Fossil fuels used by construction and mining machinery are often cited by those apparently wishing for us all to go back to subsistence-agriculture lifestyles. But those industries can and are going electric too.
I have noticed greater numbers of tuis around our area and at council parks that Saturday sports are held at, just wondering if this observation can be supported by others( I hope others have noticed the same)
What area are you in @Heridotus? There's definitely been a huge change in the bird population here in Wellington (adjacent to the Town Belt) since Zealandia has become well established
With all this talk of intensification of housing and watching English sport and still seeing large areas of inner cbds with large areas of tree coverage, I worry that Auckland is destroying any resemblance of being anything but a concrete jungle. Council parks, schools establish 1/4 acre blocks having trees chopped down that we will be left with sparrows and miners.
My deepest sympathy. It's going to take a while (unless it all goes tits up as it inevitably will). I think maybe the birds stand a better chance though
Yes. They usually make themselves scarce around my local parts over the winter months and return in the spring when the trees etc. are starting to flower. I have noticed quite a few around in the past few weeks. I live on the North Shore peninsular (Devonport etc.)
It's now common to hear tuis where I live, and where I work. I often have them in the garden, due to having a couple of bottlebrushes, a coral tree (they love that one) and various fruit trees. I’ve even had a kereru out there a couple of times, and I live well inside the city boundary.
And who is a better source? Just because you don't like Garner, et al, doesn't mean he is not well informed.
The comment by Shane Jones later in the day certainly seemed to indicate that Tainui is likely to buy the land from Fletchers. And Jones seemed to envisage Tainui doing a substantial part of the proposed building development. Perhaps not the full 450 as proposed by Fletchers, but likely a substantial proportion.
While Pania Newton may not have been the primary negotiator for this outcome, and may not have even been included in the negotiations, the occupation led by her will be the primary cause for Tainui to be involved.
I’d like to think that there are many readers of TS, who are invisible because they don’t comment here, and who would find it helpful if you could provide links to those “many better sources” that you refer to. Some, but not all, may indeed open their minds and broaden their horizons. Isn’t that what you wish for? For real.
you'll need to be more specific please I don't know what you mean. I don't think garner has any value on this or any other topic – others may disagree – so what.
Is there more to this than this mornings posts from me – it seems personal somehow.
Not personal, I don’t like snipers – they take aim at selected targets – and I’m disappointed when people don’t want to be helpful even when they clearly and easily can be.
That’s it from me as I have expressed my hopes clearly enough.
thanks for clarifying. sorry I haven't met your expectations. I try to be pithy and that has disadvantages for sure. I do try to balance my scintillating attacks with calm pieces too but I am a work in progress. 🙂
PS and i try to be funny – always a double edged sword that one
Readers come and readers go here. They may look for an authentic perspective not some hyped up piece in MSM. They may want to learn something new. They may come here to confirm their prejudices and stereotypes.
I believe this site has much to offer and can help to build bridges based on mutual respect, trust, and understanding. The people who write here, people like you and (much less so) me, make the site what it is. It is a work in progress and it is a collective effort. The work is never done.
nice twister – hint – the giveaway is the "in other words" bit – if you want more impact just leave that weak shit out and then you'll be good to go with the twist hidden a little by the outrage generated – similar to dead cat sorta
The main point of incognito ( if I may summarise?)is lots of people get useful information from posts..because they provide a wider view. Doesnt have to be only stuff you agree with. But it needs to be information not empty catch phrases.
I look at the awesome online magazine, https://e-tangata.co.nz/ for a Maori view ( and not Garner) of events
1. If you want to know what Māori involved in the negotiations think, go read what Tainui and Kiingitanga have already said on the matter.
2. It's an opinion piece from Garner. He's shit stirring, and he's using his considerable institutional power to attack SOUL and support the outcome he wants. It's racist as fuck and fits with his reactionary conservative history on most matters.
3. please don't expect the one or two politicised Māori commenters in this thread to do you mahi for you. There are plenty of mainstream Māori media outlets covering Ihumātao. Google them if you don't know (and don't take the first 50 hits from the past week, because they're now loaded with Pākehā voices). Or ask politely from the general commentariat.
4. lefites, please don't do the rights work for them.
If we want TS to have more diverse commenters and writers, then we have to learn how to make this place work for a range of people. Much could be learned about that from SOUL currently.
If you comment that there are "many better sources" of information than the one a fellow commenter linked to, are then asked to provide an example of one of these "many better sources" but refuse to provide one, people are entitled to assume you're just a blowhard.
Given your history on this site and the fact that there certainly are many better sources of info than Duncan Garner for any given subject, no doubt you're not bullshitting. But some (many?) of the people reading this thread won't know those things and may assume you're a blowhard. Wouldn't it have been better just to give a couple of examples?
pretty much everyone in this thread is a long termer. If marty is the only one considered to know good sources of information on Ihumātao, or Māori issues generally, that's a problem (I personally don't believe it, but maybe I'm wrong).
for comparison, feminists routinely have to deal with this shit, men expecting them to do the mahi of educating them. We have the internet for a reason.
I'll just write this off as a weird day on TS, but honestly, having a go at a Māori man who most people here know who criticised using Duncan Garner of all people as a source on Māori issues? Instead of having a go at Garner. Weird.
"…We are intolerant of people starting or continuing flamewars where there is little discussion or debate. This includes making assertions that you are unable to substantiate with some proof (and that doesn’t mean endless links to unsubstantial authorities) or even argue when requested to do so.”
Saying that assertions dont have to be backed up is contrary to policy as it would seem 'do your own work , thats what the internet is for.'
LOL.. so is arguing when asked for 'proof' or some backup.
Are you saying these policies dont apply Weka ?
[In this context? Of course not. Marty’s original two comments that there were better sources of information on the topic than Garner seem reasonable to me. He was expressing his opinion, people are free to disagree if they believe that there are no better sources of information than Garner, and then we can debate that I guess and people can start linking to support their view.
Marty wasn’t starting a flamewar. He also pointed out that he regularly posts links to Māori news sources. I don’t know what’s going on here but I still find it bizarre that people are having a go at him over a couple of brief comments that Garner is not a good source of news on Te Ao Māori.
You’ve left out this bit of the policy: What we’re not prepared to accept are pointless personal attacks, or tone or language that has the effect of excluding others. This will vary among moderators but my own view is that if we want to not exclude people then as well as behavioural issues there are issues of culture. Hence my comments about Māori or women being expected to do the leg work for others and that this creates an unwelcoming atmosphere.
There’s nothing in today’s debate that made me think about moderating until you invoked me. With my moderator hat on I’m inclined to say, don’t be a dick. You yourself were one of the few people who linked to another news source, so I’m not sure what you are doing here other than being argumentative for the sake of it.
If you are instead seeking clarity on moderation, I hope this helps. – weka]
…but honestly, having a go at a Māori man who most people here know who criticised using Duncan Garner of all people as a source on Māori issues?
I wouldn't support using Duncan Garner as a source on any issue, but it pushes my buttons when commenters assert something and then reject any obligation to support their assertion. Whether they're Māori or not isn't a factor, and shouldn't be.
I guess it just seemed such an obvious thing as to not need any back up. Like if I said I thought FB was a stupid place to get news from and there were better places. It's an opinion, and people can agree or disagree, but does it really need explaining?
Sure, people can express an opinion and when they are (repeatedly!) asked to back it up with a smidgen of information I think that is a reasonable request. These requests were denied/ignored in a petulant way IMO because there was no obvious good reason to refuse the requests.
I don’t see this as doing the legwork for others. I see it as being helpful and reaching out to others. All it needs to be is a link or a starting point for an internet search. After all, these were “better” sources than Duncan Garner’s one on an imminent deal with Tainui. What are the chances of doing a search, reporting back here in good faith, and then getting pooh-poohed again because that source is not reliable either?
To write off another opinion (piece) because (of) Duncan is understandable – I’d do it myself – but Wayne made a good point @ 3.1.1. that it may have more (?) to do with disliking Garner and/or what he said. The whole Garner thing feels like shooting the messenger. It was an unhelpful sideshow.
Garner’s piece was on the most recent developments (or not) and it would have been useful and relevant for me and I presume others to find at least one other source that could either confirm or refute Garner’s. None has been forthcoming thus far …
I posted upthread to an RNZ piece where Kingiitanga are saying no deal has been done. Afaik the only people in the conversations are Māori with a hand in the game. eg there are no Labour MPs there. Garner may well have a source from inside the tent, who knows how reliable that is, but either way my own view is that Garner is shit stirring, because that's what he does. He's racist, and a misogynist, and yes that colours my view because his history on this is solid. Much like anything that came out of Key's mouth needed to be understood in a certain context.
I agree that it's reasonable to ask people to back up opinions. I don't think it's reasonable to demand people do that unless there is something particularly unusual about the opinion. You asked, and you and marty had a conversation about it, kei te pai.
Where I disagree is that the idea that there was no good reason to refuse the requests. I can tell you how tedious it gets in gender conversations to have to educate people on gender issues when there is a large degree of denial and antagonism in those convos. People can ask, that's fine, but having a go at someone for not answering under those conditions misses the broader context.
Yes, it might be good for this community to have Māori media resources made more available. I just think the onus is on Pākehā to do that, not Māori. Marty already links plenty.
Yes, I did see and read the RNZ piece you posted but is was dated the day before and I wondered if there were other sources and/or possibly updates available.
What got my nose slightly out of joint was the way the refusals were made. Yes, we had a conversation and a mutual understanding and I fully respect Marty or any commenter’s right to not oblige. However, his opinion was about other sources being better. We were never able to judge this for ourselves because no links were provided. It is common practice here on this site that when one alleges a fact they should back that up with a link at least when asked. For example, site X is shite but site Y is great is an opinion on their relative merits and quality but there is no denying the fact that they both exist and can be linked to. I hope this makes some kind of sense.
You obviously don’t work in education 😉
It is relatively easy to educate the ones who are keen; it is next to impossible to educate the ones who don’t want it. One of the most rewarding experiences in education is not when a keen student ‘gets it’ but when an unmotivated one starts to open up and wants to learn and learn more.
Yes, it might be good for this community to have Māori media resources made more available. I just think the onus is on Pākehā to do that, not Māori.
I must be tired but I didn’t follow this line of reasoning at all.
I think that some commenters sometimes let their personal emotion get involved and their dislike of me and my opinions colours their responses. I get hurt but move on because I have a bigger agenda. Today's example was a pretty idiotic one imo but whatever… can't learn some people no matter how much you try to.
edit – incog – it’s not my job to do your work – what a cheek pushing those rude questions at me. Not impressed tbh
The specific issue is Duncan Garners source for this particular story, not the broader issues of the Maori media.
And on this specific issue I suspect Duncan is very well informed, either directly from the Tainui leadership or from senior MP’s (probably from NZF) who know how the negotiations are going.
Whether his source is speaking true or not, Garner is plainly shitstirring. What possible public good is there to be had from this leak? Why not let the people involved sort this out without the pressure from a NZ public that is still largely ignorant of Māoridom?
I look at who is saying what and who isn't. I look at their previous comment/statement/knowledge/understanding of the issues similar and the same. I then account for or discount their narrative accordingly. Based on this approach I discount most of what garner says. Is that okay with you?
garner looks to be stirring shit as he hasn’t provided a single source as back up to his claims. Wayne obviously thinks powerful men in media MUST be better informed without having to prove it.
The problem is your alternative is even weaker as all we have is your claim of negation of garners source, who ever that may be.
my friend down in Hamilton claims garner is correct and he is unusually close to these things
I've got this far through the thread, and marty mars I saw your comment that "lol – there are many better sources – try opening your mind a bit sheesh" – and when asked what they were you see to have evaded the issue. I don't generally trust Garner, but I saw his interview with Finlayson who had ideas about Tainui solving it all without government involvement, and now it is of Garner's idea and story so he is pushing it. I haven't generally been following this issue though, so, marty mars, can you post a few of those "many better sources"?
ISTR Garner waving a letter a few years ago, adamant that Shearer had less than two weeks in the job – a few months before the actual departure. And Espiner was much more accurate with his own prediction.
I barely rate Garner on political affairs, let alone Māori issues. He's more of a cold-reading psychic than a reporter – taking a reasonably predictable proposition and saying it with confidence. Or a pump 'n' dump trader, knowing that himself stating something will happen makes people begin to plan as if that's what will happen, increasing the chances he'll be vaguely "correct".
He's a right wing reactionary and his so-called analysis of current events are invariably over-simplistic. Add to that the shock jock culture of mediaworks and his views are to be taken with a grain of salt. Occasionally I think he does get it right but imo in the majority of cases he’s wrong.
but as you say McFlock:
a pump 'n' dump trader, knowing that himself stating something will happen makes people begin to plan as if that's what will happen, increasing the chances he'll be vaguely "correct".
So it's OK for Tainui to develop the land, but not Fletchers? What am I missing here?
