-is-not-armed-response-teams.html
"The Government yesterday announced a $45 million investment in police on Wednesday, including $15.496 million for a new Tactical Response Model, an additional 78 constabulary staff and 28 intelligence analysts, and frontline training.
The Tactical Response Model will include Tactical Dog Teams and Tactical Prevention Teams with advanced training to undertake warrants and other work involving moderate risk. They will be "generally unarmed" unless specific deployment requires it.
"I want to be clear – the new Tactical Response Model is not Armed Response Teams," Williams said as the funding boost was unveiled.
"These officers will wear standard police uniforms, drive standard police vehicles, and will not be armed in their day-to-day duties. They will support frontline investigation and prevention teams and will focus on high-risk offenders, firearms, methamphetamine, and organised crime groups."
National began calling for the return of ARTs a few months ago after Police Commissioner Andrew Coster revealed violent criminal behaviour was ramping up, and offenders seemed to be more willing to use guns against police.
National's police spokesperson Simeon Brown said on Twitter it was "good" the Government was paying attention to the needs of police, but it looked like the ARTs were being introduced in "disguise". "This is good news for frontline officers but simply reinforces that the ARTs should never have been abandoned."
Police Association president Chris Cahill said the plan "falls short of the overwhelming call from our members for general arming", but he's willing to see how it goes: 'We are prepared to give this tactical response model an opportunity to deliver what our members so clearly need to police safely without the need for general arming.
It's a big ask, but all indications are that police and the Government are serious about a viable alternative between the status quo and an armed police service.'"
… … … …
I found this very interesting. Kind of DOES look to me like the Armed Response Teams, except that I gather they will only carry firearms by order on a case by case basis. Which may give local commanders some wriggle room.
While I personally hesitate to rush to support general arming of the police, having read of the alarming number of cases in recent times where officers have found themselves getting shot at and have been lucky to escape with their lives, I am wondering whether sole officers in patrol cars are too unsafe these days, and should perhaps be wearing their glocks on their hips while on duty.
But then an obvious downside could be that, alone, they may be too much at risk of having their firearm grabbed & used against them. There's no external safety catch on glock pistols. You just pull 'em & fire then, from what I've seen on YouTube gun-lovers' videos.
Bugger.
*You just pull 'em & fire them
(Dunno why the TS edit feature isn't coming up on my iPad any more after I post?)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_New_Zealand_police_officers_killed_in_the_line_of_duty
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/111880584/drumbeat-remains-for-permanent-arming-of-nz-police
Some police officers may feel safer and behave differently – if arming NZ police becomes the norm then there will likely be a change in some criminal behaviour too.
Imho routine arming of NZ police would be a backward step – really sad if it’s necessary. #KiwiWayOfLife
No mention of firearms in this 2019 NZ police recruitment video.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/108057755/new-police-recruitment-video-aims-to-attract-diverse-new-cops-such-as-sam-nugegoda
And just for information (NZ and Norway are adjacent in the list).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_firearm_use_by_country#New_Zealand
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/police-killings-by-country
Problem seems to be that our crims are routinely armed now, especially with the charming imports from Aus in recent years.
Yes, the number of firearms in the possession of criminals is a problem, as is how they choose to use them.
My (uninformed/naive) concern is that some criminals may choose to use their guns more frequently if they know that police officers are routinely armed. I do hope that any 'arms race' (between police officers and criminals) will make the NZ police, and Kiwis in general, safer (or at least no less safe), but I have doubts.
The targets however appear to be other gang members, not police, or the general public, That may well change if they are confronted by armed police.
An "arms race" is definitely possible. It has happened elsewhere.
The issue with armed police, as we have seen overseas is it becomes the " police protecting themselves from the public," instead of " the police protecting the public".
We have enough of that attitude from too many already.
Mainly from some of the younger police officers, I suspect.
Sadly, the days of minimum height restrictions & a calm, friendly, helpful manner being some of the principal police recruitment requirements are long gone.
As are the days of at least SOME police officers walking city & town streets, on the beat, when the public/community & the officers got to know & to generally trust each other.
Police officers are now too remote from their corporate-style executive management, & vice versa, I fear.
looks to me more like specialist full-time teams to focus on the big-bads in society. A model that has had mixed results in other police forces – fine until they build an esprit de corps of being "elite" and going for the "big busts" with "high threat levels".
