So RNZ has another "crime is out of control" story from, specifically, Puketapu. Quoting a person "RNZ has agreed not to name" we get little more than a sotto voce racist white crime panic. This anonymous source says they saw some people poking about, they were challenged, they left and the police were called and the cops arrived smartly. This level of "crime" is, apparently, enough for the local aspirational squatocracy to think about cos-playing Massey's Cossacks to deliver a bit of vigilante justice.
Now, places like Puketapu are deepest blue right wing country and you'll find a generous helping of groundswell type unreconstructed racists and bigots of all ages who are more than happy to be an agent provocateur if it suits them, so a little less credulity in assessing some of the claims coming out of the regions from our credulous MSM would be nice (although in a era where to paint yourself the victim is to exonerate yourself from any scrutiny in the media that might be a bit to much to expect).
But this little vignette of largely social media inspired (although the MSM is ever keen on amplifying the slightest hint of a verified heaving bosom and/or torn bodice) fear and loathing shows just how deep cooker culture has penetrated into our low information provinces, which no longer have much by the way of local MSM journalism and instead rely on an unrelieved diet of FB groups, rumour, and talkback troll farms for news. To me it is just wild that many people are now so inculcated with bad information sources they more likely to believe cookers on a FB group than they are the police commissioner when discussing crime.
One screamingly obvious learning from the pandemic and these sorts of disasters is there are huge consequences in the death of reliable and well resourced local media in New Zealand. In my youth in Hawkes Bay the region had two well functioning local newspapers with numerous reporters, the generally august and reliable Napier Daily Telegraph and that useless rag from across the way, the Hastings based Hawkes Bay Herald Tribune. Both papers reflected the political traditions of their city, and the whole media eco system was buttressed by the local ZC radio station, which featured frequent interviews with local politicians and reports on the proceedings of the council. All that has vanished. The result has been the flourishing of crony politics and sharp practice, the death of local democracy and the rise of online disinformation, misinformation and downright black propaganda.
Driving past, one of their neighbours had seen the group, who "obviously didn't look like they belonged in our house," she said. When he pulled over and asked what they were doing, they told her neighbour they "were just looking to go for a swim".
The neighbour "politely asked them to leave, which obviously is a pretty common story out there".
Oh well…..but then this?
Rebecca then rang police and a patrol car was there "relatively quickly, and the Eagle helicopter" but with a lack of details, including a number plate, there "wasn't a hell of a lot that they could do," she told RNZ.
So they got Police,Patrol car..and Eagle helicopter. But the so helpful neighbour neglected to get the number plate…or descriptions.
plus if reading it right, stupid Rebecca left a key out if "they managed to get their hands on a key". Certainly an entitled bullhorn of a woman. Having said that, break-ins at this time is even more scummy than at any other time.
The whole story was a heaving unspoken cypher for a whole lot of other issues, including the unspoken informal apartheid that exists in Napier/Hastings, the studiously ignored and well hidden abject poverty, marginalisation and "othering" of poor urban Maori that exists alongside the well heeled white colonies of ex-Aucklanders we large see in our MSM when talking about Hawkes Bay, it's crony class politics, and a post-Douglas era social order than can only be described in many cases as semi-feudal.
Agree, I perceived an unspoken malice in the woman’s allegations. Similar to the US cases where a woman phones the Police because there is a Black Man in the park…
A friend lives in Wairoa and he has two Mobsters as neighbours, while all shovelling silt together he said they laughed at the moral panic stories.
Personally, if people are without communication, petrol, water, sanitation, a usable roading bridge network, health care, access to medicine, cash, banking services, food supply etc. it is ok to help yourself to essentials from businesses–but opportunist thefts from individuals are another matter and reprehensible.
The numbers will hopefully emerge eventually as to whether there has been a crime wave or not.
There is an undercurrent of if you are the right sort of person "borrowing" the water tank from your neighbour's abandoned and wrecked place so you can gather rain water to clean your property is smart, but if you are the wrong sort poking about a red stickered property to claim a half buried bike then you are a looter and a suitable target for vigilante justice.
The bottom line is a lot of people on the right are pre-disposed to believe rumours of looting and social breakdown because their world view is formed by a belief that the “perfect” state of nature is fundamentally Hobbesian, and thus a disaster creates the perfect conditions for uncivilised competition. That, in turn, leads them to logically (for them) conclude they are living in a Hobbesian nightmare and therefore a shoot first, ask questions later mindset prevails.
Luxon and Seymour put out the call that crime is rampant. So we the obedient ones answer the call. We are scared. Crime is everywhere. The police are hopeless. This Government is hopeless. Call in the Army. Careless media repeat the feelings.
Actually I think that the politics of stoking up fear is disgusting. Shame on you Luxon, Seymour and the Mayor of Nappier.
Prime Minister rejects claims he is not taking post cyclone lawlessness seriously [23 February 2023]
“As I [PM Hipkins] have said all week, I acknowledge that when the power is out and the communications are out, there is a heightened degree of anxiety and any criminal offending in that time is going to be of extra concern to a local community. That’s the reason why we have an extra 145 police from outside the district here at the moment helping on the ground.”
…
After the media conference at the Distribution Centre in Hastings, Hipkins was set to fly to Wairoa by helicopter, but this was cancelled due to bad weather.
Cyclone Gabrielle: Govt slams 'climate of hysteria' over crime[22 February 2023] Where crime occurs, police are on the ground to support communities, but, as I [Minister Michael Wood, responding on behalf of the police minister] have also said in the primary answer to this question, police report that levels of crime are within a normal range. No crime is acceptable, and this – this time it is more stressful for communities, so we will continue to work to provide that reassurance.
And I would just urge all members of the house, ah – to support police in doing that job, and not to create a climate of hysteria that will add further to the distress of people in an already difficult situation.
Amen – imho, cynically whipping up a climate of hysteria about a supposed ‘crime wave’ ['They’re' stealing our stuff!] is unhelpful at best – more than enough ‘climate’ to worry about as is.
"“As I [PM Hipkins] have said all week, I acknowledge that when the power is out and the communications are out, there is a heightened degree of anxiety and any criminal offending in that time is going to be of extra concern to a local community."
IOW – the crime you think is happening is not really happening, it's just a 'heightened degree of anxiety'.
Really? Meanwhile, those nice people the government 'requested' pull their heads in just didn't listen.
Imho, cynically whipping up a climate of hysteria about a supposed ‘crime spike’ at this time will pay political dividends, but not in the way you might think.
Reports of looting and a post-cyclone crime spike in the Eastern District have been greatly exaggerated, and are being used as a “political football”, say police officers on the ground.
Incredible how petty the political right of New Zealand are, holding up a single, murky, roadside incident for purposes of distracting away from the huge amount of good work authorities are doing.
Why do the political right of New Zealand always concentrate on the negative?
Nice try, but no cigar. Hipkins called them “unsubstantiated rumours”, i.e., they may or may not have been true. You failed to make your point though because it wasn’t about the PM being ‘slippery’ but about “crime is rampant” in the area as alleged by Luxon and Seymour who are turning this into a political football. They are the slippery ones because they take every single incident reported in the media and blow out of proportion into Armageddon for political gain. Noted.
"Hipkins called them “unsubstantiated rumours”, i.e., they may or may not have been true. "
Hipkin's meaning was very clear. The roadworker knew what he was saying. And Newshub knew when they wrote the headline "Chris Hipkins climbs down from criticised crime claims as roadworker says politicians are 'covering backside'"
And there you have it, the PM should have jumped on the bandwagon of fear mongers and sing from the same sheet as Luxon and Seymour. This is not about the victims at all, it is about playing political football. The Opposition knew exactly what they were doing and so do the media. And since when are headlines accurate reports of the news? Seriously, you’re spinning and you’ve missed your calling as headline-writing chatbot.