Reminds me of when Tainui and local iwi vehemently objected to Watercare placing biosolids on nearby Puketutu Island on the basis that the island was sacred. The objections disappeared when Watercare offered to pay iwi an undisclosed $/cubic meter for the dumping.
lol yeah yeah we know your lines to slur her instead of argue against her. Shows how weak and useless your mana is lol – keep it up homer and make even more of a complete fool of yourself – here's another target for you
Dame Whina Cooper is our New Zealander of the Year for leading a hikoi from the Far North to Parliament House to demand recognition of Maori land rights.
"and the end decision is for the iwi as a whole ."
Funny, don't you mean to say "and the end decision is for the head of the iwi", because from day one you've attempted to shut down anyone disagreeing with him.
You are confusing the chair and spokesman of the Marae, who spoke for the decision made previously by the iwi.
Thats how maori iwi work, surely you should know they work collectively…but clearly you dont. Im not maori but I hear about iwi meetings from those that are.
Im not shutting down anyone, just referring the previous agreements with Fletchers made by the iwi, also the full and final settlement of their land claims made by the iwi.
"For many of the negotiators and those they represent, the gains have little to do with financial and commercial redress. Because, compared to the losses suffered by Māori, there’s stuff-all that can be clawed back from the Crown. It’s about the rebuilding of a tribe, restoration of mana, reclamation of lost stories, putting atrocities and wrongs on record. It’s about the return home of iwi members, the pride in a new generation, embedding the tribe’s role in decision making throughout their district and ensuring a stronger sense of place. It’s about both legacy and potential.
““One of the dangers of the whole settlement process,” says Michael Cullen, “is that it divides hapū from hapū, it divides iwi from iwi. Because, of course, traditional boundaries weren’t hard-and-fast lines on the map, like English counties.”
Its apparent some here , like Marty and Maui, are much more like the human headline Garner than they want to admit- cliches, empty rhetoric , buzz words
"Let’s be clear. The whole exercise is painful enough for Māori, but when the process and outcome are a mystery to most New Zealanders, the scene is set for misinterpretation, misunderstanding, and misinformation. Cue the wilfully ignorant and downright racist, dying to rark things up."
“Taua claims that "Te Kawerau ā Maki are mana whenua of Ihumātao". His fellow trustees take a more nuanced stance, and say "they admit that Te Kawerau ā Maki have claimed mana whenua status…..but [it is] just one group of a number of who are mana whenua of Ihumātao".
"Notably, Pania Newton and her five cousins – who founded protest group SOUL (Save Our Unique Landscape) and whakapapa to Ihumātao – have always maintained they are not affiliated with Te Kawerau ā Maki."
Which is what I believe too , they arent TKAM, but seem to constructed their mana whenua to suit them. Interesting.
Socialist fan-bois who jump in on a cause arent expected to provide answers , but do they love getting in the way. Ive seen photos of them ( like John McCaffery- Irish descent) lined up outside the Council hearing room , with only Pania and one other iwi member.
So Duncan "Waah waah, this country's too full of icky icky brown people and I hate it!" Garner is trying to reinvent himself as an authority on Maori issues, is he?
He can just get in the sea and swim back to Pomgolia.
I think its time for a big shout out to the older white men of New Zealand. This group has, over the last 130 years or more, led NZ to its liberal and progressive place in the world today, with such things as female suffrage (and male suffrage 14 years earlier), anti-nuclear middle finger to the US, the creation of a comprehensive welfare state in the 1930s and the like.
Similarly in our local Council, the older white men are pretty much all liberal and progressive types, of left persuasion. I suspect this is repeated across many Councils. It reflects the progressive and liberal nature of the older white men in our wider community.
They are certainly less conservative than many most other identity groups in NZ e.g. Pacifika who are very conservative, Maori, most older women. And they are certainly less conservative than most other males across the planet e.g. Arabia, US.
This is all good and I thank them for this contribution to our society today.
Especially for the male suffrage provided 140 years ago this year. Cause for celebration. Is there any celebration planned?
Having a bit of a giggle here, an old white man who resigned from council is now deciding to standing again because there are women standing in his ward this election.
But I'm guessing/hoping he is not the type of old white man you are celebrating in your post VTO.
Where's the celebration happening? I did a google but came up empty.
I heard a barbie was planned – the march was a fizzer cos the rugger replay was on – some action in the malls today with small tables and leaflets I think.
“– we stuffed the world up now please worship us – ”
Enver Hoxha was only 36 when he became prime minister of Albania , he became first Secretary of the Communist party a few years earlier, was that the young dynamic leader you are thinking of, as he was so good at his job he remained in total control till he died at 77.
Or is it Bernie Sanders , now 77, and his great accomplishments during his time in office ?
Things have to change – I agree 'young' and 'old' are very poor proxies for what we are trying to say. Chronological age is weird and messed up. Yet the truth is we need other voices, different thinking and values to create the world we're moving into imo.
Well Bernies a millionaire now , so the system is working for him. His household income including his wife is almost $300,000 pa. For many years. That puts him in the 1%
His financial disclosure statements show they have stakes in 36 mutual funds and other investments
They own 3 houses.
Elizabeth Warren is worth $8 mill, but then again shes not as 'socialist' as Bernie so thats OK.
mauī spoke for themselves, or is your racism so ingrained dukeofurl that you can't even grip that basic idea? Because if you missed it – your paternalist racist rants are getting tired, boring, and old.
That me just speaking for myself, not any % of the public, just me.
… do you live on Planet Key, vto? I suspect there will be a knees up at the golf club if you really want to celebrate… Mind you empty your bladder before you attend though, apparently there are no toilets on Planet Key.
yeah thanks Molly for more smart-arse offensive comments about older men, great.
You don't want to celebrate men getting the vote in 1870? It was after all monumental and the first time ever. It also paved the way for women getting the vote only 14 years later. That was celebrated. Why not men?
btw, fuck Planet Key, you shouldnt assume so much. You should also read the bit about older men and their long-established liberal and progressive credentials.
disappointing Molly, but at least you've revealed your prejudices.
I didn't make any " smart-arse offensive comments about older men". I responded to your familiar baiting with light hearted levity about one of our recent prominent older white men, who was held up for celebration.
I see many celebrations of achievement happening all the time, and often the people lauded are "older white men". So, I was just asking you to consider whether you are in fact tending to see a bias against that demographic, that is non-existent.
My long-term partner is – as we communicate – becoming an even older white male. My sons will be whitish older men. I celebrate them every day.
“You don’t want to celebrate men getting the vote in 1870?” Meh. Not so much. That consolidation of political power in this country led to more effecient land confiscations and consolidations, and the 1870 vote was for property owners. Male suffrage – for Pakeha – did not really come in until 1879. I will celebrate the return of voting rights to prisoners. The removal of residential voting rights, which would bring us in line with most of the world. And the return of overseas votes without the need to visit the country within the last three years for ex-pat overseas residents that retain their citizenship.
"US President Donald Trump says he has "hereby ordered" American companies to leave China, after Beijing announced plans to slap new tariffs on US goods."
The idea that King Con is indeed deliberately manipulating markets for personal gain deserves at least some consideration, not outright dismissal as a weird conspiracy theory. He is known to have successfully done it before in the 80s, before others got wise to him and he apparently lost it all again.
But I'm not yet sure I'm ready to totally buy into it. Seems to me the evidence still points much more towards the Fraud from Fifth Avenue playing pigeon chess, not 23-dimensional chess. Y'know, where it flaps in squawking loudly, knocks over all the pieces, shits all over the board, struts around like it's won, then flaps out again still squawking.
The speculation has been going on for a while now and frankly yes, he is making money, his children are making money and everyone else around him is making money. And thus the economy is booming. the plebs?
I don't think its a CT. Who profits. Its not even chess, its simply a mafia/organised crime tactic of pay me to protect you from me, cause it would be sad if something something were to happen to your nice business, your nice house, your nice children your nice country your nice exports ………….
wouldnt put it past him at all….but whatever the motivation(s) it dosnt change the impact on the rest of us, not to mention the potential for it to transition from a trade/currency war to yet another of the shooting variety
Well, the petulance he has shown over being denied the opportunity to buy Greenland is a case in point. He claims he wanted to buy it for America but that's a load of rot. There are a lot of valuable minerals in them thar snowy mountains and glaciers and he wants to get his grubby little hands on them.
While President Trump seemed to pull his interest in purchasing Greenland out of thin air this week, he’s actually been privately talking about buying the semi-autonomous Danish region for more than a year, according to the New York Times.
In fact, last year the President even joked about trading Puerto Rico — the U.S. territory he’s treated with contempt ever since it was ravaged by Hurricane Maria — for Greenland, according to a former administration official who spoke to the Times.
Nice – I think every Anzac day trees could be planted for the fallen. On each holiday it could be an excuse to plant some trees – christmas, new year, easter, whatever – just another reason to offer commemoration by planting life.
Overall, more than 3000 native trees would be planted in Dunedin area this month, as living tributes to the men and women of the New Zealand Defence Forces, and marking the 100-year anniversary of the end of World War 1.
There is no such thing as Rangihou people. Thats the name given to the farm on that spot established by Samuel Marsden the anglican missionary , around 1815, named after a bay in the Bay of Islands.
The City of Parramatta give a good background of the location on their website.
Highly unlikely Te ruki Kawiti a ngapuhi chief was involved, and he certainly wasnt a "king"
Maori dont have customary land rights in Australia.
Its high school stuff to know that Parramatta – where this park is-was founded as a settlement the same year as Sydney in 1788, and any maori who may have settled there around 1810 or so were part of the British colonisation. Hint -they even called it the Colony of NSW
That makes them colonisers not an indigenous people.
My heart fell when I saw this being reported. My primary instinct, followed by rational justification is that no such ownership claim should take place in a country that has systematically stolen land from the indigenous people.
The only presence that others should have in any such claim, is as support for indigenous people when they do so.
(This stance also translates into unease at the establishment of maraes overseas. To me, maraes are inextricably linked to whenua, and we have no claim to overseas locations, and should not dispossess others of their own land even in that small way.)
(not sure about marae. Wouldn’t it be like saying that Muslims from other countries shouldn't put their mosques here? People need a place to connect collectively even where they are living in another land. Tricky though, because I hear what you are saying about the inherent connection to whenua).
For me, marae are inextricably linked to whenua. Both geographically and in Te Ao Maori, spiritually. As a people who understand land dispossession, the thought of laying that spiritual claim to land in another country just seems discordant.
Churches, including are a place of worship for beliefs that transcend countries. They are a place of gathering, which can take place wherever the church can be built. It is not usually on a sacred site or area of significance, the consecration takes place after the decision to build is made.
“How do you see pan-iwi urban marae?”
in Aotearoa?
I often visited Manurewa marae, which AFAIK is a pan-iwi urban marae. It is in Aotearoa, so the connection to land is still there, and is spoken of, in terms of local iwi. It is not another indigenous peoples ancestral land, so I can see how with the creation of urban marae these old connections are rediscovered and strengthened.
that makes sense, although I would say that European churches do have a history of being land based and sites being chosen because of the land. Even here in NZ I think this has been true sometimes, looking at some of the places churches have been put. Pākehā are a long way culturally from belonging to the land, but I don't think it's entirely severed. Also acknowledging the role of colonisation in that history.
Churches in Europe did have that connection, and rightly so in their own lands. (Often though, they seemed to supplant the local peoples sacred places – a usurpation of existing beliefs with organised religion, meted out in wood and stone. )
So much of Te Ao Maori is linked to whenua. The aspects of kinship and kaitiakitanga are intertwined with the protection of natural resources and awareness of both ancestral links and future descendants need to access those resources. For me, this gives a worldview that is both necessary and heartening. It is less about the geographical space that a marae takes up, but the centre it provides for looking after local people and places.
One of the ways that Pākehā can get over our colonising ways is to learn how to belong to the land again. I see a role for churches or similar in that. While I still have connections back to where my people came from, they're not so strong as to override the connections I experience where I live now. At some point Pākehā will have to come to grips with this, and that includes centering that provides for looking after local people and places. Whether that is by being assimilated into Māoridom, or by living and working alongside in partnership I don't know, but I'm not sure I automatically exclude the latter (and hence the necessity of buildings being deeply connected with place, culture, spirituality).
A strong aspect of Māoridom that I think is neglected, is the allowance of space and growth of the 'other' within Aotearoa, and the sharing of connectedness to land. I value the aspects of the RMA that encourage and facilitate engagement with local iwi, even while I despair at some of the implementations and dialogue around it.
There have been some very successful iwi partnerships with local authorities and communities in regards to conservation and environment. The Waikato River management ; is a good example of everyone being connected in a major undertaking, and understanding being a central result.
And I'm speaking as an individual, rather than for Māori. I don't even have a clue about how overseas marae are regarded amongst others, it's a personal view that doesn't really have much impact one way or another. I would think the only time it would come up is in discussions like this. Alternatively, if I was asked to contribute or support the establishment of an overseas marae, I would decline and explain why. Hopefully, the result would be a discussion of why I am misguided or misinformed, or a new perspective being introduce to the person looking for contributions. More likely, a defensive reaction, but I live in eternal hope.
Not the only Maori area with dirt floors, no running water etc. Plenty about NZ if you stop claiming "there is no poverty in NZ" and actually look around. Good to see it getting coverage – never thought I'd see the day.
In its newly-released report, AGPS documented the death of 17 Palestinian refugees under torture in Syria-s state-run dungeons during the first half of 2019.