Then they can end up taking down stupid teenagers with the aggression levels needed for arresting pablo escobar.
Well, I dunno what the answer is ensuring our police don’t get shot with no way to immediately defend themselves.
I wouldn’t take on the job of a police officer these days, even if I could.
I posted on other forum for a few years with a poster who’s got two daughters. The older one’s a GP, doing well for herself. He & their mum must have brought them up well because even tho he wasn’t keen the younger one’s a policewoman, in Auckland.
He said she sees a lot of really shitty stuff going on, but she still wants to do the job.
At the time we were posting about it, she’d already been stabbed with a screwdriver once – in South Auckland.
I’m sure I’d be worrying all the time if my “dad’s girl” was a policewoman.
If she's close enough to get stabbed, a gun won't be much help.
One of the good things NZ did was make the AOS largely supplemental to other routine police duties (used to be, anyway – dunno about these days). So they're frontline cops rather than being a sequestered unit where bad attitudes can brew.
But if the tactical response teams end up 9-5 warrant serving, they won't get that out-of-unit exposure.
.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/125538791/guns-bombs-and-ammo-found-at-gang-pad-for-protection
Just spotted this, in today’s news. Very pertinent. Especially the embedded video of the Police Commissioner, talking about NZ’s criminals having more firearms, where they’re getting them from, & their being much more prepared to use them days.
Found this equally fascinating:
“Judge Russell Collins said a cultural report on Forde’s past and his addiction to meth “painted a pretty sad picture”, involving a childhood beset with violence and alcoholism.
The report, written by high-profile Mongrel Mob member Harry Tam, also said Forde had been subjected to reverse-racism as a Pākehā child raised in Flaxmere, and this had contributed to his becoming a criminal.
The judge said he understood Forde’s reasons for having the firearms, but that could not be accepted as a mitigating argument, and the public had no tolerance for this kind of offending.”
😠
* these days.
Yeah, I'm just wary of heading to models that end up escalating that problem while being a sledgehammer to crack the nuts of less serious offending.
First Dog on the Moon has an important message from Mother Nature.
'
"Whatever you thought you would be doing at the end of the world, you are doing it right now"
FDOTM
"Get back on the comet you flew here on dickheads” made me larf.
Interesting profile in NY Times ( yes, I know) about the 'other' Bronx progressive congressman that isnt AOC
Unlike AOC who was raised in Westchester suburbs and whos father was an architect Ritchie Torres grew up in a single parent household and worked at dead end minimum wage job.
'“I don’t hire ideologues or zealots,” he tells me on a walk through his district. “Most of the people in the South Bronx are practical rather than ideological. Their concerns are bread and butter, health and housing, schools and jobs.”
He goes off on an interesting tangent on one topic
'Torres is also particularly alarmed by the phenomenon that the Russian American evolutionary anthropologist Peter Turchin calls “elite overproduction.”
“We produce far more college graduates than there are elite positions for those graduates to occupy,” Torres observes. When those graduates find themselves deep in debt, shut out of the kinds of jobs they were promised and crushed by the cost of housing, “it is bound to have a radicalizing effect.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/21/opinion/Ritchie-Torres-AOC.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPP3p2Dp52A
😆 Hahahahahaha!
That’s brilliant !
Crikey! Very funny. Lot of hard work there.
Good work
.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/126455787/rotoruas-three-mps-united-in-opposition-against-additional-miq-hotels-in-tourism-hub
“The possibility of an additional MIQ facility in Rotorua has created an unlikely political alliance – with National MP Todd McClay, Māori Party MP Rawiri Waititi and Labour List MP Tamati Coffey all united in opposition.
The unified voice from Rotorua’s three MPs comes in the wake of the joint head of managed isolation and quarantine, Megan Main, confirming Rotorua may host additional facilities.
…
Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick said it had been made “very clear” at a meeting with MIQ officials involving council, iwi, Lakes DHB and Rotorua Economic Development that “Rotorua cannot sustain any more MIQ facilities”.
“Our community has taken on its fair share of MIQ for some time now and we have accepted this at a time when we are also trying to rebuild our economy, and despite housing challenges that have required the use of accommodation stock to fulfil a critical need.”
“Running MIQ facilities impacts on local DHB, police and security resources, and those are resources our community misses out on and that therefore increase risk in these areas. We also need to retain capacity for visitors – which we currently still have.”
