@@2:35 minutes
Unidentified reporter:"Should New Zealand perhaps be putting more pressure on the United States to support a ceasefire in Gaza rather than taking the action, of supporting military action?"
Winston Peters: "Can I say, that is not the view of the United Nations…."
That may be the view of Winston Peters, and the view of the US Biden administration. But it is not the view of the United Nations, including its General Secretary António Guterres.
United Nations General Assembly vote by a large majority for a ceasefire.
The 193-member United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has voted overwhelmingly in favour of a resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in war-torn Gaza. Tuesday's resolution passed with 153 countries voting in favour, 23 abstaining and 10 countries voting against, including Israel and the United States.
The UN supports a ceasefire in Gaza. Only the United States veto has prevented the UN from ordering a ceasefire in Gaza.
In the highest decision making body of the UN, the US was isolated as the sole country to vote against a ceasefire in the Security Council. Even the UK, America's closes ally, could not bring themselves to vote against a ceasefire. The UK abstained on the Security Council vote for a ceasefire, the only Security Council member to do so. All the other members of the Security Council voted for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The two highest bodies of the UN, the General Assembly and the Security Council, by a big majority both, "support a ceasefire in Gaza", only the minority of one country opposed a ceasefire in Gaza in the Security Council. And only a small minority of countries opposed a ceasefire in the UN General Assembly. The truth is, one country has overruled the United Nation's support for a ceasefire in Gaza
A good follow up question for Winston Peters would be; Do you Mr Peters as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, support a ceasefire in Gaza as a way of stopping the escalation of violence in the Middle East, in particular, Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea?
Guterres would have been advised of the fact that the greatest number of UN aid workers had been killed in Gaza than in any other conflict since the founding of the UN.
@@2:35 minutes
Unidentified reporter:"Should New Zealand perhaps be putting more pressure on the United States to support a ceasefire in Gaza rather than taking the action, of supporting military action?"
We're never going to need or seek a UN mandate for spying. Five Eyes has no UN mandate.
Nor should we wait around for a UN resolution to defend shipping. We should just do it. It has nothing to do with the invasion of Iraq.
Nearly all of the shipping companies that support our economy have already stopped going through the Red Sea for fear of being targeted: MSC, Hapag-Lloyd, CMA, CGM, and Maersk. We are just getting inflation under control now and we don't need another spike due to increased freight costs.
A ceasefire in Gaza (and the occupied West Bank for that matter) and the ships would be able to go through again. It is that simple.
All Standard contributors should be supporting a total ceasefire and a two state solution rather than getting hung-up on matters that will be resolved anyway if a ceasefire came into operation, such as the hostages, Red Sea shipping etc etc
Wouldn't it be great to have the power to cast a spell over all Standard commenters and make them all think and write just the way you want?
We need actual independent thinking that involves walking and chewing gum at the same time.
The walking part involves the defence of a key shipping lane against a non-state actor, and until there's attacks on the Malacca Strait this is about as basic a national interest as we can get.
The chewing part is a basic recognition that Israel and Hamas will stop when they agree to which is no time soon, even if either of them said they wanted to.
Maybe you Ad (and many others on TS, sorry I should not have said “all” above) should watch this-it really is a must watch. It makes the point I was trying to make but much better.
I love it when she calls “the West” (Biden and Sunak) “cowboys”.
Maybe the US attacks on Yemen in the last 10 years, over 100 in 2017 alone, have something to do with it
Then theres the Saudi led ( US and British supported) attacks on Yemen after the Zaydi sect led rebels toppled the previous government – who fled to Riyadh and now operate as a Saudi puppet administration.
1) A neighbour invading a country is bad when Russia does it but has Nato support when Saudis/Emiratis do it.
2) Self defence is permitted when Israel does it but not when Zaydi/Houthi forces do so after over 10 years of attacks on their country.
Russia backs one government in Libya and Turkey another. Maybe it is a regional thing – though Russia now has a taste for regional hegemony disrupter role in Europe, if Medvedev's recent comments mean anything.
In August 2023, he stated that "Russia must destroy and fully dismantle the Ukrainian state that is a terrorist in its essence… Should it take years or even decades, then so be it.
On 17 January 2024 Medvedev said on his Telegram app channel that "The existence of Ukraine is mortally dangerous for Ukrainians. And I don’t mean only the current state … I'm talking about any, absolutely any Ukraine." He described Ukraine as "historical Russian territories.. Neither Ukraine’s association with the EU, nor even the entry of this artificial country into NATO will prevent [a new conflict]
If all Standard contributors agreed and every nation in the world said stop the war on Ukraine, what would Putin do?
If all Standard contributors and the world, including USA, called on the Israeli government to stop its military action in Gaza what would Netanyahu do?
Israel is not dependent on the $3B now near $4B of annual aid (it is little more than that given to Egypt and Jordan each year for being part of the peace process).
The Israeli economy is much larger now than it was when that level of aid was set. This is indicated by the end of economic aid to Israel some time ago.
It is influenced by the USA setting terms for military supply, back in 1973 Israel knew an attack was coming but the Americans told them they could not attack first – they would only get military supply (munitions/ammunition), if they did not attack first.
In this case Hamas attacked first.
Since the attack by Hamas Israel has received military aid (missile and air defense systems – Iron Dome).
This chart shows that the significant military aid only comes in war time.
*to ask Congress to allow POTUS to make the economic aid to Israel contingent on the Israeli government supporting a two state peace process and outcome – on the basis that Netanyahu has brought this into doubt. Give POTUS leverage.
**to allow POTUS to be able to restrict supply of offensive weaponry to Israel to influence the continuance of war if USA wanted a cease-fire.
PS Restricting supply of air defence capability would leave Israeli civilians open to missile attacks and leave the nation hostage to external attack threats.
*to ask Congress to allow POTUS to make the annual economic military aid to Israel contingent on the Israeli government supporting a two state peace process and outcome – on the basis that Netanyahu has brought this into doubt. Give POTUS leverage.
We are just getting inflation under control now and we don't need another spike due to increased freight costs.
Inflation is at 5% and we going to have that for the next decade, so if that your excuse to engage in a war – sheesh no words, just utter horror at your ability to justify war.
And about 5 eyes, made the world a safer place has it – worst joke, never.
How about we actually stand up to the problem in the region of the middle east and help sort this out, rather than this back door jingoistic bullshit.
Free trade must be protected mantra is just shit – you do a good job of showing what is wrong with the left in many eyes – the apologism of globalisation and what is in essence a watered down and effectively useless version of a once great program of social democracy.
No one is going to win any elections pushing that horseshit going forward.
New Zealand is one of the most sea-trade reliant countries in the world. Both exports and imports. No one should be apologising for exporting and making the money we need to stay in biscuits, and we are so trade reliant now that we import most other things.
We are indeed "standing up" or whatever in the Middle East and have done so for quite a few decades in our own small way.
If we really think that we don't need to support the defence of the Red Sea, we should just imagine a world in which the US just stops, brings all its ships back, the Houthis win the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and we take the price increases to oil coming in and agricultural commodities going out. Ain't no one else going to help us or Maersk.
Inflation was 4.7% for the last quarter, falling. The potential delays and near-term supply shortages are being as closely watched by markets as they were during COVID which was the real global trade crunch that affected us so badly.
Your catstrophe fantasy is very much the stuff of colonialism. The Houthi have clearly said they will allow passage to all those that agree to not using the Red Sea to supply Israel and will allow passage to Israel when it stops its genocide of Palestinians and blockade of Gaza. All of which seem like worthwhile goals.
It is not possible to say they are lying unless the conditions are met. And if they are lying? The bloodbath in Gaza will have ceased. Some results are worth a wee bit of inflation don't you think?
The Houthi have clearly said they will allow passage to all those that agree to not using the Red Sea to supply Israel
Have they, can you provide a link?
Israel would get their cargo direct from Europe in that case …
If there had been no attacks on shipping simply using the Red Sea to transport cargo between Europe and Asia (with no link to Israeli stop offs or Israeli ship ownership) there would have been no UNSC Resolution.
Perhaps you could supply a link to a targeted ship that had no links to Israel nor was bound for Israel before the US intervention that has resulted in the first loss of lives in the whole saga. Or not aligned in any way to the Western nations coalescing around the US since its intervention.
I would also note that it was perfectly ok for the UK navy to enable a Saudi blockade of Yemen that created the worst humaitarian disaster in the world prior to Gaza. They closed the Red Sea to all maritime traffic to and from the Yemeni coast!! But now? Oh rules based system of international order!
A development because earlier attacks was resulting in calls for protection of shipping.
In a post on Twitter, Al-Houthi said that ships which announce “We have no relationship with Israel” will be granted safe passage by the rebel group through the Red Sea, Arabian Sea and Bab al-Mandab strait.
The post legitimises a trend seen in the Red Sea region of vessels using their AIS destination to broadcast messages aimed at deterring Houthi attacks.
The post called the measure an easy and inexpensive means of avoiding trouble.
“This step does not require militarizing the Red Sea and will not harm international navigation,” said Al-Houthi.
The impact of the declaration on risk perception in the region is likely to be mixed and highly political.
In the over 20 attacks by the rebel group on merchant ships since November 19, many of the vessels involved have no clear ties to Israeli interests or a destination in Israel, and yet have been variously targeted by missiles, drones, and small boats.
Perhaps you could supply a link to a targeted ship that had no links to Israel nor was bound for Israel
See above
that has resulted in the first loss of lives in the whole saga.
Adding a rider are we.
Or not aligned in any way to the Western nations coalescing around the US since its intervention.
If western nations shipping are fair game, so are those that attack them.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted a resolution Wednesday demanding that Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis cease all attacks on ships flowing through the Red Sea.
S/RES/2722 (2024)
24-004372/2
2. Demands that the Houthis immediately cease all such attacks, which impede global commerce and undermine navigational rights and freedoms as well as regional peace and security, and further demands that the Houthis immediately release the Galaxy Leader and its crew;
3. Affirms the exercise of navigational rights and freedoms by merchant and commercial vessels, in accordance with international law, must be respected, and takes note of the right of Member States, in accordance with international law, to defend their vessels from attacks, including those that undermine navigational rights and freedoms;
4. Commends the efforts by Member States within the framework of the International Maritime Organization, to enhance the safety and secure transit of merchant and commercial vessels of all States through the Red Sea
The Houthi action is a true r2p in support of Gaza within their limited means. It is hugely popular with the citizens of that country and is giving the Houthi extended influence over their whole country. Bombing them into oblivion and attempts at starvation have not defeated them. They have gone through exactly what Gaza is going through. They are unlikely to be cowed. Perhaps putting a stop to the rearming of Israel by the US would be simpler, before any further escalation in the Red Sea
Israel only gets about 5% of its trade through the Red Sea. It’s not a useful lever upon Israel at all.
The Red Sea is far more important to the rest of the trading world including ourselves, and we don't need to accept terrorists leveraging themselves in.
Oh the scary terrorist word. Remember that one mans terrorist is anothers freedom fighter. I believe that it is incumbent on all nations and people to do what they can in the face of genocide?? Yemen is on of the poorest nations in the world and is doing what it can, for no loss of lfe up to the US intervention. South Africa is also doing what it can. Other than that? Nothing. And it seems that there is substantial effect if Rueters is to be believed.
S/RES/2722 (2024)
24-004372/2
2. Demands that the Houthis immediately cease all such attacks, which impede global commerce and undermine navigational rights and freedoms as well as regional peace and security, and further demands that the Houthis immediately release the Galaxy Leader and its crew;
3. Affirms the exercise of navigational rights and freedoms by merchant and commercial vessels, in accordance with international law, must be respected, and takes note of the right of Member States, in accordance with international law, to defend their vessels from attacks, including those that undermine navigational rights and freedoms;
4. Commends the efforts by Member States within the framework of the International Maritime Organization, to enhance the safety and secure transit of merchant and commercial vessels of all States through the Red Sea
An act of war against whom? The Houthi are an armed gang in control of part of Yemen. To declare war one has to recognise the other party as having the status of a nation state.
Al Qaeada in Iraq or Syria, Islamic State, Hezbollah, Shia militias in Iraq, Hamas and the Houthi are not nation state actors or governments of a (recognised) nation state.
4. Commends the efforts by Member States within the framework of the International Maritime Organization, to enhance the safety and secure transit of merchant and commercial vessels of all States through the Red Sea
Your claim that a nation can only defend its own vessels is untrue.
Any nation has the right to ask another nation for help to defend its ships or to defend its territory.
The International Maritime Organisation is of the UN.
You absurdly seem to think the Houthi (who have no government status whatsoever) have the right to attack shipping in international waters, without consequences.
OMG you go from bad to worse. None of the flag nations apart from the UK and US have asked us to help.
This is a blanket of BS you want to wrap yourself in fair enough, but don't lie about what the UN have made a resolution on. Very few outside of the usual supporters of warmongering nations who vote for this, had what you ascribed to them as their intent, if indeed any.
You absurdly seem to think the Houthi (who have no government status whatsoever) have the right to attack shipping in international waters, without consequences.
This defence commitment is not much more than a continuation of our existing / past contribution to policing in the Red Sea / Persian Gulf. We've had personnel involved going back to Gulf War and at times a frigate participating.
In 2023 Andrew Little released these documents which outline the circumstances of the past Government sending six personnel to the Gulf.
HON ANDREW LITTLE, MINISTER OF DEFENCE New Zealand’s Maritime Security Commitments in the Middle East
August 2023
This publication provides documents on Cabinet’s December 2021 decision extend the mandate for New Zealand’s support to maritime security in the Middle East to 30 June 2024.
The pack comprises:
– the Cabinet minute of decision New Zealand's Maritime Security Commitments in the Middle East [ERS-21-MIN-0052] and
– the Cabinet paper New Zealand's Maritime Security Commitments in the Middle East [ERS-21-SUB-0052].
Judith Collins refused to say from which arm of the Defence Force these six 'personnel' are coming. The RNZAF are very much involved in maritime security exercises and of course the Navy. My money is on RNZAF and their intelligence unit.
Edit:
I’m starting to wonder whether this announcement from Luxon and Collins is a facade “look at us folks aren’t we decisive and clever” when its nothing new and the ground work was already in place.
I think they would have waited for the UN to sanction such an undertaking. I don't know whether it [the sanction] will be forthcoming. I leave that debate to those far better informed than I am.
Was Parker not just forgetting our position as per involvement to June 2024 on maritime security in the ME. But also what a UNSC Resolution said.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted a resolution Wednesday demanding that Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis cease all attacks on ships flowing through the Red Sea.
S/RES/2722 (2024)
24-004372/2
2. Demands that the Houthis immediately cease all such attacks, which impede global commerce and undermine navigational rights and freedoms as well as regional peace and security, and further demands that the Houthis immediately release the Galaxy Leader and its crew;
3. Affirms the exercise of navigational rights and freedoms by merchant and commercial vessels, in accordance with international law, must be respected, and takes note of the right of Member States, in accordance with international law, to defend their vessels from attacks, including those that undermine navigational rights and freedoms;
4. Commends the efforts by Member States within the framework of the International Maritime Organization, to enhance the safety and secure transit of merchant and commercial vessels of all States through the Red Sea
So again as per the resolution, what vessels are ours?