Oh the Herald says it, well goodo, it must be true and tell me it isn't so, the fiercely loyal to the Labour Government Rural Community is turning against them. Shocked I say, shocked.
And yesterday, Tairāwhiti Police Area Commander Sam Aberahama – in charge of the region covering Poverty Bay and East Coast – said there had been “instances of people who have exploited this disaster to commit dishonesty offences”…..
“This is disgusting behaviour and we have zero tolerance for it. Our patrols and staff on the ground are ensuring that our community is not seeing a marked increase in criminal activity,” Aberahama said.
“But the facts are that we have had fewer reports of dishonesty offences than in the weeks before this disaster – from seven per day prior to February 14 down to four per day over the past 10 days.
The good folk of the east coast and HB are right in the middle of this. Right now. They won't be on the phone to plod. They are taking their own measures.
Yeah, right! They are too busy looking for that one silver ute with 5 people in it. And the cell towers are not working, are they? Plenty of ‘wet bus tickets’ around there, I guess, but that’s just more slash coming down the barren slopes of your biased brain. You’re on a roll, rolling out the BS.
Adam Pearse didn’t mention anything about the good folk not reporting crime in his latest piece. Quite the opposite rather, Police are coming to meet with concerned and fearful residents to discuss roadblocks etc. Looks like your non-reporting allegations is silt eroding from your barren biased imagination. Get off the grass or better yet, go back to YouTube and watch those many video’s posted by people from the left with which you have a beef.
I know it must be tough being this weeks NACT lickspittle but are you saying the good folk are too busy to call the Police but all the time in the world to talk to the Herald?
Sure, and with the roadblocks they get more traction with the Police, obviously. Unfortunately, the same roadblocks will prevent Police and other emergency services getting through, which could put lives at risk. This is a risky ‘PR strategy’ but it seems to make sense to you. Go figure.
No, exactly, and that’s why I assumed it originated from your imagination. Of course, you can support your BS assertions, but you haven’t done so. So … QED.
So you took one article and dreamed up an entire comment about something the author didn't say. I think you're losing your touch.
[You have made several claims about people not reporting crime now. You have not provided any evidence for this yet other than your own reckons, and now you claim that they are my reckons aka “dreamed up”.
Back up your claims about people not reporting crime now and inferences won’t suffice. And seeing ‘suspicious’ silver utes in the area is not seeing a crime either – Incognito]
Yes, as long as it doesn’t “impede emergency responders” and a few other provisos mentioned in the link, which you left out of your comments, for some reason … They would be supportive if it does indeed deter criminals and looters – prevention is better than cure.
"Yes, as long as it doesn’t “impede emergency responders” and a few other provisos mentioned in the link, "
So what did you base your comment above that "Unfortunately, the same roadblocks will prevent Police and other emergency services getting through," on?
My mistake; I left out a qualifier such as easily or quickly and made clear what risk this could pose to people’s lives. You don’t seem to share this concern with the Police, which was mentioned in the article you linked to. In fact, all you’re interested in is confirming your biased narrative.
"You have made several claims about people not reporting crime now. "
No, I haven't. I have suggested that is a likely scenario given what they are dealing with.
"and now you claim that they are my reckons aka “dreamed up”."
Huh? I think you're losing it.
"Back up your claims about people not reporting crime now "
You want me to prove that people aren't doing something? You're trolling now, inco. Have a strong coffee.
[Nope. You have stated numerous times that people are not reporting crimes. Don’t be dishonest about this.
I didn’t write your claims in your comments nor your ‘scenarios’. Is this some kind of game or film script to you?
Crime stats/numbers are lower, not higher. This doesn’t fit your narrative. Too bad for you. You were (t)asked to provide evidence that people were not reporting and why. You failed on both counts and have wasted a lot of my time.
I’m not trolling, I’m engaging with your BS while you’re being moderated and are in Pre-Mod. Frankly, I’ve seen enough of your BS and it is déjà vu all over again. Take three weeks off – Incognito]
"This is a risky ‘PR strategy’ but it seems to make sense to you. Go figure."
It would appear to be better than waiting for the Minister of Police.
"The Police Minister had no idea how bad it was until Newshub told him this afternoon."
""Whatever the District Commander needs to keep law and order, all she's got to do is ask but I need to get to the bottom of this. It's the first time I've heard it," he said."
If you think this is the reason why people were setting up roadblocks, to get the attention of the Minister of Police, then it was unnecessary and misguided, to say the least. You sound like Luxon and Seymour turning this into a political football at the highest level and you’re certainly playing along with them.
In the NZH article of 19 Feb that you linked to it clearly states that already “[m]ore than 100 additional officers had been brought into the district” and that more would be deployed, “[t]he Police Eagle helicopter will also be flying above the district”, and that the Eastern District commander Superintendent Jeanette Park was on the ball. In fact, as I already said, the article states that Police were talking directly with the people wanting to set up the roadblocks. You’re spinning!
Nope. You claimed that people were too busy setting up roadblocks, talking to the media, and talking to Police in the ground to report crime. It had nothing to do with the Minister being out of touch and people allegedly waiting for him – the PM had visited the area, so why would they wait for the Police Minister? It makes no sense and you are spinning, just like Luxon, Seymour and Mitchell.
You still haven’t provided anything else other than your reckons for your claims about the non-reporting. The Minister and PM are simply red herrings.
You are being moderated, not vetoed. You’re also in Pre-Mod, and your comments are pending until being released by a Mod, usually with a reply associated. This is to control the brown water flow here on this forum. If this takes too long for your liking, I’d suggest you complain to the SYSOP. You’ll find his contact details here: https://thestandard.org.nz/contact-us/.
There were "a lot of people and a lot of cars around out there that we know for sure aren't locals, and they aren't the volunteers that are doing a great job," Rebecca said. "There are people that are out there trying to take advantage of people like us that are already devastated."
Of course there’s people around. – rubber-neckers and people looking at what has been tossed out. One person's rubbish is another's treasure.
In the days when we had inorganic collections in Auckland, it was normal to see cars and vans cruising the streets looking for stuff they could restore either for themselves or to sell on. I was more then happy for them to take what they wanted. Its' called 'private enterprise' which the blue-ribboned among us are supposed to support.
But of course they are the wrong sort of entrepreneurs. They're the poor ones who usually come from the wrong side of the railway tracks.
Another output shock…25% of world beef exports set to be removed from the market.
"- Brazil's beef exports to China will be halted starting Thursday after a case of mad cow disease was confirmed in the northern state of Para, the country's agriculture and livestock ministry said on Wednesday."
The enquiry's findings will be interesting considering the conflict with the likes of Pan Pac, which is owned by Oji Group, a leader in the pulp and paper industry in Japan.
I understand we signed the 'son of TPPA' which largely neuters the state's ability to take measures that may impact on the balance sheet of foreign owned companies.
Listening to people in communities like Tolaga bay can hear they are really cautious in their wording of crfiticism of logging companies, even after all the slash and debris has visited ruin upon their transport networks.
Put simply, these companies are the only jobs in town and no one want to lose that.
Same in the Far North, few like the rats and mice forestry operators, a number of peoples health and lives have suffered for years because of their exploitation.
Helen Kelly NZCTU ran a great campaign to try and sort them out. It is in the mists of time now that before Rogernomics there was a Govt. Forestry dept. that significantly existed to employ people on reasonable conditions!
I see ZB and others are moaning like their life is under threat, when we want to Tax excess greed.