…
“Minister Hipkins announced at Wednesday’s 1pm press conference a decision on the location of new MIQ facilities would be announced soon, and his office told Stuff ‘this week, or next week at the latest.'”
… … … … … …
Might be best to look elsewhere, Chris. Wonder if he’ll conclude the same thing?
Where is the elsewhere ?
Rotorua has the hotels. Do they just let them rot and its tourism industry accomodation will just grow again like a new forest….yeah over 20 years!
Ah, what to do?
Maybe the Government could buy the hotels and use them for emergency housing. If they have spare space, those who need emergency housing from other parts of the country can be shipped in. How would the Rotorua luminaries react to that?
Maybe the suggestion can go ahead but the locals can stipulate where those housed come from. Step on down Hamish Walker.
Gezza, have you tried the Quotes button on the editor toolbar? Easy way to show what is from the article and what your own comments are.
Test
Yes, Sasha, I know. I do sometimes use the Quotes Button on the toolbar.
Problem is my little iPad2 is 2011 -with a pretty small "RAM-brain" for some websites now. I find that after posting 1 or at best 2 comments, the iPad won't let me insert any more text into a new comment.
My workaround is to turn off Javascript in Settings. Then I can type as many comments as I like. BUT – No Javascript : No Toolbox. 😟
I'm trying different layouts eg … … … … dotted lines
to see if that visually helps demarcate any "quoted text" from my free text.
Sounds frustrating Gezza.
Not really as frustrating as it sounds, Sasha.
roblogic suggested the workaround to me a week or so ago – was having the same problem with his(?) iPad – a more recent one.
It only takes 2 or 3 seconds to open Settings, turn JS off, & refresh Safari.
Then I just leave it like that unless I need to re-enable Javascript to play & watch a video, for example.
PS: Apologies – just noticed your monicker is correctlly spelt Sacha.
Thank you.
I can detect little sympathy in the wider public for poor vaccination rates in the Maori community.
At the end of the day, if Maori don't get vaccinated despite the resources being thrown at the vaccination effort and it is gangs largely made up of Maori that are acting as reservoirs of community covid then the political will to protect Maori communities in the medium term is going to be somewhere between none and less than none.
This political reality seems to elude some people, who will continue to insist on blaming everyone but the mirror when covid catastrophe envelopes the Maori community.
16 Sept 2021: Stuff :
“Vaccination rates of Māori in Taranaki are improving as health providers push for more whānau to get the Covi-19 jab.
District Health Board statistics show that although Māori make up 15.6 percent of people eligible for Covid-19 vaccination in Taranaki, they have only received 10 percent of the shots given in the region.
But last week 1143 Māori had shots in Taranaki, making up 21 percent of all vaccinations in the region – double the previous rate.
It will take a sustained effort to catch up with non-Māori: despite last week’s doubling, the Māori share of all shots so far in Taranaki only gained slightly, from 9.7 percent to 10 percent by the end of the week.”
…. …. ….
Ae, it’s a bit of a mystery why Māori vax rates are still so low. There seem to have been lots of prominent Māori publicly encouraging whanau to get vaccinated. The Māori King arrived rather late to the party but has just recently put something out urging all Māori to get their jabs. Might have been waiting to get his first?
My tuakana (elder same-sex sibling) texted me on 21 August:
“Got mine over a month ago.
Out of the blue call from Māori Tui Ora!
Was due last week for second but heard on news … ring and delay so 7 weeks from first”
…
And we’re not even Māori ! 😳
Well said Sanctuary. That catastrophe could be our undoing in that we settlers may well reap what we have sown ( because of our abysmal treatment of the indigenous people, for those who can't join the dots.).
Perhaps listen to the likes of Hone Harawira to get a view from a different lens.
Thank you gsays.
This is Granville, in my stream. A 3 foot long Australasian Shortfin eel. He's a beautiful colour – yellow & green. And a very personable tuna.
https://i.imgur.com/RMnFCWf.gif
Yes. They certainly can see you and rise up to be near the surface…you must be feeding him/her
Yes. I feed a four foot long NZ Native Longfin called Elvira too. I feed them off a 3′ long pointed stick. Meat or dog roll chunks.
Best for them not to arrive together.
Eli attacks Granville. It’s own damn fault. Silly young sod Granville arrived one day at the Eel Spot, where I feed them, behind Elvira, & decided to bite the end of her tail.