I’d suggest your remarks are way off the mark, and there is no resolution which gives blanket coverage to attack Yeman. Only the right to defend the country of origins ships.
4. Commends the efforts by Member States within the framework of the International Maritime Organization, to enhance the safety and secure transit of merchant and commercial vessels of all States through the Red Sea
Your claim that a nation can only defend its own vessels is untrue.
Any nation has the right to ask another nation for help to defend its ships or to defend its territory.
The International Maritime Organisation is of the UN.
You absurdly seem to think the Houthi (who have no government status whatsoever) have the right to attack shipping in international waters, without consequences.
My choice of the word 'exercise' was misleading. The RNZAF carry out regular patrols in the southern oceans. They are well versed in search and identification work. They also team up with other countries from time to time and carry out advanced exercises in this type of work. The navy of course is also involved in such exercises. I'm talking from long past experience as a non-military briefing officer.
Given the nature of the Red Sea deployment, RNZAF personnel together with the Navy would seem the most likely arms of the DF to be involved in this mission.
Btw, what does AWAC stand for? Tried to google, but likely military sources listed met with 'failed' links. In other words they had been blocked. Interesting.
Edit: the point is, there is no need for Collins’ attempt at secrecy. It has been par for the course for decades, so I am assuming she is attempting to make it sound like something new and dramatic.
"Rivers are normally named after ancestors, they have spiritual connections to both the physical environment and the people … many Māori believe that their rivers have a mauri, or a life essence inside them," he said.
"Calling something like a toilet roll holder by a sacred name, such as kaiiwi, is disgusting and offensive."
It can be very difficult to know when you are committing cultural appropriation. It is very easy to offend, even when you think you are doing the correct thing.
In my opinion it is best to steer clear unless your use of that language for marketing purposes has been approved by someone, with the right to approve that use.
I've used karaka roof paint on houses, is that OK, what if I have a bit over and clad the long drop at the camp site, seriously people need to get over themselves, this is why seymour is on the rise and trump will win the next election,
Or maybe they thought let's get some Maori language out their, forgetting that Maori are very precious about all things they own.
dunno about that. I think Māori generally are quite generous with te reo. However, putting kupu Māori on toilet things is akin to sitting your bum on the table you and others eat at. Some people think it's fine to do that, but it's not something a manufacturer should promote.
So I agree with you that sometimes companies just want to get some of te reo out there, but it should be done with a modicum of awareness and respect.
Thanks, ianmac – Steve Braunias is a smart thinker and the book will be valuable for understanding Golriz' story.
"She entered Parliament in 2017. The dislike was immediate. Ghahraman first became a public figure when she featured on the famous North & South cover in April 2017, when art director Jenny Nicholls and photographer Toaki Okano staged a very Vanity Fair / Annie Leibovitz portrait of seven Green MPs. It remains the only photo of Chlöe Swarbrick in a dress, lol. Ghahraman modelled a long, very glamorous, very sparkly green dress. (At least some readers will instantly think: “Did she steal it?”). Social media responded with rage that an MP should dare to wear an evening dress, dare to be a beautiful woman, dare to be upfront and in your face. It set the tone for the next six years of rage."
I thought the most revealing passage in Know Your Place was a dialogue she had with former defence minister Ron Mark.
He: “You know, Golriz, I think about what you and I have been through in our lives [Mark was raised in foster care] and I wonder how we’ve come out of it okay, we’ve ended up normal.”
She: “We’re not normal! You’re obsessed with war planes and I’ve been in therapy for three years.”
Golriz is not only beautiful, she is highly intelligent. She will heal and no doubt prosper in another field of endeavour.
So is Luxton a committed liar? Or just a tool to divide the nation?
The daily blog points out the issues around national, and their support of acts shitfuckery – is now into total divide the nation mode. No safety valve here.
The curiosity will be whether Luxon gets the shaming treatment that Helen Clark got, or enough rowdiness that he stays away like Key did, or whether he pulls something out of a box like Andrew Little did a term ago.
Are Maori iwi ready to turn their hui into political muscle, starting at Waitangi?
The site has this disclaimer saying it is satire and parody, but considering the contact address, it's not political either.
'ChrisLuxon.org is a satire and parody publication. All content contained within this website and on accompanying social media accounts, however similar to real events, is fictitious. Any real, semi-real or similar names, places, people, products, services and locales are used purely for satirical purposes, and the corresponding story details are purely fictional. The articles contained herein are to be considered satire, parody, surrealism, and humor. Any resemblance to actual persons, businesses, or events is entirely coincidental.
Images on ChrisLuxon.org site may consist of original photos, stock photography, and creative commons photos. We have done our best to attribute the creators of such photos based on the information available to us. Use of these works does not suggest that the respective authors endorse us or our use of the images. Contact porncorexxx@gmail.com for queries"
I'm also unsure of "creative commons photos" as mentioned in the disclaimer. Are these otherwise known as fakes and AI altered mischief?
Considering the spelling of ‘humor” instead of ‘humour’ the site is probably not even of NZ origin.
I'd have been none the wiser about this joke at our PM expense, had it not been for infused's comment. Like them, I found some content on that satirical site (which they linked to) amusing – like something out of a modern version of A Week of It.
Would you have been so amused, and enthusiastic if the website had been about Jacinda Ardern, or Golriz Ghahraman perhaps?
Perhaps, if the parody had been light-hearted. Our politicians (and their supporters) can be so thin-skinned sometimes – "Can't you tell when I'm joking?"
How Kiwis Went From Decent To Disgusting.
Sadly much of the vitriol was of course much worse than that nonsense. There were horrific things said, with threats, and the most revolting misogyny you’ve ever seen. One of our greatest ever leaders, a person who when thrust into incredibly challenging, unforeseen, circumstances reacted calmly, and kindly, showing great humanity, was subjected to what I think must be the most vicious attacks ever directed at a single person in this country.
And the attacks weren’t simply out of frustration with lockdowns, or MIQ, or anything like that. They were personally targeting Jacinda as a woman, and her family, and I have never felt so ashamed of my country in all my life.
…
But we didn’t see the outright viciousness and nastiness with Chippy as Labour leader, as we had with Jacinda, and you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to work out why.
I'll bet you were an admirer of the wonderful songs by people like Tom Scott.
I mean how could anyone not admire the wonderful lyrics like
"That's why I'm going to kill the Prime Minister. I'm going to kill the Prime Minister, because we are down and suffering and the motherfucker ain't doing nothing. Going to kill the Prime Minister.
One of these days I'm going to fuck your daughter. This poor boy going to make his seed, going to wake up in your girl – well hello Miss Key."
That is much better than soppy songs like We Shall Overcome isn't it?
John Key and his daughter should be proud to be the subject of such wonderful lyrics is probably your reaction. After all if he didn't get it it is because John Key was just thin skinned.
I'll bet you were an admirer of the wonderful songs by people like Tom Scott.
I admire Tom Scott, but not for his songs. Your assertion that I'm an admirer of the "wonderful lyrics" you quoted, and you guess at my reaction, suggest a very thin skin indeed. Just my opinion.
And thanks for making me aware of this other Tom Scott – appreciate it.
Now that I have your attention, may I remind you that
130,000 ELIGIBLE PEOPLE UNDER 25 HAVE NOT YET ENROLLED.
The current PM does not care about these people. He does not care about the growing gap between the rich and the poor in our country. He does not care about the native people of our country. He does not care about the planet we depend upon to survive, the living organism that we as humans are a functioning part of. He does not care about the right we should all have to an education. He only cares about him and his friends.
I do not want to literally kill this man. I do not wish to have sexual relations with anybody related to him. Let’s not pretend a silly little song ever changed anything. Last I seen famine was still going pretty strong since ‘Heal The World’ came out. It’s just a song. No different from Thatcher era punk. Anyone ever heard “Maggie you’re a cunt”..?
What’s important is that we ENROL TO VOTE so that we have a chance to select someone to represent us who understands the concept of empathy.
I’m fed up with this dude. But if you want to vote for him, that’s your choice. Personally, I’m voting Greens but you can vote for whoever you like. You can choose between a whole bunch of different people who represent a whole bunch of different ideologies. That’s the beauty of the political system in NZ.
Please respect my right to express my disappointment for the leader of our country.
Sorry but I don't find the parody website about Luxon as being in any way funny. Neither do I find a song about murdering Key anything like just a silly little song.
They are just like the comments that were apparently made about Ardern, or Ghahraman or Bennett or English or almost any other politician.
If you are going to complain about one you should complain about them all. And no, I haven't seen any of the remarks that have apparently addressed to most of them. I am prepared to accept that they do exist but I can only say that I find remarks like the ones in that song as offensive enough to be out of any level of acceptability and not just passed of as being thin skinned and not really meant.
It’s a way to criticize and expose flaws in ideas, individuals, and groups of people. Successful satire is often political in focus, but this isn’t a requirement.
If you are going to complain about one you should complain about them all.
Who's complaining? That you’re "prepared to accept" there is some truth in Nick Rockel's opinion [“horrific things said, with threats, and the most revolting misogyny you’ve ever seen“] is really quite encouraging.
Still, since you’re complaining about the website that infused linked to @6, perhaps you should complain about all the websites that satirise, parody and lampoon Kiwi policitians – I’m sure you know where to draw the line.
Those government policies sit alongside the proposed Treaty Principles Bill to diminish Māori opportunities to be Māori in public life. For the Act Party, this is necessary to protect democratic equality.
In effect, the proposed bill says that to be equal, Māori people can’t contribute to public decisions with reference to their own culture. As anthropologist Anne Salmond has written, this means the state cannot admit there are “reasonable people who reason differently”.
Equality through sameness is a false equality that liberal democracy is well-equipped to contest. Liberal democracy did not emerge to suppress difference. It is concerned with much more than counting votes to see who wins on election day.
Professor Dominic O'Sullivan touches on what I've been trying to show about ACT de-culturing, or homogenising, the country.
Checking and balancing the powers of government requires the contribution of all and not just some citizens. When they do so in their own ways, and according to their own modes of reasoning, citizens contribute to democratic contest – not as a divisive activity, but to protect the common good from the accumulation of power for some people’s use in the domination of others.
Te Tiriti supports this democratic process.
ACT's proposed renege and rewrite of the Treaty does exactly that, allow some people to accumulate power for the domination of others. Further deregulated and increasingly unbridled capitalism ensues.
Last evening I stumbled across an article on my Tablet, published in the Herald about a bar owner who had been in Court mainly about a 'celebration' when Jacinda Ardern had handed in her resignation last year which had got our of control. I endeavoured to find said article on the Herald website on my PC to refer to and include the link, but it seemed to have disappeared in the proverbial puff of smoke and I have since been unable to locate it. The bloke involved appeared to be a total misfit (trying not to be too judgemental in my description about him, in line with Weka's directive) and he made an absolute ass of himself at the Court hearing yesterday and finally had to be removed by security. The Judge's decision is yet to be delivered. The rabbit hole must be getting larger by the day for people of that ilk. I was so angered by this individual and do despair. What the hell are we coming to.
I think the chap you re looking for is Shane LaRosa who operates Shooters Bar in New North Rd, Kingsland. It is a hotbed of conspiracy nuts and SovCit fanatics.
He has a connection with the 2 adjacent sites which are rented out as "affordable" accommodation – portacabins with shared facilities on what used to be 2 car yards. There are also house buses and vans which may be habitable. The Cops are there quite often – despite the nonsense "Trespass" notices on the gates.
Of course the public will be able to make submissions on this. This is why it was part of the coalition agreement between ACT and National to ensure it would get past the First reading stage so it would then go to Select committee and people could get engaged. The real issue is many people don't want any debate on the topic as apparently "Racism".
Seymour seeks to lever open the can of worms that is public opinion so that he and his monied backers can inject their disguised venom into the minds of New Zealanders.
Normally the submissions process is a way of flexing a weak democratic system in that the voice of the disenfranchised is muted while the voice of the resourced elite is amplified. Wayne Brown runs this agenda, Auckland City constantly seeking submissions on the radio.
While shadowy funding for the far right ACT party propaganda has increased dramatically to this end, I hope this time they have bitten off more that they can chew because the opposition is significant and probable not short of (human) resources themselves.
Where is your actual hard evidence for this "shadowy funding for the far right ACT party propaganda"? The most I've seen is some rather long bow drawing which tries to link ACT with the TPU with Atlas. ACT has to publish it's list of donors over a certain figure. This should make your job easy.
Can't you handle dealing with racists? They tend to be the easiest opponents to deal with as their logic is so flawed. You just point out that genetically there are more differences within racial groupings than between them and we all come from a tiny genetic stock of humans a short time ago in scientific terms and are so mixed that racial distinctions are not really scientifically justified.
She [Finance Minister Nicola Willis] said that for Act, having a debate about the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi was a priority and that National had agreed to support them having this debate at select committee.
With all due respect, holding a debate is not the function of a select committee. Making submissions is hardly a substitute for meaningful exchange.
Ultimately, the purpose of a committee’s consideration is to decide whether to recommend to Parliament that a bill be passed. From what is being said, I can’t see such a recommendation being made with this bill.
In the meantime, what damage is done, especially when the bill does not reflect what Te Tiriti actually says?
What damage? How can any damage be done by having a discussion? Unless someone is actively promoting violence or even agression against people as a result. There is no indication that is going to happen.
The real issue is many people don't want any debate on the topic as apparently "Racism".
again with the sophistry.
1. you don't say what you mean by the 'topic'. Te Tiriti? The proposal of a referendum? The parliamentary process?
2. I'm seeing lots of people against' ACT's racism fronting up and debating. The objection is that the Treaty itself is up for debate. Most people I know are ok with a public discussion about the Treaty, it's how it's being done in this instance that is the problem.
3. wanting to rewrite the Treaty to remove Māori power and insert libertarianism in our constitution is racist by definition.
It's plain to see where Seymour's motivation comes from; rich businessmen who loathe the treaty because it thwarts their ambitions, and an ideology that seeks to mislead with sophistry.
Seymour is the worst possible champion for any discussion around our treaty.
How does it thwart their ambition? Please give an example of a rich persons ambition being thwarted by the Treaty that will be unthwarted by the changes being proposed.
You come across as so conspiratorial. There is little to distinguish you from say an anti-vaxxer. Next you will be telling me to "Follow the money". If you have evidence present it. If you don't then don't expect me to blindly accept that what you are stating must be the truth. At the moment you are just giving your unsupported reckons.
How does it thwart their ambition? Please give an example of a rich persons ambition being thwarted by the Treaty that will be unthwarted by the changes being proposed.
One way would be to undermine Māori stopping seabed and conservation land mining. Micky wrote about it the other day, in a post you commented on so I assume you read.
