Yep, nice article. Today is the first day of my precious 2 1/2 weeks with daughters. They live with their mum at the other end of North Island and seeing them walk off the plane yesterday afternoon I had a double take – suddenly at 11 & 13 they are no longer just my little girls but increasingly confident young ladies. One begins her “middle year” of a fantastic integrated school, the youngest having just finished primary will join her. Both doing well socially and academically. We’ll go camping for 2 weeks at a place that I almost grew up – 50 years ago my first visit. Their grandparents & family friends will be there, as will the babies of the children I remember climbing their first trees. The girls will “hold the bag” as their Grandfather & I attempt to catch some crays the old Maori way, we’ll teach them perhaps how to catch them too, as my father did for me in the same place. I’m looking forward to a wonderful, happy & peaceful break after a big year, and even though I think that most on this site are wrong-headed and quite nasty I’ll wish the same for them.
The thing is…and I’m mindful that for these Yanks the concept of a Publicly Funded Health and Disability System is foreign…the video presents a picture that for an increasing number of New Zealanders doesn’t actually exist.
I’m thinking to myself: 22 hours per week represents a hell of a lot of ECT sessions for a group of elderly, vulnerable hospitalized people. I took a look at the “Office of the Director Of Mental Health Annual Report 2016” https://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/publications/office-of-the-director-of-mental-health-annual-report-2016v4_0.pdf
Statistics related to ECT administration for 2016 are covered on pages 59-65.
What stands out most is the massively greater number of females (156) than males (95) given ECT, and also that the 70-74 age group contains the highest number (33) of people receiving ECT of any age group. Raises a lot of questions for me…
[It’s not my purpose (at this time) to critique ECT; however I note ongoing claims from some of the psychiatric establishment that ECT is “lifesaving”. I can’t see how that claim can be anything more than mere speculation, and I’m being charitable here.]
From memory, Dunedin historically has had a significantly higher rate of ECT usage than the rest of the country. If that is still going on, that’s fucked up.
I’m really ok with critiquing ECT, there are major issues with its use in the past as a tool of oppression, and I’m not convinced we are passed that yet. Haven’t looked at this issue for some time but much of my criticism would be that the medical model used by psychiatry and society is why so many people end up in a situation where ECT is being considered. Plus, as you mention, the gender and age disparities.
“There is no question that women can find themselves in severe emotional distress and in need of help. And there is no question that most practitioners who administer ECT are more or less convinced that they are helping, for they are fashioned by the psychiatric profession and its norms. Nonetheless, as this article demonstrated, electroshock is a part of the repertoire of the patriarchy; and it functions as a fundamental patriarchal assault on women’s brains, bodies, and spirits. It is an assault that has much in common with traditional battery. It is traumatizing, even traumatizing “patients” who only witness it. It controls women and, indeed, is used to control women. It combines with other forms of violence against women. It is a special threat to women who are severely violated. And is used to silence women. As such, its very use is a feminist issue.“
Another really scary statistic: Of the 251 people who were given ECT in New Zealand last year; 102 did not give consent. That number is made up of 92 who supposedly “did not have the capacity to consent” plus 10 who “had capacity and refused consent.”
Climate change will drive a huge increase in the number of migrants seeking asylum in Europe if current trends continue, according to a new study.
Which is something that I’ve been saying for years. As place become inhospitable due to increasing temperatures then people will leave. Fairly obvious when you think about it.
They concentrated the study on Europe but similar pressures will come to bear on other countries such as NZ.
Solomon Hsiang, professor at Berkeley, University of California, and author of a previous study linking conflict and climate change, who was not involved with the current research, said the world must prepare. “We will need to build new institutions and systems to manage this steady flow of asylum-seekers. As we have seen from recent experience in Europe, there are tremendous costs, both for refugees and their hosts, when we are caught flat-footed.”
Being prepared for the increase in refugees and immigration is something that we haven’t been doing either. Especially considering that NZ’s food production will be decreasing as the world warms.
In July, the Senate Judiciary Committee asked President Trump’s son, Donald Jr., for all communications between President Trump’s son and a number of others, including Stein.
Mass executions and the imprisonment of millions in an empire of forced labour camps should be celebrated because patriots.
//
We stand for organized terror – this should be frankly admitted. Terror is an absolute necessity during times of revolution. Our aim is to fight against the enemies of the Soviet Government and of the new order of life. We judge quickly. In most cases only a day passes between the apprehension of the criminal and his sentence. When confronted with evidence criminals in almost every case confess; and what argument can have greater weight than a criminal’s own confession?
Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared the infamous Soviet Cheka secret police “integral” to the country’s history and stated that those who served in the ranks of the Kremlin’s security forces were patriots.
To be fair, despite their many failings both Russia and the US have much to boast of, their rich histories and many scientific achievements being just some of them.
Which must be weighed against oppressive nationalist enterprises like Molotov/Ribbentrop, the Soviet genocides, the killing of half the Chechen population, the Citrus War, the mufti use of Russian regular forces in the Ukraine, the failure to implement the rule of law, cheating in elections and the murder of journalists and opposition politicians.
In the US the long history of invading third world nations and massacres there, political interference in South American countries like the imposition of Chicago school economics in Chile that wrecked that country as thoroughly as Rogergnomics wrecked NZ, failure to resolve race and law and order and corruption issues, and subverting important international institutions like the UN and World Bank to prevent them from performing the functions for which they were established every time some crooked American industrialist can make a bent penny out of it.
I’m not.
Russia has a terrible history and anyone in the west would know of it.
I just get bored of hearing how amazing America is. We don’t hear about the genocides it performed.
I just get bored of hearing how amazing America is.
And yet the person who raised the subject of the completely-irrelevant-to-this-topic country the United States of America was you. Maybe you should learn to let go?
Why narrow it down to comments about the Dork from New York? There’s been plenty of joe90 commentary about other things that are fucked up about the US. Starting from well before the terracotta turdface splattering onto the scene, IIRC.
Trump just seemed the obvious US alternative to Putin in this instance. But yeah, as usual, the extent to which Ed doesn’t know what he’s talking about is easily underestimated.
Well, you tell me. Seems like anyone who points out what a shit Putin is attracts rebuttals by left-wing authoritarians I can only assume are deeply confused (given that Putin’s a right-wing authoritarian). If those commenters haven’t picked a side, what’s the alternative explanation?
I saw that you claimed you were agreeing with him, yeah. What he and I both saw was something different: Joe90 posts about a current world leader praising the enforcers of a reign of terror arguably worse than the Nazis, and you respond with a comment that the US government kills people too. Hence the response re “whataboutism.” If Angela Merkel were quacking on about the heroic patriotism of the Gestapo and the Algemeine SS you’d probably have less trouble figuring out why “Yeah, but America…” responses would annoy people.
I have friends in Russian prisons, and I spoken about that on a regular basis.
I see no difference between the USA and Russia, both are capitalist scum bags. Both use hard and soft power to control their citizenry, and both play the empire game badly.
I would have thought on a site which supports worker rights or socialism in some form. A critique of both Russia and the USA was valid.
Sheesh a critique of marxism-leninism is always welcome, wouldn’t you say?
Are not debates meant to evolve, and take on a life of their own. But no, let’s shut down any debate by the latest newspeak buzzword. Last week “fake news” this week…
I reckon the old Stalinist regime outdoes the USA in terms of any mass execution of its own citizerny by factors containing a fair string of zeros. But the rate of imprisonment? And prison labour?
Throw in those plea bargains where innocent people are routinely ‘taking the hit’ because they are shit scared of what the US (so-called) justice system will land them with if it turns up a guilty verdict, and yeah…the results aren’t so different to what Dzerzhinsky’s quote describes.
And patriots? I don’t anyone need say anything about popular, mis-guided and dangerous patriotism where the US is concerned.
“Visibly moved, the President…..”
If it was not “visible” how would the journo have known he was moved?
Even stranger (on a bottle of contact lens cleaner) “…. this solution is visibly tinted.”
Mischievously I asked the chemist “if it was invisibly tinted would it be tinted?” She said “I guess not.”
“That time is his personal best.” Surely if its “his” its personal?