In most of the cases, the victims’ families received the death reports following years of enforced disappearance.
AGPS kept record of the secret detention of 1,759 Palestinian refugees in Syrian government prisons.
Interesting facts – I'm pretty impressed by Taylor and Fletchers on this. And I can imagine a dream scenario with multiple benefits across a wide arc of society – wistful thinking for sure
New Zealand’s largest construction company and controversial owner of the disputed Ihumātao land near Auckland airport has made a $164m profit, a big turnaround from its losses last year. Business editor Maria Slade analyses what it all means.
…What did it have to say about the dispute over Ihumātao?
Ross Taylor was asked about it at the media briefing, of course. He reiterated the company line that it was staying out of it. “The prime minister with iwi wanted us to down tools a few weeks ago to allow iwi and government to work through a way forward on that. And we’re very respectfully allowing them that space to do that.
“We’re not involved in those conversations, so we’re waiting for that direction to emerge so we can then work out how to engage and react to it.
…How big a deal is Ihumātao for Fletchers financially?
In monetary terms the project is small beer. Auckland Council currently values the 33 hectare site at $36m, less than a quarter of Fletcher’s $164m annual profit. QV records show the company bought the land in 2014 for $19m when its council valuation was only $11.8m. Once Fletchers got the go-ahead to develop a subdivision the land’s value increased significantly, and that’s also when the long-running protest over its ownership stepped up to the next level.
When you consider that Fletcher’s revenue was $8.3b last year, $36m is a mere ripple. The high profile stoush didn’t even rate a mention at the investors’ briefing following the results announcement, indicating shareholders aren’t losing any sleep over how the company’s bottom line might be affected.
When asked at the earlier media briefing whether the hold-up in developing the land would cost the company, Taylor said it would not. “I mean, we’ve been through a planning process over four years so providing this breathing space is not a problem at all.”
A great interview – honest, and nuanced and I learned a lot.
Criminal lawyer and youth justice advocate Kingi Snelgar thinks that tikanga and prison are "chalk and cheese" and a much wider reform of the entire justice system will be required to lower the number of Māori in jail.
Kim will ask him about his vision for a decolonised justice system and his experiences working as both a Crown prosecutor and a defence lawyer within a system he experiences as both racist and broken.
we need to change our conversation on what can be done, to what must be done.
Frankly i would assume this to be the very first of the events that will lead to the destruction of our society as we know it now. No one even talks about it, the pollution that comes with it, etc.
Not even sure if you can extinguish these fires anymore either, everyone who has an interest will simply just light another one. the green light has been given, and those that profit have decided to take matters in hand. Pretty much the planet is fucked, now its just a question about admitting it.
Also just for fun, have a look at the fires in Alaska. I have a friend who lives there, Salmon are cooked in the rivers and ocean. Dead wales have been washing up all summer there. She is just desperate and heartbroken. So are my friends in Bresil.
people are intentionally lightening fires. It is the regular fire season, so farmers are burning plant debris etc, miners burning up smaller areas of forrests, and such. Essentially if you look again in 24 hours you will see more fires added to it. Ad to that lack of rain – again compounded by the fact that the forest is being decimated add to that no will to actually combat the fires and you have a bit of an issue.
As i said the number that i read about all the ongoing fires in that forest across a few countries not just bresil is 78.000 + . that number alone is staggering and hard to wrap ones mind around.
what must be done? If i were a benevolent dictator i would demand / decree / order (to use the oranges words)
a. all public transport free of charge
b. no more then one vehicle per household ( you better have a good reason wanting more then one and one has to apply for it)
c. increase food product locally and force supermarkets to carry that local food
d. incentives, force farmers to reduce herd sizes, plant natives on steep hills, plant in rivers, stop irrigation where it never made sense to begin with.
e. plant. Plant as much as we can.
f. no more cutting down of trees for parkings/garages etc
g. car free sundays (it was fun being with a bicycle on the motorway in the seventies 🙂 )
high investment in alternative energy, water turbines, wind mills, solar cells
above all honesty to the populace, that really we shat the bed and if we want to continue to sleep in it we must clean the sheets, the matraze, the frames, the duvet, pillows and the bedroom.
However nothing will happen because growth, profits, and gutless polititians, pundits, philosphers, and last but least a populace that can't even conceive of not being entertained.
And for what its worth, i don't have a car. I sold the last toy to insulate my small 55 sqm house, i plant trees, i forage, i get my food locally produced, i don't have mobile phone, my computer is quite old, so is my furniture and yet i seem to miss nothing and still have a good quality of life. I live in a place where going about on foot and on bike is feasable, i have a garden that will feed me- drought and super hot summer permitting. and any protein that i need is provided by the rescue chickens that my relatives haves – they lay an incredible amount of eggs all 63 of the chucks. Non of the chucks ever end up as roast, they live to a long life and are happy sleeping in trees. Well some of them..
We need to collectively stop participating in this madness.
Last but least, we must stop electing people in the hope that they burn down the system expecting them to produce a better one. And when they gay bash, women bash, migrant bash, other bash but promote the burning of the land that you live on one should ask if they really have OUR best interest at heart or their own. Cause frankly the guy in bresil does not give a fuck, he knows that chances are he will survive longer then we do.
The Trump administration took its hardest line yet to legalize anti-gay discrimination on Friday when it asked the Supreme Court to declare that federal law allows private companies to fire workers based only on their sexual orientation.
An amicus brief filed by the Justice Department weighed in on two cases involving gay workers and what is meant by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bans discrimination "because of sex.” The administration argued courts nationwide should stop reading the civil rights law to protect gay, lesbian, and bisexual workers from bias because it was not originally intended to do so.
Site works well on the Hipster version of OpenIndiania (a public version of Solaris Unix) using Firefox.
There was some kind of issue when I was first looking at the page and the reply ‘button’ didn’t show up. Worked fine on a refresh.
Idle check whilst updating a virtual machine (incredibly slow upgrade mechanism). The operating system works fine in a vmware workstation 15 virtual machine.
Setting this VM up as a reference cross-compile test.
Nice fonts for something that is about 10 years since its last major upgrade.
The last few days have been a bit too much of a whirl for me to manage a fresh edition each day. It's been that kind of year. Hope you don't mind.I’ve been coming around to thinking that it doesn't really matter if you don't have something to say every ...
The worms will live in every hostIt's hard to pick which one they eat the mostThe horrible people, the horrible peopleIt's as anatomic as the size of your steepleCapitalism has made it this wayOld-fashioned fascism will take it awaySongwriter: Twiggy Ramirez Read more ...
Hi,It’s almost Christmas Day which means it is almost my birthday, where you will find me whimpering in the corner clutching a warm bottle of Baileys.If you’re out of ideas for presents (and truly desperate) then it is possible to gift a full Webworm subscription to a friend (or enemy) ...
This morning’s six standouts for me at 6.30am include:Rachel Helyer Donaldson’s scoop via RNZ last night of cuts to maternity jobs in the health system;Maddy Croad’s scoop via The Press-$ this morning on funding cuts for Christchurch’s biggest food rescue charity;Benedict Collins’ scoop last night via 1News on a last-minute ...
A listing of 25 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 15, 2024 thru Sat, December 21, 2024. Based on feedback we received, this week's roundup is the first one published soleley by category. We are still interested in ...
Well, I've been there, sitting in that same chairWhispering that same prayer half a million timesIt's a lie, though buried in disciplesOne page of the Bible isn't worth a lifeThere's nothing wrong with youIt's true, it's trueThere's something wrong with the villageWith the villageSomething wrong with the villageSongwriters: Andrew Jackson ...
ACT would like to dictate what universities can and can’t say. We knew it was coming. It was outlined in the coalition agreement and has become part of Seymour’s strategy of “emphasising public funding” to prevent people from opposing him and his views—something he also uses to try and de-platform ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Are we heading ...
So the Solstice has arrived – Summer in this part of the world, Winter for the Northern Hemisphere. And with it, the publication my new Norse dark-fantasy piece, As Our Power Lessens at Eternal Haunted Summer: https://eternalhauntedsummer.com/issues/winter-solstice-2024/as-our-power-lessens/ As previously noted, this one is very ‘wyrd’, and Northern Theory of Courage. ...
The Natural Choice: As a starter for ten percent of the Party Vote, “saving the planet” is a very respectable objective. Young voters, in particular, raised on the dire (if unheeded) warnings of climate scientists, and the irrefutable evidence of devastating weather events linked to global warming, vote Green. After ...
The Government cancelled 60% of Kāinga Ora’s new builds next year, even though the land for them was already bought, the consents were consented and there are builders unemployed all over the place. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political ...
Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on UnsplashEvery morning I get up at 3am to go around the traps of news sites in Aotearoa and globally. I pick out the top ones from my point of view and have been putting them into my Dawn Chorus email, which goes out with a podcast. ...
Over on Kikorangi Newsroom's Marc Daalder has published his annual OIA stats. So I thought I'd do mine: 82 OIA requests sent in 2024 7 posts based on those requests 20 average working days to receive a response Ministry of Justice was my most-requested entity, ...
Welcome to the December 2024 Economic Bulletin. We have two monthly features in this edition. In the first, we discuss what the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update from Treasury and the Budget Policy Statement from the Minister of Finance tell us about the fiscal position and what to ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi have submitted against the controversial Treaty Principles Bill, slamming the Bill as a breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and an attack on tino rangatiratanga and the collective rights of Tangata Whenua. “This Bill seeks to legislate for Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles that are ...
I don't knowHow to say what's got to be saidI don't know if it's black or whiteThere's others see it redI don't get the answers rightI'll leave that to youIs this love out of fashionOr is it the time of yearAre these words distraction?To the words you want to hearSongwriters: ...
Our economy has experienced its worst recession since 1991. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, December 20 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast above and the daily Pick ‘n’ Mix below ...
Twas the Friday before Christmas and all through the week we’ve been collecting stories for our final roundup of the year. As we start to wind down for the year we hope you all have a safe and happy Christmas and new year. If you’re travelling please be safe on ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the year’s news with: on climate. Her book of the year was Tim Winton’s cli-fi novel Juice and she also mentioned Mike Joy’s memoir The Fight for Fresh Water. ...
The Government can head off to the holidays, entitled to assure itself that it has done more or less what it said it would do. The campaign last year promised to “get New Zealand back on track.” When you look at the basic promises—to trim back Government expenditure, toughen up ...
Open access notables An intensification of surface Earth’s energy imbalance since the late 20th century, Li et al., Communications Earth & Environment:Tracking the energy balance of the Earth system is a key method for studying the contribution of human activities to climate change. However, accurately estimating the surface energy balance ...
Photo by Mauricio Fanfa on UnsplashKia oraCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with myself , plus regular guests and , ...
“Like you said, I’m an unreconstructed socialist. Everybody deserves to get something for Christmas.”“ONE OF THOSE had better be for me!” Hannah grinned, fascinated, as Laurie made his way, gingerly, to the bar, his arms full of gift-wrapped packages.“Of course!”, beamed Laurie. Depositing his armful on the bar-top and selecting ...
Data released by Statistics New Zealand today showed a significant slowdown in the economy over the past six months, with GDP falling by 1% in September, and 1.1% in June said CTU Economist Craig Renney. “The data shows that the size of the economy in GDP terms is now smaller ...
One last thing before I quitI never wanted any moreThan I could fit into my headI still remember every single word you saidAnd all the shit that somehow came along with itStill, there's one thing that comforts meSince I was always caged and now I'm freeSongwriters: David Grohl / Georg ...
Sparse offerings outside a Te Kauwhata church. Meanwhile, the Government is cutting spending in ways that make thousands of hungry children even hungrier, while also cutting funding for the charities that help them. It’s also doing that while winding back new building of affordable housing that would allow parents to ...
It is difficult to make sense of the Luxon Coalition Government’s economic management.This end-of-year review about the state of economic management – the state of the economy was last week – is not going to cover the National Party contribution. Frankly, like every other careful observer, I cannot make up ...
This morning I awoke to the lovely news that we are firmly back on track, that is if the scale was reversed.NZ ranks low in global economic comparisonsNew Zealand's economy has been ranked 33rd out of 37 in an international comparison of which have done best in 2024.Economies were ranked ...
Remember those silent movies where the heroine is tied to the railway tracks or going over the waterfall in a barrel? Finance Minister Nicola Willis seems intent on portraying herself as that damsel in distress. According to Willis, this country’s current economic problems have all been caused by the spending ...
Similar to the cuts and the austerity drive imposed by Ruth Richardson in the 1990’s, an era which to all intents and purposes we’ve largely fiddled around the edges with fixing in the time since – over, to be fair, several administrations – whilst trying our best it seems to ...
String-Pulling in the Dark: For the democratic process to be meaningful it must also be public. WITH TRUST AND CONFIDENCE in New Zealand’s politicians and journalists steadily declining, restoring those virtues poses a daunting challenge. Just how daunting is made clear by comparing the way politicians and journalists treated New Zealanders ...
Dear Nicola Willis, thank you for letting us know in so many words that the swingeing austerity hasn't worked.By in so many words I mean the bit where you said, Here is a sea of red ink in which we are drowning after twelve months of savage cost cutting and ...