The conspiracy theorist in me thinks it is all about access to minerals. Māori have been some of the most determined protectors of the environment in the country. If their rights are extinguished then this removes a major impediment to gathering minerals in National Parks and in our oceans and shores.
Maybe that's where you got your conspiracy theory line from. You can stop that derail right now. If you want to accuse specific people of this, you need to explain clearly and in depth your argument, and it better be bloody good. because at the moment you look like either you don't understand the arguments being made, or you're trolling. Don't make me put my mod hat on.
What do you mean how it is done? What is being opened up for debate is the concept of the Principles of the Treaty. This is referred to under legislation but there is not such definition of what these means in the Treaty itself. It has essentially been left for various unelected people to define these over the past 30 or so years. The proposed wording in the legislation being put forward defines exactly what these Principles are so that other legislation can utilise it. Noone is attempting to re-write the Treaty nor remove it from law as part of this process.
Noone is attempting to re-write the Treaty nor remove it from law as part of this process.
RW righteousness often morphs into disingenuity, and key players often masquerade as “useful idiots” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Useful_idiot), which makes you what?
Legislating to make English an official language will change absolutely nothing. It is a complete and utter waste of time because English is in fact an official language of Aotearoa. It doesn’t need a law to make it so. Te reo Māori, on the other hand, had to be added by legislation, as it was in 1987, and NZ Sign Language the same in 2006.
[…]
The Māori Language Act 1987 was introduced after the Waitangi Tribunal held te reo to be a taonga that the government was obliged to protect under the Treaty of Waitangi. It also established the Māori Language Commission, which was renamed Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, to promote the use of the language.
Step by step, cut by cut, chipping away at the relevance and impact of ToW, and removing corresponding parts from NZ law, may turn out to be more effective than a quasi-attempt at a full-frontal attack.
If you say so. You seem to have this insidious plan to eliminate the Treaty of Waitangi from NZ all figured out. Of course lot's of people think the same sort of thing about topics like Fluoride in the public water supply or Vaccines. No real hard evidence but a lot of reckons.
Some are of the opinion that for decades after the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, it was more honoured in the breach than the observance.
"To me, the central aspect of the Treaty is respect for property rights and that's where I think a lot of things went wrong because indigenous property rights were not respected." – Finlayson
Might be why there have been so many treaty-based claims and settlements in recent decades, with still more in the pipeline. Sure, ACT pollies are 'small govt' ideologues, but (imho) best not to rock the good ship Aoteoroa NZ until outstanding claims have been sorted – in a few more decades, or so.
David Seymour: A vote for ACT will keep National on the right
[Jan 2023]
The ACT Party leader, and potential coalition partner for National, is prepared to – again – turn down a ministerial role, even one as the coveted finance minister, in order to pursue his party’s policy interests.
…
The party’s big focus next year will be on crime and the economy, and a referendum on the Treaty of Waitangi, something Luxon has already ruled out, but which Seymour said is a bottom-line.
It is my understanding that the referendum is about the principles of the Treaty. Nothing more, nothing less. The Treaty itself is not up for debate, nor is there any suggestion that the Treaty is being re-written (as if that were even possible).
When Tuku Morgan claims that the bill represents "an all-out attack" on Māori that "will roll back race relations in this country by 50 years" (same reference) he is dangerously misrepresenting the issue, and in my view stoking the fires of dissension.
I believe you are expressing a sincere concern, but one that is misplaced. My sense is that there are enough NZ'ers of good faith who will participate in this conversation reasonably for the benefit of all, but only of extremists (on both sides) are not allowed the oxygen to inflame division.
It is my understanding that the referendum is about the principles of the Treaty. Nothing more, nothing less. The Treaty itself is not up for debate, nor is there any suggestion that the Treaty is being re-written (as if that were even possible).
Real politik: if you want to stoke a culture war from within government, don't attack the Treaty directly (eg suggest removing the Treaty, or say you want to rewrite it). Instead, say you want to look at the principles instead. As if the principles aren't key to how the Treaty functions in the real world.
Your 'nothing more, nothing less' is false I suggest you rewrite your comment quoting ACT and Seymour and see how it scans.
Surely a conversation about those principles should be welcomed as part of our nations democratic, constitutional process.
Obviously a conversation about the Treaty principles is important. If you read my comment again (that you replied to), then you will see I already said this.
As Robert Guyton has been pointing out, many in NZ have been having those conversations for a long time. It's an ongoing conversation that anyone can take part in, in various ways.
ACT don't want that. As I have been pointing out how we have that conversation matters. ACT want a different thing entirely. They don't want us to engage and develop over time, they want to impose their own interpretations on the country.
I think you're being dragged down a rabbit hole. There isn't a single major political party in NZ proposing removing or rewriting the Treaty. For that matter I would question whether there is even a legal vehicle to achieve anything like either of those outcomes.
Anyway:
"As Robert Guyton has been pointing out, many in NZ have been having those conversations for a long time. It's an ongoing conversation that anyone can take part in, in various ways."
No, 'anyone' cannot take part in this conversation, clearly. Not even 'many'. The principles of the Treaty have been determined by governments and courts, with little recourse to wider public debate.
Perhaps Kiingi Tūheitia was speaking to us all when he said "There’s no principles, the Treaty is written. That’s it.” and "Don’t look to the courts to understand the Treaty, look to the marae.”
There isn't a single major political party in NZ proposing removing or rewriting the Treaty.
You appear to not have understood my point, I suggest reading my comment again.
Anyway:
"As Robert Guyton has been pointing out, many in NZ have been having those conversations for a long time. It's an ongoing conversation that anyone can take part in, in various ways."
No, 'anyone' cannot take part in this conversation, clearly. Not even 'many'. The principles of the Treaty have been determined by governments and courts, with little recourse to wider public debate.
Sure they can. Robert has talked about it in terms of local body government. Many people have been talking on social media. Anyone can submit on legislation. People can go on to marae. And so on.
Māori have an awesome ability to network and then organise politically, non-Māori could learn some things from that.
It seems to be a moving feast because the (deliberately) leaked report outlines three completely different new principles to the ones you linked to from last November. I guess all that shadowy funding hasn't got the decent lawyers in yet. I also suspect this is why no one trusts ACT (and National) not to change things as they go. They are simply not trustworthy people.
Nah, those are rewrites/adjustments of the articles of the Treaty as far as I can see:
Still, it is part of the playbook ACT and their lackeys use to confuse and disrupt; denial, innocence, changing information, competing statements, and deferral. You can see this played out in real time by the three headed Taniwha government.
It does. I'm not even sure the bill is drafted yet? I've already stated I oppose a referendum on the principles of the treaty – I tend to agree with Jim Bolger who said "If they're going to be considered at all they have to be considered in a calm and reasonable way and referendums are not there for calm and reasonable discussion." Is there going to be a referendum? The Treaty Principles Bill explained (1news.co.nz). However I see value in this conversation, and the process of getting more people engaged in it.
How is anything you mentioned racist exactly? Stating ALL people in NZ have equal rights and duties is not favouring or putting down any ethnic group. On the contrary it would be racist to state one group based on ethnicity should have more rights than others.
On the contrary it would be racist to state one group based on ethnicity should have more rights than others.
Who has said that? Please be specific and quote and link.
Stating ALL people in NZ have equal rights and duties is not favouring or putting down any ethnic group
Don't need to mess with the Treaty to do that though eh.
Seymour's racism is in trying to remove acknowledgement that there are biases against Māori built into the system. For instance, Māori are more likely to end up in prison, because the government runs policy that makes Māori disproportionately poor, and the various system Māori engage with, eg the Justice system, treat Māori with bias enough times for it to count against them.
The Crown stole land from Māori, introduced laws that made life very difficult for Māori, and ran policy likewise. There is no equivalent for non-Māori in NZ, so this idea about all people should have equal rights is again sophistry.
Of course all people should have equal rights, but atm they don't. There is bias in the system as well as historical injustices.
I didn't state anybody has stated that. I am contrasting what ACT is saying with the opposite view which would be the racist one. I am doing so to show how the view expressed is not racist.
All your other views which can be combined under the tag of “Systematic racism” are eminently debateable. There maybe multiple reasons why Maori might have a higher rate of negative statistics than other groups beyond the system is racist against them.
I personally think it is related to the effects of rapid urbanisation post WWII. Prior to this the gap between Maori and non-Maori was not so noticeable. It would also explain why Pasifika people have similar high rates in the negative statistics versus Chinese and Indian people. The same applied to Irish and other poor European communities moving enmasse from rural to urban environments in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
good to know you have to put up a straw man argument to make your point.
Your understanding of racism is stunted Gosman. You can choose to think that is what racism is, and ignore the other aspects of the phenomenon, but you will not be able to follow the politics here.
My point is if the effects of colonialism was what causes the social problems facing many Maori today you would reasonably expect the areas of the country where these effects were the greatest should have the worst problems and the areas where the impact of colonisation was the least would not have as high an incidence os such issues.
As both the Far North and East Cape were impacted less by colonisation as compared to say the South Island, Waikato, and Taranaki it suggest the causal link you are suggesting are not as strong as you suggest given these are the areas of the country with some of the worst social statistics.
In terms of land loss and disruption to cultural connections and support.
Both those regions of NZ have among the highest rate of land still under Maori control (either through the Maori land court or in local hands). They also have among the highest rates of Te Reo speaker in the nation. The rate of people who speak and understand Te Reo is 8 % in Northland and 14% in Gisborne as compared to less than 2 % for the South Island (see https://www.ethniccommunities.govt.nz/resources/our-languages-o-tatou-reo/languages-spoken-by-region/). Maori also make up a greater proportion of the total population in those regions and there was less settlement by non-Maori.
Following the logic behind your argument these places should have better statistics among local Maori than areas where they were heavily impacted by British colonisation like the South Island. This is not the case as you will see by this as members of Nga Tahu have better social statistics than the average of Maori in NZ.
^ The inference being that the unfinished job of colonising Northland and the East Cape should proceed with haste, for their own good.
The Maori way is inferior, the Pakeha way is superior. The Maoriness of Maori is a disease which must be treated in order for them and the country to succeed. Look, over the last generation it's already spreading to non-Maori!
I think ACT leaders, candidates and voters genuinely don't think they are racist because the racism is so deeply embedded it seems natural…
Luxon at Rātana – will he say National will NOT allow ACT's anti-Māori proposal to go beyond first reading and will he apologise to all Māori for allowing it to have gotten this far?
Except that is not what is happening. It might be what SOME people think is happening. But those people are wrong and National doesn't need to apologise for their miscomprehension.
A political party in government wants to fundamentally change how Te Tiriti is understood, and thus acted upon, but sure, that won't affect anything /massive-eyeroll
Given the fact he has now hinted he might be convinced to swing the National party behind passing the proposed legislation at a 2nd reading I suspect he has recived focu group and internal polling that suggests there is a lot of support for it and he won't be ignoring that to curry favour with a group who tend not to support National anyway.
No. The people who attended the Hui on the weekend which did not include the majority of Maori nor did it only include Maori. I think John Campbell was there for example. I doubt National is going to lose sleep over not making John Campbell happy.
Your straw men are tedious. Nobody here argued that the Hui included [did you mean represented?] the [?] majority of Māori. John Campbell was just one among about 10,000 and he was there in his capacity as reporter, AFAIK.
I fear you are correct Gosman. This is pure populism.
The 3 waters debacle was in my view the issue that Labour lost control of, and resulted in a wide spread anti Maori backlash. That ultimately saw them lose support and in the end, the election.
That showed us that the general population is not yet ready to embrace a full 50 50 partnership, and any government that tries to do so will be rejected (in the medium term at least).
National will know that and their internal polling will be confirming that.
I wouldn't be surprised if they end up supporting the referendum.
Noisy protests will only strengthen their resolve and support with their base.
Why do you fear this? What you should fear is negative outcomes. I've yet to see someone articulate what these are exactly beyond vague accusations that Maori will be screwed over. How they are going to be is not mentioned just that is of course what will happen.
He sees no point in turning up to be told some Maori are unhappy. He is well aware some Maori are unhappy. He also has never attended the Ratana meet up as he thinks it is a waste of time give Ratana's political leanings.
The tireless champion of free speech doesn’t want to listen to others who may be unhappy about what he said and disagree with him. One wonders what the partnership really means to him – a cold shoulder if he doesn’t get his own way?
The great instigator of public debate about ToW has already made up his mind about the topic and about the people who may object because he’s heard it all before. This bodes well for the Select Committee process and any public submission round, if it gets this far.
The wannabe pretender who is not really interested in debate at all, doesn’t want to engage, but just wants to force his views through in an underhand authoritarian manner. Is he not an elected politician and representative? Sounds like something Wayne Brown would do with some lame excuse from a Deputy.
Still, he could always do a ‘hard-hitting interview’ on one of his preferred Platforms of ‘pubic engagement’.
And then there are the jokers & apologists who stick up for him and quite possibly also voted for his party.
And the Machiavellian tactics of the coalition government are becoming clearer and more blatant each and every day.
Where did you get the idea the free speech means you have to listen to others? Free speech means people are not shut down. There is no requirement for people to listen or even care.
A Politician has an obligation to engage with the public. That does not mean they need to engage with every Tom, Dick, or Hone that is holding a public meeting or get together. These people are entitled to attend an event or arrange a meeting with him is they so desire it.
It was a great opportunity to make the case he is so confident about. To show that he's not anti-Maori and concerned with their welfare. But he didn't do that because he's not concerned with Maori, he would like to reduce that culture to one of a number of cultures.
But Seymour is not concerned with taking the nation with him because he knows only 51% is required at referendum stage. Achievable with huge funding from wealthy Pakeha. This is the flaw in democracy scumbags like David Seymour exploit.
He didn’t turn up because he’s scared his performance in real world debate might destroy the optics of his calm abolishment of Te Ao Maori.
You forgot to add that he didn't turn up also because he is basically a coward. Cowards avoid events that might show them up for being what they really are – shallow, vindictive low-lives whose aim in life is to bully others into submission because it makes them feel better about themselves.
Come Waitangi Day, don't be surprised if he announces at the last minute that his security detail have… warned him to stay away and he has decided to heed their advice. It will depend on what happens between now and then of course, but there is no way he will put himself in a position that could lead to an exposé of his real agenda.
Waitangi is an interesting one because the trust board will want everything down the line, impartial and safe but will also want people to be abler to express their views. Can't clamp down on your own to protect a racist from rude words.
NZF has already said it will not go beyond a first reading, their MP votes would be needed to do so.
NZ First MP Shane Jones was a little clearer, quick to confirm New Zealand First won't support it further.
"We'll participate in the process to have the bill tabled in Parliament, debated in Parliament, referred to Select Committee, and after that we won't be voting for it," he said.
The inevitable mission creep of the coalition government. \sarc
The razor gang is wielding the austerity knife to gut the State from the inside out, so that it can no longer fulfil its oversight duties & responsibilities to maintain a well-functioning democracy.