“Mrs Jones has given birth to a new baby.” Would be a shocker if she gave birth to an old one.
The crypto-currency craze will go the same way. They either prove themselves, or they will wither on the vine – they are pretending to be useful information record technology (various), usable currency and stores of value.
I am reminded of the 1985-86 doubling in our local bubble share market before the collapse. Then a dead cat bounce back to the 1986 high in 1987. Then another collapse – recovery here only came with the 2002 global monetary expansion and post GFC QE.
Back in the day bitcoin was 30 cents, then rose to $30, then collapsed to $3. This is the course of every upward expansion massive gains and massive corrections.
But because of growing publicity there are more “takers”, so the pyramid scheme continues and the continuing upward rise (more takers) gives the whole scam credibility – till there is market saturation (cue 1929 shoe-shine boy as investor story). At peak value the whole thing just exposes itself as another new tech bubble albeit hidden behind a crypto-currency front.
What its actual new tech value will be one factor then (like gold blockchain and other information storage tech it has its uses). But even that will be confused by posing it as an alternative store of value/currency to gold (worth a little over $1000 per ounce and it fluctuations are related to monetary expansion, inflation levels and concerns about the reliability of money in banks).
Trump has changed the "challenge coin":—The presidential seal is replaced by an eagle bearing Trump’s signature—The 13 arrows representing the original states are gone—The national motto, “E pluribus unum,” is replaced with “Make America Great Again”https://t.co/MeckemSi5W— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) December 22, 2017
Drummer of mediocre pop band thinks he’s an intellectual.
“You’re incredible!” sighs the Fox bimbette.
This insufferable blowhard says he speaks four languages. Don’t know about his Hebrew and his German, but in very bad Japanese, he tells the woman in this panel of admiring dopes: “You’re beautiful.”
Paul Stanley is actually the lead singer of Kiss, that overrated band with the creepy bass player Gene Simmons who brags about having had sex with thousands of woman. Simmons is an ego-maniac who just recently attempted to trademark a hand gesture he claimed he invented despite the fact people were using it long before he ever did.
Maybe you could walk around Hamilton wearing a sandwich board declaring your reckons that left voting men are what you say they are. Do the experiment and then see if a nurse could post the results here on your behalf.
Your mate Slater sure showed everyone how tough he was.
for A guy who doesn’t know that the guy at the front singing and playing a guitar isn’t the drummer for will forgive me for thinking you know less than nothing.
All that needs to be remembered about Kiss (and probably all that will be) is that once the makeup came off nobody listened to them any more….their popularity (bubblegummers) was in the marketing ,never the music.
“What says ‘peace and democracy’ more than
being shot dead from a helicopter by a prince?”
One way of shutting up awkward comedians is to send them off on a tour of Afghanistan and/or Iraq. They then feel obligated to say nothing but nice things about the Army. So instead of criticizing the aggression against Iraq as he had in 2003, Lewis Black became a fervent advocate of U.S. troops after being paid to go over there and “entertain” them. David Letterman and Al Franken were similarly muzzled after their trips to Iraq.
Similarly, the New Zealand comedian Mike King was willingly inveigled into becoming a part of the New Zealand government’s propaganda machinery, travelling to Afghanistan to “entertain the troops” and making a propaganda doco called Postcard from Afghanistan (“I’m just HOPING there’ll be no dramas of the TALIBAN kind!”)
Not all comedians can be bought, however. Like there are some honest politicians, and some honest journalists, there are still some honest comedians too. One of the best of them is Glasgow’s brilliant Frankie Boyle….
[From the beginning]…We had the Queen’s 91st birthday a couple of months ago. …. Why do they call the Queen “Her Majesty”? Is she majestic? Really? I think of an eagle as being majestic, not a shuffling old woman who hasn’t cracked a fucking smile since Diana died.
…..
[From 4:41]…. Prince William and Prince Harry have been fronting a campaign urging people to talk more about their mental health. They’ve been very well received, everybody thinks that this is a great idea. I wonder if Prince Harry ever spares a thought for the mental health of the families of the various shepherds that he gunned down from his twenty million pound death helicopter in Afghanistan. I wonder how he justifies that to himself. “I pictured Dodi’s face on every shepherd I killed! Every Arab we shot serves my mother in Hell! I know that Afghans aren’t Arabs, but I, Prince Harry in this joke, believe that they are!” That’s Britain, man, exporting peace and democracy to the world, and what says “peace and democracy” more than being shot dead from a helicopter by a prince?
Quote:
But global warming turned out not to be the only culprit behind the historic floods that overran Rasdiono’s bodega and much of the rest of Jakarta in 2007. The problem, it turned out, was that the city itself is sinking.
In fact, Jakarta is sinking faster than any other big city on the planet, faster, even, than climate change is causing the sea to rise – so surreally fast that rivers sometimes flow upstream, ordinary rains regularly swamp neighbourhoods and buildings slowly disappear underground, swallowed by the earth.
The main cause: Jakartans are digging illegal wells, drip by drip draining the underground aquifers on which the city rests – like deflating a giant cushion underneath it. About 40 per cent of Jakarta now lies below sea level.
Coastal districts, like Muara Baru, near the Blessed Bodega, have sunk as much as 14 feet in recent years.
At some stage we really have to ask how long we can continue to fool us to the forthcoming realities of loosing human habitat to a changed environment.
Might have to watch Waterworld again 🙂 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterworld
It is so hilarious watching these people try there stupid plays on me I read 99% of them they were trying there best tricks today. When I’m driving I just keep a gard up and ignore them it’s comical. Many thanks to my te puna for the sense to see there dum ass moves. What I also find comical is what bullshit they have come up with to carry on this farcical man hunt it should be
A big warning to everyone that one can be a good person and cross swords with the wrong person and you have the most of the police force trying to intimatedate you and run a smear campaign oppress you WTF. I say if the police are like this in New Zealand then most of the police around the world will be the same. Ana to kai
Finnish study reckons 100% renewable 2050 is achievable and cheaper.
Or we could burn the joint down.
Transitioning the world to 100 percent renewable electricity isn’t just some environmentalist pipe dream—it’s “feasible at every hour throughout the year” and is more cost-effective than the current system, which largely relies on fossil fuels and nuclear energy, a new study claims.
The research, compiled by Finland’s Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT) and the Berlin-based nonprofit Energy Watch Group (EWG), was presented Wednesday at the Global Renewable Energy Solutions Showcase, a stand-alone event coinciding with the COP 23 climate talks in Bonn, Germany.
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This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters For those puzzling over the various hurricane computer forecast models to figure out which one to believe, the best answer is: Don’t believe any of them. Put your trust in the National Hurricane Center, or NHC, forecast. Although an individual ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Scott Denning The excellent Julia Steinberger essay posted at this site in May provides a disturbing window into the psychology of teaching climate change to young people. It’s critically important to talk with youth about hard topics: love and sex, deadly contagion, school shootings, vicious ...
By Imogen Foote (Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington) A lack of consensus among international conservation regimes regarding albatross taxonomy makes management of these ocean roaming birds tricky. My PhD research aims to generate whole genome data for some of our most threatened albatrosses in a first attempt ...
Well, if that’s “minor” I’d be interested to see what a major reshuffle looks like.Jacinda Ardern has reminded New Zealand of the steel behind the spin in her cabinet refresh announced today. While the Prime Minister stressed that the changes were “triggered” by Kris Faafoi and Trevor Mallard and their ...
A company gives a large amount of money to a political party because they are concerned about law changes which might affect their business model. And lo and behold, the changes are dumped, and a special exemption written into the law to protect them. Its the sort of thing we ...
Active Shooters: With more than two dozen gang-related drive-by shootings dominating (entirely justifiably) the headlines of the past few weeks, there would be something amiss with our democracy if at least one major political party did not raise the issues of law and order in the most aggressive fashion. (Photo ...
Going Down? Governments also suffer in recessions and depressions – just like their citizens. Slowing economic activity means fewer companies making profits, fewer people in paid employment, fewer dollars being spent, and much less revenue being collected. With its own “income” shrinking, the instinct of most government’s is to sharply ...