The Open Government Partnership is a multilateral organisation committed to advancing open government. Countries which join are supposed to co-create regular action plans with civil society, committing to making verifiable improvements in transparency, accountability, participation, or technology and innovation for the above. And they're held to account through an Independent ...
Today I tuned into something strange: a press conference that didn’t make my stomach churn or the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Which was strange, because it was about the torture of children. It was the announcement by Erica Stanford — on her own, unusually ...
This is a must watch, and puts on brilliant and practical display the implications and mechanics of fast-track law corruption and weakness.CLICK HERE: LINK TO WATCH VIDEOOur news media as it is set up is simply not equipped to deal with the brazen disinformation and corruption under this right wing ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Acting Secretary Erin Polaczuk is welcoming the announcement from Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden that she is opening consultation on engineered stone and is calling on her to listen to the evidence and implement a total ban of the product. “We need ...
The Government has announced a 1.5% increase in the minimum wage from 1 April 2025, well below forecast inflation of 2.5%. Unions have reacted strongly and denounced it as a real terms cut. PSA and the CTU are opposing a new round of staff cuts at WorkSafe, which they say ...
The decision to unilaterally repudiate the contract for new Cook Strait ferries is beginning to look like one of the stupidest decisions a New Zealand government ever made. While cancelling the ferries and their associated port infrastructure may have made this year's books look good, it means higher costs later, ...
Hi there! I’ve been overseas recently, looking after a situation with a family member. So apologies if there any less than focused posts! Vanuatu has just had a significant 7.3 earthquake. Two MFAT staff are unaccounted for with local fatalities.It’s always sad to hear of such things happening.I think of ...
Today is a special member's morning, scheduled to make up for the government's theft of member's days throughout the year. First up was the first reading of Greg Fleming's Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill, which was passed unanimously. Currently the House is debating the third reading of ...
We're going backwardsIgnoring the realitiesGoing backwardsAre you counting all the casualties?We are not there yetWhere we need to beWe are still in debtTo our insanitiesSongwriter: Martin Gore Read more ...
Willis blamed Treasury for changing its productivity assumptions and Labour’s spending increases since Covid for the worsening Budget outlook. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, December 18 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast above ...
Today the Auckland Transport board meet for the last time this year. For those interested (and with time to spare), you can follow along via this MS Teams link from 10am. I’ve taken a quick look through the agenda items to see what I think the most interesting aspects are. ...
Hi,If you’re a New Zealander — you know who Mike King is. He is the face of New Zealand’s battle against mental health problems. He can be loud and brash. He raises, and is entrusted with, a lot of cash. Last year his “I Am Hope” charity reported a revenue ...
Probably about the only consolation available from yesterday’s unveiling of the Half-Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) is that it could have been worse. Though Finance Minister Nicola Willis has tightened the screws on future government spending, she has resisted the calls from hard-line academics, fiscal purists and fiscal hawks ...
The right have a stupid saying that is only occasionally true:When is democracy not democracy? When it hasn’t been voted on.While not true in regards to branches of government such as the judiciary, it’s a philosophy that probably should apply to recently-elected local government councillors. Nevertheless, this concept seemed to ...
Long story short: the Government’s austerity policy has driven the economy into a deeper and longer recession that means it will have to borrow $20 billion more over the next four years than it expected just six months ago. Treasury’s latest forecasts show the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s fiscal strategy of ...
Come and join myself and CTU Chief Economist for a pop-up ‘Hoon’ webinar on the Government’s Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) with paying subscribers to The Kākā for 30 minutes at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream to watch our chat. Don’t worry if ...
In 1998, in the wake of the Paremoremo Prison riot, the Department of Corrections established the "Behaviour Management Regime". Prisoners were locked in their cells for 22 or 23 hours a day, with no fresh air, no exercise, no social contact, no entertainment, and in some cases no clothes and ...
New data released by the Treasury shows that the economic policies of this Government have made things worse in the year since they took office, said NZCTU Economist Craig Renney. “Our fiscal indicators are all heading in the wrong direction – with higher levels of debt, a higher deficit, and ...
At the 2023 election, National basically ran on a platform of being better economic managers. So how'd that turn out for us? In just one year, they've fucked us for two full political terms: The government's books are set to remain deeply in the red for the near term ...
AUSTERITYText within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedMy spreadsheet insists This pain leads straight to glory (File not found) Read more ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi are saying that the Government should do the right thing and deliver minimum wage increases that don’t see workers fall further behind, in response to today’s announcement that the minimum wage will only be increased by 1.5%, well short of forecast inflation. “With inflation forecast ...
Oh, I weptFor daysFilled my eyesWith silly tearsOh, yeaBut I don'tCare no moreI don't care ifMy eyes get soreSongwriters: Paul Rodgers / Paul Kossoff. Read more ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob HensonIn this aerial view, fingers of meltwater flow from the melting Isunnguata Sermia glacier descending from the Greenland Ice Sheet on July 11, 2024, near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. According to the Programme for Monitoring of the Greenland Ice Sheet (PROMICE), the ...
In August, I wrote an article about David Seymour1 with a video of his testimony, to warn that there were grave dangers to his Ministry of Regulation:David Seymour's Ministry of Slush Hides Far Greater RisksWhy Seymour's exorbitant waste of taxpayers' money could be the least of concernThe money for Seymour ...
Willis is expected to have to reveal the bitter fiscal fruits of her austerity strategy in the HYEFU later today. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/TheKakaMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, December 17 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast ...
On Friday the government announced it would double the number of toll roads in New Zealand as well as make a few other changes to how toll roads are used in the country. The real issue though is not that tolling is being used but the suggestion it will make ...
The Prime Minister yesterday engaged in what looked like a pre-emptive strike designed to counter what is likely to be a series of depressing economic statistics expected before the end of the week. He opened his weekly post-Cabinet press conference with a recitation of the Government’s achievements. “It certainly has ...
This whooping cough story from south Auckland is a good example of the coalition government’s approach to social need – spend money on urging people to get vaccinated but only after you’ve cut the funding to where they could get vaccinated. This has been the case all year with public ...
And if there is a GodI know he likes to rockHe likes his loud guitarsHis spiders from MarsAnd if there is a GodI know he's watching meHe likes what he seesBut there's trouble on the breezeSongwriter: William Patrick Corgan Read more ...
Here’s a quick round up of today’s political news:1. MORE FOOD BANKS, CHARITIES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS AND YOUTH SOCIAL SERVICES SET TO CLOSE OR SCALE BACK AROUND THE COUNTRY AS GOVT CUTS FUNDINGSome of Auckland's largest foodbanks are warning they may need to close or significantly reduce food parcels after ...
Iain Rennie, CNZMSecretary and Chief Executive to the TreasuryDear Secretary, Undue restrictions on restricted briefings This week, the Treasury barred representatives from four organisations, including the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi, from attending the restricted briefing for the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update. We had been ...
This is a guest post by Tim Adriaansen, a community, climate, and accessibility advocate.I won’t shut up about climate breakdown, and whenever possible I try to shift the focus of a climate conversation towards solutions. But you’ll almost never hear me give more than a passing nod to ...
A grassroots backlash has forced a backdown from Brown, but he is still eyeing up plenty of tolls for other new roads. And the pressure is on Willis to ramp up the Government’s austerity strategy. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
Hi all,I'm pretty overwhelmed by all your messages and emails today; thank you so very much.As much as my newsletter this morning was about money, and we all need to earn money, it was mostly about world domination if I'm honest. 😉I really hate what’s happening to our country, and ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 8, 2024 thru Sat, December 14, 2024. Listing by Category Like last week's summary this one contains the list of articles twice: based on categories and based on ...
I started writing this morning about Hobson’s Pledge, examining the claims they and their supporters make, basically ripping into them. But I kept getting notifications coming through, and not good ones.Each time I looked up, there was another un-subscription message, and I felt a bit sicker at the thought of ...
Once, long before there was Harry and Meghan and Dodi and all those episodes of The Crown, they came to spend some time with us, Charles and Diana. Was there anyone in the world more glamorous than the Princess of Wales?Dazzled as everyone was by their company, the leader of ...
The collective right have a problem.The entire foundation for their world view is antiscientific. Their preferred economic strategies have been disproven. Their whole neoliberal model faces accusations of corporate corruption and worsening inequality. Climate change not only definitely exists, its rapid progression demands an immediate and expensive response in order ...
National has only been in power for a year, but everywhere you look, its choices are taking New Zealand a long way backwards. In no particular order, here are the National Government's Top 50 Greatest Misses of its first year in power. ...
The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...
The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...
The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...
The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...
Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...
The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...
The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...
The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...
The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...
New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...
After years of advocacy, the Green Party is very happy to hear the Government has listened to our collective voices and announced the closure of the greyhound racing industry, by 1 August 2026. ...
In response to a new report from ERO, the Government has acknowledged the urgent need for consistency across the curriculum for Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools. ...
The Green Party is appalled at the Government introducing legislation that will make it easier to penalise workers fighting for better pay and conditions. ...
Thank you for the invitation to speak with you tonight on behalf of the political party I belong to - which is New Zealand First. As we have heard before this evening the Kinleith Mill is proposing to reduce operations by focusing on pulp and discontinuing “lossmaking paper production”. They say that they are currently consulting on the plan to permanently shut ...
Auckland Central MP, Chlöe Swarbrick, has written to Mayor Wayne Brown requesting he stop the unnecessary delays on St James Theatre’s restoration. ...
Kiwis planning a swim or heading out on a boat this summer should remember to stop and think about water safety, Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop and ACC and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. “New Zealand’s beaches, lakes and rivers are some of the most beautiful in the ...
The Government is urging Kiwis to drive safely this summer and reminding motorists that Police will be out in force to enforce the road rules, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“This time of year can be stressful and result in poor decision-making on our roads. Whether you are travelling to see ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says Health New Zealand will move swiftly to support dozens of internationally-trained doctors already in New Zealand on their journey to employment here, after a tripling of sought-after examination places. “The Medical Council has delivered great news for hardworking overseas doctors who want to contribute ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has appointed Sarah Ottrey to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). “At my first APEC Summit in Lima, I experienced firsthand the role that ABAC plays in guaranteeing political leaders hear the voice of business,” Mr Luxon says. “New Zealand’s ABAC representatives are very well respected and ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced four appointments to New Zealand’s intelligence oversight functions. The Honourable Robert Dobson KC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, and the Honourable Brendan Brown KC has been appointed as a Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants. The appointments of Hon Robert Dobson and Hon ...
Improvements in the average time it takes to process survey and title applications means housing developments can progress more quickly, Minister for Land Information Chris Penk says. “The government is resolutely focused on improving the building and construction pipeline,” Mr Penk says. “Applications to issue titles and subdivide land are ...
The Government’s measures to reduce airport wait times, and better transparency around flight disruptions is delivering encouraging early results for passengers ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Improving the efficiency of air travel is a priority for the Government to give passengers a smoother, more reliable ...
The Government today announced the intended closure of the Apollo Hotel as Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) in Rotorua, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. This follows a 30 per cent reduction in the number of households in CEH in Rotorua since National came into Government. “Our focus is on ending CEH in the Whakarewarewa area starting ...
The Government will reshape vocational education and training to return decision making to regions and enable greater industry input into work-based learning Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds says. “The redesigned system will better meet the needs of learners, industry, and the economy. It includes re-establishing regional polytechnics that ...
The Government is taking action to better manage synthetic refrigerants and reduce emissions caused by greenhouse gases found in heating and cooling products, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Regulations will be drafted to support a product stewardship scheme for synthetic refrigerants, Ms. Simmonds says. “Synthetic refrigerants are found in a ...
People travelling on State Highway 1 north of Hamilton will be relieved that remedial works and safety improvements on the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway were finished today, with all lanes now open to traffic, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“I would like to acknowledge the patience of road users ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds, has announced a new appointment to the board of Education New Zealand (ENZ). Dr Erik Lithander has been appointed as a new member of the ENZ board for a three-year term until 30 January 2028. “I would like to welcome Dr Erik Lithander to the ...
The Government will have senior representatives at Waitangi Day events around the country, including at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, but next year Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has chosen to take part in celebrations elsewhere. “It has always been my intention to celebrate Waitangi Day around the country with different ...
Two more criminal gangs will be subject to the raft of laws passed by the Coalition Government that give Police more powers to disrupt gang activity, and the intimidation they impose in our communities, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. Following an Order passed by Cabinet, from 3 February 2025 the ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Justice Christian Whata as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Whata’s appointment as a Judge of the Court of Appeal will take effect on 1 August 2025 and fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Hon Justice David Goddard on ...
The latest economic figures highlight the importance of the steps the Government has taken to restore respect for taxpayers’ money and drive economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Data released today by Stats NZ shows Gross Domestic Product fell 1 per cent in the September quarter. “Treasury and most ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Minister of Education David Seymour today announced legislation changes to strengthen freedom of speech obligations on universities. “Freedom of speech is fundamental to the concept of academic freedom and there is concern that universities seem to be taking a more risk-averse ...