The scale of the cost pressures facing the service were $3.5 to $4 million a year, so the additional cuts would double that gap if they were implemented.
Neither the Office of the Clerk nor the Parliamentary Service were on the list of 21 agencies targeted for budget cuts by National before the election.
Peter's is being a dick and receiving boos and derision. Arguing with tangata whenua as though they were the media!
Now, he’s appalling to any xenophobes in the audience – “foreigners are coming to take what’s yours!”
Too late, Winston. That happened before the treaty was signed!
Still a good effort by Haley-plenty of anti Trump sentiment there. My guess is there will also be funding out there for Haley from republicans who realise Trump is a liability. It's not over yet.
The RB target of 4% inflation by the end of 2023 was not met (because of the 1.8% Sept quarter). The Dec quarter was only 0.5%, so it came in at 4.7% for the year.
It looks well positioned at 0.5% in the last quarter to be under the 3% target for the end of 2024.
The risks are rent and rates (water infrastructure) and building costs (and maybe power if Genesis plans for another price increase are indicative) – all tracking well above other sectors.
Taypayers’ Union policy adviser James Ross disagrees with this and said that “this inflation is driven by unsustainably high government spending
If the government does not help councils with their water issues, watch rates soar and the TU advise sale of their assets (so the same people who made money buying power company shares off the central government can do the same with council water assets).
An honourary chocolate fish award for those who can explain how “unsustainably high” government spending increases the price of food, the cost of rent, construction and rates …
The slightly elevated inflation rate never had anything to do with excessive, or even particularly high government spending. The following link references an analysis by Joseph Stiglitz describing the inflationary episode as transitory (would abate after the transitory circumstances dissipated).
Simply put the inflation was related to various supply side impacts of the pandemic and Ukraine invasion and monetary or fiscal policy are unable to do anything to really change that outcome.
The RBNZ policy has however been pretty damaging to the country. The impact of the monetary policy has been to push landlords to increase rents, driving rental inflation and to generate a small amount of excess unemployment (related in scale to the GDP fall).
The main stream however conceives inflation as always demand driven and related to excessive wage rates. The obvious contradictory to this narrative fact's being, wage increases have lagged inflation and any corporate price increases have never been passed onto employees (the price increases generated excessive profits instead). This was rather gently highlighted during the election campaign to the right wing parties, but somehow their overall narrative that the economy has been too good to most people (which was somehow causing inflation), took hold. Unfortunately for a lot of economic commentators the mechanism supposedly generating the outcomes can be entirely assumed to exist, even if contradicted by actual economic statistics.
In essence, Treasury economists "sought to disentangle the supply and demand components of the inflation spike" The research found that "supply and demand drivers that the model can explain have contributed roughly equal amounts to annual inflation in the past year, although different models give different estimations”.
They also break down the various elements of demand and supply side components, and the timing of how and when they each impacted most. (“While supply and demand contributed roughly equal amounts to inflation, they did not always contribute equally at the same time.”)
Even if you attribute a portion to demand and a portion to supply that may not be very relevant to economic policy however. There were certain classes of goods for which there certainly was a big bump in demand, particularly items relating to large numbers of people suddenly working from home a lot more. However this excess demand is still a rather temporary impact and eventually people have furnished their home offices even if there was a bit of a temporary shortage of these kinds of items. Businesses supplying such goods would have made out well from this high demand whether they increased their prices or not.
What was not found in such research (and its kind of the whole narrative), was excessive NZ wage growth preceding inflation. Were that to have occurred it would be easily identified in regular economic statistics.
Also with such analysis, when your answer largely depends on how you specified the model, this mostly says your model doesn't work the way the economy actually functions or how your narrative implies. In terms of this particular research treasury likely applied the standard assumption that all prices (including wages) are flexible, or at least flexible enough that supply and demand will drive the prices to an equilibrium. Research into how prices are actually set (like surveys of price setters in businesses) typically find more than half of all prices are determined as average cost + margin. If your using the wrong model to work out proportions attributed to supply and demand then the proportions you get out are simply meaningless numbers.
Just in regards to your comment about how prices are set, I would concur with what you describe as the ‘standard assumption’. The cost+ model is generally subservient to the market, and I would suggest that the cost increases in the building industry showed that clearly.
All spending has the potential to impact inflation of course. But I think economic commentators and economists should really make it more clear what the assumed mechanism is there. Of course any model of inflation is anticipating particular behaviors by price setters to generate it.
The rather simplistic story about excess demand really needs to examine a few points, such as if your making excess profits due to price hikes shouldn't that be firstly shared with the work force? This is much more a political discussion, rather than some automatic mechanism where pricing decisions are calculated of course.
The cost + pricing model has rather different outcomes from a supply and demand based pricing model. There are certainly supply and demand based prices in the economy (say wholesale energy prices) but even in these cases there are some pretty strict rules about allowed bids and a whole electricity market infrastructure needed to have regular market clearing prices. And if your model is not using the right mechanism then the numbers your getting out are largely nonsense (this is true of any model actually).
"but even in these cases there are some pretty strict rules about allowed bids and a whole electricity market infrastructure needed to have regular market clearing prices. "
Those rules apply in more regulated parts of the market, utilities etc, but not so much in other areas. In the construction industry, supply side factors (eg material shortages) added to demand shortages (in part caused by stimulus) to create excess demand that drove up prices. Of course in some cases those price increases were limited to the extent of the supplier cost increases, but there will have been plenty based on the 'make hay while the sun shines' economic 'theory'.
That is the point, yes. Its likely that only with strict rules and regular public clearing that flexible pricing is a functional model. Also some of the rules are more or less aligned with electricity public policy, like requiring wind farms to offer a zero bid.
In other cases you can base your model on supply and demand being the price drivers, but you still need to demonstrate that with real world evidence your model is correct. This would be a massive hurdle for such an understanding to get over in fact, because the participants don't think this is how they are setting their prices this way and neither do they adjust their prices in line with changes in supply and demand. Basically the real world evidence is stacked directly against how the economy is supposed to work here.
Its also relevant here that the main macro models are unable to implement other pricing mechanisms as, the expected behaviors are much less constrained when you don't assume agents are profit maximizing with flexible pricing. This is why they are going to go with that assumption in the modeling exercise, though its not telling us anything really about the state of the NZ economy or the governments economic policy.
It is generally acknowledged that government wage subsidy and money for local/regional projects kept the economy ticking over and the RB put too much money through banks into the housing market all while easing deposit ratio's and delayed a tightening too long.
Of the four* demand factors, only one was government spending
government spending, the Reserve Bank, and New Zealand’s then-hot housing market ….*
Here is an analysis of the developed country with the lowest inflation rate across the period, and a reasonable analysis of how the central bank contributed to that outcome.
Unfortunately, Michael Reddell is clearly incapable of understanding the relevant economics involved here, and would be against such a policy. He seems to prefer the negative impacts of the inflation be urgently pushed most harshly onto renters and people in precarious employment (via interest rate hikes) as a priority. This is the primary outcome of NZs monetary policy response to this inflationary period.
While in the best case it is for certain NZs inflation would have been higher than Japan (pretty much regardless of the policy), as a lot of impacts are related to companies monopoly price setting power in NZ (not easy to improve quickly). But NZ could have had lower inflation in a more fair manner simply by extending the QE policy (which sets the monetary policy rate to zero) and leaving it up to fiscal policy to subsidize those who were badly affected by inflation (with measures like public transport subsidies being extended, etc…).
The merits of Modern Monetary Theory is a much bigger discussion. I've read a number of critiques finding for and against. But the debate is healthy – and a lot of economists are watching Japan.
The merits of MMT are rather irrelevant to the way that monetary policy is being implemented and its consequences. This is because MMT is the practice of doing economics when starting from a realistic model of how monetary institutions work (and proceeding from there). While you may well understand the economy better and maybe implement better economic policy with a better understanding, MMT is not a policy regime. Meanwhile the RBNZ is applying a particular policy regime using NAIRU targeting to specify monetary policy.
Economists have been following Japan for 30 odd years of course with the hope of developing an understanding. Some have been regularly predicting some kind of imminent economic collapse owing to their monetary policy, and some others developed MMT.
"As for Japan, it's open to debate just how long, and to what extent, Japan has been implementing MMT."
That's exactly the point, MMT is not a policy regime. As far as I am aware the BOJ or Japanese government have never asked any MMT economist what they should do. Quite the opposite MMT economists have considered the Japanese economy (and many others) through their framework while developing MMT (in particular Warren Mosler and Bill Mitchell each did this independently before collaborating).
But its possible to consider every monetary economy using MMT, as far as I am aware. The differences in institutions often tells you a few key things about what to expect, in fact.
I've only skim read it of course, but that document is quite funny, if bordering on polemical. Apparently MMT needs to contrast itself with the QTM approach. I put the date of the RBNZ officially rejecting that in 1986 (in the unlikely event anyone there ever believed it was viable at the time), around the time all central banks swore off it as a policy. Apparently that's still a corner stone of mainstream economic thinking which needs addressing.
Anyway, while there is fairly obvious potential for policy improvements once the basics of MMT are applied, you really couldn't analyze existing economic performance using a policy regime. Probably the most disliked suggestion from MMT is to de-mystify government spending in some simple ways, by stopping debt govt issuance and simply moving all public payments directly into the central bank govt accounts. According to MMT this regime would perform … identically to a country running QE policies (the monetary policy rate becomes zero due to an excess of clearing funds). The only difference there is that it becomes a lot more clear that the government doesn't have a spending constraint, which should improve public understanding of economics and economic policy. On the other hand anybody who understands the NZ economy via MMT already understands that the government doesn't have a spending constraint today. Incidentally this is why the country wasn't bankrupted by the pandemic, despite regular missives in the pre-ceding decades that the country was almost bankrupt and needed to seriously constrain its budget.
Why has David Seymour been too scared to speak or even present himself at Tūrangawaewae and now Rātana?
He does pretend to want to debate the relevance of te Tiriti o Waitangi so the least he can do is engage in the debate he and his backers have invented.
I suspect he only wants to debate within the womb of parliament, and the bassinet of big shadowy funding, rather than out in the real world.
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Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Carereport released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced$802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Carereport in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquirypublished its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone iconon the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive:Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloittereport for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’sOliver LewisScoop:Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announcedthe Board of Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Orderimage, ...
Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
Waiting In The Wings:For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSAannounced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
Open access notablesImproving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society:To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
A late change to charter school legislation will cheat educators out of fair pay and negotiating power proving charter schools are just a vehicle to make profit out of our education system. ...
In 2004 te iwi Māori rallied against the Crown’s attempt to confiscate our coastlines and moana with the Foreshore and Seabed Act. This led to the largest hīkoi of a generation and the birth of Te Pāti Māori. 20 years later, history is repeating itself. Today the government has announced ...
It has been five and a half years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was established to investigate the abuse of children, young people, and vulnerable adults within state and faith-based institutions. Yesterday, the final report - Whanaketia through pain and trauma, from darkness to light ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to take action off the back of the International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. ...
On Friday the International Court of Justice reaffirmed what Palestinian’s have been telling us for decades: that the occupation and colonisation of Palestinian lands by Israel is illegal and must end immediately. They also called for reparations for Palestinian’s who have lived under Israeli occupation since it began in 1967. ...
Labour calls on the Government to act after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories is illegal. ...
The 53.7 percent rise in benefit sanctions over the last year is more proof of this Government’s disdain for our communities most in need of support. ...
Aotearoa could be a country where every child grows up feeling safe, loved and with a sense of belonging in their whānau and community. But for some of our children, this is far from reality. Instead, they are trapped in a maze of intergenerational harm that they can’t escape on ...
Te Pāti Māori are calling for David Seymour to resign as Associate Health Minister in response to his call for Pharmac to ignore the Treaty of Waitangi. “This announcement is just another example of the government’s anti-Tiriti, anti-Māori agenda.” Said Co-leader and spokesperson for health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “Seymour thinks it ...
The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country - with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent on average while annual inflation is at 3.3 per cent. ...
National’s Emissions Reduction Plan will take New Zealand further from the economy we need to ensure the next generation has a stable climate and secure livelihoods. ...
Following consultation with named parties and thorough consideration of privacy interests, the Green Party is in a position to release the Executive Summary of the final report from the independent investigation into Darleen Tana. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should be asking serious questions of his Minister for Resources Shane Jones now it’s been revealed he misled the public about a dinner with mining companies that he didn’t declare and said wasn’t pre-arranged. ...
Te Pāti Māori have submitted to the Justice Select Committee against the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill. The bill will further entrench racism in our justice system and fails to focus on rehabilitation. “Reinstating Three Strikes will empower a systematically racist system and exacerbate the overrepresentation of Māori in ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is set to make a determination on the Residential Tenancies Amendment (RTA) Bill in the coming weeks. “This legislation will give landlords the power to kick our whānau out onto the street for no reason” said Housing spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “Their solution to the housing ...
“National’s campaign was about tackling crime and the best they can do is a two-year long Ministerial Advisory Group,” Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
“There are more examples of charter schools failing their students than there are success stories. The coalition Government is driving to dismantle our public school system and instead promote a privatised, competitive structure that puts profits before kids,” Jan Tinetti said. ...
“This government is choosing to deliberately mislead and withhold information, keeping our people in the dark about this government’s agenda and the future of our mokopuna,” said co-leader and spokesperson for Health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The call comes after the demand from the Chief Ombudsman that Associate Minister of Health, Casey ...
“Today’s climate announcement by Simon Watts makes clear the National Government is simply paying lip service to meeting its climate change targets,” Megan Woods said. ...
National is choosing to make life harder for workers by taking away the rights our communities have fought hard for. Here's how they’re taking workers backwards. ...
Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue. We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views. “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
Tēnā tātou katoa, Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts. “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet. “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks. “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. At the heart of this report are the ...
For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024. “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane. “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says. “This will be our third visit to ...
Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum. While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation. “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan. “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
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One News last night.
@@2:35 minutes
Unidentified reporter: "Should New Zealand perhaps be putting more pressure on the United States to support a ceasefire in Gaza rather than taking the action, of supporting military action?"
Winston Peters: "Can I say, that is not the view of the United Nations…."
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/one-news-at-6pm/episodes/s2024-e23
That may be the view of Winston Peters, and the view of the US Biden administration. But it is not the view of the United Nations, including its General Secretary António Guterres.
United Nations General Assembly vote by a large majority for a ceasefire.
The UN supports a ceasefire in Gaza. Only the United States veto has prevented the UN from ordering a ceasefire in Gaza.
In the highest decision making body of the UN, the US was isolated as the sole country to vote against a ceasefire in the Security Council. Even the UK, America's closes ally, could not bring themselves to vote against a ceasefire. The UK abstained on the Security Council vote for a ceasefire, the only Security Council member to do so. All the other members of the Security Council voted for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The two highest bodies of the UN, the General Assembly and the Security Council, by a big majority both, "support a ceasefire in Gaza", only the minority of one country opposed a ceasefire in Gaza in the Security Council. And only a small minority of countries opposed a ceasefire in the UN General Assembly. The truth is, one country has overruled the United Nation's support for a ceasefire in Gaza
https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/12/1144562
A good follow up question for Winston Peters would be; Do you Mr Peters as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, support a ceasefire in Gaza as a way of stopping the escalation of violence in the Middle East, in particular, Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea?