In the 50 years since Norm Kirk first promised to take the bikes off the bikies, our politicians have tried again and again to win votes by promising to crack down on gangs. Canterbury University academic Jarrod Gilbert (an expert on New Zealand’s gang culture) recently gave chapter and verse ...
Misdirection: New Zealanders see burly gang members, decked out in their patches, sitting astride their deafening motorcycles, cruising six abreast down the motorway as frightened civilians scramble to get out of their way, and they think these guys are the problem. Fact is, these guys represent little more than the misdirection ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to announce its support urgently for a moratorium on deep sea mining under the high seas, after Pacific nations joined forces this week to demand change. ...
We’re committed to ensuring that there is every opportunity for women and girls to succeed in Aotearoa New Zealand, with fewer barriers. Since coming into Government, we’ve worked hard to support women and girls, by improving services like healthcare and tackling issues like the gender pay gap. Here are just ...
Political pressure from the Green Party has pushed the Government to supply free masks to kids and teachers in schools across Aotearoa New Zealand. ...
The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand and the European Greens have published a joint statement calling for the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement to support climate action, phase out fossil fuel subsidies, cut agriculture emissions, protect human rights, and uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to guarantee that it will complete light rail and improve walking, cycling, and bus journeys across Wellington before digging new high-carbon tunnels. ...
The Green Party is urging Oceans and Fisheries Minister David Parker to commit to stronger ocean protection around Aotearoa and on the high seas while at the United Nations Oceans Conference in Portugal this week. ...
A strong Green voice in Parliament has helped reduce the influence large secret money will have in future elections and finally ensured overseas New Zealanders will retain the right to vote even while stranded by the Pandemic. But, the Government needs to go further to ensure our democracy works for ...
A new poll shows that the majority of people back the Greens’ call on the Government to overhaul the country’s criminally punitive, anti-evidence drug law. ...
The US Supreme Court’s decision on abortion is a reminder that we must take nothing for granted in Aotearoa, the Green Party says. “Aotearoa should be a place where everyone, no matter where they are from, or who they love, can choose what is right for their body and their ...
We’re proud to have delivered on our election commitment to establish a public holiday to celebrate Matariki. For the first time this year, New Zealanders will have the chance to enjoy a mid-winter holiday that is uniquely our own. ...
Proposed new legislation to reduce the risk that timber imported into Aotearoa New Zealand is sourced from illegal logging is a positive first step but it should go further, the Green Party says. ...
On World Refugee Day, the Green Party is calling on the new Minister for Immigration, Michael Wood to make up for the support that was not provided to people forced to leave their home countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. ...
This week, we’ve marked a major milestone in our school upgrade programme. We've supported 4,500 projects across the country for schools to upgrade classrooms, sports facilities, playgrounds and more, so Kiwi kids have the best possible environments to learn in. ...
We’ve delivered on our election commitment to make Matariki a public holiday. For the first time this year, all New Zealanders will have the chance to enjoy a mid-winter holiday that is uniquely our own with family and friends. Try our quiz below, then challenge your whānau! To celebrate, we’ve ...
The Green Party says the removal of pre-departure testing for arrivals into New Zealand means the Government must step up domestic measures to protect communities most at risk. ...
The long overdue resumption of the Pacific Access Category and Samoan Quota must be followed by an overhaul of the Recognised Seasonal Employers (RSE) scheme, says the Green Party. ...
Lessons must be learned from the Government's response to the Delta outbreak, which the Ministry of Health confirmed today left Māori, Pacific, and disabled communities at greater risk. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to withdraw the proposed Oranga Tamariki oversight legislation which strips away independence and fails to put children at the heart. ...
European Commission President von der Leyen and Prime Minister of New Zealand Ardern met in Brussels on 30 June 2022. The encounter provided an opportunity to reaffirm that the European Union and Aotearoa New Zealand are longstanding partners with shared democratic values and interests, aligned positions on key international and ...
Export revenue to the EU to grow by up to $1.8 billion annually on full implementation. Duty-free access on 97% of New Zealand’s current exports to the EU; with over 91% being removed the day the FTA comes into force. NZ exporters set to save approx. $110 million per annum ...
57,000 EVs and Hybrid registered in first year of clean car scheme, 56% increase on previous year EVs and Non Plug-in Hybrids made up 20% of new passenger car sales in March/April 2022 The Government’s Clean Car Discount Scheme has been a success, with more than 57,000 light-electric and ...
Police Minister Chris Hipkins congratulates the newest Police wing – wing 355 – which graduated today in Porirua. “These 70 new constables heading for the frontline bring the total number of new officers since Labour took office to 3,303 and is the latest mark of our commitment to the Police ...
Members with a range of governance, financial and technical skills have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Board as part of the shift to strengthen the Bank’s decision-making and accountability arrangements. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act 2021 comes into force on 1 July 2022, with the establishment of ...
New Zealand to remain at Orange as case numbers start to creep up 50 child-size masks made available to every year 4-7 student in New Zealand 20,000-30,000 masks provided a week to all other students and school staff Extra funding to schools and early childhood services to supports better ...
Aotearoa New Zealand will join Ukraine’s case against Russia at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which challenges Russia’s spurious attempt to justify its invasion under international law. Ukraine filed a case at the ICJ in February arguing Russia has falsely claimed genocide had occurred in Luhansk and Donetsk regions, as ...
The Government has taken another step forward in its work to eliminate family violence and sexual violence with the announcement today of a new Tangata Whenua Ministerial Advisory Group. A team of 11 experts in whānau Māori wellbeing will provide the Government independent advice on shaping family violence and sexual ...
Te Mahere Whai Mahi Wāhine: Women’s Employment Action Plan was launched today by Minister for Women Jan Tinetti – with the goal of ensuring New Zealand is a great place for women to work. “This Government is committed to improving women’s working lives. The current reality is that women have ...
The food and fibre sector acknowledged its people and leadership at last night’s 2022 Primary Industries Good Employer Awards, a time to celebrate their passion towards supporting employees by putting their health, welfare and wellbeing first,” Acting Minister of Agriculture Meka Whairiti said. “Award winners were selected from an extraordinary ...
Kia ora koutou katoa. It is a rare thing to have New Zealand represented at a NATO Summit. While we have worked together in theatres such as Afghanistan, and have been partners for just on a decade, today represents an important moment for our Pacific nation. New Zealand is ...
Te Arataki mō te Hauora Ngākau mō ngā Mōrehu a Tū me ō rātou Whānau, The Veteran, Family and Whānau Mental Health and Wellbeing Policy Framework “We ask a lot of those who serve in the military – and we ask a lot of the families and whānau who support ...
Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs Aupito William Sio has been appointed by the United Nations and Commonwealth as Aotearoa New Zealand’s advocacy champion for Small Island States. “Aotearoa New Zealand as a Pacific country is particularly focused on the interests of Pacific Small Island Developing States in our region. “This is a ...
An estimated 100,000 low income households will be eligible for increased support to pay their council rates, with changes to the rates rebate scheme taking effect from 1 July. Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta has announced increases to both the maximum value of the rates rebate, and the income threshold ...
A long-standing physical activity programme that focuses on outcomes for Maori has been expanded to four new regions with Government investment almost doubled to increase its reach. He Oranga Poutama is managed by a combination of hapū, iwi, hauora and regional providers. An increase in funding from $1.8 million ...
The Government is progressing a preferred option for LGWM which will see Wellington’s transport links strengthened with light rail from Wellington Station to Island Bay, a new tunnel through Mt Victoria for public transport, and walking and cycling, and upgrades to improve traffic flow at the Basin Reserve. “Where previous ...
To Provost Muniz, to the Organisers at the Instituto de Empresa buenas tardes and as we would say in New Zealand, kia ora kotou katoa. To colleagues from the State Department, from Academia, and Civil Society Groups, to all our distinguished guests - kia ora tatou katoa. It’s a pleasure ...
On June 28, 2022, a meeting took place in Madrid between the President of the Government of the Kingdom of Spain, Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, and the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, who was visiting Spain to participate in the Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as one ...