Police Minister, Mark Mitchell, and Internal Affairs Minister, Brooke van Velden, today launched a further Public Safety Network cellular service that alongside last year’s Cellular Roaming roll-out, puts globally-leading cellular communications capability into the hands of our emergency responders. The Public Safety Network’s new Cellular Priority service means Police, Wellington ...
State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge has officially reopened today, providing a critical link for Northlanders and offering much-needed relief ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“The Mangamuka Gorge is a vital route for Northland, carrying around 1,300 vehicles per day and connecting the Far ...
The Government has welcomed decisions by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Ashburton District Council confirming funding to boost resilience in the Canterbury region, with construction on a second Ashburton Bridge expected to begin in 2026, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Delivering a second Ashburton Bridge to improve resilience and ...
The Government is backing the response into high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Otago, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says. “Cabinet has approved new funding of $20 million to enable MPI to meet unbudgeted ongoing expenses associated with the H7N6 response including rigorous scientific testing of samples at the enhanced PC3 ...
Legislation that will repeal all advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and public holidays has passed through first reading in Parliament today, Media Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “As a growing share of audiences get their news and entertainment from streaming services, these restrictions have become increasingly redundant. New Zealand on ...
Today the House agreed to Brendan Horsley being appointed Inspector-General of Defence, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Mr Horsley’s experience will be invaluable in overseeing the establishment of the new office and its support networks. “He is currently Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, having held that role since June 2020. ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government has agreed to the final regulations for the levy on insurance contracts that will fund Fire and Emergency New Zealand from July 2026. “Earlier this year the Government agreed to a 2.2 percent increase to the rate of levy. Fire ...
The Government is delivering regulatory relief for New Zealand businesses through changes to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act. “The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill, which was introduced today, is the second Bill – the other being the Statutes Amendment Bill - that ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed further progress on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS), with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board approving funding for the detailed design of Stage 1, paving the way for main works construction to begin in late 2025.“The Government is moving at ...
The Government today released a request for information (RFI) to seeking interest in partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned land with low farming and conservation value (excluding National Parks) Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced. “Planting trees on Crown-owned land will drive economic growth by creating more forestry jobs in our regions, providing more wood ...
Court timeliness, access to justice, and improving the quality of existing regulation are the focus of a series of law changes introduced to Parliament today by Associate Minister of Justice Nicole McKee. The three Bills in the Regulatory Systems (Justice) Amendment Bill package each improve a different part of the ...
A total of 41 appointments and reappointments have been made to the 12 community trusts around New Zealand that serve their regions, Associate Finance Minister Shane Jones says. “These trusts, and the communities they serve from the Far North to the deep south, will benefit from the rich experience, knowledge, ...
The Government has confirmed how it will provide redress to survivors who were tortured at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit (the Lake Alice Unit). “The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found that many of the 362 children who went through the Lake Alice Unit between 1972 and ...
It has been a busy, productive year in the House as the coalition Government works hard to get New Zealand back on track, Leader of the House Chris Bishop says. “This Government promised to rebuild the economy, restore law and order and reduce the cost of living. Our record this ...
“Accelerated silicosis is an emerging occupational disease caused by unsafe work such as engineered stone benchtops. I am running a standalone consultation on engineered stone to understand what the industry is currently doing to manage the risks, and whether further regulatory intervention is needed,” says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister ...
Mehemea he pai mō te tangata, mahia – if it’s good for the people, get on with it. Enhanced reporting on the public sector’s delivery of Treaty settlement commitments will help improve outcomes for Māori and all New Zealanders, Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka says. Compiled together for the ...
Mr Roger Holmes Miller and Ms Tarita Hutchinson have been appointed to the Charities Registration Board, Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Louise Upston says. “I would like to welcome the new members joining the Charities Registration Board. “The appointment of Ms Hutchinson and Mr Miller will strengthen the Board’s capacity ...
More building consent and code compliance applications are being processed within the statutory timeframe since the Government required councils to submit quarterly data, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “In the midst of a housing shortage we need to look at every step of the build process for efficiencies ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey is proud to announce the first three recipients of the Government’s $10 million Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund which will enable more Kiwis faster access to mental health and addiction support. “This fund is part of the Government’s commitment to investing in ...
New Zealand is providing Vanuatu assistance following yesterday's devastating earthquake, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. "Vanuatu is a member of our Pacific family and we are supporting it in this time of acute need," Mr Peters says. "Our thoughts are with the people of Vanuatu, and we will be ...
The Government welcomes the Commerce Commission’s plan to reduce card fees for Kiwis by an estimated $260 million a year, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.“The Government is relentlessly focused on reducing the cost of living, so Kiwis can keep more of their hard-earned income and live a ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour has welcomed the Early Childhood Education (ECE) regulatory review report, the first major report from the Ministry for Regulation. The report makes 15 recommendations to modernise and simplify regulations across ECE so services can get on with what they do best – providing safe, high-quality care ...
The Government‘s Offshore Renewable Energy Bill to create a new regulatory regime that will enable firms to construct offshore wind generation has passed its first reading in Parliament, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says.“New Zealand currently does not have a regulatory regime for offshore renewable energy as the previous government failed ...
By Litia Cava, FBC News multimedia journalist Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has revealed how arms and ammunition used to conduct the 1987 military coup were secretly brought into Fiji on board a naval survey ship. Speaking at the commissioning of a new research vessel for the Lands and Mineral ...
Youth advocates are worried tighter rules for emergency housing could lead to someone dying due to the impacts on mental health and physical safety for those denied shelter. ...
“We urge the Health Select Committee to extend the date for submissions,” concluded Rev Bush. “There is too much at stake to leave the outcome of this review only in the hands of politicians or those with vested interests.” ...
A separate passport, citizenship and membership of the United Nations are only available to fully independent nations, Winston Peters' office says. ...
By Emma Andrews, Henare te Ua Māori Journalism Intern at RNZ News The New Zealand fuel company Z Energy is swapping out street names for “correct” kupu on service stops around the country, with the help of local hapū. When Z took over 226 fuel sites from Shell in 2010, ...
Summer reissue: Was it a false measurement, a full-blown conspiracy or just some mild incompetence? Mad Chapman uncovers the truth of Maddi Wesche’s final throw. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julie Old, Associate Professor, Biology, Zoology, Animal Science, Western Sydney University Dmitry Chulov, Shutterstock At this time of year, images of reindeer are everywhere. I’ve had a soft spot for reindeer ever since I was a little girl. Doesn’t everyone? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grozdana Manalo, Career Services Manager (Education), University of Sydney hedgehog94/Shutterstock Getting casual work over summer, or a part-time job that you might continue once your tertiary course starts, can be a great way to get workplace experience and earn some extra ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ty Ferguson, Research associate in exercise, nutrition and activity, University of South Australia Peera_Stockfoto/Shutterstock It’s never been easier to stay connected to work. Even when we’re on leave, our phones and laptops keep us tethered. Many of us promise ourselves we ...
The NZ Media Council upheld the complaint under principle four: comment and fact On 5 September 2024, The Spinoff published a brief article titled Made in Palestine, found in 1970s Hastings, which highlighted an upcoming art exhibition featuring photographs of vintage cosmetic products labelled “Made in Palestine.” The piece, described ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kasey Symons, Lecturer of Communication, Sports Media, Deakin University We are well and truly in cricket season. The Australian men’s cricket team is taking centre stage against India in the Border Gavaskar Trophy series while the Big Bash League is underway, as ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Woods, Lecturer, Nursing, Faculty of Health, Southern Cross University FTiare/Shutterstock Summer is here and for many that means going to the beach. You grab your swimmers, beach towel and sunscreen then maybe check the weather forecast. Did you think to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Saman Khalesi, Senior Lecturer and Discipline Lead in Nutrition, School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, CQUniversity Australia Dean Clarke/Shutterstock The holiday season can be a time of joy, celebration, and indulgence in delicious foods and meals. However, for many, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ari Mattes, Lecturer in Communications and Media, University of Notre Dame Australia Late Night With The Devil. Maslow Entertainment Marketing is critical to the success of commercial films, and companies will often spend half as much again on top of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Francisco Jose Testa, Lecturer in Earth Sciences (Mineralogy, Petrology & Geochemistry), University of Tasmania The Conversation As a kid, it was tough for me to grasp the massive time scale of Earth’s history. Now, with nearly two decades of experience as ...
Te Pāti Māori has had to adopt a new way of debating, operating and even thinking in Parliament in response to the Government’s “onslaught” against te ao Māori, co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says.In an end-of-year interview with Newsroom, the Te Tai Hauauru MP reflected on how 2024 has differed from her ...
Opinion: The latest Trends in International Mathematics and Science report was announced earlier this month, yet it didn’t get the flurry of media attention and political hand-wringing that typically accompanies these announcements. This might be because it presented good news, or you could argue, no news; the results paint a ...
NewsroomBy Dr Lisa Darragh, Dr Raewyn Eden and Dr David Pomeroy
At long last, The Spinoff shells out for a nut ranking. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today.It recently came to The Spinoff’s attention ...
I was one of hundreds of people who lost my government job this week. Here’s exactly how it played out. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a ...
Summer reissue: One anxiously attentive passenger pays attention to an in-flight safety video, and wonders ‘Why can’t I pick up my own phone?’ The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up ...
Summer reissue: Why do those Lange-Douglas years cast such a long shadow 40 years on? The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today. First published June ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 23 December appeared first on Newsroom. ...
The Government’s social housing agency has backed out of a billion-dollar infrastructure alliance that would have built about 6000 new homes in Auckland – less than 18 months after signing a five-year extension.Labour says the decision to rip up the contract and sell off existing state houses could lead to ...
An unrelenting faith in “swift transition” has driven Tauranga Whai to their first Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa championship. At a boisterous Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre, the visiting Tokomanawa Queens were blown away 90-71 in the final.Whai led by 20 points at halftime as their urgent movement and unflinching faith in three-point shooting from anywhere ...
ByKoroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor New Zealand’s Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) says impending bad weather for Port Vila is now the most significant post-quake hazard. A tropical low in the Coral Sea is expected to move into Vanuatu waters, bringing heavy rainfall. Authorities have issued warnings to people ...
Cosmic CatastropheThe year draws to a close.King Luxon has grown tired of the long eveningsListening to the dreary squabbling of his Triumvirate.He strolls up to the top floor of the PalaceTo consult with his Astronomer Royal.The Royal Telescope scans the skies,And King Luxon stares up into the heavensFrom the terrestrial ...
Spinoff editor Mad Chapman and books editor Claire Mabey debate Carl Shuker’s new novel about… an editor. Claire: Hello Mad, you just finished The Royal Free – overall impressions? Mad: Hi Claire, I literally just put the book down and I would have to say my immediate impression is ...
Christmas and its buildup are often lonely, hard and full of unreasonable expectations. Here’s how to make it to Jesus’s birthday and find the little bit of joy we all deserve. Have you found this year relentless? Has the latest Apple update “fucked up your life”? Have you lost two ...
Despite overwhelming public and corporate support, the government has stalled progress on a modern day slavery law. That puts us behind other countries – and makes Christmas a time of tragedy rather than joy, argues Shanti Mathias. Picture the scene on Christmas Day. Everyone replete with nice things to eat, ...
Asia Pacific Report “It looks like Hiroshima. It looks like Germany at the end of World War Two,” says an Israeli-American historian and professor of holocaust and genocide studies at Brown University about the horrifying reality of Gaza. Professor Omer Bartov, has described Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza as an ...
The New Zealand government coalition is tweaking university regulations to curb what it says is an increasingly “risk-averse approach” to free speech. The proposed changes will set clear expectations on how universities should approach freedom of speech issues. Each university will then have to adopt a “freedom of speech statement” ...
Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – COMMENTARY: By Caitlin Johnstone New York prosecutors have charged Luigi Mangione with “murder as an act of terrorism” in his alleged shooting of health insurance CEO Brian Thompson earlier this month. This news comes out at the same time as ...
Pacific Media Watch The union for Australian journalists has welcomed the delivery by the federal government of more than $150 million to support the sustainability of public interest journalism over the next four years. Combined with the announcement of the revamped News Bargaining Initiative, this could result in up to ...
Fossil fuels used by construction and mining machinery are often cited by those apparently wishing for us all to go back to subsistence-agriculture lifestyles. But those industries can and are going electric too.
https://cleantechnica.com/2019/08/23/volvo-group-brings-electrification-autonomy-to-industry/
I have noticed greater numbers of tuis around our area and at council parks that Saturday sports are held at, just wondering if this observation can be supported by others( I hope others have noticed the same)
What area are you in @Heridotus? There's definitely been a huge change in the bird population here in Wellington (adjacent to the Town Belt) since Zealandia has become well established
Eastern auckland
With all this talk of intensification of housing and watching English sport and still seeing large areas of inner cbds with large areas of tree coverage, I worry that Auckland is destroying any resemblance of being anything but a concrete jungle. Council parks, schools establish 1/4 acre blocks having trees chopped down that we will be left with sparrows and miners.
"Eastern Auckland".
My deepest sympathy. It's going to take a while (unless it all goes tits up as it inevitably will). I think maybe the birds stand a better chance though
Yes. They usually make themselves scarce around my local parts over the winter months and return in the spring when the trees etc. are starting to flower. I have noticed quite a few around in the past few weeks. I live on the North Shore peninsular (Devonport etc.)