As a Christian, the removal of tax on excess greed has been the most vial aspect of the last 40 odd years of liberal economics. That and flat taxes like GST.
Time to help these people, because greed is a condition that can't be curbed without help.
And talking about mmmmmm ('number needs to be blank') Waters here is an link to a piece on Neighbourly about Christchurch City Council introducing water fees.
'The Christchurch City Council's new water billing system went live on Sunday night and the first invoices for ratepayers using excess water are due to be sent out over the coming days.
The council introduced an excess water charge in October after making the decision to push ahead with the scheme in 2021.
It is not yet known how many people will get a bill, but the average charge is likely to be $83 and the maximum about $400.
Under the new rules, people will be charged a fixed rate of $1.35 for every 1000 litres they use over the 700-litre limit, which is the equivalent of 100 toilet flushes.'
Part of our discussion revolved around the inherent unfairness of this. KCDC charges for every drop used. There has been no attempt to mitigate these charges so the homeowner futilely trying to change nature by growing bowling green type grass on sand pays the same as someone looking after a family member who needs care involving the use of lots of water.
The phrase about 'treating unequal people equally does not mean you are treating them fairly' seems to apply.
Regular readers of this blog would know that I have no love for ACT, and I constantly point out their many hypocrisies on matters, their blatant populist pandering and their general disinterest in the economically disadvantaged.
My latest example of the latter was an article by Richard Prebble in yesterdays Wairarapa Times Age. I am unable to provide a link for it because I don't think it is on-line in any case. In this article he argues that government should back off and leave the cyclone recovery to local government and organisations.
In Prebble's finance-obssessed world he doesn't seem to realize that the scale of damage is way way beyond local government being able to fix it and government intervention is essential. ACT's idea of government is apparently non-government.
Just another example of why people in Hawkes Bay should be thankful that, for all the damage caused, at least the government is getting involved and helping to repair the damage. If ACT was government they would probably be told to raise the money through hangis and gala days.
If someone could find and post a link to this article I would be grateful.
If ACT was government they would probably be told to raise the money through hangis and gala days.
Well I for one am happy that ACT have moved on from the cake stalls idea.
My concern really is that ACT has been missing in action during both Cyclones. While I have no truck with disaster tourism, politicians need to see things in person, be seen being present at official briefings or even pass on straight empathy, when it is needed and relevant. I wouldn't even mind Seymour saying he had donated or supports the Red Cross & Stuff fundraiser.
Yes Let the motor mouth leader of act get a bloody shovel and help move the shite rather than flinging it about. He is a first class dork. He grinds my gears with his petty posturing.
Unfortunately, for many autogynephiliac men – those who are sexually aroused by the thought of themselves as women – the ultimate validation of their claimed identity as a woman and as a "lesbian" – (because they are the same straight boy they were before they put on a frock) – is to bully, bamboozle or blackmail some actual lesbian into a sexual relationship. The validation is just not there with another "transbian" because they actually do know what a woman is – and what one is not.
What you describe Visubversa is in my eyes is rape. Probably not a legal definition, but every lesbian I've known, do not like men in any way sexually. To "bully, bamboozle or blackmail" is coercion, meaning, ultimately it not consensual at a really core level.
So Lesbians are left once again cleaning up the mess. In this case the psychology, spiritual, and emotional damage from people who are suppose to be in the Rainbow community. Maybe their not, maybe they are just misogynistic little curs.
Unfortunately it is rainbow support organisations that say that lesbians should consider sex with males – if they claim they have a women's gender identity.
The pernicious homophobia shaming taking place is unconscionable.
The definitions of lesbian and gay have been redefined to suit a certain perspective, and the impact of this – ignored. (Sound familiar?)
As apparent with previous Standard discussions on this very topic, and this link sent to me by a NZ psychologist when I asked what support he would give to a young lesbian who was coming to terms with her sexuality and finding pressure to sleep with men:
In addition to what Molly said, even for TW that have had genital removal and reconstruction, they've still male. For many women, sex is a whole body event. Lesbians have the right to say no to sex, dating, and sharing female spaces with male bodied people irrespective of what body modifications that person has done.
The Hugo award-winning Science Fiction-focused Clarkesworld Magazine can receive over 12,000 submissions in just one year. Of course, that was before the proliferation of free online AI models that can write a dull, monotonous, though technically legible piece of fiction.
On Monday, Clarkesworld Magazine editor Neil Clarke tweeted that the company had closed all submissions, writing “It shouldn’t be hard to guess why.” Looking back over the past few weeks, it’s clear that fake spam submissions made using AI-based large language models has inundated the magazine’s editors with nearly 35 times the number of fake submissions as the same time last year. Clarke wrote that his magazine received 50 of these AI-generated submissions before noon on Presidents’ Day.
[…]
On Tuesday, Clarke said they do plan to eventually open up submissions again, but he elaborated that “We don’t have a solution for the problem. We have some ideas for minimizing it, but the problem isn’t going away.”
Something admirably humorous about this woman designer's posting of her stolen clothes and jewellery items being displayed by Sam Brinton on his social media posts without any shred of conscience:
Sam Brinton, was hired by Biden – as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition in the Office of Nuclear Energy for the Department of Energy.
Critiques regarding Brinton's public posts regarding his fetishes were defended and considered immaterial to his employment. Which I agree with to an extent, but depending on the role, character does play a part and ability to maintain control over those aspects – whether it be alcohol or kink play are relevant. As well as the credibility of the organisation in regards to their role. I would suggest that his enthusiastic public posting of his pup-play and active membership of the Order of Perpetual Indulgence would have indicated that the necessary discipline was not going to be maintained to the level required.
The only comment I can find on this man, is one from Sabine in 2022. But many of us will know that he was first investigated for the theft of a women's bag from an airline carousel a couple of months after being appointed, and no public statement or censure was made.
It was only when he was caught – again – and prosecution was undertaken – that he was deemed unsuitable for the position.
It would be also good, if we can have a serious discussion about his targeted theft of women's clothes.
Where do Standardista's fall here in regards to possible motivations for this larceny?
Despite his financial situation, he stole women's clothes because that was his only method of getting women's clothes?
He stole luggage that he knew belonged to women – and part of his fetish was wearing clothes that had been worn by women?
Something else?
And an analysis of the likelihood of such public displays of kinks, – which suggest to me that further sexual kinks will be present and less likely to be able to be controlled?
Hmmm, Im guessing he stole luggage belonging to women because he wanted to wear their used clothes. He did that because it excited him. Those are my quick reckons.
I have no interest, to be honest, in his motivations. ( apart from regarding him as a tosser)
He is a simply a thief of other peoples property and hopefully is fined/punished for the crime. Lipstick or suit wearing or being a tosser is beside the point. Just another tedious thief.
ohh now theres a thought and difficult question Molly
Some random thoughts: Some of my best contributions have been through a slightly gin impaired haze. A reread the following day usually confirms that.
Ive worked for a number of CEO's , mainly female, who were certifiable nutters, or at the very least sociopaths. Notwithstanding that they were very effective and exactly the sort of CEO to deliver the results needed.
I was actually in the room when the US state department informed Clark via Cullen what their legislation would be re patent protection laws ( think Pfizer) and saw the clarity of thought of the various sociopaths on both sides in action. As for character , on both sides total excreble slimeball misfits that you certainly wouldnt want to have anything to do with socially. But no denying their effectiveness.
So, what role should character play? Well theres the sort of character we probably all respect and admire. However if you want things done for the good of all, perhaps other attributes are more worthy. And yes i realise thats probably rather unpalatable.
Actually agree with you – as far as I think I understand what you've written – with or without gin haze.