A six-fold increase in the Aotearoa New Zealand-Spain working holiday scheme gives a huge boost to the number of young people who can live and work in each other’s countries, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says. Jacinda Ardern and Spanish President Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón made the Working Holiday/Youth Mobility Scheme announcement ...
A significant barrier has been removed for people who want to stand in local government elections, with a change to the requirement to publish personal details in election advertising. The Associate Local Government Minister Kieran McAnulty has taken the Local Electoral (Advertising) Amendment Bill through its final stages in Parliament ...
New financial conduct scheme will ensure customers are treated fairly Banks, insurers and non-bank deposit takers to be licensed by the FMA in relation to their general conduct Sales incentives based on volume or value targets like bonuses for selling a certain number of financial products banned The Government ...
Legislation that bans major supermarkets from blocking their competitors’ access to land to set up new stores paves the way for greater competition in the sector, Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Dr David Clark said. The new law is the first in a suite of measures the Government is ...
The Government has announced an end to the requirement for border workers and corrections staff to be fully vaccinated. This will come into place from 2 July 2022. 100 per cent of corrections staff in prisons, and as of 23 June 2022 97 per cent of active border workers were ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta has concluded a visit to Rwanda reaffirming Aotearoa New Zealand’s engagement in the Commonwealth and meeting with key counterparts. “I would like to thank President Kagame and the people of Rwanda for their manaakitanga and expert hosting of this important meeting,” Nanaia Mahuta said. “CHOGM ...
Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty officially launched the new Monitoring, Alerting and Reporting (MAR) Centre at the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) today. The Government has stood up the centre in response to recommendations from the 2018 Ministerial Review following the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake and 2017 Port Hills fire, ...
Transport Minister Michael Wood has welcomed the announcement that a 110km/hr speed limit has been set for the SH1 Waikato Expressway, between Hampton Downs and Tamahere. “The Waikato Expressway is a key transport route for the Waikato region, connecting Auckland to the agricultural and business centres of the central North ...
Following feedback from the sector, Associate Minister of Education Jan Tinetti, today confirmed that new literacy and numeracy | te reo matatini me te pāngarau standards will be aligned with wider NCEA changes. “The education sector has asked for more time to put the literacy and numeracy | te reo ...
$4.5 million to provide Ukraine with additional non-lethal equipment and supplies such as medical kit for the Ukrainian Army Deployments extended for New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) intelligence, logistics and liaison officers in the UK, Germany, and Belgium Secondment of a senior New Zealand military officer to support International ...
Changes to electoral law announced by Justice Minister Kiri Allan today aim to support participation in parliamentary elections, and improve public trust and confidence in New Zealand’s electoral system. The changes are targeted at increasing transparency around political donations and loans and include requiring the disclosure of: donor identities for ...
The Labour government has announced a significant investment to prevent and minimise harm caused by gambling. “Gambling harm is a serious public health issue and can have a devastating effect on the wellbeing of individuals, whānau and communities. One in five New Zealanders will experience gambling harm in their lives, ...
The Government has widened access to free flu vaccines with an extra 800,000 New Zealanders eligible from this Friday, July 1 Children aged 3-12 years and people with serious mental health or addiction needs now eligible for free flu dose. From tomorrow (Tuesday), second COVID-19 booster available six months ...
The Government is investing to create new product categories and new international markets for our strong wool and is calling on Kiwi businesses and consumers to get behind the environmentally friendly fibre, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said today. Wool Impact is a collaboration between the Government and sheep sector partners ...
At today’s commemoration of the start of the Korean War, Veterans Minister Meka Whaitiri has paid tribute to the service and sacrifice of our New Zealand veterans, their families and both nations. “It’s an honour to be with our Korean War veterans at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park to commemorate ...
Minister of Tourism Stuart Nash and Associate Minister of Tourism Peeni Henare announced the sixth round of recipients of the Government’s Tourism Infrastructure Fund (TIF), which supports local government to address tourism infrastructure needs. This TIF round will invest $15 million into projects around the country. For the first time, ...
Matariki tohu mate, rātou ki a rātou Matariki tohu ora, tātou ki a tātou Tīhei Matariki Matariki – remembering those who have passed Matariki – celebrating the present and future Salutations to Matariki I want to begin by thanking everyone who is here today, and in particular the Matariki ...
Oho mai ana te motu i te rangi nei ki te hararei tūmatanui motuhake tuatahi o Aotearoa, Te Rā Aro ki a Matariki, me te hono atu a te Pirīmia a Jacinda Ardern ki ngā mahi whakanui a te motu i tētahi huihuinga mō te Hautapu i te ata nei. ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister David Parker will represent Aotearoa New Zealand at the second United Nations (UN) Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, which runs from 27 June to 1 July. The Conference will take stock of progress and aims to galvanise further action towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14, to "conserve and sustainably use ...
The Government is boosting its partnership with New Zealand’s dairy sheep sector to help it lift its value and volume, and become an established primary industry, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor has announced. “Globally, the premium alternative dairy category is growing by about 20 percent a year. With New Zealand food ...
The Government is continuing to support the Buller district to recover from severe flooding over the past year, Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty announced today during a visit with the local leadership. An extra $10 million has been announced to fund an infrastructure recovery programme, bringing the total ...
“The Government has undertaken preparatory work to combat new and more dangerous variants of COVID-19,” COVID-19 Response Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall set out today. “This is about being ready to adapt our response, especially knowing that new variants will likely continue to appear. “We have undertaken a piece of work ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hugh White, Emeritus Professor of Strategic Studies at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University Testing Washington: Chinese President Xi Jinping. Li Gang/Xinhua via AP How can Australia navigate the tough and dangerous strategic environment in Asia today with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Kaufman, Research Fellow, Vaccine Uptake Group, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute Engin Akyurt/Unsplash The federal government has released a new A$11 million ad campaign urging Australians to “take on winter” by getting COVID boosters and influenza vaccines, as well as ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Macintosh, Professor and Director of Research, ANU Law School, Australian National University Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen is today expected to announce a much anticipated review of Australia’s carbon credit scheme, known as the Emissions Reduction Fund. In March, we exposed ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Esmé Louise James, Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Melbourne Netflix After a month of waiting, the season finale of Stranger Things season 4 has almost arrived on Netflix. This season, along with the nightmarish arch-villain Vecna, we have been ...
More than 91 percent of tariffs will be removed the day the deal comes into effect, while the value of NZ exports to the EU are estimated to increase by $1.8b a year by 2035. ...
RNZ News New Zealand has designated US groups the Proud Boys and The Base as terrorist entities. Set down in the government’s official journal of record — the Gazette — last Monday, 20 June, it was published publicly a week later but with no wider dissemination. The move — authorised ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra David Pocock, the progressive independent who broke the Liberals’ stranglehold on one of the two ACT Senate seats, wouldn’t have expected to find himself allied with Pauline Hanson before even being sworn in. But, ...
Tabloid Jubi The Civil Organisations Solidarity for Papua Land has condemned Indonesia’s Papua expansion plan of forming three new provinces risks causing new social conflicts. And the group has urged President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to cancel the plan, according to a statement reports Jubi. The group — comprising the Papua ...
RNZ Pacific Palau, Fiji, and Samoa have announced their opposition to deep-sea mining, calling for a moratorium on the emerging industry amid growing fears it will destroy the seafloor and damage biodiversity. The alliance was announced just as a United Nations Oceans Conference began in Portugal this week. The moratorium ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has just spoken to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky by phone, expressing solidarity and support for his country. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dennis B Desmond, Lecturer, Cyberintelligence and Cybercrime Investigations, University of the Sunshine Coast Sashenka Gutierrez/EPA The art of concealing or misrepresenting one’s identity in the physical world has long been practised by spies engaged in espionage. In response, intelligence agencies ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Wes Mountain/The Conversation, CC BY-ND Homeowners will face mortgage rates near 5.5% in a little over a year, according to a survey of 22 leading Australian economists. The ...