It's now common to hear tuis where I live, and where I work. I often have them in the garden, due to having a couple of bottlebrushes, a coral tree (they love that one) and various fruit trees. I’ve even had a kereru out there a couple of times, and I live well inside the city boundary.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/115246462/tainui-saves-the-government-from-a-seabed-and-foreshore-moment
Garner and news hub are still the only ones saying a deal is done and dusted at ihimatao.
Newton sidelined.
if you listen to idiots you'll end up thinking the same – try a better source of info I'd say
And who is a better source? Just because you don't like Garner, et al, doesn't mean he is not well informed.
The comment by Shane Jones later in the day certainly seemed to indicate that Tainui is likely to buy the land from Fletchers. And Jones seemed to envisage Tainui doing a substantial part of the proposed building development. Perhaps not the full 450 as proposed by Fletchers, but likely a substantial proportion.
While Pania Newton may not have been the primary negotiator for this outcome, and may not have even been included in the negotiations, the occupation led by her will be the primary cause for Tainui to be involved.
lol – there are many better sources – try opening your mind a bit sheesh
Such as?
you don't know any other sources of information on Māori issues apart for duncan garner? for real?
I’d like to think that there are many readers of TS, who are invisible because they don’t comment here, and who would find it helpful if you could provide links to those “many better sources” that you refer to. Some, but not all, may indeed open their minds and broaden their horizons. Isn’t that what you wish for? For real.
lol you sound a bit emotional.
You are not forthcoming 🙁
The likes of Garner are well-connected but they also act as a BS-transformer. You can counter it, if you wish, or you can snipe …
yes I can do what I want within the rules of the site can't I? Is there a problem with that from your point of view as a moderator?
lol you sound a bit recalcitrant.
From a Moderator’s perspective, we can do without The Smiling Sniper, if you must ask.
you'll need to be more specific please I don't know what you mean. I don't think garner has any value on this or any other topic – others may disagree – so what.
Is there more to this than this mornings posts from me – it seems personal somehow.
Not personal, I don’t like snipers – they take aim at selected targets – and I’m disappointed when people don’t want to be helpful even when they clearly and easily can be.
That’s it from me as I have expressed my hopes clearly enough.
thanks for clarifying. sorry I haven't met your expectations. I try to be pithy and that has disadvantages for sure. I do try to balance my scintillating attacks with calm pieces too but I am a work in progress. 🙂
PS and i try to be funny – always a double edged sword that one
Readers come and readers go here. They may look for an authentic perspective not some hyped up piece in MSM. They may want to learn something new. They may come here to confirm their prejudices and stereotypes.
I believe this site has much to offer and can help to build bridges based on mutual respect, trust, and understanding. The people who write here, people like you and (much less so) me, make the site what it is. It is a work in progress and it is a collective effort. The work is never done.
Thanks thats clearer. I would agree repeating stuff from Garner often isnt worth the effort.
Can I ask which actual comment you were replying to? When the reply buttons run out it can get a little confusing 😉
lol you sound a bit emotional.
In other words, no you don't have any better sources of information.
nice twister – hint – the giveaway is the "in other words" bit – if you want more impact just leave that weak shit out and then you'll be good to go with the twist hidden a little by the outrage generated – similar to dead cat sorta
The main point of incognito ( if I may summarise?)is lots of people get useful information from posts..because they provide a wider view. Doesnt have to be only stuff you agree with. But it needs to be information not empty catch phrases.
I look at the awesome online magazine, https://e-tangata.co.nz/ for a Maori view ( and not Garner) of events
it is pathetic that people don't have good info sources – wtf? there should be some lowering of the head but there won't be – I'll be blamed I'm sure.
Funny thing is I put lots of links to Māori news sources and thought on this site every week. EVERY WEEK.
ffs
General comment looking at this thread.
1. If you want to know what Māori involved in the negotiations think, go read what Tainui and Kiingitanga have already said on the matter.
2. It's an opinion piece from Garner. He's shit stirring, and he's using his considerable institutional power to attack SOUL and support the outcome he wants. It's racist as fuck and fits with his reactionary conservative history on most matters.
3. please don't expect the one or two politicised Māori commenters in this thread to do you mahi for you. There are plenty of mainstream Māori media outlets covering Ihumātao. Google them if you don't know (and don't take the first 50 hits from the past week, because they're now loaded with Pākehā voices). Or ask politely from the general commentariat.
4. lefites, please don't do the rights work for them.
If we want TS to have more diverse commenters and writers, then we have to learn how to make this place work for a range of people. Much could be learned about that from SOUL currently.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/397328/there-is-no-deal-waikato-tainui-leader
nice twister
If you comment that there are "many better sources" of information than the one a fellow commenter linked to, are then asked to provide an example of one of these "many better sources" but refuse to provide one, people are entitled to assume you're just a blowhard.
Given your history on this site and the fact that there certainly are many better sources of info than Duncan Garner for any given subject, no doubt you're not bullshitting. But some (many?) of the people reading this thread won't know those things and may assume you're a blowhard. Wouldn't it have been better just to give a couple of examples?
I just don't like being told what to do in that way.
pretty much everyone in this thread is a long termer. If marty is the only one considered to know good sources of information on Ihumātao, or Māori issues generally, that's a problem (I personally don't believe it, but maybe I'm wrong).
for comparison, feminists routinely have to deal with this shit, men expecting them to do the mahi of educating them. We have the internet for a reason.
I'll just write this off as a weird day on TS, but honestly, having a go at a Māori man who most people here know who criticised using Duncan Garner of all people as a source on Māori issues? Instead of having a go at Garner. Weird.
"I just don't like being told what to do in that way."
There's the nub.
Its in the Policy.
"…We are intolerant of people starting or continuing flamewars where there is little discussion or debate. This includes making assertions that you are unable to substantiate with some proof (and that doesn’t mean endless links to unsubstantial authorities) or even argue when requested to do so.”
Saying that assertions dont have to be backed up is contrary to policy as it would seem 'do your own work , thats what the internet is for.'
LOL.. so is arguing when asked for 'proof' or some backup.
Are you saying these policies dont apply Weka ?
[In this context? Of course not. Marty’s original two comments that there were better sources of information on the topic than Garner seem reasonable to me. He was expressing his opinion, people are free to disagree if they believe that there are no better sources of information than Garner, and then we can debate that I guess and people can start linking to support their view.
Marty wasn’t starting a flamewar. He also pointed out that he regularly posts links to Māori news sources. I don’t know what’s going on here but I still find it bizarre that people are having a go at him over a couple of brief comments that Garner is not a good source of news on Te Ao Māori.
You’ve left out this bit of the policy: What we’re not prepared to accept are pointless personal attacks, or tone or language that has the effect of excluding others. This will vary among moderators but my own view is that if we want to not exclude people then as well as behavioural issues there are issues of culture. Hence my comments about Māori or women being expected to do the leg work for others and that this creates an unwelcoming atmosphere.
There’s nothing in today’s debate that made me think about moderating until you invoked me. With my moderator hat on I’m inclined to say, don’t be a dick. You yourself were one of the few people who linked to another news source, so I’m not sure what you are doing here other than being argumentative for the sake of it.
If you are instead seeking clarity on moderation, I hope this helps. – weka]
…but honestly, having a go at a Māori man who most people here know who criticised using Duncan Garner of all people as a source on Māori issues?
I wouldn't support using Duncan Garner as a source on any issue, but it pushes my buttons when commenters assert something and then reject any obligation to support their assertion. Whether they're Māori or not isn't a factor, and shouldn't be.
I guess it just seemed such an obvious thing as to not need any back up. Like if I said I thought FB was a stupid place to get news from and there were better places. It's an opinion, and people can agree or disagree, but does it really need explaining?
I have a different take on it.
Sure, people can express an opinion and when they are (repeatedly!) asked to back it up with a smidgen of information I think that is a reasonable request. These requests were denied/ignored in a petulant way IMO because there was no obvious good reason to refuse the requests.
I don’t see this as doing the legwork for others. I see it as being helpful and reaching out to others. All it needs to be is a link or a starting point for an internet search. After all, these were “better” sources than Duncan Garner’s one on an imminent deal with Tainui. What are the chances of doing a search, reporting back here in good faith, and then getting pooh-poohed again because that source is not reliable either?
To write off another opinion (piece) because (of) Duncan is understandable – I’d do it myself – but Wayne made a good point @ 3.1.1. that it may have more (?) to do with disliking Garner and/or what he said. The whole Garner thing feels like shooting the messenger. It was an unhelpful sideshow.
Garner’s piece was on the most recent developments (or not) and it would have been useful and relevant for me and I presume others to find at least one other source that could either confirm or refute Garner’s. None has been forthcoming thus far …
I posted upthread to an RNZ piece where Kingiitanga are saying no deal has been done. Afaik the only people in the conversations are Māori with a hand in the game. eg there are no Labour MPs there. Garner may well have a source from inside the tent, who knows how reliable that is, but either way my own view is that Garner is shit stirring, because that's what he does. He's racist, and a misogynist, and yes that colours my view because his history on this is solid. Much like anything that came out of Key's mouth needed to be understood in a certain context.
I agree that it's reasonable to ask people to back up opinions. I don't think it's reasonable to demand people do that unless there is something particularly unusual about the opinion. You asked, and you and marty had a conversation about it, kei te pai.
Where I disagree is that the idea that there was no good reason to refuse the requests. I can tell you how tedious it gets in gender conversations to have to educate people on gender issues when there is a large degree of denial and antagonism in those convos. People can ask, that's fine, but having a go at someone for not answering under those conditions misses the broader context.
Yes, it might be good for this community to have Māori media resources made more available. I just think the onus is on Pākehā to do that, not Māori. Marty already links plenty.
Thank you for responding and clarifying.
Yes, I did see and read the RNZ piece you posted but is was dated the day before and I wondered if there were other sources and/or possibly updates available.
What got my nose slightly out of joint was the way the refusals were made. Yes, we had a conversation and a mutual understanding and I fully respect Marty or any commenter’s right to not oblige. However, his opinion was about other sources being better. We were never able to judge this for ourselves because no links were provided. It is common practice here on this site that when one alleges a fact they should back that up with a link at least when asked. For example, site X is shite but site Y is great is an opinion on their relative merits and quality but there is no denying the fact that they both exist and can be linked to. I hope this makes some kind of sense.
You obviously don’t work in education 😉
It is relatively easy to educate the ones who are keen; it is next to impossible to educate the ones who don’t want it. One of the most rewarding experiences in education is not when a keen student ‘gets it’ but when an unmotivated one starts to open up and wants to learn and learn more.
I must be tired but I didn’t follow this line of reasoning at all.
I think that some commenters sometimes let their personal emotion get involved and their dislike of me and my opinions colours their responses. I get hurt but move on because I have a bigger agenda. Today's example was a pretty idiotic one imo but whatever… can't learn some people no matter how much you try to.
edit – incog – it’s not my job to do your work – what a cheek pushing those rude questions at me. Not impressed tbh
The specific issue is Duncan Garners source for this particular story, not the broader issues of the Maori media.
And on this specific issue I suspect Duncan is very well informed, either directly from the Tainui leadership or from senior MP’s (probably from NZF) who know how the negotiations are going.
you seem to love to state the obvious as if it is a revelation
you may think a deal is done because duncan says he knows – I think everything about that is tainted and untrustworthy.
So why do you think the information/him is “tainted and untrustworthy.”
As I said in my initial comment, just because you don’t like him doesn’t make him wrong.
In any event he is much more deeply connected into Maori leadership, both traditional and political, than you seem to appreciate.
Whether his source is speaking true or not, Garner is plainly shitstirring. What possible public good is there to be had from this leak? Why not let the people involved sort this out without the pressure from a NZ public that is still largely ignorant of Māoridom?
I look at who is saying what and who isn't. I look at their previous comment/statement/knowledge/understanding of the issues similar and the same. I then account for or discount their narrative accordingly. Based on this approach I discount most of what garner says. Is that okay with you?
garner looks to be stirring shit as he hasn’t provided a single source as back up to his claims. Wayne obviously thinks powerful men in media MUST be better informed without having to prove it.
The problem is your alternative is even weaker as all we have is your claim of negation of garners source, who ever that may be.
my friend down in Hamilton claims garner is correct and he is unusually close to these things
I dont rate garner but it seems an insane thing to do to fabricate a whole the deal is done story.
I would say if it's not true hes being played by others ,which given hes a bit of a thicko is plausible or there is some truth in it .
I've got this far through the thread, and marty mars I saw your comment that "lol – there are many better sources – try opening your mind a bit sheesh" – and when asked what they were you see to have evaded the issue. I don't generally trust Garner, but I saw his interview with Finlayson who had ideas about Tainui solving it all without government involvement, and now it is of Garner's idea and story so he is pushing it. I haven't generally been following this issue though, so, marty mars, can you post a few of those "many better sources"?
Yes, Pania Newton can take a bow. A future leader in the making.
Garner's picked up a scent and running with it so he can boast about being the first to reveal it.
And I'm not trying to be nasty… that's Garner's MO.