I've read a lot about the personality types of surgeons, and remember reading an article years ago outlining where sociopathic traits in cetain roles and occupations benefitted society. I think it may have been this person, interviewed recently on Triggernometry:
Some of the most honorable people I know, are/were relied on by the rest of society to do the things that most of us are uncomfortable or incapable of doing. However their self-discipline was also exceptional.
I think in this particular role, a cursory look at Sam Brinton's social media could have indicated an obvious problem with impulse control. It should have eliminated him from consideration.
Sam Brinton certainly had the means to buy women's clothes for himself. However, that is obviously not the way his fetish works. He gets off on the thrill of stealing women's clothes because they are part of his fantasy of becoming the woman who owned and wore the clothing. The fact that he does it so obviously by wearing stolen clothing where it will be likely to be photographed is also part of the thrill. We are seeing fetishised behaviour here, and with much fetishised behaviour (like drug use) more and more stimulation is required to get the same effect. The word is "autogynephilia" and that is what drives most of the gender identity movement today.
Public displays of kink can be a live sexual act that doesn't have the consent of people who see it. This is one of the concerns about AGP males. There's plenty of evidence of AGP males doing their kink in obvious ways in public, so I think it's reasonable to assume that there are more subtle forms going on as well. It's not going to be a surprise of both the theft of women's clothes and the later wearing in public at high profile events are part of the fetish.
I agree about the character and employment issue. The problem isn't that he wears women's clothes to work. It's how he does that. I suspect far more men than women can see there's a problem, but we're not allowed to talk about it because liberals increasingly think there should be no boundaries and women who talk about boundaries are prudes.
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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 ...
Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests. Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone. Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
Last summer when Matairangi burned, Ginny and Tom stood at the window of their lounge, watching kākā shoot skyward from the burning trees. From the distance, they looked to Ginny like pages torn from books and thrown into a bonfire. It was Tom, voice tight, who told her it was ...
Opinion: The Canadian short story writer Alice Munro – winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013 – died in May at the age of 92. Her work was about “the damage people inflict on one another in the name of love”, Deborah Treisman wrote in the New Yorker. ...
This month marks two years since the most powerful telescope ever built sent its first pictures back to earth. From its lofty vantage point, beyond the moon in orbit around the sun, the James Webb Space Telescope was tuned to observe the first stars and galaxies being born soon after ...
Comment: After Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ preview several weeks ago, I had some optimism about the Government’s emissions reduction plan. Now I’ve read the discussion document, that hope has been dashed. How can the Government propose a plan that wants to take New Zealand taxpayers’ hard-earned money, and spend ...
Christopher Luxon: hurdles The little man from National jumps hurdles in his sleep. He’s quite good at it in his dreams and even though the reality doesn’t quite match up you have to give him credit for getting up every morning and crashing into the very first hurdle of the ...
Comment: It was a good two hours into the conversation when Tyrone Marks raised the most basic of questions when I first spoke to him in 2017. “They didn’t explain the things they did to me. They never told me why. And they still haven’t. There’s no explanation for it. ...
Madeleine Chapman rounds out Death Week on The Spinoff with a final recommendation. You can read all of our Death Week coverage here. Nothing forces you to reflect on your life and relationships quite like proximity to death. For those whose nearest and dearest have died, there are reasonably obvious ...
Whitney Greene takes us through her life in television, including the TV character she’d like to plan a funeral for and her cow lung catastrophe on The Traitors NZ. “If the phone rings, I have to answer it,” Whitney Greene from The Traitors NZ warns as we begin our My ...
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So RNZ has another "crime is out of control" story from, specifically, Puketapu. Quoting a person "RNZ has agreed not to name" we get little more than a sotto voce racist white crime panic. This anonymous source says they saw some people poking about, they were challenged, they left and the police were called and the cops arrived smartly. This level of "crime" is, apparently, enough for the local aspirational squatocracy to think about cos-playing Massey's Cossacks to deliver a bit of vigilante justice.
Now, places like Puketapu are deepest blue right wing country and you'll find a generous helping of groundswell type unreconstructed racists and bigots of all ages who are more than happy to be an agent provocateur if it suits them, so a little less credulity in assessing some of the claims coming out of the regions from our credulous MSM would be nice (although in a era where to paint yourself the victim is to exonerate yourself from any scrutiny in the media that might be a bit to much to expect).
But this little vignette of largely social media inspired (although the MSM is ever keen on amplifying the slightest hint of a verified heaving bosom and/or torn bodice) fear and loathing shows just how deep cooker culture has penetrated into our low information provinces, which no longer have much by the way of local MSM journalism and instead rely on an unrelieved diet of FB groups, rumour, and talkback troll farms for news. To me it is just wild that many people are now so inculcated with bad information sources they more likely to believe cookers on a FB group than they are the police commissioner when discussing crime.
One screamingly obvious learning from the pandemic and these sorts of disasters is there are huge consequences in the death of reliable and well resourced local media in New Zealand. In my youth in Hawkes Bay the region had two well functioning local newspapers with numerous reporters, the generally august and reliable Napier Daily Telegraph and that useless rag from across the way, the Hastings based Hawkes Bay Herald Tribune. Both papers reflected the political traditions of their city, and the whole media eco system was buttressed by the local ZC radio station, which featured frequent interviews with local politicians and reports on the proceedings of the council. All that has vanished. The result has been the flourishing of crony politics and sharp practice, the death of local democracy and the rise of online disinformation, misinformation and downright black propaganda.
Was this ?
Oh well…..but then this?
So they got Police,Patrol car..and Eagle helicopter. But the so helpful neighbour neglected to get the number plate…or descriptions.
Huh?
That is the one!
plus if reading it right, stupid Rebecca left a key out if "they managed to get their hands on a key". Certainly an entitled bullhorn of a woman. Having said that, break-ins at this time is even more scummy than at any other time.
That was meant for Airbnb guests only
I agree indeed. Just this story is so ..random. AND she got an Eagle Helicopter to boot.
What more is on her want list?…Martial law? Open season on people "Rebecca" (and similar) dont like the..look of? A real Clean Up as it were…
A worry….
Judith Collins
https://youtu.be/NxcjE8iI4Cc
The whole story was a heaving unspoken cypher for a whole lot of other issues, including the unspoken informal apartheid that exists in Napier/Hastings, the studiously ignored and well hidden abject poverty, marginalisation and "othering" of poor urban Maori that exists alongside the well heeled white colonies of ex-Aucklanders we large see in our MSM when talking about Hawkes Bay, it's crony class politics, and a post-Douglas era social order than can only be described in many cases as semi-feudal.
Agree, I perceived an unspoken malice in the woman’s allegations. Similar to the US cases where a woman phones the Police because there is a Black Man in the park…
A friend lives in Wairoa and he has two Mobsters as neighbours, while all shovelling silt together he said they laughed at the moral panic stories.
Personally, if people are without communication, petrol, water, sanitation, a usable roading bridge network, health care, access to medicine, cash, banking services, food supply etc. it is ok to help yourself to essentials from businesses–but opportunist thefts from individuals are another matter and reprehensible.
The numbers will hopefully emerge eventually as to whether there has been a crime wave or not.
There is an undercurrent of if you are the right sort of person "borrowing" the water tank from your neighbour's abandoned and wrecked place so you can gather rain water to clean your property is smart, but if you are the wrong sort poking about a red stickered property to claim a half buried bike then you are a looter and a suitable target for vigilante justice.
The bottom line is a lot of people on the right are pre-disposed to believe rumours of looting and social breakdown because their world view is formed by a belief that the “perfect” state of nature is fundamentally Hobbesian, and thus a disaster creates the perfect conditions for uncivilised competition. That, in turn, leads them to logically (for them) conclude they are living in a Hobbesian nightmare and therefore a shoot first, ask questions later mindset prevails.