We've already supported a cease-fire. In the absence of one providing an end to attacks on shipping there is the defence of shipping.
The official statements dont agree
New Zealand calls for humanitarian pause in Gaza
Its not a ceasefire in the generally expected use of the term
notice the date 23 October
a latter Dec statement from Luxon – coordinated with Australia and Canada is just a word salad of lost hopes and dreams over 70 years.
There have been two votes.
New Zealand voted for October 27 resolution that called for a “humanitarian truce” leading to a cessation of hostilities
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/501350/nz-vote-on-gaza-at-un-consistent-with-longstanding-position-hipkins
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/un-general-assembly-votes-overwhelmingly-for-ceasefire-in-gaza/QKOAF3H6ZBDXRIIQUFKYSJRYUA/
On 12 December
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2023/12/nz-among-153-united-nations-members-to-demand-humanitarian-ceasefire-in-gaza-10-against-23-abstentions.html
It's common knowledge, but I probably should have included the link to UN General Secretary António Guterres support for a Ceasefire in Gaza.
https://www.aljazeera.com/program/newsfeed/2024/1/15/un-chief-calls-for-immediate-ceasefire-in-gaza#
Guterres support for a ceasefire is significant, as it has been informed by the UN humanitarian experts and UN aid workers in the field.
Guterres would have been advised of the fact that UN aid cannot be effectively delivered in Gaza due to the non-stop shelling and bombing by Israel.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/12/29/un-says-impossible-getting-aid-to-gaza-as-israeli-strikes-intensify
Guterres would have been advised of the fact that the greatest number of UN aid workers had been killed in Gaza than in any other conflict since the founding of the UN.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/11/14/middleeast/united-nations-staff-deaths-gaza-intl-hnk/index.html#
Guterres would have been informed of the high number of health care workers killed and health facilities destroyed.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/01/1145317#:~:text=WHO's%20online%20platform%20covering%20attacks,seven%20deaths%20and%2052%20injuries.
The fact of an impending famine impounded by the bombing lack of aid and destruction of the health care system.
https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/58/1262/515174/War-on-Gaza/War-on-Gaza/Israel-bombs-Gaza-as-UN-warns-of-looming-famine.aspx
@@2:35 minutes
Unidentified reporter: "Should New Zealand perhaps be putting more pressure on the United States to support a ceasefire in Gaza rather than taking the action, of supporting military action?"
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/one-news-at-6pm/episodes/s2024-e23
The answer is a Yes or a No. Not hide behind a false claim that the UN doesn't support that action
Following a request from the United States, New Zealand is sending six personnel to the region to support future
https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/350156111/nz-deployment-red-sea-has-shades-iraq-labour-says
SIX – that'll make a difference!!! HAH
New Zealand already has 28 peacekeeping on the Israel-Egypt border, and we've had regular deployments into the UN peacekeeping zone in Golan Heights.
This is not a moment for New Zealand to retreat in to sleepy Hobbit world.
One: This is not UN sanctioned so your comparison is horseshit.
Two: We will engaged in espionage against another nation with no mandate from the UN.
Three: This is an act of war, without a declaration of war.
At least their are some brains in the labour/greens party who know this
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/labour-greens-warn-of-escalating-risks-as-government-deploys-military-to-red-sea/IJAVLADUZZA6RAHY7JECJE3FSM/
We're never going to need or seek a UN mandate for spying. Five Eyes has no UN mandate.
Nor should we wait around for a UN resolution to defend shipping. We should just do it. It has nothing to do with the invasion of Iraq.
Nearly all of the shipping companies that support our economy have already stopped going through the Red Sea for fear of being targeted: MSC, Hapag-Lloyd, CMA, CGM, and Maersk. We are just getting inflation under control now and we don't need another spike due to increased freight costs.
A ceasefire in Gaza (and the occupied West Bank for that matter) and the ships would be able to go through again. It is that simple.
All Standard contributors should be supporting a total ceasefire and a two state solution rather than getting hung-up on matters that will be resolved anyway if a ceasefire came into operation, such as the hostages, Red Sea shipping etc etc
Best of all a ceasefire would mean bye bye Bibi.
Wouldn't it be great to have the power to cast a spell over all Standard commenters and make them all think and write just the way you want?
We need actual independent thinking that involves walking and chewing gum at the same time.
The walking part involves the defence of a key shipping lane against a non-state actor, and until there's attacks on the Malacca Strait this is about as basic a national interest as we can get.
The chewing part is a basic recognition that Israel and Hamas will stop when they agree to which is no time soon, even if either of them said they wanted to.
Maybe you Ad (and many others on TS, sorry I should not have said “all” above) should watch this-it really is a must watch. It makes the point I was trying to make but much better.
I love it when she calls “the West” (Biden and Sunak) “cowboys”.
Maybe the US attacks on Yemen in the last 10 years, over 100 in 2017 alone, have something to do with it
Then theres the Saudi led ( US and British supported) attacks on Yemen after the Zaydi sect led rebels toppled the previous government – who fled to Riyadh and now operate as a Saudi puppet administration.
1) A neighbour invading a country is bad when Russia does it but has Nato support when Saudis/Emiratis do it.
2) Self defence is permitted when Israel does it but not when Zaydi/Houthi forces do so after over 10 years of attacks on their country.
Your recognition of Yemen as the country of the Houthi is all your own – not that of the Arab league or the UN.
Russia ensured the survival of the Assad regime – something the Arab League now accepts as a reality.
The Arab League does not recognise the Houthi as the government of anything, nor does the UN.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinet_of_Yemen
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_Leadership_Council
Russia backs one government in Libya and Turkey another. Maybe it is a regional thing – though Russia now has a taste for regional hegemony disrupter role in Europe, if Medvedev's recent comments mean anything.
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=Medvedev
If all Standard contributors agreed and every nation in the world said stop the war on Ukraine, what would Putin do?
If all Standard contributors and the world, including USA, called on the Israeli government to stop its military action in Gaza what would Netanyahu do?
Doesn't matter what Netenyahu would do
He'd be utterly powerless without the US providing billions of dollars of military aid
Stop the weapons,stop the cash flow and he's done
And so is Israel
Israel is not dependent on the $3B now near $4B of annual aid (it is little more than that given to Egypt and Jordan each year for being part of the peace process).
The Israeli economy is much larger now than it was when that level of aid was set. This is indicated by the end of economic aid to Israel some time ago.
It is influenced by the USA setting terms for military supply, back in 1973 Israel knew an attack was coming but the Americans told them they could not attack first – they would only get military supply (munitions/ammunition), if they did not attack first.
In this case Hamas attacked first.
Since the attack by Hamas Israel has received military aid (missile and air defense systems – Iron Dome).
This chart shows that the significant military aid only comes in war time.
https://www.axios.com/2023/11/04/us-israel-aid-military-funding-chart
The possible actions open to Biden are
*to ask Congress to allow POTUS to make the economic aid to Israel contingent on the Israeli government supporting a two state peace process and outcome – on the basis that Netanyahu has brought this into doubt. Give POTUS leverage.
**to allow POTUS to be able to restrict supply of offensive weaponry to Israel to influence the continuance of war if USA wanted a cease-fire.
PS Restricting supply of air defence capability would leave Israeli civilians open to missile attacks and leave the nation hostage to external attack threats.
*to ask Congress to allow POTUS to make the annual
economicmilitary aid to Israel contingent on the Israeli government supporting a two state peace process and outcome – on the basis that Netanyahu has brought this into doubt. Give POTUS leverage.Inflation is at 5% and we going to have that for the next decade, so if that your excuse to engage in a war – sheesh no words, just utter horror at your ability to justify war.
And about 5 eyes, made the world a safer place has it – worst joke, never.
How about we actually stand up to the problem in the region of the middle east and help sort this out, rather than this back door jingoistic bullshit.
Free trade must be protected mantra is just shit – you do a good job of showing what is wrong with the left in many eyes – the apologism of globalisation and what is in essence a watered down and effectively useless version of a once great program of social democracy.
No one is going to win any elections pushing that horseshit going forward.
New Zealand is one of the most sea-trade reliant countries in the world. Both exports and imports. No one should be apologising for exporting and making the money we need to stay in biscuits, and we are so trade reliant now that we import most other things.
We are indeed "standing up" or whatever in the Middle East and have done so for quite a few decades in our own small way.
If we really think that we don't need to support the defence of the Red Sea, we should just imagine a world in which the US just stops, brings all its ships back, the Houthis win the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and we take the price increases to oil coming in and agricultural commodities going out. Ain't no one else going to help us or Maersk.
Inflation was 4.7% for the last quarter, falling. The potential delays and near-term supply shortages are being as closely watched by markets as they were during COVID which was the real global trade crunch that affected us so badly.
Your catstrophe fantasy is very much the stuff of colonialism. The Houthi have clearly said they will allow passage to all those that agree to not using the Red Sea to supply Israel and will allow passage to Israel when it stops its genocide of Palestinians and blockade of Gaza. All of which seem like worthwhile goals.
It is not possible to say they are lying unless the conditions are met. And if they are lying? The bloodbath in Gaza will have ceased. Some results are worth a wee bit of inflation don't you think?
Have they, can you provide a link?
Israel would get their cargo direct from Europe in that case …
If there had been no attacks on shipping simply using the Red Sea to transport cargo between Europe and Asia (with no link to Israeli stop offs or Israeli ship ownership) there would have been no UNSC Resolution.
Try this link. There are many such links.
https://www.palestinechronicle.com/largest-attack-to-date-what-is-happening-in-the-red-sea/
Perhaps you could supply a link to a targeted ship that had no links to Israel nor was bound for Israel before the US intervention that has resulted in the first loss of lives in the whole saga. Or not aligned in any way to the Western nations coalescing around the US since its intervention.
I would also note that it was perfectly ok for the UK navy to enable a Saudi blockade of Yemen that created the worst humaitarian disaster in the world prior to Gaza. They closed the Red Sea to all maritime traffic to and from the Yemeni coast!! But now? Oh rules based system of international order!
https://www.declassifieduk.org/paralysing-a-nation-evidence-emerges-of-royal-navys-complicity-in-saudi-led-sea-blockade-of-yemen/
A development because earlier attacks was resulting in calls for protection of shipping.
https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/containers/houthi-leader-makes-demands-red-sea-ships
See above
Adding a rider are we.
If western nations shipping are fair game, so are those that attack them.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted a resolution Wednesday demanding that Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis cease all attacks on ships flowing through the Red Sea.
https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N24/009/28/PDF/N2400928.pdf?OpenElement
Oh great. Many ships but no names.
The Houthi action is a true r2p in support of Gaza within their limited means. It is hugely popular with the citizens of that country and is giving the Houthi extended influence over their whole country. Bombing them into oblivion and attempts at starvation have not defeated them. They have gone through exactly what Gaza is going through. They are unlikely to be cowed. Perhaps putting a stop to the rearming of Israel by the US would be simpler, before any further escalation in the Red Sea
Electronic Intifada on youtube
Maersk Hangzhao – ballistic missile attacks and 4 jet boats trying to board.
https://www.vesselfinder.com/?imo=9784300
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/missile-from-houthi-controlled-yemen-strikes-merchant-vessel-red-sea-uss-gravely-shoots-down-anti-ship-missiles/
It’s not just the Americans supplying arms – Germany is looking at their stock of tank shells (as per Iran and NKorea supplying Russia).
Israel only gets about 5% of its trade through the Red Sea. It’s not a useful lever upon Israel at all.
The Red Sea is far more important to the rest of the trading world including ourselves, and we don't need to accept terrorists leveraging themselves in.
Oh the scary terrorist word. Remember that one mans terrorist is anothers freedom fighter. I believe that it is incumbent on all nations and people to do what they can in the face of genocide?? Yemen is on of the poorest nations in the world and is doing what it can, for no loss of lfe up to the US intervention. South Africa is also doing what it can. Other than that? Nothing. And it seems that there is substantial effect if Rueters is to be believed.
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israels-eilat-port-sees-85-drop-activity-amid-red-sea-houthi-attacks-2023-12-21/
A freedom fighter fights soldiers, a terrorist attacks civilians, like merchant sailors
Israel's port of Eilat, though not one of its major ports, has has lost 85% of its business since the blockade.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/h1600q3wdt
You have all the numbers it seems. Not that you bothered linking to them as per site policy.
How many ships as a percentage of the whole have the Houthi movement targeted? More than 5%, less?
Only 6 , should be 600 , you if the houthis wamy war go attack soldiers, don't go terrorizing merchant sailors out their earning a living, ?
There is a UN mandate.
https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N24/009/28/PDF/N2400928.pdf?OpenElement
An act of war against whom? The Houthi are an armed gang in control of part of Yemen. To declare war one has to recognise the other party as having the status of a nation state.
Al Qaeada in Iraq or Syria, Islamic State, Hezbollah, Shia militias in Iraq, Hamas and the Houthi are not nation state actors or governments of a (recognised) nation state.
link does not work if you right click
https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/MediaCentre/HotTopics/Documents/Red%20Sea/SCR%202722%282024%29%20on%20the%20Red%20Sea%20adopted%20%28E%29%201.pdf
Nope, not even close. I'd suggest you read it again. We have no mandate to act.
https://www.imo.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/Pages/IMOinUN-default.aspx
https://www.un.org/Depts/los/convention_agreements/convention_overview_convention.htm
Out of context and clutching at straws I see.
What next, Palestinian children are shooting themselves?
Making what up?
4 is part of a UNSC Resolution
Heard of collective security?
Your claim that a nation can only defend its own vessels is untrue.
Any nation has the right to ask another nation for help to defend its ships or to defend its territory.
The International Maritime Organisation is of the UN.
You absurdly seem to think the Houthi (who have no government status whatsoever) have the right to attack shipping in international waters, without consequences.
OMG you go from bad to worse. None of the flag nations apart from the UK and US have asked us to help.
This is a blanket of BS you want to wrap yourself in fair enough, but don't lie about what the UN have made a resolution on. Very few outside of the usual supporters of warmongering nations who vote for this, had what you ascribed to them as their intent, if indeed any.
Again with the lies.
Your really on form.
How are we defending our vessels?
This defence commitment is not much more than a continuation of our existing / past contribution to policing in the Red Sea / Persian Gulf. We've had personnel involved going back to Gulf War and at times a frigate participating.
In 2023 Andrew Little released these documents which outline the circumstances of the past Government sending six personnel to the Gulf.
https://www.defence.govt.nz/assets/publication/file/MARSEC.pdf
Judith Collins refused to say from which arm of the Defence Force these six 'personnel' are coming. The RNZAF are very much involved in maritime security exercises and of course the Navy. My money is on RNZAF and their intelligence unit.