ISTR Garner waving a letter a few years ago, adamant that Shearer had less than two weeks in the job – a few months before the actual departure. And Espiner was much more accurate with his own prediction.
I barely rate Garner on political affairs, let alone Māori issues. He's more of a cold-reading psychic than a reporter – taking a reasonably predictable proposition and saying it with confidence. Or a pump 'n' dump trader, knowing that himself stating something will happen makes people begin to plan as if that's what will happen, increasing the chances he'll be vaguely "correct".
He's a right wing reactionary and his so-called analysis of current events are invariably over-simplistic. Add to that the shock jock culture of mediaworks and his views are to be taken with a grain of salt. Occasionally I think he does get it right but imo in the majority of cases he’s wrong.
but as you say McFlock:
So it's OK for Tainui to develop the land, but not Fletchers? What am I missing here?
Reminds me of when Tainui and local iwi vehemently objected to Watercare placing biosolids on nearby Puketutu Island on the basis that the island was sacred. The objections disappeared when Watercare offered to pay iwi an undisclosed $/cubic meter for the dumping.
Newton is not the person to decide, she holds no position with Kawerau a maki and the end decision is for the iwi as a whole .
She can finally move to Rotorua with her boyfriend to work in his fathers law firm that was her original plan
What a shame some people will no longer have a distant cause
lol yeah yeah we know your lines to slur her instead of argue against her. Shows how weak and useless your mana is lol – keep it up homer and make even more of a complete fool of yourself – here's another target for you
Whinia Cooper had a long record of service to her own people and the maori community at large before the 1975 Hikoi.
Its laughable that you compare Dame Whinia with someone after her university studies went to work for her boyfriends daddys law firm.
Whinia returned to her Te Rarawa people after her schooling in Greenmeadows
ouch – I'm feeling a bit sorry for the sorrow you're attracting but then again who cares – you will reap what you have sown dupe.
your jaundiced eye is no measure of how people are perceived within Māoridom – but it is a measure of how scared you are – very eh, lol, loving it
"and the end decision is for the iwi as a whole ."
Funny, don't you mean to say "and the end decision is for the head of the iwi", because from day one you've attempted to shut down anyone disagreeing with him.
You are confusing the chair and spokesman of the Marae, who spoke for the decision made previously by the iwi.
Thats how maori iwi work, surely you should know they work collectively…but clearly you dont. Im not maori but I hear about iwi meetings from those that are.
Im not shutting down anyone, just referring the previous agreements with Fletchers made by the iwi, also the full and final settlement of their land claims made by the iwi.
For your phony reality stick to the TV shows
A chance to learn
https://e-tangata.co.nz/history/treaty-negotiators-not-a-job-for-wimps/
"For many of the negotiators and those they represent, the gains have little to do with financial and commercial redress. Because, compared to the losses suffered by Māori, there’s stuff-all that can be clawed back from the Crown. It’s about the rebuilding of a tribe, restoration of mana, reclamation of lost stories, putting atrocities and wrongs on record. It’s about the return home of iwi members, the pride in a new generation, embedding the tribe’s role in decision making throughout their district and ensuring a stronger sense of place. It’s about both legacy and potential.
““One of the dangers of the whole settlement process,” says Michael Cullen, “is that it divides hapū from hapū, it divides iwi from iwi. Because, of course, traditional boundaries weren’t hard-and-fast lines on the map, like English counties.”
Its apparent some here , like Marty and Maui, are much more like the human headline Garner than they want to admit- cliches, empty rhetoric , buzz words
"Let’s be clear. The whole exercise is painful enough for Māori, but when the process and outcome are a mystery to most New Zealanders, the scene is set for misinterpretation, misunderstanding, and misinformation. Cue the wilfully ignorant and downright racist, dying to rark things up."
hmmmm
So it was racism for the iwi alongside Fletchers to call in police to remove SOUL from the land?
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1907/S00265/kaumatua-kuia-call-for-protestors-to-leave-ihumatao.htm
Every iwi , I could imagine, have whanau or hapu who disagaree with decisions made collectively by the iwi as a whole?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12259969
“Taua claims that "Te Kawerau ā Maki are mana whenua of Ihumātao". His fellow trustees take a more nuanced stance, and say "they admit that Te Kawerau ā Maki have claimed mana whenua status…..but [it is] just one group of a number of who are mana whenua of Ihumātao".
"Notably, Pania Newton and her five cousins – who founded protest group SOUL (Save Our Unique Landscape) and whakapapa to Ihumātao – have always maintained they are not affiliated with Te Kawerau ā Maki."
Which is what I believe too , they arent TKAM, but seem to constructed their mana whenua to suit them. Interesting.
Socialist fan-bois who jump in on a cause arent expected to provide answers , but do they love getting in the way. Ive seen photos of them ( like John McCaffery- Irish descent) lined up outside the Council hearing room , with only Pania and one other iwi member.
sorry your rant was wasted – in more ways than one I might add – I quoted from the article you linked to dimbob – lol you are floundering now
lol "constructed their mana whenua to suit them."
Dude, the protesting group belong to the marae located on the land!
Belong ?
The iwi is Kawerau a Maki and Newton and her cousins dont have an affiliation.
Mana whenua means authority of the iwi over the land- and even water- if they are not iwi there is another word for Newton and those cousins.
A friend told me there is a maori word for that , Ive forgotten but in English is called 'outsider'.
Ihumatao is the rohe of Kawerau a Maki, there is no other group to consider in the current circumstances.
I think the word you are looking for is tauiwi. I got taught that it simply means people who aren't our iwi.
How do you think mana whenua is established? Then, why do you think that TKAM are the only iwi who derive their mana from that land?
My understanding is that there are several iwi with connections to Ihumātao. Also, that Pania Newton has whakapapa to TKAM.
Mod note for you at 5.28pm
So Duncan "Waah waah, this country's too full of icky icky brown people and I hate it!" Garner is trying to reinvent himself as an authority on Maori issues, is he?
He can just get in the sea and swim back to Pomgolia.
Nice comment.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10635964&pnum=0
I didn't know that. I wonder if he was as reactionary back then.
Poor Dunks. He must have been devastated when Guyon chose Emma over him. After ALL he'd done for him. There's bloody gratitude for ya
Comment of the day!
Not bad because you had stiff opposition.
Oh, really.
https://www.lawsociety.org.nz/news-and-communications/latest-news/news/council-upholds-complaint-against-duncan-garner-immigration-article
Still doesn't explain why we need to hear from any more white racists – after all, there isn't exactly a shortage of them.
Just like Duncan Garner, it seems that nuance is not your strong point.
Still doesn’t explain why Mr Garner must be wrong on anything Māori. Is he allowed to express an opinion on anything Māori?
I think its time for a big shout out to the older white men of New Zealand. This group has, over the last 130 years or more, led NZ to its liberal and progressive place in the world today, with such things as female suffrage (and male suffrage 14 years earlier), anti-nuclear middle finger to the US, the creation of a comprehensive welfare state in the 1930s and the like.
Similarly in our local Council, the older white men are pretty much all liberal and progressive types, of left persuasion. I suspect this is repeated across many Councils. It reflects the progressive and liberal nature of the older white men in our wider community.
They are certainly less conservative than many most other identity groups in NZ e.g. Pacifika who are very conservative, Maori, most older women. And they are certainly less conservative than most other males across the planet e.g. Arabia, US.
This is all good and I thank them for this contribution to our society today.
Especially for the male suffrage provided 140 years ago this year. Cause for celebration. Is there any celebration planned?
Yeah
Having a bit of a giggle here, an old white man who resigned from council is now deciding to standing again because there are women standing in his ward this election.
But I'm guessing/hoping he is not the type of old white man you are celebrating in your post VTO.
Where's the celebration happening? I did a google but came up empty.
I heard a barbie was planned – the march was a fizzer cos the rugger replay was on – some action in the malls today with small tables and leaflets I think.
lol – we stuffed the world up now please worship us – yeah nah – tidy up your mess first
lol yeah nah
check it out
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/115063539/australian-politician-pauline-hanson-asks-for-antiwhite-racism-examples-gets-trolled
Pauline Hanson, huh?
https://www.mamamia.com.au/pauline-hanson-uluru-2/
classic – her and alan jones are the worst of people
Lmao!!! The rock has spoken….nature at it's finest 🙂 Laterz pauline.
TBH this white girl loves men…. but yeah.. nah… did someone say bbq? Lmao !!!
“– we stuffed the world up now please worship us – ”
Enver Hoxha was only 36 when he became prime minister of Albania , he became first Secretary of the Communist party a few years earlier, was that the young dynamic leader you are thinking of, as he was so good at his job he remained in total control till he died at 77.
Or is it Bernie Sanders , now 77, and his great accomplishments during his time in office ?
I know you can cut and paste from the internet dukey so what?
Where do you get your ideas? The
cornflakemuesli box?seriously, and it is a theme for me today it seems, I don't get your point.
What has bernie got to do with anything or the other guy? me struggling to comprehend today sorry
I was giving an example of young leaders and old … and what they did or didnt do , to inspire you..both were socialists might be a clue
I am a socialist, so thanks.
Things have to change – I agree 'young' and 'old' are very poor proxies for what we are trying to say. Chronological age is weird and messed up. Yet the truth is we need other voices, different thinking and values to create the world we're moving into imo.
If only Bernie was the status quo…. imagine 🤟
Well Bernies a millionaire now , so the system is working for him. His household income including his wife is almost $300,000 pa. For many years. That puts him in the 1%
His financial disclosure statements show they have stakes in 36 mutual funds and other investments
They own 3 houses.
Elizabeth Warren is worth $8 mill, but then again shes not as 'socialist' as Bernie so thats OK.
Cinny knock those stars away from your eyes .
The real value is how people treat others, including the environment, whether one owns 3 houses or has money in the bank. JS
What was your point again, I think I might have missed it. 💭
Bernie was the 'status quo' …LOL
Have you thought bout getting into politics?
You could appeal to the disenfranchised older white male vote.
You speak for about 1% of the vote . Good luck with that in changing anything
dukeofurl, todays troll with bad statistics.
"You speak for about 1% of the vote"
mauī spoke for themselves, or is your racism so ingrained dukeofurl that you can't even grip that basic idea? Because if you missed it – your paternalist racist rants are getting tired, boring, and old.
That me just speaking for myself, not any % of the public, just me.
It was his claim of being a socialist and the roughly 1% vote they get( he talked about election politics)
Your point is what ? Apart from imitating Garner with buzz words and empty rhetoric
What you going to call me a cultural marxist next….
… do you live on Planet Key, vto? I suspect there will be a knees up at the golf club if you really want to celebrate… Mind you empty your bladder before you attend though, apparently there are no toilets on Planet Key.
yeah thanks Molly for more smart-arse offensive comments about older men, great.
You don't want to celebrate men getting the vote in 1870? It was after all monumental and the first time ever. It also paved the way for women getting the vote only 14 years later. That was celebrated. Why not men?
btw, fuck Planet Key, you shouldnt assume so much. You should also read the bit about older men and their long-established liberal and progressive credentials.
disappointing Molly, but at least you've revealed your prejudices.
I didn't make any " smart-arse offensive comments about older men". I responded to your familiar baiting with light hearted levity about one of our recent prominent older white men, who was held up for celebration.
I see many celebrations of achievement happening all the time, and often the people lauded are "older white men". So, I was just asking you to consider whether you are in fact tending to see a bias against that demographic, that is non-existent.
My long-term partner is – as we communicate – becoming an even older white male. My sons will be whitish older men. I celebrate them every day.
“You don’t want to celebrate men getting the vote in 1870?” Meh. Not so much. That consolidation of political power in this country led to more effecient land confiscations and consolidations, and the 1870 vote was for property owners. Male suffrage – for Pakeha – did not really come in until 1879. I will celebrate the return of voting rights to prisoners. The removal of residential voting rights, which would bring us in line with most of the world. And the return of overseas votes without the need to visit the country within the last three years for ex-pat overseas residents that retain their citizenship.
I celebrate fairness.
Fan inundated with excrement
"US President Donald Trump says he has "hereby ordered" American companies to leave China, after Beijing announced plans to slap new tariffs on US goods."
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/397383/us-firms-hereby-ordered-to-quit-china-trump
Trump shortening the US…..profits will be made.
anyways is that not what he was voted in for? To destroy it all. 🙂
The idea that King Con is indeed deliberately manipulating markets for personal gain deserves at least some consideration, not outright dismissal as a weird conspiracy theory. He is known to have successfully done it before in the 80s, before others got wise to him and he apparently lost it all again.
https://www.salon.com/2019/08/13/donald-trump-is-driving-america-off-an-economic-cliff-but-is-it-deliberate/
But I'm not yet sure I'm ready to totally buy into it. Seems to me the evidence still points much more towards the Fraud from Fifth Avenue playing pigeon chess, not 23-dimensional chess. Y'know, where it flaps in squawking loudly, knocks over all the pieces, shits all over the board, struts around like it's won, then flaps out again still squawking.
The speculation has been going on for a while now and frankly yes, he is making money, his children are making money and everyone else around him is making money. And thus the economy is booming. the plebs?