The truth – and all the evidence of disasters backs this up – is that humans pull together in a catastrophe and looting is actually rare.
pearl clutchers
Luxon and Seymour put out the call that crime is rampant. So we the obedient ones answer the call. We are scared. Crime is everywhere. The police are hopeless. This Government is hopeless. Call in the Army. Careless media repeat the feelings.
Actually I think that the politics of stoking up fear is disgusting. Shame on you Luxon, Seymour and the Mayor of Nappier.
Aye, yes. The Fear mongers…they are the real "lovers of disaster politics". Truly despicable….
Listening to locals (like the mayor of the actual city itself) is always going to create more light than politicians.
Hipkins 'out of touch' on security risks in flood zone (newsroom.co.nz)
Roadworkers who had guns pulled on them in Hawkes Bay dispute Prime Minister’s ‘third-hand’ information claim – NZ Herald
Cyclone Gabrielle: Chris Hipkins climbs down from criticised crime claims as roadworker says politicians are 'covering backside' | Newshub
Looting, becoming common in town, is spreading into rural areas, putting already traumatised residents further on edge.
Puketapu was among the first of these areas to install roadblocks or checkpoints at access points into their village, and others appear to be following suit.
Those quotes are taken from https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/opinion-the-government-risks-losing-rural-new-zealand-who-were-left-to-fight-cyclone-gabrielle-on-their-own/WGWO6VWYJVEOZEHEIMFRGMSOUA/, which is behind a paywall.
I watched news hubs hit pieces on Hipkins last night,
Blatant misrepresenting of what he said backed up by the reckons of a thcko rd worker.
It's either that or the reporter failed basic comprehension
Well if the reporter misunderstood what Hipkins said, so did a load of people on the ground in the regions.
There’s so much misunderstanding around, it’s almost like some are deliberately spreading misinformation, but fortunately you cleared it all up.
Sarcasm is mostly wasted on the braindead.
Amen – imho, cynically whipping up a climate of hysteria about a supposed ‘crime wave’ ['They’re' stealing our stuff!] is unhelpful at best – more than enough ‘climate’ to worry about as is.
"“As I [PM Hipkins] have said all week, I acknowledge that when the power is out and the communications are out, there is a heightened degree of anxiety and any criminal offending in that time is going to be of extra concern to a local community."
IOW – the crime you think is happening is not really happening, it's just a 'heightened degree of anxiety'.
Really? Meanwhile, those nice people the government 'requested' pull their heads in just didn't listen.
Cash, guns and drugs seized after gang incident in cyclone-affected Napier | Stuff.co.nz
Really Liberty Belle? "IOW", or in your words?
Imho, cynically whipping up a climate of hysteria about a supposed ‘crime spike’ at this time will pay political dividends, but not in the way you might think.
Carry on![smiley smiley](https://cdn2.thestandard.org.nz/wp-content/plugins/ark-wysiwyg-comment-editor/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/regular_smile.png?x42494)
No, Liberty is not being cynical, they are being satirical 😉
I'll believe the people actually being affected. Like the workers who had guns pulled on them, although not according to the PM, eh.
[Provide evidence that the PM denied that workers had pulled guns on them.
What is your argument with citing this incident?
You’re in Pre-Mod because I’m fed up with your BS reckons and knowing you, you will simply continue with it – Incognito]
Mod note
Incredible how petty the political right of New Zealand are, holding up a single, murky, roadside incident for purposes of distracting away from the huge amount of good work authorities are doing.
Why do the political right of New Zealand always concentrate on the negative?
People certainly are being affected. Mind you, we're still in a state of National Emergency. Best Kiwis pull together for now, don't you think?
https://www.hbemergency.govt.nz/
https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/02/24/live-images-shows-rising-floodwaters-in-west-auckland/
"[Provide evidence that the PM denied that workers had pulled guns on them."
Happily.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said earlier this week that there was no first-hand account of the incident. “The reports of guns pulled at checkpoints, so far there have only third or fourth-hand accounts of it,” Hipkins said during a press conference.
and
"After earlier this week calling some reports of crime in cyclone-hit regions "unsubstantiated rumours", the Prime Minister has climbed down from those claims. Newshub's spoken to a roadworker whose crews were held at gunpoint and said Chris Hipkins doesn't know what's happening on the ground."
"The very next day, the Prime Minister addressed the nation, saying he wanted to be "careful on the issues around law and order that we're not just responding to unsubstantiated rumours". Not that he'd admit it on Thursday. When it was put to him that he dismissed crime on the ground as unsubstantiated rumour, Hipkins said "that's not true" and "that isn't actually what I said". At that Monday press conference, Hipkins said he was aware of one instance of someone being threatened with a firearm. Newshub's spoken to a roadworker whose crews were held up twice in one night. "The first staff member had a firearm pointed at him, then everything seemed alright. So then they carried on going through putting out road cones and that. And that's when the second firearm was then pointed at a second staff member." Both were reported to police in the weekend."
"But the roadworker said Hipkins' "unsubstantiated rumours" comment stung. "I was thinking it's quite a dag though because in a politician's point of view, it's all about them covering their backside. They're not here, they're not amongst it, they're not here firsthand.""
He's slippery, and he was caught out.
Nice try, but no cigar. Hipkins called them “unsubstantiated rumours”, i.e., they may or may not have been true. You failed to make your point though because it wasn’t about the PM being ‘slippery’ but about “crime is rampant” in the area as alleged by Luxon and Seymour who are turning this into a political football. They are the slippery ones because they take every single incident reported in the media and blow out of proportion into Armageddon for political gain. Noted.
"Hipkins called them “unsubstantiated rumours”, i.e., they may or may not have been true. "
Hipkin's meaning was very clear. The roadworker knew what he was saying. And Newshub knew when they wrote the headline "Chris Hipkins climbs down from criticised crime claims as roadworker says politicians are 'covering backside'"
In fact, Newshub nailed it when they said "The Prime Minister sprung too quickly into defensive politician mode on Monday with his "unsubstantiated rumours" comment. Hipkins was talking to the Opposition and went on the attack when he should have been responding to real fears in the community."
And there you have it, the PM should have jumped on the bandwagon of fear mongers and sing from the same sheet as Luxon and Seymour. This is not about the victims at all, it is about playing political football. The Opposition knew exactly what they were doing and so do the media. And since when are headlines accurate reports of the news? Seriously, you’re spinning and you’ve missed your calling as headline-writing chatbot.
She must be as bright as you then
Oh the Herald says it, well goodo, it must be true and tell me it isn't so, the fiercely loyal to the Labour Government Rural Community is turning against them. Shocked I say, shocked.
Must not let facts get in the way:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/cyclone-gabrielle-looting-mayor-says-lowlifes-should-be-jailed-forever/YQ76I3SBXRD47MXFRMYVYB5LTQ/
Do you seriously think, for one moment, that people fighting for everything they own are reporting crime right now?
Get off the grass! It’s BAU, mostly.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/131325133/claims-of-cyclone-crime-spike-a-political-football-cops-at-coalface-say
You’ve found one of National’s old tricks when crime stats/numbers are down: the reporting is down, so the real numbers must be up!
What were you saying again about confirmation bias this morning? I think you’re missing a pearl.
The good folk of the east coast and HB are right in the middle of this. Right now. They won't be on the phone to plod. They are taking their own measures.
Right now as in 5 days ago according to your link.
How do the good folk of the east coast and HB expect to see justice if they can't even be bothered reporting crime?
"Right now as in 5 days ago according to your link."
That's when they started taking measures. The crime hasn't stopped.