Edit:
I’m starting to wonder whether this announcement from Luxon and Collins is a facade “look at us folks aren’t we decisive and clever” when its nothing new and the ground work was already in place.
Of course its nothing new. A Hipkins lead government would have done the same thing.
I think they would have waited for the UN to sanction such an undertaking. I don't know whether it [the sanction] will be forthcoming. I leave that debate to those far better informed than I am.
Was Parker not just forgetting our position as per involvement to June 2024 on maritime security in the ME. But also what a UNSC Resolution said.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted a resolution Wednesday demanding that Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis cease all attacks on ships flowing through the Red Sea.
https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N24/009/28/PDF/N2400928.pdf?OpenElement
if you leave this page to doc it works
What vessels are ours again?
https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/MediaCentre/HotTopics/Documents/Red%20Sea/SCR%202722%282024%29%20on%20the%20Red%20Sea%20adopted%20%28E%29%201.pdf
So again as per the resolution, what vessels are ours?
I’d suggest your remarks are way off the mark, and there is no resolution which gives blanket coverage to attack Yeman. Only the right to defend the country of origins ships.
https://www.imo.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/Pages/IMOinUN-default.aspx
https://www.un.org/Depts/los/convention_agreements/convention_overview_convention.htm
Wow, just wow – link with no context and making shit up to fit a very weak argument at best.
Do we call this your jumping the shark moment?
Making what up?
4 is part of a UNSC Resolution
Heard of collective security?
Your claim that a nation can only defend its own vessels is untrue.
Any nation has the right to ask another nation for help to defend its ships or to defend its territory.
The International Maritime Organisation is of the UN.
You absurdly seem to think the Houthi (who have no government status whatsoever) have the right to attack shipping in international waters, without consequences.
With our new planes (continuing our AWACS capabilities) some have been trained up, and here an active operation, rather than an exercise.
Navy would be interested in the air defence of ships side of it.
Army would have an interest in identifying (battlefield) targets.
My choice of the word 'exercise' was misleading. The RNZAF carry out regular patrols in the southern oceans. They are well versed in search and identification work. They also team up with other countries from time to time and carry out advanced exercises in this type of work. The navy of course is also involved in such exercises. I'm talking from long past experience as a non-military briefing officer.
Given the nature of the Red Sea deployment, RNZAF personnel together with the Navy would seem the most likely arms of the DF to be involved in this mission.
Btw, what does AWAC stand for? Tried to google, but likely military sources listed met with 'failed' links. In other words they had been blocked. Interesting.
Edit: the point is, there is no need for Collins’ attempt at secrecy. It has been par for the course for decades, so I am assuming she is attempting to make it sound like something new and dramatic.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airborne_early_warning_and_control
Thanks. 🙂
Mitre 10 does the right thing …
"Rivers are normally named after ancestors, they have spiritual connections to both the physical environment and the people … many Māori believe that their rivers have a mauri, or a life essence inside them," he said.
"Calling something like a toilet roll holder by a sacred name, such as kaiiwi, is disgusting and offensive."
https://www.stuff.co.nz/culture/350156115/mitre10-changes-culturally-insensitive-product-names
Lokos like Legacy were doing some brownwashing. Imagine the marketing consultant meeting were that was decided.
Brownwashing toilet fixtures 🙂
Or maybe they thought let's get some Maori language out their, forgetting that Maori are very precious about all things they own.
It can be very difficult to know when you are committing cultural appropriation. It is very easy to offend, even when you think you are doing the correct thing.
In my opinion it is best to steer clear unless your use of that language for marketing purposes has been approved by someone, with the right to approve that use.
I've used karaka roof paint on houses, is that OK, what if I have a bit over and clad the long drop at the camp site, seriously people need to get over themselves, this is why seymour is on the rise and trump will win the next election,
You are using a product with a Maori name. You didn't give it that name.
"karaka" is a Māori colour name, not the personal name of a sacred mountain/ancestor.
Big diff.
dunno about that. I think Māori generally are quite generous with te reo. However, putting kupu Māori on toilet things is akin to sitting your bum on the table you and others eat at. Some people think it's fine to do that, but it's not something a manufacturer should promote.
So I agree with you that sometimes companies just want to get some of te reo out there, but it should be done with a modicum of awareness and respect.
Golriz, the book by Steve Braunias.The best coverage of a woman in distress. A great read.
https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/01/24/golriz-the-book/?utm_source=Newsroom&utm_campaign=96e5c2bcbf-Daily_Briefing+24.01.2024&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_71de5c4b35-96e5c2bcbf-95522477&mc_cid=96e5c2bcbf&mc_eid=88a3081e75
Thanks, ianmac – Steve Braunias is a smart thinker and the book will be valuable for understanding Golriz' story.
"She entered Parliament in 2017. The dislike was immediate. Ghahraman first became a public figure when she featured on the famous North & South cover in April 2017, when art director Jenny Nicholls and photographer Toaki Okano staged a very Vanity Fair / Annie Leibovitz portrait of seven Green MPs. It remains the only photo of Chlöe Swarbrick in a dress, lol. Ghahraman modelled a long, very glamorous, very sparkly green dress. (At least some readers will instantly think: “Did she steal it?”). Social media responded with rage that an MP should dare to wear an evening dress, dare to be a beautiful woman, dare to be upfront and in your face. It set the tone for the next six years of rage."
Another quote:
Golriz is not only beautiful, she is highly intelligent. She will heal and no doubt prosper in another field of endeavour.
So is Luxton a committed liar? Or just a tool to divide the nation?
The daily blog points out the issues around national, and their support of acts shitfuckery – is now into total divide the nation mode. No safety valve here.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2024/01/24/to-arms-to-arms-luxon-lied-about-treaty-principles-bill/
The curiosity will be whether Luxon gets the shaming treatment that Helen Clark got, or enough rowdiness that he stays away like Key did, or whether he pulls something out of a box like Andrew Little did a term ago.
Are Maori iwi ready to turn their hui into political muscle, starting at Waitangi?
This is NSFW Chris Luxon's Favourite Porn Sites
I do find it a little funny, but imagine if this was done when Jacinda was PM? Maybe something was done like this im unaware of.
The site has this disclaimer saying it is satire and parody, but considering the contact address, it's not political either.
'ChrisLuxon.org is a satire and parody publication. All content contained within this website and on accompanying social media accounts, however similar to real events, is fictitious. Any real, semi-real or similar names, places, people, products, services and locales are used purely for satirical purposes, and the corresponding story details are purely fictional. The articles contained herein are to be considered satire, parody, surrealism, and humor. Any resemblance to actual persons, businesses, or events is entirely coincidental.
Images on ChrisLuxon.org site may consist of original photos, stock photography, and creative commons photos. We have done our best to attribute the creators of such photos based on the information available to us. Use of these works does not suggest that the respective authors endorse us or our use of the images. Contact porncorexxx@gmail.com for queries"
I'm also unsure of "creative commons photos" as mentioned in the disclaimer. Are these otherwise known as fakes and AI altered mischief?
Considering the spelling of ‘humor” instead of ‘humour’ the site is probably not even of NZ origin.
Brilliant infused – thanks for the (slap)heads-up
Wonder if Shane Jones (Minister for ‘Resources’) has a similar website. Former National party MP Andrew Falloon probably had one.
https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/21-07-2020/the-andrew-falloon-saga-how-it-unfolded
Would you have been so amused, and enthusiastic if the website had been about Jacinda Ardern, or Golriz Ghahraman perhaps?
I'd have been none the wiser about this joke at our PM expense, had it not been for infused's comment. Like them, I found some content on that satirical site (which they linked to) amusing – like something out of a modern version of A Week of It.
Perhaps, if the parody had been light-hearted. Our politicians (and their supporters) can be so thin-skinned sometimes – "Can't you tell when I'm joking?"
I'll bet you were an admirer of the wonderful songs by people like Tom Scott.
I mean how could anyone not admire the wonderful lyrics like
"That's why I'm going to kill the Prime Minister. I'm going to kill the Prime Minister, because we are down and suffering and the motherfucker ain't doing nothing. Going to kill the Prime Minister.
One of these days I'm going to fuck your daughter. This poor boy going to make his seed, going to wake up in your girl – well hello Miss Key."
That is much better than soppy songs like We Shall Overcome isn't it?
John Key and his daughter should be proud to be the subject of such wonderful lyrics is probably your reaction. After all if he didn't get it it is because John Key was just thin skinned.
I admire Tom Scott, but not for his songs. Your assertion that I'm an admirer of the "wonderful lyrics" you quoted, and you guess at my reaction, suggest a very thin skin indeed. Just my opinion.
And thanks for making me aware of this other Tom Scott – appreciate it.
Sorry but I don't find the parody website about Luxon as being in any way funny. Neither do I find a song about murdering Key anything like just a silly little song.
They are just like the comments that were apparently made about Ardern, or Ghahraman or Bennett or English or almost any other politician.
If you are going to complain about one you should complain about them all. And no, I haven't seen any of the remarks that have apparently addressed to most of them. I am prepared to accept that they do exist but I can only say that I find remarks like the ones in that song as offensive enough to be out of any level of acceptability and not just passed of as being thin skinned and not really meant.
Please don't apologise alwyn, naturally not everyone will find that website funny. A sense of humour is unique – like fingerprints.
Who's complaining? That you’re "prepared to accept" there is some truth in Nick Rockel's opinion [“horrific things said, with threats, and the most revolting misogyny you’ve ever seen“] is really quite encouraging.
Still, since you’re complaining about the website that infused linked to @6, perhaps you should complain about all the websites that satirise, parody and lampoon Kiwi policitians – I’m sure you know where to draw the line.
Professor Dominic O'Sullivan touches on what I've been trying to show about ACT de-culturing, or homogenising, the country.
ACT's proposed renege and rewrite of the Treaty does exactly that, allow some people to accumulate power for the domination of others. Further deregulated and increasingly unbridled capitalism ensues.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/how-the-treaty-strengthens-democracy-and-provides-a-check-on-unbridled-power-dominic-osullivan/UTUMQGDGCNDR7DV73FIXFKSIOM/
Great piece well worth the read.
Thanks for the link Muttonbird.
Last evening I stumbled across an article on my Tablet, published in the Herald about a bar owner who had been in Court mainly about a 'celebration' when Jacinda Ardern had handed in her resignation last year which had got our of control. I endeavoured to find said article on the Herald website on my PC to refer to and include the link, but it seemed to have disappeared in the proverbial puff of smoke and I have since been unable to locate it. The bloke involved appeared to be a total misfit (trying not to be too judgemental in my description about him, in line with Weka's directive) and he made an absolute ass of himself at the Court hearing yesterday and finally had to be removed by security. The Judge's decision is yet to be delivered. The rabbit hole must be getting larger by the day for people of that ilk. I was so angered by this individual and do despair. What the hell are we coming to.
I think the chap you re looking for is Shane LaRosa who operates Shooters Bar in New North Rd, Kingsland. It is a hotbed of conspiracy nuts and SovCit fanatics.
Thanks all – yep, that's the guy. Hope the Judge throws the book at him.
Was this it?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/crime/shooters-saloon-bar-owner-shayne-la-rosa-storms-out-of-trial-accused-of-alcohol-licence-breach/P3N633E2YFFYTBJLC5T6HF3T5Q/
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/crime/shooters-saloon-bar-owner-shayne-la-rosa-storms-out-of-trial-accused-of-alcohol-licence-breach/P3N633E2YFFYTBJLC5T6HF3T5Q/
Shayne La Rosa. He has issues.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/local-body-elections/129824721/auckland-election-candidate-believes-covid-vaccines-are-sterilising-women
https://twitter.com/search?q=Shayne%20La%20Rosa&src=typed_query
" La Rosa yelled back, “Judge, don’t leave this room!” and his supporters clapped."
Seems a worthy citizen and his supporters, up-standing.
/sarc
He has a connection with the 2 adjacent sites which are rented out as "affordable" accommodation – portacabins with shared facilities on what used to be 2 car yards. There are also house buses and vans which may be habitable. The Cops are there quite often – despite the nonsense "Trespass" notices on the gates.
We have all been made aware of Act's desire to mess with Te Tiriti by using the Treaty Principles Bill.
For give my ignorance but is the public able to make submissions around this?
It gets tiresome reading about Act/Seymour's tosspottery, it would be empowering to do something about it.
Of course the public will be able to make submissions on this. This is why it was part of the coalition agreement between ACT and National to ensure it would get past the First reading stage so it would then go to Select committee and people could get engaged. The real issue is many people don't want any debate on the topic as apparently "Racism".
Seymour seeks to lever open the can of worms that is public opinion so that he and his monied backers can inject their disguised venom into the minds of New Zealanders.
Normally the submissions process is a way of flexing a weak democratic system in that the voice of the disenfranchised is muted while the voice of the resourced elite is amplified. Wayne Brown runs this agenda, Auckland City constantly seeking submissions on the radio.
While shadowy funding for the far right ACT party propaganda has increased dramatically to this end, I hope this time they have bitten off more that they can chew because the opposition is significant and probable not short of (human) resources themselves.
Where is your actual hard evidence for this "shadowy funding for the far right ACT party propaganda"? The most I've seen is some rather long bow drawing which tries to link ACT with the TPU with Atlas. ACT has to publish it's list of donors over a certain figure. This should make your job easy.
Robert 100%
Can't you handle dealing with racists? They tend to be the easiest opponents to deal with as their logic is so flawed. You just point out that genetically there are more differences within racial groupings than between them and we all come from a tiny genetic stock of humans a short time ago in scientific terms and are so mixed that racial distinctions are not really scientifically justified.
https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/01/24/acts-treaty-bill-wont-pass-but-the-damage-will-have-been-done/ [opinion piece by Lianne Dalziel; currently behind paywall]
What she said.
What damage? How can any damage be done by having a discussion? Unless someone is actively promoting violence or even agression against people as a result. There is no indication that is going to happen.
Stay with us, please. You mentioned engagement and debate @ 9.1, which I countered using Dalziel’s words.
again with the sophistry.
1. you don't say what you mean by the 'topic'. Te Tiriti? The proposal of a referendum? The parliamentary process?
2. I'm seeing lots of people against' ACT's racism fronting up and debating. The objection is that the Treaty itself is up for debate. Most people I know are ok with a public discussion about the Treaty, it's how it's being done in this instance that is the problem.
3. wanting to rewrite the Treaty to remove Māori power and insert libertarianism in our constitution is racist by definition.
It's plain to see where Seymour's motivation comes from; rich businessmen who loathe the treaty because it thwarts their ambitions, and an ideology that seeks to mislead with sophistry.
Seymour is the worst possible champion for any discussion around our treaty.
How does it thwart their ambition? Please give an example of a rich persons ambition being thwarted by the Treaty that will be unthwarted by the changes being proposed.