Guest column by Nicholas Kerr Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s comments about the US Supreme Court’s recent ruling on abortion inadvertently help explain why the court was right to overturn Roe v. Wade and return the issue to the states. She noted that New Zealand ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mona Nikidehaghani, Lecturer in Accounting, University of Wollongong From Monday July 4 2022, Australian job seekers face a new social security system to police eligibility for support payments. It replaces the “Jobactive” system that required the “mutual obligation” of applying for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn Gulliver, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, The University of Queensland A man who drove through a climate protest blocking the Harbour Tunnel this week has copped a A$469 fine, while multiple members of the activist group were arrested. The protest was among a ...
“Less than a month ago Floyd Du Plessis, the President of the Corrections Association (CANZ), wrote a letter to the Chief Executive warning of more assaults against prison officers if things didn’t change,” says Darroch Ball Leader of Sensible Sentencing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ritesh Chugh, Associate Professor – Information and Communications Technology, CQUniversity Australia Shutterstock While manufacturers have successfully increased the water-repelling nature of smartphones, they are still far from “waterproof”. A water-resistant product can usually resist water penetration to some extent, but ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suze Wilson, Senior Lecturer, School of Management, Massey University Phil Walter/Getty Images The US Supreme Court’s recent ruling to throw out Roe v Wade is an issue of relevance to political leaders in Aotearoa New Zealand. The decision was ...
New Zealand will present its legal view on Russia's invasion of Ukraine at the United Nations' international court, contesting the Kremlin's claim of genocide. ...
Buzz from the Beehive The Government has declared or reiterated three bold ambitions, one of them (the elimination of family violence) probably unachievable. Whether progress is being made towards the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Price, Team Leader / Senior Research Officer, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute Shutterstock Most new parents and caregivers will know the phrase “put your baby down when drowsy but awake”. But some parents may find this just doesn’t work for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Helen Stavrou, English Language Instructor, University of Cyprus, and PhD Graduate, Charles Sturt University Traditional approaches to adult language teaching often use resources such as textbooks and generic learning materials that are less than inspiring for learners. New research shows ...
Accompanied by a giant albatross sculpture made of reclaimed plastic bottles, Greenpeace has delivered a 100,000-strong petition to parliament calling on the Government to ban single-use plastic bottles and incentivise reusable and refillable alternatives. ...
Covid-19 Response Minister Ayesha Verrall says the country needs to remain at the orange traffic light setting as case numbers are starting to "creep up". ...
Our Annual plan 2022/23 was presented to the House of Representatives today. This annual plan is a key accountability document for our Office. It describes the discretionary work we consider will help us to achieve our ultimate outcome – that Parliament ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Fitz-Gibbon, Director, Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre; Associate Professor of Criminology, Faculty of Arts, Monash University AAP Image/Supplied by Department of Justice In 2020 the killing of Hannah Clarke and her three children – Aaliyah, 6, Laianah, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mary Anne Kenny, Associate Professor, School of Law, Murdoch University The election of the Albanese Labor government brings an opportunity to end one of the most detrimental elements of Australian refugee law and policy in the past decade: the use of temporary ...
The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions has welcomed the launch of the Te Mahere Whai Mahi Wāhine: Women's Employment Action Plan today. For too long, women have been disadvantaged in the world of work. While many improvements have been made over ...
The experimental weekly series provides an early indicator of employment and labour market changes in a more timely manner than the monthly employment indicators series. Key facts The 6-day series includes jobs with a pay period equal to or less than ...
Statement from Auckland Transport Interim Chief Executive Mark Lambert: Auckland Transport is proud to support the New Statement of Ambition being launched tonight by the Climate Leaders Coalition. We’re delighted that AT’s work to achieve the ...
Greenpeace Aotearoa, SAFE, Animals Aotearoa, SPCA, and the New Zealand Animal Law Association have joined forces to call for an end to intensive winter grazing through the Government’s Dairy Cattle Code of Welfare review. The coalition says that as ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Swift, Educational Experiences team lead (Senior Lecturer), ANU School of Cybernetics, Australian National University Shutterstock I love writing code to make things: apps, websites, charts, even music. It’s a skill I’ve worked hard at for more than 20 years. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Baillie, Professor of Allied Health, University of Sydney Shutterstock COVID might be the largest mass casualty event in Australian history. And with one in 20 people with COVID still experiencing symptoms three months later, long COVID might even become Australia’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick O’Connor, Associate Professor, University of Adelaide A tiny parasitic mite that lives on the European honeybee (Apis mellifera) has breached Australia’s border quarantine and been detected in managed bee hives in New South Wales. This is bad news for Australia’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Main, Visiting Scholar, Australian National University Shutterstock The COVID pandemic slowed mining activity across the Pacific. But as economic activity returns, an Australia-based company is poised to pursue what would be the largest mine in Papua New Guinea’s history. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachele Sloane, Graduate Researcher and Tutor – Master of Education, Student Wellbeing Specialisation (MGSE), The University of Melbourne Shutterstock New Child Safe Standards come into effect in Victoria this Friday, July 1. The set of 11 standards builds on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Morag Kobez, Associate lecturer, Queensland University of Technology shutterstock When the temperature drops in the southern hemisphere, you might like to stave off the chill with a big steaming pot of mulled wine, and fill your home with the comforting aroma ...
Russia's actions in Ukraine are an affront to the world but mustn't be allowed to create a more polarised, dangerous world, the prime minister says. ...
Russia's actions in Ukraine are an affront to the world but mustn't be allowed to create a more polarised, dangerous world, the prime minister says. ...
EDITORIAL:Bythe Rappler teamWe will continue bringing you the news, holding the powerful to account for their actions and decisions, calling attention to government lapses that further disempower the disadvantaged. We will hold the line. Dear readers and viewers, We thought this day would never come, even as ...
ANALYSIS:By Gavin Ellis The Aotearoa New Zealand Public Media Bill — introduced to Parliament this week — will have a long journey before it is fit for purpose. The Bill gives effect to the government’s plan to replace TVNZ and RNZ with a new entity designed for the digital ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Caleb Goods, Senior Lecturer – Management and Organisations, UWA Business School, The University of Western Australia Uber Australia has struck a historic agreement with the Transport Workers’ Union – a statement of principles that re-regulate work in the Australian rideshare and food ...
Today the signatures of 72 Mayors, Deputy Mayors, Councillors, Local board members, and the LGNZ Young Elected Members Committee will be handed to the Government in support of making the voting age 16 via an open letter organised by Make It 16. “Young ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Grogan, Adjunct Senior Lecturer, The Daffodil Centre, University of Sydney E-cigarettes and vape products are illegally imported into Australia. Some claim not to contain nicotine, but do.Simon Collins/Shutterstock ABC TV’s Four Corners this week reported how unlawful sale of e-cigarettes ...
However, more work is needed to understand the cost of rolling out a new approach to disability support, Minister for Disability Issues Poto Williams says. ...
Hospitality New Zealand is calling for MPs across Parliament to send ACT MP Chris Baillie’s Member’s Bill on repealing Easter trading restrictions to a select committee so hospitality businesses can have their say on whether to stay open or ...
On 1 July an exciting new Ministry for Disabled People – will come into being to lead much-needed change. There is nothing that people will need to do on day one to continue receiving disability support services. “Many disabled people and whānau ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra As well as her interviews with politicians and experts, Politics with Michelle Grattan includes “Word from The Hill”, where she discusses the news with members of The Conversation politics team. Michelle and Peter Browne from ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra Shutterstock “Stagflation” is an ugly word for an ugly situation – the unpleasant combination of economic stagnation and inflation. The last time the world experienced ...
The Ardern government has done it again, announcing a grandiose plan to reform Wellington’s transport system. The plan includes a long-overdue duplicate Mt Victoria tunnel, a rearrangement of the road around the Basin Reserve and a light rail operation from the city centre to the south coast, all in the ...
Buzz from the Beehive Legislation to tighten things, legislation to relax things and a speech which reminds us of threats to our democracy – from the PM, we are delighted to note – feature in the latest posts on the Beehive website. Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister David Clark has ...
The Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner has expressed disappointment over the delay in undertaking urgent action to address ethnic, gender and disability pay gaps across workplaces in Aotearoa New Zealand. The Government has committed to scoping ...
OP-ED by Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana is an Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana is the United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). ...