"How do the good folk of the east coast and HB expect to see justice if they can't even be bothered reporting crime?"
The good people of the HM and Easy Coast are rather preoccupied. And frankly, given the 'wet bus ticket' treatment criminals get, I don't blame them.
Yeah, right! They are too busy looking for that one silver ute with 5 people in it. And the cell towers are not working, are they? Plenty of ‘wet bus tickets’ around there, I guess, but that’s just more slash coming down the barren slopes of your biased brain. You’re on a roll, rolling out the BS.
You must be Right and missing a few pearls.
Adam Pearse didn’t mention anything about the good folk not reporting crime in his latest piece. Quite the opposite rather, Police are coming to meet with concerned and fearful residents to discuss roadblocks etc. Looks like your non-reporting allegations is silt eroding from your barren biased imagination. Get off the grass or better yet, go back to YouTube and watch those many video’s posted by people from the left with which you have a beef.
I know it must be tough being this weeks NACT lickspittle but are you saying the good folk are too busy to call the Police but all the time in the world to talk to the Herald?
Rebecca has the Eagle helicopter on speed-dial.
"are you saying the good folk are too busy to call the Police but all the time in the world to talk to the Herald?"
The media are pro-actively providing an opportunity. And right now, the locals likely feel they'll get more traction through the media.
Sure, and with the roadblocks they get more traction with the Police, obviously. Unfortunately, the same roadblocks will prevent Police and other emergency services getting through, which could put lives at risk. This is a risky ‘PR strategy’ but it seems to make sense to you. Go figure.
Potential Puketapu FB page:
Has a Maori stolen your washing machine?
Don’t call the police, call The Herald!
"Adam Pearse didn’t mention anything about the good folk not reporting crime in his latest piece. "
I didn't claim he did.
No, exactly, and that’s why I assumed it originated from your imagination. Of course, you can support your BS assertions, but you haven’t done so. So … QED.
"No, exactly,"
So you took one article and dreamed up an entire comment about something the author didn't say. I think you're losing your touch.
[You have made several claims about people not reporting crime now. You have not provided any evidence for this yet other than your own reckons, and now you claim that they are my reckons aka “dreamed up”.
Back up your claims about people not reporting crime now and inferences won’t suffice. And seeing ‘suspicious’ silver utes in the area is not seeing a crime either – Incognito]
Mod note
"Unfortunately, the same roadblocks will prevent Police and other emergency services getting through, which could put lives at risk. "
The police seemed quite supportive of the roadblocks.
Yes, as long as it doesn’t “impede emergency responders” and a few other provisos mentioned in the link, which you left out of your comments, for some reason … They would be supportive if it does indeed deter criminals and looters – prevention is better than cure.
"Yes, as long as it doesn’t “impede emergency responders” and a few other provisos mentioned in the link, "
So what did you base your comment above that "Unfortunately, the same roadblocks will prevent Police and other emergency services getting through," on?
My mistake; I left out a qualifier such as easily or quickly and made clear what risk this could pose to people’s lives. You don’t seem to share this concern with the Police, which was mentioned in the article you linked to. In fact, all you’re interested in is confirming your biased narrative.
"You have made several claims about people not reporting crime now. "
No, I haven't. I have suggested that is a likely scenario given what they are dealing with.
"and now you claim that they are my reckons aka “dreamed up”."
Huh? I think you're losing it.
"Back up your claims about people not reporting crime now "
You want me to prove that people aren't doing something? You're trolling now, inco. Have a strong coffee.
[Nope. You have stated numerous times that people are not reporting crimes. Don’t be dishonest about this.
I didn’t write your claims in your comments nor your ‘scenarios’. Is this some kind of game or film script to you?
Crime stats/numbers are lower, not higher. This doesn’t fit your narrative. Too bad for you. You were (t)asked to provide evidence that people were not reporting and why. You failed on both counts and have wasted a lot of my time.
I’m not trolling, I’m engaging with your BS while you’re being moderated and are in Pre-Mod. Frankly, I’ve seen enough of your BS and it is déjà vu all over again. Take three weeks off – Incognito]
Mod note
"This is a risky ‘PR strategy’ but it seems to make sense to you. Go figure."
It would appear to be better than waiting for the Minister of Police.
"The Police Minister had no idea how bad it was until Newshub told him this afternoon."
""Whatever the District Commander needs to keep law and order, all she's got to do is ask but I need to get to the bottom of this. It's the first time I've heard it," he said."
Cyclone Gabrielle: Tensions escalate in Hawke's Bay as thieves and looters target vulnerable | Newshub
Fighting a few fires today, Libertarian Smell?
If you think this is the reason why people were setting up roadblocks, to get the attention of the Minister of Police, then it was unnecessary and misguided, to say the least. You sound like Luxon and Seymour turning this into a political football at the highest level and you’re certainly playing along with them.
In the NZH article of 19 Feb that you linked to it clearly states that already “[m]ore than 100 additional officers had been brought into the district” and that more would be deployed, “[t]he Police Eagle helicopter will also be flying above the district”, and that the Eastern District commander Superintendent Jeanette Park was on the ball. In fact, as I already said, the article states that Police were talking directly with the people wanting to set up the roadblocks. You’re spinning!
"If you think this is the reason why people were setting up roadblocks, to get the attention of the Minister of Police,"
No, never claimed that. I pointed out how out of touch the Minister was, and the people on the ground would be better not waiting for him.
"You’re spinning!"
You're clearly having cognitive issues tonight. Take more time to read the comments.
BTW – if you’re going to reply to my comments, or ask for a response by way of the moderators veto, at least be honest enough to publish my reply.
Nope. You claimed that people were too busy setting up roadblocks, talking to the media, and talking to Police in the ground to report crime. It had nothing to do with the Minister being out of touch and people allegedly waiting for him – the PM had visited the area, so why would they wait for the Police Minister? It makes no sense and you are spinning, just like Luxon, Seymour and Mitchell.
You still haven’t provided anything else other than your reckons for your claims about the non-reporting. The Minister and PM are simply red herrings.
You are being moderated, not vetoed. You’re also in Pre-Mod, and your comments are pending until being released by a Mod, usually with a reply associated. This is to control the brown water flow here on this forum. If this takes too long for your liking, I’d suggest you complain to the SYSOP. You’ll find his contact details here: https://thestandard.org.nz/contact-us/.
From Pl.A's link@1.1
Of course there’s people around. – rubber-neckers and people looking at what has been tossed out. One person's rubbish is another's treasure.
In the days when we had inorganic collections in Auckland, it was normal to see cars and vans cruising the streets looking for stuff they could restore either for themselves or to sell on. I was more then happy for them to take what they wanted. Its' called 'private enterprise' which the blue-ribboned among us are supposed to support.
But of course they are the wrong sort of entrepreneurs. They're the poor ones who usually come from the wrong side of the railway tracks.
Another output shock…25% of world beef exports set to be removed from the market.
"- Brazil's beef exports to China will be halted starting Thursday after a case of mad cow disease was confirmed in the northern state of Para, the country's agriculture and livestock ministry said on Wednesday."
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazils-para-state-confirms-mad-cow-disease-case-2023-02-22/
Luckily, I own a soon to be ex-cow.
Boggles at "ex-cow." Eat it or have a sex change?
I steer away from that debate.
Look in this time of gender/sex etc politics I am not going to heifer myself into this debate![laugh laugh](https://cdn2.thestandard.org.nz/wp-content/plugins/ark-wysiwyg-comment-editor/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/teeth_smile.png?x42494)
Look OK I'll laugh for everyone, it's no problem…..I always get my own jokes!
Is Luxon using Judith Collins as a stopbank to keep Willis away from withering his whimsical leadership position?