He was lucky to survive what happened next. Elvira’s a very BIG girl !
I think in some southern lakes they have a giant variant- the NZ longfin
Yes, so do we up in the North Island.
Elvira (below) is a four foot long NZ Native Longfin.
Ella is an even bigger NZ Native Longfin. Longer by about two more inches. I had them arrive for a feed side by side once. I had to work out how to tell them apart. Elvira has a black "beauty spot" on the port side of her dorsal fin, two inches back from where it starts.
"My" stream is pretty big. It would likely be called a river in some countries.
Sometimes it's full of eels – both types.
NZ Native Longfins are protected in all of Wellington's waterways.
Best you don't tell Elvira about eel-rents.
https://historiacartarum.org/eel-rents-project/
Good heavens !
No, joe. I wouldn't want to do anything to ruin our beautiful relationship!
https://vimeo.com/403093791
There's a creepy man's face peering out of the mud at 7 seconds. And again at the end.
.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/300413783/scientists-say-victoria-quake-probably-caused-by-tectonic-pressure-from-nz
That’s what I was thinking yesterday, after it happened.
“Geoscience Australia put the 9.15am quake’s magnitude – a measure of the energy released – at about 5.9. The quake’s epicentre was just south of Mansfield and about 10 kilometres below the Earth’s surface”
…
That’s pretty big. From all the fallen bricks I saw in some street on One News at 6, they’re lucky no one seems to have been injured.
I did not realise it was their biggest quake in Melbourne since colonisation until an Australian tv reporter said it on the tvnz breakfast show.
If you have any friends in Melbourne I suggest that you send them a link to this site. It provides a record of all the earthquakes that happen.
https://earthquaketrack.com/p/new-zealand/recent?mag_filter=5
I asked for earthquakes greater than 5 on the North Island East Coast. There are lots of them.
Then you tell your Melburnian mates that a 5.8 is nothing at all. People wouldn't even get up from their chair for that.
The fallen bricks were, at least as I heard it, in Chapel St, Prahran. It is normally very busy but because of the pandemic the shops were closed. No open shops equals no people. Don't let anyone tell you that there is no good coming from Covid 19.
Tru dat.
Gawd. Didn’t expect I’d need to a grammar check on that website! 😰
What is the world coming to these days ! I blame the education dept.
Yes. ONE building has the part of the parapet collapse and into a side street off a well known shopping strip.
Considering the vast swaths of the city in Victorian era unreinforced brick buildings- which they still build with today- Im very surprised.
Good job, it’s time we were able to put some pressure on them instead of vice versa.
of note a submission from NZ’s older “states women” including Phillips Bunkle and Sandra Coney. While supporting rights for transgender people, they are against gender self ID and are calling for a royal commission of enquiry into the issues around gender ideology. Their submission starts around 4 50
I am sure people wonder why I continue to post about these issues on the Standard. I do because there is almost a complete media black out on this Bill and almost without exception the only coverage fails to report about gender ideology in any sort of balanced way.
I was also struck by the unprofessional manner of many of the MPs on the committee.
the labour MP for Nelson, Rachel Boyack sat with her eyes closed through out one presentation that she was clearly opposed to. It was very obvious where the committee biases lay, smiling and affirming submissions they supported. Is this usual in select committees? It shouldn’t be. It should be for MPs to neutrally listen and ask relevant questions.
Beth from SUFW gave a great presentation and the micro aggression against her was palpable. Rather than ask questions about the points she raised, Deborah Russell attempted to undermine SUFW, by asking how many people supported them, DR then spoke about NCW and how they have more supporters. I didn’t realise a select committees job was to undermine people who took the time and had the guts to make a presentation. DR attempts back fired as SUFW were able to say200+ active members and over 5000 followers and while NCW have many thousands, very few people follow them on social media. No other submitters asked how many they represent.
[edited link to make it direct and permanent – weka]
The Select Committee's role isn't to uncritically accept what they hear and see from submitters. If submitters choose to submit they need to understand and accept that they will be engaged with and challenged by MPs as that is the nature of political debate.
And the number of Facebook followers a submitter has is no substitute for a well-reasoned position.
Oh, yes, but a social media megaphone does help spreading beliefs and opinions 24/7 straight onto people’s Apple Watches.
Luckily their position was well reasoned and well evidenced as well as being eloquently delivered.