Our report Improving value through better Crown entity monitoring was presented to the House of Representatives today. Crown entities carry out a wide range of important public services and functions. In 2020/21, Crown entities were responsible for 39% ...
Auckland Council has formally adopted the 2022/23 Annual Budget. This includes Mayor Phil Goff’s proposal for a billion-dollar “Climate Action” package to be funded by a new targeted rate levied on households. The Auckland Ratepayers' Alliance has ...
"The Wellington Chamber of Commerce welcomes today’s announcement of a preferred option for mass rapid transit," Chief Executive Simon Arcus said today. "It is good to see the government being very clear on its thoughts. These are the kind ...
Wellington Airport is welcoming progress on Wellington’s transport network with the Government announcing a preferred option today. “It’s good to see progress being made and a clear pathway forward,” says Wellington Airport chief executive ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ismini Vasileiou, Associate Professor in Information Systems, De Montfort University Shutterstock Today marks 15 years since Apple released what’s arguably its flagship device: the iPhone. A decade and a half later, there are few products that have managed to reach ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Phillimore, Executive Director, John Curtin Institute of Public Policy, Curtin University Just before the Western Australian state election in March 2021, the then leader of the Liberal Party did an unusual thing. He conceded defeat – but then asked voters to ...
National Party leader Christopher Luxon says he has no interest "importing culture wars" into New Zealand after Roe v Wade was overturned in the US. ...
New polling out this morning confirms that Aucklanders overwhelmingly support fare free public transport. These results follow the release of a report jointly co-commissioned by FIRST Union and the NZ Public Service Association Te Kauae Kaimahi, making the ...
New research released today emphasises our growing concern for harmful content online. Today, the Classifications Office released their report, ‘What we’re watching - New Zealanders’ views about what we see on screen and online.’ The report shows ...
A new poll conducted by Talbot Mills purports to show overwhelming support for mayoral candidate Efeso Collins’ fares-free public transport policy. However, the Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance says the wrong question was asked. The poll of 772 Aucklanders, ...
Beautiful piece by Steve Braunias in the herald this morning.
He’s got 2 pieces today.
The Secret Diary of Christmas and a rather wonderful ping pong rematch with the PM.
And the one I was referring to…
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11963815
So that’s 3 today. Is he the only one left working for the herald?
And, yes, that is a, typically lovely piece.
Yep, nice article. Today is the first day of my precious 2 1/2 weeks with daughters. They live with their mum at the other end of North Island and seeing them walk off the plane yesterday afternoon I had a double take – suddenly at 11 & 13 they are no longer just my little girls but increasingly confident young ladies. One begins her “middle year” of a fantastic integrated school, the youngest having just finished primary will join her. Both doing well socially and academically. We’ll go camping for 2 weeks at a place that I almost grew up – 50 years ago my first visit. Their grandparents & family friends will be there, as will the babies of the children I remember climbing their first trees. The girls will “hold the bag” as their Grandfather & I attempt to catch some crays the old Maori way, we’ll teach them perhaps how to catch them too, as my father did for me in the same place. I’m looking forward to a wonderful, happy & peaceful break after a big year, and even though I think that most on this site are wrong-headed and quite nasty I’ll wish the same for them.
Enjoy – these times are what life is all about.
The “beaming assassin”. LOL
I was talking to a friend of my in Washington DC yesterday. her health insurance is now $1600 A MONTH.
She is young, fit and very healthy and she pays almost 20k a year for health insurance.
Crazy bad.
Looking for something else…I found this….
Great video Rosemary, really interesting perspective from a couple of plain speaking yanks. Must check out their other vids.
The thing is…and I’m mindful that for these Yanks the concept of a Publicly Funded Health and Disability System is foreign…the video presents a picture that for an increasing number of New Zealanders doesn’t actually exist.
I recently came across a job vacancy that I found quite chilling:
Electro Convulsive Therapy (ECT) Coordinator – Mental Health for Older People (Ward 6C) Dunedin Hospital. (22 Hours per week)
https://www.southerndhb.govt.nz/careers/view-vacancy/?job_id=8203
I’m thinking to myself: 22 hours per week represents a hell of a lot of ECT sessions for a group of elderly, vulnerable hospitalized people. I took a look at the “Office of the Director Of Mental Health Annual Report 2016”
https://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/publications/office-of-the-director-of-mental-health-annual-report-2016v4_0.pdf
Statistics related to ECT administration for 2016 are covered on pages 59-65.
What stands out most is the massively greater number of females (156) than males (95) given ECT, and also that the 70-74 age group contains the highest number (33) of people receiving ECT of any age group. Raises a lot of questions for me…
[It’s not my purpose (at this time) to critique ECT; however I note ongoing claims from some of the psychiatric establishment that ECT is “lifesaving”. I can’t see how that claim can be anything more than mere speculation, and I’m being charitable here.]
From memory, Dunedin historically has had a significantly higher rate of ECT usage than the rest of the country. If that is still going on, that’s fucked up.
I’m really ok with critiquing ECT, there are major issues with its use in the past as a tool of oppression, and I’m not convinced we are passed that yet. Haven’t looked at this issue for some time but much of my criticism would be that the medical model used by psychiatry and society is why so many people end up in a situation where ECT is being considered. Plus, as you mention, the gender and age disparities.
Have found an interesting, if rather long, feminist critique of ECT:
“Electroshock as a Form of Violence Against Women”
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/602d/2a60d4eaf167a1941d0f158bb4fc67281f7e.pdf
“There is no question that women can find themselves in severe emotional distress and in need of help. And there is no question that most practitioners who administer ECT are more or less convinced that they are helping, for they are fashioned by the psychiatric profession and its norms. Nonetheless, as this article demonstrated, electroshock is a part of the repertoire of the patriarchy; and it functions as a fundamental patriarchal assault on women’s brains, bodies, and spirits. It is an assault that has much in common with traditional battery. It is traumatizing, even traumatizing “patients” who only witness it. It controls women and, indeed, is used to control women. It combines with other forms of violence against women. It is a special threat to women who are severely violated. And is used to silence women. As such, its very use is a feminist issue.“
Gosh, I thought that legalised torture went out with the ark!!! 🙁
Another really scary statistic: Of the 251 people who were given ECT in New Zealand last year; 102 did not give consent. That number is made up of 92 who supposedly “did not have the capacity to consent” plus 10 who “had capacity and refused consent.”
Devastating climate change could lead to 1m migrants a year entering EU by 2100
Which is something that I’ve been saying for years. As place become inhospitable due to increasing temperatures then people will leave. Fairly obvious when you think about it.
They concentrated the study on Europe but similar pressures will come to bear on other countries such as NZ.
Being prepared for the increase in refugees and immigration is something that we haven’t been doing either. Especially considering that NZ’s food production will be decreasing as the world warms.
I think 1 million is seriously understating it.
1 million fled to Europe in 2016.
Only a Blade Runner/Max Max dystopian state would stop such numbers crossing the Aegean Sea.
Such high levels of immigration will, eventually, bring about that dystopian state.
What the hell is up with this russian stuff. It’s getting odd. no wait, this is getting downright silly.
It’s now attacking Jill Stein.
.
Playing foostie with junior?.
In July, the Senate Judiciary Committee asked President Trump’s son, Donald Jr., for all communications between President Trump’s son and a number of others, including Stein.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/why-are-senate-russia-investigators-interested-jill-stein-n831261
So you ‘ant watched the Young Turks video then, ironically it was deeply critical of the post you just rushed to put up.
Is Joe90 a mega Clinton fan?
Pricks use the moniker of pack of genocidal manics and you think I should watch it?.
Do fuck off.
If this is the level of debate you bring. Then no, I don’t think you should watch it.
Have to say, I like the play right out of the alt-right play book by the way. “Pricks use the moniker of pack of genocidal manics”
You wanna crucify the main Armenian host as well for appearing on the channel with that name? It’s what the alt-right been doing…
There is a certain pattern to joe’s contributions.
Always from the US.
And always……
Playing foostie with Stein?
Might be a bit left for you joe90. Much longer at 23 minutes.
Sounds like you’ve got some of the same issues as srylands had yesterday.
He told 15 people to f**** yesterday.