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/luxons-puzzling-brainfade
In the words of the old blues song, "W stands for woman, woman keeps worrying me." Bald Lemon Luxon preachin' the Blues.
Old political adage: keep your friends close, but your enemies closer!
Liability Luxon hopes to stave off the inevitable coup by rewarding one of the undeserving unworthies!
I caught the end of this interview:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018879241/eastland-wood-council-supports-inquiry-into-forestry-slash
The enquiry's findings will be interesting considering the conflict with the likes of Pan Pac, which is owned by Oji Group, a leader in the pulp and paper industry in Japan.
https://www.panpac.co.nz/about/
I understand we signed the 'son of TPPA' which largely neuters the state's ability to take measures that may impact on the balance sheet of foreign owned companies.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Pacific_Partnership
Who would be a politician?
Listening to people in communities like Tolaga bay can hear they are really cautious in their wording of crfiticism of logging companies, even after all the slash and debris has visited ruin upon their transport networks.
Put simply, these companies are the only jobs in town and no one want to lose that.
Same in the Far North, few like the rats and mice forestry operators, a number of peoples health and lives have suffered for years because of their exploitation.
Helen Kelly NZCTU ran a great campaign to try and sort them out. It is in the mists of time now that before Rogernomics there was a Govt. Forestry dept. that significantly existed to employ people on reasonable conditions!
True that and had an expertise at managing forests planted for soilcon purposes.
This expertise seems to have been washed away by thoughts of the mighty $$$$$$$$
Toby Morris at the Spinoff has a piece about Frogs and Sandbags:![](https://images.thespinoff.co.nz/1/2023/02/Side_Eye_49_Frogs_and_Sandbags_01.gif)
![](https://images.thespinoff.co.nz/1/2023/02/Side_Eye_49_Frogs_and_Sandbags_07.gif)
… worth reading the whole thing but the takeaway is important:
I see ZB and others are moaning like their life is under threat, when we want to Tax excess greed.
As a Christian, the removal of tax on excess greed has been the most vial aspect of the last 40 odd years of liberal economics. That and flat taxes like GST.
Time to help these people, because greed is a condition that can't be curbed without help.
Perhaps stronger than I would express Sanctuary but I agree.
And in addition these 'incomers' often call it 'the Hawkes Bay' which 'grinds my gears'.
I yell at Stuff links 'it's not the HB, its Hawkes Bay'
"I am going up to HB this weekend", I last said in 2019.
Actually it was called Hawke Bay. Not sure when/if it was officially renamed Hawkes Bay.
I understood from ages ago that it was the Bay, the geographical ocean feature that was called Hawke Bay and the province was Hawkes Bay.
Could have got that the wrong way round but there was one called Hawke and one called Hawkes (I wonder was that originally Hawke's bay?)
And talking about mmmmmm ('number needs to be blank') Waters here is an link to a piece on Neighbourly about Christchurch City Council introducing water fees.
https://www.neighbourly.co.nz/publication/the-press
'The Christchurch City Council's new water billing system went live on Sunday night and the first invoices for ratepayers using excess water are due to be sent out over the coming days.
The council introduced an excess water charge in October after making the decision to push ahead with the scheme in 2021.
It is not yet known how many people will get a bill, but the average charge is likely to be $83 and the maximum about $400.
Under the new rules, people will be charged a fixed rate of $1.35 for every 1000 litres they use over the 700-litre limit, which is the equivalent of 100 toilet flushes.'
Part of our discussion revolved around the inherent unfairness of this. KCDC charges for every drop used. There has been no attempt to mitigate these charges so the homeowner futilely trying to change nature by growing bowling green type grass on sand pays the same as someone looking after a family member who needs care involving the use of lots of water.
The phrase about 'treating unequal people equally does not mean you are treating them fairly' seems to apply.
Regular readers of this blog would know that I have no love for ACT, and I constantly point out their many hypocrisies on matters, their blatant populist pandering and their general disinterest in the economically disadvantaged.
My latest example of the latter was an article by Richard Prebble in yesterdays Wairarapa Times Age. I am unable to provide a link for it because I don't think it is on-line in any case. In this article he argues that government should back off and leave the cyclone recovery to local government and organisations.
In Prebble's finance-obssessed world he doesn't seem to realize that the scale of damage is way way beyond local government being able to fix it and government intervention is essential. ACT's idea of government is apparently non-government.
Just another example of why people in Hawkes Bay should be thankful that, for all the damage caused, at least the government is getting involved and helping to repair the damage. If ACT was government they would probably be told to raise the money through hangis and gala days.
If someone could find and post a link to this article I would be grateful.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/richard-prebble-government-must-stand-back-and-let-locals-guide-recovery-from-cyclone-gabrielle/F3WAERFNINERBKFDBC7ZKZ7G2U/ [behind pay-wall]
Thanks.
Well I for one am happy that ACT have moved on from the cake stalls idea.
My concern really is that ACT has been missing in action during both Cyclones. While I have no truck with disaster tourism, politicians need to see things in person, be seen being present at official briefings or even pass on straight empathy, when it is needed and relevant. I wouldn't even mind Seymour saying he had donated or supports the Red Cross & Stuff fundraiser.
PS No charge for this political advice David!
Yes Let the motor mouth leader of act get a bloody shovel and help move the shite rather than flinging it about. He is a first class dork. He grinds my gears with his petty posturing.
Test post
Lipstick and a skirt makes you a woman? I don't think so – and neither do most lesbians.
Just nonsense – and homophobic with it.
This is what young people are being encouraged to believe these days.
so many things wrong with that. Including the use of child-esque imagery for adults.
Those transwomen who say they
are lesbians can have lesbian sex with other transwomen .If not why not?
The fact is they seem to prefer biological women
Did anyone ask lesbians (in the true sense of same sex attraction)whether they wanted to have sex with a penis haver?
No amount of bullying and attempted conversion is going to swing it .
Unfortunately, for many autogynephiliac men – those who are sexually aroused by the thought of themselves as women – the ultimate validation of their claimed identity as a woman and as a "lesbian" – (because they are the same straight boy they were before they put on a frock) – is to bully, bamboozle or blackmail some actual lesbian into a sexual relationship. The validation is just not there with another "transbian" because they actually do know what a woman is – and what one is not.
what's wrong with bisexual women?
What you describe Visubversa is in my eyes is rape. Probably not a legal definition, but every lesbian I've known, do not like men in any way sexually. To "bully, bamboozle or blackmail" is coercion, meaning, ultimately it not consensual at a really core level.
So Lesbians are left once again cleaning up the mess. In this case the psychology, spiritual, and emotional damage from people who are suppose to be in the Rainbow community. Maybe their not, maybe they are just misogynistic little curs.
Re the damage, cue apology from a young lesbian for being taken in by a TERF:
https://twitter.com/terfalicious/status/1290087860675072002?s=20
Unfortunately it is rainbow support organisations that say that lesbians should consider sex with males – if they claim they have a women's gender identity.
The pernicious homophobia shaming taking place is unconscionable.
Rainbow Youth
Inside Out
The definitions of lesbian and gay have been redefined to suit a certain perspective, and the impact of this – ignored. (Sound familiar?)
As apparent with previous Standard discussions on this very topic, and this link sent to me by a NZ psychologist when I asked what support he would give to a young lesbian who was coming to terms with her sexuality and finding pressure to sleep with men:
https://eveywinters.com/genital-preferences-or-bigotry/
I consider this to be a politically sanctioned return of homophobia and a form of gay conversion.
An excerpt from Hannah Barnes "Time to Think" – Guardian review
https://twitter.com/jessesingal/status/1628854693022830592?s=20
Yes, I was a foundation member of Rainbow Labour and I am desolated at what has happened to it today.