Look instead, and listen to, Gosman, the position taken by those aforementioned and ask yourself why they back, bankroll, anything at all.
You come across as so conspiratorial. There is little to distinguish you from say an anti-vaxxer. Next you will be telling me to "Follow the money". If you have evidence present it. If you don't then don't expect me to blindly accept that what you are stating must be the truth. At the moment you are just giving your unsupported reckons.
Just as Key was the wrong person to change the flag, Seymour is the wrong man to change Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Both ventures required a sympathetic figurehead.
Neither had one.
Noone involved in the Govt is seeking to change the Treaty of Waitangi. You are creating a Strawman to beat down.
One way would be to undermine Māori stopping seabed and conservation land mining. Micky wrote about it the other day, in a post you commented on so I assume you read.
https://thestandard.org.nz/which-side-are-you-on-2/
Maybe that's where you got your conspiracy theory line from. You can stop that derail right now. If you want to accuse specific people of this, you need to explain clearly and in depth your argument, and it better be bloody good. because at the moment you look like either you don't understand the arguments being made, or you're trolling. Don't make me put my mod hat on.
What do you mean how it is done? What is being opened up for debate is the concept of the Principles of the Treaty. This is referred to under legislation but there is not such definition of what these means in the Treaty itself. It has essentially been left for various unelected people to define these over the past 30 or so years. The proposed wording in the legislation being put forward defines exactly what these Principles are so that other legislation can utilise it. Noone is attempting to re-write the Treaty nor remove it from law as part of this process.
When a sensible person recognises that butter wouldn't melt in the mouth of the person speaking, they react accordingly.
Eh???
RW righteousness often morphs into disingenuity, and key players often masquerade as “useful idiots” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Useful_idiot), which makes you what?
https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/01/24/acts-treaty-bill-wont-pass-but-the-damage-will-have-been-done/ [opinion piece by Lianne Dalziel; currently behind paywall]
Step by step, cut by cut, chipping away at the relevance and impact of ToW, and removing corresponding parts from NZ law, may turn out to be more effective than a quasi-attempt at a full-frontal attack.
If you say so. You seem to have this insidious plan to eliminate the Treaty of Waitangi from NZ all figured out. Of course lot's of people think the same sort of thing about topics like Fluoride in the public water supply or Vaccines. No real hard evidence but a lot of reckons.
Some are of the opinion that for decades after the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, it was more honoured in the breach than the observance.
Might be why there have been so many treaty-based claims and settlements in recent decades, with still more in the pipeline. Sure, ACT pollies are 'small govt' ideologues, but (imho) best not to rock the good ship Aoteoroa NZ until outstanding claims have been sorted – in a few more decades, or so.
So, you’ve got no counter argument and resort to diversions and a pathetic reply. What a waste of time!
It is my understanding that the referendum is about the principles of the Treaty. Nothing more, nothing less. The Treaty itself is not up for debate, nor is there any suggestion that the Treaty is being re-written (as if that were even possible).
In 1989, Labour set out 5 principles "for Crown Action on the Treaty of Waitangi". (Is there going to be a referendum? The Treaty Principles Bill explained (1news.co.nz)). My personal view is that those principles are sound, and I am opposed to this issue being determined by referendum.
However, as stated in Teara, the Treaty principles are "always evolving to suit changing beliefs and circumstances. " (Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi – ngā mātāpono o te Tiriti o Waitangi – Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand). Surely a conversation about those principles should be welcomed as part of our nations democratic, constitutional process.
When Tuku Morgan claims that the bill represents "an all-out attack" on Māori that "will roll back race relations in this country by 50 years" (same reference) he is dangerously misrepresenting the issue, and in my view stoking the fires of dissension.
I believe you are expressing a sincere concern, but one that is misplaced. My sense is that there are enough NZ'ers of good faith who will participate in this conversation reasonably for the benefit of all, but only of extremists (on both sides) are not allowed the oxygen to inflame division.
[SARC] Yeah but these people know what REALLY is going on. They see behind the facade and know that people are trying to do over everyone [/SARC].
Real politik: if you want to stoke a culture war from within government, don't attack the Treaty directly (eg suggest removing the Treaty, or say you want to rewrite it). Instead, say you want to look at the principles instead. As if the principles aren't key to how the Treaty functions in the real world.
Your 'nothing more, nothing less' is false I suggest you rewrite your comment quoting ACT and Seymour and see how it scans.
Obviously a conversation about the Treaty principles is important. If you read my comment again (that you replied to), then you will see I already said this.
As Robert Guyton has been pointing out, many in NZ have been having those conversations for a long time. It's an ongoing conversation that anyone can take part in, in various ways.
ACT don't want that. As I have been pointing out how we have that conversation matters. ACT want a different thing entirely. They don't want us to engage and develop over time, they want to impose their own interpretations on the country.
I think you're being dragged down a rabbit hole. There isn't a single major political party in NZ proposing removing or rewriting the Treaty. For that matter I would question whether there is even a legal vehicle to achieve anything like either of those outcomes.
Anyway:
"As Robert Guyton has been pointing out, many in NZ have been having those conversations for a long time. It's an ongoing conversation that anyone can take part in, in various ways."
No, 'anyone' cannot take part in this conversation, clearly. Not even 'many'. The principles of the Treaty have been determined by governments and courts, with little recourse to wider public debate.
Perhaps Kiingi Tūheitia was speaking to us all when he said "There’s no principles, the Treaty is written. That’s it.” and "Don’t look to the courts to understand the Treaty, look to the marae.”
you have to supply a link every time you quote. Please supply a link now before you comment further.
Please read this,
https://thestandard.org.nz/moderation-notes-in-election-year/
Apologies. Both quotes are taken from 'Be Māori' – Kiingi Tuuheitia gives closing speech at national hui (1news.co.nz)
You appear to not have understood my point, I suggest reading my comment again.
Sure they can. Robert has talked about it in terms of local body government. Many people have been talking on social media. Anyone can submit on legislation. People can go on to marae. And so on.
Māori have an awesome ability to network and then organise politically, non-Māori could learn some things from that.
On your final point, I agree with you entirely.
It seems to be a moving feast because the (deliberately) leaked report outlines three completely different new principles to the ones you linked to from last November. I guess all that shadowy funding hasn't got the decent lawyers in yet. I also suspect this is why no one trusts ACT (and National) not to change things as they go. They are simply not trustworthy people.
Nah, those are rewrites/adjustments of the articles of the Treaty as far as I can see:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/507090/government-confirms-leaked-document-was-a-ministry-treaty-principles-bill-memo
Still, it is part of the playbook ACT and their lackeys use to confuse and disrupt; denial, innocence, changing information, competing statements, and deferral. You can see this played out in real time by the three headed Taniwha government.
"It seems to be a moving feast…"
It does. I'm not even sure the bill is drafted yet? I've already stated I oppose a referendum on the principles of the treaty – I tend to agree with Jim Bolger who said "If they're going to be considered at all they have to be considered in a calm and reasonable way and referendums are not there for calm and reasonable discussion." Is there going to be a referendum? The Treaty Principles Bill explained (1news.co.nz). However I see value in this conversation, and the process of getting more people engaged in it.
How is anything you mentioned racist exactly? Stating ALL people in NZ have equal rights and duties is not favouring or putting down any ethnic group. On the contrary it would be racist to state one group based on ethnicity should have more rights than others.
In other words, removing collective Māori power is the goal, be it real or imagined, in the present or in the future.
QED
Who has said that? Please be specific and quote and link.
Don't need to mess with the Treaty to do that though eh.
Seymour's racism is in trying to remove acknowledgement that there are biases against Māori built into the system. For instance, Māori are more likely to end up in prison, because the government runs policy that makes Māori disproportionately poor, and the various system Māori engage with, eg the Justice system, treat Māori with bias enough times for it to count against them.
The Crown stole land from Māori, introduced laws that made life very difficult for Māori, and ran policy likewise. There is no equivalent for non-Māori in NZ, so this idea about all people should have equal rights is again sophistry.
Of course all people should have equal rights, but atm they don't. There is bias in the system as well as historical injustices.
I didn't state anybody has stated that. I am contrasting what ACT is saying with the opposite view which would be the racist one. I am doing so to show how the view expressed is not racist.
All your other views which can be combined under the tag of “Systematic racism” are eminently debateable. There maybe multiple reasons why Maori might have a higher rate of negative statistics than other groups beyond the system is racist against them.
I personally think it is related to the effects of rapid urbanisation post WWII. Prior to this the gap between Maori and non-Maori was not so noticeable. It would also explain why Pasifika people have similar high rates in the negative statistics versus Chinese and Indian people. The same applied to Irish and other poor European communities moving enmasse from rural to urban environments in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
good to know you have to put up a straw man argument to make your point.
Your understanding of racism is stunted Gosman. You can choose to think that is what racism is, and ignore the other aspects of the phenomenon, but you will not be able to follow the politics here.
Do you know what parts of NZ have the highest deprivation rates for Maori Weka?
make your point if you have one Gosman.
My point is if the effects of colonialism was what causes the social problems facing many Maori today you would reasonably expect the areas of the country where these effects were the greatest should have the worst problems and the areas where the impact of colonisation was the least would not have as high an incidence os such issues.
As both the Far North and East Cape were impacted less by colonisation as compared to say the South Island, Waikato, and Taranaki it suggest the causal link you are suggesting are not as strong as you suggest given these are the areas of the country with some of the worst social statistics.
in what ways were they 'impacted less'? Please be specific.
In terms of land loss and disruption to cultural connections and support.
Both those regions of NZ have among the highest rate of land still under Maori control (either through the Maori land court or in local hands). They also have among the highest rates of Te Reo speaker in the nation. The rate of people who speak and understand Te Reo is 8 % in Northland and 14% in Gisborne as compared to less than 2 % for the South Island (see https://www.ethniccommunities.govt.nz/resources/our-languages-o-tatou-reo/languages-spoken-by-region/). Maori also make up a greater proportion of the total population in those regions and there was less settlement by non-Maori.
Following the logic behind your argument these places should have better statistics among local Maori than areas where they were heavily impacted by British colonisation like the South Island. This is not the case as you will see by this as members of Nga Tahu have better social statistics than the average of Maori in NZ.
https://ngaitahu.iwi.nz/assets/Documents/Ngai-Tahu-population-statistics-report-2016.pdf
^ The inference being that the unfinished job of colonising Northland and the East Cape should proceed with haste, for their own good.
The Maori way is inferior, the Pakeha way is superior. The Maoriness of Maori is a disease which must be treated in order for them and the country to succeed. Look, over the last generation it's already spreading to non-Maori!
I think ACT leaders, candidates and voters genuinely don't think they are racist because the racism is so deeply embedded it seems natural…
Luxon at Rātana – will he say National will NOT allow ACT's anti-Māori proposal to go beyond first reading and will he apologise to all Māori for allowing it to have gotten this far?
I'm guessing not, but a commitment and apology is absolutely called for.
What is he going to apologies for – Hurt feelings?
Fomenting discord.
Oooerrrr!!! Formenting discord. How awful! Next he might actually spill some milk which will cause people to breakdown in tears.
Letting Nat's coalition partner get this far down the track of monkey wrenching the Treaty.
Except that is not what is happening. It might be what SOME people think is happening. But those people are wrong and National doesn't need to apologise for their miscomprehension.
what's not happening?
The Monkey wrenching the Treaty. It is not happening. You can rest easy.
A political party in government wants to fundamentally change how Te Tiriti is understood, and thus acted upon, but sure, that won't affect anything /massive-eyeroll
Given the fact he has now hinted he might be convinced to swing the National party behind passing the proposed legislation at a 2nd reading I suspect he has recived focu group and internal polling that suggests there is a lot of support for it and he won't be ignoring that to curry favour with a group who tend not to support National anyway.
"… a group who tend not to support National anyway."
Māori?
No. The people who attended the Hui on the weekend which did not include the majority of Maori nor did it only include Maori. I think John Campbell was there for example. I doubt National is going to lose sleep over not making John Campbell happy.
Pfffffffft!
It seems your argument has lost steam there Robert.
Your straw men are tedious. Nobody here argued that the Hui included [did you mean represented?] the [?] majority of Māori. John Campbell was just one among about 10,000 and he was there in his capacity as reporter, AFAIK.
I fear you are correct Gosman. This is pure populism.
The 3 waters debacle was in my view the issue that Labour lost control of, and resulted in a wide spread anti Maori backlash. That ultimately saw them lose support and in the end, the election.
That showed us that the general population is not yet ready to embrace a full 50 50 partnership, and any government that tries to do so will be rejected (in the medium term at least).
National will know that and their internal polling will be confirming that.
I wouldn't be surprised if they end up supporting the referendum.
Noisy protests will only strengthen their resolve and support with their base.
Why do you fear this? What you should fear is negative outcomes. I've yet to see someone articulate what these are exactly beyond vague accusations that Maori will be screwed over. How they are going to be is not mentioned just that is of course what will happen.
Populism is not necessarily bad by the way.
Yeah, nothing wrong with RW populism. Tax cuts, anyone? \sarc
Still defending your parties inability to honor a contract.
How very droll
A question about David Seymour was asked, Gosman, and I thought you were the person to answer it:
Muttonbird wrote:
Why has David Seymour been too scared to speak or even present himself at Tūrangawaewae and now Rātana?"
He sees no point in turning up to be told some Maori are unhappy. He is well aware some Maori are unhappy. He also has never attended the Ratana meet up as he thinks it is a waste of time give Ratana's political leanings.
Ahhhh!
The tireless champion of free speech doesn’t want to listen to others who may be unhappy about what he said and disagree with him. One wonders what the partnership really means to him – a cold shoulder if he doesn’t get his own way?
The great instigator of public debate about ToW has already made up his mind about the topic and about the people who may object because he’s heard it all before. This bodes well for the Select Committee process and any public submission round, if it gets this far.
The wannabe pretender who is not really interested in debate at all, doesn’t want to engage, but just wants to force his views through in an underhand authoritarian manner. Is he not an elected politician and representative? Sounds like something Wayne Brown would do with some lame excuse from a Deputy.
Still, he could always do a ‘hard-hitting interview’ on one of his preferred Platforms of ‘pubic engagement’.
And then there are the jokers & apologists who stick up for him and quite possibly also voted for his party.
And the Machiavellian tactics of the coalition government are becoming clearer and more blatant each and every day.
What an absolute shambles!
Where did you get the idea the free speech means you have to listen to others? Free speech means people are not shut down. There is no requirement for people to listen or even care.
That's it! About your claims, I don't care 🙂
Look up the difference between free speech and monologue. Discuss in 1500-2000 words. 15 pts. Hand in no later than 29th February.
A Politician has an obligation to engage with the public. That does not mean they need to engage with every Tom, Dick, or Hone that is holding a public meeting or get together. These people are entitled to attend an event or arrange a meeting with him is they so desire it.
Contradictions and straw men are your MO.
It was a great opportunity to make the case he is so confident about. To show that he's not anti-Maori and concerned with their welfare. But he didn't do that because he's not concerned with Maori, he would like to reduce that culture to one of a number of cultures.