Imagine how shocked I am to learn Cenk Uygur is a misogynistic POS.
https://www.thewrap.com/young-turks-cenk-uygur-blog-breasts-women-flawed/
That why I posted the Democracy now video, hoping you’d engage – instead you went with the establishment.
Oh look who is at top of the search with your attack line ” Cenk Uygur is a misogynistic”
https://www.google.co.nz/search?q=Cenk+Uygur+is+a+misogynistic&oq=Cenk+Uygur+is+a+misogynistic&aqs=chrome..69i57&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Have a nice holiday. Nice to know where you stand.
Mass executions and the imprisonment of millions in an empire of forced labour camps should be celebrated because patriots.
//
– Felix Dzerzhinsky
Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared the infamous Soviet Cheka secret police “integral” to the country’s history and stated that those who served in the ranks of the Kremlin’s security forces were patriots.
http://www.newsweek.com/soviet-secret-police-was-full-true-patriots-says-vladimir-putin-754991
States are nasty things.
https://www.telesurtv.net/english/analysis/10-of-the-Most-Lethal-CIA-Interventions-in-Latin-America-20160608-0031.html
Twenty million dead Russians but hey, let’s play whataboutism.
/
How many native Americans were there in 1776?
Someone’s celebrating the perpetrators?.
No…it just seems you bash the Russians all the time and forget that the Americans record is hardly flash.
You’re highly defensive.
Or as Adam puts it, ‘precious.’
Meh.
You’re letting your anti-Americanism create false positive characteristics for Russia.
And, you don’t have the excuse the old left had, of belief in Soviet adherence to a value system that would theoretically create a better world.
Measure the yanks by yank failings, and the Russians by Russian failings.
Neither has a damned thing to boast of.
To be fair, despite their many failings both Russia and the US have much to boast of, their rich histories and many scientific achievements being just some of them.
Which must be weighed against oppressive nationalist enterprises like Molotov/Ribbentrop, the Soviet genocides, the killing of half the Chechen population, the Citrus War, the mufti use of Russian regular forces in the Ukraine, the failure to implement the rule of law, cheating in elections and the murder of journalists and opposition politicians.
In the US the long history of invading third world nations and massacres there, political interference in South American countries like the imposition of Chicago school economics in Chile that wrecked that country as thoroughly as Rogergnomics wrecked NZ, failure to resolve race and law and order and corruption issues, and subverting important international institutions like the UN and World Bank to prevent them from performing the functions for which they were established every time some crooked American industrialist can make a bent penny out of it.
I’m not.
Russia has a terrible history and anyone in the west would know of it.
I just get bored of hearing how amazing America is. We don’t hear about the genocides it performed.
The Philippine and Cheju genocides are pretty recent, and more militarized than the slow extinguishing of first nations peoples.
Zinn’s A Peoples History of the US covers the Philipine one fairly well.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2767.A_People_s_History_of_the_United_States
https://msuweb.montclair.edu/~furrg/Vietnam/43jung_kimsoft_cheju_page outlines the Cheju Massacre, though it’s better to factcheck such sources with informed Koreans before swallowing – every side has their own line to push.
I just get bored of hearing how amazing America is.
And yet the person who raised the subject of the completely-irrelevant-to-this-topic country the United States of America was you. Maybe you should learn to let go?
No…it just seems you bash the Russians all the time and forget that the Americans record is hardly flash.
Yeah, because, like, who can recall any comment ever by Joe90 pointing out ugly shit Trump comes out with, right? /sarc
I acknowledge he mocks Trump incessantly.
But American ideals?
Why narrow it down to comments about the Dork from New York? There’s been plenty of joe90 commentary about other things that are fucked up about the US. Starting from well before the terracotta turdface splattering onto the scene, IIRC.
Trump just seemed the obvious US alternative to Putin in this instance. But yeah, as usual, the extent to which Ed doesn’t know what he’s talking about is easily underestimated.
So one stinking capitalist pig dog, (putin) is fighting with another capitalist pig dog, (trump) and were supposed to pick sides? Is that the agenda?
Well, you tell me. Seems like anyone who points out what a shit Putin is attracts rebuttals by left-wing authoritarians I can only assume are deeply confused (given that Putin’s a right-wing authoritarian). If those commenters haven’t picked a side, what’s the alternative explanation?
You do know I agreed with joe90, he the one who made an ass of himself and me, with his very wide of the mark assumption.
As the overwhelming majority of my arguments revolver around the state being the enemy, I find it odd you can’t comprehend my question.
I saw that you claimed you were agreeing with him, yeah. What he and I both saw was something different: Joe90 posts about a current world leader praising the enforcers of a reign of terror arguably worse than the Nazis, and you respond with a comment that the US government kills people too. Hence the response re “whataboutism.” If Angela Merkel were quacking on about the heroic patriotism of the Gestapo and the Algemeine SS you’d probably have less trouble figuring out why “Yeah, but America…” responses would annoy people.
Funny as I posted this first
I have friends in Russian prisons, and I spoken about that on a regular basis.
I see no difference between the USA and Russia, both are capitalist scum bags. Both use hard and soft power to control their citizenry, and both play the empire game badly.
I would have thought on a site which supports worker rights or socialism in some form. A critique of both Russia and the USA was valid.
Sheesh a critique of marxism-leninism is always welcome, wouldn’t you say?
Are not debates meant to evolve, and take on a life of their own. But no, let’s shut down any debate by the latest newspeak buzzword. Last week “fake news” this week…
P.S.
This video which puts it on the line, but it’s Russian. So maybe you won’t watch.
The usual smears, abuse and insults from Milt.
I said, did you miss it,
“States are nasty things.”
I did not counter what you said, but supported it. Being precious much.
I reckon the old Stalinist regime outdoes the USA in terms of any mass execution of its own citizerny by factors containing a fair string of zeros. But the rate of imprisonment? And prison labour?
Throw in those plea bargains where innocent people are routinely ‘taking the hit’ because they are shit scared of what the US (so-called) justice system will land them with if it turns up a guilty verdict, and yeah…the results aren’t so different to what Dzerzhinsky’s quote describes.
And patriots? I don’t anyone need say anything about popular, mis-guided and dangerous patriotism where the US is concerned.
Hope srylands is feeling calmer today.
A suggestible lad, I recommend you try to avoid triggering him with topics involving the term middle finger.
Trivial trivia:
“Visibly moved, the President…..”
If it was not “visible” how would the journo have known he was moved?
Even stranger (on a bottle of contact lens cleaner) “…. this solution is visibly tinted.”
Mischievously I asked the chemist “if it was invisibly tinted would it be tinted?” She said “I guess not.”
“That time is his personal best.” Surely if its “his” its personal?
“Mrs Jones has given birth to a new baby.” Would be a shocker if she gave birth to an old one.
The new tech bubble burst back in 1999.
The crypto-currency craze will go the same way. They either prove themselves, or they will wither on the vine – they are pretending to be useful information record technology (various), usable currency and stores of value.
I am reminded of the 1985-86 doubling in our local bubble share market before the collapse. Then a dead cat bounce back to the 1986 high in 1987. Then another collapse – recovery here only came with the 2002 global monetary expansion and post GFC QE.
Back in the day bitcoin was 30 cents, then rose to $30, then collapsed to $3. This is the course of every upward expansion massive gains and massive corrections.
But because of growing publicity there are more “takers”, so the pyramid scheme continues and the continuing upward rise (more takers) gives the whole scam credibility – till there is market saturation (cue 1929 shoe-shine boy as investor story). At peak value the whole thing just exposes itself as another new tech bubble albeit hidden behind a crypto-currency front.
What its actual new tech value will be one factor then (like gold blockchain and other information storage tech it has its uses). But even that will be confused by posing it as an alternative store of value/currency to gold (worth a little over $1000 per ounce and it fluctuations are related to monetary expansion, inflation levels and concerns about the reliability of money in banks).
Accidental, of course.
/
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DRsTIv7VQAAiNNo.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DRsTIv9VAAAeY3C.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DRsTrjcUEAAJRka.jpg
Drummer of mediocre pop band thinks he’s an intellectual.
“You’re incredible!” sighs the Fox bimbette.