Not all transgender women …many have had bottom half surgery (esp those transitioning before self ID).
Data is not easy to come by in NZ, but overseas studies place your "many" at 5 – 13%.
Demographic and temporal trends in transgender identities and gender confirming surgery – 2019:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6626314/
Link to table: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6626314/table/t1/?report=objectonly
Now, I'd consider that *a few" or "a small percentage" but I am aware that clear definitions are difficult for some at the moment.
However, we can probably agree that Self-ID will reduce your "many" to an even smaller percentage.
… and besides…
https://twitter.com/salltweets/status/1627098582154350592?s=20
In addition to what Molly said, even for TW that have had genital removal and reconstruction, they've still male. For many women, sex is a whole body event. Lesbians have the right to say no to sex, dating, and sharing female spaces with male bodied people irrespective of what body modifications that person has done.
Thanks Weka.
This is it in a nutshell.
Nice and simple.
Perhaps we are going back to that stereotype of male bodied people focussing on appearances more than female bodied people do.
Perhaps it is not a stereotype but true.
But I couldn't possibly comment.
The spammers win.
https://twitter.com/clarkesworld/status/1628059492486115328
The Hugo award-winning Science Fiction-focused Clarkesworld Magazine can receive over 12,000 submissions in just one year. Of course, that was before the proliferation of free online AI models that can write a dull, monotonous, though technically legible piece of fiction.
On Monday, Clarkesworld Magazine editor Neil Clarke tweeted that the company had closed all submissions, writing “It shouldn’t be hard to guess why.” Looking back over the past few weeks, it’s clear that fake spam submissions made using AI-based large language models has inundated the magazine’s editors with nearly 35 times the number of fake submissions as the same time last year. Clarke wrote that his magazine received 50 of these AI-generated submissions before noon on Presidents’ Day.
[…]
On Tuesday, Clarke said they do plan to eventually open up submissions again, but he elaborated that “We don’t have a solution for the problem. We have some ideas for minimizing it, but the problem isn’t going away.”
https://gizmodo.com/ai-chatgpt-sci-fi-clarkesworld-magazine-fiction-1850140486
Something admirably humorous about this woman designer's posting of her stolen clothes and jewellery items being displayed by Sam Brinton on his social media posts without any shred of conscience:
https://twitter.com/asyakhamsin1/status/1627541483245936642?s=20
Sam Brinton, was hired by Biden – as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition in the Office of Nuclear Energy for the Department of Energy.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10523529/Bidens-pick-nuclear-waste-job-Southern-Baptists-son-turned-drag-queen-Sister-Ray-Dee-OActive.html
Critiques regarding Brinton's public posts regarding his fetishes were defended and considered immaterial to his employment. Which I agree with to an extent, but depending on the role, character does play a part and ability to maintain control over those aspects – whether it be alcohol or kink play are relevant. As well as the credibility of the organisation in regards to their role. I would suggest that his enthusiastic public posting of his pup-play and active membership of the Order of Perpetual Indulgence would have indicated that the necessary discipline was not going to be maintained to the level required.
https://www.exchangemonitor.com/sam-brintons-credibility-is-not-an-issue-desire-to-serve-commendable/?printmode=1
The only comment I can find on this man, is one from Sabine in 2022. But many of us will know that he was first investigated for the theft of a women's bag from an airline carousel a couple of months after being appointed, and no public statement or censure was made.
It was only when he was caught – again – and prosecution was undertaken – that he was deemed unsuitable for the position.
https://nypost.com/2022/12/12/non-binary-biden-nuclear-official-sam-brinton-fired-after-multiple-luggage-theft-charges-reports/
It is notable that he attended court soberly dressed in a suit – (perhaps no women were on his previous flight…)
https://www.skynews.com.au/opinion/sam-brinton-released-without-bail-on-luggage-theft-charges/video/5f7784d5898006e4f19362b0c72a32e7
It would be also good, if we can have a serious discussion about his targeted theft of women's clothes.
Where do Standardista's fall here in regards to possible motivations for this larceny?
And an analysis of the likelihood of such public displays of kinks, – which suggest to me that further sexual kinks will be present and less likely to be able to be controlled?
Hmmm, Im guessing he stole luggage belonging to women because he wanted to wear their used clothes. He did that because it excited him. Those are my quick reckons.
I have no interest, to be honest, in his motivations. ( apart from regarding him as a tosser)
He is a simply a thief of other peoples property and hopefully is fined/punished for the crime. Lipstick or suit wearing or being a tosser is beside the point. Just another tedious thief.
Thanks, hetzer.
What considerations do you think character should play in roles of significant authority and responsibility?
ie. talking about the likelihood of impairment, or reducing public confidence. As a parallel, high alcohol consumption posts on social media.
Um, it's America. Considerations of character in roles of significant authority and responsibility?
Donald J Trump, President #45. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Etc.
ohh now theres a thought and difficult question Molly
Some random thoughts: Some of my best contributions have been through a slightly gin impaired haze. A reread the following day usually confirms that.
Ive worked for a number of CEO's , mainly female, who were certifiable nutters, or at the very least sociopaths. Notwithstanding that they were very effective and exactly the sort of CEO to deliver the results needed.
I was actually in the room when the US state department informed Clark via Cullen what their legislation would be re patent protection laws ( think Pfizer) and saw the clarity of thought of the various sociopaths on both sides in action. As for character , on both sides total excreble slimeball misfits that you certainly wouldnt want to have anything to do with socially. But no denying their effectiveness.
So, what role should character play? Well theres the sort of character we probably all respect and admire. However if you want things done for the good of all, perhaps other attributes are more worthy. And yes i realise thats probably rather unpalatable.
Actually agree with you – as far as I think I understand what you've written – with or without gin haze.
I've read a lot about the personality types of surgeons, and remember reading an article years ago outlining where sociopathic traits in cetain roles and occupations benefitted society. I think it may have been this person, interviewed recently on Triggernometry:
https://youtu.be/GL4PyLEi8jY
Some of the most honorable people I know, are/were relied on by the rest of society to do the things that most of us are uncomfortable or incapable of doing. However their self-discipline was also exceptional.
I think in this particular role, a cursory look at Sam Brinton's social media could have indicated an obvious problem with impulse control. It should have eliminated him from consideration.
Sam Brinton certainly had the means to buy women's clothes for himself. However, that is obviously not the way his fetish works. He gets off on the thrill of stealing women's clothes because they are part of his fantasy of becoming the woman who owned and wore the clothing. The fact that he does it so obviously by wearing stolen clothing where it will be likely to be photographed is also part of the thrill. We are seeing fetishised behaviour here, and with much fetishised behaviour (like drug use) more and more stimulation is required to get the same effect. The word is "autogynephilia" and that is what drives most of the gender identity movement today.
Interesting insight….however speaking of personality types the following (mis?) quote may be worth consideration
"It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so."
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazils-para-state-confirms-mad-cow-disease-case-2023-02-22/
haha yes indeed!
Public displays of kink can be a live sexual act that doesn't have the consent of people who see it. This is one of the concerns about AGP males. There's plenty of evidence of AGP males doing their kink in obvious ways in public, so I think it's reasonable to assume that there are more subtle forms going on as well. It's not going to be a surprise of both the theft of women's clothes and the later wearing in public at high profile events are part of the fetish.
I agree about the character and employment issue. The problem isn't that he wears women's clothes to work. It's how he does that. I suspect far more men than women can see there's a problem, but we're not allowed to talk about it because liberals increasingly think there should be no boundaries and women who talk about boundaries are prudes.