I don't think its a CT. Who profits. Its not even chess, its simply a mafia/organised crime tactic of pay me to protect you from me, cause it would be sad if something something were to happen to your nice business, your nice house, your nice children your nice country your nice exports ………….
wouldnt put it past him at all….but whatever the motivation(s) it dosnt change the impact on the rest of us, not to mention the potential for it to transition from a trade/currency war to yet another of the shooting variety
Well, the petulance he has shown over being denied the opportunity to buy Greenland is a case in point. He claims he wanted to buy it for America but that's a load of rot. There are a lot of valuable minerals in them thar snowy mountains and glaciers and he wants to get his grubby little hands on them.
theres no doubt he spits the dummy when thwarted or critcised…which makes him all the more dangerous
Someone else's grubby hands. Chump is an obedient little boy.
Prick's all blut und bloden and reckons Greenland is just like Norway.
While President Trump seemed to pull his interest in purchasing Greenland out of thin air this week, he’s actually been privately talking about buying the semi-autonomous Danish region for more than a year, according to the New York Times.
In fact, last year the President even joked about trading Puerto Rico — the U.S. territory he’s treated with contempt ever since it was ravaged by Hurricane Maria — for Greenland, according to a former administration official who spoke to the Times.
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trump-greenland-puerto-rico
Nice – I think every Anzac day trees could be planted for the fallen. On each holiday it could be an excuse to plant some trees – christmas, new year, easter, whatever – just another reason to offer commemoration by planting life.
Nice.
And good work on the whole Garner thread, above.
Sad day when people here can't think of at least a couple of Māori news sources off the top of their head.
not good this – wrong on so many levels – I have been very impressed with Nanaia Mahuta over recent weeks – great mana
There is no such thing as Rangihou people. Thats the name given to the farm on that spot established by Samuel Marsden the anglican missionary , around 1815, named after a bay in the Bay of Islands.
The City of Parramatta give a good background of the location on their website.
Highly unlikely Te ruki Kawiti a ngapuhi chief was involved, and he certainly wasnt a "king"
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/people/te-ruki-kawiti
Duke you are FOS when did u become an expert on Maori History and Anthropology, climb back in your hole you RWNJ !!!!
Maori dont have customary land rights in Australia.
Its high school stuff to know that Parramatta – where this park is-was founded as a settlement the same year as Sydney in 1788, and any maori who may have settled there around 1810 or so were part of the British colonisation. Hint -they even called it the Colony of NSW
That makes them colonisers not an indigenous people.
My heart fell when I saw this being reported. My primary instinct, followed by rational justification is that no such ownership claim should take place in a country that has systematically stolen land from the indigenous people.
The only presence that others should have in any such claim, is as support for indigenous people when they do so.
(This stance also translates into unease at the establishment of maraes overseas. To me, maraes are inextricably linked to whenua, and we have no claim to overseas locations, and should not dispossess others of their own land even in that small way.)
+ 1 yes I agree
I felt similarly when reading about this.
(not sure about marae. Wouldn’t it be like saying that Muslims from other countries shouldn't put their mosques here? People need a place to connect collectively even where they are living in another land. Tricky though, because I hear what you are saying about the inherent connection to whenua).
For me, marae are inextricably linked to whenua. Both geographically and in Te Ao Maori, spiritually. As a people who understand land dispossession, the thought of laying that spiritual claim to land in another country just seems discordant.
Churches, including are a place of worship for beliefs that transcend countries. They are a place of gathering, which can take place wherever the church can be built. It is not usually on a sacred site or area of significance, the consecration takes place after the decision to build is made.
Small difference perhaps, but a significant one.
How do you see pan-iwi urban marae?
“How do you see pan-iwi urban marae?”
in Aotearoa?
I often visited Manurewa marae, which AFAIK is a pan-iwi urban marae. It is in Aotearoa, so the connection to land is still there, and is spoken of, in terms of local iwi. It is not another indigenous peoples ancestral land, so I can see how with the creation of urban marae these old connections are rediscovered and strengthened.
that makes sense, although I would say that European churches do have a history of being land based and sites being chosen because of the land. Even here in NZ I think this has been true sometimes, looking at some of the places churches have been put. Pākehā are a long way culturally from belonging to the land, but I don't think it's entirely severed. Also acknowledging the role of colonisation in that history.
Churches in Europe did have that connection, and rightly so in their own lands. (Often though, they seemed to supplant the local peoples sacred places – a usurpation of existing beliefs with organised religion, meted out in wood and stone. )
So much of Te Ao Maori is linked to whenua. The aspects of kinship and kaitiakitanga are intertwined with the protection of natural resources and awareness of both ancestral links and future descendants need to access those resources. For me, this gives a worldview that is both necessary and heartening. It is less about the geographical space that a marae takes up, but the centre it provides for looking after local people and places.
One of the ways that Pākehā can get over our colonising ways is to learn how to belong to the land again. I see a role for churches or similar in that. While I still have connections back to where my people came from, they're not so strong as to override the connections I experience where I live now. At some point Pākehā will have to come to grips with this, and that includes centering that provides for looking after local people and places. Whether that is by being assimilated into Māoridom, or by living and working alongside in partnership I don't know, but I'm not sure I automatically exclude the latter (and hence the necessity of buildings being deeply connected with place, culture, spirituality).
A strong aspect of Māoridom that I think is neglected, is the allowance of space and growth of the 'other' within Aotearoa, and the sharing of connectedness to land. I value the aspects of the RMA that encourage and facilitate engagement with local iwi, even while I despair at some of the implementations and dialogue around it.
There have been some very successful iwi partnerships with local authorities and communities in regards to conservation and environment. The Waikato River management ; is a good example of everyone being connected in a major undertaking, and understanding being a central result.
And I'm speaking as an individual, rather than for Māori. I don't even have a clue about how overseas marae are regarded amongst others, it's a personal view that doesn't really have much impact one way or another. I would think the only time it would come up is in discussions like this. Alternatively, if I was asked to contribute or support the establishment of an overseas marae, I would decline and explain why. Hopefully, the result would be a discussion of why I am misguided or misinformed, or a new perspective being introduce to the person looking for contributions. More likely, a defensive reaction, but I live in eternal hope.
Khan Sheikhoun and the northern Hama countryside liberated.
https://twitter.com/sahouraxo/status/1164988455924969472?s=20
"Liberated" implies liberty, and is therefore a wildly inappropriate term in this case.
You mean its not 'liberty' in the same way Iraq is after the US occupation, where they can vote and ……something
Khan Sheikhoun is around 25 km from Mhardeh
I mean that the term "liberate" indicates the bestowal or restoration of liberty, neither of which applies to this event.
Your ability to take know term to describing a military event, and then twisting it support the islamic state and it backers is truly surprising.
So now you're defending the head choppers Psycho Milt?
Not the only Maori area with dirt floors, no running water etc. Plenty about NZ if you stop claiming "there is no poverty in NZ" and actually look around. Good to see it getting coverage – never thought I'd see the day.
https://interactives.stuff.co.nz/2019/08/horeke-northland-housing-crisis/
Hey…wouldn't it be great if EVERYONE in NZ could have more than dirt for flooring? There's an idea.
Skybot F-850 flys to ISS.
https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1164368948760068096
Jacinda Ardern attends the Islamic Women's Council of NZ annual conference on Saturday.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/115254276/jacinda-ardern-promises-to-look-into-more-opportunities-for-muslim-women
Brazil – a corrupt/inept government, elected of the back of a corrupt court case, and totally failing to deal with anything.
Oh and did you know massive protest against said corrupt/inept government are daily. No. MMmmmmm
https://fair.org/home/media-blackout-on-brazils-anti-bolsonaro-protests/
But. "Venezuela".
*crickets*
/
In its newly-released report, AGPS documented the death of 17 Palestinian refugees under torture in Syria-s state-run dungeons during the first half of 2019.
In most of the cases, the victims’ families received the death reports following years of enforced disappearance.
AGPS kept record of the secret detention of 1,759 Palestinian refugees in Syrian government prisons.
http://www.actionpal.org.uk/en/post/9013/
Interesting facts – I'm pretty impressed by Taylor and Fletchers on this. And I can imagine a dream scenario with multiple benefits across a wide arc of society – wistful thinking for sure
Ihumātao… Te Waiata!
A great interview – honest, and nuanced and I learned a lot.
When is our public free to air channel mcoming to air?
Labour promised us a voice too remember?i
When is our public free to air channel mcoming to air?
Labour promised us a voice too remember?i
heh
https://twitter.com/CopernicusEMS/status/1164985440660787201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1164985440660787201&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.democraticunderground.com%2F1127131166
from here https://twitter.com/CopernicusEMS
this is quite an interesting twitter account to help visualise the current fires going on a little bit elsewhere.
Less fires now than last week?
nope read is new fires to add to the orange one.
i read a number of 78.000 + fires.
we need to change our conversation on what can be done, to what must be done.
Frankly i would assume this to be the very first of the events that will lead to the destruction of our society as we know it now. No one even talks about it, the pollution that comes with it, etc.
Not even sure if you can extinguish these fires anymore either, everyone who has an interest will simply just light another one. the green light has been given, and those that profit have decided to take matters in hand. Pretty much the planet is fucked, now its just a question about admitting it.
Also just for fun, have a look at the fires in Alaska. I have a friend who lives there, Salmon are cooked in the rivers and ocean. Dead wales have been washing up all summer there. She is just desperate and heartbroken. So are my friends in Bresil.
I don't get it. How can the last 24 hours one be added on? Wouldn't the previous ones show if they were still burning?
Anyway, I agree with this,
"we need to change our conversation on what can be done, to what must be done."
What are you thinking?
people are intentionally lightening fires. It is the regular fire season, so farmers are burning plant debris etc, miners burning up smaller areas of forrests, and such. Essentially if you look again in 24 hours you will see more fires added to it. Ad to that lack of rain – again compounded by the fact that the forest is being decimated add to that no will to actually combat the fires and you have a bit of an issue.
As i said the number that i read about all the ongoing fires in that forest across a few countries not just bresil is 78.000 + . that number alone is staggering and hard to wrap ones mind around.
what must be done? If i were a benevolent dictator i would demand / decree / order (to use the oranges words)
a. all public transport free of charge
b. no more then one vehicle per household ( you better have a good reason wanting more then one and one has to apply for it)
c. increase food product locally and force supermarkets to carry that local food
d. incentives, force farmers to reduce herd sizes, plant natives on steep hills, plant in rivers, stop irrigation where it never made sense to begin with.
e. plant. Plant as much as we can.
f. no more cutting down of trees for parkings/garages etc
g. car free sundays (it was fun being with a bicycle on the motorway in the seventies 🙂 )
high investment in alternative energy, water turbines, wind mills, solar cells
above all honesty to the populace, that really we shat the bed and if we want to continue to sleep in it we must clean the sheets, the matraze, the frames, the duvet, pillows and the bedroom.
However nothing will happen because growth, profits, and gutless polititians, pundits, philosphers, and last but least a populace that can't even conceive of not being entertained.
And for what its worth, i don't have a car. I sold the last toy to insulate my small 55 sqm house, i plant trees, i forage, i get my food locally produced, i don't have mobile phone, my computer is quite old, so is my furniture and yet i seem to miss nothing and still have a good quality of life. I live in a place where going about on foot and on bike is feasable, i have a garden that will feed me- drought and super hot summer permitting. and any protein that i need is provided by the rescue chickens that my relatives haves – they lay an incredible amount of eggs all 63 of the chucks. Non of the chucks ever end up as roast, they live to a long life and are happy sleeping in trees. Well some of them..
We need to collectively stop participating in this madness.
Last but least, we must stop electing people in the hope that they burn down the system expecting them to produce a better one. And when they gay bash, women bash, migrant bash, other bash but promote the burning of the land that you live on one should ask if they really have OUR best interest at heart or their own. Cause frankly the guy in bresil does not give a fuck, he knows that chances are he will survive longer then we do.
Great ideas Sabine – feeding the 'growth monster' has made the world sick.
And yet, "Fears about slowing growth are dominating." Madness!
https://www.forexlive.com/news/!/the-growth-monster-is-swallowing-trade-worries-20190814
But HRC would be worse.
//
The Trump administration took its hardest line yet to legalize anti-gay discrimination on Friday when it asked the Supreme Court to declare that federal law allows private companies to fire workers based only on their sexual orientation.
An amicus brief filed by the Justice Department weighed in on two cases involving gay workers and what is meant by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bans discrimination "because of sex.” The administration argued courts nationwide should stop reading the civil rights law to protect gay, lesbian, and bisexual workers from bias because it was not originally intended to do so.
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/dominicholden/trump-scotus-gay-workers
Do many people still believe that? (re HRC)
but her emails!
Site works well on the Hipster version of OpenIndiania (a public version of Solaris Unix) using Firefox.
There was some kind of issue when I was first looking at the page and the reply ‘button’ didn’t show up. Worked fine on a refresh.
Idle check whilst updating a virtual machine (incredibly slow upgrade mechanism). The operating system works fine in a vmware workstation 15 virtual machine.
Setting this VM up as a reference cross-compile test.
Nice fonts for something that is about 10 years since its last major upgrade.