This insufferable blowhard says he speaks four languages. Don’t know about his Hebrew and his German, but in very bad Japanese, he tells the woman in this panel of admiring dopes: “You’re beautiful.”
Yeah but he does have a really long tongue
He’s a disgusting, abusive lump as well as being an intellectual dwarf.
http://www.metalsucks.net/2017/11/21/multiple-women-accuse-gene-simmons-from-kiss-of-sexual-harassment/
Well he plays bass not drums and is the lead singer of KISS.
They are in the rock and roll hall of flame.
Given that you call him a drummer of a mediocre pop band just shows you ignorance.
Given he’s Israeli- I’m guessimg he knows Hebrew from German – so I’m guessing you are wrong there as well.
Compared with you – I guess he’s an intellectual giant.
Paul Stanley is actually the lead singer of Kiss, that overrated band with the creepy bass player Gene Simmons who brags about having had sex with thousands of woman. Simmons is an ego-maniac who just recently attempted to trademark a hand gesture he claimed he invented despite the fact people were using it long before he ever did.
Simmons is also a Trump supporter.
They both have lead vocals – buy gene is listed as lead vocals along with Paul – it’s not a one or other. He certainly isn’t the drummer tho ‘
Also after fans but 75 million records what makes them overrated?
Listening to their music will illustrate how overrated they are. Wearing the cartoon character makeup is about all they have contributed to music.
In your obviously ever so humble opinion.
So what that he a trump supporter- millions are.
Well I hope all those millions aren’t misogynistic blowhards like those two.
Some will be. Some not. Just like the supporters of any political party.
Even if they are, It helps balance out all those simpering browbeaten eunuchs that are so prevalent on the other side.
Having a decent society doesn’t require a pack of assholes to create some kind of imaginary balance.
Wow BM that’s sick…even from you
Struck I nerve did I?
Truth is though Left-wing men do tend to be complete and utter pusses.
Maybe you could walk around Hamilton wearing a sandwich board declaring your reckons that left voting men are what you say they are. Do the experiment and then see if a nurse could post the results here on your behalf.
Your mate Slater sure showed everyone how tough he was.
Well he plays bass not drums and is the lead singer of KISS.
We’re talking Morrissey levels of accuracy here, so “drummer of mediocre pop band” is about as good as you could expect.
Given that you call him a drummer of a mediocre pop band just shows you ignorance.
Kiss had less musical credibility than the Bay City Rollers.
Given he’s Israeli- I’m guessimg he knows Hebrew from German – so I’m guessing you are wrong there as well.
Well, judging from his hopeless grasp of Japanese, I doubt he speaks German very well either.
Compared with you – I guess he’s an intellectual giant.
That statement is about as convincing as Simmons’ claim to have shtupped five thousand shiksas.
for A guy who doesn’t know that the guy at the front singing and playing a guitar isn’t the drummer for will forgive me for thinking you know less than nothing.
Kiss were a really really bad band. And Simmons likes Trump.
75 million record sales say you are wrong. (Yet again)
Induction into the rock and roll hall of fame say you are wrong (yet again)
Your just not good at this game are you.
They were only inducted out of sympathy for their 14 previous unsuccessful nominations.
There are many shit products that have become commercially successful, doesn’t mean they’re any good.
You seem to suffer the lefties self righteous view of the world that just because you don’t like something that millions of other people are wrong.
This isn’t a political issue.
It’s a matter of musical taste.
But I never said people who liked Kiss were wrong to do so did I Dr. James.
Let’s just say your music tastes match your taste in political party’s: Lots of bullshit and bluster with very little substance.
Popular and good is not necessarily the same.
The Spice Girls sold a lot of records.
All that needs to be remembered about Kiss (and probably all that will be) is that once the makeup came off nobody listened to them any more….their popularity (bubblegummers) was in the marketing ,never the music.
Simmons’ reputation rested entirely on that long tongue of his. He might have been pretending to play the piano for all anyone cared.
Certainly not one Kiss “fan” actually cared for their “music”, which everyone acknowledged was nothing more than crap.
Third rate stenographers should concentrate on honing their stenography skills.
For a more credible review of ‘Kiss’ i recommend this article in Rolling Stone.
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/kiss/biography
Here’s a good example of how bad Kiss are
Though I’ll concede Paul Stanley had a good voice, shame he wasted it singing about nothing.
Check out that Gene Simmons creep though, makes you wonder how he managed to find 5,000 woman willing to sleep with him.
“What says ‘peace and democracy’ more than
being shot dead from a helicopter by a prince?”
One way of shutting up awkward comedians is to send them off on a tour of Afghanistan and/or Iraq. They then feel obligated to say nothing but nice things about the Army. So instead of criticizing the aggression against Iraq as he had in 2003, Lewis Black became a fervent advocate of U.S. troops after being paid to go over there and “entertain” them. David Letterman and Al Franken were similarly muzzled after their trips to Iraq.
Similarly, the New Zealand comedian Mike King was willingly inveigled into becoming a part of the New Zealand government’s propaganda machinery, travelling to Afghanistan to “entertain the troops” and making a propaganda doco called Postcard from Afghanistan (“I’m just HOPING there’ll be no dramas of the TALIBAN kind!”)
http://www.throng.co.nz/2012/07/postcard-from-afghanistan-with-mike-king/
Not all comedians can be bought, however. Like there are some honest politicians, and some honest journalists, there are still some honest comedians too. One of the best of them is Glasgow’s brilliant Frankie Boyle….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TecCuUhLHk
Jakarta, slowly but surely drowning in the sea.
Quote:
But global warming turned out not to be the only culprit behind the historic floods that overran Rasdiono’s bodega and much of the rest of Jakarta in 2007. The problem, it turned out, was that the city itself is sinking.
In fact, Jakarta is sinking faster than any other big city on the planet, faster, even, than climate change is causing the sea to rise – so surreally fast that rivers sometimes flow upstream, ordinary rains regularly swamp neighbourhoods and buildings slowly disappear underground, swallowed by the earth.
The main cause: Jakartans are digging illegal wells, drip by drip draining the underground aquifers on which the city rests – like deflating a giant cushion underneath it. About 40 per cent of Jakarta now lies below sea level.
Coastal districts, like Muara Baru, near the Blessed Bodega, have sunk as much as 14 feet in recent years.
http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/jakarta-is-sinking-so-fast-it-could-end-up-underwater
At some stage we really have to ask how long we can continue to fool us to the forthcoming realities of loosing human habitat to a changed environment.
Might have to watch Waterworld again 🙂 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterworld
It is so hilarious watching these people try there stupid plays on me I read 99% of them they were trying there best tricks today. When I’m driving I just keep a gard up and ignore them it’s comical. Many thanks to my te puna for the sense to see there dum ass moves. What I also find comical is what bullshit they have come up with to carry on this farcical man hunt it should be
A big warning to everyone that one can be a good person and cross swords with the wrong person and you have the most of the police force trying to intimatedate you and run a smear campaign oppress you WTF. I say if the police are like this in New Zealand then most of the police around the world will be the same. Ana to kai
Mike “thuper therum” Cernovich thought an AMA was a good idea.
Hilarity ensued.
Finnish study reckons 100% renewable 2050 is achievable and cheaper.
Or we could burn the joint down.
Transitioning the world to 100 percent renewable electricity isn’t just some environmentalist pipe dream—it’s “feasible at every hour throughout the year” and is more cost-effective than the current system, which largely relies on fossil fuels and nuclear energy, a new study claims.
The research, compiled by Finland’s Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT) and the Berlin-based nonprofit Energy Watch Group (EWG), was presented Wednesday at the Global Renewable Energy Solutions Showcase, a stand-alone event coinciding with the COP 23 climate talks in Bonn, Germany.
https://www.ecowatch.com/100-renewable-energy-by-2050-2519335518.html
Finally Mueller meets Trump!
Austria’s far right Freedom Party gets to helm foreign, interior and defence ministries.
But Heinz-Christian Strache isn’t a nazi, now.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-austria-politics-ministries/austrian-far-right-to-control-foreign-interior-ministries-spokesman-idUSKBN1EA0EG