Lucky for some.
I've always understood the job of the members of a Select Committee is to ask questions that enhance their understanding of the presenter's submission – points of clarification or follow-up. These people (BDMRR SC) showed no curiosity whatsoever and a couple of them were openly hostile to presenters (SUFW and SWS). This is not what we, taxpayers, pay them for. They need to understand that. The whole idea of this SC process is to substitute for a full and proper public consultation which almost no bill gets and none deserves more than this one.
Thank you for continuing to post about these issues Anker and Weka and others. I don't comment but I always read the posts and all the comments and share your concerns.
Thanks Pingao. That really helps to know.!
thanks so much for the headsup about the FOWL submission. Susan Middleton was outstanding. Ten fucking minutes vs Royal Commission of Inquiry.
I will try and put up a post on Saturday about this, probably a Women's Space post because I see the most important political issue at the moment is for women to have space to talk and organise.
Best wishes with this.
@ weka
Ditto.
That's fantastic Weka. Just a thought…..I wonder what you think about making this a open post? I.e. open for everyone to comment? I think if you did then men on this site might be more likely to read it.
Just re-read you post about women needing to talk and organise, so disregard what I said about an open post
Sandra Coney and Philida Bunkle………For those of you not old enough to know these names google An unfortunate experiment at Greenlane Hospital.
ps Weka was not sure what was meant by your moderator’s comment? Just wanting to check, Cheers,
the link you put up went to the committee’s main FB page, not the page with the video on it. I changed the link so it went directly and people will still be able to find it in a week or a year.
Thanks very much. The conversion practices prohibition bill is underway too. Again there are some serious problems. Migt you be interested in an open letter that I have written to Dr Ayesha Verrall as a post for discussion. It's here. https://www.publicgood.org.nz/wp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Letter-to-Dr-Ayesha-Verrall.pdf
They were exceedingly unprofessional. I get to speak next week and had been thinking of referencing the toxic atmosphere. I did not expect cheap 'gotcha' questions and even accusations of transphobia from Dr Kerekere. Why should anyone offer themselves to provide evidence with their obvious body language. I hope very much the chickens come home to roost on this topic and expose their shameful behaviour. I wrote this in the hope that they do. https://www.publicgood.org.nz/2021/09/23/jan-tinettis-millstone/
I thought about the impact on democracy generally, and women's politics more specifically. I don't know what such committees are usually like, but this was a terrible example of consulation.
Thanks Nordy. I hadn't watched a select committee before, so I didn't know how it worked.
Beth from SUFW was up to the challange, although surely. the challange should be about the ideas submitted for the proposed legislation? No matter, Beth handled the challenge really well.
I agree Sacha about the number of FB followers is no substitute for a well reasoned position, which I think SUFW had. It was Deborah Russell who brought up SUFW membership numbers, although no other group was asked about this. It back fired on DR.
I would recomend anyone watch SUFW, Save NZ sport of Fowls presentations. All well reasoned.
I object to the legitimisation of a changed definition of the word woman , without much wider social debate.The invitation to make submissions is not good enough for such a radical shift..In effect, self sexID is about feelings rather than evidence.What does it mean to "feel" like a woman?Even I don't know and I've had 4 kids, suffered male violence, had painful periods, been discriminated and overlooked because of my sexThe bill amendment does not define what it means by sex or gender.That is far too sloppy
"What does it mean to "feel" like a woman?" I'm damned if I know either. There's nothing that I do or think or feel that's based on my gender. I just am. There's nothing that I do from one day to the next that is effected by my gender, other than the obvious physical attributes.
How does a transgender person 'know' what it feels like to be a woman when we can't identify it.
Just found this. It's excellent
https://www.feministcurrent.com/2018/07/07/feeling-like-woman/
“Woman” is not a feeling. “Woman” just is.
Thanks Brigid
That was great!
So true about the responses to a developing female body.The queasiness of being shoved into a corner by a family friend's male gut when no one was around
"Jeez, you're finally filling out"
And the shame of that, not being able to tell someone and be believed
Because
'he was just being friendly'
Never ever occurred to any of them just how disgusted and revolted we were. And somehow we blamed ourselves!!
Jesus effing bloody christ
Exactly!
Thank you for that
Agree Francesca. They are legalising the changing definition of women and they are doing it by stealth and their is deafening silence by the media.