But Seymour is not concerned with taking the nation with him because he knows only 51% is required at referendum stage. Achievable with huge funding from wealthy Pakeha. This is the flaw in democracy scumbags like David Seymour exploit.
He didn’t turn up because he’s scared his performance in real world debate might destroy the optics of his calm abolishment of Te Ao Maori.
You forgot to add that he didn't turn up also because he is basically a coward. Cowards avoid events that might show them up for being what they really are – shallow, vindictive low-lives whose aim in life is to bully others into submission because it makes them feel better about themselves.
Come Waitangi Day, don't be surprised if he announces at the last minute that his security detail have… warned him to stay away and he has decided to heed their advice. It will depend on what happens between now and then of course, but there is no way he will put himself in a position that could lead to an exposé of his real agenda.
Waitangi is an interesting one because the trust board will want everything down the line, impartial and safe but will also want people to be abler to express their views. Can't clamp down on your own to protect a racist from rude words.
NZF has already said it will not go beyond a first reading, their MP votes would be needed to do so.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2024/01/prime-minister-christopher-luxon-not-ruling-out-voting-for-treaty-principles-bill-at-second-reading.html
The inevitable mission creep of the coalition government. \sarc
The razor gang is wielding the austerity knife to gut the State from the inside out, so that it can no longer fulfil its oversight duties & responsibilities to maintain a well-functioning democracy.
https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/01/24/nicola-willis-to-cut-parliaments-budget-by-3-5-million/ [by Marc Daalder; currently behind paywall]
The national debt in New Zealand was forecast to continuously increase between 2023 and 2028 by in total 32.1 billion U.S. dollars (+28.53 percent).
https://www.statista.com/statistics/531824/national-debt-of-new-zealand/
Debt increased 61.33 US Billions between 2018 and 2023. Trend: increasing steeply.
How does this address the main point of my comment?? It looks irrelevant.
"The razor gang is wielding the austerity knife to gut the State from the inside out"
Critical comment, Incognito.
From the live broadcast at Rātana Pā, the kaikorero sang,
"One day a taniwha
Went swimming in the moana …"
Then made reference to "toru" – the coalition, but I missed his meaning.
Did anyone here catch it?
Shaun Jones, "Don't spoil the day with your complaining, come to Waitangi and we'll explain all!"
Arrow.
Gant.
Peter's is being a dick and receiving boos and derision. Arguing with tangata whenua as though they were the media!
Now, he’s appalling to any xenophobes in the audience – “foreigners are coming to take what’s yours!”
Too late, Winston. That happened before the treaty was signed!
Now Luxon is Māorisplaining.
Luxon used the word, "devolution"
Genius!
Okay…
Do you want to tell us what words he used either side of saying 'devolution' so that your comment means something?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/507376/luxon-says-position-on-treaty-bill-clear-but-doesn-t-unequivocally-rule-it-out
Thank you
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/labour-and-green-party-set-to-arrive-at-ratana-ahead-of-strong-challenges-for-pm/4D34HKC4IBAOPNUVAZQP7YH3EM/
Trump wins New Hamsphire….
Huge win 52-45% … so she is there to March 17.
Politico are now reporting it is 54.9 to 43.2.
Still a good effort by Haley-plenty of anti Trump sentiment there. My guess is there will also be funding out there for Haley from republicans who realise Trump is a liability. It's not over yet.
https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/01/23/new-hampshire-primary-2024
Trump sends up his own reaction to the 2020 EC defeat, the same size as his huge victory in 2016.
It's like watching a bad soap opera.
She can stay in all the way until July 18 when the Nominee will be formally chosen at the Republican National Convention.
But the reality is its over.
Almost certainly true. She isn't much better than Trump anyway.
The RB target of 4% inflation by the end of 2023 was not met (because of the 1.8% Sept quarter). The Dec quarter was only 0.5%, so it came in at 4.7% for the year.
It looks well positioned at 0.5% in the last quarter to be under the 3% target for the end of 2024.
The risks are rent and rates (water infrastructure) and building costs (and maybe power if Genesis plans for another price increase are indicative) – all tracking well above other sectors.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/01/24/inflation-rate-falls-to-47-as-economic-cooling-continues/
Hilariously and rather obviously
If the government does not help councils with their water issues, watch rates soar and the TU advise sale of their assets (so the same people who made money buying power company shares off the central government can do the same with council water assets).
An honourary chocolate fish award for those who can explain how “unsustainably high” government spending increases the price of food, the cost of rent, construction and rates …
The slightly elevated inflation rate never had anything to do with excessive, or even particularly high government spending. The following link references an analysis by Joseph Stiglitz describing the inflationary episode as transitory (would abate after the transitory circumstances dissipated).
https://billmitchell.org/blog/?p=61491
Simply put the inflation was related to various supply side impacts of the pandemic and Ukraine invasion and monetary or fiscal policy are unable to do anything to really change that outcome.
The RBNZ policy has however been pretty damaging to the country. The impact of the monetary policy has been to push landlords to increase rents, driving rental inflation and to generate a small amount of excess unemployment (related in scale to the GDP fall).
The main stream however conceives inflation as always demand driven and related to excessive wage rates. The obvious contradictory to this narrative fact's being, wage increases have lagged inflation and any corporate price increases have never been passed onto employees (the price increases generated excessive profits instead). This was rather gently highlighted during the election campaign to the right wing parties, but somehow their overall narrative that the economy has been too good to most people (which was somehow causing inflation), took hold. Unfortunately for a lot of economic commentators the mechanism supposedly generating the outcomes can be entirely assumed to exist, even if contradicted by actual economic statistics.
Earlier last year, Thomas Coughlin summarised research conducted by Treasury economists here Government spending stoked inflation – Treasury paper – NZ Herald.
In essence, Treasury economists "sought to disentangle the supply and demand components of the inflation spike" The research found that "supply and demand drivers that the model can explain have contributed roughly equal amounts to annual inflation in the past year, although different models give different estimations”.
They also break down the various elements of demand and supply side components, and the timing of how and when they each impacted most. (“While supply and demand contributed roughly equal amounts to inflation, they did not always contribute equally at the same time.”)
Even if you attribute a portion to demand and a portion to supply that may not be very relevant to economic policy however. There were certain classes of goods for which there certainly was a big bump in demand, particularly items relating to large numbers of people suddenly working from home a lot more. However this excess demand is still a rather temporary impact and eventually people have furnished their home offices even if there was a bit of a temporary shortage of these kinds of items. Businesses supplying such goods would have made out well from this high demand whether they increased their prices or not.
What was not found in such research (and its kind of the whole narrative), was excessive NZ wage growth preceding inflation. Were that to have occurred it would be easily identified in regular economic statistics.
Also with such analysis, when your answer largely depends on how you specified the model, this mostly says your model doesn't work the way the economy actually functions or how your narrative implies. In terms of this particular research treasury likely applied the standard assumption that all prices (including wages) are flexible, or at least flexible enough that supply and demand will drive the prices to an equilibrium. Research into how prices are actually set (like surveys of price setters in businesses) typically find more than half of all prices are determined as average cost + margin. If your using the wrong model to work out proportions attributed to supply and demand then the proportions you get out are simply meaningless numbers.
Thanks Nic. I’ve found the Treasury summary of the work of their economists at https://www.treasury.govt.nz/publications/research-and-commentary/rangitaki-blog/feu-special-topic-decomposing-inflation-supply-and-demand-drivers, which may answer some questions about the modelling. It seems to me fairly clear that government spending has some impact on inflation (and economist Cameron Bagrie has the same view https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2022/07/economist-cameron-bagrie-on-whether-government-spending-is-driving-inflation.amp.html), however it is in the composition of cause where the debate takes place.
Just in regards to your comment about how prices are set, I would concur with what you describe as the ‘standard assumption’. The cost+ model is generally subservient to the market, and I would suggest that the cost increases in the building industry showed that clearly.
All spending has the potential to impact inflation of course. But I think economic commentators and economists should really make it more clear what the assumed mechanism is there. Of course any model of inflation is anticipating particular behaviors by price setters to generate it.
The rather simplistic story about excess demand really needs to examine a few points, such as if your making excess profits due to price hikes shouldn't that be firstly shared with the work force? This is much more a political discussion, rather than some automatic mechanism where pricing decisions are calculated of course.
The cost + pricing model has rather different outcomes from a supply and demand based pricing model. There are certainly supply and demand based prices in the economy (say wholesale energy prices) but even in these cases there are some pretty strict rules about allowed bids and a whole electricity market infrastructure needed to have regular market clearing prices. And if your model is not using the right mechanism then the numbers your getting out are largely nonsense (this is true of any model actually).
"but even in these cases there are some pretty strict rules about allowed bids and a whole electricity market infrastructure needed to have regular market clearing prices. "
Those rules apply in more regulated parts of the market, utilities etc, but not so much in other areas. In the construction industry, supply side factors (eg material shortages) added to demand shortages (in part caused by stimulus) to create excess demand that drove up prices. Of course in some cases those price increases were limited to the extent of the supplier cost increases, but there will have been plenty based on the 'make hay while the sun shines' economic 'theory'.
That is the point, yes. Its likely that only with strict rules and regular public clearing that flexible pricing is a functional model. Also some of the rules are more or less aligned with electricity public policy, like requiring wind farms to offer a zero bid.
In other cases you can base your model on supply and demand being the price drivers, but you still need to demonstrate that with real world evidence your model is correct. This would be a massive hurdle for such an understanding to get over in fact, because the participants don't think this is how they are setting their prices this way and neither do they adjust their prices in line with changes in supply and demand. Basically the real world evidence is stacked directly against how the economy is supposed to work here.
Its also relevant here that the main macro models are unable to implement other pricing mechanisms as, the expected behaviors are much less constrained when you don't assume agents are profit maximizing with flexible pricing. This is why they are going to go with that assumption in the modeling exercise, though its not telling us anything really about the state of the NZ economy or the governments economic policy.
It is generally acknowledged that government wage subsidy and money for local/regional projects kept the economy ticking over and the RB put too much money through banks into the housing market all while easing deposit ratio's and delayed a tightening too long.
Of the four* demand factors, only one was government spending
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/government-spending-stoked-inflation-treasury-paper/RF63AMUQC5GRJFI5YN2A4ERZWY/
*and a shortage of workers 2021-2022/2023 placing upward pressure on wages.
Yes, the Treasury economists were clear government spending was only one of many factors. I agree about the RB – although as Michael Reddell points out, they weren’t alone (https://croakingcassandra.com/2023/03/16/new-zealands-monetary-policy-mess/).
Here is an analysis of the developed country with the lowest inflation rate across the period, and a reasonable analysis of how the central bank contributed to that outcome.
https://billmitchell.org/blog/?p=61341
https://billmitchell.org/blog/?p=61468
https://billmitchell.org/blog/?p=61510
Unfortunately, Michael Reddell is clearly incapable of understanding the relevant economics involved here, and would be against such a policy. He seems to prefer the negative impacts of the inflation be urgently pushed most harshly onto renters and people in precarious employment (via interest rate hikes) as a priority. This is the primary outcome of NZs monetary policy response to this inflationary period.
While in the best case it is for certain NZs inflation would have been higher than Japan (pretty much regardless of the policy), as a lot of impacts are related to companies monopoly price setting power in NZ (not easy to improve quickly). But NZ could have had lower inflation in a more fair manner simply by extending the QE policy (which sets the monetary policy rate to zero) and leaving it up to fiscal policy to subsidize those who were badly affected by inflation (with measures like public transport subsidies being extended, etc…).
The merits of Modern Monetary Theory is a much bigger discussion. I've read a number of critiques finding for and against. But the debate is healthy – and a lot of economists are watching Japan.
The merits of MMT are rather irrelevant to the way that monetary policy is being implemented and its consequences. This is because MMT is the practice of doing economics when starting from a realistic model of how monetary institutions work (and proceeding from there). While you may well understand the economy better and maybe implement better economic policy with a better understanding, MMT is not a policy regime. Meanwhile the RBNZ is applying a particular policy regime using NAIRU targeting to specify monetary policy.
Economists have been following Japan for 30 odd years of course with the hope of developing an understanding. Some have been regularly predicting some kind of imminent economic collapse owing to their monetary policy, and some others developed MMT.
I disagree that MMT is not a policy regime. In fact that's exactly how the Bank of France describe it. The Meaning of MMT | Publications (banque-france.fr). Their critique of MMT is brutal BTW.
As for Japan, it's open to debate just how long, and to what extent, Japan has been implementing MMT. Modern money theory and its implementation and challenges: The case of Japan | CEPR
Perhaps it's the old case of you put 10 economists in a room and you get 11 different answers.
"As for Japan, it's open to debate just how long, and to what extent, Japan has been implementing MMT."
That's exactly the point, MMT is not a policy regime. As far as I am aware the BOJ or Japanese government have never asked any MMT economist what they should do. Quite the opposite MMT economists have considered the Japanese economy (and many others) through their framework while developing MMT (in particular Warren Mosler and Bill Mitchell each did this independently before collaborating).
But its possible to consider every monetary economy using MMT, as far as I am aware. The differences in institutions often tells you a few key things about what to expect, in fact.
I've only skim read it of course, but that document is quite funny, if bordering on polemical. Apparently MMT needs to contrast itself with the QTM approach. I put the date of the RBNZ officially rejecting that in 1986 (in the unlikely event anyone there ever believed it was viable at the time), around the time all central banks swore off it as a policy. Apparently that's still a corner stone of mainstream economic thinking which needs addressing.
Anyway, while there is fairly obvious potential for policy improvements once the basics of MMT are applied, you really couldn't analyze existing economic performance using a policy regime. Probably the most disliked suggestion from MMT is to de-mystify government spending in some simple ways, by stopping debt govt issuance and simply moving all public payments directly into the central bank govt accounts. According to MMT this regime would perform … identically to a country running QE policies (the monetary policy rate becomes zero due to an excess of clearing funds). The only difference there is that it becomes a lot more clear that the government doesn't have a spending constraint, which should improve public understanding of economics and economic policy. On the other hand anybody who understands the NZ economy via MMT already understands that the government doesn't have a spending constraint today. Incidentally this is why the country wasn't bankrupted by the pandemic, despite regular missives in the pre-ceding decades that the country was almost bankrupt and needed to seriously constrain its budget.
Why has David Seymour been too scared to speak or even present himself at Tūrangawaewae and now Rātana?
He does pretend to want to debate the relevance of te Tiriti o Waitangi so the least he can do is engage in the debate he and his backers have invented.
I suspect he only wants to debate within the womb of parliament, and the bassinet of big shadowy funding, rather than out in the real world.
We have a cloistered activist here!
It's a party of shirkers and people who's word or handshake is meaningless as they will welch on you, as quick as look at you.
From it's founding click to the current mob, the total worst of NZ culture festering together.
I expect nothing less.
Gosman will know!
Let's ask him.