Having said that I heard SUFW interviewed on Magic Talk today. She was clear, articulate and you could hear the hosts disbelief as he asked questions to clarrify.
The vast majority don't know about these changes and there will be hell to pay for the Green and Labour MPs over this. My prediction.
Select Committees are great places to see the type of people we have as MPs and to see just how badly some of them react to having to sit there wasting their time listening to the Hoi Polloi ….. as some of them so obviously believe.
Govt appoints the initial boards of peak new sector organisations Health NZ and the Māori Health Authority – some solid people named. https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/expert-group-appointed-lead-new-zealand%E2%80%99s-future-health-system
I have some concerns about the proposed Health changes – but that looks to be a selection of some excellently qualified key people on the boards.
The main thing will be to keep the boards focussed & not let changes get bogged down by unnecessarily bureaucratic middle management. Bureaucracies always grow becos:
Parkinson’s Fourth Law: “The number of people in any working group tends to increase irrespective of the amount of work to be completed.”
&
Parkinson’s Fifth Law: “If there is a way to delay an important decision, the good bureaucracy (or non-elected government officials), public or private, will find it.”
Some excellently qualified people and Amy Adams
“Political views
Amy Adams describes herself as “socially liberal, economically conservative.” She considers herself a feminist and supported the Abortion Legislation Act 2020. She has defended abortion on the grounds of women’s reproductive rights and urged religious opponents of abortion reform to stop teaching that contraception is a sin.
Adams has also voted in favour of legalising same-sex marriage and legalising assisted dying for people with terminal illnesses.
As Minister of Justice, she wiped the convictions of men convicted of homosexual acts prior to the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1986, and apologised on behalf of the Government.” – Wikipedia
………………………………………
I don’t have a problem with Adams. She held a telecomms portfolio at one point. Two Labour Ministers have put her on the board. They presumably must believe she brings some useful skills & talents to the table?
Adams was a competent Minister. She also has rural networks which is a big qualification for that role.
Fresh Covid modelling by Shaun Hendy shows big impact of vaccination levels. https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300414146/covid19-nz-modelling-suggests-7000-deaths-in-a-year-even-with-75-per-cent-of-country-jabbed
Summarising:
That’s a MASSIVE difference !
Wonder how reliable the modelling is tho.
For comparison, 27 deaths over 18+ months when vaccination rates were zero to begin with and the Delta variant did not exist from the outset. Not based on modelling, but on cold hard facts.
The facts are based on natural selection,hence the difficulty with the laws of chance.
I think those new numbers are without lockdowns. More detail that I have not read yet: https://www.newsroom.co.nz/modelling-thousands-of-deaths-without-high-vaccination-rates
Yup, no silver bullets unless new generation vaccines come around soon that provide lasting sterilising immunity against existing and future Covid-19 variants and possibly still dependent on a global elimination drive. We’re watching & creating the dawning of a New Brave World (not to mention CC).
Core numbers
https://twitter.com/marcdaalder/status/1440846815000084481
Hendry's modelling of Covid in NZ has been pretty impressive. On the 24th August at the beginning the current outbreak his modelling forecast the outbreak could top 1000 cases.
So around 12% of hospitalisations result in death? Seems high.
Not that high really.
I stopped searching at last year's US data because we still have loads of old people alive.
If someone needs to go to hospital because of an infectious respiratory disease, they're in deep trouble and going downhill. If they were getting better by themselves, they wouldn't need admitting. Hospitals can usually help, but if there are other factors like age or the patient has other conditions then the odds get worse.
It very much depends on the reason one goes to hospital, these days. Heart attacks? Bloody miracle workers compared to 20 years ago. Most cancers have amazeballs survival stats, too. But your liver or some acute respiratory thing? Still a tall order for a lot of people.
Transcript by Brittney Deguara of Live update on 23 Sep. 21
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/300413679/covid19-live-15-new-community-cases-in-auckland-government-releases-new-vaccine-modelling
That's a pretty impressive AB 23 picked for the 100th test with the Boks.
Bring it on boys and give them a hiding.
Depth at hooker, largely forgotten about Laumape with the steadiness of Havili and Ioane in the centres and Barrett looking good at 10.
Here is an interesting take on the great foe.
https://www.theroar.com.au/2021/09/22/how-the-springboks-hit-an-english-speed-bump-at-suncorp/amp/